Lent

I have been mulling over in my mind how we will be spending our time during the season of Lent this year & I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I would love to hear your ideas for your own family - please leave me a comment to let me know your own plans.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent begins.
The name Shrove comes from the old word "shrive" which means to confess. On Shrove Tuesday, in the Middle Ages, people used to confess their sins so that they were forgiven before the season of Lent began.

At this point I would like to clearly state my own belief - that my sin - & yes, I sin all the time - my sin is no longer an issue with God.
My sin does not cause me to lose my salvation, or my relationship with God -yes, God can still hear me!!!! He hears me, He speaks to me & He even answers my prayers (even if the answer is not the one I want to hear!) I can fellowship with my Lord, without having to come to Him with a list a mile long of all my sins - I can just jump straight into His lap & be at peace. Thank you Lord.
Andrew Womack has anamazing article that expands this topic beautifully & is jam packed with scripture after beautiful scripture.

So back to Shrove Tuesday : )

We will be discussing abiet in a very simple fashion what Lent is all about & of course making pancakes.

Ingredients
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
7 fl oz (200 ml) milk mixed with 3 fl oz (75 ml) water
2 oz (50 g) butter
To serve:
caster sugar, lemon juice and lemon wedges

Method

First of all sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next, gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the butter in the pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it when needed to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tablespoons about right for a 7 inch (18 cm) pan and 3 tablespoons for an 8 inch (20 cm) pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan on to a plate.

Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.

To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.
Recipe source - Delia Smith

Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday we will set up our nature table for Lent. Here is how it looked last year



We keep it very simple - a crown of thorns, Our Jesse Tree, A Tale For Easter & a wee snowdrop fairy.

All Year Round presents a wonderfully symbolic activity - a wee bowl of dirt sprinkled with palm ashes. We place this on our nature table, where it will stay until Palm Sunday. Then it shall be sprinkled with a few grass seeds, to spring into life during Holy Week.

A great resource to look at for Easter plans is Journey through the Holy Week...and before This gives a brief overview of Lent & Easter.

For our own Lenten path I am greatly inspired by Celebrating the Church Year with Young Children

Joan Halmo writes:
"The goal of Lent is holistic, that is, each member of the Church is to live more intensely as a Christian in whatever way is appropriate to his or her state of life"

Perfect!

She continues:
"Lent can be the period in which the first presentation of the parable of the Good Shepherd is made & the child given the time & space in which to prayerfully contemplate this image.

This is just so exciting! I am really looking forward to this : )
The book goes on to give weekly suggestions to incorporate this idea for use in the home throughout Lent.
We shall be doing this on Friday mornings.

Here is a site to inspire prayer times with our families during Lent

Another book I shall be perusing over the next few weeks is The Easter Craft Book . This is a super little book, packed with waldorf style handwork & crafting ideas.

For us as mothers, our own inner work is, of course of supreme importance. Our connection to Him is our Life.
Lynn Jericho has written an insightful post on her blog: Inner Lent.

Please do leave a comment to share your own thoughts....