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Feb 25, 2019
Faith

3 Reasons Why I Decided NOT to Give Up Wine for Lent

This post contains affiliate links.  Please see more on my About Me page.

Unlike many years in the past, I have actually been thinking about what I can do for Lent this year.

My perpetually disorganized and always time management challenged personality longs to be neither of those things.

I have almost always felt behind in tasks and in survival mode.

Enter being a homemaker (and I use that title very lightly) and mother of 3 children under the age of 7.  Never mind that – enter my twin one year olds.

These beautiful children are not the 3 reasons! Photograph taken by Nadia Pittman

As I type this I am putting off cleaning up the 300 wipes all over the living room floor and I can’t even talk about my kitchen.

The easiest thing for me to do for Lent would be to give up something – like wine.

But Lent shouldn’t be doing something that is easy.

Lent is meant to cleanse our souls and draw us closer to the Lord.

Recently I was on a talk show called, The Positive Side, with the host Anne DeSantis and a college friend, Maggie Riggins.

Maggie, the Campus Minister of DeSales University, talked about Lent in a way that made me want to take notes.

And I did. I totally went back and took notes. Here is what she said about Lent:

Lent is 40 days to renew our relationship with God.

When we are considering what we are going to “do for Lent”, focus on simplicity, sacrifice, and challenge.

THESE ARE THE 3 REASONS I AM NOT GIVING UP WINE FOR LENT!

“I liken it to a 7 day cleanse or detox or  a whole 30 program that people do to change their attitudes and behavior in order for a cleanse.

Lent is a 40 day spiritual cleanse and renewal that at the end you have a deeper understanding of yourself and a deeper relationship with God.

What we do for Lent should be simple – something that we can accomplish.

It should involve an element of sacrifice – we want to sacrifice the fact that we enjoy something, but that is meant to train our will to help us give up things that we DON’T LIKE.

We don’t like sinning.

We don’t like not being fully present to our kids or not making time for prayer.

And lastly, It should have an element of challenge.

Maggie Riggens, DeSales University Campus Minister

Maggie summed up her Lent wisdom the following way:

Lent is the challenge to build upon our spiritual strength. We start where we are, but build upon it with a spiritual practice or a new sense of sacrifice that you can take with you through Easter and hopefully the rest of your life.

Cool Lent socks – click here to buy yours!

If I  (Amy Brooks) gave up wine for Lent, it would be simple.

But, it wouldn’t be that much of a sacrifice because if I’m being honest, I rarely drink it nowadays.  It might be a sacrifice on that rare occasion I go out – but for the most part, even if I want a glass of wine one night, by the time I put the children to bed, the desire has passed and I just want to go to sleep too.

You can listen to Maggie talk about Lent on this episode of The Positive Side: The Positive Side with Amy Brooks and Maggie Riggins

So what would be simple, have an element of sacrifice and challenge my soul?

Giving 20 minutes a day to God.  Just God.

 

  • This is on the borderline of simple because – once again – twin one year olds.  However, they do nap, I do have a husband that is home by 5:30 most nights AND I have a neighbor that comes over to help me during the week.  So, I can check off simple.
  • Sacrifice – I want to write, I want to go on social media, I want to go through my to-do list, etc.  This time would be me sacrificing those wants.
  • Challenge – I am sure I will have excuses.  There will be days when I might not want to do it because, “I have so much to do”! It will definitely be a challenge for me.

Time is the biggest challenge when I think about all my goals.

My ultimate goal should be heaven.

Will you join me?

I believe that when we set goals with others, we are more likely to achieve them.

Would you like to give God 20 minutes a day for Lent?  If I’m being totally transparent here, I need to say this:

I need you to join me.  I can’t do this alone.  Please help!

If I post a video once a week for us to say how we succeeded in giving God 20 minutes some days and how we fell on others (if I am being totally realistic, it’s probably going to happen.  I am going to fail some days). . .

If we meet up once a week in the Prayer Wine Chocolate Facebook group <—- click to join

Would you watch it – even if you can’t catch it Live?  Maybe together we can do this.

Let’s NOT GIVE UP WINE for Lent, together.

Let’s give God more of ourselves.

Let’s give up our desires and wants for 20 minutes and ask the Lord to use that time in our lives for

His good,

His will, and

His presence.

If you are not on Facebook, or you are giving up Facebook for Lent – I can send out a post to my mailing list 2 weeks into Lent and share all the ups and downs I – and others have experienced!

Just make sure you subscribe here 🙂 Subscribe to Prayer Wine Chocolate

When you do subscribe you will get a ton of free resources – including prayer journal prompts for Lent.

I’m hoping some days I will be able to spend my 20 minutes prayer journaling – but we will see.

Other ways to give God 20 minutes (besides prayer journaling):

  • Saying a Rosary while I drive instead of listening to the radio

  • Going to Adoration for 20 minutes

  • Going to Mass on a day other than Sunday

  • Praying at 3:00 pm for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

  • Getting together with friends to pray the Rosary

  • Participate in a Parish event during Lent

  • Read a Lent themed book (Give Up Worry for Lent looks GREAT!)

  • Pray the Rosary with family after dinner – we did this last year and it was great!

You might be thinking, “but I already give God 20 minutes a day”.

Could you give Him 20 more?

What are you thinking about doing for Lent?  I’d love to hear and I KNOW others might need ideas too.  Please comment – tell us!  What are you going to do for Lent in order to renew your relationship with God?

Another Lent idea = Friday socks! A gentle, fun reminder to NOT EAT MEAT! Click to get yours!!

 

 



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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maggie says

    February 25, 2019 at 11:42 am

    Great article Amy!

  2. Anni says

    February 25, 2019 at 12:27 pm

    I am giving up “my heart’s desires” – but, you can read more about that on Wednesday. 😉

    It’s actually similar to how you figured out what you wanted to give up – based on the pillars of Lent, but manageable and doable for a mom with a lot going on.

    Praying you have a spiritually rewarding Lent this year!

  3. Heidi says

    February 25, 2019 at 6:02 pm

    Isn’t it funny how the first things some people think of, aren’t even tough for others. Lent is a personal spiritual journey and there are many great ideas here!

  4. Fouad says

    February 27, 2019 at 10:07 pm

    These are great ideas! I will think more about them!

  5. Courtney says

    March 1, 2019 at 1:09 am

    I was trying to figure out what to do in order to be “better” for my husband and kids – whether that was giving up Facebook, tempering my emotions and reactions, or something else. I think I love this idea, though. By devoting 20 minutes to God, I think I can accomplish my goal of being more present to those I love. Thank you for this post!

    I’m also going to attempt to add a Holy hour each week and at least one daily Mass. The Mass isn’t all that difficult to add in, as I’m already dropping my kids at school 30 minutes before Mass starts, and they attend Mass as a school every Friday.

    • Amy says

      March 1, 2019 at 7:40 am

      Hi Courtney! I am also thinking if I do a daily Mass at least once a week that will help me dedicate at least 20 minutes to God! My 2 of my 3 children are under the age of 2 – so only one goes to school- this makes going to Adoration tough. I really enjoy going, but it really is a challenge at this stage! I hope we both really make this happen and grow closer to the Lord!

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How can we love our identity and still be humble? How can we love our identity and still be humble?

Does that sound like a good title for a talk?

I’m working on a “Talk” on Identity (or a blog post if I chicken out 🐓)… and I’m really liking the topic of humility… along with modesty.
My plan was to post this morning and ask for your prayers… but along the way I saw that today is Saint Philip Neri’s feast day.
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I feel like some great message is coming together here, but, I need your prayers.

I mean, I don’t even know if posting about humility on Instagram is like, a total oxymoron?

I’m so thankful to have Scripture and the writing of Saints to help me. I’m also extremely grateful for your prayers.

May we both live as it is written in 1 Peter 5:5 ~
“And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:
“God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.”
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Do you have any questions or thoughts on humility?
Let me know in the comments!

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Do our sons understand what it means to be a “sp Do our sons understand what it means to be a “spiritual warrior “? Do we?

I learned and relearned a ton of things writing Be Yourself: a Journal for Catholic Boys.

Here’s what we all need to know about being a “Spiritual Warrior “:

1. Yes, there is a battle between good and evil and we are all in the midst of it. Years ago, in cartoons, it was common to see a devil on one shoulder and an Angel on another. It was CLEAR which voice was good and which was evil. The animation gave us a visual of what we were very familiar with.  Today, we must work a little harder so that all of us are detecting what is good and what is evil.

2. You don’t walk out onto a battlefield unprepared.
You put on your suit of armor and you bring your weapon. You do this FIRST! Faith is our shield, prayer is our greatest weapon. In other words, God has to be number one if we want to truly protect our soul. Knowing God has to be not only a priority, but our first priority.

3. We are not alone, but not everyone is going to grow in virtue. The virtues are our “armor of light” that protect us from the enemy. We would be wise to follow the advice of St. Francis de Sales in this, “Love everyone with a strenuous love based on charity, but form friendships only with those who can share virtuous things with you.”
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Prayer of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus O Jesu Prayer of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus

O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests;
for your unfaithful and tepid priests;
for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields;
for your tempted priests;
for your lonely and desolate priests;
for your young priests;
for your dying priests;
for the souls of your priests in purgatory.

But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me:
the priest who baptized me;
the priests who absolved me from my sins;
the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
the priests who taught and instructed me;
all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way (especially …).

O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart,
and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity.
Amen.
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I have a super sweet story to share with you! Las I have a super sweet story to share with you!

Last evening my husband and I decided that we were long overdue for praying a Rosary with the family.

We have friends searching for jobs that have asked us to pray and many others intentions.

Our kids were outside playing with a little girl who lives up the road.

I walked outside with a bunch of tangled up Rosaries (see reel I made yesterday) and told my 3 children they had to come in to pray the Rosary.

My daughter, who made this Rosary for me, asked if their friend could pray with us.

I said she was, of course, welcome to pray with us!

All 4 kids came inside and my son volunteered to lead the first decade. Our 9 year old guest led a decade too!

She stumbled a little with the words to the Hail Mary but by the end of her decade, I was so impressed.

Once we were done praying my husband complimented our young guest on how well she did.
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We haven’t even started yet and there’s an iss We haven’t even started yet and there’s an issue 😂 🪢 
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“I don’t even remember that”~ my Mom. When I “I don’t even remember that”~ my Mom.
When I told my mom how she inspired the title of the Be Yourself Journal, that was her response 😂.
As a tired Mama, I so appreciate this now.
It’s amazing what God’s grace and a mother’s love can do!
My mom felt bad that I felt left out. But, she was also tired and was probably in survival mode with 3 or 4 children at that point.
I get that now.
But God took what my mom didn’t say and placed in my heart the contents of the book I get to the author of!
I am finding so much relief in this realization today.
I often see my shortcomings as a Mother.
I’m tired.
I’m still disorganized like I was before motherhood.
But I do have faith in God and love for my children.
I believe that God knew exactly what He was doing when He chose me to be the mother of my children.
He knows my strengths and weaknesses.
His grace is sufficient… for all mothers.
Praise the Lord!
Happy Mother’s Day!

Share this post and remind others that it’s totally okay to not be perfect.
Keep loving!
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Did you know Our Lady of Fatima taught the three y Did you know Our Lady of Fatima taught the three young children a couple of prayers?

The Blessed Mother taught the children to offer all their personal sacrifices to God by praying:
O My Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Another prayer Our Lady taught the children was:

O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

I love how Our Blessed Mother encourages to us to start a prayer by addressing the Lord with these words:
“O my Jesus…”
One of my favorite prayers was taught to the Fatima children by an angel.
This is that prayer:

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.

Today, May 13th, is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

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Sometimes, when I go to Mass, the homily isn’t e Sometimes, when I go to Mass, the homily isn’t exactly stellar…

But bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes, when I attend Mass, the other people in the pews don’t participate in the prayers or sing the hymns…

But bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. The whole Christ is truly present.

Sometimes, when I’m at Mass my own mind wanders and I’m distracted by children who can’t sit still…

But bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

An incredible miracle happens at every Catholic Mass… 

The whole Christ is truly present -- body, blood, soul, and divinity -- under the appearances of bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the body of Jesus Christ, which was given up for me and you.

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