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Lent starts on Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday

Lent, what is it that you will obstain from for forty days?

what is Lent and why no meat?
have you been half way through a hamburger when you realize it's friday?
how are you doing so far?
i have already messed up.
i knew it was Ash Wednesday and yet i ate that hamburger.
i totally forgot it was a day to abstain from meat.

not a heavy topic, just wanted to know what everyone is 'giving up'
or in my case i am going to call or email my mother each day.
this is a big one for me, i tend to avoid confrontations.

good luck during Lent, everyone♥

I had a decent talk with the Associate Rector at my church after the Ash Wednesday service about what to give up for Lent.

You see, I'm underweight/malnutritioned, so I really shouldn't "give up" any food or the Doctors would want to kill me. Also, being disabled, something like driving less would hurt me as well. I don't have a "smart phone" so I use online for communications with people, and without that I miss my appointments which is basically "my job". I don't have any of the standard vices... I barely drink (I'll probably drink once for leasure within the fourty day period?), I don't smoke, I don't do street drugs, and I'm celebate.

I tried to think of something that I did everyday that would kind of be considered a "waste of time". The only thing I could really think of (that didn't fall under the communications category)... was YouTube.

Yes, I'm giving up YouTube for Lent. I felt really stupid about it, but she told me that more people are trying to think about what they could "add to" their life to become closer to God, which is the ultimate goal. Fasting is normally a much more prominent feature in Judaism and Islam... not so much in Christianity.

I have one of my old youth group books and so if I accidentally start to watch a video, I'll read and think about a section. If knowingly I watch a full youtube video I'll memorize the bible verses.

So far I've only broken it once... but ohsweetlord it was a fireman rescuing an unconscious kitten the size of his hand! He was in a smoky building and there was something on the floor he almost stepped on... it was a tiny kitten. He picked the unmoving little thing up and showed another fireman what was in his hand... then he went outside and put oxygen on its face and poured a bottle of water over it. I normally am quite bothered by the sounds of animals in distress but when it started crying out (meaning that it was alive), I was almost in tears... so yes, it was 'worth' reminding myself that we are all Sons and Daughters of the Almighty to see that...

How about yourself, Hummy?

i'm 'giving up' avoiding my mom. i am going to either call or email her each day. she thinks i don't call enough. it makes me overly anxious, but it's something i think i should do more often than i do.
i think 'giving up' youtube is good. and it's the effort of thought and deed that matters most, i think any way. good luck =)

so far i have not forgotten to abstain from eating meat on fridays *happy dance*