What are you giving up for Lent?

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Lent is 40 days, for Christians it is calculated by counting Monday-Saturday.  Sunday is not counted because we celebrate Resurrection on Sundays.  Lent is a time to postpone celebration of resurrection until Easter.  By postponing resurrection celebration, we mourn, and repent.  This causes us to yearn for Easter, and when it arrives, it is celebrated with renewed vigor!

I am giving up all extra internet and computer access on Mondays through Saturdays during lent.  This includes facebook, this blog, checking rss feeds with Google Reader, and anything other than school work, candidating for a pastorate position, or other important business.  I am doing this so that I can redeem the time for connecting with God.  Some people give up chocolate or desserts for lent.  This is a good way to practice self discipline, which when learned, can be applied to our spiritual disciplines as well.

I like the direct aspect of trading time.  If I give up something that uses time, than I now have some extra time.  I then choose to spend some of that time connecting with God through prayer, Bible reading, journaling, singing, resting, etc.

More of my thoughts on this in a next post.