After attending a great woman's retreat at my parish a few weeks ago on "How to Have an Amazing Lent," I have committed to a few practical things in order to pray, fast, and serve this year:
1. Clean more. For most of my life, I have been quite lazy in terms of doing chores. In college, I would make the effort to clean up after myself in my dorm or apartment and clean as dictated by the apartment schedule, but I wouldn't be motivated beyond that. After moving home after college, I think I was a little better than I was during my pre-college years, but I still wasn't great. After getting married, I didn't really get into a good routine beyond actually doing dishes regularly and taking care of laundry when it needed to be done. Since giving birth to Andrew and having my mother-in-law come to my house to watch him on the weekdays, I've still been fairly minimal in my work. I occasionally will sweep and maybe use the Swiffer on the floor. I occasionally, though rarely, will vacuum. I'm still working on a laundry routine. Over the past almost two years of her coming to watch Andrew, I've grown frustrated with the fact that I am not keeping my own house clean. She'll decorate, clean, pick-up and put away things for me (sometimes in the "wrong" place). I want to start managing my house better. My primary goal is to have the house as clean as I possibly can get it before going to bed and then take care of anything else I can get done in the morning. At a minimum I am going to make sure the clothes are put away, the family room is picked up, and the kitchen is spotless (dishes, counters... and in time, floors). Initially, I am going to strive to vacuum and dust once a week, thoroughly clean the bathrooms twice a month, and actually figure out a rotation schedule for laundry that works for me. I'm also going to put away all the little things I may set down out of convenience, but then never return to. I feel committed to cleaning up and organizing my house for once in my life and hope God's grace will help me to figure it out and stick with it. This will ultimately make Chris, Andrew and future children, and me happier. I hope it also makes my mother-in-law happier, too.
2. Watch less television. I have recently been frustrated with the fact that I have little time to spend with Andrew, to spend doing chores, to read and to write as I would like to do, and to see or at least talk with friends. I also want Andrew to watch less television. Although he enjoys his programming, he gets too much a day. I'm limiting the amount he watches while I'm with him to an hour. During that hour, I will sit with him and cuddle as I read a book or I will opt to let him be on the couch as I clean or prepare food. After that point, I will have Andrew "help" clean or at least watch me as I do that or cook. Additionally, I will limit myself to watching only an hour on my own a day or to whatever I watch with Chris, who I still have to talk with about our television-watching habits. I already deleted a lot of my scheduled recordings on the DVR so that the shows don't keep piling up. I only left one or two that I enjoy watching the most instead of ones that act as filler when I think I'm bored. I'm interested in the idea of getting rid of our satellite TV subscription, but I don't think that will go over well with Chris or my mother-in-law. Therefore, for now, I will sacrifice my and Andrew's television-watching time.
3. Not listen to the radio while I'm driving I've given up the radio for Lent before, opting to say the Rosary or have silence instead. In the morning since a month or so ago, I've been in the habit of listening to and praying Morning Prayer via a CD for Monday-Friday general morning prayers. After that, I had been turning on either the Catholic radio station or listening to the radio, depending upon how I left that morning. For Lent this year, I'm opting to use the additional time of silence to pray. Often, I hope to pray for others because I rarely spend the time to do this even though it's important. I also hope to spend the time to talk to God about what's bothering me or causing stress in my life and I hope hear an answer or at least peace at knowing it will pass in time. Yesterday I spent time praying for friends who are pregnant or recently gave birth and this morning I prayed for a variety of family members who are struggling in their faith, for their conversion or reconversion.
I'm trying to focus on the practical ways I can serve and pray in my day-to-day life. I'd also like to try to participate in the 40 Days for Life Campaign somehow. I've already looked into getting a yard sign, but would really like to go pray in front of an abortion clinic with Chris (who's gone before, back in college) and maybe even Andrew (I've heard of families taking their children with them). We'll see if we actually make it out.
Happy Lent!
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