I am having a hard time believing we are only 10 days into 2011, and we're already on our second snowstorm of the season. However, I am very thankful for the snow day, because it is allowing me to focus on spending an entire day with God and with my family. So far I will be off from work for at least two days this week, since the call-in number said it would be updated on Tuesday at noon.
I was reading Holly Furtick's blog last week, and she mentioned making 6x6 goals: Six goals for the next six weeks. It's a lot better to do that then to make one BIG new year's resolution that doesn't end up making it past the second week of January. Here are my 6x6 goals and how I'm doing so far:
1. Move over CDs and books to the apartment (started moving books, still have quite a bit left to box up and move)
2. Keep up with the devotionals that I've signed up for (so far so good)
3. Finish the book of Psalms (on Psalm 77)
4. Walk for 30 minutes three times a week (Not doing so good with this one...the last time I walked was two Saturdays ago. I don't count the mall walking trips where I bought a cookie afterward)
5. Go 6 weeks without buying another book (so far so good)
6. Finish Craig Groeschel's book on marriage and read Crazy Love by Francis Chan. (Have finished Craig's book, about to start Crazy Love today)
And I've added a 7th one: drink at least two 12oz bottles of water every day. That doesn't sound like a lot of water, but actually it's more than I usually drink. There have been times where a 12oz bottle lasts me three days. I did good with this on Friday, but over the weekend I barely had any water during the day.
We started a series at Elevation this week called Get Back. It's about recovering our spritual momentum, and one thing Pastor said at the very beginning stuck out: "You cannot create today's momentum with yesterday's memories." This is so true! If I focus on the not-so-good things that happened the day before as soon as I wake up in the morning, I'll feel defeated before I even get out of bed. Momentum is always moving forward, so that's where we should be looking. The very last point that he made was that we need to dig some ditches in our situations (this is coming from 2 Kings 2:16). In this section of scripture, the Israelites were marching for seven days when they ran out of water. God told them, through Elisha, to dig ditches in the valley that they were in, and it would be filled with water. They saw no sign of rain coming, but they prepared for God to do what He said He would do to provide for them. We need to do what we can with what we have, and trust that God will provide for us and bring us through our situations.
A few days ago I heard about this 21 day fast called Awakening, and I've decided to fast from cakes, cookies, and any other desserts for the next 21 days. I am also cutting out snacking between meals (with the exception of fruit). This is easy when I'm at home, but not so much when I'm at work.
There is a devotional to go along with the 21 days as well. For day one we read Genesis 7, where Noah and his family get into the ark and God floods the earth, wiping out every living thing that is not on the ark. The purpose of fasting is to get closer to God, and to separate ourselves from worldly habits. Looking back at the story of the ark, that's exactly what God did with Noah.
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