Blogger was having some technical difficulties last night and this morning, so most people (including me) got a "server down" error message when they tried to access Catholic All Year and many other blogs.
But it seems to have been resolved.
So if you missed today's new post, you should be able to see that one now:
Idle Threats, the Miracle of Waffles, St. Patrick's Day Printables, and a Winner
I'm also at Blessed is She today, sharing some thoughts about how not to blow this whole Lent thing.
Lent isn’t a time to try to punish ourselves into being deserving of God’s grace. (Especially since that’s not possible, at Lent or any other time.)Lent is a time to try to be our best selves, to take up new practices that lead us towards God and to leave behind practices that distract us from God.If giving up chocolate has left us longing for . . . chocolate, rather than for God, perhaps this would be a good time to reassess. (read the rest here)
I thought I had chosen some pretty manageable personal Lenten disciplines for myself this year, and ones that would help me be a better wife and mother despite being not at the top of my game, physically. But I've had to do some adjusting. Going to bed early made me more rested, I guess, but it also made me feel really unproductive and anxious about things left undone. I think I need to accomplish things more than I need to sleep. So, I've shifted my Lenten discipline from going to bed early, to mindfully engaging more with my family while they're around. And trying to be more focused and productive during windows of "doing stuff." Reading and saying the Angelus each day are going well. Not yelling has been an almost complete failure, but I knew it would be. I'm just going to keep picking myself up and dusting myself off and praying for the actual grace I need each moment that I need it. Free bonus: I get to work on my humility, too. ;0)