The Lenten season is a time of fasting and releasing. I have gotten so comfortable here, Holy Week has slipped up on me.
Easter is almost here!

In that comfortable place of Lent, I've had some trouble thinking about celebrating Easter. Maybe you've felt overwhelmed by the troubles of the world too? It's easy to be distracted by the hard and heavy things of this life and miss out on the good things promised to us by our Creator. 

But as a follower of Jesus, I do not want to miss out on celebrating the goodness of Easter! So, how do I move from Lent to Easter (and through an emotional Holy Week)?

My yoga knowledge reminds me how powerful presence is in the body using the senses. So this week, I am choosing to engage in tactile prayer experiences. And, I thought you too may enjoy this experience. I invite you to grab some crayons or markers and print the mandala resource below. It guides you with some thoughts to ponder as you pray and color. 

No matter what you face today, may you...
​
Taste and see how good the Lord is!    
The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!
- Psalm 34:8 CEB

Silence: A Poem
by Whitney R. Simpson

She is my companion
yet I avoid her gaze

She is my teacher
yet I push back at her instruction

She is my guide
yet I veer from her course

She is my friend
yet I wonder why she comes near

She is my gift
and I long to savor her more fully

She is inviting me to a oneness with God,
listen...do you hear her?

Why not?

I avoid her gaze
because at first she looks lonely

I push back at her instruction
because of my own agenda

I veer from her course
because I am easily distracted

I wonder why she comes near
because there is always another choice

Yet I long to savor her
like never before

And once I say yes to her
I receive an awareness I never knew
​she could introduce to me

She is my companion,
my teacher,
my guide,
my friend

She is God's gift

​Silence