The Season of Lent
This Lenten season let us look for the joy.
Another Monday, another fresh week, another opportunity to live right here right now.
The past few weeks have been hard and rest, joy, and play have felt less present because of my constant worry of work. This weekend I am confessing that I struggle with letting rest and play be top priorities and in confessing I invite the God of sabbath to teach me another way.
I get so in my head and so focused on one or two things that I forget to live inside of my body and to be present where I am. When I get like this I get stuck and live even more in my head than in my body and real life. I am trying to find things that help and reflecting on my joys truly does.
Sometimes the things most sacred to us have everything to do with our religion or religious practices or nothing to do with them—or even somewhere in between. Tea is one of my sacred practices and its somewhere in between.
Last week was not my week—I pray that this week might be better. So here is a prayer to start off this week.
This lenten practice is challenging me in a way I need and invites me to show up for myself and to look for where God has met me throughout the day.
In the face of such suffering--looking for the joy in the world seems like absolute foolishness. And yet, my heart and mind and soul needs the joy to be able to continue on this journey.
Today, God met me right where I was at and at the precisely right time. I let myself be held and for that I am grateful.
I was having so much fun with friends this weekend that I forgot to share! Here is a little recap of my weekend joys. I hope you might be able to get a sprinkle ice cream cone soon!
Weekend Joys-II
A list of my weekend joys—part two!
A list of my weekend joys with a few Monday joys mixed in:
sleeping in without an alarm set
morning cups of tea still in my pjs
white platform keds
sitting on the couch catching up with a friend
drinking tea, eating cheese and crackers, and watching Pride and Prejudice with a friend
cheese and crackers
Grandmomma pound cake with icing (that has almond extract in it, mmm)
hugs from Grandmomma
bright colored fingernails
hot baths
reading books in the bathtub
the feeling after doing yoga that you really didn’t want to do
memorial services that remind you of God’s everlasting love and the love of human beings for other human beings
sunny skies and the hope of warmer weather to come
blue and white pajamas
the promise of a Tuesday morning cup of tea
meditations in the tub
celebrating in the good news of a friend