I am a terrible blogger. My apologies. If my computer wasn't as slow as old syrup, I'd actually update more.
Ok, no excuses. I suck at this. There. I said it. If you check out my profile you'll probably find the other blogs I never finished. I like the idea of them, but once I get started I ALWAYS get distracted. Perhaps I should fast from distraction. Is that even possible?
Anyways, on to my weekend...I may or may not have accidently looked at a part of facebook through my messenger app on my phone. Totally wasn't intentional because I completely forgot about the app. So I deleted it and to make up for that, I will go 40 days and 5 mintues without facebook.
This weekend to keep my mind off the mini blog that is facebook, I went to a hockey game Friday right after work and shopping on Saturday with my sister and we ate at Siam Thai (which I have been craving for months!) There sure were a lot of and's in that sentence. Another thing you will learn about me is that I am horrible at grammar. And sometimes spelling.
On Sunday I was able to be a part of something special, even though my role was teeny tiny. Our Bible study group (along with a few other members of our church) collected gift cards to give to a family who recently lost their house in a fire. We don't personally know the family, but a member of our church does and they need help to replace the things they lost. You never know how much of an impact kindness will have. The family will be visiting our church soon! They were so amazed by the generosity of complete strangers. It was amazing! I will be praying that this family really will come visit and hopefully find a church home.
Well, this is all till next time.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
da da da da da SPECIAL SEGMENT da da da da da
All about fasting...or at least what I learned from a piece of paper.
Encountering the Heart of God: A Guide to Fasting
What is Fasting?
Biblical fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose.
Where is fasting in the Bible?
In the Old Testament, God's people observed fasts...
*Nehemiah 9: 1-3
1-3 Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God.
*Esther 4:15-16
15-16 Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: "Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I'll go to the king, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die."
*Daniel 9:3
I turned to the Master God, asking for an answer—praying earnestly, fasting from meals, wearing rough penitential burlap, and kneeling in the ashes.
*Joel 2:12
12 But there's also this, it's not too late—
God's personal Message!—
"Come back to me and really mean it!
Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!"
In the New Testament Christ and the church practiced fasting...
*Matthew 4:2
Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger
*Matthew 6:16
When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it.
*Acts 10:30
Cornelius said, "Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light.
*Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying— their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives.
*Bible verses are from The Message version.
Types of Fasts
A. Fast of Types
A fast of types means that you avoid eating a particular type of food, such as meat, dairy, leavened bread, alcohol, and sweet breads. This type of fast was utilized by Daniel in the book of Daniel chapter 1. This type of fast is modeled after the popular "Daniel Fast." We recomment you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and leaven-free bread during this type of fast. Fruit/Vegetable juices, plant based drinks, and distilled water conform perfectly with the guidelines of this fast.
For this type of fast, we recommend you select a particular food group(s) and observe periods of abstinence from that food(s).
B. Fast a Meal
This fast is exactly what it sounds like. Skip one meal per day of your choosing. Some folks call this a partial fast. Use your time of fasting to pray and meditate on the Lord. Be sure to remain hydrated. Drinking fluids can help some with the hunger pangs during the fast. Juices may be indicated for some individuals depending on health status.
C. Fast a Day
If you are just beginning to fast, this may not be the best choice; however, for those who have fasted in the past and are comfortable going the day without food, this may be the fast for you. We do not recommend skipping any fluids with this fast. This is strictly a fast of solid foods only. For this fast be sure you drink at least a gallon of fluid throughout the day, unless otherwise medically indicated. Drink a combination of distilled water, fruit/vegetable juice, and broth. Broth makes a great replacement for lunch and dinner.
There are obviously many types of fasts, and these are just a few. Seek out the scriptures on fasting to see what God reveals.
We encourage you to enter your time of fasting with prayer and supplication. Let the Lord dictate to you the duration and commitment of your fast. The only wrong way to fast is as a Pharisee (see Matthew 6). For those with potential medical limitations, please consult a physician before committing to a fast. Healthy individuals may also want to seek medical clearance prior to fasting.
The sole purpose of these 40 days of prayer and fasting is to bring us closer to the heart of God. We want to encounter the heart of God and see and love people the way our heavenly Father does. We want to see revival in the church and a Great Spiritual Awakening in our communities. We want to see multiplication!
This Fasting 101 was brought to you by Living Truth Church. To find out more information about our church, including our location, please visit: http://www.livingtruthchurch.com/
Encountering the Heart of God: A Guide to Fasting
What is Fasting?
Biblical fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose.
Where is fasting in the Bible?
In the Old Testament, God's people observed fasts...
*Nehemiah 9: 1-3
1-3 Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God.
*Esther 4:15-16
15-16 Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: "Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I'll go to the king, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die."
*Daniel 9:3
I turned to the Master God, asking for an answer—praying earnestly, fasting from meals, wearing rough penitential burlap, and kneeling in the ashes.
*Joel 2:12
12 But there's also this, it's not too late—
God's personal Message!—
"Come back to me and really mean it!
Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!"
In the New Testament Christ and the church practiced fasting...
*Matthew 4:2
Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger
*Matthew 6:16
When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it.
*Acts 10:30
Cornelius said, "Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying. Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light.
*Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying— their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives.
*Bible verses are from The Message version.
Types of Fasts
A. Fast of Types
A fast of types means that you avoid eating a particular type of food, such as meat, dairy, leavened bread, alcohol, and sweet breads. This type of fast was utilized by Daniel in the book of Daniel chapter 1. This type of fast is modeled after the popular "Daniel Fast." We recomment you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and leaven-free bread during this type of fast. Fruit/Vegetable juices, plant based drinks, and distilled water conform perfectly with the guidelines of this fast.
For this type of fast, we recommend you select a particular food group(s) and observe periods of abstinence from that food(s).
B. Fast a Meal
This fast is exactly what it sounds like. Skip one meal per day of your choosing. Some folks call this a partial fast. Use your time of fasting to pray and meditate on the Lord. Be sure to remain hydrated. Drinking fluids can help some with the hunger pangs during the fast. Juices may be indicated for some individuals depending on health status.
C. Fast a Day
If you are just beginning to fast, this may not be the best choice; however, for those who have fasted in the past and are comfortable going the day without food, this may be the fast for you. We do not recommend skipping any fluids with this fast. This is strictly a fast of solid foods only. For this fast be sure you drink at least a gallon of fluid throughout the day, unless otherwise medically indicated. Drink a combination of distilled water, fruit/vegetable juice, and broth. Broth makes a great replacement for lunch and dinner.
There are obviously many types of fasts, and these are just a few. Seek out the scriptures on fasting to see what God reveals.
We encourage you to enter your time of fasting with prayer and supplication. Let the Lord dictate to you the duration and commitment of your fast. The only wrong way to fast is as a Pharisee (see Matthew 6). For those with potential medical limitations, please consult a physician before committing to a fast. Healthy individuals may also want to seek medical clearance prior to fasting.
The sole purpose of these 40 days of prayer and fasting is to bring us closer to the heart of God. We want to encounter the heart of God and see and love people the way our heavenly Father does. We want to see revival in the church and a Great Spiritual Awakening in our communities. We want to see multiplication!
This Fasting 101 was brought to you by Living Truth Church. To find out more information about our church, including our location, please visit: http://www.livingtruthchurch.com/
Day 3/4: Cat pee part deux and The Temptation of Money
Day 3: I stuck my hand in cat pee again. Yesterday someone (totally different person too!) brought in books that smelled like a litter box and had dried cat pee dried on the cover. So I sort of started losing it. I mean, come on. Who wouldn't? Taking a break from the front desk, I began straightening the shelves. I came upon the board books, which are usually placed NEATLY in two bins.
Needless to say we had a three year old in the library early and the board books were dumped out and just thrown back into the bins. So as I was sitting there muttering about how parents should watch there children and why is it so hard to place books back the way you found them, I realized I needed a break. Plus I was started to feel a little weird. I went home early yesterday with a stomachache and a bad attitude. But I stayed off Facebook instead of hopping on to vent my frustration.
Day 4: No cat pee! Let's celebrate! Break out the diet dr. pepper and doritos! I may not have stuck my hand in cat pee but man was I tempted to get on facebook. In my inbox was a lovely little message from my bank stating that if I liked their page on facebook I would be entered to win $50.
I seriously thought about it. What was five minutes on facebook to like a page and hopefully win $50? As I sersiouly considered doing it, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the guilt I would feel afterwards. I made a promise to myself and God that facebook would not be a part of my life for the next 40 days and I plan to stick with that. Plus I'm sure all of facebookdom would have called me out on it when they saw "Sarah Whitfield likes Santa Rosa County Federal Credit Union." Death by humiliation for only lasting three days.
What I did on day 3/4 instead of getting on facebook:
1. Looked for a new job
2. Caught up on my email
3. Checked out books
4. Read more than one chapter of a book
5. Prayed (I confess, I only prayed twice yesterday. EEEK)
6. Ate dinner (seriously, sometimes I don't eat dinner because I'm playing on facebook)
7. Ordered a pedometer so I can keep up with my steps at work
Needless to say we had a three year old in the library early and the board books were dumped out and just thrown back into the bins. So as I was sitting there muttering about how parents should watch there children and why is it so hard to place books back the way you found them, I realized I needed a break. Plus I was started to feel a little weird. I went home early yesterday with a stomachache and a bad attitude. But I stayed off Facebook instead of hopping on to vent my frustration.
Day 4: No cat pee! Let's celebrate! Break out the diet dr. pepper and doritos! I may not have stuck my hand in cat pee but man was I tempted to get on facebook. In my inbox was a lovely little message from my bank stating that if I liked their page on facebook I would be entered to win $50.
I seriously thought about it. What was five minutes on facebook to like a page and hopefully win $50? As I sersiouly considered doing it, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the guilt I would feel afterwards. I made a promise to myself and God that facebook would not be a part of my life for the next 40 days and I plan to stick with that. Plus I'm sure all of facebookdom would have called me out on it when they saw "Sarah Whitfield likes Santa Rosa County Federal Credit Union." Death by humiliation for only lasting three days.
What I did on day 3/4 instead of getting on facebook:
1. Looked for a new job
2. Caught up on my email
3. Checked out books
4. Read more than one chapter of a book
5. Prayed (I confess, I only prayed twice yesterday. EEEK)
6. Ate dinner (seriously, sometimes I don't eat dinner because I'm playing on facebook)
7. Ordered a pedometer so I can keep up with my steps at work
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Day 2: Cat pee
Since I can't get on facebook to talk about my awesome stories, you get to reap the benefits. Today, I touched cat pee. It was not intentionally. You see, I work in a library in a small town. In this small town there is an array of people. Crazies, snobs, and cat pee enthusiasts (or people who own lots of cats that pee on everything).
What I have done today instead of getting on facebook:
1. Showered....oh wait, I do that every day.
2. Prayed this morning
3. Read a whole chapter of a book on my lunch break
4. Wrote this blog post
A customer dropped of their books this morning and promptly left. I picked up said books and noticed the covers were wet. This is nothing new so I figured maybe it was just water or they have really sweaty hands (equally as gross as pee). Lo and behold it was cat pee. CAT PEE. I STUCK MY HANDS IN CAT PEE. Did you catch that? After I resisted the urge to throw up on the books (an improvement, I'm sure) I wiped them down, stuck them in a plastic bag and sent them on their way. Needless to say, this customer will not be having a good week once they receive a present from the bill fairy.
What I have done today instead of getting on facebook:
1. Showered....oh wait, I do that every day.
2. Prayed this morning
3. Read a whole chapter of a book on my lunch break
4. Wrote this blog post
Ok, not as awesome as I thought it would be but it really is killing me not getting on facebook. The days will get better, I'm sure.
So I should never promise a topic for the next day. I won't be making it to fasting today because I have to find the pamphlet...oops. Perhaps I'll discuss the topic tomorrow. But no promises!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Day 1: The Betrayal
Yep. You read it right. I, Sarah, vow to not log in to Facebook for a full forty days. Considering that I log in multiple times a day (curse you smartphones!) this should present a real challenge. This blog will help keep me accountable and also give me a way to record this journey.
You may be wondering why this post is titled "The Betrayal." Well, I'll tell you. It's funny how your mind may be thinking one thing and your fingers do another. Like today while I was on the computer. In my head I was saying "I'll go check out the Pensacola News Journal website" but my fingers began typing www.faceboo....oh crap. I almost failed on DAY ONE! Curse you fingers and your familiarity with facebook!
Ok, that's out of the way. Onward to the reason WHY.
You may be wondering why this post is titled "The Betrayal." Well, I'll tell you. It's funny how your mind may be thinking one thing and your fingers do another. Like today while I was on the computer. In my head I was saying "I'll go check out the Pensacola News Journal website" but my fingers began typing www.faceboo....oh crap. I almost failed on DAY ONE! Curse you fingers and your familiarity with facebook!
Ok, that's out of the way. Onward to the reason WHY.
My church (www.livingtruthchurch.com) is doing a 40 day prayer challenge. We have been challenged to pray three times a day for 40 days. Our super awesome pastor encouraged us to fast during our 40 day prayer challenge. I am obviously fasting from Facebook, among other things like soda and fried foods. Good bye glorious diet Dr. Pepper and long chicken sandwich from Burger King! You will be missed.
So here's the gist (and what I'll be praying for):
Encountering the Heart of God...40 Day Journey to Spiritual Discovery
My Family and Friends
*Select a friend or family member and pray they would come to faith in Christ. Certainly pray for special needs: health, marriage, deliverance from sin/addictions.
My Neighborhood
*Ask God to open doors for genuine friendship, as well as opportunity to share Jesus.
My Church
*Select a staff or ministry leader and pray for them in their efforts to penetrate lostness. Pray for multiplication. Pray as a church body that we fully encounter God.
My City
*A Great Spiritual Awakening. Events and occasions in the upcoming 40-50 days as LTC reaches out: ONE LOVE, Easter, Evangelism Week.
My Nation
*Continue to pray for the cities of Athens, Ga. and Pittsburgh, Pa. Go to namb.net/cities and adopt another city to pray for as you feel led.
I have randomly chosen Salt Lake City, UT.
My World
*Go to imb.org/prayerthreads and adopt a country to personally pray for.
Mine: People group #15346, the Franco Mauritian people of Africa.
If you feel led, you can take on the 40 day prayer challenge for your family, friends, neighborhood, church, city, nation and world. See what God does when you fully commit! I'm hoping to post some exciting things during the next 40 days. Let's see what happens!
Preview Day 2: There won't always be a preview, but I already know I'm going to post about the pamphlet I picked up from church about fasting. I'll also post each day what I'm praying for.
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