7 Quick Takes Lenten Edition

Quick Takes, Lenten Edition

This weeks Takes are being hosted by Betty Beguiles. Here are mine this week, focusing on Lenten Intentions:

1: Spiritual Reading: I want to narrow it down between the Psalms (all of them, in order, until Lent is over), The Cannon of St. Andrew, or the Jesus Prayer (I have a few books about both of these). Leaning toward the Psalms.

2: Fasting: We won't be strictly following the fast this year, due to the pregnancy and all. But I will commit to doing vegan Wednesday and Fridays, usually with soup, salad and bread. The rest of the week I'll keep it simple and nutritious the best I can, but I won't commit to vegan. Also, I have to eat two eggs for breakfast, and keep up around 100g protein a day. That will require meat and cheese.

3: Yogurt and eggs: I intend to consider yogurt and eggs not dairy for fasting purposes. In other words, I will eat two eggs for breakfast, but will forgo the butter on my toast. I'll have guacamole with Greek yogurt for a snack, but leave off the melted cheese. I won't indulge in brie or aged cheddar, but may eat a slice of cheese if I feel the need for a quick boost of protein. This year will be the SPIRIT of the fast, not necessarily the Law.

4: Attend Pre-sanctified Liturgy every Friday. There is no reason I can't make this work, except giving in to fatigue. But I can sit and rest at church if I must. I will commit to being there, and praying, not to standing through everything or doing every prostration (although I do intend to try).

5: 40 Bags in 40 Days: I did this last year, and it was a change that stuck. I will commit to bagging up at least one bag of things to take out of my home every day. Probably more. I am actually looking forward to it this year.

6: Gratitude: Seriously express gratitude about something every day. I don't know the outlet for this yet. But I would like to make it person to person. Occasionally it will be person to God. But the more grateful I become the less sensitive I become, and the feeling of disappointment lessens. But for me disappointment is a habit, so I anticipate this will be a long road to haul, to retrain my thoughts. But I must begin somewhere, right?

7: Savor my family. I have spend far too long seeing the people in my house as obstacles to the formation of perfect me. And now my oldest will be going to college in the fall. I will. not. waste. another day being frustrated with daily duties being constant and incomplete. That is life. My home will not be perfectly clean until it is empty. Savor them, savor them, savor them.

And that's all, folks. Plenty, really, isn't it?