Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Update on life

     So our 21 day fast at church is over. It was the first intentional fast I participated in. I'll be honest, it was probably one of the hardest things I have EVER done. I chose to fast from all soda & caffiene for those who don't know or are curious. And for those who know me, caffiene (specifically Diet Mtn Dew) was a strong addiction! Please see my two previous entries on what the Lord taught me specifically through giving up caffiene.
 I wanted to share in this entry post-fast thoughts
- 1) I pray the discipline in prayer for the future will continue
- 2) I pray to have discipline/self control in the amount of caffiene I allow myself to have (like maybe one soda every other day at most)
-3) random thought: how did I ever survive with that much caffiene...I learned while being off caffiene all the ways that amt negatively impacted my body!!

I also wanted to let you in on a few other happenings in life:
-1) if I ever quit procrastinating signing up...I will be running a half marathon in April in the Hogeye. I will be running with a team of girls to raise awareness for As Our Own (Gospel ministry that helps rescue girls from Human Sex trafficking...I will go into more detail about it in a later post)
-2) my apartment in the last month has gone from 3 girls to 4 girls...as we got a new roommate at the very end of Dec & she has been a huge blessing to our apartment
-3) I was completely blessed this weekend by messages. from friends & family wishing me a happy birthday. My roommates also spoiled me all weekend! All of this was so undeserving!!

And as for some encouragement I wanted to leave you with the verse of the day from the Bible app I use (that encouraged me):

"But you are  a chosen race,  a royal  priesthood,  a holy nation,  a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you  out of darkness into  his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

Friday, January 18, 2013

where the struggles lay (part 2)

ADDICTION: the state of being enslave to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma (from www.dictionary.com) 



wake-up. have a diet mountain dew. driving to work. working on a second one. get to work. by 8am have a third one. by lunch, have no idea how many have been consumed. have a few more in the afternoon. get ready to go to bed. make sure to have one sitting by the bed. may need a sip during the night.

a month ago i was praying about my participation in the 21 day fast that my church was doing. i asked the Lord what He would have me give up. the first immediate answer was diet mountain dew. i told the Lord that that would be the hardest thing i could do. 

day 2 of the fast i had a headache and was so nauseous that i wanted nothing to do with the world. all i needed (i thought) was a diet mountain dew. then i could proceed with this thing called life. in that time of desperation, i called to the LORD and asked for help. this happened again on day 3 and has happened several more times. 

my nausea and headaches came from my body being physically addicted to diet mountain dew. i would jokingly admit before that i had an addiction diet mountain dew. it is from this fast that i have learned that i had a real addiction. i had my body addicted to it so much that my body had become dependent on it.


DISCIPLINE: training to improve strength or self-control



a month ago when i was praying about what to give up i had no idea what the LORD was going to do for me personally through the journey of the 21 day fast. 

week number 2 of the fast is wrapping up. for me personally the Lord has taught me how to have discipline in my life. becoming disciplined with not drinking diet mountain dew has carried over into discipline into discipline in waking up in the mornings and spending quality time with Lord. i am actually remembering throughout the day what i learned in my quiet time that morning. i have become disciplined in keeping up with my reading through the New Testament in one year plan. the list goes on...

coming to the realization and admitting that i had a serious addiction was not planned when i started the 21 day fast.


there are other things the LORD has taught me through this 21 day fast. In intentionally seeking the LORD for the future there are practical steps that He has led me to take. i will be sharing more of that in the coming days. in the meantime, for those currently taking part in this fast, I am praying for you to help you remain strong. for those reading this and not having taken part in a fast before, i encourage you to do so with the intentions of seeking the LORD in a very intentional way. be open to what the LORD has to show you during this time. if you do not have a relationship with the LORD i would love to share with you how you can have one.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Where the struggles lay (Part 1)

  "For  we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against  the rulers, against the authorities, against  the cosmic powers over  this present darkness, against  the spiritual forces of evil  in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

The "present darkness" is satan & his attempts to attack us in our weakness. 

My weakness is my thoughts. It's like a war going on in my brain. Your not good enough. You'll never be able to achieve that. Why even try you're just going to fail. For me I constantly battle in my mind. satan wants me to give up or not try for fear of failure or not pleasing others.

And  let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap,  if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 )

Yet God calls me, COMMANDS, to not give up.

 He also is gracious to give me this command/help

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)





My church has been a 21 day fast in which we give up something for 21 days and seek the LORD for our future, our family's future, a friend's future, our nation's future, & the future of our church. During the first week of fast The Lord has really caused me to examine myself and through scripture & a devotional I've been reading the Lord has been faithful to show me where I've struggled in the past (& still struggle) so that I can better serve Him in the future. This blog entry is part 1 of  my journey in the 21 day fast & what The Lord has taught me thus far. This entry is by no means a way of me trying to get attention for myself! (I want all glory to go to God for what He has taught me & I look forward to sharing in the next couple of days and weeks to what God has taught me!!