"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence, And do not take the Spirit of Your holiness away from me. Restore to me the gladness of Your salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:10-12

I grew up in a Roman Catholic household. We observe all the Roman Catholic Holy days such as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. But leading up to Easter Sunday, is the time of year we call 'Lent,' a season of prayer, fasting, and the preparation of death and the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. During this 40-day period starting on Ash Wednesday (which happened to fall on Valentine's Day this year), we are asked to give up something of significance, much like Jesus sacrificed his life on the desert.

Normally, we are asked to give up something tangible or intangible. The last few years, I have taken initiative to give up more than one item. It's not about the quantity, rather the quality and significance it holds in your life. In past years I have given up listening to music, (imagine that! Giving up music for 40 days--yes it can be done!) ice cream, and even certain social media apps (Facebook and Twitter — once again, it is possible!)

This year, I decided to give up three items. Chocolate. Ice cream (again), and Starbucks.

I know what you're thinking. How can someone give up those three items?? Believe me, my friends thought I was crazy to give up Starbucks, or what we call "Starbs" since I have one on my campus. Chocolate was another one that left people in awe. Anyone who knows me knows I am in love with chocolate — it solves all my problems (well almost). The thought process of picking these three items was not hard. I gave them up not to torture myself, but learn to regulate my intake and to follow a code of discipline within the Roman Catholic faith.

People all over sacrifice much more than chocolate, ice cream, and Starbucks, however, after giving up these items, I learned more about the reasoning behind this period. The purpose being to prepare for the Easter season through penance, prayer and sacrifice. We all know that chocolate is great, ice cream is irresistible, and Starbucks is energizing. The first week of Lent for me was very difficult. There were several occasions when my family went out for Dairy Queen, (my dad's weakness), and I resisted the temptation and left empty handed. Try walking on campus when everyone around you has a Starbucks in their hand. Or how about when your mom goes food shopping and every dessert she buys has chocolate.

As I reflected on Jesus' crucifixion and Resurrection, I overcame my temptations and realized my sacrifices were to replicate Christs' 40-day journey into the desert.