What happened with lent?

I'm not sure how many of you decided to take a Lenten fast. I've spoken to a few friends that have but we never seem to talk about how it affects our relationship with Christ. We talk about what we're fasting and how the fast is going but not always the "why" that particular fast or how that fast impacted our relationship with Jesus once the fast is over.

Well, my fast of TV wasn't as successful as I hoped. It really is hard for me to fast TV when TV is one way we spend time together as a family. But it caused me to make more time for doing the things I knew Jesus wanted me to do for Him and for my family. I spent more time writing, blogging, reading the Bible, cleaning the house, shopping for groceries, and other chores that needed attention. Some of you I spoke with admitted that watching TV evaporates time. You sit down for one "deserved" program or moment and before you know it, hours have passed and things are left undone. Even though I wasn't turning off the TV or keeping it off as much as I hoped, it was frequent and it was frequent enough to enjoy the benefit of feeling good about what I had accomplished while it was turned off.

The other benefit was not caring so much that I missed a particular program. You know how many of us have our shows we follow. Well, I missed some and got caught up after Easter (love DVR) but other shows I just didn't care about. I erased the DVR programs and I may or may not watch them again, unless it's with one of the kids. Some of this was just habit; I wanted to keep up with the story line. But it was really no big deal when I missed it over lent so why start again?! One friend quoted some amount of time it takes to break a habit. Most days I’m still choosing to NOT watch TV even though Lent is over. I think it’s a better way to live for me.

Bottom line
• I completed commitments
• Was on time for appointments
• Spent more time reading the Bible and praying
• Wrote and blogged
• Felt better about myself; less guilt/shame
How about you? Did you reflect on your Lenten fast? Did you notice any difference in your life or your relationship with Jesus? Let us know. We’d all like to hear about it.