I was ten years old in 1962 when McDonald’s first introduced the Filet-O-fish sandwich. Lou Groen, a franchise owner of Mc Donald’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, came up with the idea. The population in the area of his McDonald’s was 87% Catholic, and during Lent his restaurant was suffering because the Catholics were abstaining from eating meat. Mr. Groen, himself a practicing, Catholic was being hit hard on Fridays during Lent, with the profits averaging $75 a day.

Mr. Groen presented the idea of a fish sandwich to Ray Kroc, the CEO of McDonald’s, but Mr. Kroc did not approve. Instead Mr. Kroc wanted to introduce the Hula Burger (grilled pineapple with cheese). The two men agreed to have a contest and whoever won would get to introduce the new sandwich at McDonald’s. The rest is history, and the Filet-O-fish became part of McDonald’s permanent menu in 1965.

Del Taco also provides beer-battered crispy tacos and also shrimp tacos during Lent.

Chick-fil-A joined the ranks with their fish sandwich, and is also offering meals of fried fish fillets. These meals are only available during Lent at participating restaurants.

Arby’s has a new Cajun Fish sandwich, along with their regular fish sandwich. Many other fast food establishments have fish on their menus during Lent.

Every Friday during Lent, we support our local parish, St. Norbert, in Orange, CA. The Lenten fish fry is only $8, and it is delicious, helping to fund the 8th grade students for their trip to Washington, D.C. On that same day at 7:00 P.M. is the Stations of the Cross is celebrated.

The Lord has an influence over all these large corporations, whether it be for profit or to meet the special needs of its consumers God is in the midst, because Lent is a power season.

How is your Lent going? Mine is lacking in several areas, discipline and love having been a challenge for me. When I fail to do what is right before God, my general behavior is to put on an oversized pair of boxing gloves and beat myself up. I am a normal person seeking what the rest of the world may appear to be unattainable. I want to draw water from the well and offer it to Jesus, I want Him to speak to me and let me know when my walk is going in the wrong direction, or when my steps become unstable. I want to be convicted of all the offenses I have committed, but mostly I want my conscience cleared and my path straightened in order to continue my Lenten journey, and to feel His holy presence.

My Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for loving us unconditionally. It does not matter what stage of our walk we are in, or how we perceive others, You take us as we are and say, “Come to me, and I will give you rest…” Thank You, Lord, that whenever I get distracted and fail to do what is right before You, You meet me along the path to redirect me towards You. Forgive me for all of my transgressions, and allow me to enter Your holy chambers with a pure and contrite heart.

Amen

Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I don’t know about you, but I drink everything through a straw. I prefer the strong unbendable plastic ones, I use them to drink my iced tea, water and sodas. My husband always has a chocolate shake at In n Out, and no paper straw is going to endure the thickness of that drink.

I understand the importance of being green, and will do my due diligence to comply with Mother Earth. So now why do we need to use metal or glass straws? When and how did that happen? I find this to be intrusive, and unsanitary, and cleaning a straw uses up water, right? And aside from that, we’re going to need a special tool for cleaning!

The thing that bothers me most is how corporate America has gotten all up in the business of doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons. Starbucks announced that they were doing away with plastic straws, but don’t worry, they will sell you an environmentally safe straw. Aren’t the lids from their coffee made of plastic? I never purchase coffee from this establishment for two reasons: they are hypocrites, and their products are way too expensive. College students should consider using the money wasted on a Frappuccino to pay for a large portion of their tuition. I am grateful for one thing, though, that at any time anyone can use their facility without making a purchase. I do praise God for that.

I know, I know…the terrible plight of the sea turtle that suffered the unfortunate fate of a straw stuck up its nostril. I watched the video and prayed for a successful outcome. I honestly breathed a sigh of relief when the the last particle of the straw was extracted. I’m an animal lover and do my part in contributing to the betterment of their health.

Psalm 95:5 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

I once saved a bee from drowning in my pool. No video, but It really did happen. I noticed a lifeless bee while I was swimming laps, so cupped my hands to remove its body from the water, and much to my amazement, the bee showed a sign of life. I gently placed it at the edge of the pool and continued with my laps. I kept a close eye on the waterlogged insect, and with each lap the little guy was drying out. At one point, I thought I was going to have to put him out of his misery because one of wings was missing. Turns out that the wing was still drying and stuck to its body. The strong-willed little creature mustered enough strength to live. Finally, after about a half an hour, the bee flew away. Since that day I feel that no bee will ever sting me because I am a bee whisperer.

In California we have to adjust to many new laws each year, and last year we were forced to purchase our plastic bags whenever we go grocery shopping. This was a huge problem for me because I really recycle bags, I use them for cleaning the litter box and most importantly, for packing lunches for the homeless. It totally messed up my system. I rarely bring a bag with me when going to the grocery store because I need the bags, so every time I go to Ralphs or Sprouts, I pay the extra ten cents for more bags. Sure, I have plenty of those fancier bags from companies promoting their goods, but if I bring my groceries in from the car, I do not want to walk back to the car to put the bags back into the trunk. That drives me crazy!

I will use plastic straws responsibly until they are no longer in existence. I never litter! As a matter of fact that is my biggest pet peeve!

Are we such a terrible human race that is out to destroy the world? No! So stop teaching our kids that nonsense. Teach them first to love God, and then teach them to become responsible, in the caring of Mother Earth. Don’t turn them into militant mini green people; they already are so confused about all the other useless stuff we throw their way.

The City of Orange provides a huge recycling bin for our personal use. Not everything goes into the landfills; we sit on recycled park benches, and use recycled toilet paper. Little by little we are making an effort to improve our environment. We are working toward mulching every possible piece of trash for the purpose of cleaning up our planet.

The poor plastic straw will be extinct, because according to scientists, it takes over 400 years to decompose. To the average person, this has “Fake news” written all over it. We can’t say, “Another one bites the dust,” because these straws will outlive us by many generations.

Soon I will no longer be able to say, “May I please have a straw with my drink? Otherwise all the ice will hit my face.”

Numbers 35:33-34 New King James Version (NKJV)

³³ So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. ³⁴ Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’ ”

This week we are entering the holy season of Lent. For 40 days we are to prepare our minds, bodies and spirit to draw closer to God. The number 40 appears in the Bible over 140 times. The rain that God brought down to destroy all living creatures in the Book of Genesis lasted 40 days and nights, The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, and Moses stayed on Mount Sinai in the presence of God, are a few examples of 40 days. Moses is a great lesson of what 40 days represents.

When Moses went up to Mount Sinai, he was there for 40 days and forty nights. The mountain top was billowing with smoke, the earth was shaking, the skies were thundering, all because of the presence of God. The Israelites witnessed this cataclysmic event, and were terrified. Imagine beholding this supernatural event, to see and smell the mountain filled with smoke, to feel the earthquake, to hear the rumbling of the loud thunder and still not understand the presence of God?

Exodus 34:27-28 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Why did the Israelites not discern this? The main reason is that they were spiritually inept and unequally yoked with the Spirit of God. They grew impatient with Moses, and took matters into their own hands. Together, with Aaron (Moses’ brother) they did the unthinkable, and molded a golden calf. Aaron, the same man that God used to come alongside his brother, caved into the demands of the masses.

There is a strong correlation between the Israelites and people of today. We’ve become the ones waiting impatiently at the bottom of the mountain. We no longer want to hear from God, so we take matters into our own hands. The golden calves are springing up everywhere in the hearts of the disillusioned. We fail to see the hand of God because we’ve become complacent. Remember, Moses was on Mount Sinai because God had entrusted him with the Ten Commandments. The 40 days that Moses was in the presence of God was mighty, so much so that when he came down from the mountain, his countenance was radiant because of the glory of God.

Exodus 34:35 New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁵ And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

Each year the Lord graciously allows us a period of 40 days to reexamine our lives. These 40 days are set aside to reflect on our inward self. This is a time to purge ourselves of the things of the world. This is a time for conversion, a time to pray, fast, and to give of yourself to others.

Praying is time set aside to be with God. If you do not pray on a regular basis, you can start with just 15 minutes of quiet time with the Lord. Talk to Him as if you were speaking to your best friend. Read the Bible, you can start with Proverbs. One Proverb a day is just enough to keep going back for more. Proverbs are rich in instruction for everyday living.

Fasting: years ago I could fast for as long as 10 days. Those days are long gone, but this year I am going to fast by offering up one meal a day. Fasting is a not only ridding your body of toxins, it is also clearing your mind of all that clutters and keeps you from focusing on God. Fasting, along with prayer, will help you attain a newness within your spirit because this is a true sacrifice.

Almsgiving, or giving of yourself, is allowing the Holy Spirit to not only move on you but to bless others by giving your time unselfishly. With our busy schedules, you can plan to do something to help those in need. Sometimes the Lord calls us to give money to a cause close to your heart.