Preparing for Lent

I need a swift kick in the pants.  I have so many areas in my life that need cleaned up...so many ways in which I need to press a reset button...so many reasons to long for Lent and rekindle a more disciplined life. I owe it to myself, my children, my marriage and especially my God to go away, at least figuratively, into the desert to find Him.  I ache to quiet all the white noise around me and simplify my life so I can listen for and better hear that still small voice.

Today is Fat Tuesday...or Shrove Tuesday...Mardi Gras. We've never been big party'ers when it comes to this secular "feast day" but we've spent the last few days preparing the kids for this solemn season ahead and talking about what we should do as individuals, as a couple and as a family to draw nearer to the Lord.  And yes, tonight, we did have pancakes for dinner.

Tomorrow begins a solemn journey.  At Mass we'll have ashes placed on our foreheads and will be reminded of our mortality and of what's waiting for us on the other side.  I always struggle with the urge to brush the ashes off as soon as I walk out of church....somewhat embarrassed to be seen with such visible evidence of my faith.  But why?  It's not like I'm ashamed to be Catholic and I know that others need the visible reminder that Ash Wednesday marks a special day for all Christians.  I will aim to wear those ashes all day and not try to rub them off when I walk, however self-conscious, into the grocery store or post office with such a blatant and somewhat gruesome sign written (literally) across my forehead.  Oh yes...I'll get stares, I know it.  But tomorrow, we have a chance to wear our faith on our sleeves, so to speak.  To be (hopefully humble) advertisements for an attempt toward a lifestyle of self-discipline and self-denial in a society that is blinded by the disease of over-abundance and excess.

Prayer, fasting and alms-giving are the chief penitential practices that we are asked to observe during Lent.  As such, I have a few goals for this Lent.  Namely,

• Get up each day with DH when the alarm first goes off at 5am and spent time with him praying the Office of Readings.  (Someday, I want to be disciplined enough to pray the full Divine Office throughout the day.)  
• Spend less time online.  Really, I'd love to go on an entire internet fast, but unfortunately, I rely on email too heavily and recipe/info searches to make that realistic.  But I can limit myself to only checking email first thing in the morning (before the kids wake up) and then not again until evening when the kids are otherwise occupied and not clamoring for my attention.  I spend way more time shoo'ing the kids away from me while I'm on the computer than I care to admit.  I need to seriously get my priorities in order.
• Last year I did the 40 bags in 40 days challenge and in so many ways I need to de-clutter and simplify again.  Basically the idea is to just get in the habit of practicing a little (possibly uncomfortable) "letting go" behavior throughout Lent. 

I have a few other things I want to work on in addition to the above, but these are the chief areas where I need to clean up my act.  The kids have a Lenten Calendar and Sacrifice Beans ready to begin tomorrow and we are burying the Alleluia tonight before bedtime.  They've offered to give up TV during Lent on their own volition...not that we watch much TV (DVDs, etc) anyhow, but I'm proud that they took some initiative on this.  Now I don't know how (or even if) I should enforce this but they know they can still look forward to indulging in a little TV on Sundays.

Seeing as tomorrow is a day of fasting and abstinence, what are some of your favorite meatless (or penitential meal ideas?  We're not huge seafood lovers in our house.

Head on over to the Bubble for a nice, concise review of Lenten obligations for Catholics.  Thanks Leila!