Lent Update #1

Genuine shapchat from Shrove Tuesday

Not a very inspiring title but I'm more of a 'get the job done' kind of person- sorry to disappoint. So, as you know lent started eleven days ago. Traditionally this is a time where people give something up until Easter, and then end up over-indulging when the day arrives, or is that just me? I've given up things for lent for about seven years now- small things that I wouldn't normally have or do anyway, which I know completely defeats the object. However, this year I've gone full throttle and given up meat. 'That's okay, you can still have fish' I hear you cry, but alas, I am not eating any animals; surf or turf. To be honest there's not a lot in my diet to give up: I don't smoke or drink, or have dairy, or sweets, or any of the usual things so meat was the prime candidate for eviction. Interestingly one of my friends has gone outside the realm of food and has given up makeup- her blog is : https://bexbaillie.wordpress.com/ and is well worth a read.

 Don't give up meat. It's been a lifestyle change for me completely. Gone are the days where you can just pull some meat out of the freezer, chuck it in a sauce and dinner is sorted. Going meat free takes planning. I don't know if my student fridge isn't doing it's job but vegetables don't keep so I'm now having to do more than just a weekly shop. I have to plan all my meals so I know what I need when and I now spend half my waking hours chopping vegetables. I have been to the 'health food' aisle of Tesco, a previously fabled land where thin AU athletes go to find exotic substances such as quinoa. Ive not yet slipped into the temptation of just doing my normal meals with Quorn instead but with coursework period coming up I might have to...

Luckily for me Lent has fallen around the time of my great revelation so for me this year it's not just doing without something for 40 days. As I am reminded by the notice sheets at church Lent is a time for taking things up too. I see it as more of a spiritual 'shape up' rather than just turning up to morning prayer a couple of times a week. And I have really turned this Lent into a proper spiritual shape up. I want to do another post about prayer so I'll be brief. I've found going to morning prayer has made me more reflective on my life and how I worship and I am now a lot more conscious of it. This thoughtfulness is induced by giving up and taking up. Each time I contemplate reaching for the tin of tuna I stop and think for five minutes and it's no longer about the fish. It's about learning to wait for Jesus and that part of our waiting requires small sacrifices to reap the benefits later on. It's about saying no to temptation and yes to something better. Now I've written it down I think I'm going to put it on a post-it on my cupboard 'no to meat, yes to Jesus'.

Ashtag

#Ashtag

So I've been thinking for a while about my faith and what part it plays in my life. For the last couple of years I will admit my church attendance has been a bit patchy due to studying and part time work, and I didn't realise until the other week that I didn't have a bible at uni! I suppose that my epiphany started this Christmas.

I'd been up since half seven, Bertha the turkey was well and truly roasted, I'd found some time between parts of the cooking timetable to open a couple of presents, and at one o'clock we all finally sat down to eat. Cracker hat on, I had just retrieved the spinning top that found its way among the roast potatoes when something came out of my mouth quite unexpectedly, "I'm going to be a vicar". Needless to say everyone was quite surprised. While seemingly something from out of the blue, it's actually not such a strange decision. 1) I'd already decided in September that in the following academic year I wanted to do some youth work. 2) I've often thought that being a vicar's wife is something I'd be pretty good at- but why just be the wife when you can be the vicar, eh? 3) My career plan for the last decade has to become a teacher, but apparently I just hadn't worked out what it was I wanted to be teaching.

I'm not going to bore you with the whole 'new year, new me' cliche but I really feel that since Christmas I have changed, and committed to a decision. So far I've been going to church more than once a week, bought a bible and started annotating it, joined a lent course, widened my selection of faith music (after going to a united service- big step forward), and signed up to vocations day in my uni diocese. I don't know what I want to achieve with a blog. Most people who will be reading will have already found Jesus. I suppose I'm making an example of myself to say 'you can do it too'. I am probably an unlikely candidate for ordained ministry so if I can explore my options and find the right path, there is nothing to stop anyone who is curious.

If his call is waiting, I'm about to pick up.