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WELCOME TO Week Two |
Prayer
Flower Prayer
Scatter a number of cut flowers (from your garden or the store) around your family table. Place a vase in the center with water. As you sit around the table, have everyone take turns saying a joy, a gratitude, or a concern while placing a flower into the vase. After the prayer is completed, admire your pretty vase of flowers and all the prayers that accompanied them.
Jelly Bean Prayer
There are a few versions of the “jelly bean prayer” floating around. Many of them focus on the sadness of Jesus’ execution and death; I wrote the following alternative, centered around the new life of the resurrection. Gather jelly beans in the following colors: red, black, green, white, pink, yellow, and orange. As you say the prayer, line up the jelly beans and look at them. When you’re done, eat the jelly beans.
Red is the robin; we see her in spring.
She feeds her babies, sheltered under her wing.
Black is the soil where seeds sprout and grow.
Look closely and see so much life down below.
Green are the leaves on the flowers and trees.
They shelter the animals, insects, and bees.
White is the color of the clouds way up high.
What interesting shapes do you see in the sky?
Pink, yellow, and orange make a beautiful sunrise.
It reminds us of hope. It’s a daily surprise.
All of these colors are the colors of spring
They show us God’s love and the new life God can bring.
She feeds her babies, sheltered under her wing.
Black is the soil where seeds sprout and grow.
Look closely and see so much life down below.
Green are the leaves on the flowers and trees.
They shelter the animals, insects, and bees.
White is the color of the clouds way up high.
What interesting shapes do you see in the sky?
Pink, yellow, and orange make a beautiful sunrise.
It reminds us of hope. It’s a daily surprise.
All of these colors are the colors of spring
They show us God’s love and the new life God can bring.
Simplicity
Compliment Others
Instead of: Giving up negative talk
Try: Focusing on complimenting others
Have you ever noticed how nice it feels when someone says something nice about you? What a lovely and wonderful way to help someone feel special. It takes very little time to compliment someone else; and it gets easier with practice. Sometimes it’s easy for us to compliment someone’s looks or what they’re wearing. Try to compliment the deeper attributes about them, too, such as their creativity when they’ve made something, or thoughtfulness of their ideas, or the way they make you feel comfortable when you’re around them.
Lenten challenge for focusing on complimenting others: Can you compliment three people per day during Lent?
Try: Focusing on complimenting others
Have you ever noticed how nice it feels when someone says something nice about you? What a lovely and wonderful way to help someone feel special. It takes very little time to compliment someone else; and it gets easier with practice. Sometimes it’s easy for us to compliment someone’s looks or what they’re wearing. Try to compliment the deeper attributes about them, too, such as their creativity when they’ve made something, or thoughtfulness of their ideas, or the way they make you feel comfortable when you’re around them.
Lenten challenge for focusing on complimenting others: Can you compliment three people per day during Lent?
Heading Outside
Instead of: Giving up screens or reducing screen time
Try: Heading outside
Screens are part of our life now, in just about every imaginable way. From navigating directions to taking photos to playing games, I know I'm not alone when I say I have a cell phone near me at (almost) all times. The same is true for our children. Many people lament the use of screens or feel guilty about their screen time and screen usage. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with guilt or spinning your wheels figuring out what to do, try tackling the amount of time you spend outside instead. Make a habit of keeping the screens inside (or turn them on Do Not Disturb mode) while you're outside so that by default being outside means no screens. You'll add the beauty and wonder of the outdoors into your life and perhaps discover that the riches you find there bring peace of mind, joy, and excitement. There are so many things to do outside; you can find ideas in this book and elsewhere. The outdoors is full of unexplored treasures!
Lenten challenge for heading outside: How many hours can you log outside this Lent?
Try: Heading outside
Screens are part of our life now, in just about every imaginable way. From navigating directions to taking photos to playing games, I know I'm not alone when I say I have a cell phone near me at (almost) all times. The same is true for our children. Many people lament the use of screens or feel guilty about their screen time and screen usage. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with guilt or spinning your wheels figuring out what to do, try tackling the amount of time you spend outside instead. Make a habit of keeping the screens inside (or turn them on Do Not Disturb mode) while you're outside so that by default being outside means no screens. You'll add the beauty and wonder of the outdoors into your life and perhaps discover that the riches you find there bring peace of mind, joy, and excitement. There are so many things to do outside; you can find ideas in this book and elsewhere. The outdoors is full of unexplored treasures!
Lenten challenge for heading outside: How many hours can you log outside this Lent?
Act
Giving to Nature
If we think of the world as God’s precious creation to be treasured and shared, we will be motivated to care for and protect it. There are many simple ways to care for the earth as a spiritual practice.Try one practice throughout the season of Lent, or pick several to try as the weeks go by.
- Pick up trash around your home, favorite park, church building, or community. Recycle what can be recycled.
- Start a vegetable garden
- Research native plants and plant them in your home or faith community garden.
- Reduce the amount of trash your family produces by using reusable containers and water bottles.
- Research ways to reduce your family’s water consumption.
- Take cloth bags to the grocery store.
- Change the lightbulbs in your house to more energy-efficient models
Giving to Neighbor's: Paper Cone Basket
The greatest commandment in the Bible is to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. One way to love our neighbors is to share joy and delight. This practice is simple and fun, and a great way to share joy and delight with neighbors, whether you live in an apartment or a house.
Make a paper basket by rolling a piece of sturdy paper into a cone shape. Tape or glue the cone shut. Add a handle made from twine or string. (If you’re having trouble visualizing this, search “paper cone basket” for an internet tutorial.) FIll the basket with flowers, baked goods, or other treats for your neighbors and add a small note saying, “With love, from your neighbors.”nYou can sign your note or leave it anonymous - whichever you like. Enjoy the feeling of making your neighbors smile.
Make a paper basket by rolling a piece of sturdy paper into a cone shape. Tape or glue the cone shut. Add a handle made from twine or string. (If you’re having trouble visualizing this, search “paper cone basket” for an internet tutorial.) FIll the basket with flowers, baked goods, or other treats for your neighbors and add a small note saying, “With love, from your neighbors.”nYou can sign your note or leave it anonymous - whichever you like. Enjoy the feeling of making your neighbors smile.
Source
Materials are taken from excerpts of:
- Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection by Traci Smith (Chalice Press; 2021, All Reserved Rights).