Keeping Love in Lent

I am participating in the 

Catholic Bloggers Network 

link up

Keeping Love in Lent 2014.

This is the second year I am linking up and I am very excited to be participating in this wonderful event.

Bloggers from all over will be sharing tips, stories, experiences, and suggestions on how we can focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer, good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of GRUMBLE.

Are you a Christian blogger who would like to share their Lenten ideas?

You're welcome to join!

Just scroll down to the link at the bottom of this post and visit the hostesses.

As we prepare for this holy time, I am busy pulling together resources we use to help us stay focused on this very important time. 

Here a few of the things we will be doing!

We have books that we read every year and activities that have become family traditions.

A favorite story we read every year is The Story of the Three Trees.

I have actually purchased two of these books so that both of my children will have a copy for their own families when they get older.

I read this every year to my CCD students too. I think the story is poignant in how it teaches the real significance of Jesus' life and the sacrifice he made for us.

A new book we are going to read this year is My Path to Heaven.

We have a sacrifice jar. 

We have an empty mason jar that is slowly filled up with beans as the children do good deeds, show acts of kindness, do chores without complaint, complete schoolwork in a timely manner, help others without being asked, etc.

When Easter comes the beans are switched out to jelly beans.

We have a Jesus Tree, similar to a Jesse Tree, that helps us stay focus on the season. We take tree branches and place them in a vase. We add ornaments that co along with bible stories or versus each day. We start on Ash Wednesday and will place our last ornament on the tree limbs on Easter. This year, I am going to have the children read the bible verses.

Here is a beautiful set on Etsy.

We sign up for Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure every year. My kids look forward to watching the videos and working on the corresponding worksheets. This year we are making a notebook with the worksheets  and coloring pages. This is our third year doing the adventure and I am amazed at how much my kids have learned and remembered!

You can sign up here for your own Lenten Adventure!

Lent has always been important part of my growing up. 

Attending Catholic school, we always participated in the Stations of the Cross.

 Image Source

We headed to church on Fridays to do the Stations. The older classes would help Father out by reading the Stations. 

This year, Lego Man will be following in this tradition. Our church has the older CCD classes help out with the Stations on Friday nights. 

I am excited and proud that he has been asked to help read a station.

So this year on Fridays, we will be heading to the Lenten dinners, Stations of the Cross, and follow them up with confessions with Father.

We are going to make our own Stations of the Cross candles. I am a little behind with this. I need to get to the store to get the candles, the modge podge, and votive candle holders. 

I saw the idea at a Patty's blog Reasons for Chocolate. She has some wonderful ideas for Lent too. If you haven't stopped by for a visit, you should drop in and say hello to her.

We are saying the rosary daily. This was Princess P's idea.

We will be reading along in two activity books about Lent. Both books provide various activities to do during this season of prayer.

This link up is being sponsored by some amazing bloggers.

Monica at Equipping Catholic Families

Equipping Catholic Families on Facebook

Chris at Campfires and Cleats

Campfires and Cleats on Facebook

Tina at Truly Rich Mom

Truly Rich Mom on Facebook

Tracy at A Slice of Smith Life  

A Slice of Smith Life on Facebook

Lisa at Home to 4 Kiddos

Home to 4 Kiddos on Facebook