The first week of 2011's fast is coming to an end and God has been faithful and present in so many ways ... showing me that He cares about even the smallest detail of my life. Not that that fact is any different when I'm not fasting, but I guess fasting has made my spirit much more aware of His hand.
So, this is my First Week Fast Wrap-Up:
#1 - The night before our fast began was the beginning of our 7-week 20/20 small group. Anthony wanted to lead one, I didn't, but I acquiesced. Glad I did. Sunday (Jan 9) God showed me how to reach out in His leading. A woman caught my attention the entire service. At the end of it, after she came back to her seat from receiving prayer, I heard "Go ask her to your group". Ugh! Stepping out of my box is so not in my comfort zone! But I went anyway. Obey Radically, right? Glad I did. I asked, she said yes. She came to our group and we got the amazing opportunity to pray for her that night. God divinely weaves lives if we'll allow Him the room to move.
#2 - The kids' computer died on Wednesday. Extra money to spend that's NOT in our budget. Planning on taking the computer to be diagnosed in two weeks when some expense check money comes in. Anthony's paycheck on Friday included the expenses we thought we'd have to wait for until the end of the month. God cares about the small things.
#3 - Sunday's message was on Healing and God showed up in my living room to allow me to experience some healing. This was so special to me that I will write about it a separate blog.
What's a bit frustrating to me--but a learning lesson nonetheless--is that I know there have been way more moments throughout this week where I was made aware of God's work in my life. I'm now finding out that if I don't make a note somewhere about those moments, I cannot count on my own brain to neatly log them for future blogging. I'm going to ask God to brings those back to me, but going forward I now know to jot them down or they just may be gone by the time I sit down to blog them.
Showing posts with label 2011 Fast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 Fast. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
2011 Fast Confirmed
"I want to learn the heart of sacrifice and the returning gift of a joyful heart because of sacrifice; that my sacrifice may be a fragrant offering to God, just as Jesus offered himself for me." [me to anthony this morning]
Since December, I've been thinking about and asking God a lot about the upcoming 21-day fast we're heading into for Gateway starting this coming Monday. I've played over in mind last year's fast when I know I was called to juice/water fast. For the most part, it was a fairly easy fast. The first few days were really difficult, but then as my body got used to only liquids and a severe decrease in the calorie load, I fell into a place that was peaceful.
This year, I had kind of settled in my heart that I would do the Daniel Fast - no meats, no sweets - and focus on recharging my body through a large increase of fruits and veggies. Then this morning that all changed.
As I was writing Anthony an email not related to fasting, I wrote the first-half of the above sentence:
"I want to learn the heart of sacrifice and the returning gift of a joyful heart because of sacrifice."
Later in the morning during some study time, God pointed me to a scripture [Hebrews 12:2] which speaks to Jesus' sacrifice and the joy set before him to endure the cross. He then put a second thought to my earlier sentence: that my sacrifice would be a fragrant offering to him. That's such a deep thought for me right now that I haven't even begun to break it down, but it was in that moment that God's heart invaded mine for this upcoming fast...
I am going to water fast. No juice this time. Not even the one cup of coffee I allowed myself each morning last year. (it was liquid after all and it brought me such joy) Nope, not this time. Just plain, old, life-giving water.
In the same way that hearing God's heart stirred me to be excited, instead of dreadful, for embarking on a 3-week period of no food last year, I am now filled with that same excitement and expectation of what will come of this fast.
I've tried fasting, even for a single day, when I thought it was what I 'should' do to help move something along in the spiritual realm. And let me tell you, that kind of fasting was always hard. When I can make it through, with relative ease, a 21-day juice fast and yet grumble 6 hours into a one day fast, I know I'm not fasting for the right reasons or with the proper heart. And yet being 3 days away from a 21-day period of water only, my spirit is aroused by the possibilities that await me:
A complete cleansing of all the toxins I've accumulated this past year.
A stripping away of layers of fatty tissue deposited by over-indulging.
Possible healing and re-aligning of symptoms of unhealthiness that I've grown accustomed to living with and are no longer aware of.
AND
A journey of learning the heart of sacrifice and discovering the fragrance of its offering.
While I know there will be days that are easier than others, I want this fast to the best thing I've ever experienced in my walk with the Lord to-date. My heart is expectant and my spirit is smiling!
Since December, I've been thinking about and asking God a lot about the upcoming 21-day fast we're heading into for Gateway starting this coming Monday. I've played over in mind last year's fast when I know I was called to juice/water fast. For the most part, it was a fairly easy fast. The first few days were really difficult, but then as my body got used to only liquids and a severe decrease in the calorie load, I fell into a place that was peaceful.
This year, I had kind of settled in my heart that I would do the Daniel Fast - no meats, no sweets - and focus on recharging my body through a large increase of fruits and veggies. Then this morning that all changed.
As I was writing Anthony an email not related to fasting, I wrote the first-half of the above sentence:
"I want to learn the heart of sacrifice and the returning gift of a joyful heart because of sacrifice."
Later in the morning during some study time, God pointed me to a scripture [Hebrews 12:2] which speaks to Jesus' sacrifice and the joy set before him to endure the cross. He then put a second thought to my earlier sentence: that my sacrifice would be a fragrant offering to him. That's such a deep thought for me right now that I haven't even begun to break it down, but it was in that moment that God's heart invaded mine for this upcoming fast...
I am going to water fast. No juice this time. Not even the one cup of coffee I allowed myself each morning last year. (it was liquid after all and it brought me such joy) Nope, not this time. Just plain, old, life-giving water.
In the same way that hearing God's heart stirred me to be excited, instead of dreadful, for embarking on a 3-week period of no food last year, I am now filled with that same excitement and expectation of what will come of this fast.
I've tried fasting, even for a single day, when I thought it was what I 'should' do to help move something along in the spiritual realm. And let me tell you, that kind of fasting was always hard. When I can make it through, with relative ease, a 21-day juice fast and yet grumble 6 hours into a one day fast, I know I'm not fasting for the right reasons or with the proper heart. And yet being 3 days away from a 21-day period of water only, my spirit is aroused by the possibilities that await me:
A complete cleansing of all the toxins I've accumulated this past year.
A stripping away of layers of fatty tissue deposited by over-indulging.
Possible healing and re-aligning of symptoms of unhealthiness that I've grown accustomed to living with and are no longer aware of.
AND
A journey of learning the heart of sacrifice and discovering the fragrance of its offering.
While I know there will be days that are easier than others, I want this fast to the best thing I've ever experienced in my walk with the Lord to-date. My heart is expectant and my spirit is smiling!
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