Today is Shrove Tuesday, the day before the beginning of Lent. It’s rather colorfully known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, and even Pancake Tuesday in different places around the world. (The references to food derive from the practice of feasting on the day before Lent’s fasting period begins.) Shrove Tuesday isn’t observed in most churches to the extent that Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and other Lent-related holidays are—but it’s a good reminder to set aside a few moments today to reflect on the coming Easter season.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Infographic: What Happened During Holy Week Day-By-Day]

Tomorrow is, of course, Ash Wednesday—the first day of Lent! If you’re still casting about for an activity or spiritual practice to observe during the Easter season, there’s still time to decide on one. For starters, there’s our free Easter email devotions, which begin tomorrow, so you’ve still got time to sign up at our Easter page. (You’ll still be able to sign up for them after Ash Wednesday, but then you’d miss out on the beginnings!)

You might also find some of the Bible reading and engagement practices in our Scripture Engagement section to be very appropriate for Lent. In particular, if you’re looking to try something a little different with your Bible reading in anticipation of Easter, take a look at the Lectio Divina and Ignatian Method articles—both describe ways of reading and studying Scripture that may be new to you. Bible Gateway invites you to sign up to receive the The Abide Bible Initiative free email devotional to help you develop a pattern of engaging with the Bible that fits your God-designed learning style.

And if you’re looking for other ways to observe Lent this year, see our earlier blog post on the subject, in which we brainstormed a number of different ways you can observe Lent—everything from abstaining from a particular food or activity, to volunteering at a local charity organization, to praying in a purposeful way during the lead-up to Easter.

However you choose (or don’t choose) to observe Lent, we hope the weeks leading to Easter are reflective and inspiring, and filled with opportunities to spend more time reading God’s Word.

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