Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is on February 10 this year, and leads us to Easter on March 27. Are you familiar with Lent?
I used to get super stressed about this season. Lent. This 40-day journey leading up to Easter… a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus… all He is and all He’s done. (No pressure, right!?)
There are many ways to engage in the Lenten season – prayer, fasting, simplistic living – all with the aim of drawing closer to God. In the past, I leaned toward the Downward Spiral route into “how can I possibly prepare my heart (AND my children’s hearts!!!) to even REMOTELY grasp what Easter really means.” And, being a recovering perfectionist, I can still easily fall into the “All or Nothing” trap. (I can’t do it ALL, so I’ll do NOTHING.) (So healthy, I know.)
But two years ago, I began a simple new tradition with my children for these weeks leading up to Easter: we read The Jesus Storybook Bible
(If you’re doing the math, don’t despair — the 40 days excludes Sundays — so yes, there are actually more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.)
And you guys – reading this together has been so powerful. (Even if you don’t have children, please get a copy and read it anyway. I promise you’ll be glad you did. I get at least as much out of it as my kids.)
“But Lent and Easter are about JESUS. Why would you start all the way back at the BEGINNING of the Bible? Doesn’t Jesus show up much later?”
I’m so glad you asked!
Did you know that the entire Bible points to Jesus? All the way back to the beginning. As The Jesus Storybook Bible says: “Every story whispers His name.” Where better to start than the beginning?
To help you stay on track with which chapter you’re on, I’ve put together a new 2016 Lent Reading Plan. (And bonus – if you fold it in half lengthwise, it makes a great bookmark!) Click here or on the image below to download the FREE printable file!
Don’t have a copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible yet? You can click here
What do you think of this idea? What does your family do to prepare for and celebrate Easter? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
All the Little Pieces 
Hey Amanda!
Not sure if you remember me or not, but we met at She Speaks in 2014. We were in a writer’s critique group to give each other feedback on our writing samples. I was in the early stage of writing a devotional book for runners and you graciously gave me feedback on one of my devotional readings (which was in pretty rough form!) After another year and a half of diligently working on my book, I recently got a book contract with a small Christian publisher!! The book’s title is “Embracing the Race: 40 devotions for the Runner’s Soul”
It is supposed to come out late summer/early fall of this year. I wanted to let you know my news since you are a runner. I would love to have your help in spreading the word about my book when it comes out. Crosslink Publishers doesn’t do a lot of marketing, so I’m carrying most of that load on my own. I’m trying to connect with other runners who blog, with the hope that they can help me let others know about my book. I’ll keep you posted as I find out more details!!
Hope you are doing well. I love reading your posts!! You are a very gifted writer and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this! Blessings to you!
Lisa
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