Rethink Church - lent day 1

***Programming note: hello readers! I have much to catch up on, but the beginning of the year was disrupted by illness/a need to settle life down after Fall 2012, which was one for the personal travel record books.  Will update with Christmas/Rose Bowl/Mardi Gras soon!***

Despite my lack of membership/participation in a local church here in Alabama, I've managed to stay quite connected to my church network via social media.  One huge benefit of participating in UMC Camps over the years is leaving with a wonderful, diverse group of people to stay connected to. Many of my friends were fellow youth group members/leaders who have gone on to become ordained ministers or other leaders in our church.  Many of the youth I worked with in summer 2011 are spiritual leaders in their congregations and are now preparing for college.  Anyway, it's one of the things I love about social media - maintaining those connections throughout the year, from far away.

So when I saw ReThink Church's Lenten Photo-a-day Challenge (here's an article about it), I couldn't help but be excited (No, Lent isn't just for Catholics! And it isn't just about giving something up either.). It integrates all social media platforms and encourages participants to share pictures that correspond to a theme for each day of lent.  I loved this idea, because frankly, I am tired of the "giving something up" practice, and  just didn't feel spiritually prepared to do it.  I'm not sure whether I'll manage all 40 days, but I'm excited to participate.  I'll mostly use twitter (follow me @steeenie)- follow the entire project by searching for @umrethinkchurch,  #rethinkchurch and #40days . But I'll try to post some on here as well. 

Here's day 1 - "Who am I"

This picture speaks to me because it was taken from a very difficult time in my life.  After my grandpa's and aunt's death in October and November, I knew I needed a change to give me a fresh start.  So, I took several inches off of my hair, and have felt lighter ever since.