5th week of Lent, Tuesday – Loosely roll a magazine into a tube and peer into the great beyond, out a window or walk outside. Look at the cosmos through this limiting lens.  Notice the colour of the sky – day or night. Consider this direct line to the vastness of the universe….the known and the unknown. Now think of the vastness of the Creator of this vastness and mystery. Christ sustains the universe by his powerful command. Hebrews 1:3

3rd week of Lent, Saturday  – Look at one object, any object, within your view. Let your eyes examine it – trace all its edges, colour, light, etc. Let your eyes rest on this object seemingly without purpose, apart from taking note of it. Let your mind settle and relax. Live in the passage of time.

3rd week of Lent, Friday –The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. Genius 2:7 Think of your favourite person, living or dead. Picture them hugging you. Add as many people as you can think of who you would like to surround you with hugs right now. Then add the people who have supported these people with love too. Your place is in the centre of this ‘divinely given’ hug. You are not alone. This is love at work – outside of time, outside of space. Forever yours because you have been formed from the earth by God himself.

3rd week of Lent, Thursday – Put your hand on your Bible. Through the text in its earthy, tangible format and its everyday events, God is becoming known to you. This understanding of God has been passed down to you through the ages. As much as it reveals…much, much more is unknown about God. This is the divine mystery of which you are a part. Consider the known compared to the vastness of the unknown.

3rd week of Lent, Wednesday –Look at the grass you placed by your candle the other day. It likely looks shriveled and drying or moldy. Without God’s blessing in his continuous creation of life and the circumstances for life, there would not be life. Your action in removing this grass from its roots changed the grass’s existence from living to dying. A natural enough process perhaps, but effected by you. What else does humanity affect in our time, with our acceptance? Which of those many things within your view yesterday would you give up for the life and health of the planet? For God’s sake?

3rd week of Lent, Tuesday – Look at and touch ‘natural things’ you can reach from where you sit. Do you see any? Look at and touch the ‘man-made’ things you reach from where you sit. Do you see any? Everything we have is a combination of ‘naturally occurring elements’ or  these same elements transformed or harvested through the effort of humanity. All come to us as God’s blessing in His creativity of the world, the cosmos and human form. Stop to consider and admire this handiwork.

2nd week of Lent, Saturday – Look at the glass of water within your view. Let your eyes examine it – trace all its edges, colour, light, etc. Swirl it, tip it,  pour it, wet your face, hands, etc. Let your eyes rest on this object seemingly without purpose. Let your mind settle and relax.

2nd week of Lent, Friday – My Mom would often say…’Go ahead and cry, that’s why Gods gave you tears.’ She was a wise woman. Tears are salty water. The world has cried buckets of tears in answer to the pain of living. Join the world in its sorrow. Add some salt to your glass of water and consider your being part of humanity and sharing its collective pain. Drink the water as though years of tears.