Sacrifice

It's Ash Wednesday. I love Ash Wednesday. I'm pretty much totally on board with anything remotely connected to liturgical seasons. And solemn ones? Dude. Sign me up.

I also enjoy creeping people out, and walking around campus all day with a cross on your forehead is a really good way to accomplish that.

I'm quite bad at giving stuff up for Lent. Not actually the giving up, because I tend to stick to something once I've decided to do it. (Eight-year-old me gave up Nancy Drew books. Oh, that was a long six weeks.) But finding something to give up. I don't really do food or anything, because I feel like there's nothing I enjoy enough or consume with enough frequency that it would really be a sacrifice. And if it's not a real sacrifice, then isn't it kind of just a New Year's resolution? I feel badly co opting the Son of Man's suffering and death because I've been feeling bloated.

(I will say this- having a fast day while PMSing? NOT COOL. Yes. You really needed to know that. Hey. You clicked onto this page. You knew you were probably going to get something that was way too much information.)

Last year I gave up buying coffee and lunch at school, which was fantastic. But I have so little time this semester that I can't buy anything...so that's out.

I know someone who is giving up Starbucks. But my GPA would plummet because I'm only good at studying if I'm at Starbucks, and I don't think Jesus wants that.

So I'm going to steal my sister's idea and try to lessen my use of God's name in vain. If you have any better ideas, please let me know. We can do a soft opening on Lent this year.

I'm better at trying to do things to increase my spirituality or focus more on my faith during Lent. I try to pray more. I already go to Mass pretty frequently, but I think that's a fantastic thing to do during Lent. I feel like this year I have so much to be thankful for that I should really try to be a better person.

But before I start being a better, less shallow person, I need a pretty cardigan to wear over a dress. So if you have thoughts on that as well as the whole giving-up thing, I totally appreciate it!