Ash Wednesday 2017: Lent & 40 Days of Seeking Him Begins
I have been, or can be if you click on a link and make a purchase, compensated via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value for writing this post. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Happy Ash Wednesday 2017!
Yes, you heard me right! Today is Ash Wednesday and while it marks the start of the penitential season, it is also a time for small celebration in my life. Particularly, because I know that time spent growing closer to God will reap wonderful rewards down the line.
Unlike last year, the time from Christmas Season to Lent has been on the long side. Here in Alaska, it has involved a lot more snow than we’ve seen in recent years. Even with a late Easter this year, I might see nothing but snow during Lent.
Plans for Lent
Every year I strive to either make a sacrifice or add to my days in a way that will bring me closer to Christ during this time.
In past years, I have given up coffee (a difficult feat living in Alaska with a coffee stand on every corner!), done a spending fast (buying only absolute necessities for the home or business), added time to read Scripture each day, and attended daily Mass at least once a week.
This year has me doing a combination of things.
Spending Fast
As we are trying to manage 2 households on a smaller income, I am already entering into a spending fast. We have food stores here that need to be eaten before we move. And, I don’t have the money to buy as much.
So frivolous spending is gone. I have been making a conscious decision to stay home rather than run to Costco for a few things. And, I am digging through our past few months of spending to get a real picture of where it all goes. We should be able to cover everything that is fixed (as in must be paid), but there isn’t much left afterward.
Even though it is tight, I refuse to give up our weekly church donations. After all, we are supposed to be tithing from our bounty as it really is all God’s.
Daily Mass and Increased Prayer
After losing the habit this fall, I am planning to attend daily Mass as often as possible. It is a great way to start my day. And, I am able to center myself with the day more focused on God than the world. While I know all this, it is not something that is easy to do when the sky is still dark and I’d rather be in bed.
I am also rejoining the MOMS group at church for Thursday morning studies. Do I have the time for it? Probably not. But, I know that I need to take care of my spiritual health and the fellowship of the group is great, too.
Caring for My Temple
I’ve already been working on a few wellness challenges. While my thyroid medication seemed to be working for a while, I am experiencing symptoms that tell me my body is still out of whack.
Exercise (actually getting off my booty and moving) is going to be daily. It might not be a full-on workout. But, I know that we were not made to just sit around.
Nutrition is my constant nemesis. Compared to some, I eat a healthy diet. But, there is always room to improve. My body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit and my wacky immune system issues (including thyroid levels gone awry) needs to be addressed.
40 Days of Seeking Him Sampler
If you have been reading the blog for a while, then you might recall that this link up started in 2011 as a daily one. I didn’t always participate in the link up, but have made an effort to do it as often as possible. We switched to a weekly link up format which means at least one anchor post per week here.
I decided to pull together a ‘sampler’ as a free ebook to subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, just open up a recent weekly newsletter and click over to the appropriate “subscriber only” page.
If you are not currently a subscriber, you can get your copy when you sign up.
40 Days of Seeking Him Ash Wednesday Link Up
This year, I am joining Trish @ A House Upon the Rock in co-hosting the 40 Days of Seeking Him meme.
The linky will be up each week so you can add in posts daily, weekly, or whenever you are able.
The posts can be about anything related to Lent and preparing for Easter. This includes crafts, food, devotions, music or reflections.
I hope that my readers will join us on the journey through Lent as we seek to grow closer to Christ. Christian bloggers are welcome to join us in the weekly link up with posts that they are writing to showcase activities or reflections taken during this Lenten journey.
We are expanding the platform for this meme to include a 40 Days of Seeking Him Pinterest board for submitted posts and a Facebook group. I hope that you’ll check out the Pinterest board and join us on Facebook, too, as we seek to grow closer to Christ.
I don’t go to a Leturgical church so things like Advent and Lent are new to me but I love what they encourage if others and that it is all to honor our Savior. Honoring Your temple being a passion of mines this post is very encouraging.
Thanks so much for the lovely comment, De.
I have met so many Christians who did not grow up with the practice of Advent or Lent in their lives. Yet, once they saw what it really meant they embrace it. As a cradle Catholic, I have had the liturgical year through my entire life. It is such a wonderful structure to have and truly ensures that we remember all parts of Christ’s life.
You are focusing on giving up so many good things to focus on the best thing! Absolutely love that! I have never given anything up for lent and this year it came up on me much quicker than I anticipated so I wasn’t prepared to do anything. But I do strive to come closer to God. I need him like the air I breathe and notice when my oxygen supply is running low.
Blessings to you during this season!
Kristi,
I am so saddened when I talk to people who only focus on ‘giving up’ and not how they need to do what will help them become closer to Christ.
Lent is not meant to be a ‘diet plan’, but rather a way to remove distractions that hinder our personal relationship with God. Giving up chocolate (a favorite for some) with no thought of how that sacrifice will help you grow is pointless.
I love the idea that we are taking care of our temples for God during this season. I’m getting over the yuck that has been going around, but I hope in a few days I can commit to moving and exercising again too. I’m so thankful for a body that works the way it is suppose to. I want to act like it! (And we gave up ice cream for Lent!)
I really am struggling with taking care of my temple. I know part of it might be that some habits (e.g. eating carbs) are hurting me. But, the hives issue is what keeps my exercise low key and in spurts. I’m covering the whole situation in prayer, too. Because I know that while my inner toddler doesn’t like the idea of giving up favorite foods, my strength to do it will come from God.
Laura, I can’t believe it’s time for the 40 Days blog gathering once again! Wow, time does fly..
And I so love this bc .I feel like I KNOW as if we’re besties forever you and so many of my blogger friends by reading about their liturgical year traditions year after year!! Not only do we get to stretch our writing muscles AND think on how to live Lent more fully, but we have the advantage of glimpsing others’ celebrations and thoughts!
I love your ways of preparing too, throughout Lent! I’m hoping you begin feeling better asap…… Adjusting medication is just so tricky, isn’t it? And finding time to exercise, even a simple walk, for heaven’s sake…..not easy. I’ll be praying for you, my friend.
I’m off to read a few others’ posts!
See you out there in the blogosphere Laura!
Chris,
Thank you so much for the kind words. I, too, love to see what others are doing and share my personal journey. I know that some find it in conflict with Christ’s words to fast in private. However, I also believe that sharing our walk is how we can be light and salt in the world.
As for those meds, I am still on the fence. I don’t want to spend the money on a doctor bill right now. But, I also can’t ignore everything and pretend it will just get better on its own.