I have never partook in the Lent season - mostly because it was not a part of the traditions of my religious upbringing and because I didn't really want to.
I didn't even know what a Fat Tuesday was until I moved to Michigan a few years ago and I've never had ash, smudged in the form of a cross on my forehead - but I have hunted for eggs, which has about as much relevance to Easter as Santa does to the birth of Christ [reminds me of Jim Gaffigan's take on religious holidays].
But this year I have decided to challenge myself to give up a bad habit for 40 days (in hope to rid it or at least get it under control). If you know me, you probably know I have an addiction to candy that is humorous and ridiculous. I honestly am addicted - I love sugar and eat it all the time, with 2 root canals in the past 12 months to prove it. But because I don't have to stop, I don't - my wife genuinely is scared I'll become diabetic because of it.
So, I am giving up candy for 40 days because I can, because I don't need it, because I'll be healthier for it and because I compulsively eat it all the time (no 
lie). So I don't know much about Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and I don't get the Easter Bunny, hollow-chocolate-shaped things, plastic-candy-filled eggs and especially those gross marshmallow peeps, but I do want to be a disciplined person and pursue God's best for my life. Not that a lack of candy is that, but it is a means to that for me.
Thoughts on Lent? Are you giving anything up?
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22 comments:
Hopefully this post does not come across as a slam on others religious traditions - I'm not trying to legitimize others, but I do struggle with it. Especially putting an image of Jesus (and not a historically accurate one at that) on a egg seems like the pinnacle of irrelevance to me. It doesn't connect with the spiritually seeking world and doesn't connect with the story of which it claims origin.
I'm mailing you a month's supply of hot tamales.
Fail!
Ryan - I appreciate the support - jerk! I ate a box yesterday though, in preparation, and a box of Rasinets. Seriously.
I am addicted to sugar as well! Maybe you should start a support group...
Haha, I think this is something I might try to do. In my mind I have already failed, but we shall see!
While I don't personally practice Lent, it isn't a part of my "religious tradition" I do get the idea of giving something up so that one can shift ones focus onto God. I think it is a good idea. Kind of like fasting, but less hardcore.
I will have to ponder this...
no sweets? that's not a life worth living lol... j/k
i like sweets too, not so much candy but other sweet tasting things like ice cream :/...
you know Kevin, it would have been better if you had posted this a few weeks ago so those who wanted to join you could be mentally prepared! lol.
isn't the point to give something up and replace it with someting spiritual? So whats the replacement?
Good for you, Kevin!
Is not easy giving up something that has crept up into an overly important place in your life.
Takes guts to face up to it.
Fasting is one of the disciplines I find the most challenging -
Have answered your question about Woollies on my blog, if you wanna go see
Tiff - I'm with you on the support group - seriously, I'll need it.
Stacey - it's totally a fasting thing, but for me this is going to be hardcore - 40 days is a long time.
Denise - sorry about that, maybe you could do a 35 day Lent and take a few days to gear up.
Bob - you sound a little judgmental in that comment - maybe you don't realize how hard this will be - the replacement will be depending on God to survive it - seriously. I just got back from lunch and the restaurant had individually wrapped caramels at the host stand instead of mints - o' if it weren't lent I would have stuffed my pockets! This is real sacrifice.
Allie - I'll check on the Woollie thing and thanks.
Didn't mean to come off as saying it isn't hardcore. 40 days is a long time. I gave up soda, meat, and chocolate for a fast in Jauary for a week and it took some hardcore reliance on God to help me.
Stacey I was just kidding - no worries. Plus I know I'm totally hardcore :)
Nice post. I was literally torn last night I as I thought about today. at first I joked about giving up coffee, then was like heck no, then was like "wow, I'm addicted..." So I started a month of tea this morning. This may be too hard.
Be careful not to confuse personal discipline/betterment with something spiritual. It's probably good to give up candy for awhile, but is that spiritual? And if it really isn't, does it have anything at all to do with Lent?
I personally don't normally give things up for Lent because of the above...
As a community house we are Daniel Fasting and Reading the Purpose Driven Life.
well i'm joining an opportunity drawing (not gambling!lol) in March as part of weight loss challenge... and i'm going to have to be giving up many things.... that makes me sound like a heathen in comparison to your Lent-ness...
you'll be able to do it, i'm confident that you will make it past the 40 days, its just going to suck though D:
You and I could open up restaurants next door to each other and not have a single common menu item. I love white castle and peeps!
Lent isn't part of my tradition either but I had to laugh at my total lack of spiritual awareness today.
I saw a guy on Fox News this morning with ashes on his forehead and I actually thought to myself, "Wow! I wonder what smacked that guy in the forehead to leave such a nasty bruise; and I wonder why they didn't cover it with makeup before he went on the air."
It wasn't until lunch today when I saw another person with the same "bruise" that I remembered it was Lent!
Duh! Maybe next year.
Matt - coffee - you are crazy! That would be hard for me and I know you drink coffee even more than me. I love my some dry cap!
Carrie - it's all in what you make it. Self betterment is definitely part of it, but in realizing things that I'm unhealthy brings me to think about who I'm trying to be in this journey. And since I'm both a physical and spiritual being, I believe what I do in one aspect has consequences in the other.
Med - what is Daniel Fasting? Assuming it has something to do with Daniel? Do tell. Of course I could just read my bible and find out, but I'm asking you.
Denise - you don't sound like a heathen. The weird part is that I compulsively eat the crap out of candy - all the time, but once I decided to stop, it was really easy. Yesterday wasn't hard at all but just took me reminding myself - so much in life comes down to being intentional.
Jason - sounds like a plan. Would your employees wear cowboy boots too? Cause then we could be absolute polar opposites.
Kraig - I get ya. Where I grew up in Colorado there was not a large Catholic population - so I was oblivious to it all - totally unaware of other traditions than my own. But since I haven't taken part in any kind of fast in a long time, it felt like the time.
I never celebrated lent growing up. Although I dont think its a bad idea to sacrifice something for 40 days...It can probably help with some bad habbits or rotten teeth :)
Not really doing it this year though
Well Daniel Fasting is based on eating more healthy. No meat. No alcohol. No smoking (fail).
Basically trying to intake veggies and fruits...and pasta or soup or breads.
Okay...that's it.
Maybe you should give up Twitter for a month.
Heather - thanks for the Twitter support through this process.
Justin - but I love meat!
Ryan - maybe you should give up Twitter for a month.
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