Lent

I have felt very much removed from the general flow of things lately.  I don't know why, but it seems as if my life is surrounded by chaos and drama.  I am not a chaotic or dramatic person, so I'm not certain how, exactly, this happened.  I don't gravitate towards drama and chaos, but lately it seems as if it's following me everywhere I go.

This Lenten Season, I have decided that I am going to be searching for Christ in all the usual places - and a few unusual ones, too.

I began with Ash Wednesday.  I went to church, but not my church.
It was a solemn service, filled with all of the tradition, pomp, and circumstance that my heart desired.  At the end of the service, we were each given a small prayer touchstone - a small piece of fired clay that fits in my pocket.  When I find it in my pocket, I am reminded to send up a quick prayer.

I've been to a Labyrinth on the grounds of the Retreat and Conference Center at Bon Secours.

I made a very nice porcelain bowl that I donated to the Empty Bowls dinner sponsored by the Human Services Organization in our county.

I've signed up to attend a Sacred Drum Circle.

In an attempt to get back to my roots, I'm visiting the churches of my youth - Baptist, Catholic, and Lutheran.

It promises to be a very different kind of Lent for me this year!  I am hoping that I can find my center, and redefine my relationship with the Holy in the process.

I'll be posting pictures here and there from my Lenten journey.  No words, just pictures.

A Reflective Lent to you.....

Monday Musings

It's been a while since I've sat down and reminisced about the past week.  I think at this point, I'm going to have to go back and think about my past month!  It doesn't seem like much has happened, but when I think over all the little things a lot of big things have happened.

Happiest of Easters!

Two of our kids were home for the weekend.  It's not as nice as all 3, but I'll take it!  Considering oldest child begins finals in a week, I understand his hesitation to come home for the weekend.  It would definitely put a crimp in your study plans for finals!  We're going to swing up and grab him the week before graduations, and then he's going to hang out with us for a while after graduations so that we'll all have time to spend together before middle child begins working in the real world.


The Zombie Gospel
Our pastor was reading the Communion Liturgy on Holy Thursday when he made a most interesting slip up...
The liturgy reads "Jesus came to feed the hungry and heal the sick"
What he said "Jesus came to eat the sick"

One of the most solemn moments of the liturgy in one of the most Holy moments of the year quickly became one of the most hysterical.

He stopped himself and said "I guess I've been watching too much Walking Dead lately!"

I still laugh every time I think of that moment!


Bathroom Renovations Begin
So, since the Property Brothers have ignored my repeated requests to come out and help us renovate our 1970's extravaganza of a bathroom, we've met with the contractor and signed paper work.  We've already done a lot of the work ourselves.  (Removal of the tiles around the bathtub.)  He's going to do a lot of the work, but we've got a fair share to do ourselves in order to keep our costs down.  We need to paint the ceramic tile to look like white ceramic tile.  And we've got to replace the baseboard heater in that bathroom.  It rests on the floor, so we need to replace it BEFORE the new floor is laid down.  The goal is to have all of this finished before Mother's Day.  Do you think the goal will actually be met? I don't!!!  It's going to be a very hectic month!

(Hey Jonathan and Drew- don't worry, we have so much more that needs to be done around here.  If you're looking for something fun to do, let me know.  I've got some thoughts about replacing the roof and adding a front porch to the house next year... I'd love to have your input.  Honestly, if anyone from HGTV would like a shot at helping us update a 1970's rancher, we'd love to have your help!)

Cancer Sucks
I've lost family members to cancer.  I've had friends struggle with cancer.  But this week has truly sucked.  A friend of mine, Barbara, entered Hospice this week.  Barbara is 55 years old.  She's been living with cancer for 17 years.  Her husband died of brain cancer 8 years ago.  Her oldest son died at the age of 3 from cancer.  Her second son went through a go round with cancer when he was seven.  he's been in remission for 20 years.  She has two younger kids who are cancer free, but they are young to be left as orphans in this world.  One is graduating from college next month, and the other is a sophomore in college.  God Almighty, that family has been plagued by cancer.  Many prayers that the children experience peace in the upcoming days and month.

Welcome to the Night Vale

http://www.welcometonightvale.com/listen

Now this is a fun set of Pod Casts.  It's off beat, slightly wacky and imaginatively fun.  Having said that, I'm enjoying listening to it.  I found it through the library - it was recommended listening.  Now that I've started listening, I don't know if I can stop until I finish all 105 Episodes.  Great, first there was Game of Thrones (which I just now caught up on - I'm ahead of the books I've read now, and I no longer know what's going to happen next or the motivation of the characters.  I seriously need to get back to reading the books.) and West World (3 more episodes to go) and now there's Night Vale.  Seriously, you story tellers out there need to stop doing such a good job!  How is a librarian supposed to concentrate on just one thing when you all keep cranking out such awesome tales?  You can find Night Vale here: http://www.welcometonightvale.com/listen

Happy Easter!

source: http://treadinggrain.com/2015/happy-easter-3/

I hope that you are enjoying this day as much as we are!  The weather finally reflects the season!  It's spring today!  Temperatures are in the 60's!

All of our kids are home for the weekend, and it feels great to have them home!  We've been talking a lot and laughing a lot. We'll be delivering them back to school in a while, but not before we have our awesome Easter dinner! 

Enjoy your day!

My Lenten Journey Begins

Ash Wednesday is tomorrow.  For Christians, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.  40 days of looking inward, reflection, and meditation.  Lent concludes with Easter Sunday.

When Lent approaches, many people take things away to help bring them closer to God.  Social Media, chocolate, caffeine, the list goes on and on.  I've found over the years that craving chocolate for 40 days does absolutely nothing to draw me closer to God.  It does bring me closer to Dove chocolate, which culminates in a good 24 hour binge of chocolate eating on Easter Sunday.  I'm still not sure how this brings me closer to God....

Years ago, I decided to start adding something to my life in Lent.  Something to help draw me closer to God every day.  Something I should be doing, but don't always do.  Praying, Bible study, mediation, the list goes on.  Over the years, I have always done something to help me walk a little closer to God.

This year, I am going to be keeping a Gratitude Journal.


Inside the front cover of my journal.
I've got a plan for the front cover, but it won't be ready until tonight,
we will be burning the palms from last year to make the
ashes for the Ash Weds. service tomorrow.

40 days of thankfulness of the things I am thankful for.  I can draw a picture, take a picture, add a memento, etc., but each item that goes into my journal must have a quick sentence or two, telling why I am thankful, what great thing it represents, or it's significance to my life.

Can you imagine?  40 days of focusing on finding the good in my life. 

I try to do it here.  I really do search for the good and the funny as much as I can, or else I find myself spiraling down into a bottomless pit of depression and bad thoughts.  Not every day is a good day, but every day has something good about it.  The sunrise.  (Hey!  I'm here for another day!)  The sunset.  (I survived this day.  Tomorrow is a new one, with no mistakes in it yet!)  The amazing kids I work with, my own children, the lady in the grocery store who hands her extra coupons to people in the check out line.  The young man with Down's Syndrome who bags at the grocery store and always has a smile and a positive thing to say to every person who comes through his line.

If you are a Christian, and you are looking for a way to observe Lent this year, I invite you to join me in keeping a Gratitude Journal for the next 40 days. 

What a difference we can make in the world when we focus on finding the good in the world around us.



I added this to my journal last week.
One of my little girls made this for me.
She came to this country 4 years ago from an orphanage.
When she came, she couldn't walk, or hold up her own head.
After running down the hall to come to class,
she made this bracelet for me, all the while chatting about
what she is learning in school, and the latest book she was reading.
What a gift this young lady is.
And what a gift her family is to this young lady.