Praying - yep, do it. Not often do I do it well. I don't know that it has increased since Lent. I have the luxury of being able to stop what I'm doing to pray most days, most of the time and I have a habit of praying while doing things; therefore, I can say that there is much time that is completely free of prayer. Maybe I should schedule prayer time as a way to increase prayer. I'll have to pray about that.
Spiritual reading - yep, do that. Not as much as praying. The amount of time for this has increased, but, I have to admit, it is less than it has been at other times. Specifically, I really need to read scripture more.
I should do it more - meaning that I do read the Bible, but should do it more often/longer. One day I will own four Bibles so that physical limitations will not lead me to being apathetic about picking up a Bible - computer Bible, living room Bible, bedroom Bible and car Bible. Oy, I am so materialistic - who real needs four Bibles? Yet, in my mind, four seems to be a good number of personal Bibles. So silly.
Almsgiving - yep, do that. Need to really evaluate what has been done and what more needs done. My husband doesn't know how much I donate - it is better that way. He feels that money that is tithed could be better spent enlivening our economy and filling our bellies. Yet, when I think of $10 being spent at McDonald's, I think of Food for the Poor using the same amount to feed a family for a month. We kill ourselves with junk food while others are dying of starvation. That doesn't mean that I think all disposable income should go to a charity, it is just that I weigh the value of extravagances and may have a different idea of what I consider an extravagance compared to other Americans. I approach them differently too - skiing is expensive, yet once or twice a year my son goes skiing on discount days so that he gets to enjoy the fortunate lifestyle of an American without squandering money. This Lent is a little different in the area of donations to charity because we very soon need to buy new cars - new used, mind you. The station wagon and van are not inspection worthy and the repairs would far exceed their value - plus, one needs has a blown head or head gasket and the other's transmission seems ready to seize. Therefore, it would be nice to have a couple hundred dollars to help w/the car buying process.
Fasting - nope, not doing. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. Because of the diabetes, I have to eat. If I didn't have to eat, I could fast. I've searched online to try to find out how diabetics fast and haven't really found anything useful. So, I've only fasted one day. Not so great - eh? I'd love to know which is worse for me - one day of truly fasting or eating the two rows of marshmallow peeps that I had in less than an hour. Granted, the peeps were an anomaly, but I'm thinking that they might be worse than fasting. If that is the case, it is hypocritical of me not to fast.
Blogging - yep, do it. Missed an entry once. Made two entries in one day to make up for it, but I'm not so sure that it is possible to make up for faithfulness. In fact, I doubt that it is possible. Just the same the biggest element of this blogging thing is that I am doing it to force myself to do something which I had no interest in so doing - have it be a humbling sort of thing. Not too sure that any humility has come from this task.
eBay - nope, don't do it. That is a good thing in this instance - this is my self denial thing. Hey, it is an economic fast! Wahoo, I'm fasting! Maybe that is how I should answer the eBay merchant who e-mailed to inform me that he had listed a Fr. Damian medal.
Dear Sebastien -
Thanks for letting me know about your Fr. Damian medal listing. Unfortunately, I'm involved in an economic fast that precludes my entering the eBay web site. Hoping you are having a blessed Lenten season. Peace.
Nah, I'll just leave his e-mail unanswered.
My evaluation of this Lenten check-up? Not so sure that what I'm doing can possibly bear fruit this Lent. Just the same, I believe that in God's time all will be as it should. Peace.
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