Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday and I have been toying with what I might do in observance of Lent (which I believe begins as soon as I go to my church's Ash Wednesday service so I still have some time).

In the past, I have given up (among other things):
TV - not too hard really
cussing - a disaster - I think I cussed more
chocolate - pretty hard
alcohol - really easy
sweets - too broad of a category.

I have also done something instead of given something up and that worked better for me. One year, our church had a calendar of activities and each cost something and I put the money in a jar and on Easter Vigil the money was donated to Lutheran World Relief. That was really fulfilling. Another year, I made a point to think one positive thought each day about my mother (you have to know me to understand this one).

This year, I am thinking of spending one hour each day in Lent going through the things I never use, books I never read, and clothes I never wear and donating them to charity. I am holding on to a lot of things. And what are they really? They're just things. I think by spending time each day physically putting aside these things, I can reflect on how much more important God is to me than all of these things.

Besides, I can't give up alcohol. I'm going to Ireland. Though I am probably going to participate in the Great American Meat Out on March 20th.

I'll let you know how it goes...