I thought I would encourage my Christian brothers and sisters who celebrate the season of Lent to use this 40 days to focus especially on "getting the lead out" in preparation for Y2K. I'm personally critically examining my own attachment to habits and consumption. I'm going to cut out a lot of habitual things that just may or may not be around in a year (coffee, soda, sweets, etc.). Better for me to do without now and learn self-denial under "controlled" conditions. Should make for a lot less whining on my part come next year.

So to Robert Cook, Spidey, Greybear (now, or in a few days if you're Old Calendar), and others: Happy Lent! Let's tame Brother Ass now so that we'll be lean and fit to serve others after the Fall.

The Lord is risen - He is risen indeed.

-- Franklin Journier (ready4y2k@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999

Answers

Franklin-

Amen!! A happy and holy Lent to us all!

Blessings....Mercy

-- Mercy (prepare@now.com), February 17, 1999.

Kristos vos Krese! Vo Esteno vos Krese!

-- Greybear, with atrocious spelling

- Got Light?

-- Greybear (greybear@homo.com), February 17, 1999.

Franklin -

good point!

He is risen indeed!

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), February 17, 1999.

In my time we always waited for Easter.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), February 17, 1999.

Amen.

-- abcdGoldfish (mnoGoldfish@osar.com), February 17, 1999.

Funny. Haven't heard anyone mention electricity.

-- ------- (----@------@.com), February 17, 1999.

Thanks for the thoughtful post, Franklin.

A point to ponder for me in Lent, is to be more conciously reliant on and grateful to the God who provides (been studying Gen. lately).

My physical addictions are few, my mental/emotional ones are more of a concern. (With addiction being defined as reliance on someone/something other than God for one's well-being)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 17, 1999.

I've been attempting a fast for about 10 days and will try to extend it into Lent as far as possible. Actually I've has a little juice but I will try to cut that out for a while. I recommend it as a way to psychologically prepare for food shortages. Once you have gone on a fast then you are less likely to panic since you realize that it is not so bad to go a few days without food. Fasting is reputed to be good for your health for various reasons (detoxification, weight loss, etc). I maintain that your greatest asset to secure this coming year is not your gold coins, generators, or solar panels. I think it is your physical health. Consider also that you might have to do manual work to earn money after 2000.

-- Joe O (ozarkjoe@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.

Tom is right, of course, that phrase should wait until Easter (blush!!!). I'm a convert to Catholicism so I still "speak with an accent."

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I didn't mean to exclude spiritual preparation in my list of the elements of self-denial. But for me the spiritual and physical are often so tightly linked. Detachment from physical possessions and curbed physical consumption have a lot to do with my own spiritual equilibrium. I can just see myself whining and complaining like the children of Israel because I've lost my leaks and onions (er, coffee and Coca Cola).

So I am trying to cultivate that detachment now, since we all stand to lose a lot of our physical possessions in short order.

God bless you all.

-- Franklin Journier (ready4y2k@yahoo.com), February 18, 1999.