Ahh Lent, or as I say, a second chance at that failed new year’s resolution! The “Lenten Promise” or the “Lenten Sacrifice” or whatever you call it has been an institution in my life for as long as I can remember. First you have “Paczki Day” where you commemorate clearing the cupboards of sweets and such for lent by eating doughnuts, but DON’T CALL THEM DOUGHNUTS!, the purest would say, if you are doing it right, they are much worse for you than doughnuts. My source: Hamtramck or Wyandotte MI (both old Polish Neighborhoods). I mean eat all the Paczki until the stroke of midnight Tuesday or else.

In all actuality, my Lenten let’s say “restrictions” over the years have been really successful. It must be that good Christian guilt that was instilled in me when I was you. I mean I was told God is everywhere and sees all. That made for some awkward thoughts through adolescence! Anyway, moving on, lol. I have mostly given up food items like below:

• pizza (was big on pizza for a while)
• any and all soda pop
• meat (that was huge and so was I after only eating carbs for 40 plus days

• caffeine (did you know there is caffeine in aspirin, found that half-way through lent)
• pasta (ouch!)
• white bread (step in the right direction but gets really murky when you start to look at ingredients)
• alcohol but not beer, beer but not alcohol (pointless really)
• nicotine (daily user)
• chocolate

I’m sure there are quite a few that I’m leaving out some I repeated, some stuck with me, and some of them just sucked.

I repeated pop and nicotine because they both found their evil way back in. Pop snuck in with McDonalds establishing the $1 SUUUUUPPPPPEEEER LARGE any time. Nicotine well that snuck in twice after a “Boys Night” (night set aside for grown men to act like juveniles and behave worse, yes, I have been that idiot)

Meat and caffeine SUCKED! I’m a, recovering thankfully, meat with every meal or it’s not a meal kind of guy. There was nothing that adequately replaced red meat, chicken, fish, not nothing, no veggie burger, tofu, squash (although eggplant parmesan done right is really close) beans, nuts, nope none of it. And I mean P-E-R-O-I-D. At midnight the night before Easter I stayed up to make a 1lb. Mushroom Swiss burger on a loaf of bread! It was glorious!

Caffeine just = headaches for like 39 days and like I said I only found out halfway through that there is caffeine in the aspirin I was taking.

What stuck? Alcohol and beer oddly enough. If you had known me at certain parts of my life that would have been hard to believe.

What about other activities. I have known people that have done the below:

• pray 3 times a day 
• worked out every day
• walked or ran a mile a day for lent
• Cleared out the closets donating a bag a day of unused stuff (me, well not so good at one day, had to find an alternative!)
• Stopped telling lies
• Gave up tv (I failed forgot “March madness” then a slippery slope from there)
• Fasting (sundown to sundown, 16-hour, water and fruit only, liquids only for a week (ouch)

This year I am giving up sugar along with it most every dessert, pop, sweetener so it will be a joy ride. Look out for me as the sugar DTs are real! I mean, massive headaches as my sugar quota was quite high daily! But wait, there’s more I’m fasting for 24 hours two days a week, um maybe three we will see. probably more like 20 hours no eating after dinner until dinner the next day. I’m targeting M-W-F. I have fasted before (5 days a week 16 hours at a time) but that took a substantial amount of nicotine which I got rid of 10 months ago.

WHY? Why do this to myself? Previously, #tradition! I will say that I had done it to suffer as Jesus suffered. This year is different though, I have been renewed in my faith slowly over the last few years and have sought a different perspective. So here it is:

SURRENDER– give of myself with out expectation, know that I need the Lords help to get me through this.

TRAINING– when I feel weak (literally or figuratively) I will take it to the Lord and ask for his help as I should do more often in life.

WISDOM– listen to God and see how he provides for me and learn how he speaks to me more and more. Embracing the comfort of his steady hand and the love with which it is provided.

Tips for Lenten newbie:

• start small, you don’t have to completely restrict yourself the idea is to lean into God
• Set your goal, define it. What is in or out of bounds?
  
• lent is actually longer than 40 days, 40 days excludes Sundays
  
• some people use Sunday as a “free day” especially those fasting
  
• decide for yourself when your promise expires, some it’s the Saturday before Easter and some its Easter Sunday itself. Technically though Saturday marks the 40th day so…. do what’s right for you, I go until Easter Sunday but that’s just me.
• Slip it is ok. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23” just start again the next day.
• Pray, pray, pray, pray a prayer of thanksgiving when you made it through the day. Pray a prayer of comfort when you’re tempted. Pray a prayer of forgiveness when you have faltered.
• Listen for the Lord as he will give you strength. this is easier than you think.
• Simply, it’s not putting something in your mouth, not lighting a cigarette, not buying dessert. With the Lords help you can do it.
• It can be easier to not tell people about your resolutions, as some will tempt you, some may ridicule you, other times you will be tempted to boast. This is between you and our Lord, and he will bless you through it.
• Nicotine, alcohol caffeine and many others are heathy life choices, and you should see this as an opportunity to if not eliminate reduce behaviors in your life. So, keep it going. Use it a springboard to a better you and a better relationship with God. The Lord helped you through Lent I promise you he will not fail you after all you have to do is ask!
• this is easier than you think. Simply, it’s not putting something in your mouth, not lighting a cigarette, not buying dessert. With the Lords help you can do it.
• Find a reminder to give yourself encouragement, set an alarm on your phone 3 times a day with a message of encouragement. Get a string, a piece of leather or a bracelet to put around your wrist. Put something on your mirror for morning and night or your toothpaste etc.
  
• Most of all remember to Glorify God in a this process and thank him for even the smallest wins.
  

God Bless and have a spirit filled Lent.