Holy Habits for Children 
Lent is the perfect time to begin and practice new holy habits. This is a child-led holy habit practice of silence enhanced by engaging the senses of sight, smell, and touch.
- Lay down the mat.
- Take a deep breath to clear the cobwebs and oxygenate.
- Light the led candle (child-friendly) to remind us Jesus is the light of the world.
- Recite a verse. (The designer chose Haggai)
- Spend 60 seconds in silence being with God.
- Use the blessing balm (scented chapstick) to draw the sign of the cross on the back of your own hand or on the back of the hand of who you are with saying, "May the Lord bless you and keep you."
The lingering scent of the blessing (citrus scents will make you happy) remind you of God's presence long after the blessing has taken place.
Of all the five senses gifted by our Creator to keep us safe and enjoy the world He created, the sense of smell is the only one that does not fade as we age.
Using smells in sacred moments invites a holy habit to be stickier longer.
Note: the instructions in white are hard to see in this image but they guide the moment. And, the mat has an Easter side which is to be used from Resurrection Sunday through Pentecost.
Shared courtesy of Dede Reilly, McEachern Memorial UMC
