{Hello Lent, Goodbye Sweets & Dairy}

Remember when I shared some of my hopes for 2013.  Well I am happy to say I have been really making an effort.  Not ready to put an A+ report card up on the fridge, but I have been making some great strides.  The one that probably stands out the most is that the Mister and I have not missed a day of Church so far in 2013.  I had forgotten how making time for worship on Sundays really hits the restart button for the week, and reminds me not to stress the small stuff and know that everything happens for a reason.  So when lent rolled around, I thought here is another great opportunity to remind myself daily of the thanks I should give to God for not being so tough on me and for always having big plans for my life.  In the past,  I have put on my Lent cape the first day of Lent and then given up in the first week.  I mean is it really necessary to deprive myself of sweets?   I think this was because I was doing it for the wrong reasons.  I was really doing it to prove to myself I could jump on the will power band wagon and show soda {tried to give this up many times} who was boss. 

 This time around I want to focus less on the benefits of giving up my chosen vices and more on the reason why I have chosen to give up a frew of my favorite things for just a little while.  So I picked two things that I love, that are on my mind often, to say goodbye too....dairy and sweets.  I enjoy sweets and I love....I mean l-o-v-e dairy.  I could seriously {and often do} eat queso multiple times a week.  Let me be clear that this is not an attempt to become a vegan or give up the chocolates I love so much.  My one week stint with vegan a couple of years ago ended after I woke up sweating having a dream that I was shoving a cheese enchilada into my mouth with my hands in public.  I have every intention of throwing dairy and sweets a welcome back party after all of this, but for now I know their absence in my life will be a reminder to be thankful for God's Grace.  I imagine serveral of you stopped ready after I said what I was giving up, assuming that I am a crazy person, but if not, I would love for you to share with me what you have decied to say goodbye to over the next several weeks, so we can send some support your way.  Happy Wednesday...J