Keep LOVE in LENT

Are you feeling pressured to have your holiest, Sacrifice and prayer-filled Lenten Journey this year? Do you ever find that you start out on Ash Wednesday with your ashes on your forehead and so many Sacrifice and prayer resolutions, but get discouraged by the second week because you can't stick to them all?

How about focusing on one solid resolution or Lenten program or one different challenge each week: one that our families might be able to stick with, will draw all of us closer to Jesus, and one that we can carry out with love in our hearts instead of grumpy Lent faces.

Do you want to share what your family is doing for Lent this year?

Then join us, Tina of Truly Rich Mom, and Erika of Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, and Monica of Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013.

We're also going to incorporate a totally optional Follow Frenzy feature for those who want to be inspired by other people's posts, with the added benefit of getting meaningful comments and new followers to your own blog.

A blog link-up is where we each write a blog post on the same theme. Everyone will get links to other bloggers’ posts to multiply your reach, and to help spread the message of Keeping LOVE in LENT!

You will have the option to participate in the Follow Frenzy, committing to visit and leave meaningful comments at 20 different blog-posts  participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up (and receiving 20 meaningful comments on your own blog-post!)

You don't have to participate in the Follow Frenzy, especially if reduced blog-time is part of your Lent!

The LInk-Up is open to all bloggers who agree with the its' goal, particularly Catholics and Christians of all denominations who observe LENT. You may write about anything that pertains to the blog theme, e.g. share tips on how you and your family keep LOVE in LENT:  stories to encourage others to do so; books and activities (even recipes!) that help keep Lenten Observances of fasting, abstinence from meat on Fridays, extra prayer, cleaning and giving clothes away to the poor, special Catholic devotions and practices like extra weekday Masses or Stations of the Cross, etc.

To participate, please follow these steps:

1. Register by filling up the form at the end of this post or clicking here ON OR BEFORE Pancake Tuesday, February 12, 2012.

2. Write your blog post on the theme, "Keeping LOVE in LENT" in the first part of LENT and publish the blog post on February 19-20, 2013, filling out the form we send you with the direct address to your blog-post  no later than February 20, 2013 at 9AM (EST).  You will receive the complete list of Blog-post links by noon on February 20, 2013 (EST) for you to add at the bottom of your post.

At the beginning of your blog carnival post, 

write the following as your introduction and include the Love in LENT button!

"I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013, hosted by Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and carrying them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE.  Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries.”

The deadline for registration for the carnival is February 12, 2013 (Pancake Tuesday). 

Posting instructions and Link-Up  rules will be e-mailed to all participants on February 14, 2013 and the link-up will go live on February 20, 2013. PLEASE PUBLISH YOUR BLOG-POSTS no later than 9am EST on February 20, 2013.

PLEASE NOTE:

Kindly write about the theme provided. We do not moderate or screen posts but we do reserve the right to exclude your entry from the list of link-up participants should your post be offensive, irrelevant to the theme, contain personal attacks, off-topic articles, articles that are anti-Christ or are articles aimed to market products or services.

Important Dates:

1. REGISTER HERE your blog by February 12, 2013.

2. Publish your blog-post on February 19 or 20, 2013. (No Later than February 20 at 9am EST).

3. Send in your direct blog-post address (by filling out the form we send you) 

as soon as you publish your blog-post, no later than February 20 at 9am EST.

4. Add the list of link-up participants to the end of your blog post by February 20, 2013 at noon. EST.

You will receive a list of link-up participants as I receive them on February 19, 2013 with the final list compiled for you to edit at the end of your blogpost by noon on February 20, 2013.

OPTIONAL FOLLOW FRENZY:

5. Specify in the registration form that you intend to participate in the FOLLOW FRENZY.

6. Receive your list of blogs to visit on February 20 by noon EST.

7. Visit, leave meaningful comments and hopefully subscribe or follow 20 newly discovered Blogs by February 24, 2013.  

Thank you very much! 

We're excited to read your entries and help spread the word on how to keep LOVE in LENT!