We've had our share of involuntary penances around here this week, too!
One of the things that I added into my life in an attempt to grow(at least a little!) during Lent was the daily Dynamic Catholic emails. Some days they have been quotes and some days short videos. I am really enjoying them!
Yesterday's 3 minute video was a good one...and a challenging one! The topic was "Stinking Thinking" with the broken philosophies of Individualism, Hedonism, Minimalism, Relativism and their fruits...such as selfishness, isolation, laziness, procrastination, gluttony, mediocrity, and hopelessness(just to name a few that spoke to me).
This winter has been hard, cold, snowy and L.O.N.G.! Being stuck inside for weeks and having all kinds of winter paraphernalia everywhere....gloves, boots, hats and snow pants!...makes everything in the house feel cluttered and claustrophobic! I have found that I just don't have the motivation to thoroughly clean and organize everything that needs to be addressed in the house. We've had too many busy Saturdays so all the inside projects that we have put off until winter are still not being accomplished! I find phrases like "Why bother" and "It's just too big to tackle" swimming around my head a little too often lately! It's easier to just shut a door than deal with what needs to be done!
Well, after listening to that video yesterday morning, I did a (mostly) thorough cleaning of Peter's room...which is also home to all of Luke's Legos, the little kids' books, stuffed animals, and what ever else gets brought in there! The rug has been in great need of a good vacuum for a while! But it's been one of those rooms I've just shut the door to rather than deal with it!
It's still not perfect now! It's much more organized, though, and better for the kids to play in! What I love about an organized room is the sense of peace I feel when I walk into it!
Now I have to tackle my room!!!(insert wailing and gnashing of teeth!)
Last night, I was reading The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis and something I read stuck out to me and seemed to tie into the video from the morning: "Living Holy Week means....following and accompanying Christ, staying with him, demands "coming out of ourselves", requires us to be outgoing; to come out of a dreary way of living faith that has become a habit, out of the temptation to withdraw into our own plans, which end by shutting out God's creative action."(pgs.72-73)
That "dreary way" feels like the dreary winter we are enduring and the lack of inspiration or motivation to do much of anything! I have given into the desire to hibernate a little too much! Laziness and procrastination have taken up residence! Getting back on track isn't easy! It's certainly something I can offer up this Lent as I attempt to re-organize and re-energize my house....even though I would rather stay in hibernation mode!)
Good think I have about 34 more days to work on it!
P.S.
Oh...and if you're interested you can find the "Stinking Thinking" talk here! You can also find Dynamic Catholic here. Sign up for your daily dose of inspiration...it's free!
