Lent is quickly approaching...

{an old photo of mine}

This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season.  As Catholics, we try to make some kind of Lenten sacrifice. But Lent is a great way for any Christian to try to make some sacrifice or pledge to prepare for the Easter miracle. We can give something up or make a concerted effort to do something that is hard for us to do.  Over the years, my lenten sacrifices have really taught me a lot.  As a child one year I actually gave up sucking my thumb as a lenten sacrifice.  Can you believe that?  I was quite the committed thumb sucker. Seriously, that is how I quit.

While some people dread Lent, I actually look forward to it.  I look at it as a time to be really disciplined.  And it is only 40 days.  I feel like I can be disciplined for 40 days.  One year I gave up blogging.  One year I gave up shopping (that was hard but very good). Dave LOVED that!!

Last year, I added exercise (that was tough) AND got rid of 40 bags of stuff in 40 days.  We also did the Lenten jar which was awesome and Kate has been asking when we "get to do it again!"  You can read about it here but it is GREAT for families to do with small  (or BIG) children.

So, this year, I am debating what to do.  I am definitely doing the 40 bags in 40 days again.  I loved that. It was a sacrifice in that I had to clean, de-clutter and organize pretty much every single day but it was SO rewarding to be rid of excess stuff. The idea is that material things and clutter take our time and focus away from God.  And I think that is true.  So, I am working on a schedule to go room by room and purge.  I will post it here soon in case anyone wants to join in.

I want to do one more thing though too.  I am considering giving up gluten. Even though I am mostly gluten free for about 5 years, this would be hard.  See, when the doctors told Harry he could add gluten back into his diet, we all started eating it again.  And I am not sure that was the best decision for me.  I have gained weight.  I feel tired a lot.  I know that I can handle some occasional gluten in my diet but I think I eat too much now.  So, I thought if I gave it up for Lent, I can slowly (after Lent) go back to my 90% Gluten Free way of living that works best for me (I do not have Celiac's disease, I just know that eating too much gluten does not agree with me).

I have also considered giving up shopping again.  That was so powerful for me to just focus on the absolute minimum needs of our family.  I gained a lot of perspective that year.

I have also considered volunteering in some way that takes me out of my comfort zone. I expect that would be a long term commitment but I could get the ball rolling for Lent.

So, I need to spend the next few days thinking about what I need to do the most right now and what would be a good sacrifice.  How about you?  Anyone else doing anything for Lent?

P.S. I am still chugging along in my Bible reading plan for the new year. I am reading the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs.  I am actually a few days behind but doing 2 readings a day to catch up.  You can start anytime.  It is SO doable and really good for me. It helps to keep my focus off the unimportant minutiae that we all get caught up in.

Seek first

I wanted to show you what Kate does during Mass sometimes....  Usually, she goes to her little Sunday school class but if they don't have class, she comes to Mass with us.  And she has always been very well behaved in Church.  I bring a composition book and a pencil and she draws and tries to sing all the songs.  Often, I think she is not really paying attention to the readings or the homily but this week I was reminded that she does in fact listen.  I glanced at her drawings this week and this is what I saw.....

I asked Kate who the little boy in her pictures was and I fully expected her to say "Habu" as he is one of her favorite subjects but instead she said, "Samuel."  I repeated, "Samuel?"  And she said, "yeah the boy they are talking about today in the book."

Here she drew him as if to be saying, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."

Sunday's readings and homily were about how God does call each and everyone of us.  EVERY single one of us is called by God to greatness.  That makes us all so special.  But do we hear the call?  Do we listen?  Do we ignore it?

I know that I sometimes hear whispers but fail to act out of plain fear.  In fact, there is something God has been nudging me to do for a very long time now but I keep stalling because I am afraid of failing.  My heart is racing right now just thinking about it.

One of the things our minister said this week was the way to hear God's call is to seek FIRST the kingdom of God.  That really struck me.  I thought about our life.  Do we seek God's kingdom first in our daily life?  Do I reach for the Bible first when I have time to read or the captivating and engrossing Steve Jobs biography I am devouring?  Do I go to Bible study or surf the net?  Do I stop to help a stranger in need or rush off to my next important "thing to do"?  Am I living my life seeking the kingdom of God first.  Probably not as much as I could.

The summer camp my kids attend has a motto First is Third (FIT).  They teach the kids that if you put God first, others second and yourself third....you will always come out ahead.  I LOVE that principle and my kids embrace it too.   Our family needs to put into daily practice.

I am trying to remind myself each morning 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

Other options....

{one of my favorite still life photos I have ever taken}

Last year, when I completed my reading of the Bible in a year...a lot of you were inspired to give it a try.  A few of you have recently commented or e-mailed me that you did not make it through last year. That is okay.  I get it.  I did not read much myself last year. It is HARD to read the whole Bible in a year.  I recently read that the hardest thing to do is crack open your Bible.  So maybe we should leave them open on the kitchen counter or the bedside table?  Anyway, while I know I need a plan (I had no plan last year), I also know that I am not ready to tackle the Old Testament again this year. Numbers about did me in.

So, I found some Bible reading plans that are much more do-able.  I am doing a combination of Project 3:45 and Heartlight's plan which is The NT, Psalms and Proverbs.  In Project 3:45 you read the entire New Testament in a year.  Its name (Project 3:45) comes from the fact that most of the readings take about 3 minutes and 45 seconds to complete.  This time varies a little but basically you read one New Testament chapter a day for five days a week.  I like that.  I think I can better contemplate the readings this way.

I also found the Bible Reading plan for shirkers and slackers.  This is a great program for people who want to get through the whole Bible but who get stressed out if they fall behind.  I printed that one out for Will and Harry to try.  It gives you a suggested reading for various days of the week but there are not dates to feel pressured.  You can download a PDF here.

I just wanted to pop in and encourage those of you considering a Bible reading plan to look out there for the one for you.  I don't think there is a contest to see how much volume one can consume. Slow and steady wins the race. I think that just letting God's words wash over our hearts on a consistent basis is good.  Even if it is only a few words a day.  But pick a plan and print it out.  Keep it on your bedside table or your kitchen counter.  I promise it will change you in a really good way.  And let me know how it does:)