Welcome to Lent! I love the beginning of lent. I feel like it's a great time to work on myself, get closer to Jesus and just be a better person . I remember as a child always trying to give something up for forty days. Our teachers would ask us, "what are you giving up"? It was always something like candy or gum, a certain TV show or game. I don't think I ever made it through the forty days.
Then as an adult, I still tried to give something up. The "things" were different . Now I would give up "certain words", Ahem...
Alcohol that's a good thing, or yelling at the kids or my husband or the cat. And the same as in my younger days, I never saw day forty.
Then a few years ago at mass, our Pastor suggested something ingenious!! How about adding something to lent. Adding? I'm much better at adding. Adding more prayer, adding more time with someone who needs a friend, adding more time alone with God. Add something! Brilliant!
Add something to your life for forty days. Something good, not more cookies!
And you know what happens? You will start to be able to do without things that you couldn't before. Without even thinking about sacrificing something you just will. Worked like a charm!
Now instead of feeling defeated, and like I failed God because I couldn't keep my forty day promise , I feel like I've really done something.
This year I've got a partner for lent. My Sophia. I've always wanted to add daily mass to my forty days but without a partner I would be setting myself up for complete failure. Mass is at 7:00am, and me and mornings don't really agree. I also need to start walking off my winter layers(which has nothing to do with lent, but I also need a partner for, because I have zero motivation.)
Sophia and I have come up with a plan to walk to mass in the morning and walk home. It's a beautiful way to start the day and it gives us some time together too. Adding something to lent, time with my girl and walking of the pudge, how many birds can you hit with one stone? Sounds like a great plan.
Tomorrow is day one...
Awe such a precious time for you and Sophia. Hugs
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to get closer to Him (& Sophia) during Lent. I also love the adding instead of giving up.
ReplyDeleteSteph, will pray for you success. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great plan. I know both of you will be praying for some special girls while you're there! ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I agree with you, it is much easier to add than to give up, and what could be a better way to celebrate lent? Big bonus with extra mother-daughter time too!
ReplyDeleteI wish you good luck, this year I am sure you will make it all of the 40 days :)
First off, you make me laugh HY.STER.ICALLY!! Your comments and your posts!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I am an 'all talk' kinda gal, I admit it! I have NEVER made it to the '4oth day' of any commitment!
I do love the idea of giving, but I especially like your sharing that time in the morning with Sophia, I think that is going to be so special. Mikah is getting to the age where I think I need to plan daily 'special' time with her.
Oh please kiss my sweet Em! I can't get over how big she is and how long her hair is getting!!
Hooray on drinking through the straw,
and her teeth brushing time sounds A LOT like Presley's! Hell, I pray every morning and night, before going in, that she doesn't take off any of my digits... that girl has hyena strenth jaws too!
Hugs to ya funny girl,
good luck with the 'layers falling off', and the whole 7:00 a.m. thing... UGH!! I'll be feelin your pain on with that one!
And BTW smart %*#, I told Presley you just 'forgot' her birthday, and left out the part that I was late in blogging the news!
Yup!!
And she is kinda holdin a grudge!