Start LENT 2022

This is where I started my story with my experience of LENT.

The Woodlawn Presbyterian Church had this little pamphlet in their bookrack about Lent that I picked up . . . Yes ===>

My mother was Catholic, so I knew Lent is primarily a Catholic tradition. The very next morning I went to Saint Paul's next door: https://stpaulstpete.com/. Yes, I love walking around my block and stopping into the Lady of Lourdes garden that is next to the St Paul's Church. The experience I AM is so present and real for me here in the Euclid Saint Paul's Neighborhood that I live in. Knowing I need to learn how to Pray, Knowing I need to SHARE, again deep in the vibrations of what I hear and know as Jesus all the time:

Temptations beats us slowly as knowledge is power, remember the temptation is not a sin, two James: Shape of Lives by Joys of the Heart, How Jesus lived by the Joy of His Heart to endure that God takes sin very seriously—far more seriously than we do. We either obey God or disobey him, there is no other option, and he holds us accountable for our choices. We make our choices, and then our choices make us. Those choices put us on one of two roads through life, the easy way that leads to destruction or the hard way that leads to life (Matt. 7:13–14). Temptation and testing are intimately bound up with these decisions . . . .

1. Deception
2. Attractions
3. Desire
4. Conceptions
5. Subjection

I have learned to accept the guidance of Jesus that I receive in every moment. Yes, I accept that Jesus is always with me, and I really try to Pray unceasingly (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ). Like hearing this quote above on the Radio now, and recognizing my temptations to leave this posting incomplete. I already had signed up volunteering for a two hours monday morning with the Prayerline. I know my responsibility to complete my tasks before God, this is my responsibility to follow through and complete the opening and Graces that God shares with me.

Yes, when I arrived at Saint Paul's for the 7am Mass, I found this prayer guide by Alice Camille: "Lent 2022 Daily Reflections, Contemplations and Prayers." I have purchased these new one's pictured here, after my own was rained on, marked up, and is a complete mess. As I started Lent at St. Paul's, I was delighted to find this book at the entrance. 

After mass as I was walking out, and I looked around to see if I could find anything more to help, teach, and guide me in prayer. A sweet woman noticed me looking around and asked me if she could help. I told her I was trying to learn about Lent and how to pray. She told me to go to see the new young leader, Father Curtis at Saint Raphael's on Snell Island: https://st-raphaels.com. 

She told me they had Mass at 8am. I had time to race over on my bike and jumped right then. After Mass at St. Raphael's, I spoke to Fr. Curtis, who told me to speak to their administrator, and introduced me to her that moment. She invited me to join a new class about prayer starting this week after the morning Mass, and gave me this workbook immediately ====>

This set my focus very clearly, as all God’s Work comes easy for those who listen and I needed to take this very seriously. I started going to St Paul's at 7am and then St Raphael's at 8am, doing the reading from the Lent Prayer guide between. I soon learned about doing alms for Lent and changed my volunteer PrayerLine time from 4-6am Monday, to 4-5am M-F so i could get a serious schedule and habit started. Next on my new schedule was that I Listened to Family Focus at 5am on TheJoyFM.com and then the 5:30am InTouch Christian message that was followed by the Moments with Charles Stanley and the JoyFM Morning Devotional and Prayers at 6am.  I found this morning devotional time from 4am to 6am was very clear to get me focused, including making my bed, exercises lifting weights, and the morning bowl of fruit.

This allowed me to make it to Mass at St Paul's by 7am and then again at St. Raphael's by 8am which I did for most of Lent.