Greetings to my beloved Mt. Vernon Family and Friends,

Thanks to all of you who joined us for our Ash Wednesday virtual service on March 2nd. We have begun our Lenten season forty-day Daniel Fast. Sundays are excluded from the fast. Lent is ultimately not about what you give up but getting “self” out of God’s way. When we draw near to God through spiritual disciplines such as fasting and prayer, God draws near to us. He gives us clarity about who we are in Christ and how much He loves us. God gives us clarity concerning His purpose for our lives. He puts His finger on any sin that needs to go. Satan’s strongholds are broken off and God works to heal and deliver us. We are living in difficult times. We need divine intervention. I invite you to join us in this season of self-examination, daily devotions, and prayers. Let us prepare our hearts before God as we look towards Resurrection Sunday with a renewed sense of commitment. This year I am using the devotional book Pauses for Lent by Trevor Hudson. In it, Hudson gives 40 words for 40 days of reflection. I have already begun texting scriptures three times a day focusing on one word for each day. I pray that as you receive the text with scriptures, prayers and exhortations, that you take the time to pause, reflect, and pray three times a day. Let us be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose, seeking God’s face in prayer. The words for reflection the week of March 7-12 are as follows:

Be Richly Blessed,

Pastor Deborah Giles