7 Quick Takes. . . Lent check-in

1) We are REALLY liking this book we are using (that I mentioned before) called A Family Journey With Jesus Through Lent.  The stories are all told first-person by a child, who mentions their name and their siblings and such.  They live in a time and place where Jesus was and either go see him, or talk about their parents or other family members seeing him.  And it is all the Gospel stories and parables and such.  And then their are the bible verses to help remember the stories.  It is a little rapid-fire with a verse for every day (Saturdays included, but not Sundays) but the kids are taking it well.  I'm not having them memorize the verses, but I am still putting them on the wall for them to read over and refer back to.

2) Our "Sacrifice Jar" is getting some use.  Rebekah is always asking if she can put in a token for something or other and often comes up with some really awesome stuff!  I have put a few in, too.

Yes, those ARE pom poms we are using as "tokens". . . apparently we do not have any beads in this house.  And I should add that it is a bit fuller now, this picture was from a few weeks ago.

3) One of my sacrifices was going to be to wear a pair of shoes that did not fit quite right.  Well, go-figure, those shoes are actually getting broken-in pretty well now!  They are still not my most comfortable shoes ever and I would not brave them to do "serious exercise" in (as I think they would give me some "serious" blisters) but for everyday-around-the-house-out-and-about stuff, they are no big deal.  Great for me and the shoes, but bummer for my penance, 'eh?  :)

(Don't worry, God gives me plenty of other "physical troubles" to offer up, fairly regularly.)

4) Our church is doing a soup and homemade bread supper (for a free-will-offering, NOT A FUNDRAISER - the money just goes to buy more soup and bread fixings for the next week and any left over at the end will go to the food pantry) every Friday during Lent and although my children are not very fond of soup, I am enjoying taking them.  It is nice to not have to prepare a meal one evening and it is nice to see our friends from church (which we normally just visit with on Sundays).

5) The Stations of the Cross is said at our church (after the above-mentioned soup and bread supper) every Friday and we have taken the kids the past two weeks.  They actually did fairly well.  The second time I took Miriam into the cry room for most of it.  She can be quiet mostly, but then squeaks or jabbers pretty loudly at random and it can be a little disturbing.  I left the "big kids" in the pew alone (as Gordie was the cantor) and they did good.

6) I've done pretty-well getting in my bible and reading the daily readings (part of my Lenten resolutions) but I also have been trying to avoid desserts and have DEFINITELY failed on that one a few times.  (Dessert is my comfort some days. . . I admit it.)

7) I've been really thinking/praying about forming my conscience.  I think I've been "in the world" so much lately that I've been letting it get a bit lax.  If you have tips/ideas/suggestions on how to form my conscience better, I am open to those!  I read up about forming one's conscience in the catechism and it spoke of prayer and scripture so I'm trying to soak that up and see where it leads, but that seemed a little vague.  But God always answers prayer. . . in His time, so perhaps some patience is in order.

Happy Lent everyone!

Lent 2014

It is the night before Ash Wednesday and all through the house. . . Mom cannot find the Lenten cross.

I'm admitting defeat of "my plan" to do our traditional Lenten Cross (which we have done for a couple of years, now).  Although it is frustrating to be looking for something and not able to find it (as is the story of much of my life - my mom used to ALWAYS be losing things when I was a kid and I thought it was just because she had Multiple Sclerosis, but. . . now I know better.  It is a genetic trait and I have it, too!!) I am slightly relieved to not be doing this particular Lenten practice this year.  It is just so big and the Scripture verses can be long and difficult to explain to my younger children.  Really I wash each verse and picture had more of a mini-homily to go along with it and maybe a timeline or some way to connect all the parts would be nice.  (Honestly, I like this practice, but if I were to make it "perfect" and all. . .  :) )  Anyhow, since I cannot find my actual cross or the laminated pictures that go on it, I'm planning to use a book I picked up a couple of years ago, but was above my children at the time.  It is called A Family Journey with Jesus through Lent.  It looks pretty neat, now and I think my older kids will really get into it.  I figure we will put our candles (white ones now, to keep things simple) on the table and light them while I read it so the little ones have something to look at.

We are also doing a sacrifice jar for the kids to put a token in for each sacrifice they make.  (That would be the big empty jar in the picture above.)  In the past we have done a paper cross on the wall before and put flowers on it for "good deeds."  I also have made a crown of thorns out of dough, with toothpicks that we removed before, but again, removal was granted through "good deeds,"  and I have since run into trouble defining "good deeds," especially for multiple ages of children.  So this year we are using "sacrifice" as our terminology to help keep them focused in the right direction.  I think they have a general gist of what that word means.  I will leave it up to the kids to define it specifically, but here are some things I have in mind:

1) Giving up a toy for the day
2) Skipping a treat, or snack
3) Giving in to a sibling (letting them have a toy or choose the game, etc)
4) Work sacrifice (doing a non-required chore for no reward)
5) Prayer sacrifice (praying for someone or a special cause)

I plan to join them, in "sacrificing" in this manner. I figure this is kind of like a day by day resolution that is always changing.  I hope it will keep things "fresh."

I have some additional personal resolutions in mind, but I cannot seem to choose one or two or even three, and I'm sure there are too many for me to do them all every day, so I'm thinking I might list them all with numbers and roll dice to pick three or so a day.  (And being a "gamer" I have dice with up to 20 sides, so no worries about there being too many - hehe)  Here are my ideas for personal resolutions:

1) Limit facebook time (using a timer)
(I must add it is simply not feasible for me to cold turkey away from facebook.  Being home all day with the kids, it is my connection to other adults and the outside world.  Likewise, since I do not have a cell phone, it is often a necessary tool to connect with friends - and even my husband on important matters.)
2) Read the daily Mass readings for the day
3) Say the Office or Morning or Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours 
4) Write a letter to a friend or relative
5) Wear a pair of shoes I do not like
6) Say a decade (or all) of the Rosary
7) Pray the Stations of the Cross
8) Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
9) Go to Adoration
10) Sing a Lenten song
11) Spend 15 minutes doing Spiritual reading
12) Spend 15 minutes reading my Catechism
13) Avoid sweets/chocolate/dessert of any kind

We are also doing this Lenten track from Catholic Icing.  We have done it every year.  A couple years ago I gave each child their own to color, but last year we just had Rebekah color one on the wall for everyone to look at.  Assuming their are no objections, we will have Rebekah color this one - or let her alternate with another child if there is any interest.  Having one for each child is simply too tedious to keep track of them all and keep them all "up to date."

Finally, I am looking forward to listening to this Lent at Ephesus cd a friend recommended (and was kind enough to send me, thanks Monica!!).

I will close with a few catchy lines from the "Lent" track of our new FAVORITE cd by the Dogma Dogs. 

It's Lent, Lent, 
time to repent, 
because it's Lent, Lent, 
our wheels they get bent, 
by what we've done or failed to do
but ask for mercy, He'll give it to you. . .