Lent: Making it real for our whole family

As I considered Lent this year, I felt the Lord remind me of His love proven through His cross. This Lent is odd for me: the normal fasts I'm accustomed to simply aren't possible this pregnancy. For the first time since I was a teenager I won't be able to fast between meals, let alone a complete fast for a whole day. But I can join in the sacrifice of Jesus' cross in other ways, particularly when I remember the love that led Him there, the love that kept Him there, the love that motivated Him to obey the Father's will, the love that caused the Father to ask Him to make such a sacrifice. I may not be able to fast from all food, but I can abstain from certain foods; I can fast from other activities; I can grow in certain areas of my prayer life; I can focus on particular ways of loving my family and other people I interact with regularly.
.
I made a felt calendar last year as a way to help my children see the progression of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Each day is represented by a pocket, six in a week (we make exceptions for Sundays), allowing them to see how far away or how close we are to the end of our season of extra sacrifices. While I could easily use a normal calendar, I like having all 40 days together (no turning pages to see the end) and a very clear visual beginning/end to the season.
.
Like our Thanksgiving Challenge, I have a bunch of papers cut out for us to use throughout Lent. It is especially appropriate with our theme for the year to use paper hearts. We plan each morning to ask each member of the family to decide on one thing they will do to love Jesus that day. While my husband and I have sacrifices we plan to do throughout the 40 days, we may have opportunities that are appropriate for just one day. We won't be giving desserts to our children, so that will be a sacrifice they continue throughout the season, but there are a lot of exceptions for our family during the upcoming weeks when it will be better to have a different sacrifice and this will give them an opportunity to begin choosing their own sacrifices and their own ways of loving Jesus, without overwhelming themselves by a whole month and a half of the same sacrifice. We will tuck the four papers (one for each family member) into that day's pocket and see each day bring us closer to the celebration of Christ's resurrection and victory over sin.
.
Meanwhile, whether the sacrifice is planned that morning or made spontaneously during the day, every sacrifice can be celebrated by a button or bead dropped into our heart canister. Examples might be cheerful obedience, helping a younger child, loving a family member when you'd rather do your own activity, helping someone with her chore, biting your tongue when you'd like to say something mean, responding patiently when someone irritates you, eating something you'd rather not, not eating something you'd like, not eating at all for a specific time, etc. All those beads and buttons will turn into candy on Easter morning. All the regular candy will be set out, but the amount in the jar will depend on how many buttons and beads have built up in it over the weeks between now and then.
.
Linked with Works for Me Wednesday, Fellowship Friday, Modest Monday