Ideas for Getting Ready for Lent

Is Lent Okay? Should I practice Lent?

There appears to be a resurgence of interest in Lent among various Protestants. I did not grow up practicing Lent and I do think this is a decision that should be considered thoughtfully. Many
people practice giving something up as a check list or a societal expectation or a game.These are not good reasons to practice Lent. We do not practice Lent to please God or make Him like us more.

But here are some resources I put together for those of us thinking about Lent and/or incorporating our families into Lent.

Here is a lovely article about the why of practicing Lent. This is geared for us adults growing in our practice of Lent or considering using it for the first time.

Here is an article about talking with your children about the season of Lent along with some of the
difficult conversations about sin and death that arise from the Lent season.

Another article about bringing your children to an Ash Wednesday service.

And here is another article with some resources for family devotions during the Lent season.

Last but certainly not least is a site with free printables that follow along with The Jesus Storybook Bible.



I hope you enjoy these resources as much I enjoyed finding them. Blessings!

How to Help Children (and Adults) Say "Thank You"

Or How to Help You be Thankful too!

It's the worst part of winter right now. The days are still short, still to cold to play outside every day, and there is no Christmas to be excited about. We are living in dreary dark days and needing graciousness for one another.

I don't think most of us enjoy haranguing our sons and  daughters to say "thank you." Repetition, groans, eye rolls, and not genuine thankfulness all go with making kids say "thank you."

But I noticed something early on with my firstborn is that I didn't have to prompt him very much to say "thank you" if I was consistently using it like I should. I also noticed when I stop, look a child in the eye and give them an unexpected encouraging word, they encourage each other in the same way.