Commenter Gina asks: What are the fifteen failings you identified for Lent?
Well, I'm not quite ready to lay bare my entire soul on the net, but the three of the fifteen I chose to work on this Lent are dependence on tv, unnecessary web surfing, and my soda pop addiction.
Relinquishing daytime websurfing and email checking
Very difficult. Disconnected the internet and hung the cord on a ladder-only-accessable curtain rod to reduce temptation. Day one was a hard day. But in the last three days I've editted 10 chapters, written two new scenes, identified and solved a timeline problem within my novel, done a ton of laundry, and had a hot meal waiting for the family in a clean kitchen every day when they got home. I feel so encouraged today I was thrilled to throw that cord over the curtain rod at 9:30 am.
Eschewing TV
We don't do tv before 3 pm (a gift of a Lent a dozen years past), so I didn't even notice it was missing during the day. But in the evening I NOTICED. For the last several years I'd taken to turning on the TV for the evening news and letting it run until bedtime. I rarely just sat and watched it. Instead I used it as background noise for couch potato activities like reading, playing free cell, net surfing, etc. Sounds harmless, right? It's not. In just the three days since we turned it off I've experienced the desire to attend meetings, Jazzercise, walk the dogs, and spend considerably more time interacting with the kids. Amazing how removing a vice allows good things to rush in to fill the void.
Surrendering the Dr. Pepper
I'm in withdrawal!!!! Though I admit I eased the symptoms considerably by giving up most things containing High Fructose Corn Syrup at New Year. I've been drinking real sugar Dr. Pepper for the most part since then, so I'd already gotten through the worst of the withdrawal headache in January - three days of blistering pain. I've also eased the digestive withdrawal symptoms enormously by drinking lots and lots of water. And since exposure to refined sugar or sugar water (like fruit juices) increases my cravings for soda pop, I'm substituting real fruit for juice and avoiding refined sugars - adding a virtue to combat the vice.
That's where it's at for now. Now it's time to write novels, so I'm off the net.
Something that's helping me write today: Lent
Well, I'm not quite ready to lay bare my entire soul on the net, but the three of the fifteen I chose to work on this Lent are dependence on tv, unnecessary web surfing, and my soda pop addiction.
Relinquishing daytime websurfing and email checking
Very difficult. Disconnected the internet and hung the cord on a ladder-only-accessable curtain rod to reduce temptation. Day one was a hard day. But in the last three days I've editted 10 chapters, written two new scenes, identified and solved a timeline problem within my novel, done a ton of laundry, and had a hot meal waiting for the family in a clean kitchen every day when they got home. I feel so encouraged today I was thrilled to throw that cord over the curtain rod at 9:30 am.
Eschewing TV
We don't do tv before 3 pm (a gift of a Lent a dozen years past), so I didn't even notice it was missing during the day. But in the evening I NOTICED. For the last several years I'd taken to turning on the TV for the evening news and letting it run until bedtime. I rarely just sat and watched it. Instead I used it as background noise for couch potato activities like reading, playing free cell, net surfing, etc. Sounds harmless, right? It's not. In just the three days since we turned it off I've experienced the desire to attend meetings, Jazzercise, walk the dogs, and spend considerably more time interacting with the kids. Amazing how removing a vice allows good things to rush in to fill the void.
Surrendering the Dr. Pepper
I'm in withdrawal!!!! Though I admit I eased the symptoms considerably by giving up most things containing High Fructose Corn Syrup at New Year. I've been drinking real sugar Dr. Pepper for the most part since then, so I'd already gotten through the worst of the withdrawal headache in January - three days of blistering pain. I've also eased the digestive withdrawal symptoms enormously by drinking lots and lots of water. And since exposure to refined sugar or sugar water (like fruit juices) increases my cravings for soda pop, I'm substituting real fruit for juice and avoiding refined sugars - adding a virtue to combat the vice.
That's where it's at for now. Now it's time to write novels, so I'm off the net.
Something that's helping me write today: Lent
