Lenten thread for all

[HannahHack]

With today being the first day of Lent, I thought it would be good to have a place where we can post what we have been getting up to.

Whether it is giving something up, being more contemplative or just going to church/temple/whatever.

Prayer requests welcome too!

Our diocese is promoting "read the bible in 40 days", following a published reading plan. Today I read the first 25 chapters of Genesis. Its going to be a loooong Lent!

Am just back from the Ash Wed service, which was lovely :)

Sat with dd yesterday and made a Lent calendar. A very long purple strip of paper with the dates and spaces for her to do little pictures.

Not quite up to commercial Advent calendar standards, but I think daily chocolates would be sending the wrong message!

I donated blood yesterday after being dragged down by DP.
Unfortunately not something I can do everyday!

Do any churches do it?

Our church is promoting the Tearfund Carbon Fast. Other than trying to be more diligent about reading the bible and various christian books I have in my reading pile the main thing I am trying to do for lent is spend less time "faffing" on the internet (browsing mumsnet etc) - so I'd better turn the computer off now then

We've given up lunch for Lent. So a smaller breakfast than usual, then nothing except drinks (eg water) until dinner time.

Surely if you're not eating lunch, you should have a bigger breakfast - not so much that it's too much but slightly more than the average - like when you stay at a hotel and have a really good breakfast and find you don't need more than a cup of tea and a biscuit at lunch to see you through till the evening. In terms of aiding digestion, it is recommended to have a large breakfast, a medium lunch and a small tea/dinner/evening meal.

You're entirely free to do it, but I don't think it's wise to cut your breakfast down at the same time (though it depends what you have for breakfast). A decent portion of protein and some slow-release carbohydrates help at breakfast time.