Lent begins...

Ash Wednesday. I know it's not the start of the liturgical year, but for the last few years, I've felt like my personal year with Christ has begun on this day.

I've been so frazzled, though, with the new baby and a toddler and everything else, that Lent sort of snuck up on me this year. I haven't made a good plan for Lent and I'm sorry for it. Particularly because I have to substitute the traditional forms of observation in a couple areas. Since I'm a nursing mom, I can't fast meals because it would compromise Laurel's food supply. So I need to substitute something and I don't have anything in mind yet.

I generally try to pray more, study more, meditate more on the things of God during Lent, but my life has been so crazed since Laurel, I haven't even been keeping up with the minimum I do on a regular basis. More days have passed without me praying the Rosary than with...I've even had trouble sitting down to eat, so meal-time prayers have been sketchy. I've tried to say prayers before bed as I nurse the baby to sleep and instead fall asleep myself.

In light of that, I suppose the best thing to do for Lent would be to work harder at getting the basics on track.

The parish sent out a nice little calendar with a "thought for the day" kind of thing and short Bible readings. I am going to start with that.

I feel kind of bad that my husband is doing the fast all by himself. Especially since I am such a voracious eater when I'm nursing. He doesn't mind so much, but I find companionship helpful in such sacrafices.

--Sparki