I'm slowly working on this writing assignment. The deadline is April 1 and I have to have four weeks of devotions churned out by then. What do they give me? Isaiah! The prophets are nearly imcomprehensible and now I have to write devotions on this book?! I'm using my study Bible to help me, plus it's NASB, which capitalizes personal pronouns when it comes to God, including Jesus of course, so it's easy to pick out what the translators feel are Messianic passages in in the Old Testament.

These writing assignments are difficult but I wish I could do them more. Forget the small stipend; I learn something each time I do these because they force me to really dig into the text. I like writing for the sheer joy of sharing my ideas with people I will never meet. I have a passion for the written word.

On that note, my Bible-in-a-year resolution is chugging along. I'm about a week ahead right now. They have us in 7 books (one for each day of the week) at any given time. So far the only book I've finished is Joshua.

Made it to church today to celebrate Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes and communion. I'm hiding out at work today as much as possible because people who go to church and/or do things they consider "Catholic" are not highly looked upon here (loooong story). I already got one comment from the guy in the mailroom downstairs. "Your sin will find you out," he said, as if receiving the ashes is wrong (he probably thinks it is).

I did have a bus driver ask me what the mark meant because she had seen it on several people. I explained that it is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

The ashes are a sign of repentance and a recognition that we are mortal and will someday die.

What else? I didn't make it to the gym today, but I feel fat and know I've gained. Bleh. :-p Somehow I WILL get there but it is frustrating that I am so close, and yet soooo far.