Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a period of 40 days leading up to Easter. It is observed by many Christians, including Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans. While we do not typically observe Ash Wednesday, I have found that my personal observance of it and Lent is spiritually valuable. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross as a sign of repentance and mortality. The ashes are typically made by burning palm fronds from the previous year's Palm Sunday. The ashes serve as a reminder that we…