18 hours into Lent and I'm wondering what it means to 'slip up'.  My intention is that abstinence from beef and pork fats will extend to dairy products that contain milk fat, and things cooked in pork fat or beef tallow.  As a Catholic this wouldn't be a problem because I could just seek an 'indulgence' and thus make up for any errors through good works.  The current protestant understanding of Lent doesn't seem to have any such 'forgiveness' built in to it.  So one either has to just live with the guilt of having failed, or has to learn to forgive themselves and assume that their offering to God is still good even though it is no longer 'without blemish'.  For me, this always meant just giving up because my lent was no longer worth anything since I couldn't say that I gave up "x" without following it up with a qualification explaining my failings, or having to say that "I tried" to do Lent this year without the pride of being able to say that I DID Lent this year.

Luckily for me, this time it's more of an exploration and exersize, and I don't need to figure out some way to 'attone' for the cupcake I had with buttercream icing.  Hmmm... I wonder if I should be abstaining from milk chocolate as well?