Sunday, October 12, 2008

Day One. The calculator is a new body part...


Today is a new and beautiful day. I woke up with an incredible sense of purpose and sense of peace. I know that these next few days are going to really allow me to stretch and will require me to rely heavily on Him, as life should be. So often, as I stated before, I worry about how I am going to get through my day and accomplish the many things on my plate and so often I forget to thank the one who made it all possible. I forget to read my bible every night or every morning. Sometimes I even forget to pray! No more. This is not how I was meant to live and I know it. 

God, please, I really ask you to help me dig deep and come back to you. As my days become more flooded with responsibilities, may I turn to You and NEVER forget where You have lead me. My prayer is that I honor and glorify You during this fast. Draw me close. Help me hear Your voice and drown out all others, including my own. Keep me humble, Lord! ~Your adoring daughter.

Today's Meals-
  • Breakfast- 1/4C dry cheerios $.12
  • Lunch- Ichiban noodles (mom cooked them for me) $.11
  • Snack- 10 saltine crackers $. 08, 2 tbsp peanut butter $. 17
  • Dinner- Mac n' Cheese (multiple factors here) Ingredients: Craft box mix $.40, 2 tbsp milk$.03 (That was all I could afford, I used water as well) 2 tbsp butter $.04, Hot dog $.12
  • Dessert- Free cookie in the bakery at Hen House. Stale, yet good!
Today was absolutely incredible mentally but definitely a struggle physically!  God really spoke to me today at church and through out my day, constantly reminding me and encouraging me to press on. I have not eaten all that much but right now, I can honestly say, I am satisfied. Not in the sense that I am full physically (far from it!) but full mentally. I feel like I have been on a spiritual fast for quite sometime; getting busy, getting lost in family and work obligations, exhausting my body more times that I would like to think about in the past month. But despite all that, I really feel God pulling me back. "Enough, child. Come back to me and rest!" I have been in constant conversation with Him all day and it has been AWESOME! I know I am only scratching the surface and I am ready for rest!

Physically I have eaten very little in comparison to what I usually eat. My body knows it has not yet gotten its fill for the day and has been telling me at various times by yelling (stomach rumbles) at me. I have thought about "cheating" and eating more than my budget at least 5 times today. I have abstained from Mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies, (which are rarely made anymore) I have abstained from an offer to go out to lunch, from the wonderful smell of coffee in the morning, and from a cinnamon bagel this morning. I was feeling hungry enough this afternoon that I could smell fast food that Brian could not even smell (odd, I know since I am really not a fan of fast food!) But through a difficult first day I had the support of my wonderful husband and my wonderful God! I look forward to tomorrows challenge! 

The thought I have really been chewing on today was of how truly blessed I am. Ben's message down in youth service really got to me and I wanted to share Sarah's thought, what I am thinking about. 
How many people know what it feels like to be satisfied? To be truly full and have eaten their fill, enough so that the feeling of hunger is completely gone? In the same sense, how many people know what it means to feel full spiritually? To never hunger or thirst for answers or for His loving arms? 


1 comment:

Ben said...

Praying for you Mary! You inspire me.

Your closing thought is absolutely wrecking me these days . . . "How many people know what it means to feel full spiritually? To never hunger or thirst for answers or for His loving arms?"