In the News ... “Decaying tree stump leads to Lenten opportunity"

MRT Photo by Melanie Nicholas

• "Instead of giving up something this Lent, I’m going to add something"

Melanie Nicholas, Columnist
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Happy Lent, everyone!

The word “lent” comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, and it means spring. The Lenten season lasts 40 days and represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection, focusing on relationships with God. In my youth and early adulthood, I thought that Lent was purely about sacrifice, the time of year when my Catholic friends gave up meat on Fridays and my Episcopalian friends stopped eating chocolate for a month ...

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