Focus on Fasting

Fasting from Anger and Unforgiveness

(GULP!) I'm ready ~ you?

Reflection ?'s:
~If I fast from anger what can I replace it with? (I'm praying for snickers! hee hee)

~Why is forgiveness so difficult for me?

~What connection is there between my anger and my being unwilling to forgive?

Scripture: John 12:24
"Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."

Wow, how I LOVE these words!

~ Can you recall a time in your life when this passage was a reflection of what was happening for you? "I can answer this in one word (although it has a deep definition, including many chapters) = infertility"

~ Can you name the "fruit" that was produced from this experience? "Fruit so sweet I can barely stand to share it = Zachary & Boston."

THANK YOU Jesus!

Trusting for Trey

Join with me in trusting our Lord through the petitioning prayers of His faithful people that Trey will receive the breakthrough he so needs from our gracious, giving, loving, almighty God.

Go here to read all about Trey's journey through this uncertain life that he has battled so fiercely to be a part of here on earth:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/trey13

For those of you who are not familiar with caringbridge, click on "my story" to read all about the trials & tribulations this sweet angel has faced in his 5 short years.

So I call out to all of you whom read this blog, join me in the greatest gift we could give this child ~ our prayers. The power of prayer continues to blow my small mind daily and so oddly, I tell you beside the ache, pain, saddness and fear that fills my heart for Trey and his family I find an equal amount of rest Trusting (in Him) for Trey. Our God of the IMPOSSIBLE is awaiting us to call on Him for this family, let's not let this little boy down and gift him our prayers.

Loving Father,

I come to You with heaviness of a burdened heart. A heart that can not fathom the terror of living in an unknown realm of darkness, loving a boy who lives in hostage to seizures. God You have softened my heart to such a serious and terrifying encounter and so I cry out to You with all I have to reach down and touch Your precious Trey with Your Almighty healing hand. Lord, I trust that Your ways are not our own ways ~ help us to know Your peace when we can not see through the storm, help us to fix our eyes upon YOU. I know You will open doors for this child and supernaturally supply the funds necessary for him to complete the journey You have set forth for his life. I call on You to fulfill Your promises in Isaiah 58: Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. God these are beautiful words from You to rest in and know that You have a plan to prosper Trey, and You will pass through the waters along side him. I give my heart in prayer to You Lord and I'm trusting for Trey that all we need is found in Your faithful promises: Matthew 7: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

~ Trusting for Trey with all my heart, your daughter always,

Maria

Are you ready?...

For this challenge ~ Focus on Fasting for this week:

Fasting from Gossip!

I LOVE THIS ONE!!! What's even more "maria style"[as in better WAY LATE than never] is I've finally decided to include more to this challenge, questions to ponder & scripture to note that is also a part of this weekly board display ~ I know the Sisters won't mind if I spread their genius ideas on through my blog.

The scripture that is referenced in coordination with this week's super awesome challenge is:

"Whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his/her works may be clearly seen as done by God." John 3:21

Questions for reflection:

-Who becomes the focus of attention when gossip is passed on?

-Who/What becomes the victim when I gossip?

-How can I transform the energy I experience when I gossip about another into energy for praise & gratitude? (HELLO ~ AWESOME!)

Focus on Fasting

Here's the posted FSLF "dare" for this week, ya ready:

Fasting from Judgement!

OOOH, I like this one! It's one I work on pretty much non-stop since reading Bait of Satan by John Bevere! It's actually an inner challenge I REALLY LOVE! Who's in it with me?

BTW: How did ya do last week? I'll be the first to admit I had some failures..okay, ya got me...a lot...but I did seem to recognize just about every time I complained ~ right after I just finished complaining ~ eek! Work in progress, work in progress [that's my inner motivational speaker trying to encourage my self-esteem to keep trying even though I'm apparently a big ole complainer!] ha!

My favorite prayer

I offer my life
I offer my life to you Jesus Christ

for you to live in me and through me
Here is my face – shine from it
Here are my ears – hear the cry of hurting persons through them
Here are my eyes – see the faces of those who need your blessing and bless them with the healing look that radiates from you my Lord, through my eyes
Here is my tongue – speak through it, speak words of encouragement and
affirmation
Here o Lord are my hands – use them to touch, stroke, hold, lift
and steady another human being.
Here o Lord are my feet – walk where you want me to go.
And may those who follow me, be following Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted on the wall of a beautiful place in Rwanda was this prayer that shattered me to the core, hit my heart in places I never knew I had. I think the effect of reading this prayer while standing next to Rwandan women who have been survivors all their lives, from genocide ~ to prostitution ~ to homelessness ~ to single mother ~ to AIDS victim ~ each story is unique and devastating more often than not...but they are linked by always knowing they are beautiful daughters of Jesus Christ, offering themselves and their lives at any cost. Standing in the presence of such greatness, knowing simply "life" in itself has truly cost these women ALL they've had to give humbles me and that is why this prayer takes me to that place where emotions burst over the levy's in my heart and force me just to be vulnerable, surrendering to the awe-inspiring love God has for each of His children and soak in the inspiration these words and these Rwandan lives bring to me. This is by far my favorite prayer of all time! Not only do I long to pray these words, I long to live this prayer!

Crockpot

The entry I have today is just a bunch of little compilations to throw in the "crockpot" of your soul so here goes:

Firstly I wanted to share these words from one of my devotional prayer books for today. I just love the message! Here's the final paragraph: "God has not promised that we will never be lonely, but He has promised that in Him, we will never be alone. He has not promised that we will be free from pain and sorrow, but He has promised that He will be our help, our strength, and our everlasting peace. Since by God's grace, every circumstance finds us abiding in Christ, we will find Christ abiding with us in every circumstance." I will never leave you nor forsake you ~ Hebrews 13:5 For you music lovers these words totally remind me of a few awesome songs that always yank at my tear glands; I Will Never Leave You Children by Jason Upton, Held by Natalie Grant and Heal the Wound by Point of Grace.

Secondly I wanted to share with you all a small revelation that came to me. Some of you may be very well aware we are in the midst of Lent and participating in relative practices. Some of you may not give a hoot. I used to fall into the latter category, I'm now seeking to join the first category. Still being relatively new to this Christian gig, I wasn't all to familiar with Lent, it's purpose nor any of the specifics ~ but working at a convent I was aware of when it took place on the calender, mostly because of "Fat Tuesday" and the free homemade donuts. Previously, all I really cared to know on the subject was that it's when most of my co-workers swear of sweets for awhile and I must fully stock my only chocolate supply! ;) Since I never felt the drive or motivation to swear off candy & dessert for Jesus I never took the time to delve into the depths of Lent. I'm still largely in the dark about the spiritual journey Lent has to offer...BUT...I'm learning! ;) One thing that I loved to find here at the convent that helped open my eyes to possible other meanings of Lent aside from resisting my sweet tooth is a bulletin board the sister's have posted that has a certain little weekly message titled "Focus on Fasting". Last week it said "Fast from criticism"....and the revelation hit me, with snickers in hand ~ WOW, those are great words and something I would LOVE to do in honor of Jesus, Lent, my growing knowledge of my faith, and I can still eat this snickers guilt free knowing that I'm not dishonoring my love for God. WHEW! Well, my lil confession is that I believe I failed miserably[thus eating extra snickers] and I think I owe most my apologies to Donny! So this week I'm back with avengance to hold fast to the challenge: Focus on Fasting: Fast from complaining. I'm in it to win it this week! I thought these were awesome suggestions so I wanted to bring them here for you all to see and challenge you to embrace them with me ~ Lent inspired or not ~ it's a "Fast" we all could stand to try! I'm hoping I'll make it here each Monday morning to post the next week's Focus for fasting so if all two of you who read this blog wanna join me, you can!

Lastly; I've posted this elsewhere but I just love the words soooo much I must post them here as well. So if it's repeat for some ~ sorry ~ but seriously this is fashion advice to live by so it's worth repeating!! It's no mystery that I have no sense of fashion and that more often than not my hair ends up rotating from one disaster to another which usually compliments the eyesore I call my wardrobe, so when I found this sound advice I took it to heart immediately and I think you all might like it too? "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. ~ Proverbs 16:31" I'm contemplating sending this in for consideration for Paul Mitchell's '09 advertising campaign?

Awakening

I wonder if this ever happens to others as often as it happens to me, you're strumming along aimlessly and out of the blue something so ordinary becomes extraordinary...something you've known/seen/read/heard greets you as if it were for the very first time and impacts you in a greater way than you've ever known imaginable. What I've come to know as a divine awakening! ;)

That is what is happening for me with this amazing story:

One night an old man had a dream he had died and gone to heaven, where he was given a chance to review the footsteps in his life. He looked down and noticed that all over the dark valleys and difficult places he had traveled, there was only one set of footprints, but over the plains and across the beautiful mountains there were two sets of footprints as if someone had walked by his side.

He turned to the Lord and said, "There is something I can't understand about my life on earth. Why is is that across the mountains and over the smooth plains and easy places you have walked by my side, but here over the rough and difficult places I have walked alone, for I see in these places there is just one set of footprints?"

The Lord turned to the man and said, "It is true that while your life was easy I walked along by your side. I was your companion, but here when the walking was hard, and the path was difficult, here where you crossed the battlefields of life and did not have the strength to endure, I realized that was the time you needed me most.

"And that is why I carried you."

~ Famously knows as the beautiful "Footprints"

Thanks for always carrying me Lord, my heart explodes from the depths of your love!