The more he gives us, the more we accept and give away in turn, the more and more and more he wants to give us. Tomorrow we begin to give back in a special way some of those gifts in order to make room for more. Today we celebrate and appreciate all the culmination of great things the Lord has given us. Lent helps us grow, pare back, trim off dead growth and condition ourselves for that growth. We are meant to literally burst at the seems with driving, passionate, exploding growth. We Christians are not meant to stand still, to tread water.

I have never experienced more changed (me, inside), joy filled, grace filled Easters than I have since converting to Catholicism and learning to live by the liturgical calendar, following the life and ministry, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and the building of the Church, especially Lent and Easter. Kind of a clear out the old, extraneous, the unnecessary, the frivolous to make room for more somber, serious, and much more worthwhile things.ДЇrom a religious standpoint, Fat Tuesday is really about Lent. ItвЂ™s a little celebratory, clear the decks kind of day as I focus my mind on the upcoming journey I want to make with Jesus during Lent. My celebration of Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras is quite simple, maybe having pancakes for supper, a few extra sweets, especially if IвЂ™m giving them up for Lent. Here is my Catholic take, for what it is worth. Perhaps giving face to them now helps do that. I myself hope to slay some demons of my own during the 40 days. The secular world has of course intruded, but there are deep roots underneath. I would guess though, that their origins were not entirely without religious significance. I donвЂ™t understand the costumes or krewes or other traditions, nor how they got started. IвЂ™m not from New Orleans, or any of the other cities across the world where Mardi Gras and Carnival are celebrated. Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.ДЄdded, from a comment I made yesterday on the Mardi Gras post, in answer to a question about Mardi Gras excesses. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,

Jeff and flash nightclub