February 7: Lenten Challenge

OK, next week is Ash Wednesday.  I personally think it's a cruel twist of fate that the first day of Lent comes on February 13, one day before Valentine's Day.  That's like having National Vegetable Eating Day on Halloween.  Any how, I've had very little time to think about my Lenten Challenge for this year.

Last, year, if you remember, I vowed to write a chapter of my memoir every week and post it each Saturday (or was it Sunday?).  Regardless of the day, I was supposed to post the chapters, I only followed through once or twice on this vow last Lent.  I still experience twinges of post traumatic guilt to this day.

The year before that, I wrote a poem a day during Lent, and I ended up with a poetry manuscript.

And, of course, in 2010, for the 47 days of Lent, I prayed for people who had hurt me in some way.  That was not a fun challenge.  I remember becoming physically ill when I first started, dredging up all those old feelings of anger, betrayal, and pain.  It was a liberating experience, but by Easter Sunday, I was more than a little spiritually exhausted.

I'm not sure what to do this year.  I was thinking of doing a reboot of last Lent's challenge and trying to work on that memoir again.  Perhaps I'd have more success this year.

I'll throw it out to the disciples of this blog.  Do you have any ideas for a Lenten challenge for me?  I'm up for almost anything, short of selling all my worldly possessions and joining a monastery in Yugoslavia.  I'm not quite ready for that.  Yet.

Saint Marty needs some help people.

No matter what, I'm not giving up chocolate