Reflections

The Forty Days of Lent are very important to me.  It is my time to reflect on the Lord and his goodness.  It is my time to reflect on my life and determine if I am living it as He requires.  It is my time to reflect on things I could do to better spread Christ's light through this world.

Ash Wednesday is right around the corner.  I will be spending the next few days reflecting on the things I will do this Lenten Season to help me in my journey to grow closer to the Lord and more holy in my everyday life.

The church provides me with a "Little Black Book".  This book is a tool to help me with my reflections for the next 40 days. It contains 6 minute meditations on the Passion according to Matthew.  We will read these as a family each evening as we sit down to dinner.  Many times it leads to wonderful discussion.  Sometimes these reflections bring me to tears.

I also have set out our Rice Bowl.  Each time we give something up during Lent (meat, dinners out, alcohol, a movie, sweets, etc) we will place the money we saved in the rice bowl and it will go to feed hungry children throughout the world.  Along with the rice bowl came a Lenten Calendar with reflections and ideas for each day.  I will use this as part of my personal journey.  Also included with the rice bowl is a recipe for each week taken from the poorest countries in the world.  I hope to prepare each one during that week of Lent.

Another part of my personal journey will be to give up alcohol unless we are out or entertaining.  Frank and I have gotten into the habit of having a cocktail or glass of wine at dinner which would be fine if it was just the one but then we spend the rest of the night drinking until we go to bed.  This will stop for me during Lent and hopefully break the habit I have developed.