Day Twenty One

March 25, 2006

Day Twenty One

Today is the last day of my 21 day computer fast. I did well on most days, not so good on others. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I am so glad the Lord does not give up on me. He knows the process of sanctification is a long one. I wish I knew it, too--sometimes I get frustrated by my constant mess ups. I keep thinking, "I should already know this by now!"

But like Paul I can say this: "Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting these things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

Your grace be with me, Lord. Amen.

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." John 15:9

Day Twenty

March 24, 2006

Day Twenty

God is faithful. I often struggle with trusting fully that my children are in His hands. Yesterday I was struck by the Newsboys song, The Orphan, about the mother of baby Moses putting him in a basket and laying it in the Nile River. This Mom had to release her precious son, knowing he was in grave danger. What worries and anxieties must have filled her heart! She problably thought she would never see him again.

Yet she had to trust God with her baby because the alternative was unthinkable. In releasing the basket, she let go and let God. And in doing so, she discovered that God is faithful. I, too, can trust God with my children. He gave me this verse today: "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:18).

He is faithful, even when I am faithless.

"I am the Good Shepherd." John 10:11

Day Nineteen

March 23, 2006

Day Nineteen

God is wise. He allows me to experience problems and trials so thta I am driven to my knees. He knows trials teach me how to depend on Him, the necessity of humility and that His grace is sufficient at all times. Every trial and challenge gives me an opportunity to savor another facet of Christ.

When I am in the darkness I seee Him as the Light of the World. When I am thirsty in the desert I find Him to be my Living Water. When I am lonely, He is my friend. When I am in pain, I call Him healer. When I am confused, I run to my Wonderful Counselor. When I grieve over my sins, He reminds me that He is my Savior and Redeemer. When I am going through fiery trials, I seek refuge in my Defender and Strong Tower. Yes, the Lord is wise to show me how much I need Him.

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when yuou search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

Day Eighteen

March 22, 2006

Day Eighteen

God is the Strong Tower. A place of refuge and protection. A place where I can feel safe. Lately I've been listening to the song "Strong Tower," by the Newsboys. Love it. It reminds me of the Lord's ongoing deliverance in this constant spiritual battle. When I get down on my knees to pray I am running to my Lord, my defense, my protector, my Savior. He puts His strong arms around me and gives me His perfect peace. I am safe.

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

Day Seventeen

March 21, 2006

Day Seventeen

God never gives less than His very best.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death...Therefore God also has highly exalted Him." Philippians 2:5,8,9

Day Sixteen

March 20, 2006

Day Sixteen

God is indescribable. He gave us the mind of Christ, yet He is so big, so incredible and uncontainable that my brain can't wrap itself around all of Him. There are no words, just inadequate grasping. "What is man that you are mindful of him?" He is simply unfathomable.

"Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33

Day Fifteen

March 19, 2006

Day Fifteen

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land,
And feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:3-5

Day Fourteen

March 18, 2006

Day Fourteen

God is worthy of praise. How often do I approach the throne of grace and mercy to ask, seek and knock, yet neglect to offer up a sacrifice of praise? I believe it is called a "sacrifice" because it costs us something: our self-centeredness.

To truly praise the Lord we must set aside our wants, our needs and our agenda, and instead focus on God. That doesn't come naturally to me. But the Holy Spirit empowers, and when I do praise the Lord it transforms me. I sense His presence more fully. God inhabits the praises of His people.

I pray that my heart will be filled up to overflowing with praises to His name, for He is worthy!

"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart." Psalm 9:1

Day Thirteen

{This page was pulled from an old Revive Our Hearts calendar.
I just added the small journaling block.}

March 17, 2006

Day Thirteen

God is enough.

Just give me Jesus.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

Day Twelve

March 16, 2006

Day Twelve

God is love.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

Day Eleven

March 15, 2006

Day Eleven

God is sovereign. No matter what happens, even when I am disappointed in how things turn out, discouraged by unanswered prayer or by the way someone has let me down, the truth is that the Lord is on the Throne. He rules with perfect love, compassion, grace, mercy, wisdom and justice. He is holy, holy, holy.

He reigns in majesty with eternity in mind. He sees the big picture; I do not. He knows me better than I know myself. No detail escapes His eye. I can trust His sovereignty. His goal is to bring me safely Home. My life is secure in His hands, my King and my God.

"I saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple." Isaiah 6:1

Day Ten

March 14, 2006

Day Ten

God is faithful. He is who He says He is; He means exactly what He says; and He always keeps His promises. One promise that encourages me is His constant presence. He is always with me. I am never alone. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me."

The amazing thing about God's faithfulness is that it has nothing to do with me. It is His nature. "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). Great is His faithfulness!

"Great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23

Day Nine

March 13, 2006

Day Nine.

God is good. How can I even doubt it? "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).

Even when I am going through trials, God is good. Even when the answers to my prayers are delayed, He is good. Even when I don't understand why something is happening, He is still good. If God is for me, who can be against me?

"Oh, how great is your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!" Psalm 31:19.

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!" Psalm 106:1

Day Eight

March 12, 2006

Day Eight.

Freedom. I am praying for freedom. Freedom from everything that is holding me back or weighing me down. Freedom from the pride that exalts self and steals the glory from God. Freedom from the need to win the approval of others. Freedom from fear and anger. All so I can be FREE to love, worship and serve my God.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

Day Seven

March 11, 2006

Day 7

Confirmation. Went last night to our church's fasting and prayer gathering, the first of four Friday nights. A small group showed up. I kept thinking, few, but mighty in prayer. Pastor Phil encouraged us by saying thta these 21 days were for the purpose of knowing Christ more intimately and praying for His return. He said, "I don't know what God is gonna do, but I know He's gonna do something!"

We watched a video of Jim Cymbala giving a message about the power of prayer. He said that many of us have not because we ask not. Jesus was irate at the moneychangers at the temple because they had neglected prayer. His Father's house was to be a "house of prayer." Cymbala quoted the passage from Revelation where God keeps our prayers in golden bowls. That's twice in one day! Confirmation that the Lord is calling me to a ministry of prayer. It's a high calling.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

Day Six

March 10, 2006

Day 6

Priorities. It's all about priorities. There are only so many hours in each day. How will I spend them? Will I fritter them away on pursuits which have no eternal value? Or will I invest my short time on earth in the things God considers significant--bringing Him glory, my relationship with Him, time in His word, leading people to Christ, building up His people and getting on my knees in prayer?

I love what Revelation 5:8 says, that in heaven there will be "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." It is awesome to think that the Lord so values our prayers that he keeps them in golden bowls! That tells me that I must make prayer a top priority. I know He hears and answers prayers, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I want to please Him and not miss out on His best for my life.

"...golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 5:8

Day Five

March 9, 2006

Day 5

Discipline. My word for the year. Lord, change me!

I am learning that discipline is not only a virtue; it is also a reward. It is going from strength to strength. It is keeping my promises to God and myself.

"They go from strength to strength." Psalm 84:7a

Day Four

March 8, 2006

Day 4

Spiritual gifts. I've discovered mine are exhortation, leadership and giving. I've also experienced the gift of prophecy at times. I can't boast about them--they were gifts. The question is, am I using them for God's glory and not my own?

Lately, the Lord has been reminding me that my primary ministry is my family--Alan, Jonathan, Elizabeth and Daniel. What does it profit me if I give all my time and energy to other ministries and lose my own family? Let me never forget that I am called to give them my best--the best of my energy, time, talents, gifts and prayers. They are the treasures of my heart, entrusted to me by the Lord. May our family bring glory and honor to His name!

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

Day Three

March 7, 2006

Day 3

This envelope contains my prayer list for the 21 days.

"Pray without ceasing..." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Day Two

...like a caterpillar in a cocoon I will emerge free and be ready to fly...

March 6, 2006

Day Two.

Bondage. The word conjures up an image of a slave controlled by an evil taskmaster. The slave dreams of freedom. Then again, maybe she doesn't. Maybe she's been in bondage so long she doesn't realize freedom is attainable.

I've been in bondage to the computer for a long time now. Can't imagine life without it. But I know there's more to life. I know I am neglecting my God-given responsibilities. I know I am missing out on God's best for my life. And I want that!

So this 21 day fast is my quest for FREEDOM. I will no longer be a slave to the computer; I will be a bondslave to Christ. He alone is worthy to be served.

Lord, set me free so that I can serve You with my whole heart!

"If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36

Day One

March 5, 2006

Day One.

The computer. It is a blessing and a curse. With it I can get a lot done: keep in touch with family and friends, conduct an online Bible study, maintain my blog, get help for our homeschool, etc. But it has also become a huge time waster for me. I can start out with good intentions and before I know it the internet has sucked me into its grip like an octopus. I read blogs, do virtual shopping, lurk and post on various boards, etc., while I could be doing a million other more productive things.

So when this fast was called and we were asked to give up something for the Lord I knew instantly that instead of giving up food I would drastically limit my computer time. So here's the deal: no turning on the computer until after 3:00pm with a max. of 1-1/2 hrs of daily usage. No computer at all on Sundays. My flesh doesn't like this restriction but I know the Lord will bless as a result.

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indded. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32

Intro Page

{I made a pocket to hold the church flyer.}

March 5-25, 2006

When I saw this flyer in the church bulletin I was thrilled. Our former church never called God's people to fast and pray. This disappointed me because I knew first hand the through experience the power and blessings of fasting and prayer. I knew I wanted to participate in this corporate fast. Why? Because I love the Lord and want to know Him--no more, no less.

Title Page

{Note: I will be posting the pages in installments. Click on any of the images if you would like to see a larger view.}

Title Page

A journey of fasting & prayer to draw closer to the Lord, be obedient to His call, seek His will, intercede for others, die to my fleshly desires and enjoy His presence.

21 Days Art Journal

I got the idea for this art journal from Rhonna Farrer, who challenged scrapbookers to do a 21 day challenge to change a habit and record it in a journal.

Her challenge was already underway when our church announced a 21 day fast. I had never done an art journal for a specific purpose before. I thought this would be a great way to stretch myself creatively as well as keep a record of my spiritual journey.

I had not planned to make this journal public. But while a person plans one thing, God directs our hearts to do another. So I will open up this journal and let you take a peek inside my heart and mind during this special time of fasting and prayer.

May it bring God glory.

Though the 21 days are over, my journey with the Lord continues...

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13