Daytona 500

photo credit: Terry Renna, cnn.com

The NASCAR Daytona 500 race was held this past Monday after a rain delay, and boy what a show it was! William Byron drove the Number 24 Chevy to a photo finish win. There was a bit of excitement and drama to be had by all. I had the opportunity to interview a few people about the event itself.

Nate Wetherell stated, "I think the Daytona 500 is a very interesting and captivating race." When asked about what he thought about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the Grand Marshall this year he said, "I personally feel like he is a bit overrated and that Paul Blart did it better."

When interviewing expert in all things NASCAR, Ms. Brochin, I asked her to give a quick summary of the drama surrounding the finish. "So, if there's a wreck right before the end, they go into overtime, but if the leader sees the white flag, they don't go into overtime and simply end the race under yellow. There was a wreck right before the end. The controversy surrounding this was if the white flag came out before or after the yellow. They decided it came out before and ended the race." The winner was "just a foot ahead" of the second place finisher. It has still left many lingering in disappointment. Overall, it was quite the race for both drivers and fans alike.

Lent

The Lent season is very special and important for many Christians.  Lent is a 40-day period of time of reflection where you try and become closer to God. People often give something up as a way of sacrifice. This is meant to resemble our attempt at what Jesus did in the desert before he died on the cross. Jesus went to the desert to pray about his upcoming situation on the cross and found peace alone with God.  Besides Lent allowing us to show our reverence to God in sacrifice, it is also a great time to reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. Lent can be a great time to forget about our personal problems and focus on what Jesus was concerned with at the time before his death. If you focus on God in your Lenten journey, then it will be an absolute blessing.  What are you sacrificing for God?

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a day that marks the end of the pre-Lenten journey.  This is also a festival that is celebrated by many, and ends the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent which commemorates the days leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection.  The Mardi Gras festival ends on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, Louisiana.  There are many unique celebrations that are performed at this universal festivity.  This tradition was started by the European Christians centuries ago, and the fun colors, and exciting parade has carried over through the years!  To sum up this event, there is a long parade, carnival activities and a LOT of interesting, unhealthy foods!