Excel-Lent! A good time to give up something or try something new
LENT, FOR SOME comes and goes unnoticed every year. I have to admit I didn’t even know what lent was until my mid-teens when someone I knew who wasn’t a Christian decided they were going to take part. Since then i’ve tried to give it a go every year and so far i’ve given up chocolate before and gone a bit mental giving up chocolate, sweets and crisps.
Lent covers the period of 40 days between Ash wednesday – the day after pancake day – and the Saturday before Easter. Traditionally it’s a time of fasting, prayer and self-denial but nowadays it is often a time where we deny ourselves certain vice-foods the most common being chocolate.
Why forty days?
The number forty appears several times in the Bible, it’s the number of days Moses was up Mount Sainai receiving the ten commandments from God (Moses and the 10 commandments) , it’s the number of days it rained for in the flood (Noah’s Ark) and also in the story of Jonah and the big fish Jonah says to the people of Ninevah they have forty days to ask God for forgiveness.
The main reason that forty days are used as the times span for lent is that it’s the number of days that Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by the devil (Jesus Tempted) but he did not cave in to the temptation. So some Christians give up a certain vice, or something that they consider a temptation for this time in preparation for the celebration of Jesus rising again on Easter Sunday.
Choose what I should give up... be it food something different ...
Am I taking part and if I am what am i giving up?
Yes, I am doing lent this year, but i’ve already done chocolate before and crisps and also sweets so I can consider those boxes well and truly ticked.
So what am I giving up for lent? To be honest I haven’t got a clue! This is where you come in, you can help by suggesting something that I can give up for lent or something I can begin doing. I won’t start this until Wednesday so get your suggestions in by Sunday and I’ll put up a poll on monday 
morning and we’ll see which one I will be taking up. So, over to you guys…
Just a quick thank you too, for reading ,and continuing to read it’s a slightly insane thought that people are reading this blog but i’m glad you are.
Clairey, I think you should give up one day a week to do completely selfless things.
)
This should involve smiling at strangers, holding open doors as you pass through, and buying a big issue.
As well planning something nice for someone that you appreciate.
Alex didn’t give up anything last year, and chose to go to Church an extra day a week.
This doesn’t count. Haha
I actually love this idea kirst it’s awesome! I think i’ll do this anyway … whether it gets polled on or not! =)
But Claire already does that Bosley… she is one of the nicest challenging thought provoking people I know .
. A lot larger than 40 days but if every one did this then what an amazing difference it would make. Friendship is an amazing gift !!
What about “Adopt a family or elderly person or a single vunerable person in to your circle of friends ” but not just for lent but life
Something that feels like a real sacrifice…perhaps TV or restricting use of the PC (I guess I’m thinking of stuff for me here too, so not necessarily those) AND use those times for something else like, say, prayer??
I decided to give up facebook! Am feeling the sacrifice … shocking how addicted i’d become!