A Fresh & New Take on Lent!

Happy Wednesday or rather Ash Wednesday to you all!  Today is the beginning of the biggest season for Christians - Easter.

This year I want to make a correlation between this important time of year (for Christians) and good health - mental, physical, and at home.  Let's make the 40 days of Lent a time of holistic healing!

In case you're clueless as to what this season is here's a little background!  Lent is a 40 day event that leads up to and into Holy Week for Christians.  This 40 day period has three main ideas for Christians to follow to show thankfulness and to be a stronger follower of Christ.  The three items are:

1.  Prayer - Jesus prayed 17 recorded times in the New Testament.  He also prayed with others during times of rejoicing, worry, fear, doubt, anger, and love.  This is a time for us to rebuild our praying time and to make a point of bringing our thanks and needs to God.

2.  Fasting - Have you ever heard that someone is giving up chocolate for Lent?  Fasting is the removal of something material or food-wise for 40 days to make your life better and more focused on Christ.  For fasting with food it is common place that on Fridays you only eat three meals, no snacking, and no meat.

3.  Alms Giving - This may baffle many (who have a skewed view of the faith) but one of the major teachings of Christianity is that we serve others - in any way we can.  As Christians we need to fill the void that is found in the lives around us - we often do this by providing food to the poor and homeless.  Jesus taught that we were to take care of one another.  It was a lesson that He reiterated over and over.  For Lent it is vitally important that you find a way to help others.  It could be feeding the homeless or it could be helping out a neighbor who needs a little assistance around the home or getting from one place to another.  Another idea is to really go through your home and eliminate excess stuff.  Then find a shelter that would benefit from your donation.

So how can we make this Lenten season a holistic health time?

Very simply!

Let's Talk About Prayer -

Whether you use the terms prayer or meditation it is a key to radical mental and spiritual health.  Over the decades researchers have been intrigued over the amazing power of prayer and silent meditation.  It has been proven to help the sick and there are millions of testimonies that will share how prayer and meditation have helped in the darkest and scariest hours of the lives of people.

I challenge you to dedicate a few moments each day - whether it be 5 minutes for 55 minutes to quiet your worries and give them up to God.  Do so by finding a space of solitude (sometimes it is the bathroom!) and letting your worries, fears, joys, and happiness just roll out of your mind and on to your tongue.  Let the words fall out of you to decrease your stress level and increase your focus.

If you aren't much for saying the things out loud then find a quiet space and let your mind release all the millions of items that are surging through.  Breathe deeply and let the negativity escape.

Do this for the season and watch your mood lift.  When your mood is improved you are healthier and happier.  It can be very contagious!

Fasting - not what you think!

It is safe to say that when you think Lent you think about giving up sodas or bread or curbing that candy addiction!  This year could be the year you actually do something in favor of your health.

Sure, we give up things that are bad for us but what if we were a bit more elaborate on our fasting plan?

This year we're doing a multifaceted plan in my home.  In an attempt to limit our sweet tooth from wreaking havoc on our health we're limiting our days that we can have a sweet.  Right now our days without sweets are Tuesday and Thursday.  I should note that we are not eating sweets every day now but we do tend to splurge on Tuesdays and Thursdays for some reason!  We have also decided that all sugary drinks are out of the house.  My kids LOVE some Kool Aid but for Lent it will be banished from our home.  Our final dietary change will be a traditional change for Lent.  There will be no meat on Fridays in our home.  For protein we will have beans (yes, I know haha), fish, and eggs.

Look at your eating habits and decide where you need to do some maintenance this is a great time to make changes.

I think fasting really makes us look at our health but not just in a nutrition sense.  We should try to make this the year we fast from so many other things that take our focus from what is around us.

 Could we fast from technology?  Maybe pick a day a week to turn it off?  Technology drains us whether we realize it or not!  Social media can have a negative impact on our lives.  Why not turn that off for a day or two each week?

Could we fast from driving and do more biking or walking?  Make a point of exercising!  Use that membership to the gym or do it at home - just move and sweat a little.  You were given that body to take care of it and you will not be gifted another one so do your part to keep temple healthy and of utmost use to help others!

Make an impact -

The main teaching of many faiths, not just Christianity, is to help other people.  As a United Methodist this is an act that I am required to do in whatever way possible.  My daughter and I will be volunteering at a local homeless charity that just was established in our community.  My Bible Study group will be feeding a homeless community just minutes away from where I live.  But what can we do at home?

Chances are you will be spring cleaning that home of your's very soon.  I know when I spring clean I also go through everything in my home from the kitchen drawers to the kid's summer apparel and begin eliminating what we do not use and what does not fit.  This year I challenge you to not give it to Goodwill but find a local coalition that does not make a profit off your donation.  Instead find a group that will get it to the people who most need it.

A few years ago America was rocked by the facts and figures of these "do good" companies that were actually making millions of dollars off our own charity.  Do your research and find something local to help by donating items you just do not need.

Cut the excess is another wonderful theme of Lent.  As Americans we are blessed with excess of so much!  I see so many clothing and foodie posts and immediately my mind thinks - that is a lot.  If you were blessed with a lot then you have a lot of accountability to take care of those who have near nothing and are in need.  

One area I have excess is my bedding.  I have four sets of sheets for my bed alone!  Do you realize that we really only need two sheet sets?  One for use and one to go one when the other is in the wash?

Where else do you have excess?  Do you stockpile soaps, laundry detergents, etc?  These items have expiration dates!  Donate your excess!