Beautiful. I am going to print out the Lenten colouring and do that with you. Flowers are so uplifting and I might need that as I go into this Lent. I am feeling very flat in general but more so about my faith. Pray for me fellow Hearthstone members, please. It is a discipline indeed to be alone in these practices in my home. I am part of a group that will be meeting online each week so that is something that I am looking forward to. The one idea that I have taken from this beautiful post, Kristin, is looking at how my life which flourishes in God, is being hindered by my sins and weaknesses. Thank you!
You'll be in my Lenten prayers, Cate! I know this is so, so hard - though I come to it from the perspective of *myself* having previously been the unbeliever, while my husband was a lifelong Christian. It was a really long and arduous journey for me, and if, 15 years ago, you'd told me that I'd be doing what I'm doing...I would've cried for laughing!
This got me to wondering about saints who can speak to us about this, and I found this article as a starting point:
I'm just filled with gratitude for the beauty of your faith - even if things feel dry right now, please know that you have made such an impact on my journey all the way across the ocean. What a gift to me. I'll be praying that you find glimmers of peace and camaraderie this Lent!
Bless you for your kind words and the support by way of your own experience as an unbeliever in a home and this link. I just went to Ash Wednesday Mass with the local school and it was beautiful and a powerful, community minded way to start Lent. I was reminded by God of the fellowship and need for us all to turn up and encourage each other. Even if we don’t know each other. Now I’ve been invited to lunch with a local young Mum who I’ve been chatting with and encouraging. God is good! May your Lent be a treasure.
As always , the post that lifts me most. Many thanks.. I love reading it all esp the Scriptorium incredible art work ,and facts to go with it. I lost my recipe for the pancake ,, the oven pancake you posted I want to make one of those tomorrow.. will look for it. Did you get my first poem.. hope you liked it .. beautiful in Minnesota. iceof lakes gone and ICE in Minneapolis and in Northfield here too .. is metling . Love and rejoicing in and with you . Love,Merri Mc Elderry in Northfield ,Mn
Your poem was SUCH a beautiful treat to read, Merri - thank you for sharing that gorgeous, poetic honesty with the world. I know it's hard, but I'm grateful that you're doing it!
I'm so glad you've been enjoying the Scriptorium goodies!
I am ready for Lent and for some pruning and pausing. I have a renewed energy for my book of hours. Your beautiful resources are part of the renewal. I am planning to pull out my colored pencils and watercolors this week.
I feel a bit behind mentally. I've been looking forward to following along with what I can and just learning about the calendar this year, but we've had some big life changes the last few months. So I feel like it has all crept up on me a little. I feel underprepared, but I don't even know what for - like I need to read more (or something) so I can engage better. Trying to ignore that and just do what I can. Ideas welcome though!
Oof, what a brilliant way to phrase that - "I feel underprepared, but I don't even know what for..." I completely relate! I was just telling my spiritual director yesterday that I feel constantly behind, and a bit like I'm treading water to keep up...so, one of my re-oriented goals for Lent (having still not discerned a fast...) is to pay close attention to the things I USE for rest that may or may not actually be restful. ie, it's easy to gravitate toward technology to 'relax,' but I don't come out of that experience feeling rested!
Let us know how we can pray for you...big life changes are so hard, and I hope that you'll find bits of peace and clarity where you can.
Thank you for your beautiful reply, Kristin! It brought tears to my eyes when I read it this morning before I started work, already exhausted.
I am also struggling to discern a fast this year. I read something somewhere that said Lent is not supposed to be used for breaking bad habits, but rather for fasting from good things that might get in one’s way of the pursuit of God. So now I’m just feeling a bit confused - because shouldn’t it be for pruning and examining one’s life and habits also? I’m feeling so much in survival mode right now that I don’t even know what to add or takeaway, other than perhaps reconsidering some of my not-so-helpful survival habits. I really like your example of considering habits of rest.
Thank you, it means a lot to know that someone so far away that I’ve never met in person is going to take a moment to pray for me. I’m not really quite sure…..perhaps assurance in myself of the love of God? I’m struggling to really sense and grasp it right now. I’ll also be praying for you and your re-oriented goals :)
I'm so glad this brought some camaraderie to you before your morning walk! I very much understand how hard it is to wake up feeling depleted.
The various ways of fasting can definitely become kind of confusing. I think that, since the ultimate purpose is to re-orient our worship (to become "slaves of righteousness" rather than slaves to our habits), fasting can often include either 'good' or 'bad' habits. For myself, I often find that my good habits can cause the most insidious damage to my spirit, since their damage is less overt: painting is a good thing for me, but if I let it takeover my days and don't walk, plan a healthy meal, etc., it starts to become more of a compulsion and less of a truly healthy activity. It's really a time to examine the roles of all our habits, and sometimes I'm shocked to realize how dependent I am on something that I *thought* I was independent of! Maybe this is a time of curiosity for you? I'm trying to approach it that way, since I don't have a super specific sense yet of what direction to go in. :)
I'll be praying for assurance in yourself and in the love of God - what beautiful, worthy things to desire!
Thank you for sharing this, Juliann! It is a beautiful piece....it makes me feel very seen!
I also found the poem My Ash(less) Wednesday by Sarah Clarkson and it feels like a very good summary of my day today. I had all but forgotten with the cares of the morning, and it wasn't until someone came into work this afternoon with ash on their forehead, that I remembered.
What a perfectly fitting poem for my own heart...thank you for this reminder, Juliann! I've heard it said that the intention to pray is a prayer in and of itself, so I'm trying to allow for the grace of that when I get caught up in all my self-made expectations.
Beautiful. I am going to print out the Lenten colouring and do that with you. Flowers are so uplifting and I might need that as I go into this Lent. I am feeling very flat in general but more so about my faith. Pray for me fellow Hearthstone members, please. It is a discipline indeed to be alone in these practices in my home. I am part of a group that will be meeting online each week so that is something that I am looking forward to. The one idea that I have taken from this beautiful post, Kristin, is looking at how my life which flourishes in God, is being hindered by my sins and weaknesses. Thank you!
You'll be in my Lenten prayers, Cate! I know this is so, so hard - though I come to it from the perspective of *myself* having previously been the unbeliever, while my husband was a lifelong Christian. It was a really long and arduous journey for me, and if, 15 years ago, you'd told me that I'd be doing what I'm doing...I would've cried for laughing!
This got me to wondering about saints who can speak to us about this, and I found this article as a starting point:
https://aleteia.org/2020/07/25/saints-who-had-to-live-the-faith-without-the-support-of-their-spouses/
I'm just filled with gratitude for the beauty of your faith - even if things feel dry right now, please know that you have made such an impact on my journey all the way across the ocean. What a gift to me. I'll be praying that you find glimmers of peace and camaraderie this Lent!
Bless you for your kind words and the support by way of your own experience as an unbeliever in a home and this link. I just went to Ash Wednesday Mass with the local school and it was beautiful and a powerful, community minded way to start Lent. I was reminded by God of the fellowship and need for us all to turn up and encourage each other. Even if we don’t know each other. Now I’ve been invited to lunch with a local young Mum who I’ve been chatting with and encouraging. God is good! May your Lent be a treasure.
As always , the post that lifts me most. Many thanks.. I love reading it all esp the Scriptorium incredible art work ,and facts to go with it. I lost my recipe for the pancake ,, the oven pancake you posted I want to make one of those tomorrow.. will look for it. Did you get my first poem.. hope you liked it .. beautiful in Minnesota. iceof lakes gone and ICE in Minneapolis and in Northfield here too .. is metling . Love and rejoicing in and with you . Love,Merri Mc Elderry in Northfield ,Mn
Your poem was SUCH a beautiful treat to read, Merri - thank you for sharing that gorgeous, poetic honesty with the world. I know it's hard, but I'm grateful that you're doing it!
I'm so glad you've been enjoying the Scriptorium goodies!
I am ready for Lent and for some pruning and pausing. I have a renewed energy for my book of hours. Your beautiful resources are part of the renewal. I am planning to pull out my colored pencils and watercolors this week.
Oh, Juliann! That warms my heart to hear. I'm so glad that all these bits and bobs are bringing some renewing energy your way. Happy coloring!
I feel a bit behind mentally. I've been looking forward to following along with what I can and just learning about the calendar this year, but we've had some big life changes the last few months. So I feel like it has all crept up on me a little. I feel underprepared, but I don't even know what for - like I need to read more (or something) so I can engage better. Trying to ignore that and just do what I can. Ideas welcome though!
Oof, what a brilliant way to phrase that - "I feel underprepared, but I don't even know what for..." I completely relate! I was just telling my spiritual director yesterday that I feel constantly behind, and a bit like I'm treading water to keep up...so, one of my re-oriented goals for Lent (having still not discerned a fast...) is to pay close attention to the things I USE for rest that may or may not actually be restful. ie, it's easy to gravitate toward technology to 'relax,' but I don't come out of that experience feeling rested!
Let us know how we can pray for you...big life changes are so hard, and I hope that you'll find bits of peace and clarity where you can.
Thank you for your beautiful reply, Kristin! It brought tears to my eyes when I read it this morning before I started work, already exhausted.
I am also struggling to discern a fast this year. I read something somewhere that said Lent is not supposed to be used for breaking bad habits, but rather for fasting from good things that might get in one’s way of the pursuit of God. So now I’m just feeling a bit confused - because shouldn’t it be for pruning and examining one’s life and habits also? I’m feeling so much in survival mode right now that I don’t even know what to add or takeaway, other than perhaps reconsidering some of my not-so-helpful survival habits. I really like your example of considering habits of rest.
Thank you, it means a lot to know that someone so far away that I’ve never met in person is going to take a moment to pray for me. I’m not really quite sure…..perhaps assurance in myself of the love of God? I’m struggling to really sense and grasp it right now. I’ll also be praying for you and your re-oriented goals :)
I'm so glad this brought some camaraderie to you before your morning walk! I very much understand how hard it is to wake up feeling depleted.
The various ways of fasting can definitely become kind of confusing. I think that, since the ultimate purpose is to re-orient our worship (to become "slaves of righteousness" rather than slaves to our habits), fasting can often include either 'good' or 'bad' habits. For myself, I often find that my good habits can cause the most insidious damage to my spirit, since their damage is less overt: painting is a good thing for me, but if I let it takeover my days and don't walk, plan a healthy meal, etc., it starts to become more of a compulsion and less of a truly healthy activity. It's really a time to examine the roles of all our habits, and sometimes I'm shocked to realize how dependent I am on something that I *thought* I was independent of! Maybe this is a time of curiosity for you? I'm trying to approach it that way, since I don't have a super specific sense yet of what direction to go in. :)
I'll be praying for assurance in yourself and in the love of God - what beautiful, worthy things to desire!
That's really insightful, thank you Kristin! That's a good point, I think I will try to lean into curiosity this season 💙
Sarah - I am in a similar place. There is a beautiful poem, Ode by Zoe Higgins, that I am returning to these days.
Thank you for sharing this, Juliann! It is a beautiful piece....it makes me feel very seen!
I also found the poem My Ash(less) Wednesday by Sarah Clarkson and it feels like a very good summary of my day today. I had all but forgotten with the cares of the morning, and it wasn't until someone came into work this afternoon with ash on their forehead, that I remembered.
What a perfectly fitting poem for my own heart...thank you for this reminder, Juliann! I've heard it said that the intention to pray is a prayer in and of itself, so I'm trying to allow for the grace of that when I get caught up in all my self-made expectations.