I am Thankful Today

I am thankful for a regular week. All of the regular things and of course a few appointments thrown in there too. 

I am thankful for first thoughts of my daughters, husband, parents, and all of the blessings God has bestowed. 

I am thankful for early mornings with my journal, devotional, prayers, and scripture verses. 

I am thankful for my classroom, oh after all of these years crafted, curated. 

I am thankful for 'my' seventeen nine and ten year olds who I get to spend my day with - the ones that keep me on my toes and keep me young. 

I am thankful for the gift of organization and love of planning - oh how it helps me as a teacher! (and at home too) 

I am thankful for coming home to our home of cozy, light, and welcome where I can turn on soft music, turn on all of the lights, nourish our bodies with good food. 

I am thankful that home is more than a functional place for me. I am thankful that I love to decorate and make it place of beauty in a world that can sometimes be chaotic.

I am thankful for tulips that my husband brought home on Saturday to fill our family room with a touch of spring. 

I am thankful that the feast of Easter is coming in this season of focused Lent.  

I am thankful for exercise that balances my life and is like medicine for my mental health. 

I am thankful for soft sheets and my pillow in the evening. 

I am thankful for God leading and guiding my sweet daughters in His ways, along His paths, and in His truth to where they are supposed to be right now. 

I am thankful that their hearts are open to the whisper of the Holy Spirit who has access to their hearts even more than I do. 

I am thankful for restful sleep and sweet prayers and dreams. 

Growing Closer to Him

"Lent is a period of preparation in our hearts and minds observed before the joy of Easter. During this season we reflect upon and participate in the sufferings of Jesus Christ that he endured for our salvation." ~ Kendra Tierney

Lent starts today.  It is a day of fasting and prayer for us and although Lent can feel long and also 'hard' at times, it is a wonderful time in our liturgical calendar to focus on the sufferings of Jesus. 

I did some preparation reading and brought some ideas to our dinner time table so that our family would all be ready for Ash Wednesday. 

"Lent is a time to perfect oneself with the help of grace. It is a time to grow closer to God, to take up new practices that keep lead us toward him, and to leave behind practices that draw us from him." 

I love this book and here are some of the things I loved from the chapter on the Lenten season. This is not a book to use as a focus or devotional during lent. It is simply a book that goes through the liturgical calendar with helpful advice. It helps you see things from a new perspective. Maybe soon I'll post some of my favorite things for lent... when I can! 

 

We weren't all together for Ash Wednesday today but this picture sure made me smile when it popped up on my phone! 

I went on the way home from my school (no getting me out of the house after being gone all day, ha!) 

And after our first no meat dinner... which was really good! 

Scott and Anna went later! 

"Our goal as Christians is to be attached to God and the things of Heaven and to be detached from sin and the things of the world." 

I love that and it (and other parts of this book) really helped me to decide on my focus for this lenten season. 

"For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also." Matthew 6:21 

Here is a past post on lent 

Lent ten years ago in our home 

My Lenten Journey - recently updated

This year I am so excited about Lent that I wish it would just start now. It's Monday evening and I can't wait until Ash Wednesday. After much prayer and pondering I feel led my God to make some very big daily changes in my life. 

This year I will be fasting from

💗 noise 

💗 social media (instagram)

💗 podcasts

💗 music (except classical)

💗 videos and television completely 

It might seem like a strange combination of things to "give up". Listing it like that makes it seem odd to me too. Here's the thing: I do a lot a talking in my profession. I spend my day with 20 nine and ten year olds. I teach and so I talk. That's okay but I need more quiet in my heart, in my soul, in my head. 

So giving up "noise" is sort of like the umbrella of everything. I need an "off switch". Although I don't think I spend an excessive amount of time on Insta I do like to get house ideas, books for my classroom ideas and other odds and end ideas. But I need to think about what I like around my house and stop looking at others. I need to go back to the old fashioned way of finding books for my classroom - poking around the quiet library and my own lists I've made over the years. 

And podcasts -- I'll especially miss Sally Clarkson. (she's the only one I listen too) but I just need more quiet to hear myself more, my thoughts. I have good ideas to parent my lovely teenagers too. I just need to let my mind rest and follow my heart. 

Videos and television - for that it's simply just quiet I need. I need to read more (I'm going on a special trip this June and I want to reread everything Laura Ingalls Wilder has written). And I just need less noise. 

I might be fasting on a lot of normal things but I'm pretty sure I'll be feasting on: 

💗 more time

💗 loving my girls more intentionally 

💗 doing things to nourish my marriage more

💗 space

💗 prayer 

💗 thoughts

💗 reaching out to friends 

and other things I will just let unfold. 

I can hardly wait to get started! 

Oh and yes, I will be blogging. This blog is a quiet space for me. I really don't know anyone who still blogs (maybe just one or two) and although years ago a blog was more social media, now it is just a place to hold family memories. I am actually looking forward to giving this blog more attention and love as I fast from other things. 

(update)

And this from a post (theyoungcatholicwoman)

Five Reasons Why You Should Give Up Instagram for Lent

1. Noise, Noise Noise

We live in a world FILLED with noise and it only seems to be getting noisier. We were not created to know everything about everything all of the time. We weren't created to know about what a pwerson who live in Italy is doing and what our print she was wearing on any given day. We fill our lives with meaningless chatter, pictures, and videos, and then wonder why we can't concentrate when we pray. 

2. Dive Deeper

While Instagram mini thread (like this one) are helpful, they are merely the surface of the depth of Catholicism. Instagram is for instant gratification. One post, while helpful and convicting is not a replacement for the fullness and depth of the writings of the saints and church teachers, or scripture itself. Saying no to Instagram is saying yes to intentional time spent with God. 

3. Counter Consumerism

Instagram has become a place for shops to advertise and market themselves. While great for shops, an audience has been curated that is rooted in consumerism with new fashion trends, water bottle, and anything your heart desires. Where does that leave us? Maybe if we admit it to ourselves, with an attachment to material things and an inability to say no. 

4. Get Connected (like actually connected)

On Instagram, the uniqueness and intentionality of our creation by our heavenly Creator is reduced to circles and 1- square images. The fullness of a person cannot and will not ever be able to be captured in a screen. I encourage you to actually reach out to a friend and make plans with them, instead of hiding behind a screen and sending memes to them and calling it conversation. 

5. Make it Permanent

Lent is a framework for tilling the soil and the sprouting of a habit. It is up to us, through God's grace to maintain it. There's definitely good and bad to Instagram, and as an account that creates and operates primarily on Instagram we recognize this. But the 40 days end and you find yourself not really missing Instagram, maybe don't get back on it. You may find that joy of the Resurrection is better celebrated off your phone! 

And click HERE for more really good thoughts on lent.