Lent...2013

Here we go....

After indulging in a fabulous Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner at church, I started thinking of my lenten season.

This year, I hope lent will give me a time to be more reflective...and give me a chance to grow a little.

Here are my plans....

To give up:
1) Fried foods (I did this last year, worth doing again)

2) Soft drinks (yes, all of them...diet, regular....all of them)

3) High Fructose Corn Syrup.....now, this is a little tricky but this is going to be my best attempt....I'm not going to throw out everything in the pantry but I am going to be more intentional about the products I buy at the store.  I am going to limit my purchase of processed foods with high fructose corn syrup ...and, I hope that this will continue after lent.  I want to be much more intentional about eliminating processed food but I don't want to set myself up for failure.  We'll start with high fructose corn syrup....yes, I know this will include LOTS of things we use daily...like Chocolate Syrup, Ketchup, etc...I'll work this out gradually!  Being aware is half the battle.  If I'm not buying it, my kids aren't eating it either!

4) Facebook....not completely, because there are truly some people, including family members who I keep in touch with via facebook, but I will be more deliberate about the time I spend on Facebook...I will not check Facebook in front of my kids, on my lunch break, etc. Once per night seems good enough.

To take on:
1) I will (do my best to) blog daily.  I feel like I have less time to do that this year but it was personally rewarding last year and I want to try to do it again...

2) My intentional daily bible studies - I will continue my Mom's Bible Study, we will start our Lenten small group bible study and we will teach Sunday School, but I will also be more focused on my daily bible study.

3) I will see Christ in every person I meet and hope that they see Christ in me....how quick are we to judge?  How quick are we to complain about our day?  How quick are we to pass by without a smile or a hello?  How quick are we to gossip?  For this lenten season, I will focus on being more Christ-like and on holding my tongue....I will try not to judge, I will try not to complain and I will do my best to hold my tongue when I can think of nothing nice to say.

Forty days...I can do anything for forty days!  I look forward to reporting on my efforts each day.  Prayers appreciated for all of my efforts!