In the past I have "given up" things. One year I did a "buy nothing new" challenge.

This year I think I'll try to send a hand written not to one person every day.

I usually do a Lenten Devotion series as well. I don't have one yet for this year. --and I usually finish well past easter.

Last year I didn't give something up I made something instead  I spent the days of lent making a prayer shawl for our church.  I'm doing the same this year.

I'm checking out the 40acts this year.  A local church is doing items related to it as well, and so will follow.

I also plan to check out what the united church is offering online.

I may take dad for pancakes on shrove tuesday.

I purchased the "Confronted By Jesus" devotional as show at the top of this site (I'm hoping someone does a discussion thread on it).

On Wednesday we will do "ashes" at our Bible Study group.

I'm not sure what I am going to do personally for growth this year other than the devotional.  I won't "give up", as I have been "giving up" so many things since I started having health issues last spring.

I'll have to spend some time thinking about it these next few days . . . perhaps someone will post something here that will inspire me to attempt.

(hey beloved,did you read ragged company? curious if you would want to have a thread to discuss?

I'm about to begin a new prayer shawl - so I like Northstar's ideas of relating it to Lent.

This year our minister is doing a weekly lunchtime book study on "Soul Feast" by Marjorie Thompson - which seems to be an exploration & invitation of spiritual practices - looks interesting - I can only make it to two sessions, but will get the book & follow along. http://books.google.ca/books/about/Soul_Feast.html?id=VcOsKQNgfakC&redir_esc=y

And she also suggested we might be interested in daily reflections from this site, if not able to participate in the weekly discussions - http://www.luthersem.edu/godpause/daily_view.aspx

pinga - what is the focus of "ragged company"? 

I'm leading a worship service tomorrow and will mention Lent, leading up to Good Friday and Easter (resurrection - new life).

I will also attend a pancake church supper Tuesday - our last 'feast' before Lent.

During lent my study group are beginning our study of the book  "Zealot".  I look forward to reading it. 

and thanks pinga for reminding me about "40 acts" - I love that idea in particular!

I'll have to check out 40 acts...

Signed up for 40 Acts, but not sure if I'll actually follow up on it. Lent isn't really a Baptist thing.

So Tuesday is shrove or pancake or Fat Tues. Lent is Wed.

Any one else doing anything?

We will celebrate the imposition of Ashes on Wednesday at Waterford.

I expect I will take up my regular Lenten disciplines last year I added a day of fasting and praying  Not sure if I will read something by Bunyan or find another author.

Grace and peace to you.

John

I will do an "Anonymous Acts of Kindness" daily.  If amyone figures one out or thanks me I do another.

I love that one.  Now I'm trying to think of some anonymous acts of kindness I could do.

I could phone my sister who is practically shut-in due to illness - but she would immediately know it was me

Tomorrow I will do my usual Wednesday thing - volunteering at the church drop-in/voucher program.  My job as hostess is to help people feel welcomed - offer coffee and breakfast, talk to them, and listen.   But again it won't be anonymous. 

Having the grandchildren over for a day and letting them cook rather than leaving them to their own devices during March break - again it won't be anonymous.

Checking on and feeding the neighbours cats while she's away - she asked me and gave me the key.   Again, not anonymous.   Perhaps I could take over a book (or read one of hers) and sit and keep the cats company for awhile.  Would that do?

Or should I look beyond the things I would normally do?   And how important is it to be anonymous?

The aspect of anonymity gives it more of a challenge.  I got the idea after reading endless Pay it Forward notes on FB from people who sounded like they were so proud of themselves for holding a door for someone - for picking up the chip bag dropped by someone in front of them - for clearing a table at Timmy's after someone left it cluttered - for sweeping the kitchen floor at the mom's apartment when she was in too much pain to do it herself.  The tendency to seek acknowledgement for this sort of theng bothered me.  I recall that it was said "Don't let your right hand know what the left is doing".

I have ordered a few flowers for pickup by the recipient - asked the librarian to reserve a particular book to someone - left a bag of baking on a doorknob - given a donation to a charity that has a box at the corner store - cleaned the sink when in a bathroom at someone's home - tidied up chairs in a public space - put computer paper on a doorstep after hearing someone had run out and payday wasn't till next week - and there is always the holding of doors!.  Little things really but I have to really think and also be quick to grab an opportunity right in front of me.

Actually it is fun and the giving of time, thought and small bits of cash is definitely worth it.

I have a problem with personal discipline, so have added some weekly commitments to work on that.  I created a Holiness calendar several years ago for Lent, and keep editing it -- did some more edits to it this year.  I try to focus on acts of love: for God, for others, and for self.  My goal is to try to done of each every day in Lent.

This is an interesting an varied list of ideas from Nadia Bolz Weber.

 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2012/02/house-for-all-sinners-and-saints-40-ideas-for-keeping-a-holy-lent/

I have a friend who is very creative (sewing, knitting, poetry writing, pottery, photography) and keeps forgetting to exercise.  This year for Lent discipline she plans to NOT do anything creative untl she has walked or skied or ridden her exercise bike. She can do house and home related things first, but, like me, shr usually tries to avoid that - so I'm expecting this plan to work most days!

I've decided to shift into vegetarianism for Lent. I'm not keen on the idea of giving stuff up (I find it spectacularly unuseful with my particular character traits), so I prefer to think of it in a more additive way - I am adding to my health and the health of the planet by foregoing meat (I'm keeping fish and dairy).

and  there is an online Lenten discussion starting on Sunday.

Turn Around Take Off

I was just going to lurk, as I don't do anything for Lent, but I do have a good act of kindness:

At my last appointment for testing the only parking was pay.  The appointment wasn't close for me, so I got there early as I didn't know how long it would take so I was going to have to pay more than even necessary and the clinic I was going to wasn't even open.  A couple stopped me at the machine, they thought his testing was going to be 4 hours so paid for a whole day but they were done before 9am.  They gave me their ticket and refused to take any money for it.  I was out before 10 so just passed it on to someone when I was done.  They also offered me money too but I said it was free for me anyway.  Whether or not it was passed on I don't know.

I guess the lot owners lost out on some money, but I think it's ridiculous that any medical appointment doesn't offer free parking, especially considering how often people run behind.

OK a fb friend who was not doing anything for lent just posted

40 bags for 40 days prepare to be decrapifieyed  -Google 40 bags for  40 days . It's about decluttering and simplifing

that's a good idea too Tabitha!

I signed up for 40 acts - so will start my journal tonight.  There ... now I said it ... it will happen!

another friend just posted about "Reverse Lent" dowriting a note, doing an act of kindness everyday.

I think I will alternate between 40 acts, 40 bags and reverse Lent and do one of the 3 each day.

Today I will go and fill a bag.

Duplicate. Added/ edited. See below.

I will be thinking of the meaning of lent, as with all Christian rituals, and how we incorporate the meanings into our everyday lives. Someone at work, said to me at Christmas time, "everyday is Christmas, everyday is Easter. Everyday, the sun sets, and the sun rises." so, too, everyday is lent- will be meditating/ reflecting on that. Didn't do Ash Wednesday. Have never done it. I've thought about and decided not to. We used to, as a kid, have "fat" Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, or "pancake day" at home - if my mom remembered (it used to be marked on many wall calendars- we didn't go to church). My mom wanted to introduce me to it, culturally, I guess. I never really carried on the tradition as an adult- last year I think I did because we talked about it here- but we have breakfast for dinner sometimes, anyway. Ultimately, I don't think the lessens in the stories were necessarily intended to be ritualized, but learned and internalized.

Some of the residents of Rüsselsheim, Germany, have a tradition of giving up cars for Lent. And every year about five percent of those who go carless for Lent give them up for good.

Incongruously, or perhaps fittingly, depending on one's viewpoint, Rüsselsheim is the home of the Opel, Germany's subsidiary of General Motors.

That is interesting to learn Arminius.  It often seems to me that parts of Europe are ahead of America on this type of action.  I recall hearing of a totally carless town, and a town powered with green energy.

 Some places seem to be more fitted to this type of decision than others, I think.  I lived in a home that didn't own a car for my entire childhood.  We could easily access a bus or train or use a bike.  

Where I live now there is no public transport within the sprawling town,  The hospital is miles away from one area of housing - the High School miles from another - churches are no longer situated where people actually live, but a few miles away in a commercial area, for example.  Greyhound type buses to and from cities run (I think) four times a week.  Of course, all medical needs like imaging and specialist appointments are in a city.  Occasional trips to a city are required to purchase the things our local stores don't sell. Tough to make it without a car.

I had pancakes on Tuesday, church last evening for Ash Wednesday, and beginning today I have given up using the internet on my phone.  I like to give up something each Lent - not to feel like a punishment, but as a reminder.  I choose something that I do often so that each time I consider doing it out of habit, I am reminded of Lent's journey.

Hi kaythecurler:

I too grew up in a village without cars. We walked everywhere, or took our bicycles. It was nine kilometers to the nearest market town and railway station, and there was a bus to the district town. The postwar times, when few people had cars and most people had to rely on public transportation, are not that long ago in Germany or Britain. The infrastructure for public transportation is still largely intact.

Here in Canada, most people couldn't exist without a car. Canadian society has evolved around the car as the primary means of transportation.

I grew up in a big city Arm - but the result was much the same as living in a village.  Very few people had/wanted/ needed a car.  Your village had a bus service that connected to train service.  I too had bus service but I could walk to one train station and take a bus to another (going in different directions!). 

I do have some friends in a Canadian city who use buses, bikes or feet to get most places.  They do however use taxis when they find it necessary - and pay the fare with the money they save by not having a car. 

In my minister's weekly e-mail, she commented today that Lent is actually 46 days long - the Sundays that occur within the period are not counted.  I found that to be quite interesting - and new learning for me!