Lent, Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday & What I am giving up / adding

I grew up Baptist, in the Bible Belt, Southern Baptist to be exact. That being said I grew up also observing Lent and Ash Wednesday.


How? You might ask, well its simple....my father would ask us each year what were we giving up for Lent and if we were giving up something physical (tv, food etc) we better enjoy it for the last time on Fat Tuesday. Growing up it wasn't expected of us to actually give something up , he would simply ask us to remind us that Jesus fasted for 40 days and how we might give up something as he gave up his life for us. Our Church did not observe it, it was a "Catholic thing" there for a good southern Baptist didn't observe it.


How my dad came to observe Lent I'm not real sure but its safe to say that other religions have fascinated him and in our house we did have several books on different types of religion's...usually a all in one reference book. He would read up on how a religion got started and what they observed.


Fat Tuesday - is most commonly referenced with Mardi Gras and yes its the day they have the biggest party...but Fat Tuesday is actually a religious holiday of sorts. Fat Tuesday is a Catholic holiday (primarily) and basically its your last chance to eat or do your lent offerings before Ash Wednesday / Lent. Fat Tuesday is also known as "Shove Tuesday". All celebrations end at midnight on Ash Wednesday in the French Quarter in observance of Ash Wednesday. 


Ash Wednesday -  Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday, and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return". (from Wikipedia )


Lent - religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Christians in the Anglican, Calvinist, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic traditions. Today, some Anabaptist and evangelical churches also observe the Lenten season. (from Wikipedia)


Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert and during that time he was temped by the devil. The thought behind Lent  (if you are out of the Catholic faith , or so I am told) is to give up something personal and fast, as Jesus fasted.  That being said I see others also doing a reverse Lent, you add something.


So this year for Lent I am giving up Anger, I know super hard for me! I am quick to anger!! Its not always visible but I can get irritated very quickly....I think this is because I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and my emotions often take over.  I am female after all.


This year I am also adding something.....I am going to spend the next 40 days learning or reading bible verses about anger. What God has to say about it, we know he says "Be Slow to anger" but I hope during this 40 days I will become less quick to anger!




I don't think Lent and Ash Wednesday is something anyone should skip, if anything it makes you focus on bringing your self to knowing Christ more and enduring just a small (extremely small) part of the suffering he did for us.  Its also a great opportunity to learn more about Christ and your self as well.


I do not think the next 40 days will be easy ones by any means, at this exact moment my 12yr is making as much noise as she can on purpose and keeps waking her little brother up. Giving up anger will be EXTREMLY Hard for me!


What are you giving up ?