Soul Sculpting 2018 Lenten Challenge

The Challenge: Make a prayer list of 100 things you love.

When: February 14 – Ash Wednesday through April 1- Easter

Lord, I love hiking in the High Country (above timberline).

What do You love?

This Lent I am going to create a Prayer List of 100 Things I Love.

Why?    To reach these three goals:

• Increase my connection with God — Sharing myself with my Creator.
• Increase my ability to thrive — Experiencing greater well-being and happiness.
• Increase the thriving of others around us — My thriving is contagious to others.

To reach these goals with me I invite you to:

1. Notice things that you love
2. Tell God about them
3. Write them on a list

Several years ago I was laying out in a hammock after a day of repairing fence when I experienced two memorable moments. The first came from the book I was reading, Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. This book told the story of Ann’s healing experience as she compiled a list of 1000 things that she loved/gifts.

I was only half-way through the book when I thought “What a good idea. Why don’t I start my own list?”

So that week I started my own 1000 Things List and after a short time I discovered that it boosted my well-being. I suggested it to friends and they also had the same positive experience. It seemed especially valuable in increasing happiness. 

As I studied the psychology of well-being I began to discover why such a simple project had such profound effect. I will share some of those discoveries as we progress through Lent.

But for now I invite you to ‘see for yourself’.

Soul Sculpting Project:

1. Notice things that you love
2. Tell God about them 
3. Write them on a Prayer List

My second memorable moment came as I continued reading in the hammock. I noticed that our small dog had quietly left and I heard some bushes rustling a few yards away. I looked over to see a small bear passing through the yard. The bear moved on through and I removed myself from the hammock and relocated to the porch-closer to the door- to continue my reading. My reading was not quite as focused as I kept an eye out for mom.