Lenten resolutions | Mum In The Madhouse

Lenten resolutions

The last two years I have resolved to give up shouting for lent.  I did  not succeed and some days I am still a total fishwife, but I guess it is the trying that matters.  The living intentionally.

mini car wash

This year lent starts early today in fact.  We have been discussing the reasons behind lent, the fact that it lasts for six weeks, 40 days and nights excluding Sundays.  A couple of years ago The Coffee Lady kindly sent me a list of things that children can do over Lent (they came from the Live Life, Love Lent book published by the Church of England) and this year the boys have decided to use this list.

Give your pocket money to a charity
Clean up your room and give something to a charity shop
Share a smile
Say sorry to someone
Do a chore or errand for a family member
Water some plants or a green space with recycled water
Help prepare a meal and find out where the food was grown
Write a thank you letter
Share a treat with someone at school
Thank of three good things and say thank you to God
Have a TV and computer free day and do something with your family instead
Say please and thank you all day
Find out about the countries where your clothes are made
Read a story to a younger child
Save trees by using both sides of the paper
Spend five minutes quietly by yourself
Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
Hold doors open for others
Give a home-made gift to a loved one
Offer to help your teacher with a task
Recycle your rubbish
Go for a walk in your area with an adult and pray about what you see
Show an adult how to do something they can’t do
Plant some seeds where the flowers will be seen
Have a conversation with someone older than you
Lend a friend a good book/cd/dvd
Find out about children in a developing country
Say a prayer for someone who is unwell or in need
Find out about life as a refugee and spend the night in a tent (we are very much giving this one a miss – too cold!)
Help a parent or carer with shopping
Give a lollipop to your lollipop person
Feed the birds
Pick up some litter

Getting towards Easter
Make a palm cross and give it away
Give someone a Fair Trade Easter Egg
Make hot cross buns and share them
Polish some one’s shoes for them
Make or draw an Easter garden in a place that will be seen
Celebrate Easter

maxi car wash

The Fab Coffee Lady also sent me the adult version of the Lenten tasks.

Make someone laugh
Spend some time in silence
Have a meat-free day
Give up your place in a queue
Write to someone and thank them
Light a candle and pray for someone
Give someone an apple
Have a TV free day and do something you have meant to do for ages
Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth
Go for a walk in your neighbourhood with a friend
Say something nice about someone behind their back
Feed the birds
Talk to someone new at church
Phone or text someone to say goodnight
Use local shops rather than supermarkets
Put a jumper on and turn down the heating
Buy a low energy light bulb
Leave a £1 coin in a trolley or where someone will find it
Find out about a litter clean up
Watch the news and pray about what you see
Help a bug out of the house rather than squash it
Buy something at a charity shop and reverse haggle
Buy Fairtrade
Have a conversation with someone from a different generation
Ring a loved one
Plant seeds where the flowers will be seen
Hug someone who needs it
Give a friend a good book or CD
Find out about blood donation
Don’t leave appliances on standby
Talk to someone about why you go to church
Buy something for someone anonymously
Bake something to share
Miss a meal and pray instead
Find out about a church community project
Make a drink for a neighbour or colleague
Have a conversation with someone from a different culture
Make an Easter card for a neighbour
Use a buy-one-get-one-free and give the free one away
Only fill the kettle with the water you need
Do a chore for someone
(Good Friday) Read St John’s Gospel Chapter 19
Invite a friend to church
Share an Easter egg

So we are taking up, rather than giving up this lent.  What are you doing?

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