Ash Wednesday, Sacrifice and Day 19.....ME!

This morning getting out of  bed was a little easier. Not sure why....it just was. Maybe I am ready for the day! Maybe I am ready to get my workout on! Maybe I am ready to start new things and blaze new trails today! Or maybe....and I am thinking this is it......I simply couldn't sleep any longer. Yeah....I am pretty sure that last one is it! However....since I am up, perhaps it would be wise if I were at least semi-productive today. Hmmmm.....we shall see!

Today is Ash Wednesday which opens the six weeks of Lent this year. For those of you who are not familiar with Lent....here is the Wiki explanation. The Lisa version is that it is a time of sacrifice before Easter when we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord. It starts with Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. During those weeks Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence....meaning that we eat two small meals during the day and one larger one. We do not eat meat nor do we eat anything between meals on those days. The rest of Lent is spent abstaining from meat on Fridays and giving up (sacrificing) things that are perhaps difficult for us. It is also a time of doing things that maybe we don't normally do in honor of Our Lord and what He did for us and gave up for us. Many people this time of year up their charitable acts and take this time to reflect on what Christ means in their lives. It is a time of preparation for the Easter season.

As a child....I was not a fan of sacrificing and I was not very good at it. As an adult though.....I have grown to love and appreciate this time of year as it helps me to emotionally and spiritually become closer to God. I have to make more of a conscious effort each day to think about the sacrifices made for me (for all) so that all our sins maybe forgiven. God Himself made the ultimate sacrifice for us (His only son) and Jesus gave his life......so perhaps a little sacrifice in return on my part....may not be a bad thing.

So what am I giving up? Well I have thought long and hard on the subject....and drum roll please.....I am giving up ALL pop for Lent. I am also going to work on my mouth. Yes folks....there are times that I have a mouth that would make a sailor on leave blush. I have no idea where I got this mouth, but I am not proud of it.....and need to correct it. It is probably 3/4's of the reason I end up in the confessional as often as I do. And finally.....I am going to do my best to give up yelling. Yep....I am a yeller! I come from a long line of yellers. The Jacques side of me has been communicating through yelling for decades.....which is probably why I am losing hearing in one ear (okay....not really....but if I don't stop.....it could happen!) There are a couple of other things that I am giving up/doing that I am not going to talk about....simply because not all sacrifice needs to be discussed. Sometimes the true sacrifice in doing something is just doing it and no one else knowing about it. It is between you and God and that is where it needs to stay.

And in the line of sacrifice......I told you about Zachary sacrificing his face because of bullying. Well I can say I was pretty proud of him yesterday. As I told you.....Z apologized to the girl and her brother for standing by and not putting a stop to the bullying. He then went to the kid who had done the bullying and just lit into him and told him that either the bullying stopped or their friendship was over. At first the kid was a real jerk about it and acted as if he thought Z getting a black eye over his behavior was funny! However.....apparently after some thought he realized he was on the verge of losing one of the only friends he had left, so after doing some soul searching....he apologized to both Z and the girl and he told the girl that Z was never a part of it and promised her that his bullying days were through. Z accepted his apology....but the girl was not so forgiving. Hopefully Mr. Bully learned a lesson in all of this and Z learned that it is just as wrong to not stop a bully as it is to do the act itself. Maybe sometimes a good old fashioned black eye is the answer....but you didn't hear that from me!

Well...it is Wednesday. We are one day closer to spring....and it is now time for the 30 Day Challenge.

Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.

Wow....Day 19. I can't believe I have been doing this for 19 days. Bet you guys can't either. You probably know more about me now than my hairdresser does.

Today is a picture of me when I was little. Well....one picture is all you are going to get. Not because I don't have more and because I wasn't just as cute as a bug when I was little. In fact....as looks go....my early years were some of my best. However....the reason there aren't more is because I don't have a scanner to scan them and I am not a fan of the picture of a picture....pictures. So for now....one is all you get. Savor it!

This particular picture was taken of me on Easter when I was about 18 months old. We lived in Denver, CO at the time and according to my mother....I was quite the fashion diva (although I have seen other pictures from back then......and I am not really sure this is true!)

Notice though here....my hair is perfectly coiffed and I am not sticking my tongue out at anyone. Apparently I was more mature at 18 months than I have ever been since I hit my 20's!

You can't see the dress I am wearing....but it is a beautiful little sleeveless white number. All the best dressed 18 month old's were wearing it in 1963. Paired with my white pattened Mary Jane's....I rocked that Easter parade!

Well....while I am sure one picture is simply not enough.....this one will have to do until I a)get a scanner or b) break down and do the picture on picture thing. Until then.....this is me when I was little!