Who's up for Lent?

**acidcookie** · 02-21-2007, 10:31 AM

Ok, I am actually not Catholic in the least, but who here will be participating in Lent? And what are you giving up?

My freshman year I went to a Catholic school and because I had friends doing Lent, I gave up something too. I think it was coffee.

I still like the idea of doing without something for 40 days, even with no religious attachments. I think it's cleansing and builds discipline.

**geckoace** · 02-21-2007, 10:38 AM

I also do this we have always used this as a time to make some changes. so we are giving up the evil debit card and i am going to try to drink more water (i know that is not giving up something)

**Hollyhandi** · 02-21-2007, 10:41 AM

I'm giving up nothing this year.
Its not just Catholic faith that does this. ( our church does also )

**northernmom2boys** · 02-21-2007, 10:58 AM

I gave up chocolate but forgot and just ate one wahhhhhhh lol

**AmyMCGS** · 02-21-2007, 11:11 AM

I've been reading a lot on this the last few days... I'll hav a post later in my spiritual blog.

Anyways, one of the interesting concepts I've been reading about is adding something, rather than giving up something. I'm thinking of adding more Bible study... haven't decided for sure yet.

**KKCondrey** · 02-21-2007, 11:21 AM

This year I am going to complete the Purpose Driven Life in 40 days

**Edelweiss** · 02-21-2007, 11:24 AM

Every year I try to give up work or school, but I'm never able to follow through!

(I realize this is a serious topic, but I just can't resist a little religious humor!)

**acidcookie** · 02-21-2007, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Edelweiss

Every year I try to give up work or school, but I'm never able to follow through!

(I realize this is a serious topic, but I just can't resist a little religious humor!)

I don't think humor is inappropriate. I found it amusing

Also, I like your username.

**acidcookie** · 02-21-2007, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by KKCondrey

This year I am going to complete the Purpose Driven Life in 40 days

What is this?

**KKCondrey** · 02-21-2007, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by acidcookie

What is this?

Its a book that a lot of churches have read together the past year or 2. I started it and never finished it. My church back home did it and I loaned it to my mom and got it back recently.

http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/

**Jill B.** · 02-21-2007, 12:27 PM

My husband and children are Catholic. He is not really giving up anything but is doing more prayer and reading. The kids, I haven't heard anything. What we do in our house is to have meatless Weds. and Fri. until Easter. We also have a donation box for operation ricebowl. I try to increase our donations to charities during Lent. This means that somewhere in the budget, we give up things so we can donate more.

**TheRootedNomad** · 02-21-2007, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by AmyMCGS

I've been reading a lot on this the last few days... I'll hav a post later in my spiritual blog.

Anyways, one of the interesting concepts I've been reading about is adding something, rather than giving up something. I'm thinking of adding more Bible study... haven't decided for sure yet.

HAven't necessarily done any reading on this but I will be "technically" adding something instead of giving up something. The way I look at it is that you are giving up something (ie time, money, talent) to do whatever you've decided to do. If you tutor at the local elementary school, work at the soup kitchen, etc. I will be forcing some kind of excersize on myself for 15 minutes every day. (I guess this would fall in that giving up chocolate category) and I'm going to do something for someone I wouldn't normally do for twice a week. (annonomous baked goodies for a stessed co-worker, mow lawn for neighboor, those kind of things...I'm not talking about the good friend at the office or the nice neighboor...I'm talking about maybe the peolpe we just wave at and go on with our lives or somneone we haven't encountered before )

**AheeK** · 02-21-2007, 04:40 PM

Lutherans do Lent too.....

I'll be both giving up my BitTorrent (sigh...) and adding in exercising for a half hour every day.

**tlenad** · 02-21-2007, 04:53 PM

I'm giving up chocolate. I grew up Baptist and we didn't do Lent but I have several friends who are Catholic so I do it to support them. Plus I think it's a neat idea, it build discipline which is something I need to work on.

**redhead68** · 02-21-2007, 05:08 PM

This time around, my family is foregoing restaurant meals & spontaneous purchases to increase our tithe. The general idea is that we re-focus our efforts from serving ourselves to serving others; otherwise, it's purposeless deprivation. (I'm Lutheran, so deprivation without the component of helping others is unthinkable.) Lent is the most important time of the church year for us; it's a time of spiritual and physical discipline. Our family takes it very seriously. We pray more fervently, attend worship more frequently (Wednesday, too), and donate our time & money to assisting those in need. It's a period of sadness & grief and a time to look deeply into our hearts, but also a time of great hope because we know the end of the story and look forward with joy to the promise fulfilled in Easter.