Better is a little with the fear of the Lord – than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is – than a fatted ox and hatred with it. Proverbs 15:16-33  Once a year my mother served us pancakes for dinner. Growing up I never knew why. I never questioned the menu. As a child it was a welcome meal – no sacrifice here! We were Baptist and no aspects of the season of Lent was ever discussed. As a social worker my mother encountered many traditions and cultures. No doubt, serving pancakes on this particular day was something she borrowed. As I grew, thanks to my own friendships I came to associate our pancake supper with Shrove Tuesday and the season of Lent, albeit without significant meaning. Symbolically, serving pancakes was a way of using up the rich foods like eggs, milk and sugar in preparation for the 40 day “fasting” and sacrifice during the season of Lent. Fasting and sacrificing was to help one get back to true satiety in the Word of God. In some traditions Shrove Tuesday invites celebrations with indulgence. In others it’s the beginning process of self-examination as to what things hinder our relationship with God. For some I dare say that food is the least of our problems. However, it’s a beginning, and God is simply waiting for us to shrive ourselves (confess) of whatever is necessary that we might begin a journey which leads closer to him. With reconciliation as the goal we soon learn that Shrove Tuesday and the subsequent 40 days is really the beginning again – of an ongoing process. Every day given is an opportunity to “eat pancakes”. Every day in some way is a “season” in Lent