Wheeeeee!

I'm so in love with this time of year right now. The spring weather is finally starting to cooperate with our bike rides and picnic dinners and we're loving it!

But besides the spring time, I'm really looking forward to the Lenten season. As a Catholic, I choose to give up something that I love in the days leading up to Easter in the hopes that I turn to God when self-denial gets hard. I also hope to use this time as a chance to show God how important I view His "sacrifice" of his Son.

For the past week or so, I've been seriously praying and contemplating over what I want to get out of the next 40 days and what I'm wanting to sacrifice in order to get closer to God. I've decided to:

• give up one hour of sleep in the morning to pray, meditate and complete a devotion
• incorporate the color purple throughout the house using candles and flowers to remind me of the season we're in
• read only spiritually based books during this time, focusing on the saints I admire

Do you celebrate Lent? If so, what are you giving up?