Published in Internet Newsroomin February 1998.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent, the 40-day period before Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday. Ash Wednesday falls on February 25 in 1998, and Palm Sunday is April 5. Many Christians, especially of the Catholic faith, honor those 40 days by fasting and penance in an effort to lead them to the practice of a more Christian life.

Lent actually consists of two parts. The first part is the four days between Ash Wednesday and the First Sunday of Lent, or March 1 this year, and the second part is the thirty-six days between then and Passion Sunday.

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, continues through Good Friday, and ends on Easter Sunday, which falls on April 12 this year.

For cultural and religious calendars, as well as celestial calendars, holidays, and even millennium information, visit Calendar Zone, a superb site loaded with practical information that journalists will find quite helpful.

The Season of Lent is traditionally practiced by 40 days of penance and fasting. "Fasting" can include both fasting as well as abstinence. Prayer and Bible reading, worship, and works of mercy should also be a part of the Lenten Season. At Five Things to Do During Lent, you'll learn the difference between fasting and abstinence, find morning and evening prayers to be used during Lent, read Bible passages, and learn the importance of fourteen "works" which enable believers to put their faith in Christ into action.

A Holy Easter is one of the best and most comprehensive resources for Easter information on the Web. Click on subjects such as temptation or Passion Sunday and learn Bible references or read related articles. The site features study guides, sermons, articles, resources, and even Easter eggs and recipes--all centered around the subject of Easter.

An equally impressive site for Easter is The Easter Page, where you can learn Easter customs in different countries, like Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia. The site is a "a cyberspace journey through scripture, art, music, prose and other materials which reflect on the mystery and miracle of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Christians honor the Ascension of Christ on May 21 this year. At the Life of Jesus Christ, you can follow His life including His popularity, opposition, His last week, and His resurrection, which includes passages related to the ascension. The site also highlights His miracles and parables.

Pentecost, which is on May 31 in 1998, is a day to celebrate the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church. Stop by What the Bible Says About . . . to learn more about this event in church history, or about anything else you can think of in the Bible.

For an excellent, general-purpose Christian website, be sure to visit the Christian Answers Network. As it asks at the site, "Are you looking for answers? You've come to the right place!" The site offers answers to contemporary questions, such as, "Are we alone, or is there life elsewhere in the universe?" or "What is being done to change the values of Hollywood?" The Christian Spotlight on the Movies boasts as being the Web's most popular review site for Christians. The site is translated into numerous languages and even has a section just for kids.

A superb site that offers a seemingly endless supply of Christian website links is the ICLnet, a service of the Institute for Christian Leadership. The site provides a repository for several publications, such as Our Daily Bread and Focus on the Family, as well as over 50 mailing lists. But the ICLnet Guide to Christian Resources on the Internet is the site's shining star. You'll find a guide to Christian literature and to early church documents, a reading room and software library, and a directory of Christian organizations.

A total engrossing site that will keep you occupied for hours is Rapture Ready, the Study of Bible Prophesy, the Rapture of the Church, and Current Events. Read of current events that are supportive of Bible prophesy, such as the "Vatican gets kissy kissy with Muslims." Study the Rapture Index to measure the "type of activity that could act as a precursor to the rapture," or peruse the Seven Major Approaches to Bible Prophesy. This is a very interesting site full of articles and information.

The Ten Reasons to Believe site is based on brochures published by the RBC Ministries, and it is designed to help Christians explore and understand their beliefs. Topics include: In Life After Death; In a God Who Allows Suffering; and, In the Existence of God. Clicking on any of the topics brings up biblically based reasons to believe that topic. Under "To Believe that Christ Rose from the Dead," for example, read 'Although It Was Unexpected, It Was Clearly Predicted." Each mini article provides links to related Bible verses.

At the Christian Start Page, ServeHim.com, you'll discover Christian resources broken down by category, such as organizations, missions, and Christian search. For example, under Magazines, you'll find links to Today's Christian Women, Discipleship Journal, and Christian Reader, to name a few.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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