Mardi Gras

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Sadly, in the land of paczki, I have none. Which is probably a good thing, considering I am newly over a bug and those things are laden with fat like you would not believe. Still, if I had the chance to get one from my friend's mom, Mrs. L, I totally would! What's a paczki? To the American public, it's a jelly or custard filled donut...but the traditional ones are less donut and more bread with filling. No icing on the ones Mrs. L. makes. So, I am going to say they are healthier...because I ate them all through college and that's what I choose to believe. (and because my favorite salad at Friday's is no longer OK to eat, thanks to Eat This Not That...really, I owe them a debt of gratitude...so I need to believe in something today!! haha)

And so, tomorrow begins the Lenten season...the time we have to prepare for the holiest of seasons in the Christian faith, Easter. This is, after all, what our entire faith is built upon...that Jesus died for our sins and was raised up on the 3rd day to triumph over death, thus paving the way for us to be able to enter Heaven. Usually as a child, Lent was something I did NOT look forward to. It was a time where I had to give up a favorite food, a favorite TV show, a favorite something. And, as a child, this is a hard concept to grasp. As a teen and young adult, I mostly used Lent to help me kick bad habits or jumpstart a diet. Not exactly what God has in mind when He asks us to sacrifice as His Son sacrificed his life for our sins. Thus, I have been debating what I will do this year. It has to mean something MORE than just giving up chocolate or fries or not eating meat on Fridays for a few weeks.

I think that I will use Lent to help myself work on the me God intends for me to be. I will do a lot of soul searching, I will pray fervently for God's will to be done in my life, I will fast and repent for my sins, I will give of my time and talents to others in new and useful ways, and I will grow closer to God because of this. In addition, I will pay attention to what I am putting into my body and work to change those bad habits, as I do every year, but in a way that will be ongoing and not end on Easter Sunday. God has given me this one body, to use as a vessel for my soul while I am on this earth. I need to take care of it, to cherish it, and not abuse it or assault it with sugar, fat and calories. I need to make time for rest and to replenish my well. I need to spend time in prayer and reflect upon God's will in my life, and this best happens when I am resting, when it is quiet.

Fasting will be hard...in truth, I've never been good at this. But, I believe that fasting in another way of giving my body to God, trading actual food for the food He provides to me in His word and in His love. I will attempt to fast twice during the Lenten season, in addition to the recommended fasting days of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Please, pray for me on this journey...this will be the hardest part for me.

May you all have a productive Lenten season!