Lenten Links and Resources

With Lent in full swing, I wanted to share some links and resources that I use to make Lent more meaningful for myself and my family:

I have a number of things I will be doing during Lent to practice fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. I saw this great idea at Faith and Family Live. I will be using the 40 days of Lent to donate 40 bags of items from our home. I am not getting caught up with the type or size of bag that I am donating - my goal is to de-clutter my home, donate the things we no longer need or use, and bless someone else who does need it! I created a chart to help me keep track of how many bags I have donated. If you would like a copy, email me at Blessedandbusy@aol.com, and I would be happy to forward one to you.

The season of Lent obviously changes that way we eat and cook. Here are some resources to help you create simple Lenten meals:
Free Lenten cookbook by Rita Hanna
Catholic Cuisine

I have pulled a few cookbooks from my shelf that will help me plan menus filled with simple, nutritious, and sometimes meatless meals:
More With Less by Doris Janzen Longacre
Whole Foods for the Whole Family by La Leche League International
The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Reading:
For my quiet time, I will be using The Magnificat Lenten Companion and a two beautiful books that I won from The Happy Little Homemaker. Thank you so much Jen! The Little Black Book and The Little White Book present six minute daily readings during Lent and Easter. You can find these at www.littlebooks.org.

I have chosen a few additional books that I will read during this season:
Grace and Gifted: Biblical Wisdom for the Homemakers Heart by Kimberly Hahn
Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison
(Re-reading) A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot

I also recommend Ministry Of Moms Sharing (MOMS). MOMS is a ministry that helps mothers of all ages to gather and work on their spiritual and personal growth. I have been involved with a MOMS group for the last several years at a local parish. The following are a few articles you might enjoy from MOMS:

Fasting and Feasting

Family Spiritual Check-Up

Family Lenten Candle


Resources for Children:
Just as with Advent, we have chosen a theme for our girls to focus on. This year, they will be reading and learning about the lives of the Saints. My older girls will be reading from the Book of Saints by Amy Welborn. They also want to read a beautiful book called Journey to the Heart: Centering Prayer for Children by Frank X. Jelenek. I will be reading An Alphabet of Catholic Saints with our little girls.

Another great free resource is the Lenten Adventure for children found at www. HolyHeroes.com. Once you have signed up, you will receive a series of emails with videos, activities and links appropriate for school-aged children. We participated in the Summer Faith Adventure and the Advent Adventure. My kids really enjoy these programs!

I also highly recommend Catholic Icing, a wonderful blog filled with free activities, crafts, ideas, lesson plans, coloring pages, etc. for Catholic families. We have printed out the Children's Stations of the Cross and a Lenten calender for the kids to color and follow the 40 days of Lent. They also saw an idea that they wanted to do - they selected some of their favorite toys and placed them in a bin for storage. By "giving up" some toys, they have a better understanding of what fasting and sacrifice means. Our 7 year old feels sad when she cannot sleep with her favorite stuffed animal but she is determined to follow through on her fast. I am very proud of how my girls were anxious to participate in this!

I hope these suggestions and resources are helpful to you in making your Lent a blessed and peaceful time for you and your family. If any of these ideas strike your interest, just jump in and try them!

Do you have any Lenten ideas that you would like to share?