Second Sunday of Lent

My theme this year for Lent is Active Hope and Resilience: 

Active Hope requires that I maintain a clear view of reality; identify what I hope for - the direction I’d like things to move in and the values I'd like to express; and take steps to move in that direction.

Resilience is a set of practical skills that allow me to be strong, flexible, creative, hopeful, and positive, and to successfully adapt to stressors, and bounce back from difficult experiences.

 

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer, and then take action to bring my vision to fruition.

Agenda:

1. Read "Everyday Simplicity"

2. Practice a love meditation

3. Work on my banner

4. Simple food plan

5. Make crackers

1. Read "Everyday Simplicity":

I bought myself this little book, by Robert J. Wicks (2000), as a birthday treat. The subtitle is: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Growth.

Chapter 6 is Gratefulness, the 4th of eight themes that will help us to "soften our souls and allow us to experience and share the gift of God in simple ways during the day".

Gratefulness is how we learn to receive love; if we feel unloved or lonely, we can practice gratefulness to find peace. With eyes of gratefulness every day holds wonders and an abundance of beauty.

Practice for this section: Be receptive to the gifts all around me; let go of feeling needy and enjoy all that is given to me each day.

 

2. Love Meditation:

Every month after the full moon, in the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon, I practice a love meditation that progresses from receptivity, to gratitude, to generosity:

Day 1: Practice a love meditation, and open to receive blessings - send a prayer to the universe asking to be showered with love, kindness, health, and happiness.

1. 1 minute - Relax your body, and focus on the tender emotion of generous love. Allow a smile to settle on your face and in your heart.
2. 1 minute - Visualize love as soft, tingly, warm, pink light, and see it move from your heart to every part of your body so that every cell is glowing and vibrating.
3. 1 minute - Now see the pink light of love radiating to fill the whole room, then the whole city, and the whole planet earth.
4. 1 minute - See that all people, plants, and animals feel warm and happy.
5. 1 minute - Send an extra dose of love light to those people you want to have a better connection to.

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3. Paint my banner:
I'm working on retro-fitting an old banner with new words. Each word on a banner is important: I want to say a powerful thing in a small space.

One Earth
All of Life
Take Hope
Take Action

My plan:

• Sunday: Paint
• Monday: Sew new top part
• Thursday: Draw and paint bottom section
• Friday: Sew 2nd part

4. Simple foods plan: 

I'm fasting from anything processed (packaged cookies, crackers, pasta, candy, canned goods, frozen dinners) as much as possible, and that means I need to cook and bake my own snacks. This week my snack-making plan is:

• Sunday: Make crackers
• Monday: Make feta dip
• Tuesday: Make Ajeel fruit and nut mix
• Wednesday: Make hard-boiled duck eggs
• Thursday: Make a green smoothie
• Friday: Make cookies

5. Make crackers: 

Last week I made granola bars and pretzels. Today I made these easy peasy crackers.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or other seasoning
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/6 c. olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and any dry seasonings you are using.

3. Add the water and olive oil. Mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough. You may need to fold the dough a couple times with your hands to make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed.

4. Divide the dough into 2 portions. Working one at a time, roll out a portion of dough on a silicone baking mat or a piece of parchment paper. Roll it very thin, less than 1/8 inch thick, and an even thickness throughout.

5. Cut the dough into your desired shapes using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Transfer the silicone baking mat or parchment paper with the cut dough to a baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crackers begin to brown. Time will vary based on size, shape, and personal preference. Remove from the oven and allow the crackers to cool on the pan. They will continue to crisp as they cool.