The Season of Lent is upon us. Because I live where Mardi Gras originated in the USA., I have huge reminders to prepare for Lent. Today is FAT TUESDAY (Mardi Gras Day) or the day before Ash Wednesday. I think I am ready, I've considered it carefully, I have explored the options and I have a plan.
I decided what I can successfully "give up". I will give up something that will not cause any harm, something I really like, so it will be a sacrifice, and something that will ultimately cause a beneficial lifestyle change.
Over the years I have tried many different approaches to this fast. One year I gave up chocolate. At that time I was eating a Snicker's bar once or twice a month. After that 40 days of abstance I lost my cravings for Snickers and have not eaten one since. Once I gave up sugar and this diminished my craving for sweets. Although I still like an occasional sweet I can go for months without anything other than foods mildly sweetened with stevia. I gave up television in my bedroom one year for Lent. This one did not last beyond the period of Lent. I decided one year to only say good things about others and not critize or say anything negative about anyone. One year I gave up tea and that was a mistake.. For reasons that I don't understand,. tea is soothing to my stomach. Every time I go for an extended period of time without hot tea my stomach gives me problems resulting in a prescription to repair the damage. I will not fast tea again.
There are many things I could choose to forego, as noted above, it does not have to be food. I could avoid watching television, spending too much time on the internet, or any number of things that would ultimately change bad habits. As I give up bad habits I like to introduce and build upon better choices.
What do I have planned for this year? I have decided I will avoid foods that are detrimental to fibromyalgia. I will go back to my good eating patterns that exclude simple carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, white flour, and sugar. I will avoid nightshade vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers which can be problematic for some. I will not comsume caffeine. (The decaf tea is just as beneficial to my stomach as tea with caffeine.) I will spend more time reading and studying and less time on the Internet and watching television. Each day I will set aside a time for prayers of praise and thanksgiving.
Lent is a time to sacrifice to God while building a new and better life for yourself and others. The more I can improve my health, my habits and my choices, the better it will be for everyone I know and love.
This is a time for repentance, forgiveness, and praise. I will study scriptures, read and study other good books, meditate, reach out to others and serve God, I know He will bless me for my commitment. God is good.
Hopefully many of you will also choose to observe this Lenten Season and endeavor to grow in faith and obedience while you grow closer to God. May God bless you all.
To see Alice's follow up piece at the conclusion of Lent related to what she took away from the experience, please go to: www.lumigrate.com/forum/lent-over-lifesytle-changes-made-during-lent-can-last-lifetime [1]
Alice Franklin was raised on a sandy beach in Point Clear, AL and lived along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama in her youth, graduating from Fairhope High School on Mobile Bay. Prior to becoming disabled due to severe spine problems, she worked her way into management and purchasing positions in industrial manufacturing and art industries. She worked her way into Lumigrate unknowingly by impressively writing at Lent 2010 about utilizing her religious and spiritual beliefs with chronic pain/disease management (she has had fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain for decades); it turns out she holds the priesthood office of elder in her church and became active again in this office in May 2010 and has been pastor or copastor in previous churches. We are so very proud to have her words and thoughts gracing our 'pages' of this website and look forward to what the future holds for her.
Links:
[1] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/lent-over-lifesytle-changes-made-during-lent-can-last-lifetime
[2] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/lent-faith-and-health#comment-688
[3] http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/spirituality
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/lent-fat-tuesday-and-mardi-gras-day
[5] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/lent-faith-and-health#top
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/534%23comment-form
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/534%23comment-form
Comments
I think it was about a year ago that I became aware of Alice...... about this time of day ....... because the website messages were letting me know someone out there was having troubles downloading a video. I found her on facebook and we started Chatting -- something we did regularly from last summer until this past spring. That's when Alice posted the above piece in the Spirituality Forum on Lumigrate and completely earned MY interest in her writing ability and wisdom. That's when I asked her to write more in the Forums on Lumigrate. Her wise spirit exhudes and prevails.
You might notice that the most recent post from Alice was after the massive oil spill that has 'messed with' her beloved area of the country. I believe and trust she has been processing that and will be bringing us more to learn from in the future, and I am so very pleased that things today with that situation are much improved. But she's 'on hiatus' right now in terms of bringing us more to read, and so I've struck upon Beth Patterson who is able to also 'speak to the spiritual'.
Alice: You're one of those who will just keep getting better with age. I thank you for all you do to bring Lumigrate's light to others and your rays of wisdom to it. May this be a wonderful, healing year for you and make you say MANY, MANY TIMES "Life is Good"! ~~ Mardy
To see the original 'Lent' piece Alice wrote (where it's had over 150 reads currently), here's a link to the Spirituality Forum where Alice's Christianity has been a blessing (and you can see Yenta, our Jewish mother and 'town gossip' chattin' in up with Alice):
www.lumigrate.com/forums/integrative-medicine-parts-make-whole/spirituality [3]
The link to the one topic identical to above which has Yenta and Faith Young's comments, plus my overview of coming from being raised atheist to when Alice and I 'met minds about faith' is: www.lumigrate.com/forum/lent-fat-tuesday-and-mardi-gras-day [4]
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [5] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!