A little boy had just returned home from an Ash Wednesday church service. The little girl from next door asked him what the smudge was on his forehead. He replied, "It's Ash Wednesday." "What's Ash Wednesday?" she asked. "Oh," he replied, "It's when Christians begin their diet."

Ash Wednesday is about more than giving up chocolate for Lent. It is about examining ourselves in the light of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. And the central question which we ask ourselves this night is, Which is it: Pretense or Performance?

It's fun to watch little children play pretend. It's wonderful to live in the world of their imagination.

Across the Internet came a gross, but hilarious story of a mother who was trying to pack for vacation. Her 3-year-old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on …