Lent: part two

As promised, I am here to update you on my quest into historical, liturgical Christianity—also known as my first attempt to observe Lent. We were a little overzealous to give up coffee, but we are sticking to it. There was only one disagreement between TM and me about it. I thought it would be OK to have it when friends were over because we were having a party. It seemed like something that would be allowed. TM disagreed, so I had some and he didn’t. I was also offered coffee at a friend’s house. She was making cocoa for the kids. At first I thought it would be OK to have decaf, but then I decided to stick with the cocoa. I did give up coffee after all, not caffeine. I miss the coffee, but that is the point. I’m glad to have such a vivid reminder of Christ’s suffering. When I think about it that way, I know I have no business complaining.

I have gotten really into tea lately… I’m drinking iced tea every day and even started putting sugar in it. I guess I’m an official Southerner now. I am enjoying my cup of tea in the morning. Now the question is: What will happen after Easter? Will I start drinking decaf on a regular basis? Will I embrace my English roots and stick with tea? Only time will tell. But enough silliness. OK, just a little more. I saw a really good movie last week--the new Pride and Prejudice. (What with the Narnia craze, the tea, and TM’s Anglican seminary, I am getting a little obsessed with the English.) Right before we watched the movie, one of the girls asked me what it was about. I said, "It’s about a family with a lot of girls who all want to get married. Hmm… Little Women is about a family with four girls. All the good stories are about families with lots of girls. I guess that’s where the drama is. Maybe someday they will write stories about our family!"

Sorry, I’m really having trouble staying on topic here. In addition to giving up coffee, I have endeavored to read the morning and evening scripture selections from the Book of Common Prayer. All are centered on the themes of suffering, redemption, love, … After reading through the Bible in a year for a few years, I’ve been slacking on consistent Bible reading. This has been a great way to get back into a routine; having a theme has helped me better process what I’m reading and find applications. I plan to continue using the BCP for daily Bible readings throughout the year. He is Risen!