When I tell people I gave up chocolate for Lent, I usually hear, "Wait, you're not Catholic." Well, no I'm not, but I still participate in Lent.  For me, Lent is a wonderful way to celebrate Christ and his sacrifice for all humanity.  Sometimes I feel Christmas sneaks up on me, not the presents and Santa part, but the actual Jesus was born on this day part.  I focus so much on the nostalgic/non-Christian parts of Christmas, that on Christmas morning I have to stop myself and say, "Why am I celebrating this day? Why am I giving my friends and family an abundant amount of presents?" 


Easter however is the complete opposite.  For 40 days I starve myself of a desire that I usually don't go a day without.  This year it was chocolate.  I didn't think it would be that hard, but after about 4 hours, I realized it was going to be a LONG 40 days.  I was extremely blessed to hear from my 7 year old niece that she was giving up candy.  What? You know what lent is, AND you're giving up the one thing you eat every day.  What an admirable thing for a 7 year old to do.  Everytime I reached for a piece of chocolate or my favorite Tiff's treats chocolate chip cookie, I thought, "Ugh, No. I gave up chocolate for lent." For that split second I complained, but then I instantly internalized why I made that decision.  For me, having the Lord on my mind through out the day, and being reminded of him was worth the sacrifice. Also, it was a great way to share my faith with my co-workers.

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