Daniel Fast - Sure Fire "Fast" Results

I have been pondering lately.  I have been wondering about this thing called fasting.  I have read plenty on the topic (at least three books to date), and listened to more than a few messages but still, I find my hold on this subject is much like grabbing a fistful of Jello.   What does one fast for anyway?  I have heard all manner of examples from spiritual breakthroughs, to salvation of family members, to miraculous healing, to financial provision, to…. I have heard bold testimonies of how God intervened in amazing situations but also quiet whispers where there were no apparent results at all. 

I struggle with the idea that if I participate in certain things, then and only then, God will intervene.  Maybe it is because I love food so much.   I just can’t make it all fit in my mind.  Maybe you are like me and you would like to see an example with “fast” results as a sure fire precedent.  It is always easier for me to believe God for something when I can find a place in scripture where it actually happened.  I honestly believe if God did it for them then He will do it for me.  It is just the way that I am wired.   I guess I should have been a lawyer.  I am forever looking for a precedent.

What if there was an account with an example that we could use as a model for “fast” results?  Something with an honest to goodness real life outcome.  What if there was an instance that illustrated what kinds of things you can know God will award on account of said fast?  Would you be interested?   Would it motivate you to take the fasting challenge?  If your answer is yes, then join with me in Daniel chapter one and let’s discover four sure fire reasons to fast. 

1) For your health.

“At the end of 10 days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.  So the guard took away their choice food and wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”  Daniel 1:15-16

This scripture doesn’t say that Daniel and his friends were sick and needed healing but it does say that they were healthier and better nourished than the young men who partook in the food at the kings table.  Participating in the Daniel fast doesn’t guarantee healing but does strongly suggest a healthier outcome.  Looking at our diets, I don’t see it too big a stretch for me to believe that if I lay down my double stuffed oreo cookie for a carrot stick for 21 days, I might just be a little bit healthier.  I am told that what we eat bears greatly on the health of our bodies.  I can’t help but wonder if the things I eat are working against the strength and vitality that God desires for me to have.

2) For knowledge and understanding.

“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.“ Daniel 1:17a

What I love about this outcome is that God gave them knowledge and understanding regarding all kinds of literature and learning.  Not just in spiritual matters but in practical ones as well.  Does anyone but me need knowledge and understanding with the practical things in life?  Do you think this means that God could make you smarter as a student, mother, wife or employee?  Will He give you the ability to understand that research material, that book about raising kids, the fine lines written within your health insurance package, or those maddening instructions that are given to put together that “whatever” you just bought (always wondered who wrote those things)?  He did that for Daniel and his friends. 

3) For clarity of God’s vision for your life.

“And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” Daniel 1:17b

Has God’s vision for your life gotten cloudy?  Do you need clarity?  Apparently God gave Daniel the ability to understand visions.  I don’t know about you but I could use a little windex on the window blocking my vision.  Evidently, through fasting it is possible to achieve that clarity.

4) For Promotion.

“In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the King questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole Kingdom”  Daniel 1:20

Are you looking for promotion?  Whether you are in a job or involved with ministry or just plain old living out the life that God has planted your feet on this earth for, could you use a little promotion?  This scripture tells us that God caused these men to be ten times better then all the most gifted men spiritually in the king’s whole kingdom.  Would you like to have that kind of promotion?  One that gives you the cutting edge whether it is against your competitors on the job or just being smarter then the average bear as you go through the daily-ness of your life.   I do.  I want an edge.  I need an edge. 

So what do you think?  Could you use any of those benefits?  Would being a healthier you be something that might motivate you to participate in the Daniel Fast?  If not that, how about some knowledge and understanding?  Not your thing?  Perhaps you need some clarity of vision or a long overdue promotion?  Which appeals to you most?

Last year I decided to participate in a self driven Daniel fast because I needed breakthrough in these four areas.   I consulted with my doctor to make sure it was wise (it was and I urgently suggest that you do this as well) and I fasted for these four succinct precedents.  While I didn’t see results immediately, looking back one year later I can overwhelming declare that I have grown healthier, I have gained wisdom and understanding in all kinds of learning (do I hear anyone say computer?), clarity of vision is continually evolving even as I write this, and I do feel like I have developed an edge over many of my worldly contemporaries.  Why? (and this is big)  Because my sole purpose is to do what I do on planet earth to glorify God.  If that is my underlying motive and these four outcomes are my goal, I believe that it will surely come to pass.

Are you convinced?  You have the evidence.  What are you going to do? 

Love you much!

Twelve Words or Less

The day was fast approaching. I knew it was just a matter of time and I would have to face the inevitable. Every year, right around March, the confrontation waits. This time I was hoping that I would get through the ordeal a bit better but deep down in the very core of my being, I knew it wasn’t meant to be. It was the day on my Bible reading schedule where I would come face to face with Proverbs 17. It isn’t the whole chapter I dread, per se; it is just verse 28. It is the very last sentence in the chapter and it leaves me feeling taunted by its simplistic wisdom as I close out that passage of scripture. Wisdom that I have prayed that I would walk in but seldom do.

“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”

Can anyone relate? While God has graced me with a speaking gift, I just don’t seem to know when to quit it. But that isn’t the only verse that mocks me, there are more. How about?

“When words are many, sin in not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

“The more words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?” Ecc. 6:11

“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint.” Proverbs 17:27

Can’t you just feel my anxiety? My call is to speak but clearly these scriptures tell us that there will be a time when the ‘less is more’ principle applies. When will I learn that it isn’t the number but how notable the words are that bring revelation?. They don’t need to be plenteous just potent, not copious just convicting and not bountiful just brilliant and not superfluous but filled with the Spirit.

But try as I may, it seems that I have a wagon load of words that I never can seem to use up. People who study these things say that generally women use about 3,000 more words per day then men. When this statistic is alluded to, my husband always quips “and they must be used”. Men don’t seem to have the problem of left over words at the end of the day. I know I live with three of them. Maybe that is why I have so many extra; I feel that I need to use up theirs. I just hate to see anything go to waste.

It seems God never has this problem. In 12 succinct words found in Mark 1, God delivers a message that would transform the lives of not only those who heard it with their own ears but also for those of generations to follow. This message would be the kind that revolutionizes the course of spiritual and world history forever. It would alter men’s hearts eternally and ignite a furious love for God matched only by a supernatural response evidenced by a radical obedience. What were these 12 words?

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’.” Mark 1:11

If you are familiar with Mark 1:11, you will immediately recall that this is the account of Jesus’ baptism where the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descended on him like a dove and God spoke. To appreciate Gods succinct and sufficient wording we first want to recognize that this one verse is taken from three sources in the Old Testament. In the Hebraic mind, when a portion of scripture was quoted, their thoughts would go to the entire passage surrounding that portion. Let’s take a moment to think the way a Jew, who witnessed this event, might think and explore these three slices from scripture together.

“You are my son” comes from Psalm 2:7 where “the LORD” addresses the anointed King as His Son. At Jesus’ baptism he began His official role as God’s anointed King and Son.

"whom I love” may represent an Isaac/Jesus typology from Genesis 22:2, where Isaac is Abraham’s only son “whom you love”. Abraham’s willingness to offer his beloved son would be corresponding to God’s offering of his Son.

“with you I am well pleased” echoes Isaiah 42:1, where the faithful and suffering servant of the LORD is identified as God’s chosen one.

Within these few words God was telling all those who were present that this man was God’s son as well as an anointed King. He was deeply loved by God and as Abraham gave up his son “whom he loved”, God was about to give up His son “whom He loved”. He also draws from one of the suffering servant passages found in the book of Isaiah that describes this servant as not only as one God is well pleased with but one in whom God’s Spirit would rest on. This servant would be humble, gentle and faithful, filled with justice and one who would not be discouraged until he has finished what He was sent to do. This man standing before their very eyes is, in a nutshell, God’s Son, King, Servant and Messiah.

I can only imagine what the Jewish scholars and theologians of that day must have thought. No doubt they were rendered speechless. I am sure they knew their scriptures and could present an argument well. They probably had spent countless hours debating and theorizing what the Messiah would be like. In spite of all their study and understanding, God managed to wrap the entire vision of this Savior in one concise sentence.

It wasn’t the number of words He used but how notable they were, they weren’t plenteous just potent, not copious just convicting, not bountiful just brilliant and not superfluous but of the spirit. Succinct and sufficient!

One day maybe I will be able to deliver such a potent message in just 12 words. Until then I am reminded by this scripture that it isn’t the amount of words I use for God that matters but the amount of God that is in my words.

“God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let my words be few.”
          Ecclesiastes 5:2b

What Are You Going To Do About It?

What would you say is the purpose of a question? Your initial response might be, to search out an answer. I would agree. I am told that there are seventeen different categories of questions with varying shades of purpose to each. Questions can be given to test your knowledge, they can be rhetoric or open ended… the list goes on.

The ancient rabbis would ask questions much as our contemporary teachers might, but their purpose often had a single motivation, to provoke thought. Their queries might even seem harsh and confrontational at times. It is important to realize that debate was key to the study of scripture and the rabbis believed that an excellent student was one who was a good arguer. We need not be offended when we are probed in this venue since the very nature of the rabbis teaching style is to produce spiritual growth.

In the gospels you see Jesus using this type of teaching as he would often ask questions without ever providing an answer. When Jesus was anointed at Bethany by the woman with the expensive perfume, much to the annoyance of the disciples, he asked “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.” (Matt 26:10) This question was meant to point them to what they already knew, in this case, their propensity to place money over grace.

This week as we continue our journey through Ezra we find our progress paused by a question. We have just closed Chapter 4 where we left the exiles despondent and unable to continue the work on the temple. We learned that they had been harassed by their enemies through discouragement, fear and frustrating counsel. To put it plainly they gave up on the work due to unrelenting opposition.

Fast forward almost twenty years where we find ourselves turning the pages of Ezra to Chapter 5. A question is cast as a shadow over the exiles living in Jerusalem by the prophet Haggai. “Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:3) He begins to point out to the exiles that they ought to consider there ways, since their neglect of the temple symbolized their neglect of God. Because of their abandoned priorities life became very hard for them. Drought settled in the land and the crops became sparse. The people were frustrated and disappointed.

A good question can cause us to temporarily take a breather and think about what we are doing? A few months after Haggai’s question another prophet, Zechariah, comes with a direct encouragement from God “’Return to me’, declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’” (Zech 1:3). Zechariah reminds them that their God was a God of mercy and that He assured them that Zerubbabel would, in fact, rebuild the temple. (Zech 4:9).

God used these two men to urge the people to reconsider their lives and to reevaluate their priorities. The confrontational question posed by Haggai did not go unheeded, “the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Hagaii.. (Hagaii 1:12). What was the result of that obedience? God declared “I am with you”. (Hag 1:13)

Have you felt your life filled with frustration and disappointment? Maybe it is because you have given up on something that God has asked you to do? Perhaps you have been overtaken with fear, discouragement or frustrating counsel? Is your spirit urging you to return to the work that you once abandoned?

Maybe you might know someone who God has given a vision to do something in His name? Perhaps they have given up and are overwhelmed with discouragement and frustration? Could you be that prophetic voice to them? Could you take the time to remind them of what God has asked them to do? Maybe you could also remind them that if He has asked them to do it, He will be with them.

Then would you be willing to help?

“Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jeruasalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.” Ezra 5:2 (emphasis mine)

It Isn't What It Seems

Every so often something happens in my life that is just so bold and audacious that the only way to get it out of my system is to put words on a page to it. The other day, I was out trimming my petunias when a chipmunk literally ran alongside of my right foot and into my garden. Several years ago, I would have delighted and thought that was the cutest and coolest thing. Not any longer. Imagine right by my foot! The audacity!

Why the change of heart? My husband and I make an attempt, and I use that terminology loosely, to grow raspberries and strawberries each year. The first few years we were relatively successful but we haven’t had much luck more recently. Puzzled by this, one day I happen to look out my window and saw this chipmunk chomping on the lone strawberry that was on our plant. I don’t mean a little nibble; he had that thing in both paws and was gorging on it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love God’s creatures but really one needs to draw a line. My preconceived thoughts about chipmunks immediately vaporized into reality. What I once thought as a cute and loveable creature of God quickly became my arch enemy. It gave new meaning to Jesus’ admonishment “to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing”.

As I pondered my problem, I asked myself what things do we accept and put up with in our lives that we write off as cute and harmless and aren’t really what they seem at all. How about our possessions that we think we own but really own us as we struggle to pay for and maintain them. I thought about those friendships that drag us down spiritually but seem innocent enough. Then of course we have our technology, as we DVR our programs and google our research but inevitably find ourselves going past that benefit into mindless hours of worthless pursuits. Or how about the mountain of insecurity we accept as part of who we are, that keeps us from stepping out in the boldness and courage that God calls us to, but we mask as a sense of false humility. Have I gone too far? But I am speaking to myself.

I think all of us have these cute things in our lives that we don’t even recognize as having a destructive side to them. Maybe it is because we haven’t looked at them from a different perspective. Do you have some things in your life that when viewed through fresh eyes might fall into this category? I do and I am currently working on putting them into perspective. God’s desire is for us to live an abundant life. Could it be that these kinds of things that we accept as permissible are really the very things that are keeping us from experiencing the fullness that God wants for us? Why not ask God to show you?

So, what is the moral of this post? Beware of rodents in cute chipmunk attire!

Game On!

Ordinarily, I am not a competitive person. Quite frankly, any kind of rivalry rarely piques my interest. My family is filled with sports fanatics and competition can originate from almost any venue. From athletic exhibitions to grades to how much one can devour in a single meal. You name it and it can turn into a challenge of Olympic sized proportions. When these kinds of events start up, I generally shake my head and seek out a safe quiet place away from the bedlam. You can imagine my surprise when after reading an article last week in USA Today, that I felt the lure of the contest rise up in me.

There was an article that reported the results of a survey birthed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. It was a test that measured the level of religious knowledge in the U.S, (September 28, 2010) and it was given to 3,412 adults with questions relative to the Bible, major religious figures, practices and beliefs. There were 32 questions on the exam and the average score was 16 correct.

Here are the test results for some of the major religious groups:
Atheist/Agnostic 20.9
Jewish 20.5
Mormon 20.3
White Evangelical
Protestant 17.6
White Catholic 16.o
White mainline
Protestant 15.8
Nothing in
Particular 15.2
Black Protestant 13.4

Did you notice who number 1 is? It seems that Atheists and Agnostics know more about the fundamental beliefs of most religions then we do. I thought to myself, how can I expect to reach people for Christ unless I am aware of what other belief systems are teaching?

Someone brought up an important point. They said that the Atheists/Agnostics are probably seeking and have studied and concluded that no religion (atheists) or all religion (agnostics) appeal to them. I have to be honest, I don’t like that this religious group knows more then I do about spiritual matters.

We as Christians are called to love God with our whole hearts, souls and minds. I was convicted by this article, in my pursuit to love God with my whole heart and soul have I neglected to give Him my mind as well? Have I yielded it to Him completely? Have I allowed Him to teach the things that He wants me to know so I would be better equipped as His servant? Or am I primarily focused on the things that minister to me alone? Both are important, but I need to keep it in balance.

Not long ago, I was praying and I felt God point me to a particular area that He wanted me to study in the Jewish faith. It would be hard and grueling and to be honest the thought of it left me exhausted. I didn’t tell anyone because they might, you know, keep me accountable. I put it on the shelf and never did anything about it. Last week, a friend of mine, who had no knowledge of this, invited me to a class on that very thing. Obviously, God was serious.

I will be taking that class. I think I want to be smarter then the average atheist/agnostic about other’s belief systems. I am feeling that competitive urge stirring up in me again as I write this article. Right now for me, faced with this kind of challenge, there can only be one response ‘Game On!’

Here are some sample questions from the test.
1) Mother Teresa was…Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Mormon or Hindu?
2) Vishnu and Shiva are central figures in …Islam, Hinduism or Taoism?
3) The Bible figure most closely associated with remaining obedient to God despite suffering is…Job, Elijah, Moses or Abraham?
4) The person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation was …Martin Luther, Thomas Aquinas or John Wesley?
5) The religion that aims at nirvana, the state of being free from suffering, is …Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism?

The answers will be left by me as a comment.

People Mover

I wonder if you are familiar with the ‘Peoplemover’. The ‘Peoplemover’ was an attraction located in the Tomorrowland section of Disneyland. Its allure was found in the opportunity to sit down, relax, take a ride around Tomorrowland and get a break from the congestion and crowds while enjoying a bird’s eye view of the park.

Sadly, the ‘Peoplemover’ was shut down in 1995. Apparently, the management at Disneyland felt people didn’t want to be moved anymore. But as these things go there was deep unrest about this decision. A group of ‘Peoplemover’ fans actually came together and formed a website called ‘People for the Peoplemover’. There you can sign a petition to restore this attraction as well as learn all kinds of interesting facts.

In studying the first chapter of Ezra, I came to understand this burning desire for the ‘peoplemover’ crowd to achieve their goal. There is a genuine appeal, in this time that we live in filled with stresses and pressures, to just sit back and let someone else do the driving. I propose to you today that our God is the original ‘Peoplemover’ and maybe now would be a good time for us to let Him take the wheel of this ride we are on called life.

In Ezra 1 we see three examples of God’s people moving skills. In verse 1:1 we read;

“In the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus King of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it into writing.”

Did you notice that God moved a heart of a worldly king? This tells me that God is a people mover with authorities that govern us whether it be in our country, our workplaces, our homes. God can move the hearts of Kings even if they aren’t following Him.

We also see;
“Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites – everyone whose heart God had moved – prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem” Ezra 1:5

It would seem that God is the one who stirs His people as well. Not only can God move the hearts of Kings but He is perfectly capable of stirring the hearts of His people to action also.

Lastly;

“All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.” Ezra 1:6

God can direct peoples hearts to want to help you whether they are within the faith or not (some commentaries aren’t clear who the neighbors were). If your cause is His cause, there isn’t anything to prevent the supply that you need.

We see by looking at Ezra that God is the sovereign people mover. He is able to move the heart of a king, stir the hearts of His people and call on neighbors to assist you. I wonder if anyone is in dire need of a skilled people mover.

Maybe you have been seeking employment for what seems like forever and you need God to move the heart of an employer to your benefit. Or perhaps, you are in a situation where you could use a little help. Maybe you are currently overworked and can use for God to stir some hearts to come along side and assist you. Or maybe you are just sitting there wondering where the money is going to come from for the pile of bills that you are faced with for no other reason then a downturned economy. According to Ezra, God can change all of these situations by moving people.

So then you ask, why hasn’t He? My heart is deeply encouraged as I look at how God relates with His people. He is ever watchful of their need and is mindful of what He has in store for them. All three of these situations revealed to us in the first chapter of Ezra came about because God said it was time. What transpired in this chapter was a fulfillment of prophecy. God is all about timing in our lives as well. Read Ephesians 1:11-12;

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”

Whether it be a King, His people, or provision, God is working it out and we can trust that He will show up at the perfect time. Maybe He isn’t overlooking your estate but it just isn’t time yet. In this fast paced world we live in we always think the time should be now when God is saying not yet. Trust Him. He is working it out.

In case you were in despair about the close of the ‘Peoplemover’ in Disneyland, you will be happy to know its return is imminent. I have just received information that a formal announcement will be made next week regarding the return of this attraction. It seems that the powers that be at Disneyland realized that there is a real need for people to be moved after all. Hmmm.

Just Do It!

When Debbie had asked me if I would take over leading Women’s Bible Study, I confess to you I was speechless. If any of you have heard me teach, that would probably seem a tough nut to swallow. But it was true. Sometimes God just shows up out of the blue.

With as much mental acuity as I could muster, I blurted out something like “well let me pray about it”. Boy did I pray. One thing I have learned in my walk with Christ these past 14 years is that I am not going where He hasn’t asked me to go. My zeal to serve God has clouded sound judgment in the past and I have paid sorely for it. I wanted to make certain.

Over the next several weeks, I sought the Lord in the matter and He was certainly encouraging me in His direction. But there is another thing I know about stepping out in faith to serve Him, you can be certain what will follow...warfare. The enemy has been relentless since my husband came to Christ, and to be honest, I could really use the break. So as God was nudging me on, my heels were sinking deeper and deeper into safer ground.

There is a constant battle that resides in the heart of every follower of Christ. Am I or am I not in the will of God? It is always a frustrating dilemma for us particularly when things don’t seem so crystal clear. Truth be told, there were several solid reasons on both sides of this answer that were cause for hesitation. So I did what I often do when I know that emotions are driving my decisions rather then Godly discernment. First, I enlisted some counsel. Curiously as I asked each person what they thought God had for me the answer was invariably something like “Duh!” It would seem that my counselors are more in tune to what God has intended for my life then me.

The second thing was to enlist my secret weapon, faithful prayer warriors. Now mind you, God had repeatedly given me answers already through scripture, counselors, and coincidences and then, of course, there is the odds of someone like me even being asked to serve this group of women in such a privileged way. But I needed major convincing. My desire to serve Him with integrity of heart and purpose with the sole motivation of glorifying His name is so important to me that I don’t take these kinds of decisions likely. I feel His reputation is at stake. Not sure He really knew what He was doing to be honest.

Well one day I was leaving church and was feeling the weight of self imposed pressure to give a reply. I ran into a friend in this fellowship in whom I enlisted to a day of urgent intercession on my behalf. I can be so dramatic but I knew she wouldn’t mind and in fact she was all “over it”. I was believing God for an expeditious answer.

After service I went for a walk in the woods and sat at my favorite spot where I often meet with God. At that moment, I prayed out loud (I wasn’t even caring if anyone heard me at this point). “Lord, I am believing you for an answer before I leave here today. In fact, I believe that within 5 minutes someone is going to come down that trail with an answer. In Jesus’ name. Amen” For the next five minutes, with a mixture of trembling nerves (from the Holy fear) and an unprecedented boldness (my desperation for a response), I kept thanking Him that an answer was coming.

Within those five minutes a man came running down the trail wearing a Nike t-shirt and with big brazen letters across his chest it read “JUST DO IT!”. God has a sense of humor.

Perhaps you have been wondering if you should come out to Women’s Bible study or to become active on this blog. Maybe you just need to hear the same response God gave to me, “JUST DO IT!”

Love you guys!

Fill Her Up

The most bizarre thing happened the other night. On our way out to meet some family members for dinner we stopped at a gas station to fill our tank. What made this weird was no one could get the cap to the tank off. Not the gas attendant, not my husband, not even me (big surprise). We labored for quite a while and rather then be late for our dinner we decided to chance it and take care of this calamity the next day. We kept thinking how fortunate we were that we didn’t wait until the gauge was on E before we stopped. Notice that I said “we”, and not me. I am not nearly as careful about these details. I guess you might say I like living on the edge, at least where my gas tank is concerned. Note to those who don’t know me that well …getting gas is one of my least favorite things.

After service the following day, I was in the foyer talking to a sister in the Lord and we were commenting on how much we have missed Women’s Bible Study since we have broken for the summer. I was mentioning my longing for the love and fellowship that we enjoy during that time and I felt somewhat drained spiritually without it. We were commiserating about how we were both looking forward to starting up again.

Leave it to me to take a practical daily event in my life and find a spiritual application. These two un-seemingly related events turned exactly into one of those teachable experiences. Since starting to blog, I have a new eye on life. Where the bizarre and peculiar set backs on any given day used to cause me all manner of frustrations, I now embrace them with a fresh enthusiasm as “cool, a bloggable moment”. My broken gas cap became one of those moments.

As I thought about my quarter filled tank in my car I couldn’t help but be reminded about the very words that I had spoken that morning regarding my feeling spiritually empty. I was so glad that we found out about our gas cap situation before we were empty of gas. Wouldn’t that have been wise if I had done that spiritually rather then allow myself to go to E ? Wouldn’t it be cool if we had some kind of gauge that would tell us when we were getting low spiritually before it was too late? Then we would know right away when it was time to “fill her up”. I would lean towards a loud screaming siren then a little flashing light on my dashboard though. But that’s just me.

So I ask you today is anyone running on fumes and looking for the next gas station, I mean Women’s Bible Study.

If you are as ready as we are, why not leave a comment with your name saying “I am ready” and we will start praying for you. We are looking forward to seeing you either in class or on the blog starting next Tuesday!