Sarah's Lenten Fast, update #7

I'm in my friends house in Germany, waiting on some of our laundry to finish. The house is quiet because everyone is in bed! I'm struggling to staying awake until the laundry finishes because we need to take with us to Luxembourg a couple of items in there. All I can think about is getting on Facebook to stay awake. It's only about 5:30-6:00 p.m. in Texas, and I'm missing some of my friends. It would be so easy to see what they are doing by signing on FB!

Oh, why did I choose this year as my first year to participate in Lent?!?!

Wait! I know why...the Lord knew what I needed this year. I was crazy busy with work & preparing for this trip. If I had the distractions of FB during this time, I don't think that I would've accomplished or finished what I needed to do.

It's amazing to see how He works. I've been amazed so far during this trip to see all of what He has created. I imagine seeing the Lord sitting in a chair with a paintbrush. To see His beautiful landscapes is an amazing blessing. Or imagine the Lord sitting at a toolshop work bench with a screwdriver in His hand. Another blessing to see how He has pieced everything together!

The Lord knew what I need & what I don't need. He tugged at my heart & directed me, and I'm glad that I listened. I'm just wondering if there are other things the Lord has tried to direct me toward & did I listen? Or will I listen again & follow His tugging? I would like to think & hope that I would. However, this leading has not been easy or enjoyable to follow. But, we were never promised an easy life now...just a great, eternal life later!

Sarah's Lenten Fast - Update #6

Isn't it amazing how we get tempted, even by something we think & know is good, when we've said "God, I'm doing this for you!"

I'm a fan of an organization called Legacy Moms (www.legacymoms.org), and they have challenged Moms to 31 days of prayer in March on behalf of our kids to bring about change & Godly character. Well, here's the kicker...they are sending out daily prayers & scripture through their FACEBOOK page! Uh-oh & bummers for me!!!

OK, Lord, I gave up Facebook for you. You've placed this on my heart, and I've seen the positive benefits of this fast. But, seriously! I really want to participate in this time of committed & focused prayer! So, what do I do?!?! This is a huge temptation because I can see the positive benefits of this time of prayer!

"Don't give up & don't give in" is all I can think of in my head! Oh, the temptation is great to just sign on for this one thing! When Lent is over, this challenge is long over! So, why not log on?!?! But then what happens if I sign on...I know that I'll get distracted by all the other things that are on there! So, NO! I'm not going to log on!

However, I have a friend who is willing to support me & make the extra steps to cut & paste the daily prayers & devotions & email them to me...thanks Jenn!!! WOO HOO! Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with friends that not just support us through prayer but also take the extra steps to help us stay committed to you!

I have a daily scripture flip "calendar" that I have on my desk at work. Here's today's scripture that I think is very fitting:

"My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I'm YOUR choice!...
You made me your heir!" Psalm 16:5-6

Different Kind of Dates

For our Valentine's Date night this year, Greg made plans for us & tried to make it special...he bought tickets to the BALLET for us! This is big for Greg because he's not a fan of the ballet...no words or singing! While I'm not a huge fan of the ballet, I do LOVE the music & the beautiful display of artistry...& a great reason to get DRESSED UP!!!

I was actually really excited about our date & even went shopping for a new outfit! I bought a dress & even shopped for new accessories (a belt, necklace & earrings!).  I think that I surprised Greg with the dress!

We decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. This is a rare treat to go to CF, and we haven't been there in a long while! But this is where the "comedy of errors" seemed to have started!

We were very naive in thinking that we could go to this restaurant on a Saturday evening of Valentine's weekend & not have a wait! We arrived about 5:30ish...parking lot was PACKED (clue #1)...walked into the restaurant to see people standing EVERYWHERE (clue #2), and walk to the hostess stand to find a wait time of 1 HOUR! OUCH! We were shocked...thought that we were doing well by getting there so early! Obviously, not early enough! We've gone to dinner before ON Valentine's Day at an early time, i.e. 5:30, & have had no problem getting in & seated right away! However, I guess it's different at the Cheesecake Factory.

So, plan B, ummmm, what plan B? We didn't have a plan B because we really didn't think this to be a problem! I felt like one of those "all dressed up & no place to go" type of scenarios! We decided to drive towards Ft. Worth & see if anything looked appealing! The problem was that we were dressed up...a little too dressed up for places like Chili's, On The Border, etc.  So, NOTHING looked appealing or acceptable for a Valentine's Date Night Dinner!

So, on to plan C...eat a light snack at McDonald's, then go to Cheesecake Factory for a VERY late dinner! Stop at McDonald's #1...accepting only CASH...their debit/credit card machines were down!  We're LAUGHING NOW...are you kidding me?!?! Why is it so hard to find FOOD?!?! We finally find a different McDonald's for a not so healthy "snack" to tie us over until we can finally eat the dinner that we looked forward to.

The ballet was just OK! We saw Romeo & Juliet...I don't recommend it! There are so many classic lines from the Shakespearean play that you obviously don't get to hear.  Then, there are a lot of characters in the play & it's hard to decipher who is who when they don't call each other by name! Also, because of the economy, the ballet organization made a decision to make some financial cuts...they cut the orchestra & went to recorded music! Remember, I mentioned that I LOVE the music. Well, the music just isn't the same when you're listening to a CD. Oh, well, it was a different kind of date for us!

We finally made it to Cheesecake Factory at 11:30 p.m.  I must say this is the LATEST that I've ever had dinner! But the dinner did NOT disappoint! It was very YUMMY, and even though I was full, I ordered a White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake to go & to enjoy on the actual Valentine's Day!

So, we have a memorable & funny date night in the books! But at least we were both laughing about it!

Then, this date night was 2 weeks ago & it was fun, but I decided to go for a different date approach!  How about a BREAKFAST date instead!!! There's a breakfast place that I've wanted to try. So, yesterday, Greg & I dropped off the kids at school, then headed out for a breakfast date! The place was good, but the face to face, uninterrupted time is what I enjoyed the most! So, now, Greg wants to do Breakfast Dates more often, but maybe try different places! If anyone has any places they like, we'd appreciate the recommendations...there's only so many sit down restaurants that serve breakfast!

So, while fun & rare places are great for date nights...I think that what I enjoy & look forward to the most about dates are time alone with Greg & face-to-face, uninterrupted conversations! Hmmm, wonder how we can still pull off the breakfast dates when the kids are out of school?!?! I'm suddenly all for year round school...anyone else with me?!?! HA! ;-)

Sarah's Lenten Fast, Update #5

I'm kind of having a rough day today....feeling really tired & emotional, was too tired to read my book & dig in my Bible this morning, burdened about how to deal with a couple issues with Sheridan, grieving for a friend as she deals with the loss of her brother, LOTS & LOTS of work that all needs to be done NOW, & then compound all of this with some cramping that just started & all the icky stuff that goes along with that.  Today is also Tuesday...the one afternoon/evening of my week that is the absolute craziest that takes a lot of energy to get through!

So, this is something that I "love" about Facebook...normally, I'd just update my status with a quick message "Having a yucky day & could really use LOTS of prayers!"...then, voila! I know that I have friends out there that would be praying! Instead, I'm journaling through my blog, not sure anyone actually reads this, & feeling kind of lonely...just me & God!  But wait, shouldn't that be enough???  Why do I "need" to post on FB & "need" my friends to intervene on my behalf?!?!

OK, God, it's just you & me...Just like I wrote in my previous entry "pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." I give YOU the rest of my day...fill me with Your energy, Your peace, Your wisdom, Your comfort, Your grace, Your mercy & Your unconditional love!

Psalm 51:1-2, 7 "1 Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. 2 Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry; 7 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life."

Sarah's Lenten Fast, Update #4

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 says, "11 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. 12 If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely."

I love the part that says "He'll fill your good ideas & acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." There are times when I have a HUGE to-do list for my family & my mind is moving non-stop on all the things I'd love to do, but then reality sets in! The items on the to-do list take longer than expected, or something else comes up that needs my attention, or "life" happens & I'm too tired to move, or I've lost my motivation, or, or, or, or...I know I could go on & on!

So, I think that I need to hold on to these verses. There have already been occasions during this fast that I've not felt like doing anything. I have felt lost & disconnected & even discouraged, and all I've wanted to do is just sit & not do a thing. However, one of my goals & prayers during this time is for me to remove a major distraction & become more focused to take better care of what God has blessed me with...my family & my home. So, I usually start out by trying to work for about 20-30 minutes before I take a "break", and I am amazed at how much I can get done in that amount of time! Then, I feel energized & want to keep going! Before I know it, an hour or so has passed, and I have to force myself to stop so I can work on other chores for my family...what a concept...trying to balance & stay balanced!

So, it's amazing how much I've accomplished in the last 5 days while still taking care of my work duties & my normal household responsibilities...just by removing a major distraction & staying committed to what the Lord has given me! I've even had days of NO NAP so that I can accomplish my daily goal...that's definitely the Lord filling me with His own energy!!! Now, if I can just remember all this when Lent is over!!!

Debate regarding Lenten Fasts

OK...if anyone is actually reading this, I'd really love some input!

I've been told that during Lent, we are "allowed" to "indulge" on Sundays in whatever we've given up for Lent. So, I've debated about this for a couple of reasons:

1. When Jesus spent his 40 days in the wilderness to fast & pray, he didn't "indulge" in the things that He fasted from...or at least I don't remember reading that He took a "break" once every 7 days! So, why should I allow myself an "indulgence" when he didn't?
2. If I do allow myself to "indulge" every Sunday, will it make it that much harder to get through the rest of the week without that "sacrifice"?

So, at first, I decided that I would try to NOT log onto Facebook at all...not even on Sundays. However, since I've been blogging a little since the start of Lent, I decided to log onto Facebook to just share my blog postings!

Greg saw that I was on FB & his shocked & surprised reaction (or more like outburst) stirred some very GUILTY feelings...kind of like I was committing the worst possible sin of ALL TIME! And to be totally honest, I do feel like I've given in to something that I've committed to not do...regardless of the legalization & technicalities of what's allowed & what's not!

Then, let's compound those feelings by Colin calling me on it to, "Ummm, Mom, I thought you said that you weren't going to get on Facebook during....um, um, um, Lent?!?!" So, regardless of what's legal & what's not, it's hard to explain those "gray" areas to a 5 year old!

So, just curious, if anyone's out there, what are your thoughts? If instead of sacrificing something for Lent you've committed to doing something, then do you take a break from that commitment on Sundays? I'd love to hear back!

And, now I'm also back to fighting the temptation to get back on Facebook again!

Goals during Lent

As part of my Lenten Fast, I wanted to commit to spending at least 30 minutes to an hour each day to work on my house (a small amount of my daily time that I'm usually on Facebook)! Since we moved in August, I still have several areas in my house that need to be "settled" & organized. So here are some before pics of what I'm working on...the moment of truth & time to be honest (maybe this will help keep me accountable):

Our Dining Room...a semi-before pic since I've been working on it since Lent started. Believe me, it was much worse!

Since our Home Team will be coming over in a little over a week, I really need to make our dining room house priority #1 since we'll need to use this room!
Poor Sheridan's room! She's been waiting patiently for me to "decorate" & organize her room! Thankfully, one of my sisters is coming over to help with this MAJOR project!

This is another semi-before pic! This floor space was completely covered with Barbies & old clothes about an hour ago! Sheridan has declared that she's done with her Barbies (sniff, sniff), so I packed them up today & put them in the attic (in case she changes her mind)!
This is an area in my garage that needs to be cleaned out! It's currently housing vacuum bags of the kids' old clothes. I need to purge some & pack away other's that I'm not ready to get rid of!While painting is not on my Lenten project list, it would be nice if I hung up some of Colin's wall decor! It would help "tone down" his walls until we have time to paint them!

Actually, this is an area that has been cleaned & organized multiple times! I guess I need to figure out a better system for the boy!

OK...there you have it! I just remembered another area of my house that I need to work on...but let's face it, I only have 40 days for Lent! I wanted to set "realistic" goals & not set myself up to fail! Also, hopefully, the discipline I'm learning from not being on FB will carry over even after Lent!

Sarah's Facebook Fast, Update #3

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep." Psalm 121: 1-3 (MSG)

I'm BORED! I want & need a mindless break & would normally log onto FB but can't! I will stay committed though! I should work on something in my house (like I committed to do), but I'm tired & can't fall asleep for a nap! So, I'm feeling a little discouraged, which reminds me of something that I read earlier today.

I'm currently reading a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." The subtitle says "Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life." In the chapter I'm in, the author (Joanna Weaver) talks about the 3 Deadly D's that Satan uses in his attack of destruction: Distraction, Discouragement & Doubt. So, with that in mind, I do feel distracted & discouraged & need to get up, pray for strength from my Guardian God & do something productive!

I'm clinging to the verses above, but also to this verse: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deutoronomy 31:8

Fasting for a "God-life" - Sarah's FB Fast Update #2

I read this verse earlier today & wanted to share it, if anyone actually read this:
"Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you....That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything." Mark 11-22, 23a,24 (MSG)

I was so tempted today to log on to FB...even just for a few moments! I kind of felt LOST & lonely today & very disconnected from the rest of the world. But then, I realized that I've become a little lost & disconnected from God. If I spent as much time with God as I do on FB, I would feel so completely "connected" to Him! So, my prayer today was for God to fill my heart, making me whole & in sync with Him!

I realize that the temptation of FB is pretty trivial to some! But just like the verse says, "Pray for absolutely EVERYTHING!" So I will keep pressing on & praying to remain focused on Him.

Sarah's Facebook Fast, update #1

OK...I just logged off Facebook for the next 40 days! Oh My Goodness! My stomach just DROPPED out & I'm already having withdrawals! What have I just done?!?!

Then, I think...this is absolutely crazy! I am totally addicted to Facebook! WOW! This will truly be challenging to me to not log on, but a good reminder of why I'm doing this & for WHO I am doing this for!

And to clarify, because my mother asked, yes, if you need to contact me, you can email or CALL! I'm going to avoid the temptation to log back on to Facebook to make this clarification!

For some reason, this verse speaks to me "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."
1 Thessalonians 5:6

Lent & Something *NEW* for Sarah

I posted this "note" on Facebook, but thought that I'd share it on our blog. I should've posted here first, then "shared" it on FB...hindsight!

For years, I have always heard about a thing called Lent & honestly, have always just scoffed at the idea. Even though for many of my elementary & middle school years I was taken to Catholic & Episcopal churches, I never understood the reason & meaning behind Lent & not even sure I was ever even told it either. I also never heard the reason behind the idea of “giving up” something for 40 days prior to Easter. So, to me, Lent & the “giving something up” seemed as just another meaningless & mindless tradition that everyone just did "because." So, until very recently (as in 2 days ago), I have never given Lent a second thought & have definitely never sacrificed anything for the Lenten season.

So, first things first, What is Lent? Taken from http://www.ibclent.com/

Lent is a forty-day period observed in preparation for celebrating the Resurrection of Christ in the Easter season. The Lenten tradition, which began in various forms in the early centuries of Church history, is characterized by repentance and preparation. There are three specific themes associated with Lenten spirituality: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (the generous giving of physical goods to those in need around us).

Note that the 40 days do not count the Sundays during the Lenten Season. This is because every Sunday is considered a “little Resurrection Day” and thus many choose to take a break from their Lenten fast on these days.

During the Lenten season we are encouraged to “give something up” for the season to serve as a reminder of what we have in Christ, and his sufficiency in our lives.

So, why the sudden interest in Lent for me? Well, this year, I've actually decided to give something up for the Lenten season. I've felt a spiritual "nudging" to try & remove some distractions in my life. The Lord has blessed me with so much that I need to take better care of it. He's also given me some responsibilities that I need to focus on & do better to tend to those. I've decided that I need to give something up for HIM who gave up so much for me! I need to turn my focus on Him & remember why I'm doing this!

I know you're wondering what it is that I'm sacrificing! I've decided to sacrifice something that seems to have become a daily, multiple times/hours per day part of my life! I'm giving up FACEBOOK!!! For some of you, this isn't much of a sacrifice! However, most of you know, I am on Facebook A LOT...I know too much! I don't start or end my day without getting on FB. I just like to be "in the know" with my friends, and FB is an easy way to do that! I, also, like the
mindless escape that FB gives my brain from lots of other things! However, I'm realizing that FB takes A LOT of my time...time I could be using in prayer, or for my work, or to work on my home...lots of other, more important things to do! And lets be honest, I'm letting FB interfere with my work right now just by trying to write this note!

So, Lent starts tomorrow & ends with Easter. Apparently, I'm traditionally "allowed" a break from my sacrifice on Sundays. However, I'm going to try my best to not log on! This will be very difficult for me because we are also going on our trip to Germany during Lent! I had intended to give updates via FB during our trip, but I'm going to have to forego that idea!

Since my focus will be on praying more, I liked the idea of my friend, Kristi, to keep a prayer journal. Another focus was to use the "additional time" to work on my home since I'm still unpacking & purging. So, I'm hoping to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day (outside of my normal chores) to work on my home!

So, let the countdown & prayer begin! I may see you on Sundays! We'll see! For a while, I've tried to get our family blog caught up & kept caught up. So, if you're curious as to what I'm doing, I may try to make some blog entries & a journal of my Lenten experience! Again, we'll wait to see what the Lord is leading me to & has in store for me!

Sarah Joins a Gym

Well...I've finally purchased a gym membership. I found a deal that I was willing to pay for through Costco to 24 Hour Fitness. I'm just hoping that I will actually use it since in the past I haven't used them. I also now need to wait for them to ship the paperwork before I can actually use it.

Since before our vacation in June, I haven't worked out much at home. This morning I made myself workout, and I'm very out of shape. In the past 6 weeks, I've only worked out a handful of times. So hopefully through accountability through Greg and friends, I'll get my monies worth by actually going!

All I know is that I'm tired of getting up at 5 or 6 AM to workout at home before my kids get up, and I also want a change in workout routine and hopefully some time with a personal trainer, if it's affordable. I am also excited about being able to workout somewhere when I go out of town! I'm not excited about having to drive to Lewisville to use it though. Oh well, every opportunity always seems like a give and take situation!