Paczkis and Lent

Brent and Anna went to our favorite bakery this morning and brought home Fat Tuesday paczkis. It's become our tradition on Fat Tuesday. Happily eating too many paczkis in anticipation of the Lenten season. I highly recommend the cannoli filled paczki, by the way.

Paczkis gone, now Lent. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Brent and I have had the conversation of what we are "giving up" this year. For me, it's ice cream. What is it about ice cream, but boy it calls my name from it's freezer box. I love the stuff. Every year I always think about the whole "giving up" thing. I guess it's practicing self restrain in light of Christ's sacrifice he made for us. Ice cream versus dying on the cross. Okay. He wins. It always seems silly when I think about it - mine so trivial really and I really can handle 40 days without ice cream.

Father talked about getting back to basics during Lent. Especially spiritually. Finding time for quiet prayer with Jesus and thanking Him for our blessings and graces. Taking time to listen to Jesus and allow Him to forgive and uplift us. This is what I need. More than giving up ice cream.

I have a Lenten prayer and reflection book. I have had this for a few years and sadly I don't think I've made it all the way through it. It's really quite simple, spend a little time each day in thought and prayer to better focus and experience the Lenten season. So again, this year I am dedicating myself to this little book. I am hopeful that I will do it, really do it. And learn from it and become, if even for a moment, closer to Christ.

I have family members and some friends who are so faithful. Some of my friends write their own blogs and they are inspiring and I think, wow. They are so....holy! They are so in tune with their faith and they really live it. One of those friends just recently told me that we are all a work in progress and wanting to be more faithful is a determination of faith. I guess that's me. I want it. I want a deeper, closer relationship with Jesus. I am every day, whole heartedly, first to shout from a mountain, thankful for the blessings God bestows upon me. My loving husband, our gorgeous children. My parents, Brent's parents, all of our family and friends. The roof over our heads, the food on our table. The safety of that day, for keeping us well and together and here. In the same breath I often ask for forgiveness for my short comings and moments of lost faith in some aspects of life I do not understand. Like loss and sadness and sickness. I have this battle going, a back and forth between humble thankfulness and questions of why.

Maybe this Lent, with the help of my prayer book, I can gain a little clarity. Learn a little, think a bit, and do it all with a sincere heart (and sans ice cream).