The Fast...

About 8 days ago, my husband and I embarked on a 10 day fast from distracting media. So, for the last 8 days, I have not been on facebook or pinterest, Jason has not played his video games, and we have not watched anything from netflix...except for Sesame Street (and one movie I watched with my mom)...and that's more for Gabriel (although, I must admit, I do love Elmo).

It has been....

Exhilarating!

Every morning I get up and read about 3 chapters in the gospels (something I was supposed to be doing for weeks with my church family and fell behind....because of aforementioned distractions). My husband and I are both reading books on our own and one together. He is reading "Crazy Love," I am reading "The Power of a Praying Wife," and together we are reading "Forgotten God." It has been great. Last night, during dinner, instead of turning on the TV, we just talked. We hadn't really done that in a while and it was so nice to just talk about all sorts of things.

I feel like my energy comes from the Word every morning. We are praying more specifically for certain things. We can both feel God working away, chiseling away the stuff that doesn't need to be in our lives and molding us into the beings He wants us to be. It doesn't always feel good, since He does like to reveal areas of our lives that need serious work, but while it may not feel good...I know it IS good.

I haven't even missed facebook. I'm sure I'm missing out on some news here and there but I would just go on there and spend way too much time doing mindless things. I would hear God telling me to get off and spend time with Him and I just wouldn't. I was being disobedient.

When our fast is up in a couple of days, I will go on facebook just to check and update, maybe upload some pictures of my boy so others can stay abreast of what's happening....but I've decided that 10 minutes a day is my max. I will check it only after I have spent time with my God, son, and husband each day and only at the end of the day. If I feel like it starting to take up too much time again, I will do another fast.

I have such a far way to go and I know I will never be where I NEED to be....but I can always be headed in that direction. I can stay on the narrow path following Jesus, daily dying to myself, bearing my cross, and hopefully becoming less of me and more of Him.

Jesus is pretty clear about what it takes to follow Him. And I can honestly say, I haven't been doing that very well. But I am trying. I am taking steps to really follow Him.

 It's not easy. But it's worth it.