1.  Physical growth- I hate drinking water.  I usually stay pretty dehydrated, which can get me into trouble.  So, for Lent, I will drink 2 glasses of water in the morning and 2 glasses of water in the evening.  Not only will this refresh my body, but in symbolism it is not healthy to be constantly rejecting water, since water is life.  I don’t wish to avoid life or reject life, but rather embrace life.  So, I will do this in a tangible fashion and hope that it has some effect on my spirit as well (since we are body-spirit mixes, I figure it’s worth a shot).

2.  Spiritual growth – I don’t really have a problem praying or talking to God.  And most of my friends would probably say that I don’t have a problem talking, period.  However, in my relationship with God, I find it harder to hear what He is saying to me.  So, I will make it a point to read 2 chapters of Scripture each day of Lent.  That way, I am hearing His Word and not my words.

3.  Emotional growth – this may seem like a silly one, but I think it will be the most difficult for me.  I like to listen to what I call Norte Americano Booty Music.  Mostly pop, with some rap and dance in there.  This is not always the best thing to listen to, morally speaking.  I have brought it up in confession a couple times, wondering about it, and have been told that it’s not so horrible of a thing.  However, another priest has counseled that it’s not a good idea to invite sin into our lives (good plan).  And since the message of the songs are all too frequently immoral and/or degrading, I am going to fast from this music.  Since it is all-pervasive in society, I am technically saying that I will refrain from listening to this type of music if I have control over the music being played.  For example, if I were shopping at the grocery store or something and one of these songs comes on, I’m not going to go running screaming out of the store.  However, I am not going to seek out stores to shop in because I know that they do play this music.  If I am, say, in a friend’s car, I would mention this to them, but then it is their choice to keep the music on or not — I’m not going to force my penance upon them.  Until I have lobotomized my iPod (wiped all my booty music from it and replaced it with either good music, or more likely homilies and talks from my priests), I have removed it from my car.  Needless to say, the radio’s either going to be off or on Ave Maria.  :)

On a side note, there was an article in the weekly bulletin, mentioning these bracelets. Basically, every time you find yourself saying something unkind, or engaging in gossip, you need to switch the bracelet from one wrist to the other. Because you physically have to move something, it will help make you aware of that behavior. A friend suggested this as something we could do over Lent, like a spiritual exercise, not necessarily as our official Lenten penances. I upped the stakes by saying that we should track how many times we swapped wrists during the course of the day, and then at night say a decade of the rosary for every time we swapped, for the intention of the people we spoke against.

May all of you have a wonderful Lent, grow closer to our Lord, and soak up all the abundant grace which He provides to us in this time!

God bless!

Why were they afraid?  And why would God have them die?

My unofficial hypothesis that I thought of:
a.  ‘Seeing the face of God’ may = ‘knowing God’ — as in truly knowing, not knowing about.
b.  ‘Dying’ = ‘going home to God’
Thus,
c.  If you ’see God,’ all of Him, and truly know Him, then what attachment would you have to this world?

None.

So, then, it makes sense that you might detach from everything here, and just go right home to Him in heaven.  Isn’t that the point of everything?  To go home?  Then, ‘dying’ after ’seeing the face of God’ isn’t some bad thing, but actually something that we might want, or should want.

Just in case anyone wanted to know what I think about during Mass….  :)

2.  This one got me odd looks from my coworker.  I just came into the church last year, baptized and everything, and have really fallen in love.  So, at work, they are coming to think that I am some type of freakish uber-Catholic.  And I’m okay with that.  I don’t mind being full of zeal for the right things.  Even if they think that I’m odd.  I do tend to get carried away with things — I know this.

So, what got me the odd looks was my next Big Idea.  (Everybody say, “Uh, oh.  What now?)  I have this clothesline in my backyard that my dad built a while back.  Well, one of the poles fell down and it’s been years since it was actually used as a clothesline.  So the only thing remaining in my backyard is a …  you got it … large wooden cross.

What are you going to do, Jenn?  Again at Mass, earlier in the week, I got this idea:  I am going to ‘dress’ my cross for Lent.  I am going to go to the fabric store and get a length of purple fabric and drape it like the crucifix is draped in the chapel.

So, am I completely nuts, or is this a good idea?

First, there was the trip to Crate and Barrel on Sunday to buy some more dishes, so that people would have a place to put their food — usually a useful thing:

Then, I had to get the food. So, after work tonight I was on my way to the Parish Mission. However, since the weather was not great, it took me about 4 hours to get from my desk at work to the exit ramp in Troy. So, I completely missed the Parish Mission, and headed directly to the store for groceries.  Here is my loot that I grabbed from Kroger:

And, finally, here is the end product:

I thought it was pretty good. Even though I modified the recipe and didn’t have a proper veggie steamer — but, we made due with a pot of boiling water and a plastic colander. It turns out that doing things this way will take longer, since there is no cover to keep the steam in. Karen came over, but had to leave before dinner. I gave her a portion to take home with her and asked her to share what she thought. Hahaha! My first “test” with the “food critics!”

Fr. John’s talking to our RCIA class.  He is giving us examples of things that we could give up (or take on) for Lent.  I hear something like, “Some of you might give up their daily Starbucks or Caribou or whatever it is -” 

*and he’s looking in MY direction*  Now, wait a minute!!  He can’t possibly *know* that I have, like, 8 coffee cards in my wallet.  No way.  He doesn’t mean to imply that *I* should give up coffee and put that money towards a good use.  He must mean someone else.  Certainly, God wouldn’t want *me* to give up coffee.  I need that caffeine!

The following week – I’m sitting somewhere slightly different in the room.

He does it again!!  Aaah!  Quit looking at me when you mention coffee.  I don’t wanna give up my coffee.  Quit picking on my coffee!  *internal tantrum occurs*

I get a thought:  maybe God wants me to give up coffee for Lent.

Drat!  And here I wanted to give up something else, like perhaps solid food.  That would be fine.  I could do that.

So, I did what he said and went home and prayed about it, and….  *sigh*…  gave up coffee for Lent.  It actually went quite well.  Must be grace, because it certainly wasn’t me.  I even managed to resist when people in the store came up to me with nice, fresh, free samples of coffee.

This year:

I have issues with cooking.  I have issues with food.  I have issues with grocery stores.  I was nearly hyperventilating at Kroger the other day, just thinking about having to stick stuff in the cart.  I come up with a brilliant idea:  on the days that no one signs up to come over, I’ll just fast….  Brilliant, eh?  True, I’d probably not really end up doing that, because I realize it’s a cop-out, but in the meantime — it’s a fairly attractive thought.

Here’s the stupidity (or well, more stupidity):  I mention this “great” idea to a friend.  Said friend (ugh!) knows me too well.  :)  She states, “No, no, no – in your case, fasting would be less penitential than eating alone!!!”

Drat again!  Seriously, have you been talking to my eating disorder specialist?  Didn’t she tell you that we like to be tricky?!?  I wasn’t kidding that this will be a hard penance for me, and I’ll have to work against myself so that I don’t sneak it into being something unhealthy, and really against what I want it to be.

Matt:  “And after it’s over, you won’t want to cook at all.  It’ll be like Mickey D’s for a week, solid.  Hot wings and beer.”  (Now, I did point out that I’d probably add pizza to that order and watch some sports on ESPN, but that’s just me.  Doesn’t sound like a half-bad Easter day, does it?  Hot wings, beer, pizza, and having people over to watch the game….  :) I’m not really a beer-drinker, though, so I’d have to have an alternative beverage….)

Kasia:  “Be honest with me: how much do you know about cooking?”

Many, many people:  “Seriously?!?”

Truly, I *do* know that pasta is to be drained before serving it.  Really.  But, I was busy talking (don’t say you are surprised there), and we had cooked so much pasta, that when I glanced over, I thought that I had already done that part, and went right ahead and started serving it — water and all. 

Whoops.

At least it was only the pasta itself, and nothing else was added yet.  An easy fix.

Then, I forgot to bring the veggies to the table.  So, we had them for dessert.  :)  See what happens when I invite someone over without planning what I’m going to make ahead of time?  I forget what I had decided on.

Aren’t you all glad that I’m going to be planning my meals for Lent?

Maybe…  I should post little checklists, so I can cross things off as I finish them….

You are all still coming….right?!?!?!?  :)

Don’t worry – I will make sure it remains a penance.  :)  And I do expect to be doing all of the labor.  For my sous chef, she figures that this will dovetail nicely with her own plans for Lent.

How fun!  Is it Lent yet????

Note:  Someone pointed this out to me yesterday….  If you plan on attending a meal, if possible, please let me know a day in advance, so I have some idea of how many people I will be cooking for and can adjust quantities as needed.

Please!  Visit often!  Yay, people!

I will post pictures as I progress.  Please also use this blog to submit any tips or reflections on the experience!

Since I certainly will not be able to make it through this in isolation, in addition to the enormous amounts of prayer that I will need to get by, I have enlisted the aid of my friends in this manner: I have extended an open invitation for anyone to join me — for any meal — to give me company and support. I figure that this will be good for a number of reasons.
1. I will not go insane. Or at least, maybe, to a lesser degree.
2. I will get to see people more (hopefully). And, I love spending time with people.
3. I get to share the fruits of my labor (or plague them with bad cooking…but hey! It’s Lent! More penance for them!)
4. Other people need a healthy meal too, and since they might be spending more time in prayer, etc. themselves for Lent, my cooking may help their endeavors as well.

So, here is a near-copy of my 40 (like the number?) printed invitations that I am going to be giving out to try and entice people to my table (although, please feel free to contact me and drop in):

Congratulations!

You have been invited to participate in Jenn’s Lenten penance! Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything but enjoy. This year, Jenn has committed herself to the Betty Crocker Penance. No fast food, no restaurants, no cheating — just home-cooked, healthy meals…so she’s actually got to use that kitchen-thing.

For her sanity, she is extending an open invitation for you to stop by, any day, for a home-cooked meal and companionship. Feel free to bring a friend!  I hope to see you often during these 40 days!

Love, Jenn

(Please see [this blog] for more information, menu, and meal times.)

Now, here’s the million dollar question:  is it okay to involve other people in your Lenten penance, as long as you the the one doing the penance, right?

Next, I need a really good cause for my Lenten penance.  Any suggestions?