What will you Sacrifice for Lent? Created by The Bracketz Squad
(by Cynthia Knapic)
The resounding theme of the Olympics can be summed up in one word: Sacrifice. There are so many countless stories of personal sacrifice. Bob Costas and the rest of the NBC team have highlighted many coaches and athletes across several disciplines who have given up the everyday luxuries that we take for granted all for the pursuit of excellence.
In accordance with the Christian holiday, this Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent season, a time to cultivate spiritual discipline in remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. Just as athletes spend time mentally preparing themselves for the battle ahead, make plenty of time for prayer over the next 40 days as part of the believer's preparation for Easter. You can do it!
>>> It's Lent Season: What do think we (Christians) need to sacrifice the most this year? <<<
1) Meat
Cutting down on Red Meats and decreasing the meat portions on your plate can be a very difficult sacrifice to make, especially for those Atkins dieters out there. However, it is a good sacrifice to make for your heart health. Lowering your meat intake can greatly improve cholesterol levels and saturated fat intake, both of which are factors in keeping your heart healthy.
2) Dessert
Outside of the United States, dessert portions are petite in size and sugar quantities are controlled. Several sticks of butter and heaps of sugar go into making our favorite American desserts like apple pie, New York cheesecake, and chocolate chip cookies. Save yourself the extra calories and exercise self control by skipping dessert for 40 days… you’ll find that your sweet tooth cravings will decrease over time once you train your mind not to cave into your post-dinner desires.
3) Alcohol
Switch the alcohol for delicious, thirst-quenching water (try seltzer or sparkling water too!) over the next few weeks. Your liver will thank you, your mornings will consist of fewer headaches, and your body will feel hydrated.
4) Chocolate
Yes, we have all heard the reports that red wine and dark chocolate are good for us. But if you're one of many Americans who use this report to justify chocolate candy bar snacks on a near daily basis, your body could use a break from its chocolate fix!
5) Caffeine
Think you can't make it through the day without your daily caffeine fix? Then, maybe it's a sign that you're working too hard or not getting enough sleep. Take this time to re-evaluate your priorities in life to make sure that you are not sacrificing your health (you only get one life and one body!) to compensate for other weaknesses in your life. No one should have to get through the day by infusing caffeine into their veins.
6) Swearing
Do you catch yourself muttering or letting out words of profanity? Or, maybe a significant other or friend has pointed out your dirty habit to you recently. If you find yourself slipping swear words at work or in front of children, then don't take this habit lightly because it's an all or nothing kind of thing: you either stop altogether, or you don't at all. If you think you can just stop cold turkey only when you need to (such as in front of the boss or in front of the kids), chances are, you won't be able to unless you start working on this habit sooner rather than later.
7) Bad Habit
Nail biting, stressing out, temper tantrums, sleeping too late, arriving late… whatever your selfish bad habit is… today is the day to work towards a better tomorrow for your life.
8) Yourself
Jesus laid down his life for us. He chose to make the ultimate sacrifice by loving others. This lent season, put others' needs ahead of your own and sacrifice your own comfort for theirs. This means sacrificing your time, your to-do lists, your schedules, your extra minutes of sleep… so that you can put others first (ideas: spend time with your parents, help your partner with their projects, offer to do chores before being asked, and sacrificing your time to make sure that you arrive on time to an appointment). In our individualistic culture of the "me-first" mentality, this will be a very difficult sacrifice to make. Pray often, spread the love, and enjoy the beauty of giving....Read full article
Winner - Yourself |
