There Are Actually Good Things About Lent +Thoughts on St. Catherine

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The other day, I baked chocolate chip cookies for my kids, and didn’t eat a one. I then decided to Who eats their kids' leftover milkshakes, anyway? I wondered to myself.
forgo my usual afternoon cup of tea. Insert personal pity party right here. Earlier in the week, I had bought them a couple of chocolate milkshakes, and completely forgetting that I gave up chocolate for Lent, I took a sip, upon noticing Anders wasn't going to come close to finishing his, then remembered and had to watch them drink their shakes while I drank water.  I threw a tiny pity party in my head again as I threw the leftovers away, but I sat down with a good book, and I felt a flooding of relief and peace coming from nowhere.

I’m finally doing some spiritual reading, and the book Catherine of Siena, by Sigrid Undset, mingled with the deep conviction that observing Lent is so important to me, and I love it for my family, is giving me deep joy. Even though the momentary sacrifice feels painful, the overall vibe in our home is so much better. Without TV, chocolate, and the social media apps on my iPhone, you'll find me with a good, big book, and a lot of extra time. Here are just a few good more things about Lent, because there are actually good things - a lot of salubrious things- about Lent (besides the fact that it is followed by Easter, of course).

  • We are saving money (candy, beer, chocolate, etc) and clearing our heads...
Read the rest at {Picture a Skyline}

Comments

  1. Manny11:46 pm, March 11, 2015

    Oh, I love Undset's St. Catherine of Siena book. I wrote a whole series of posts on it. Here if you wish to read them:
    http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-excerpt-catherine-of-siena-by_28.html#comment-form

    ReplyDelete

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