Lent

My sister and I have challenged each other to give up something for Lent. My precious Jennifer has given up bread...God bless her dear soul! I have also done the unthinkable...given up coke! Aarrrgghhh! I am fountain coke's biggest fan! I have also gotten into the habit of having one coke per day....and spending the whole day sipping from and relishing the one can.

Today started fine until I picked James up from school and then had to bypass the cokes in the garage as we came in to make lunch. That will be the hard part for a while I think.

So, the history of lent...I have no idea! I do not go to a Catholic Church and the only thing I know about Lent is that you should give up something that you love. I don't even know why. But, I've been thinking about it all day and thinking about how I can turn this want that I have for Coke into something for God. I decided that I will use my cravings as a reminder to thank God for all that I have in my life (did anyone see Oprah today?? Scary stuff what some people have lost during this economic crisis!). It will be a reminder to me that I am a spoiled rotten little girl and that I should be more grateful for the things that I do have rather than the things that I cannot have.

I also believe that denying yourself something you love can build character. It can also give you an opportunity to replace the one thing with something you have not done or tried before...or in my case, just a healthier option like the apple juice I had today at lunch and the water I will have with my dinner.

So, what about you? Are you giving up anything for lent? What are you replacing it with? Are you doing it to enjoy the challenge or do you have a spiritual goal that you would like to attain? I'ld love to hear about it!