Why am I going on a Facebook fast?

I'm not a highy disciplined person, but I have done a few fasts in the past - food on Mondays, Scrabble on my phone, summer TV, 30-hour famine, cream in my coffee, etc.  I find that, for me, they are a good way to break a bad habit and draw closer to God at the same time. 

Lately God has been showing me that I tend to put food, shopping, and/or Facebook/games ahead of Him when I want comfort, joy, or entertainment.  It keeps me from giving my life to Him completely. 


Sometimes when I'm babysitting I let my granddaughter watch movies for a long time because I'm occupied with my computer.  I want to make more of an effort to make the most of my time with her.  Here she is, watching Snow White.



This is today's mail - ads and bills.  I tend to live beyond my means.  Spending more than I should, relying on Visa instead of God's provision.  Buying new stuff is fun, but it does not compare with the joy of living within God's will.  I know it in my head, but I struggle to put it into practice.

This is my craft room.  Rather than the haven of creativity that I want it to be, it's started to represent a scene from 'Hoarders - Buried Alive'.  I have good intentions, but it's easier to sit on a reclining love seat with my laptop.  I just need to get started - that's often all it takes.  Maybe in 46 days I'll have an 'after' picture.



This is the journaling bible that my husband got me for our 30th anniversary.  It needs more use.  I want to see notes all over it.  To use it up and then get another one.



Fasting during lent is kind of a new tradition for me.  I like it.  This year I plan to give up Facebook, computer games, and unnecessary spending.  I will also continue the dieting and exercising that I began in late 2010.  I may blog about what I am learning - if that's where God leads me.  I'm looking forward to the journey. 

Be strong and steady - and Celebrate Recovery

I guess it's been awhile since I posted.  Lately, I've let my 'retail therapy' get out of control.  My only criteria has been 'do I want it' and 'is it on sale at a good price'.  Never mind do I really need it and/or can I afford it.  So I've bought a lot of junk lately - lots of Old Navy t-shirts and such that I like, but don't really need. 

So I'm plan to work on recovery (Celebrate Recovery style):

Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.

“Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.”

Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has the power to help me recover.

“Happy are those how mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

“Happy are the meek.”

Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.

“Happy are the pure in heart.”

Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.

“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires”

Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others.

“Happy are the merciful.”

“Happy are the peacemakers”

Reserve a time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words.

“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.”

So, I'm admitting that this has become a problem in my life.  I decided I HAD to go to church this morning even though Brian was home with a headache.  Church was awesome.  Then I covered a folder with pictures representing my longer term financial goals and covered it with modge podge.  I intend to use it to store my bills.

So I ask myself - Do I want visit family far away, or have more t-shirts?  Do I want a new vehicle when mine dies, or do I want to have a lot of t-shirts?  Do I want to serve God, or have a lot of t-shirts?  Seems simple, doesn't it?  So why isn't it? 

Norah's Faces

"I look like Shawn the Sheep"





Shawn the Sheep



The Whole Armor of God

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  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.  Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me (Paul), that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel...that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."  Ephesians 6:10-20

Brett and Brian have spent the evening making armor, that the gospel may be declared boldly to a group of kids at Vacation Bible School this week.  40 of those kids accepted Christ today.  Pray for them as they continue the battle, and take the message forward. 

My favorite song on the fourth grade, from the Bible School I went to was Onward Christian Soldiers:

1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, 
 with the cross of Jesus going on before. 
 Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; 
 forward into battle see his banners go! 
Refrain: 
 Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, 
 with the cross of Jesus going on before. 

2. At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee; 
 on then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! 
 Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise; 
 brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise. 
 (Refrain) 

3. Like a mighty army moves the church of God; 
 brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. 
 We are not divided, all one body we, 
 one in hope and doctrine, one in charity. 
 (Refrain) 

4. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, 
 but the church of Jesus constant will remain.
 Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail; 
 we have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail. 
 (Refrain) 

5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng, 
 blend with ours your voices in the triumph song. 
 Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King, 
 this through countless ages men and angels sing.
 (Refrain) 

Take a Break - Guilt Free

Mark 2:27 caught my eye today. 

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" 25 He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

I think the Sabbath is God's gift to us - permission to rest - not another thing to feel guilty about or nitpick.  The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  That's cool.  I think the best way to honor that gift (honor the Sabbath) is to accept it, enjoy it, and appreciate it.

A Dozen Three Sixteens

Joel 3:16 The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake.  But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another.  The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 

Matthew 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

Luke 3:16 John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

I Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you?

Ephesians 3:16 according to the riches of glory he may grant you to be strenghtened with power through his Spirit in your inner being

Philippians 3:16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

I Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:  He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

I John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

My Temple

I Corinthians 3:16 - 17 "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.  For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple."

I have not been treating my body as a temple, or anything close.  Through the years I've gotten less active and gradually gained more and more weight, mostly in my stomach (the classic 'apple' shape that leads to heart attacks.)  My cholesterol has been up to 410 with triglycerides of 800+.  So I went on medication.  Gradually my doctor has added more meds to counteract my bad habits. 

I decided to do something about it, so my husband took this lovely 'before' picture in October of 2009:

It turns out I was 'interested' in losing weight, but not 'committed'.  I used the treadmill a few times, then continued to put on the pounds and hang out on my couch, playing computer games.  Fortunately for everyone, I did not take another 'before' picture when I was at my peak.

Then, my 'gem' of a friend came along with some encouragement.  She said she was taking Zumba class and we should join her.  Along with another friend, I did just that at the beginning of November.

I'm loving Zumba.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and its lots of fun. I know I look ridiculous doing Latin dance moves, but I've decided not to care about that.  Almost immediately I started to feel more energetic.  I even tried working out on some machines when class was cancelled for the holidays. 

My company ran a campaign to get us to eat more fruits and vegetables (strive for five) and I dove in, again with support from my friends.  Next Gem mentioned that she was joining Weight Watchers.  They have a new program, and I was welcome to come along.  So I did that in early December and I have been very impressed with that program. 

So far so good.  I've lost 15 pounds and my clothes are starting to fit again. 

Perhaps I got too cocky.  Seemed too simple.  So when the company sent out a flyer advertising a 7-week training program for a a 5-K in early May I gave it some thought.  Run, jog or walk, they promise I will cross the finish line.  This time I brought it up.  Gem is in if I'm in.  I posted it in my FaceBook status - committed.  Should be committed, I think.

The class starts next week, so I decided to try a little jogging today.  How hard can it be after Zumba?  I needed to go to the bank anyway - less than a half a mile from my house.  I put on my jogging garb.  Stretched a little.  Got outside and jogged past my neighbor's house.  It felt weird.  I'm not sure how to move anymore.  I walked the next block briskly.  Okay, I can do this.  Broke out into another awkward jog.  My stomach bounces up and down.  I've got a sports bra, but no sports belt (do they make those?)  I finish the block and walk again, huffing and puffing.  Someone drives by and waves.  I can't figure out who it is (sorry!) but I wave back.  Two more people smile and wave.  I'm starting to wonder if I look funny or what.  On the way back, I jogged some more.  Another block, but it was a long block.  I was starting to wish I'd worn less clothes, but then realized that bulky sweatshirt was the only thing hiding my bouncing belly.  It took another block to catch my breath.

What have I gotten myself into?!?

Random Photos

The quilt

I love having grandchildren.  My grandson, Ryott, turned one this week.   I started knitting a blanket on the day he was born and I finished it this week.  It's got a lot of flaws, but I'm still happy to have made it myself and to know that he will sleep with it.  Here are a few pictures:

Trying it out on Norah's toddler bed

A white house

The truck

Sailboat

A fish

Crocheted border - thanks to Reagan for teaching me how to do it

A tree

Imperfect joining of the squares

Tufts on the backside

Simply Surrender

I'm ready to be broken before the Lord.  I want to go public with my new commitment to surrender my finances to God.  I've been thinking about it for a long time, and this week's message at church helped cement my commitment to 'Simply Surrender'. 

I've been working for many years to grow closer to the Lord.  Bit by bit he is helping me to do that, showing me what I need to do - like the analogy in John 15:1-2  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

A few years ago I watched a Rob Bell Nooma video called Kickball (http://nooma.com/nooma-kickball-006-rob-bell.php).  It really made me think - do I really believe that God is good and has my best interests at heart?  If I do, then why don't I trust him - why do I go to Visa and lines of credit instead of waiting for his provision?  It took me a few years to work through that one.  My head said 'trust', but I really didn't want to give up control over my spending. 

A days ago I was struck by Luke 16:  9-13
"9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. 10 He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Mammon is not a word I use every day.  It's money and material things.  When I go to Kohl's to buy clothes to cheer me up instead of going to God, I am serving mammon.  So my new mantra is "God or mammon? Need or greed?"  I'm going to pray about my spending, stop the rationalizing, stick to shopping lists (list or lost) and rely on close friends and family to hold me accountable.  It's already difficult, but it's been a pretty good week.  I'll keep you posted.

I'll close the passage we studied in church this week - very applicable message about brokenness - very encouraging words - Isaiah 40:25 - 31
"25 "To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away. 27 O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. 30 Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 31 But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. "