:: spring renewal

The first cherry blossoms to arrive on my property courtesy of my little Autumnalis Cherry Tree. I love this time of year so much. It is so fun to watch the little changes that are happening around you each and every day....the grass becomes a little greener, more blossoms pop out on the trees, and slowly the leaves begin to appear. Not only is this time of year a time for renewal of our earth around us, but a good time for personal renewal.

As a Catholic, we practice Lent as a time for spiritual reflection and renewal. This is a time of fasting and prayer... a time to give up little bits of our lives to show our appreciation of the greatest gift of life that was gladly given up for us. For me this should be my greatest Lent ever, I am filled with the Holy Spirit and I'm coming into Lent from a completely different place than in the past, and for this I am so thankful. I'm so looking forward to Easter and the joy it will bring.

What am I giving up you ask? Well first of all I am giving up SWEETS, as this is a constant temptation for me, and I know that I can only pass up a cupcake with the help of my sweet Jesus. Secondly, I'm taking this 40 days to deepen my spiritual walk by attending Mass every day during the week...this is not nearly as hard as giving up sweets, because I find that I can't start my day off well without it.  I look forward to Mass and receiving the Holy Eucharist, it is the best fuel for my tank. In fact, on Wednesdays I have to wait until evening mass to receive communion and this is very hard because I look forward to it so much. I definitely have better days when I receive it first thing in the morning. Honestly, the sun shines a little brighter, or the rains look more beautiful when I've filled myself with the Holy Spirit before taking on the rest of my day....everything and everyone looks more beautiful and I am much happier. We are also praying a rosary daily with our children, and it's so wonderful to see how their love for Jesus grows every day.

Are you enjoying the little signs of Spring where you are?  Or are you still in the throes of winter?  

Happy Monday!

:: peace, love & hugs ::

Carrie

P.S. Curious about my Catholic faith? 

You can find answers to questions at Catholic Answers.

Catholic Defined...

Catholic comes from the Greek katholikos, the combination of two words, kata (concerning), and holos (whole). According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the word catholiccomes from a Greek word meaning "regarding the whole," or, more simply, "universal" or "general." The word church comes from the Greek ecclesia, which means "those called out," as in those summoned out of the world at large to form a distinct society. So the Catholic Church is made up of those called out and gathered into the universal society founded by Christ.

Information found on Catholic Answers