And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.  -Luke 4:1-2

Yesterday, I looked ahead at today’s Lenten photo so that I could begin thinking about what I might take a photo of.  Return.  Immediately a couple of photos that I have already taken popped into my head, but I really want these to be intentional.  And, I’m resolved not to look at anyone else’s photos until I have taken mine so I’m not influenced.  I want this to be completely Spirit led.

I had the privilege of attending the most beautiful Ash Wednesday service I’ve ever experienced.  To be fair, I have not attended very many, but this one left me awe-struck.

We were given small pieces of paper on which to write something that we wanted to let go….a sin, a hurt…anything we wanted Jesus to take away.  Then, we placed it in a bowl with dried palm fronds from the previous years Palm Sunday service and burned it.  The pastors then added baptismal water and created ash from the palm.  I’ve been through the ritual of having the ashes imposed on my forehead before, but there was something so powerful about seeing the ashes created from the hurt on those pieces of paper.

Remember that from dust you have come and to dust you shall return.

-Genesis 3:19

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

-Mark 1:15