Day 96

As a Lutheran, we follow the church calendar and observe the season of Lent, which is that period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Most everyone knows that Lent is for 40 days, which is a common number in the Bible - 40 days and nights of the flood, 40 years the Israelites wandered before reaching the Promised Land, and Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert followed by the temptation by Satan - just to name a few.

Often, people will choose to observe Lent by giving up something for those 40 days. I've never observed Lent in that manner before, but had often considered it. This year, I decided to give up chips for Lent. To many this might not sound like a big deal, but I love chips. I very much like salty things, and chips are perfect! They're also very convenient and require no preparation, which is fantastic with little ones.

I started the 40 days without a whole lot of planning, so until I made it to the grocery store, I spent a lot of time contemplating the staleness of various crackers in the pantry. I did make it through the entire 40 days without breaking down.

Of course, you might be looking at your calendar and noting that Easter is a week away, but I assure you that it's 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday. Another way of observing Lent is to take Sunday's "off". I think I might try that method next year if I decide to do this again.

Now, to crack open a bag of chips.