So the fast...I did end up eating a late dinner Monday evening feeling a bit like I was failing but also rationalizing (and isn't this pretty much the way of humanity) I had not eaten since Friday evening so this was essentially 3 days and we had some decisions that I was not clear minded enough to think about to make and I was just tired and getting cranky and generally unproductive. So There!
In typical fashion trying to retain righteousness in my own strength instead of Gods very own gift to me, I tried to not eat during the first half of Tuesday. Crashed and burned on that by around 1:30 or so.
So what happened as a result of this fast so far? Can I tell you the presence of God was so strong in many ways and in fact has me in tears now. So maybe I didn't pull on that to carry me through the finish of my fast in a very solid way but HE IS GOOD and AMAZING!
1. We have recieved permission by New Song to hold the Marriage Seminar in their facility this February (they have the needed Satelitte equip from ccn)!
2. We have found we may offer tickets for less than we originally thought!
3. I recieved a call from a woman who needed food. (again remember Isaiah 58 and part of fasting is sharing our food with the hungry) She attended prayer meeting with us that night and not only recieved food but was HEALED of a condition that kept her unable to stand for long or walk very far (she had already told me she felt like people might think badly if she sat while others stood. I reasurred her it.) We prayed with her and she said "I feel weird. My legs feel weird" She was told to stand then walk. Honestley she began walking and walking and lifting her legs high over and over! Exclaiming how she couldn't do that before! Telling Jesus "You're the Man!" It was very cool!
4. And then overall some particular words from His word to me that were affirming and special...
And that was all just that day...
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Third Day
As expected today was super busy so I didn't have the added temptation of hanging around the kitchen too much. Although dinner will be getting made soon ( by me). The thing I noticed today was an extra awareness of God in the morning. Nice!
And right on the heels of that some life challenges. One car only this week (door got knocked off the jeep). Honestly I am a little too tired to write about them. There were several right off and this is an insert to what I already finished writing here.
The other thing was, as I took kids to school and Marty to work and travelled to my other appointments, was fast food signs calling out to me...Ok. No. Not hearing voices! I am not crazy! I mean I would see one that said "Onion Rings or Fries Any Size $1" and think "I love onion rings and did that say any size $1?" or another sign "Chicken and Noodles" or "Beef Stroganoff". Well things like that are there all the time but usually don't try to grab me by the scruff of my neck.
I also had to do a short grocery store run. That one I managed pretty well. Though I guess I did buy the largest box of honeynut Cheerios this time. I was tempted by a candy bar at the gas station. I was going to buy it but not eat it. Really.
Had to drop paper off to Marty at the office and grab lunch for him (mexican) He needed to eat today cause of the pace of his job. And that is valid ok? Scripture tells us not to mistreat employees(as per Isaiah 58) so keeping his blood sugar level is pretty important! No cranky bosses! And there I was waiting for it surrounded with yummy smells and posters of crepes and cheeseburgers and then given THE BAG with what I happen to know is excellent food.
Fortunately there were stops that had nothing to do with food products..The library, the hospital to pray for a friend, school supply store for paper, the chiropractor to work again on getting myself adjusted.
And so now I am home for the evening and I think I will make it through this day three of the fast. There have been some good God events today. Divine encounters. I think someone wrote of them as God Winks...and I'll follow up on those...and maybe post them soon. Just not right now.
And right on the heels of that some life challenges. One car only this week (door got knocked off the jeep). Honestly I am a little too tired to write about them. There were several right off and this is an insert to what I already finished writing here.
The other thing was, as I took kids to school and Marty to work and travelled to my other appointments, was fast food signs calling out to me...Ok. No. Not hearing voices! I am not crazy! I mean I would see one that said "Onion Rings or Fries Any Size $1" and think "I love onion rings and did that say any size $1?" or another sign "Chicken and Noodles" or "Beef Stroganoff". Well things like that are there all the time but usually don't try to grab me by the scruff of my neck.
I also had to do a short grocery store run. That one I managed pretty well. Though I guess I did buy the largest box of honeynut Cheerios this time. I was tempted by a candy bar at the gas station. I was going to buy it but not eat it. Really.
Had to drop paper off to Marty at the office and grab lunch for him (mexican) He needed to eat today cause of the pace of his job. And that is valid ok? Scripture tells us not to mistreat employees(as per Isaiah 58) so keeping his blood sugar level is pretty important! No cranky bosses! And there I was waiting for it surrounded with yummy smells and posters of crepes and cheeseburgers and then given THE BAG with what I happen to know is excellent food.
Fortunately there were stops that had nothing to do with food products..The library, the hospital to pray for a friend, school supply store for paper, the chiropractor to work again on getting myself adjusted.
And so now I am home for the evening and I think I will make it through this day three of the fast. There have been some good God events today. Divine encounters. I think someone wrote of them as God Winks...and I'll follow up on those...and maybe post them soon. Just not right now.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Second Day
Gotta love the originality of my titles so far. So what happens the second day? It is 8:30 pm and I do have a headache. And of course a bit of an aching tummy. And since I have been fairly early on in Chiropractic adjustments my hips are sore too. Over all this has been a good day though. I think mainly because we were busy from early on. I did have some food challenges to navigate which probably goes without saying and my kids were finally on to me at one point when I refused to eat their nachos and cheese after church from the lunch concession.
We went to a movie late afternoon (Sherlock Holmes)where I normally would eat popcorn or SOMETHING but made sure my sons popcorn was in the holder to his right while I sat at his left.
The biggest hurdle by far was making eggrolls for dinner which I had bought ingredients for last week before we the fast decision was made. I was going to refuse when the request to have them TONIGHT was made actually. I decided to keep it to a very simple chicken only version for the kids because really, they are not fasting and neither are the cats or the dog so food was in order for them all. And I indulged myself in drinking chicken broth from boiling the chicken. Simple things taste pretty good when you haven't eaten in over 24 hours. So enjoying that seemed like cheating a bit.
One huge difference in this fast is that Marty and I are fasting together.
We both had been feeling a leading to do so and decided Sat am upon that discussion and following a program on fasting which I had turned off before it was over Friday pm but was on Sat morning again. (I had actually prayed and told the Lord I was sorry I had turned it off and wished I had heard it through...How funny that it was on again so I could listen through...hmmm)
Tomorrow promises to be a busy day too. That will either help or perhaps be harder since it is day 3 without solids. None of this is for any pat on my back. I just wanted to log it in a real way while before God through the day about things...Like the marriage seminar we want to bring to our community for one...Some how it helps me to know people are real while walking it out...
We went to a movie late afternoon (Sherlock Holmes)where I normally would eat popcorn or SOMETHING but made sure my sons popcorn was in the holder to his right while I sat at his left.
The biggest hurdle by far was making eggrolls for dinner which I had bought ingredients for last week before we the fast decision was made. I was going to refuse when the request to have them TONIGHT was made actually. I decided to keep it to a very simple chicken only version for the kids because really, they are not fasting and neither are the cats or the dog so food was in order for them all. And I indulged myself in drinking chicken broth from boiling the chicken. Simple things taste pretty good when you haven't eaten in over 24 hours. So enjoying that seemed like cheating a bit.
One huge difference in this fast is that Marty and I are fasting together.
We both had been feeling a leading to do so and decided Sat am upon that discussion and following a program on fasting which I had turned off before it was over Friday pm but was on Sat morning again. (I had actually prayed and told the Lord I was sorry I had turned it off and wished I had heard it through...How funny that it was on again so I could listen through...hmmm)
Tomorrow promises to be a busy day too. That will either help or perhaps be harder since it is day 3 without solids. None of this is for any pat on my back. I just wanted to log it in a real way while before God through the day about things...Like the marriage seminar we want to bring to our community for one...Some how it helps me to know people are real while walking it out...
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The First Day
There seems to be something about knowing you MAY NOT that makes the NOT ALLOWED thing so much more desirable. Take for intance not eating. That's right. Fasting. Intentions are top of the line. Convinced my life will be more in tune with God and I will hear more clearly His direction for me with more annointing and all that is indicated by His word. So YES! I will fast and pray secretly (though really now, I suppose blogging about it blows the cover off secrecy wouldn't you say?)
In the past I have managed to keep it secret even from my husband and kids. Generally that was a limited fast, meaning I would allow myself to have one meal in the evening while others ate. No seconds though,just one moderate serving! Or maybe soup or salad only one time a day. The length of the fasts differed also. One day, three days, one week, fourty days.
I can tell you as the primary food prep person in the home this is quite challenging. I admit I resorted to lying to myself - just coming clean with you all since God already knows all about it - and told myself the food was PLASTIC. You know like the fake fruit that used to sit on my grandmas dining room table.
The first day though seems to be the worst. If I just didn't have time to eat or felt too sick to eat not such a big deal. But then that doesn't really serve the purpose does it? It doesn't count as a fast. So what happens my first day? Headache, temptations galore for crabbiness and eating, grumbling tummy aching and not thinking quite as sharply and falling asleep instead of persevering prayer.
So what to do, what to do? How do I move past all this into successfully completing a fast? The key I believe is keeping the vision before me. In otherwords, what is the purpose of the fast? Not just a general it is good for my life in all ways reason. But tag it and keep focus.
How about you? Any fasts you feel free to talk about? Results and challenges?
In the past I have managed to keep it secret even from my husband and kids. Generally that was a limited fast, meaning I would allow myself to have one meal in the evening while others ate. No seconds though,just one moderate serving! Or maybe soup or salad only one time a day. The length of the fasts differed also. One day, three days, one week, fourty days.
I can tell you as the primary food prep person in the home this is quite challenging. I admit I resorted to lying to myself - just coming clean with you all since God already knows all about it - and told myself the food was PLASTIC. You know like the fake fruit that used to sit on my grandmas dining room table.
The first day though seems to be the worst. If I just didn't have time to eat or felt too sick to eat not such a big deal. But then that doesn't really serve the purpose does it? It doesn't count as a fast. So what happens my first day? Headache, temptations galore for crabbiness and eating, grumbling tummy aching and not thinking quite as sharply and falling asleep instead of persevering prayer.
So what to do, what to do? How do I move past all this into successfully completing a fast? The key I believe is keeping the vision before me. In otherwords, what is the purpose of the fast? Not just a general it is good for my life in all ways reason. But tag it and keep focus.
How about you? Any fasts you feel free to talk about? Results and challenges?
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