I think hubby forgot to turn the thermostat down last night as I woke up about 1:43AM and I was sweating! I throw off the covers, but now I'm awake so my mind goes to the wildfires in California, and I begin praying for them along with whatever and whoever God brings to my mind. I finally fall back to sleep until a little after 4AM and I go ahead and get up. Hubby got up a few minutes later. I like my room cold and I'm bundled under covers - I sleep so well then - but when I'm warm all over (and we don't have that many covers on the bed - just a sheet and a quilt - and I'm sweating, I can't sleep as well. Well, I guess you could count my jammies as a cover, but they aren't flannel. You needed to know all that, didn't you?
I'm on my second cup of coffee this morning already. It's about time for Jentezen Franklin to come on with Free Chapel's first service and I will be turning it on shortly to watch. We will watch the 2nd service together at 9AM on the TV. I watch this one on my phone. The devotional for day 8 of our fast is really good. I'm going to try to post it here. “Are You Seeking Him”, Don't know if it will allow you to click in to it or not. I can't get it to come up right now. It's a good 6 minute message.
This is week two of our fast. How is it going for me? I can't speak for hubby, but for me... well, I think ok. I did, as I think I have shared on here, stick to fruit and veggies for the first 5.5 days. Why 5.5? Because last night I fixed us chicken to go with the vegetables. I felt I needed more protein and well, I added chicken to the meal; just one piece. First meat I have eaten all week. I did cook breakfast yesterday and had eggs; forgot about that. I made us veggie omelets. Hubby gave me a compliment - he said that was the best veggie omelet he had eaten in a long time. Could be for a couple reasons... 1) I cooked it. 2) It was full of onion, potatoes, broccoli, and I forget what else. 3) I didn't cook it in butter like most restaurants do so it was not greasy. And it was full, and it was good. Didn't fix meat; had yogurt with blueberries to go with the meal. Very filling. Anyway - I am going to my BBCD as of today. No beef; no bread; no chocolate; no desserts. It is harder than you think when you are addicted to bread. And I'm wanting to bake some bread now that I'm getting some sanity back from the holidays. But will wait until after the fast, for I can assure you that I am going to eat it! We really do not eat that much bread, but once in a while a sandwich or toast is good. And fresh-baked bread is the best!
Yesterday was a good day. I didn't do all I wanted to but did some. I took some things over to a granddaughter and got to visit with her for a few minutes before she headed off to work. Hope to plan a 'grandma' day with her when she gets a Saturday off work. This one is harder to make contact with. After that visit I did end up at Sam's club. Didn't do too bad there, really. Bought more protein drinks that we like and a case of V-8 and a couple other things. But I got out of the house for a couple hours, and that is a good thing. Still need to make a trip to Walmart probably to pick up seeds to put in my indoor garden. Nothing is there right now and I like having fresh herbs to put in things.
I got caught up on my Bible reading through the New Testament challenge last night and have already read what I need to for today. Hubby left the TV off so that I could. A cousin in Indiana touched base with me last night as well. She had found some photos that she wanted to send me of my little brother, Buddy, who passed several years ago. She is 'photo-cleaning' - which means she is cleaning out old photo albums that belonged to her grandmother, my Aunt Grace, who lived to 102 before she passed. It would be interesting to see what photos she sends me, if any other than what she showed me. I need to go through my albums and see if I have any of her mother, my cousin who passed not long ago, and my aunt, and send to her. Sometimes my holding on to pictures will not mean anything to my children. I need to give back to the families of those the photos are of. Does that make sense? I've wanted to do it for some time. My children don't remember my aunts; the photos will mean nothing to them in the future. Part of my 'letting go', right?
Psalm 106:15 (NKJV): And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their souls.
That verse, and the message with it, kind of spoke to me last night. There are many things (at times) that I think I 'want'. I find myself looking at things that I 'want'. And then I tell myself "no". Then I look again, and I say 'NO' to myself. I don't NEED it. WHY do I even want it? It will make no difference in my life. I think this is probably not making sense to you. But think about it this way.....
What is it that you think you 'need', but it is really a 'want'? And if you NEED it, you will find a way to get it, I'm sure. But what do you do when it is just a want? I have been getting all these advertisements from different stores with all their 'after Christmas' sales and I will think 'maybe I should go and check out what they have'. But in reality, there is nothing I NEED, so what go buy something that I don't even know that I want? Last week I went online to some stores and put things in the carts - and then changed the screen. Later I went back and deleted it all. There is nothing I need and why buy something I'm going to put in the cabinet out in the garage? Why should I ask God to give me my request for 'things' - when all I need is HIM?
Have you ever thought about that? I know that God delights in giving me things that I ask for. I know He is overjoyed to provide for all that I need. But one should be careful about what they ask for. What are you going to do with what you are asking for? Right now my request to God is to have a closer walk with Him. He will grant that request - as long as I continue to seek Him and look to Him and pray to Him. But I can't just tell Him that is the request I have - and then go off and do my own thing.
What are you doing about the requests you ask God for? You ask for financial blessings; are you spending recklessly and not saving for those things that are needed? You ask for healings, are you doing what you need to do in order to get well? You can't get financially stable if you are spending all the time on things you don't need; you can't get healed if you don't take medication that will make you well. So often we ask and walk away. What if - you take it to your knees? What do I mean by that?
Take it to your knees. Get on your knees in prayer and seek God for all things. And in all things He will provide for you. Don't let offenses keep you from seeking Him. What God wants is a relationship with you. Are you seeking a relationship with HIm? Are you praying? Are you humbling yourself before Almighty God and allowing Him to provide all your needs? It might be a novel thought - but what if you tried it? What if you humbled yourself and ask Jesus to take over your life, and asked Him to direct your path? You may be surprised what will happen. Challenge? Your call.
What are the greatest commandments? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Devote yourself to prayer and see what God can do in and through you.
Blessings!
