Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week she asks the question, Give it Up? We are in the Season of Lent: do you give anything up? Do you observe Lent?
Yes, i do observe Lent. Having grown up Catholic, it was ingrained into me. If i want to go for a cheap giggle, i can say i went to schools where the nuns made sure we made it a habit to observe the church seasons.
Now that i attend a Presbyterian church whose Pastor is a huge fan of many Catholic theologians, i actually have the option again to attend to Lent properly. So i was a good girl and went to get my ashes on Ash Wednesday. Sweetie and i will continue to go to the Wednesday afternoon Lent services for the next several weeks.
The old "what are you giving up for Lent?" question that we discussed so much in my school days has changed for me. When i decided, just about 10 years ago, that i was tired of being fat and wanted to eat right and take care of myself, i didn't so much cut things out or give them up as add good things to my diet so they eventually crowded out the not good for me things.
That's more of my approach to Lent, too. Since i already don't eat sugar or white flour or desserts, and we don't own a TV, there's not much in the way of those things i can give up.
Instead, i'm trying to add good things that i hope will stay with me after the season. Our Friday morning Bible study and prayer group is reading a book about praise, and so i am trying to cultivate many of the practices it recommends.
One of the more difficult is to be "thankful in all circumstances" as St. Paul says to do in his first letter to the Thessalonians. It's not easy to be thankful in some circumstances, so my practice is to simply tell The Lord that i am thanking Him in obedience, even though the circumstances hurt or are difficult to bear.
My hope is that it will result in spiritual growth, and in helping me to have more gratitude and less grousing when everything isn't ideal.
Who knows? Maybe i'll even learn to be more patient when driving around here. That would be a miracle.
Today is:
Curling Is Cool Day -- embrace the Olympic sport the whole family can play; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays
Defenders of the Motherland Day (formerly Red Army Day) -- Russia and some former Soviet Republics
Homeland Defenders' Day -- Kyrguzstan
Motherland Defenders' Day -- Transdniestria
Diesel Engine Day -- Rudolph Diesel received his patent in Germany on this day in 1893
Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day -- while i can't figure out who started this one, even Mr. Google says it's celebrated today
Easy Divorce Day -- marking the passage, in 1915, of the Nevada law granting easy divorces after only a 6 month residency, the first such in the US
Iwo Jima Day -- commemoration of the US flag raising
National Banana Bread Day
National Day -- Brunei
Pebbles Day -- Pebbles Flintstone was born this day around 10,000BC
Republic Day (Mashramani) -- Guyana
Single-Tasking Day -- encouraging you to do one thing at a time, and not feel guilty; begun by Theresa Gabriel, who claims multitasking is inefficient and hurts your brain! she suggests it be on the 4th Tuesday of the month, although other sites list other dates
Spay Day USA -- sponsored by the HSUS; Sit! Stay! Spay! Good Owner! www.humanesociety.org
St. Milburga of Shropshire's Day (Patron of birds)
St. Polycarp of Smyrna's Day (Patron against dysentery and earache)
St. Serenus the Gardener's Day (Patron of bachelors, falsely accused people)
Terminalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival for Terminus, god of land boundary markers)
World Spay Day -- don't let your pets litter!
https://www.worldspayday.org/
Birthdays Today:
Emily Blunt, 1983
Niecy Nash, 1970
Michael Dell, 1965
"Bobby" Bonilla, 1963
Howard Jones, 1955
Patricia Richardson, 1951
"Too Tall" Jones, 1951
John Sanford, 1944
Johnny Winter, 1944
Peter Fonda, 1939
Sylvia Chase, 1938
Donna J. Stone, 1933
Paul Tibbets, 1915
William L. Shirer, 1904
Victor Fleming, 1889
W.E.B. DuBois, 1868
Emma Hart Willard, 1787
George Frederic Handel, 1685
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, 1646
Samuel Pepys, 1633
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Fortune and Men's Eyes"(Play), 1967
Pinocchio(Disney Cartoon film), 1940
Today in History:
Emperor Diocletian orders the general persecution of Christians, 303
Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type, 1455
France begins its fifth "holy war" against the Huguenots, 1574
Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army, 1778
The first US raw-cotton-to-cloth mill is founded, in Waltham, Massachusetts, 1813
The first US pharmaceutical college is organized, the College of Apothecaries in Philidelphia, 1821
Santa Anna begins his siege of the Alamo, 1836
John Newman leaves the Anglican Church and is welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church, 1846
In Mexico, American troops under General Zachary Taylor defeat Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna, 1847
Great Britain formally recognises the independence of the Boers in the area between the Orange and Vaal rivers, signing the Bloemfontein Convention with the Orange Free State, 1854
The London Times publishes the world's first classified ad, 1886
Charles Martin Hall, assisted by his sister Julia Brainerd Hall, produced the first samples of man-made aluminum, 1886
The French/Italian Riviera is struck by an earthquake that leaves 2,000 dead, 1887
The Tootsie Roll is introduced by Leo Hirshfield, 1896
In France, Emile Zola is imprisoned for writing his "J'accuse" letter accusing the government of anti-Semitism and wrongly jailing Alfred Dreyfus, 1898
The Cuban state of Guantanamo is leased to the US, 1903
The US acquires control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million, 1904
The Rotary Club International is founded in Chicago, 1905
Russian Tsar Nicholas II dissolves the Diet of Finland, 1909
The US state of Nevada enacts a convenient divorce law, 1915
The February Revolution begins in Russia, 1917
Plutonium is first produced and isolated by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, 1941
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded, 1947
The first mass inoculation with the Salk vaccine begins in Pittsburgh, 1954
First meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), 1955
The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri, 1983
Supernova 1987a is seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 1987
A small fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir, 1997
An avalanche destroys the Austrian village of Galtür, killing 31, 1999
Unknown criminals pour more than 2.5 million liters of diesel oil and other hydrocarbons into the river Lambro, in Northern Italy, causing an environmental disaster, 2010
Birthdays Today:
Emily Blunt, 1983
Niecy Nash, 1970
Michael Dell, 1965
"Bobby" Bonilla, 1963
Howard Jones, 1955
Patricia Richardson, 1951
"Too Tall" Jones, 1951
John Sanford, 1944
Johnny Winter, 1944
Peter Fonda, 1939
Sylvia Chase, 1938
Donna J. Stone, 1933
Paul Tibbets, 1915
William L. Shirer, 1904
Victor Fleming, 1889
W.E.B. DuBois, 1868
Emma Hart Willard, 1787
George Frederic Handel, 1685
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, 1646
Samuel Pepys, 1633
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Fortune and Men's Eyes"(Play), 1967
Pinocchio(Disney Cartoon film), 1940
Today in History:
Emperor Diocletian orders the general persecution of Christians, 303
Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type, 1455
France begins its fifth "holy war" against the Huguenots, 1574
Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army, 1778
The first US raw-cotton-to-cloth mill is founded, in Waltham, Massachusetts, 1813
The first US pharmaceutical college is organized, the College of Apothecaries in Philidelphia, 1821
Santa Anna begins his siege of the Alamo, 1836
John Newman leaves the Anglican Church and is welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church, 1846
In Mexico, American troops under General Zachary Taylor defeat Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna, 1847
Great Britain formally recognises the independence of the Boers in the area between the Orange and Vaal rivers, signing the Bloemfontein Convention with the Orange Free State, 1854
The London Times publishes the world's first classified ad, 1886
Charles Martin Hall, assisted by his sister Julia Brainerd Hall, produced the first samples of man-made aluminum, 1886
The French/Italian Riviera is struck by an earthquake that leaves 2,000 dead, 1887
The Tootsie Roll is introduced by Leo Hirshfield, 1896
In France, Emile Zola is imprisoned for writing his "J'accuse" letter accusing the government of anti-Semitism and wrongly jailing Alfred Dreyfus, 1898
The Cuban state of Guantanamo is leased to the US, 1903
The US acquires control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million, 1904
The Rotary Club International is founded in Chicago, 1905
Russian Tsar Nicholas II dissolves the Diet of Finland, 1909
The US state of Nevada enacts a convenient divorce law, 1915
The February Revolution begins in Russia, 1917
Plutonium is first produced and isolated by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, 1941
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded, 1947
The first mass inoculation with the Salk vaccine begins in Pittsburgh, 1954
First meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), 1955
The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri, 1983
Supernova 1987a is seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 1987
A small fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir, 1997
An avalanche destroys the Austrian village of Galtür, killing 31, 1999
Unknown criminals pour more than 2.5 million liters of diesel oil and other hydrocarbons into the river Lambro, in Northern Italy, causing an environmental disaster, 2010
I also grew up Catholic. I was even an alter boy and I really enjoyed my job. I taught in an Catholic school but I suddenly realized that the rules go two different way, their ways only. I believe in God and I always will. Jesus is my rock but after many years where many things in the Catholic church bothered me, the building itself is not important but knowing God is the real important thing in my life. I still do the many things that were ingrained into me, like Lent & Good Friday & Easter.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day my friend. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
When I was small I'd give up coffee for Lent, which wasn't much of a sacrifice since I didn't much like coffee.
ReplyDeleteI think you're one of the most grateful people I've ever met on the Internet. You really are. That's my two cents.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day my friend. ☺
Oh, you are such a sweetheart. I'm an evil lapsed Catholic who has given up Lent for Lent. I can't hold a candle to you, but I try to live a good life everyday and not just during Lent. I know, it's an excuse us lapsed Catholics use to get over the guilt.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so much on the giving up things for lent.
ReplyDeleteI grew up disconnected although Dad was raised as a Catholic and Mom as an Episcopalian. They were poor and never felt comfortable in church, at least that is what I guessed. I like the idea of adding good habits when you run out of ideas to give up. Lent is one of the few things I agree with about religion. It makes one aware of their life.
ReplyDeleteI think that's actually a great approach - if you fill up with all the good things, you won't have any room left for the bad! For me, it's making sure I get all the water required, and I realizing now many times I thought I was hungry - I was actually thirsty. So I take a drink first now, and then eat what I am allowed.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of practicing daily gratitude, no matter the circumstances. :)
I love this approach and have always applied it my daily life. I was raised Catholic so it was ingrained in me early on.
ReplyDelete