Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Screeching to a Halt - Lent Interupts the Busy

This must be the season of busy. I am busy, the Bumper is busy and Nana is busy!  I am writing on my novel, crocheting, knitting, housekeeping and volunteering at the Bumper's school. The Bumper is full time in school and most days stays on the playground for an hour afterwards. On Thursdays we go to our local library for the Lego challenge and she builds stuff. She has also been attending birthday parties for her new classmates. One of them was a very girly tea party. The Bumper liked dressing up, but she did not like having to sit still for so long. She prefers to be active.

Our February weather had us going topsy turvy one day it would be sunny and warm enough to leave our jackets at home the next day a snowstorm. The Bumper liked the snow storm best of all. She crammed all her favorite activities into one day. She ate syrup snow, had a snowball fight and built her first ever real snowman. February also marked the beginning of Lent this year. We ate pancakes for supper on Mardi Gras, this has become a family tradition and one the Bumper heartily endorses. The next day was Ash Wednesday, and the Bumper got ashes put on her head for the first time, she thought it very funny and said we all looked silly. She then asked if it was okay to look silly for Jesus; I said yes.

This year our whole family is participating in the Lenten disciplines of prayer fasting and Alms giving. The Bumper is learning the Lord's prayer, which we have been reading and saying together at night, Nana and I have given up our morning coffee and sweets. I am making the time to read my Bible in the morning and to go to church one extra day during the week.

 The Bumper is excited to see how much money we can put in our Lenten Rice bowl to go to Catholic Relief Services. (The money I would have spent on coffee and treats is going into the bowl).
Since this is the first year the Bumper is aware of what is going on, Nana and I are trying extra hard to practice what we preach and to do so with cheerful hearts. It may not seem like much, giving up coffee, sweets and no meat on Friday, but we are demonstrating the value of  spending time in prayer, self discipline, and thinking of other people's needs.

Little things can make big things happen.

Kim

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