Lent

Blessed Lent!

I'm so behind with blogging. I have several posts floating around in my head (ahem, China), and Lent should help with that, as I've decided -- instead of giving something up -- to do something instead: I'm going to write every day.

It may not be the most penetitent of choices, and some might see it as downright frivolous, or self-serving, but it's something that hasn't happened for a while, despite my thinking that when I switched positions at the paper (nearly nine months ago already!) that I'd write creatively more often. I'm not using my God-given talent ("We offer you our failures, we offer you attempts, the gifts not fully given, the dreams not fully dreamt...") as I should, and making it my Lenten discipline will ensure I actually follow through. To move beyond distractions. To persevere, even if what comes out is pure dreck, or even if it's only responding to a letter. To push myself to not give up on a project simply because I'm stuck. Stuck, be it in a fictional corner...or the rut I seem to be sticking in, creatively, professionally...

Anyway, the blog can only benefit from some of that.

Plus, I'm also finally going to use the desk in my front room for its intended purpose, rather than just stacking random things on top of it. 😊

And in a hopefully-the-third-time-will-prove-the-charm scenario, I'm choosing to tackle, again, The Discernment of Spirits.

I tried a little bit of the Ignatian spiritual exercises back in 2008 during a silent women's retreat led by the Sisters of Life and, having enjoyed it-- although that isn't the best word: Appreciated the depth of thought and focus of seeing myself in one of the gospel events is more appropriate -- bought the book following that weekend. Apparently I didn't get very far that time, nor in 2011, when I tried again, according to a note I wrote in the book.

But if I was having a hard time deciding for certain that it should be my book for Lent, the face that it went missing for several days convinced me. Now that I tracked it down again, and have documented the coming read, it's time to make a start.

Writing will stem from this, too. It may all prove to be nothing more than dust, but aren't we all?