Sonlight Garden

Lent

My Lent.

We have the slowest ever stomach bug moving through our house. We are going on two weeks. Just when you think it's gone and you disinfect and wash sheets and towels. Wham! It claims it's next victim. It's very stealth this bug. Mary Jane  is our current victim.

Last week when I had three little ones battling the bug is when I started bleeding. I left my sick ones in the care of their big sister and rushed to my OB's office. What a beautiful thing to see and hear that little heartbeat, how gut wrenching it was to hear that there may be something wrong. I have been praying and clinging to the Cross ever since. That is really what Lent is about isn't it? We cling to His cross. We suffer. He increases. We decrease. We grow closer to Our Lord, we feel His love and peace and mercy. And wow, do I really feel His love right now. Lent.

I don't know what the outcome will be for our baby. I do know your prayers are lifting us up. We have so many people praying. Thank you so much for those prayers, they mean so much. (I should have started this post out by thanking you for them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!)

We go tomorrow for a Nuchal Translucent ultrasound. We are praying the cyst is gone. I will let you all know of course. 

I have been listening to this song non stop. It makes me cry. Carry Me by Audrey Assad.  I love her!

Not what I had planned

So far our Lent is not starting out how I had planned. We have the dreaded stomach bug running through the house. Our tradition of  Puffy Oven Pancakes for dinner on Shrove Tuesday didn't happen. We won't make it to Ash Wednesday Mass today. The children are disappointed.  Julia said "aaawwww Mom, we broke our tradition."  There is such a beautiful rhythm to the Liturgical year. We depend on it. You don't realize how much it is weaved through your days until it is altered. So our lent isn't starting out as I had planned. But there is definitely fasting and sacrificing going on over here. 

A Christian Passover Seder

Following the prayers over at Domestic Church.com we had a beautiful Christian Passover Seder meal. We invited my Dad over and we all feasted on lamb.This meal really is a prayer. If you have a moment click on the link and read the prayers, they are beautiful (when on the site click on fridge art and then Lent and Easter. The Seder meal is included there). The participation of the family in the meal makes it so special.

The Seder plate

 

lighting the candles

 

washing of hands

 

 

 

and on it went around the table washing every one's hands. (Catherine's expression here cracked me up. I think she was a little embarrassed. hee hee)

 

roasted leg of lamb

 

 It was a very memorable evening. My favorite part was in the concluding prayers:

"The extra cup also reminds us to pray for our blood brothers, those Jews still seeking the Messiah Who has already come to them and Who waits longingly for them. The empty chair reminds us, and every household observing Passover tonight, that there are still those who cannot celebrate as free men. We pray that someday soon all may freely rejoice in the majesty of God everywhere in the world. Someone open the door to welcome the Prophet of God to our Seder! "(referring to the prophet Elijah)

and this part:

"Our Passover celebration is complete, just as God's plan for our salvation through Jesus is complete. Now it's up to us to go and live His Word. Let's end with the traditional wish that next year we will celebrate face to face with Jesus! "Lashanah haba'ah bi Yerushalayim!"

Wanted To Share

I read this today from I Believe in Love and I wanted to share.

The highest and most complete proof of love is to surrender ourselves completely, giving all our confidence to Him whom we love. Be with Jesus as a friend with his friend, very loving and beloved. Take your weakness and faults to Him, as you take your acts of generosity. The acts of generosity are for the Judge who is so good; the weakness and the faults are for the Savior. And everything else is for the Friend.

I have been thinking on this today. This book has been so perfect for me for Lent. I keep re-reading everything! I don't think I will be done before Easter!

Shrove Tuesday

Today is Pancake Tuesday. I wanted to share a recipe that we use every shrove Tuesday. It has become a little tradition in our home. I found this recipe in a little book called "Family Countdown to Easter A Day by Day Celebration" By Debbie Trafton O' Neal.

Preheat oven to 425 degree. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in the bottom of a pie pan in the oven while mixing pancake batter. For one pancake, combine 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 cup milk (batter will be lumpy). When butter is sizzling, pour batter into pan and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Bake about 15 minutes or until pancake is puffy and golden. Remove from oven and serve immediately with powdered sugar, jam, syrup. Eat the pancake quickly before it falls!

These pancakes are the best hands down, and low fat to ;0) .

Tomorrow we start the solemn season of Lent. I have been very tempted to check out all the wonderful blogs out there to get all of the fabulous ideas for the Lenten season. There are so many wonderful, creative, crafty, things to do with the children during this season to really emphasize what Lent is about. But I have decided to skip all of this. I feel the best approach this year is simplicity. I am trying to declutter everything around here. I also want to declutter this solemn season to simplify it and really focus on Christ. I don't want to worry if I have all the craft supplies. What day I should do a certain craft. Or worry about if I am doing enough. I don't want to feel bad if I don't measure up and accomplish all of these wonderful things. This year it is about keeping it as simple as possible. We will fast and abstain. We will come together every night as a family and pray. We will make small sacrifices and "give up" certain things. We will be still and quiet so that we may hear God's voice.