Fat Day 2014

Ah, Fat Tuesday is here and as I type this, I am shoving the world’s best sugar cookies (an early birthday present from my awesome mommy!) into my mouth, a new one each minute. Six more to go before the 12 pack is gone. Oh, they just melt into my mouth and I have to hold back drooling from the goodness that explodes in my mouth.

Starting tomorrow, Lent will be on my mind for the next 40 days. 40 days to give up something that I really like because it’s the least thing I can do for Jesus who gave the greatest sacrifice of all – his life from something he didn’t do.

I normally give up pop and chocolate for lent. I feel the pain on Friday’s when I normally have my regular can of Dew and I will also feel the pain of my chocolate attacks that go unanswered, which is almost a daily thing. So I will feel some pain from this abstinence, but I thought I could do even better. Yes, I do the pop and chocolate thing every year, so I thought this year I could up it.

For lent this year I am giving up pop (that’s a given) and all desserts including anything chocolate. Last year when I gave up chocolate, I just switched to eating all non-chocolate candy I could get my hands on to fill the void but all I got in return was 2 cavities. =oP I don’t want a repeat this year so all desserts have to go. Hmmmm….that will make my birthday a little bit interesting won’t it?

Also I thought about going to the gym on my lunches as part of lent too. Yes, at the moment I do go to the gym 2 to 3 times a week, most weeks. I use to go 4 times a week and fell out of it, so I thought if I made it part of my lent, it would force me to go 4 times a week again, taking away my excuse of being lazy on my lunch. No more playing fb games sitting at my desk while eating my soup.

With lent, means no meat on Fridays and holy days. Oh, the hubby is super excited about that…….. (Can you see the sarcasm there?) There goes Pizza Fridays. We now have adopted Pizza Thursdays since Fish Thursdays have been pushed back a day to Fish Fridays.

But besides giving up stuff for lent, lent is a time of reflection, a time of preparation, a time to improve. Reflect on my actions, my words, my beliefs, my attitudes. Reflect on where I have stumbled and fallen short, reflect on where I hurt people out of anger, reflect my weaknesses, reflect on how I can grow to be better – kinder, more loving. I need to prepare myself for Jesus’ rising – saving me from my sins and short comings. I need to prepare to be a better person. I need to prepare to follow Jesus during the storms of life so I can make it to the other side – heaven. I must improve on my weaknesses, on not judging, on keeping negativity out of my mind, mouth, and actions. I must improve on lending a helping hand to the needy without a pat on the back or someone acknowledging my efforts because then I already have received my reward in God’s eyes.

I want to be the person who prays without anyone knowing except God. I want to be the person who helps the needy without anyone praising me except God. I want to be the person who does the right thing without thinking, without forcing it. I want to be the Good Samaritan every. single. time.

But to improve, prepare, and reflect doesn’t come without extremely hard work and change. That is a given. What Jesus did, giving up his life, sure wasn’t an easy road, why should mine be? Lent is going to be unsympathetic, just like this winter that never seems to end. But there is this awesome light at the end of the tunnel – Easter – Jesus’ rising! The end to the lent storm, the rebirth of a better person hopefully.

So Fat Tuesday for me will consist of me drowning myself in a non-ending Dew waterfall, washing away any green frosting and sugar cookie crumbs that sadly didn’t make it into my mouth. Can we say SUGAR BUZZ ?!– me bouncing around the office and house! =oD Maybe I’ll get a ton done and be super productive.

Tomorrow I will pry my eyes open from being super tired and no caffeine to fall back on, and the chocolate attacks will start to hit me like a feening addict. I will try not to be the Evil Wicked Witch of the West – I will try very hard to not foam at the mouth and try not to rip someone’s head off when they approach me. I will repeat continually in my head, “This is lent, I must grow and prepare for Jesus, this is the least I can do.” Hopefully I can make it through lent with my head held high, a smile on my face, a few scratches from the hard work, a little dust on my clothes, but a little more positive, a little more Christ-like, a little stronger.

Happy Fat Day!!!! Enjoy it! Hard work being tomorrow.