Slacking

I know I have been slacking off and I think to myself every day I need to go do a couple of posts since I have things to share but that also includes the horrible process of trying to take pictures off my camera which is very painful to say the least. But I will post about the weekend with my mom up here soon and what I read for March probably combine with April.

I just thought I would drop in and say YAY it's almost Easter!!! I love Easter for a lot of reasons but one of my top reasons for loving it... Lent is Over! Three very magical words in my mind.

Every year I give something up, usually something I think I can't live without then suffer through the weeks until lent is over. I try my hardest not to cheat and I have challenged myself in this because if I do cheat I do something that I learned in grade school at St. Nicholas (the private catholic school I attended Kindergarten through 6th grade.)

When we were little they had us write down what we were giving up and they posted it on a board in the class room with a little pocket thing below it. Any time you cheated on your honor you had to put a quarter in one of the slots of the pocket thing. Back then they thought of losing a quarter was like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" /agonizing screams

SO I tried my hardest not to cheat because I wanted to keep my quarters.
Also I have to admit I gave up things that weren't exactly hard for me to give up back then.

I remember my god mother telling me she gave up red meat. The little wheels in my head began to turn and I thought "this is great I didn't know we could give up things like that." (Side Note: I'm not really a red meat fan and eat very little of it. I have always been this way) Of course this means that from first grade to probably fourth when I realized that wasn't a valid thing for me to be giving up I gave up red meat and had no problem following unless I was forced to eat it.


A little sidetracked there but anyways the quarters we had to put in the pockets were for a good reason. They taught us to be honest in that we had to do it and keep track of ourselves instead of lying (mine always had a ton of quarters)and they taught us giving up something is a way of showing what people with less have to go through every day.

I thought when I was younger (probably because when they told us this part I wasn't paying attention I was thinking of fairies and unicorns) that our teachers just kept the money after lent and spent it on pizza or books what ever grown ups did for fun.
When I was in 5th grade I found out that all the money collected from us gluttonous children was given to children that went without. Usually the hungry. I thought this was brilliant.

After I left St. Nicholas I moved on to Jr. high and they didn't have anything to do with lent seeing as public schools don't do religion. I made my own jar for lent and while practicing I would put in a dollar every time I cheated. This way it kept me learning the lessons of lent and I was giving something back to those that are less fortunate.

As I got into Jr. High I started giving up things that were harder and harder for me like talking on the phone, using the internet (not a big deal back then my world would end now.)

Now that I'm grown and still do lent I give up things that I am addicted to. Now I give 5 dollars every time I cheat. I know it's not much but when you're a broke college student 5 dollars is quite a bit. I donate this money to the meals on wheels program or any other program that helps with people in need. I typically always have something to give after lent. It's hard because I give up things that I feel I might go crazy with out.

Coffee has been a reoccurring theme just because I love it so much and the first week or two I majorly go through withdrawals. That's what I gave up this year and I have been trying to have no caffeine what so ever. This has been a huge challenge to me because I am on campus all day and everyone has coffee. There are a ton of coffee shops and the smell just makes my mouth water. In the past I have also given up doing my hair. I was allowed to brush it but no straightening or curling (almost died.)

I am glad to say I have not cheated at all this year. I plan on volunteering at the church to hand out meals to the elderly since I have no money to give this year. People feel very giving on holidays and they go to volunteer since there are so many people that volunteer those days I am going to go a different day and help out. they can always use the help and I have helped them before. It really is a wonderful program for people that can't feed themselves and the old people are so sweet and thankful.

This is why lent is so important for me. I am able to some what grasp what people that go with out feel like even though I know it doesn't even close to compare. I help out those less fortunate and am able to feel good about it even though it is through my own faults. Even if I don't mess up I still give to others which is an amazing feeling all in its own.

If you practice lent maybe try my method of keeping on track especially if you have a hard time leaving what you gave up alone. I swear it helps. If you do or don't practice lent go volunteer anyways and not just on Easter or Christmas there are hundreds of other days in the year where they need help just as badly.

I can't wait for Easter because lent is over and I can have my giant cup of coffee again but there are other wonderful reasons I can't wait for Easter as well. I'll keep those to myself because this is getting to be a really long post and I want breakfast but I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will try and get my pictures up and other posts soon :)