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Lent 2026: Third Station – Jesus Falls for the First Time

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Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time. Outdoor Stations of the Cross – Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Palmyra, PA.

Jesus fell. The burden and weight of the cross came crashing down on his bruised, bloody and tired body. There was a loud thud, the crowd jeered, the soldiers cursed Him and a cloud of dust billowed through the air. Jesus regains his composure, rises, lifts His cross and carries on. Where did He get the strength?

Jesus was human like us. He experienced life’s emotions, disappointments and challenges. If anyone understands exhaustion, suffering and pain He does. At times, life can be extremely difficult. The weight of the world is heavy and there are days when we just don’t want to get out of bed. But like Christ, we have to muster the strength to get up and keep moving forward.

“Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.” – Socrates

Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time – Outdoor Stations of the Cross –
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown, PA

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Lent 2026: Second Station – Jesus Takes Up His Cross

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Outdoor stations of the cross at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Pylesville, MD

Each of us has a cross to bear. Whether it be caring for a sick spouse or aging parent, sending your child off to college or the military, mourning a death, grieving a broken relationship, finding the financial means to keep a roof over your head and food on the table or the daily struggles of nurturing, embracing and living your faith. No one is exempt from hardship, adversity and loss.

Jesus was beaten and battered, stripped of his clothing and dignity, mocked by his executioners and jeered at by onlookers. But somehow He mustered the strength to carry His cross (the weight of our sins) through the dusty, uneven, cobblestone streets of Jerusalem. He stumbled, struggled and suffered an agonizing death yet he didn’t complain. He accepted his cross with humility, grace and deep sacrificial love.

Each Good Friday, I watch “The Passion of Christ”. It is extremely difficult to watch but I do it as a reminder of the sacrifice, pain and suffering the Lord endured in order that me, a sinner, might be saved. Any pain I suffer, will not compare.

Jesus invites us to take up our cross(es) and follow Him. Do you willingly accept yours?

Outdoor stations of the cross at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Church,
North Wales, PA
Faith-based, Lent 2026

Lent 2026: First Station – Jesus is Condemned to Death

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Outdoor stations at St. James Catholic Church, Lititz, PA.

Peter denied Him. Judas betrayed Him. The crowd shouted “Crucify Him!” A convicted murderer was released instead of an innocent man. They executed Him.

Yes, this was all part of God’s plan and the crucifixion of Christ was necessary in order that we may be saved. Yes, that would have happened regardless, but does it preclude us from doing the right thing?

We are strong in our beliefs and convictions but would we have the strength to stand-up to an unruly and screaming crowd? Would we risk your own life for a just man who committed no crime? Even Pontius Pilate yielded to the crowd (knowing it is the wrong decision) but he didn’t want to risk an uprising. But it wasn’t just Pilate who condemned Jesus; it was all of us and our sins.

We all like to think we would “do the right thing”. We can be heard saying, “I would never do/say that!” The truth is, until we are in a specific situation, we don’t know how we will react or what decisions we will make. It is so easy to judge as an outsider looking in.

When have we condemned others because of something we’ve heard; not knowing if it true? When have we condemned Christ when we are hurtful in our words or actions? When have we been condemned by others due to gossip or judgement?

As we inch closer to Holy Week and Easter, let’s reflect on Jesus’ steps in fulfilling the promise of salvation. What role would you have played?

Outdoor stations at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, New Castle, DE.
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2025 Reflection: Word of the Year

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Several years ago I started a tradition of picking a word to focus on through the new year. This suggestion came from former Catholic Channel host Jennifer Fulwiler who created the “Word of the Year” generator. The first few years I used the generator in hopes the Holy Spirit would give me the “right” word (even if it meant me hitting the generator multiple times to find the “one”). Over the years I’ve transitioned to praying and asking God to put a word on my heart. His choice for me for 2025 was frugal.

Frugal? That certainly was an interesting choice. Friends had words like patience, simplicity, sacrifice or peace. Those I could have easily worked with. But frugal? I had lost my job the previous year so had already gone through an extensive exercise of evaluating our finances and spending habits and looking at ways we could cut back. We shifted to purposeful spending; focusing on what we needed vs. what we wanted. Wasn’t all that part of being “frugal”?

Getty Images/Stock Photo

I questioned what it had to do with faith and my relationship with the Lord but resolved myself to embrace it. There had to be something there; God would not have chosen it for me if there wasn’t something to be uncovered. Slowly as the year progressed it became clear.

We cooked more at home rather than eating out. We tried different recipes and enjoyed cooking together. Spending quality time together is a precious gift.

We paid more attention to leftovers and what we had in the freezer and pantry. We built our weekly menus using the same set of ingredients. We cut down on waste and there was much less being thrown out from the refrigerator.

We focused on decluttering and donating to charity. While our monetary contributions were less, we could still ‘give’ to those in need. I found some things that had been packed away and was able to use those to give our home a bit of a refresh. It’s amazing how one small thing can make a significant difference.

For Christmas, I made gifts rather than purchasing them. I used my talents (and the tons of crafting supplies I had accumulated over the years) to create something that was special and meaningful.

With more time on my hands, I volunteered to help with the decorating at our parish. We took apart centerpieces and wreaths and flower arrangements from the previous year and created beautifully renewed pieces by reusing and repurposing.

We became more mindful of how we spent our time. We questioned the time spent on our phones playing games or scrolling on facebook, tik-tok or instagram and how much time were we wasting binge watching shows. We took more notice to how much energy were we wasting on worrying about things out of our control; Things that wouldn’t matter six months from now. We needed to clear the space in our hearts and minds that was holding grudges or being angry or unforgiving.

Yes, being frugal, is about wastefulness but not just from a financial perspective. It encompasses time, energy, thoughts and resources. It strips away the waste and distractions and allows us to refocus on prayer, generosity, gratitude and forgiveness. It definitely brought about a new way of looking at things and we are better for it.

With God you can always expect the unexpected. This year God has placed “extend the reach” on my heart. As with all the previous years’ words, I’m not sure what it quite means yet but I am looking forward to figuring it out with the help of the Holy Spirit!

May the Lord bless you and give you the inspiration and tools you need for a successful and prosperous 2026!

So what’s your word going to be?

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Athens, Greece: Carrying the Torch

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Every two years the world comes together to watch the Olympics. The air is filled with excitement; athletes hopes, dreams and destinies just waiting to be fulfilled. The voice of Jim McKay (may he rest in peace) echoes “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Visions of the Olympic rings, medalists standing on the podium, the parade of nations and the Olympic flame traveling thousands of miles to its next destination, fill our minds. The flame represents unity, peace and continuity; bridging the past and the present.

The Olympic Games originated in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece as a religious festival in honor of Zeus. The torch relay wasn’t a thing back then, but a sacred fire was kept burning on the altar of Hestia during the Games. It was central to the ancient Games and inspired the current torch lighting tradition in the modern era.

Modern Olympic torches found in the Panathenaic Stadium museum in Athens.

Today the Olympic flame is ignited every two years in front of the ruins of the temple of Hera in Olympia. It is then transported (primarily by runners) to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece where it is officially passed to the host country. And so its journey begins; crossing into new frontiers. It will travel over mountains, across lakes and rivers, through countrysides, small towns and major cities. People will line its path just to catch a glimpse.

Built entirely of white marble, the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece was excavated and rebuilt for use in the first modern day Olympic Games in 1896. The original stadium was constructed c. 338 – 330 BC and refurbished c. 140 -144 BC.

On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus passed his torch via the Holy Spirit to the apostles. They crossed into new frontiers (e.g. Turkey, Persia, Greece, India and Rome). People filled amphitheaters, synagogues and homes to hear them preach.

Amphitheater in Ephesus, Turkey where St. Paul preached.

They took the light and spread it to others as Jesus instructed them to do. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

While the flame of the host city’s cauldron is extinguished after the completion of the Games, it is only a temporary hiatus until the next games where the sun will spark the flame again and it will start it’s new journey.

God’s light is always present in His Son. Jesus is the light of the world and he who follows him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12). He has instructed us to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

How bright does your light shine? How will you carry the torch forward?

Faith-based, Uncategorized

Lent 2026: Make Lent Matter. A Time for Fasting, Praying and Giving

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Hard to believe Lent is less than a month away. I hadn’t really given it much thought until I saw the post about putting in my order for fastnachts. I’m looking forward to these delicious tasty treats but I’m not sure I’m ready for the somber, heavy feeling that often comes with Lent. Yes, the end result is the resurrection of Our Savior, Alleluia! But getting there was filled with pain, darkness, fear and doubt.

Lent is a time for reflection, a time of prayer, a time of fasting and a time of giving but not everyone’s Lent will look the same. Yes, as Catholics, we are required to give up meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent, but the sacrifices we make and the activities we participate in will be influenced by where we are spiritually, physically and emotionally. There isn’t a right or wrong answer to “what will you be doing for Lent”. What’s important is that you do something to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice and deepen your relationship with God.

Some folks will be blessed with an incredible Lenten experience. Others will struggle to just get through (that was me last year) and most will have their ups and downs. Don’t be disheartened if things don’t go as you had hoped. Give it to God in prayer. Reflect on His grace and blessings and how to get closer to him. God will meet you where you are. He wants you to grow in His love and mercy. We are given this time to prepare our hearts, souls and minds for the Resurrection of His Son on Easter Sunday.

With all the chaos in the world, now is the perfect time to refocus and recenter. My mind is tired, clouded and crowded. It needs some quiet time and truthfully, so do I. I have quite a bit to think about: How can I be an answer to someone’s prayer? How can I become closer to God? How am I being called to serve? Am I treating others with the same grace and dignity God provides to me? Do others see Christ in me? Am I grateful for all of the gifts God has given me?

Fasting

Fasting is typically associated with food or drink. Over the years, that’s the route I took for Lent. I’ve given up soda, meat, potato chips and sweets. At the time, they were staples in my diet so it made sense. Had I only had them on occasion, would it really have been a sacrifice? Not really.

Several years ago, I started to look at fasting in a different way. I moved away from “physical” fasting to fasting that provided a more intrinsic value. So, what are things outside of food and drink we can fast from?

Social media, video games, binge watching Netflix, buying things you really don’t need, going out to eat on a regular basis, commenting negatively, cruelly or insensitively on social media posts, gossiping or worrying. Challenge yourself to think outside the box. Instead, listen to an inspirational audiobook, a Catholic podcast (e.g. Bible in a Year or Rosary in a Year), subscribe to the Hallow prayer app (you can get a free trial), change your Sirius XM station to the Catholic channel (129) or a Christian music station.

Go to daily mass if this isn’t something you currently do. Many parishes have Lenten missions this time of year, attend and embrace the opportunity. Attend stations of the cross or walk the outdoor stations at a nearby church. Reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice. We all have crosses. Who is helping to carry your cross? Who can you be a Veronica to? When we’ve fallen, have we gotten back up? Remember, Jesus fell three times and we will too.

We are all called to be Saints! And there are patron saints for just about anything you can think of :); gas station workers, the internet and even fear of wasps. Learn about a saint you are unfamiliar with. Check out the calendar of saints below to see whose feast day it is. Reflect on their life and what you can do to live a more saintly one.

https://www.catholic.org/saints/sofd.php

http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/cal_v2/index.php

Make an effort to fill your time (and yourself) with positive, inspirational and thought provoking content.

Prayer

Prayer should already be a regular part of our day so when Lent comes around it’s about expanding that prayer. While there are a series of traditional prayers we have all learned and memorized, prayer doesn’t have to be that formal all the time.

You can pray virtually anywhere! (Carol C. Moore – 2020)

You can pray in a car or in a bed

Out loud or in your head

In the dark or at a park

At a church or swinging from a birch

In a group or on a stoop

In a boat or with a goat

In a house or out and about

By yourself or with someone else

With a rosary or your family

You can pray here or you can pray there,

You can pray virtually anywhere!

During Lent, challenge yourself in how, what, when, where and who you pray for.

Pray for your enemies and those who don’t believe the same as you. Reflect on how much Jesus loves them. Don’t pray for them to change how or what they think or that they will come around to believe the same as you. Pray they will hear the Lord’s words, will be guided by his grace and that you will be open to different points of view. Remember, we are all created in His likeness and image. God loves them as much as he loves you!

Take a walk, notice the simple things: the song of a bird, the warmth of the sun, the sound of the rippling water in the creek, the view of a beautiful sunset. Enjoy the nature and all of God’s creation. Thank God for the beautiful day and for always being there to listen.

Pray an intentional rosary. Yes, all rosary prayers should be intentional, but think of a specific intention for each of the 50 beads of the decades. Don’t think you can come up with 50 things to pray about? Then start with a specific intention per decade/mystery and work your way up. Trust me when I say it’s not that hard to come up with 50 things 🙂

Go to Adoration and spend time with the Lord. It doesn’t have to be an hour. It can be a quick hello, thank you or I need your help. Start small and work your way up! Just sit. Embrace the quiet. Allow your ears to be open to the what God is telling you. This is your one-on-time with your Father. Take advantage of it!

St. Mary’s Adoration scheduleSt. Mary’s (Pylesville, MD) Adoration Schedule

Perpetual adoration chapels in the Harrisburg Diocese:

https://www.hbgdiocese.org/liturgy-worship-and-prayer/eucharistic-adoration/

Adoration sites in the Archdiocese of Baltimore:

https://www.archbalt.org/aob-eucharistic-revival/adoration-sites/

Start a prayer journal or create a prayer jar. Write down the things you’ve prayed about. Note the prayers that were answered. At the end of Lent, review it. We all have so much to be grateful for. Reflect on those things that weren’t answered the way you wanted. What were the blessings from that?

Lay a flower at the foot of Our Lady. Thank her for saying “yes” to God and for the gift of her Son. Thank her for being such an amazing role model and loving mother.

Pick a person each day. Offer your thoughts, actions and prayers for them throughout the day.

Start every day with gratitude. Thank you Lord for waking me up this morning. Thank you for blessing me more than I deserve. Help me to be the best version of myself today and may others see me as your child. Use me, a humble sinner for Your good.

Giving

If you are giving up something for Lent that you can quantify (i.e. going to Starbucks everyday and knowing the price of that macchiato) save that money and give it to a charity or a family in need. But remember that giving doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary.

Spend time decluttering or cleaning out a closet, cabinet or basement. Donate any unused items to a homeless shelter, women’s home or other charity. Pray over the donations asking the Holy Spirit to get these things to those who need them.

Give your time and talents. Volunteer at your parish or in your local community. Do something for someone else (outside of your immediate circle). Write a letter or send a message or email each day telling someone how much they mean to you and how grateful you are they are a part of your life. Call someone you don’t talk to on a regular basis. Open your mind and you will see that the options are endless!

I have a rough plan for how I will be spending my Lent (yes, I am a type “A”) and will be sharing throughout. I will be praying for all of you and hope that you will be an interactive part of this transformational journey. Please share what you are doing for Lent. It may be just the inspiration someone else needs (including myself)!

Have a blessed day and a reflective and fruitful Lent!

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It all starts with Faith … Literally

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I absolutely love word games and make an effort each day to do the daily New York Times mini puzzles. Anything to help the brain stay sharp and nimble 😊 Connections is probably my favorite but I also enjoy Wordle. It’s become somewhat of a competition among our family.

For those of you not familiar with Wordle, you get six chances to figure out a random 5-letter word. There are all sorts of strategies; picking a word with lots of vowels (like miaou or adieu) to start or choosing words with lots of consonants (like watch or bench) and mathematicians and researchers even recommend starting with one of the following words: soare, crane, salet or chase. My strategy is quite simple and it all starts with faith. Literally.

I always start with the word “faith”. Some days I need all 6 tries. Other days I can solve it in 2 but 91% of the time, I will successfully complete the puzzle. If faith is the start to your day, to a puzzle, to a conversation or to a problem, you are pretty much guaranteed success. I’ll take a 91% success rate any day! It’s not about winning or perfection. It’s about faith.

Faith is believing is something you cannot see. We can’t physically see God but we can see him in others. We can’t see our Lady but we can feel her loving arms around us. We can’t see Christ but we can experience his love and sacrifice for us during the Eucharist. We cannot see our Guardian Angel but know they are protecting us. We may not speak in tongues, but the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guides our thoughts and interactions.

From the moment we wake up to when we lay our heads on our pillow to sleep, we should be guided by our faith. Every thought and action should reflect His love, grace and mercy. Yes, it may be just a puzzle but if we focus on faith in the smallest of things, imagine how much easier it will be when we have to tackle the hard ones!

Blessings to all!

Prayer to start your day:

Thank you Heavenly Father for waking me up today. Thank you for all the blessings in my life. Please pour the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ over me, my family and friends to protect us as we go throughout the day. Please help me to avoid sin and remain focused on You. May the Holy Spirit be my guide in all of my interactions. May my faith be strengthened when a door closes and may I be patient while waiting on your perfect plan for me. I love you and look forward to the day. Thank you. Amen.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

Psalm 118:24

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Hey Jesus, I’ll be in the neighborhood. OK to stop by?

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Anyone who has kids understands the difficulty in finding one-on-one time with each of them. If they’re involved in sports, band, theatre or other extracurricular activities chances are you are constantly on the go. Life gets hectic and finding time for yourself and your spouse (let alone each of the kids) can be challenging at best. As a mom of three, I know the struggle. Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy our family time (especially now that they are grown and flown) but there is nothing like that one-on-one, focused time to stay involved and connected.

We are all children of God and just like we want to spend time with our children, God wants to spend time with us. Yes, He is always with us and we celebrate with Him during mass (family time) but like all the moms and dads out there, He craves alone time with us too.

Jesus wants to have a deep and intimate relationship with us. We can’t do that if we don’t spend quality time with Him. All relationships, even our relationship with God, needs to be nurtured and cared for. Eucharistic Adoration gives us that opportunity.

When I first started going to Adoration, I found it intimidating and a bit overwhelming. I had no idea what to do or say. How long did I need to stay? I wasn’t sure I could pray for more than 10 minutes straight. Were there certain prayers I should pray? Did I have to dress a certain way? I certainly didn’t want to look like I didn’t know what I am doing. (That my friends is pride and definitely not the right head space.)

All new things come with a certain level of uneasiness but the more you do them, the more comfortable you become. Trust me when I say I was totally overthinking this! Now I pop in to see Jesus 2 – 3 times a week 😊

Adoration is not going to look the same for everyone. We all have different things going on in our lives with unique situations. God meets each of us exactly where we are and we are all in a distinctive place in our faith journey.

For some, it’ll be a quick prayer of thanksgiving or a request for a special intention. For some there may be a sense of despair or a feeling of helplessness. For others, it’s a time to say the rosary, read the Bible or even write what can’t be said. And still others, it is simply a time of quiet reflection and reconciliation; a way to reset and ground oneself. There is no specific amount of time to spend and no right or wrong way to adore.

For those new to Adoration, expect the unexpected. Tears may fall. Transformations can happen. Pains and fears can become bearable and find purpose. Mindsets can be shifted and weights can be lifted. Answers can be found and doors can be opened. Clear your mind, open your heart and let God lead the way.

What started as an uncertain activity is now one of my favorite parts of the week! Are you ready to get closer to Christ?

Hope to see you there!

See the link below for the perpetual adoration chapels which are part of the Harrisburg Diocese:

https://www.hbgdiocese.org/liturgy-worship-and-prayer/eucharistic-adoration/

Below is the link for adoration sites in the Archdiocese of Baltimore:

https://www.archbalt.org/aob-eucharistic-revival/adoration-sites/

Thank you Fr. John for expanding Adoration at St. Mary of the Assumption (Pylesville, MD).

Faith-based, Lent 2025, Uncategorized

Lent 2025: Shh … Quiet!

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Retirement has its privileges. My allergies flared up today so I decided to soak in a hot bath this afternoon. I added some ashwagandha epsom salt, closed my eyes and focused on the silence. As you’ll read, silence was becoming a theme this week.

Daylight savings time always messes with me. I need my natural vitamin D so having the extra light in the evening literally makes me happy but it wreaks havoc with my sleep patterns. I woke up early on Sunday but after about an hour I felt really tired again. I laid back down with the intention of getting up at 11:00 a.m. Well, 11 came and 11 went. It was 11:30 a.m. when I checked my phone and mass was at 12:15 p.m. Needed to kick things into high gear!

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wash my hair. Up in a pony tail it went. I hurried through a shower, raced to get dressed and “pretty” myself and ran out the door. Amazing how fast one can move when they’re motivated! Shout out to all the moms with kids who make it to mass each week! Miracles do happen! Hurdle #1 cleared.

As I was quickly leaving the bathroom, I jammed my finger and cracked a nail. Sooo, I had to stop, turn around and quickly file it. Hurdle #2. I went to grab my sweater from the closet (and of course it got hooked on something). Really? I was so frustrated and started fussing at God. I AM TRYING TO GET TO MASS. Hurdle #3. As an aside, I’m confident God was keeping me out of trouble with those small delays BUT that didn’t ease my frustration at the time. I did apologize 🙂 Amazingly, we got to mass just as the priest, deacon and sacristans were getting ready to walk down the aisle. Phew!

It was a quiet mass. For those thinking isn’t mass already quiet? It is but in a quiet mass, there is no music. Antiphons are spoken as is the responsorial psalm and a Glory Be was said at the end of mass. After the ordeal to get there, I relished the thought of quiet. There is a certain reverence; a unique feeling of connection. Deep breath in, breath out. Clearing my mind so I can hear God.

How apropos the second reading at mass was about the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert battling temptation after temptation from Satan. If we really use Lent to get closer to God, do we really think it will be easy? Not a chance. And would it surprise anyone if I said Deacon Brian’s homily was about spiritual warfare? Nope.

Ever feel like the sermon was written just for you? My mind started racing and I could see the puzzle pieces starting to fall into place. A few weeks earlier, one of my friend groups was shaken to its core. I knew at the time our friendships would be reshaped but the real question weighing heavily on my mind was would they survive? Would we be able to push through this? Were we just too different? I had been praying intently about it since it happened and today I got my answer.

We are an eclectic group. We are at different stages of our lives, have had different faith journeys and have opposing political views. The involvement in our parish varies, as does our degrees of creativity and the issues we are passionate about. And today (without any announcement or coordination) four of us showed up at this particular mass. This mass that was just added for Lent. We were all sitting on the SAME side of the church which was a profound visual moment for me. Despite all our differences, the common thread was our Catholic faith.

We’ve celebrated marriages, births, birthdays, sacraments, graduations and holidays. We’ve grieved deaths, severed relationships and what might have been. We’ve supported each other through medical diagnoses, emotional crises and life’s curveballs and challenges. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve prayed. We met because we were sisters in Christ and connected on a deeper level.

I have no doubt this was spiritual warfare and we could have easily fallen into the trap. But I don’t believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason and while I may not understand it all at the time, I have to trust God implicitly. I believe in God’s providence, Our Lady’s intercession and the Holy Spirit always being at work! Thank you for the answered prayers!

Sending hugs, love and prayers! I love you my sisters!

Faith-based, Uncategorized

Lent 2025: My first roadblock.

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I must have exhausted my creative genius on Wednesday because I spent all day yesterday trying to write and came up with nothing. I prayed. I cranked the K-Love Christian tunes and even cleaned the bathroom looking for inspiration. Nada. The well was dry. One day into Lent and I was already struggling. That’s definitely not good! So I put it down, went to bed and woke up with a fresh new perspective. Sleep is good!

I’m not gonna lie. I was extremely disappointed in myself because I set the goal to write a reflection every day during Lent but just couldn’t force it. I so wanted this Lent to be fruitful. I wanted to stay true to my commitments. I wanted to fulfill my goals. So, is all lost because of a missed blog? Absolutely not!

Maybe I was just trying too hard. Maybe because of the noise I was creating, I couldn’t hear what God was telling me. Maybe just, just maybe, I was missing the point. It’s a 40-day journey that needs to be walked and experienced to get to the end. It’s not supposed to be easy. There will be ups and downs; just like life. Some days will be great and others not so much. Don’t force it. Be patient. Pray. Lean on God. Don’t lose perspective.

Today I woke up to an absolutely beautiful sunrise. I went out on the front porch with my tea to just take in the morning. The birds were singing and you could feel Spring creeping closer. There was a chill in the air but in that moment, it wasn’t the cold I notice but the beauty around me. Then I turned around and there it was staring back at me: the Merry Christmas door mat. Looks like I forgot something when I put the Christmas decorations away. Oops!

But then I started thinking. Without Christmas, there would be no Jesus. With no Jesus, there would be no Lent, no Easter, no Resurrection and no salvation. Just think about that for a minute! Christmas brings joy, hope and celebration but shouldn’t Easter do the same? Yes, there is pain, suffering and sacrifice before we get there but oh when we do.

Let’s embrace Lent with all its highs and lows. Stumble. Fall. Get back up. Just don’t give up. Christ didn’t!