Getting Ready For Lent

Just a reminder that Lent is only a week away! As with other things in life, it is important to plan ahead in order to be successful, so try to sit down with your family before Ash Wednesday and discuss what you're going to do this year. I'm a big procrastinator so it can be challenging for me not to wait until the last minute! My husband and I are working on coming up with ways to make the season meaningful for our three year old, and of course to go deeper and make it more meaningful for ourselves.



One resource that really helped us during Advent was signing up for Advent Adventure at holyheroes.com. Its a free newsletter with videos and activities for the family. They usually offer discounts and deals on their products too. Luckily, they also have a Lenten Adventure! If you would like to sign up for Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure just follow this link: http://www.holyheroes.com/Holy-Heroes-Lenten-Adventure-s/37.htm

If you're looking to do more than the usual giving up chocolate and coffee (not that those are bad things to do!), here is a link to some creative ideas from teens: http://www.lifeteen.com/what-to-give-up-25-creative-ideas-for-lent/ 


Last year as part of Lent I worked on a cross stitch project that I intended to have done by Easter. The way things worked out that same cross stitch project will be part of this year's Lent too! I'm probably about 3/4 of the way there. For me I find that stitching a prayer or religious image one tiny cross at a time is a great way to pray and mediate on things. The pattern for the "He Is Risen" design I'm working on can be found here: http://www.better-cross-stitch-patterns.com/he-is-risen.html





I think its good to remember that it doesn't just have to be about giving something up, but it can be about doing something. Lent is a great time to work on your prayer life and reach out to others in need. After all Lent does have three pillars: fasting (giving up), almsgiving (giving to others), and prayer. I really like the idea from lifeteen.com about writing letters. There are some people in my life I always mean to write to and I never seem to get around to it. Maybe this Lent will be a good time for me to put aside some time for keeping in touch with loved ones. And of course its important to remember that whatever you choose to do, the ultimate goal is to bring yourself closer to God.