I am using my Holy Saturday post to reflect on my Lenten projects.
Lent with Thomas Merton –
Throughout Lent, every Wednesday we participated in a Bridges to Contemplative Living course at Queen of All Saints. It has been fantastic and concludes next week. It is nice having time to just sit and talk and listen to the thoughts of others based on the readings for that week. It has been a very fulfilling experience where I found I didn’t actually have to speak much at all get so much out of it.
‘Giving up’ –
No chocolate. This was specifically aimed at chocolate milk. I think I have kicked the habit. By the way, when I mean chocolate milk I mean a glass of skim with teaspoon and a bit of Nesquik. I cannot drink the pre-made milks here as they are way to sweet. Eughhh!
Aside from a small tasting of ice cream for the ice cream challenge we are having on Sunday, we’ve had no ice cream. No real desserts. Nothing. It has been hard!
Spiritually –
Went to Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction and a Saturday morning mass.
Craft –
Woohoo – I wanted something to physically remind me of what I did during this Lenten period so halfway through Lent I sat myself down and during lunchtimes and briefly on weekends I cross stitched these two lovely bookmarks.
It has invigorated my love of crafting that I have had on-hold for a long time – even though it normally totalled to about 30 mintues of stitching a day with some days skipped. I have also mastered the art of cross stitching on a bumpy subway… which is extremely difficult! I have found it to be so relaxing and I’ve got a few other projects that I have started as well. As a result of rediscovering my love of stitching, I am also going to try and learn to crochet.
Another project that I tried to start but it didn’t end up feeling quite right as newlyweds was The Love Dare. Bill has had no idea about this until he reads it now. I had read about it and it seemed like fun but maybe next year would be a better time. I stuck with it for the first couple of days, challenges of not saying anything at all that is even mildly critical, going above and beyond etc. I went above and beyond by waking up super early on a work morning and cooking Bill a hot breakfast and having his coffee ready by the bed. For the purchase of a small gift, I got him an iTunes voucher for some new iPad apps. But some of the ones where you dicuss issues and that just did not feel relevant so soon into our marriage so I feel maybe it would be a great challenge for us to do togehter next Lent perhaps.
And of course, there has been this blogging challenge which I have really loved. I feel so lucky to have shared every day of this with you. Happy Easter!