THE LENGTHENING OF SEASONS

Greetings and Salutations O Ye Sojourners...

"Craaaaaaaawfish....Craaawfish...see I got em...see the size...stripped and cleaned...before your eyes....swwwweeet meat...fresh and ready to eat." (Crawfish from the movie King Creole). Here is one of my favorite pictures with my boy Phillip...sucking the heads of the crawfish...aaaaaaaah
"sweet meat...fresh and ready to eat."




NOTE: No...your eyes don't deceive you...that is a picture on my shirt... that world famous rock group PINK FLOYD...the barber that is.

For those who don't know...my favorite Elvis Presley movie is KING CREOLE (1958) adapted from the Harold Robbins book A STONE FOR DANNY FISHER.


The opening for King Creole is set in the French Quarters in the early morning...with the sellers of various foods...pushing their carts...crying out what they have to sell. Craaaaaawfish is being shouted out. Elvis leaning on the balcony...joins in and sings along with them. Ms Kitty White is one of the first females to share vocals with Elvis. It was more a call and response more than a duet.

Elvis plays Danny Fisher...a kid who works in the clubs at night...and goes to high school by day...and is getting ready to graduate...until he has a run in with some local gang members in the club...and Maxy Field's (Walter Matthau) girlfriend...played by Carolyn Jones (Morticia Addams of the Addams Family). The picture in the lower right hand corner is Elvis/Danny singing..."If your lookin' for trouble...you came to the right place...if you're looking for trouble...just look right at my face...I was born standing up...and talkin' back...my daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack...I'm evil...my middle name is misery...well I'm evil...so don't ya mess around with me." (Trouble Lieber and Stoller).
Well...you may be asking yourself "Self......what does any of this have to do with the "lengthening of seasons" Well I'm glad you asked. NEW ORLEANS....the place where the world is looking at as the season of Lent is fast approaching. March 8th, FAT TUESDAY...the day before Ash Wednesday..the kick off for a forty day sojourn into LENT. The word LENT means the "lengthening of seasons."...and is the sojourn into a time of preparation, prayer, penitence, alms giving, and self-denial for a 46 day time frame in the space time continuum...where the end will be Easter (Resurrection Day). It reflects the time when Jesus went into the wilderness prior to His public ministry began as He was tempted by the devil (little d). He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights...prior to this temptation.

NOTE: The common thought about temptation is something that you are pulled INTO...but temptation is really designed not to pull you into something (although that would be one of the causes and effects)...BUT...temptation is designed to PULL YOU AWAY FROM WHO YOU REALLY ARE...AND YOUR PURPOSE/DESTINY. (Thanx and a Tip O Da Hat To Larry Napier)

I like the season of Lent...because it is a set aside time of self reflection. it is a time for a more intense time of disciplining my self for "the purpose of godliness" in the areas of my speech, my conduct, my faith, my love, my purity. (I Timothy 4:8-16)

Oh I know...I know...this is what I should be doing 365 days a year... 24/7. But there are times...seasons... when you just have to draw away from the crowds, the voices, the hoopla, the hoi polli...and press into HIS PRESENCE...to clear the cobwebs out of your spiritual head...to clean out the build of of cerumum (ear wax), wipe out the sleep (crud) from your eyes...so think, hear and see things from a God Perspective, instead of being overwhelmed by the world in the Land Of Nitty Gritty.

Part of the process is to give up something during this time as a symbolic representation of dying to the flesh. The day prior to Ash Wednesday...aka Mardi Gras...Shrove Tuesday (pancake Tuesday), Carnival (Farewell To Meat)...the LAST FLING...has turned into a time for debauchery before the 40 days of denial.

For me...there are multiple things that I will be giving up...during this time (known only to me and God). I usually seek God in the areas of my spirit (little s), my soul (mind, will, emotions) and my body (flesh, blood, bones).

The time frame for LENT differs from Western to Eastern church culture. For me...I will be utilizing the 40 days...with 6 days off from what is given up...on Sundays. The 6 days of rest from the other days represents mini-Easter/Resurrection days.

DISCLAIMER: Fear not...I am not advocating rules, regulations, holidays, special foods, etc. as something that will get God to love me more. It is just a personal time for me...to remove the distractions and things that leech onto me throughout my walk.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY...NO REALLY...FINALLY

See ya the other side of Lent...HE IS RISEN...HE IS RISEN INDEED...EVEN DURING LENT.

Love and Craaaawfish Kisses
Rodney "Lengthening Of Seasons" Boyd