For Those Who Lent

MamaTree17 · March 2014

For those who participate in Lent, or if you just want to help, what are you doing this year? I realize I'm a few days late but usually I try to give something up and also make one positive promise (volunteer once a week, work out x number of times a week, etc.). This year, I got nothing. Need some inspiration!

Related, I feel like people vary on if Sunday's are "cheat" days?

coffee89 · March 2014

Apparently DH and I agreed to give up cursing and unneeded sweets. I don't really remember this agreement but I'm going with it. Sweets I can handle, but I've got a potty mouth and it's proving a huge challenge.

I'm also purging my house of stuff we don't need and donating as much as possible. I've got too much junk that other people could use. I just found two drip coffee makers but we have a kureig....why did I think I'd ever need to save the drip maker (let alone two of them)

My hubby believes in Sunday being a break (as did the man who did my RCIA classes last year) but I'm not really doing anything huge that I feel I'll need the break. Maybe if I gave up meat for the entirety of Lent, or something similar then I'd break it on Sundays.

clee2009 · March 2014

Wine!

(Unfortunately this will go past even Lent....)

MamaTree17 · March 2014

@katburdette thanks for the link!

@smhorak great idea on the purging and donating. I have been getting the spring cleaning urge already and just feeling overwhelmed with general clutter. I think setting aside a weekend to go through and make a big donation would be great.

curlylocks3 · March 2014

Praying the Rosary daily is what I'm doing this year. Typically one of the mysteries leads me to looking up a passage or reading something. I've always enjoyed praying the Rosary though and find it very calming and centering.

I'm struggling a tiny bit with some guilt this year in that I'm obviously not participating in any of the food stuff. I pointed out to my H that pregnant women are clearly exempt from fasting but I'm also working really hard to correct my anemia without taking iron tabs, which means giving up meat is just a no go. I'm eating it twice a day, every day. As much as I tell myself it's more important that I (and the babies) be healthy than that I skip eating meat on designated days I still struggle with it. No real point to the second half of my post since there is nothing to be done about it, but I figured if we were talking about Lent I could share some of my good old Catholic guilt

FAWKES81 · March 2014

I'm giving up my Kindle for lent this year. I did it a few years ago as well. I usually give up drinking/sodas. Being pregnant means no alcohol anyway and I already limit sodas to one per day for the caffeine content. I'm not eliminating soda completely because the caffeine helps with my headaches.

As an avid reader, my Kindle really is a sacrifice! I personally feel it is the intent behind the sacrifice not the sacrifice itself. I'm Episcopalian so we don't do the whole no meat on Fridays thing nor do we do the cheat on Sunday (that I'm aware of).

kimberly11511 · March 2014

I am giving up online shopping this year, and we are giving more to the church with the money I am not spending. Our church is very open with cheating on Sunday since Lent does not end for us on Palm Sunday.

Mia081081 · March 2014

I am not giving anything up in particular, but I am putting my phone away from 5-8pm every evening. That's when I pick up DD from daycare or one of her grandparents' houses, and sometimes I look up to see myself and DH checking email instead of playing with DD. WTF self - I only get a few hours with her a day. I do NOT need to be checking my phone during that time.

And it shouldn't feel like a sacrifice to do this, but it's harder than it seems. So I guess it really isn't "giving something up" since I will be getting quality DD time in return, but I just need the extra push to do it this year.

elsa1688 · March 2014

FWIW, I grew up Catholic but now belong to a non-denominational church. Our sermon on Sunday was about fasting for lent (however you choose to interpret that, giving up one thing, many things, etc) and feasting on Sundays. The message was to treat Sundays like mini-Easters and celebrate.

MrsP419 · March 2014

I have not given up anything for Lent necessarily, and honestly with the way I feel like I am just surviving most days, I think I would feel like a failure by day 2. BUT, apart from Lent, I have been really convicted lately about spending too much time mindlessly checking Facebook when I am home with my kids. So starting this past Tuesday, I had DH change my password, logged out during the daytime hours (so like 8-6) and only have access to messenger in case someone needs to get in touch with me. I haven't missed it NEARLY as much as I thought I would, and when I get back on in the evenings, I am not nearly is glued to it. I also did a big newsfeed purge and went to a really encouraging talk on honoring God through social media in preparation. So, while it really is a coincidence that it is the same time as Lent, it kind of has had the same effect for me.

emandjp · March 2014

I am not "giving up" anything in particular this year...just trying to "do" things. I cleaned out my closets and my daughter's closet and we are donating everything to a local women's Catholic charity.

I, too, have never heard of Sunday being a cheat day.

When you are pregnant or nursing you do not have to give up meat on Friday's, which I am thankful for because I crave it when I am pregnant.

chloephoebecali · March 2014

I am not really giving anything specifically up, just giving up excessiveness -only one cookie instead of five,

etc. Also, our church is focusing on 40 acts of service for Lent and I am participating in that. I will be volunteering at our weekly soup kitchen/community super and the kids will be donating toys.

MamaTree17 · March 2014

@mia081081 i love what you're doing and is something I've really been thinking of too. Same situation - work all day and am home with DD for only 3-4 hours before she's off to bed. I am on a computer all day but somehow still tend to be on my phone constantly. I think my goal is just to be more present - be that no more phone, internet, tv, whatever. Just concentrating on more quality time with my DD which is especially important to me before DD2 comes!

Cherylwang · March 2014

A friend of mine just told me today that she is giving up sweets and soda during lent. I figure since I'm pregnant I am giving up a lot already so I don't think I'm going to give up anything extra but since my son is making his communion in a few months and I have really been slacking on going to church I plan to really make a effort and go during lent and beyond.

PressLove · March 2014

Like PPs, DH and I believe our sacrifice should bring us closer to God and possibly benefit others. We gave up cursing. We implemented a swear jar with all the all the proceeds going to charity. I'd like to say we won't curse at all, but in my heart I know we will be making a donation.

In addition to giving up something, I'm also praying more. This year, my goal is to focus this extra prayer time on other people. Everyday, I pick someone different to pray for.

Good luck with your lenten endeavors!

JohannaD22 · March 2014

I always try to give something up. This year I'm giving up Dunkin Donuts. There's one on my way to work and I tend to stop there every morning. So far so good. Only a few days in though. I figure I can save money and just make muffins or tea at home.

hlp2709 · March 2014

For me I will be trying to get rid of stuff that we do not use and find someone that could use it or give it away. I also am trying to do one thing nice for someone during the day. Also I think I will try my best to leave work problems at work and not bring the home as much as I have the last few weeks. Also spending more time with my family.

MrsAMB07 · March 2014

Similar to a few posters, I'll be giving up my phone when my kids are awake to devote myself more fully to my family. I'm also going to go to mass more consistently. DH and I are also taking this time to get rid of a lot of "excess" in our home and donate what we can.

I don't do the cheating on Sundays, because I didn't grow up with it. I don't fast on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday while pregnant/breastfeeding, but I do give up meat on Fridays.

temursgirl · March 2014

I'm Episcopalian and I only heard very recently of Sundays being "cheat days," so I don't do that. Some of my relatives observe no meat Fridays, and I believe they do this year round.

Since I'm not a big drinker or sweets eater, I usually give up meat, by which I mean I am vegetarian for Lent. I do take a few break days, one being my birthday which is always during Lent, my brother's birthday, which is sometimes during Lent, and on the occasion we're invited to someone's home (I don't like to make a big deal out of it, so I will eat what they serve). I have a pretty limited diet right now, so I can't really do that fast. Giving up sweets might be a possibility, but my GD test results may make that necessary anyway.

To me the most important thing isn't the sacrifice, but the reflection that goes along with it. This year I just need to reflect more, and I have plenty to reflect upon. I reflect on improvements I'd like to make in how I live, which could mean a major change like getting rid of behaviors I don't want LO to have, or smaller things, like keeping in touch better with aging relatives.

MrsRahl · March 2014

I am not Catholic, but Pentecostal, however we do fast throughout the year and I've always loved the idea of fasting during the lenten season. I am a youth group leader, so we are reading the Gospels during our 40 day fast, so that's just 2 chapters a day which is totally doable

I've been struggling with something to fast (we don't fast food always) and I like the idea of designated times off the of the cell phone/computer. DH and I are totally guilty of this in the evenings. Thanks for the ideas :-*

kibean · March 2014

I am giving up refined sweets totally and trying to stick as close as I can to my GD diet plan (yes I would be doing this anyways, but it is extra incentive).

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