1. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are what Lent is all about. This week’s Quick Takes are all to help with those goals.
2. I want to give a shout out to my Lenten Prayer Buddies! I hope you”re having a holy Lent! Whoever’s praying for me, I’m grateful that I have you on my side! And the person I’m praying for, you don’t know who you are (yet) but I’m grateful I have you to keep me focused on praying every day and praying for something besides my own lame complaints.
3. This isn’t technically almsgiving, but Kiva deserves a mention! Kiva is a site that provides small (to us Westerners) loans to people in developing countries to allow them to meet a goal, usually starting a business or expanding their current business. When the loan is funded, the recipient is able to better provide for their family and gain some self-sufficiency rather than just a handout. And when the loan is paid back, you can re-loan your contribution to another entrepreneur. I’ve been loaning and re-loaning the same $50 over several years and have funded over a dozen new businesses so far.
4. Here’s a charity I just found: Reece’s Rainbow, which provides grants that allow parents to adopt special needs children. Get some tissues and then go look at all the little angels who need good homes. (Thank you to Leila at Little Catholic Bubble for drawing my attention to this site!)
5. On the fasting front, DH and I have both been successful at giving up beer. However, we have been drinking more wine. I’m not sure if that’s really in keeping with Lent. I’ve also avoided Facebook for the last week, but that doesn’t count as “giving it up” for Lent since I don’t miss it.
6. Need some help in observing Lent? Check out 40 Ways to Get The Most Out of Lent at The Crossroads Initiative.
7. It’s Friday, so we need a song! Since it’s Lent, I’ll post a hymn: Be Thou My Vision.
I’d argue that Kiva does count as almsgiving because you’re giving to the poor and that gift is transformed. Of the 13-14 loans I’ve made, only one has defaulted and I joyously await the statement each month of how much has been paid back so I can re-loan the funds once it hits $25.
We’re giving up the beer and wine also. The only time I really miss it is on Friday evenings when we would have a glass of something and just unwind from the past workweek.