Life is good here is the big G-A. It is finally getting closer to spring (warm!), but with spring comes the second half of the school year craziness. Those of you who are teachers know what I am talking about! Can't.catch.my.breath. But, I can't complain. Life is good.
I do have so much to say in the fertility arena, but I am waiting for the right time. This little break of being hyper focused on our fertility (I mean, minus the Creighton charting...that forces you to focus on it some!) has been so good for us, but it leaves me with less to say. Instead of focusing on fertility, I am trying to focus on not focusing on it. As you can see, it is a little intense. With that being said, I can tell you that God is about some good stuff.
Some good moments though- I got to spend all of last weekend with my sister-in-law, S, while our husbands were off camping, which was a real treat! This weekend we are off to Savannah this weekend for a few appointments- never a dull moment!
Lately, I have been thinking about how to get my readers to delurk. I have had several emails from old friends from college and even people from my church tell me they are reading, so I am interested to hear who is out there! I think it is great- I wanted this to be my online testimony of God making good out of a really crappy situation...I would just love to know who is here reading and walking this journey with me? Come say Hi!
So, here is my question to you all- What is the craziest thing you have given up for lent (I went to Franciscan, where during any given lent you could find half a dorm sleeping on the floor of their rooms, having given up their beds for lent...I am not that good!)? If not crazy, what do you usually give up?
Happy Tuesday to you all! It's almost Friday!
Nothing crazy, but one year my husband and I gave up meat for all of lent.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever given up anything crazy, but my husband has, so I'll share those with you. ;-) In the past, before I knew him, he's given up sleeping in a bed (he slept in a tent the whole time, ranging from on the patio of his apartment to the church parking lot -- he worked at the church at the time) as well as using a fork. Spoons all the way, baby. :-p
ReplyDeleteHey friend!! Man have I been thinking about you!!! I went to my retreat on Friday and couldn't stop thinking about what we talked about! You are in my thoughts and PRAYERS:)
ReplyDeleteSavannah!!! I want to go! I haven't been but we thought about maybe going for Mardi Gras, which is this weekend...since we are off Mon and Tues. But, we are gonna save money I think instead and just head to our beach house. Hope the weather is perfect!!
Giving up my bed...that is a Wow to me! Instead of giving up, I am giving. I am going to daily mass before school:) I have already started a little early...can't hurt!
HUGS and happy spring!!
I found your site through the Testosterhome website, and I found that site from a Grace Before Meals reference. I am a fellow Franciscan U. grad (2002). I remember a few of my friends sleeping on the floor for Lent, or at least without a pillow. I haven't done anything too crazy, but I do remember one thing we did as a household. On Fridays in Lent we would not do any unnecessary talking until after household stations of the cross at 3 p.m. So we would speak if someone spoke to us first, to be polite, or in class if necessary, but other than that, no talking all Friday until after the 3 o'clock hour!
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit of a lurker - a big follower of your sister at Testosterhome - I have 4 boys of my own. I saw a link to your blog and checked it out. I've been praying for your intentions and love your writing and your beautiful spirit. I have no experience with infertility but I love your passion for living God's will for your life. That transcends all issues and circumstances. The craziest resolution I ever made for Lent was to give up yelling at my kids. With 4 boys, our house is chaotic sometimes and I realized I was contributing to the chaos with my own tone. I wasn't 100% successful, but it certainly made me more aware of how I was speaking to them. I heard a preist give a great talk one time about how what you work on during Lent (or give up), should be something that will impact your life in a positive way long term. Something that you would possibly keep doing after Lent. From that point, I have tried to be more meaningful than just giving up chocolate or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI am THAT girl giving up sweets for lent. However, for me, this is CRAZY. As in- really, really, not a cliche, crazy. But it's not impending swim suit season that motivates me. It's how emotional/up and down I am and how that negatively impacts my life and my marriage. I am hoping that better nutrition will make me feel more balanced and less prone to griping at my husband ;)
ReplyDeleteLast year I gave up talking on the cell phone in the car. This is VERY hard in Atlanta where a 10 mile trip can routinely take 40 minutes. It was a great exercise though.
Delurking from Atlanta. LOVE your site and pray for you often!
Haven't figured out what I will do this lent, but I am thinking of giving up sweets (again...I am so boring!) and cream in my coffee. Not ready to go totally caffiene free yet. I have tried to give up complaining and pillows in past lents, with limited success. I heard about someone going on a raw diet for lent, I thought that was crazy. I have to admit I am annoyed by people who make their lenten mortifications (or any mortification for that matter) everyone else's mortification. I.e. I am not checking email all lent, so call me. Argh.
ReplyDeleteRegarding lurking, I figure being a follower establishes me in non-lurker territory. I pray for you daily and feel that all of you lovely ladies struggling with IF are really living openness to life in a special way. I often think of what you said about you and your sister living a similar life of doing God's will. It is sort of two sides of the same coin- realizing that God our Father is in total control and knows what is best for us. Prayers!
I gave up radio in the car one year-very difficult because I traveled all day for my job. No idea what I'm going to give up this year-I usually don't get a good idea until two weeks in...
ReplyDeleteHello my chickita banana. I've often wanted to comment but didn't realize I could do so without making a profile or something, which I still haven't so I hope this goes through! :) This has nothing to do with my past lenten sacrifices, just wanted to give you a shout out.
ReplyDeleteI love having you in my everyday life and feel blessed that I get to be so close to you during this stage in our lives. You are one of the best friends I've ever had and I am so blessed to be able to count on you for anything, especially the harsh truth (in a loving way of course). Cause, let's face it, Life: it's kind of like camping...
Love you boo!
-D
Facebook... it's harder than it sounds.
ReplyDeletei gave up blogs and facebook AND meat last year. let's just say i needed some purging...
ReplyDeleteafter a certain someone taught me how to smoke...I tried to give that and drinking up one lent in college. silly grace.
ReplyDeleteNow..that would've even be a teeny sacrifice.
all delurked and loving your blog!
Prayers every day!!!! insert little heart that I don't know how to type...
Delurking from New Orleans. I'm pretty tame. I fasted until 3pm for lent. It was tough for me because I usually eat 5 small meals throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteThis year I'm giving up 2 hours of sleep and sweets. The 2 hours of sleep are to wake up early enough to work out, then be on my church's 6 am prayer line.
I really enjoy your blog. It's nice to have someone who understands.
My now husband and I gave up kissing one Lent while we were dating. And that Easter, he proposed! Hrmmm...
ReplyDeleteOne Lent when I was a child, my brother and I gave up fighting with each other. It was great: anytime an argument started up, we were able to diffuse it quickly without either kid 'losing face.' I'm sure that Lent was the most peaceful season of child-rearing for my mother. She, of course, encouraged us to keep up our new practice after Lent was over. But we were a little too eager to re-engage in our sibling rivalry. ;)
ReplyDeleteTo "de-lurk": I live in Maryland and I came to your blog via Testosterhome, which I started reading when I had my first child, a boy, last summer. (By the way, I love the writing styles and sense of personality that both you and your sister bring to your blogs. Your parents must have done a good job!) I have no experience with infertility, but I do have experience with longing for a family of my own. I was single for a long time, watching my friends marry and start families, being asked again and again when I was going to follow suit. I wanted to with all my heart, of course.
For me, it was so much more than not wanting to come home to an empty apartment: my heart ached, my arms were empty, I would realize at times that it had been days since I'd had the simple pleasure of touching another person -- no hugs, no holding hands, not even a simple pat of the arm. I feared that my life would never be different and prayed earnestly for the blessings of a husband and children. Thanks be to God, I have now received those blessings (in very quick succession!). I feel so very fortunate. But, given that I spent the great majority of my adult life longing and lonely, I feel great empathy for you and others struggling with infertility. Since I started reading your blog in the fall, I have been praying that you receive the little blessings you so rightly desire.
Found you thru Rachel's blog; my husb. and I met at FUS back in the day. I gave up makeup my freshman year in college, the longest time I've ever gone w/out it! It was an act of humility, as I spent a lot of time in front of the mirror! Now trying to give up losing my patience w/ my family members, and am trying to be more silent and listen longer to others.
ReplyDeleteAm praying for you and your husband. I'm confident that God has great plans for you!