Lent Accountability--

If it's on the internet it's forever, right? Capturing my intentions for my own personal accountability!

Screen capature from Failing Forward 
by John C Maxwell

Here we are another Ash Wednesday, the Palm Branches we waved as he entered Jerusalem on that fateful day have been burned so we can receive them as a cross smudged across our foreheads.  Today we begin the 40 day journey to Easter.  A time of denial and fasting for many which causes me to recall a Lenten study I participated in with the FUMC honorary "grandmas" back in the late 90's.  We dabbled with fasting from anything other than water from sunup to sundown each Friday for that particular Lent.  When we felt a hunger pang we were simply called to whisper a prayer of Thanksgiving for his long ago sacrifice. I was surprised by how energized I actually felt on Fridays.

This Lent, I won't be fasting on Fridays-weight loss surgery coupled with cardiomyopathy mean my body needs to be fueled for my health.  As I grew older I began to think of Lent as a time to take on new, positive habits in an effort to better my life.  I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few weeks in preparation for today and this is where I've settled....thirty minutes.  Each day devoting 30 minutes to each of the following:

• Decluttering & organizing-I was on the road to success when I started a job.  My house shows it. By the end of Lent 30 minutes a day should have my downstairs completed and a good chunk of my sewing space completely user friendly!
• Quilting-I go far to many days without touching fabric.  If I ever want to accomplish my "big goal" of creating quilts as a business I must touch fabric every day.
• Cooking-I love to cook and find myself slipping into old habits when I'm tired from work. I would like to be intentional about meals out instead of it being an excuse for not planning better.
• Gratitude-notes, texts, calls to family and friends.  Who doesn't love to get a note in the mail, a sweet text or a phone call? It only takes moments but the sunshine I spread just might make a difference, who knows...
• Reading-in February, I lost myself to reading.  I'm a sucker for a good book and my friend Kathy introduced me to a series, Stillhouse Lake.  I read almost 2,000 pages in the month of February, SIX books.  I found myself staying up way too late and ignoring other things for my love of reading.  Not necessarily a bad thing unless it keeps you from doing what you need to do. (I will prioritize reading the book the leadership team at Health Fitness is reading and the one selected for book club in April.)

Simple Gratitude

Advertisers and marketing gurus know that an important key to sales is a great catch phrase.  I grew up in the generation of "have a Coke and a smile,"  "everything's better with Bluebonnet on it," and some chicken that was "finger lickin' good!"  My kids are more likely to ask for "the snack that smiles back," or "slip into a slim Jim," or maybe I should "break them off a piece of that kit kat bar."  Maybe I need an advertising and marketing guru to give me a few catch phrases!!!

I'm at a proverbial rough patch in my life. I've been trying to get the words down on Damn Dementia but somehow the emotions are to raw and my heart doesn't want to give them light.  So I come back here to where I strive to remember that I'm Always Crazy Blessed.  Last week, my Handsome husband catered for a charity golf scramble; as the wife I'm blessed with the opportunity to work right by his side!  On that Thursday I played the part of server and must have told 200 people, "today we have hamburgers, hot dogs and grilled chicken breasts...would you like a bun?"  At a slow point in the day a rather tallish 60-something man appeared with a hat on his head.  There was a white blob on it with some writing.  As I was blurting out my spiel, I was struggling to read what it said, through squinting eyes and what must have sounded like gibberish from my mouth I finally got it!

Simple Gratitude

I literally stepped back and gasped!  The night before as we were preparing for this particular job I expressed to Handsome that I did not want to do this job...I would but I wasn't looking forward to it.  I promised that I'd be positive the rest of the time and not grumble but I just ha-a-a-a-ad to give it a voice.  Those two little words Simple Gratitude hit me in a way I needed.  In my frustration, in my self pity, in my desire for "me time" I had forgotten what was really important- Simple Gratitude.

I've always been a positive person, my entire life.  I don't only see my glass as half full but as refillable.  Gratitude has always been "simple" for me.  When I began forgetting to practice Simple Gratitude I fell into a slump, one could almost say I was bitter, dwelling on what I thought I was missing or lacking rather than focusing on all that I have.  Over a week ago, I hit the deactivate button on Facebook.  I was feeling rather sorry for myself and was exhausted with feeling like I had to pretend to be happy, full of joy and Miss Susie Sunshine but you know what???  Simple Gratitude doesn't require any of those things because it is giving glory, honor and praise for the small stuff, the little victories.  It's about accepting exactly where I am today and making something beautiful out of it instead of wishing that I would be delivered out of  my own personal Babylon (thanks Heath).  God is giving me the opportunity to shape my own future by opening myself up to all the blessings in my life today.

A huge shout out of thanks to the stranger with the hat at the recent Caring & Sharing golf tournament, I think he may have been an angel because I really needed to see his hat.  And another thanks to Julie, the random stranger from the parking lot at Sam's yesterday, who felt the tug to give me a bottle of wine because she said it was "National Do Something Nice for Someone Day," I paid it forward and used your kindness and smile to teach a lesson to my Wednesday night girls group at church then we walked to the Square and I treated them to ice cream!!