day 18- real food and Real Food

My pastor's wife, Lisa, is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met. She sent me a sweet email this morning saying that she felt the need to pray for me the night before and check out on how I was doing. But she also sent me a youtube video on missions work, as it might be good "blog food." As someone who has been fasting for 18 days now, I can't believe I have never called my blog my food. It was really an ephiphany for me. And so, usually I post a picture of something I've eaten during the day- and so today the picture isn't physical food, but food for my soul.

So one of the things my church is praying for while we are fasting is having the means and people to send plant a missions group in Liberia which we will constantly be able to pivot people in and out of. We want to build a school and a church there.

Anyhow, this video is all about reaching people via missions- and it has some really intense statistics we don't like to think about...or that most of us are oblivious to.

I'll list some of them below:

God.

1/3 of the world's population is considered unreached by the gospel. 2 billion people who have never been introduced to God.

In North Korea, Laos, and Iran, people face prision and death for believing.

Hunger.

HALF of the world's population lives on less than $2 a day.

30,000 people starve to death every day.

Children.

There are appoximately 13 million orphans worldwide.


In the past HOUR.

1,625 children were forced to live on the streets.

1,667 children died of malnutrition or disease.

115 children become prostitutes.

257 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS.


Luke 10:2 says that "The Harvest is plenty, but the workers are few."

There is plenty of God- he's neverending- it's just about getting him places.

So, if you can, please add my church and Liberia to your prayer lists. I want us to do good things.

day 18- apple, vegetable soup, stir fried vegetables

day 17 devotional- mercy

"

Scripture:
Isaiah 65:1-2 (NLT) The Lord says, 'I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, 'Here I am, Here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes."

Personal Reflection: Our society and world has greatly degenerated with each passing year, removing the traditional acknowledgement of God from public places and public forums, demeaning those who hold to the precepts of God, redefining the meaning of family, tolerating the corruption of morality even among its leaders and ignoring the consequences, the judgment of God as seen in natural disasters and in the removal of His sovereign hand of protection. We have polluted the land with the blood of the unborn. Morally, America has never sunk so low. Only the mercy of an Almighty God can save us from ourselves. The time is critical. We must cry out to God for mercy on our nation and our world; we cannot be guilty of not calling upon his name and asking for help.

Going forward I'm committed to _______.

Additional Scripture Support: Dan. 2:21, Psalm 103:13, 17, Exodus 33:19, Hosea 2:23, Isaiah 60:10, Eph. 2:4, Psalm 111:4, Rom 2:4

Praying through scripture:
dan. 9:16-19 (MSG)
Jesus, following the lines of what you have always done in setting things right, setting people right, please look kindly on us- your nation, your world, your holy mountain. We know it's our fault that these things are happening, all because of our sins and our parents' sins, and now we're an embarrasment to everyone around us. So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are. Turn your ears away, God, and listen. We know that we don't deserve a hearing from you. Our apeal is to your compassion, listen to us, forgive us, don't put us out- this nation and this world are yours and you have a stake in us. Amen

"

I think this has been the most powerful thing that I've read out of my devotional. Oddly enough, this has also definitely been my weakest point in my fast. It's cool how at our weakest, God shows us his best.

That verse from Isaiah is powerful and vivid. I can only imagine the pain God feels being ready, shouting to his people, waiting for them all day long.

I don't want to keep God waiting. And I'm sorry that I do so often, God.

Going forward I'm committed to being present in front of my God. Father, I need your mercy, but I can only get it if I come to your feet. Here I am, God. Have mercy on me.

day 17- the right place

day 17, and I'm not going to lie. Today I was dreading the fact that I had to come home and take the time to write a blog post. And I will say that this will be short, but to the point.

So I was driving home and I was thinking about being busy, and how God, like any good father, obviously understands when we are really busy. But at the same time, like any father, he'd still like us to check in with him before we rush off on our way. It doesn't mean that we can't get things done we are supposed to get done- because God wants us to work and put our whole hearts into it. But at the same time, constantly checking in and coming to him will help put your head in the right place in order to keep up with the rest of the day.

When I prayed in my car before I left work, I realized that I could think a lot clearer afterwards, and that it would be a lot easier for me to continue to work from home (oh the joys of grad school).

a lot of what I'm saying can be found in an awesome book called Too Busy Not to Pray- so if you have more time than I do tonight, you should check it out. :-)

So short and sweet, here I am, checking in and staying focused. Because God focuses me to keep on going, even when I'm tired.

day 17- raisens and almonds, broccoli, and i'm cooking vegetable soup right now

Day 16 devotional- unity

here's the prayer guide's lesson for today:

"

Unity

Scripture: John 17:21 (NLT) I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one- as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

Personal reflection: It is no small thing for believers to be one in heart, mind, and ambition. Unity is based on love, grace, patience and humility- maturing as individuals so that we can esteem others as greater than ourselves. No small task, for sure, but we have to remember what Jesus did for us to bring us all together in unity regardless of religious differences, cultural differences or economic differences glorifies God and builds his kingdom. We need each other, and this is why we are instructed to be patient, speak the truth in love, bear with one another, think of ourselves in humility and understand that grace has been pured out in Christ. We do this so that the world will believe in Jesus- because we look like him. If we truly desire unity, love is the place we must start.

Going forward I'm committed to _______.

Additional Scripture support: Eph. 4:3-1, 10-13, Phil 2:1, Col 2:2, 1 Cor 12:12-26, Rom. 6:4-5, 15:5-6

Praying through scripture:
psalm 133:1, eph. 4:13, col. 3:13-14 (MSG)
Jesus, it is wonderful and beautiful when brothers and sisters get along. Help us to get along with one another, learning to be considerate of each other, cultivating a life in common. Working within your body, the church, we are all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to you, as fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive in you. So, because we are chosen for this new life, let us wear compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline. Being even-tempered, content with second place and quick to forgive offenses as quickly and completely as you've forgiven us. And above all else, let us wear love- it's your basic all-purpose garment and we should never be without it. Amen.

"

Two of the most popular books on the christianity debate are the case for christ and the god delusion. One book is about a former atheist who seeks to disprove christity scientifically and turns into a christian himself, stating that there is more evidence for god than against. the other is about a former christian who looks at the world around him and how people treat each other and comes to the conclusion that a God cannot exist. Above scientific evidence, people notice how we interact with each other.

People see us. They look at Christians, and if the don't see God in them, they are discouraged.

When we make Christianity like an inclusive click, we jade people. When we purposely invite some people to bible study and avoid asking others, people notice. Christianity is about UNITY, not picking who we want to join. It's about looking at every single individual as a potential brother and sister, and as such, a potential part of our body. When we label ourselves as Christians, and then don't help the needy around us, people notice.

One of the biggest critiques about Haiti right now is that people are only helping because it's fashionable, while they hide from other people in need. As my roommate put it, Haiti is more popular than American Idol right now, and we've got t-shirts and wristbands to prove it. Which is wonderful that at least it's motivating people to help. But we need to realize that Christianity isn't always fashionable. We need to wear the garments of love and mercy all the time, not just when it's convenient. Not just when we can flaunt it. Not like a popularity contest. We need to wear mercy and love consistantly. Because people notice.

Going forward, I'm committed to reminding myself that unification means everyone. It means seeing them as a part of ourselves, connectiong through our Father. If they are not healthy, neither is the body, Lord. I'm committed to noticing need, and wearing love in response.

day 16- mind, soul, and body

Today I realized that in the beginning of this blog I posted reasons to fast, and along the way I've mentioned 100 times that fasting is hard, but I never talked about preparation.

It's really hard to jump into a fast and do it right without prepping first. I'm sure everyone has heard at church sayings like "let us prepare our hearts and our minds for worshipping the Lord." It's the same with fasting. We have to open ourselves up, in more ways than one. So here are a few tips if you plan on fasting in the future:

1. Preparing your mind

Make sure that you are serious about your fast. Are you doing it for the right reasons? Are you committed to it?

One way to really prepare your mind is to talk about your plans with other people- it's great to find an accountability partner that you can talk to before, and during your fast. Your fast shouldn't necesarily be a rash decision- it should be thought and planned out.

Another thing to prep for is the temptations- reading scripture about fasting is really good for this. Especially when Jesus is tempted by the devil in the wilderness. One of the things that strikes me the most is when the devil says, "hey, you're the son of God. You can turn this stone into bread." and Jesus responds that Man doesn't live on bread alone, but by the Word of God.

What's really cool about this scenario is that during your fast its not that food isn't available- fasting is a choice. It's a way to devote yourself further to God and focus more on his Word- to empty out your body of worldly things that control you and fill yourself up with the right kind of control.

2. Preparing your soul

We have to be available to God. Preparing our soul means allowing the holy spirit to guide us. A good way to do this is praying for your fast beforehand. Asking God to help you find direction and strength through him while you fast. It's a great idea to ask people to pray over you as well- prayer is strong.

3. Preparing your body

People don't usually think about this, but the right diet beforehand can help you in your fast to be able to concentrate much better.

You have to realize that some food habits can't be dropped cold turkey.

I take an entire week to prepare my diet before I fast. I ween myself off of as much sugar, caffeine, and even salt as I can before I start. It's best to slowly drink things that arn't high in any of these to prepare for just water. If you're used to a lot of sugar or caffeine- obviously, you're going to be really really tired and even have a headache during your fast. If you suddenly drop salt from your diet, your blood pressure will drop and you'll be really lethargic.

the other thing to realize is that overeating before a fast actually hurts you. It causes your metabolism to increase, even if you're just doing 24 hours, so by dinner the next day you'll feel awful. Limiting your portions beforehand is a great way to slow your metabolism so that you don't drastically change your eating habits by starting to fast.

So, small portions of bland foods and drinks are best. If not, you are really going to struggle when you try to go off it. Withdrawal is awful. And it can turn your concentration to your body instead of inward to God.

4. Know your body's limitations

If you're signed up for a 5k over the weekend, it's not the best idea to fast. Understand that your diet change is going to leave your body feeling slightly empty, and pushing it isn't good. Also, if you're under 18, you are probably still growing, and I wouldn't recommend doing a fast for more than 24 hours unless you are eating something still. When you plan when to fast, then, make sure you clear your schedule of strenuous things. Anyhow, it's your focus on God time.

I hope this breakdown helps you all think a little bit more about what you're signing onto, and that (lame teacher moment) preparation is the key to success!

day 16- apple, tomato soup, yellow curry vegetables

day 15 devotional- leadership

The prayer guide for today switches it's focus for the last time. The first week we explored renewing ourselves, the second week we explored renewal in the body of christ, and this week we will explore renewal in our nation and world.

And so the first topic is leadership. Here's what the book says for today:

"

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NLT) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior.

Personal Reflection:
God gives us clear instructions in the Word to pray for our leaders and those in authority over us. We never want our leaders to fail because they arn't properly covered in prayer and protection. Often we spend more time complaining about what our leaders have been doing/not doing then we spend in prayer regarding them. In American, we have the right to question to decisions of our leaders, but, as Christians, that should never be done in a disrespectful manner or while neglecting our call to prayer. Everyone in authority over us- in our government, our church, our community and our family- needs our prayers for strength and wisdom so that we might have peace and salvation as a nation.

Going forward I'm committed to _________.

Additional Scripture Support: Rom. 13:1-6. Isaiah 96:7, Prov. 21:1, Jer. 29:7, Matt. 18:19&20, Psalm 20, Prov. 15:34

Praying through scripture:
Proverbs 4:5, 10:9, 24:6, Psalm 46:1-3 (MSG)
Jesus, I thank you for those you've placed in authority over me, my leaders. I ask that you lead them to wisdom and developing good judgment. Help them to not forget your word or deviate an inch from it. I ask that you help them live in honesty and have carefree, confident lives. But if there's anything shifty, I trust you to expose it. I pray that you help them to make the right strategic plans and surround themselves with good counsel. Be a safe place for them and their families, ready to help them when they need it so that they can stand fearless because they know you are fighting for them and protecting them. Amen.

"


As everyone knows, I am a criticizer. I critique movies, books, school, actions, pretty much anything I can. And I always have something negative to say.

But with people, it's different. My problem isn't criticizing as much as it is letting things slide- justifying people as people....who make mistakes. But I don't go back and pray. I let things go; I brush them off. And we all watch T.V. and see our Pat Rs and our Rob Bs and our Joel Os and when they say something ridiculous like that Haiti deserved an earthquake because God wants them to all repent we critique or we try to justify why they said something so silly. Or we say they arn't really Christians. But the fact is they ARE LEADERS AND PEOPLE FOLLOW THEM. And because of that, we NEED to put them on our prayer lists and pray for God to come into them and to fill them to say things that help bring people closer to Him and not further away.

Going forward I'm committed to praying over prominant leaders, asking God to allow their leadership to glorify His name.

day 15- falling down gracefully

This post is for everyone who's tried to fast and messed up.

Since two posts ago I wrote about the right reasons to break a fast, today I wanted to talk about the right ways to follow through when you break a fast for selfish reasons.

Fasting is hard. I'm not the first to say that, and I definitely won't be the last. I've fasted many, many times for the wrong reasons. I've broken fasts many, many times for the wrong reasons.

And so while the worst thing we can do is sit in our guilt about it, there are some highly productive responses to mess-ups.

So what can you do in order to fall down gracefully?

1. Don't hide it.

Maybe one of the worst things you can do during a fast is break your fast and pretend like you havn't. To eat in privacy, and then tell people your fast is going great.

One time I read this article online about how a man was standing on the side of the interstate all day with a sign that said, "I cheated on my wife and this is my punishment." Um...DON'T do that. I'm not saying that you have to proclaim to the world that you broke your fast. But it is good to have accountability partners to confide in when you are weak, and if people ask, it's clearly wrong to tell them it's going great.

And, in all honesty, sometimes telling people you messed up is better ministry than saying you're succeeding. It can lead to discussions about the strength of Jesus, his 40 days in the wilderness; it can lead to conversations about forgiveness; plainly stated, it puts the gospel out there.

2. Don't give up.

You break your fast, ok. Do it again in replacement. Or, if it's a long fast, KEEP GOING. Stopping is the most heartbreaking thing you can possibly do. Think back to when we talked about how falling into sin is gradual- it's the same concept. We mess up once, so we're ok with messing up again, or loosening our standard, or even quitting.

Remember that God is way above time, so, unlike the classes I teach, make-ups for failures are completely allowed. And hey, remember that thing called perseverance we've been talking about? God wants us to keep coming back to him over and over in our prayers. So pick another time, and try again.

The definition of devotion is profound dedication. When you fall, show God you're willing to get up over and over and over again until you get it right in order to glorify Him.

3. God notices

In order to keep this blog from getting horribly long, I'll end on this note. (If you'd like to add more productive ways to go about messing up, please post comments).

God notices.

One of my favorite movies of all time is a spanish movie called Pan's Labyrinth. It has large christian motifs told through both a realistic war and fairy tales.

So there is the part where the main character, a young girl, is in a fairy tale world pursuing a quest- she must use a key to retrieve something. She is told that when she goes, she should not eat anything. When she gets there, there is a huge table with a feast set out, and as she examines the table, she plucks a few tiny grapes and eats them. When she does, this horrible monster awakens and follows her, and she barely escapes. Even then, two of her fairies get eaten by the monster.

What strikes me the most in this scene is after the fact, when she is apologizing, she says, "It was just a few grapes. I didn't think anyone would notice."

Sometimes we do really minor things like slip a few grapes when we are fasting. Sometimes we do minor things like tell a small, white lie. Sometimes we do horrible, much bigger things wrong.

But it doesn't matter. And so my point here is thank God that He notices our mistakes, because how else could He have sent his son to wash us clean?

God notices everything. He knows your soul. And because of that we all owed the same debt to Him- total. But he sent his son Jesus to die on a cross so that when he looks at us he doesn't see our mistakes or our sins anymore, he sees us as clean and beautiful and forgiven.

There is beauty in falling. There is beauty in breaking. Psalm 145 tells us that when we fall God lifts us back up. He notices us. And that's the gospel.

day 15- apple, stir fry veggies, kidney bean soup