STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

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Originally posted by: Collette
"I'm going to give up my new years resolutions for Lent."

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Haha what?

I don't know. I'm not really in favor of giving up things like chocolate or soda or tv, which is what I did when I was little, just because it seems sort of...bullshit for lack of a better word (maybe I should give up cursing for Lent!). Giving up meat makes sense because not only are you making a "sacrifice" but it's also something that does some good (i.e. saves animals, in theory). Not spending on frivilous things is good if you give the money you save to charity or something. Or if you give up tv and do something worthwhile with your free time like volunteer.

My friend goes vegan for Lent so I was thinking of trying that since I don't eat meat anyway but I would have to put a lot of work into planning my diet.

I'll try to think of some more ideas.

thanks cc for ur brutally honest opinion.  i know what ur saying tho about giving up candy & stuff.  it's not really getting the point.  when i was growing up my parents always told us we could either give something up or do something extra (i.e. volunteer).  i've been wanting to get back into volunteering for a long while now, maybe i should do that instead of actually giving something up (although technically i will be giving up laziness!).  but even then, i kinda want something i can actively do every day & my schedule definitely does not permit me to volunteer every day....  even if i give up tv during the week, i don't really know what kind of volunteering i could do between 8pm & 10pm.  oh, & once i start school in a few weeks i'll have even less free weekday time.... keep those suggestions coming ladies!

Crystal - I'm glad you understood what I meant. I guess I don't really feel like there is much point to me giving up sugar or cursing or tv or something like that since all it really does is 1) help me exercise self-control and 2) possibly improve my health or well-being. So really, I'd just be helping myself which doesn't feel like the right thing to do for Lent. It made sense when I was younger because it definitely taught me about sacrifice to some extent but now I feel like I should either do something that will make some sort of impact (even if it's the pathetic impact made by not eating animal products for 40 days) or just not bother.

I definitely think giving up frivilous spending is a good idea if you then keep tabs on the money you save and give it to charity. Maybe pick a few things that you won't spend money on like make-up, movies and eating out.

Yeah, volunteering is so hard to work into one's schedule so I think that's usually off-limits for most people. Depending on where you live if you do crafts you might be able to find someplace that wants people to make blankets or that sort of thing. Also, one year my mom and sister and I volunteered for our church's soup kitchen but we couldn't fit it into our work schedules so we made the food and dropped it off, instead of serving.

Maddie - I think going vegan is such an awesome idea. This boy is some sort of Eastern Orthodox and said that it's traditional in that religion to give up dairy during their Lent. I might give it a try, although I am so bad at feeding myself as it is and I can't really afford to lose weight. And I seriously live on cheese.

thanks cc, u r very insightful!  the frivolous spending thing sounds like the best plan, but unfortunately i've already practically given it up.  plus, i'm not a regular shopper... i mean, i buy stuff like makeup when i'm in the mood which is practically never.  also, i'm going to hawaii in april so i'm already kinda on a spending freeze.  the vegan thing sounds really good, but i'm afraid it would be too expensive/time consuming & i'd end up just not eating.  maybe i'll just give up meat again & volunteer once a week... i live in santa monica so i can't really swing a cat w/o hitting a homeless person.  , i know there is a group that feeds the homeless i think on wednesdays.... thanks for all the ideas ladies, ur wonderful!

All kidding aside, I used  to give something up for Lent every year since I could remember. It was always the same old thing. No sweets, gum etc. And I realized that Lent is about sacrafice and giving something up to feel Gods pain. So instead of sacraficing something silly like candy I sacrificed my time and volunteered somewhere for the duration of Lent. There is nothing mroe valuable to me then my time so that's what I gave up.

My priest always said that it's better to do something extra for Lent instead of giving something up. He pointed out that Jesus' death, while a sacrifice, was more of a gift than anything else, and that's what we should try to emulate.

I am going to do one good thing/random act of kindess per day.

well, i'm not catholic, but i have decided to observe the giving up of something...  chocolate and alcohol.  which may be tricky, since i have v-day, best friends b-day, and my b-day in the next 2 weeks.  hope i'm not offending anyone by partaking in my own little lent like thing.

 

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Originally posted by: tara t
"well, i'm not catholic, but i have decided to observe the giving up of something...  chocolate and alcohol.  which may be tricky, since i have v-day, best friends b-day, and my b-day in the next 2 weeks.  hope i'm not offending anyone by partaking in my own little lent like thing.  "

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Well when b-days and holidays like v-day fall during lent you are allowed to partake in them for the day.  You also get sundays free (at least what I've been taught) so its not all that bad.  I still don't know what to give up. I pretty much give up everything on a yearly basis anyway.