Day 3--A Knight in Shining Armor

Here's to day three! i'm very proud of you guys!

How many times have you had bad news and didnt know what to do? Well honestly it happens ofter whether it is bad grades or it is something bigger, we are faced daily with that gut wrenching feeling that we dont know how to handle certain obstacles that stand in our path. That is not something that is fun, but time and time again this happens in the bible too...who would have thought? and you know what happens? God swoops in and saves the day. When David was a teenager, he was faced with a very big challenge, it was a giant, not figuratively but literally, he was faced head on with a giant, and while all the solders cowered David stood face to knee with this giant. Many times in our lives we feel like we are faced with a Giant, but you know what God saw His faith and God saw that He believed and you know what, God HELPED. not only did he help, but He made a little stone kill a huge giant. Before Jesus went into heaven He told us that He left a comforter for us, someone to help us, and someone that could work through us, that is the Holy Spirit, when we fast we strengthen our prayer life and our personal relationships with God, when we fast we stand strong and we face our Giants head on, but when we fast we show God our belief and our faith, just like David when we stand in that place God will come in and save the day! But we have to keep the faith. I challenge you to keep the faith, and stay strong in the fast! God is moving, God is changing things, Do you feel it?

-Hannah

Fast Day 2-Even the Wind and the Waves Obey Him

³⁵ That day when came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41

WELCOME TO DAY TWO!

So this is where the challenge really begins...Day Two...why is it hard?

because

1. most of you did not go to church today and get fed by the Word of God
2. it is monday you had to go to school and think about how you were fasting and such while others continued with their other day lives
3. it is now the week, you are tired, you don't wanna read the bible, and all you want to do is chill with your junk food and watch some tv after school

Its hard, you know what it is, it's a storm...you are starting to see the tide grow and your excitement is turning to confusion and fear, its becoming difficult to stay on the fast, because now you are falling out of the groove. Well lets look at our scripture for the day!!! Mark 4, before the part that I posted above, these people had been with Jesus all day listening to Him speak, watching Him work and move, and feeling His presence right there beside them, but then Jesus told them to go ride the waves....hmmmmmmmm...isn't that a lot like the fast at this point? This weekend we went to church we saw God move, we felt His presence, we were so excited, but then we had to go back to school, back to work, back to everyday life, and you know what, IT SUCKS!!!!! but guess what, we had to do it, we had to go back to life, you know what, so did Jesus' disciples, you see these men were fishermen, they worked in the water, after they had spent all day with Jesus in His presence, they were sent back to a familiar place, just like work or school for us, and you know what happened? a storm!!! WOAH WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?!?! and then guess what, they got fearful, they started to forget what they had done all day, who they had spent the whole day with and they saw the circumstances surrounding them, just like most of us are met at the door of school or work with Friend Drama, or Annoying Teachers, or we realize that we did not finish the homework we were supposed to over the weekend, and you know what, we loose track of what we did, what we are doing and we start to see the waves, honestly it feels just like God has fallen asleep and neglected us...but you know what, we have to wake the word, Pastor Dale has talked about this often, when problems arise in life, and we dont know what to do, and fear shows up what do we do? we wake the word. you see Jesus' disciples felt the same way, because here they were in the midst of this storm and Jesus was below deck, and He was asleep...they didn't know what was wrong with Him or why the heck He was sleeping! HOW COULD HE DO THAT?!?!?!? but you know what they did, they found Him and they woke Him up. When they woke Jesus He looked at the storm and said "Peace be Still" but then He turned around and looked at them and pretty much said "where is your faith?" God has left us a tool, it is called the bible, the bible is our manual to speak what God would say, He put His words right there so that we can speak them and He has given us the dominion and the power that He Himself has, so when problems come up what do we do? we speak the word that we know, we speak the words that He has shown us and given us, and we wake the word within us, so this is my question, I know that you are fasting and I know that things can be hard sometimes, but when the day gets hard, when fasting gets difficult and all you see is the storm and the trials to doing what you are doing let me ask you one thing? where is your faith? have you woken the word or are you just riding the waves in fear of the next move? Keep the faith stand strong! I believe in you guys and remember if you need me I am here! I love you guys

-Hannah

Fast Day 1-Stepping on Faith

Exactly a month after turning 18 God moved me to Texas, 16 hours away, but you also have to realize that I am an only child, that had not ever been away from home, not even camp at camp my mom went with me...she had never really let me out of her sight, yet that is where God called me, that was not an easy decision. Lets be really honest for a minute, My mother is a hairdresser which means that finances can be up and down depending on who comes into the shop, and my dad at that current moment was out of work, which meant for us to afford to pay for me to go to a school that provided no funding for students but it was simply on an act of faith that was not easy. I was a kid, I personally had no money, I was moving hours away from my family and yet there I was, but GOD is my provider, God moved in my life in that year in ways that I cannot even explain, God taught me so much and God taught me about stepping out on faith. Faith is something that is not easy, trust me it isnt, but it is the most amazing thing that you could ever experience.
Fasting is a step of faith, it is something that is not easy, because you no longer depend on what you are used to, For teens that may mean that boredom is no longer supplemented with things like facebook, video games, or television, instead you have to get into the word, and honestly I know that for you guys that is not something that is easy, and in your own way that is faith, but the hardest part of faith is stepping, stepping is difficult, standing is easy, don't let this fast find you finding other ways to cover your boredom, instead take your fasting time as a time to step into closeness with God. I have heard over the past few months that you guys are ready to get closer into relationship with God, this is the time. Ready or not, lets take the step. I am standing beside you, and I will hold you up if it gets hard, but I'm not standing still, i'm walking! Move with me! Step into stronger faith with God, Read your word, Worship with God and the end result will be more worth it than you can even imagine

I'm proud of you!

Hannah

Good Luck on the Fast

To My Favorite Teenagers in the World,
First of all, I am very proud of you for deciding to do the fast! Before we begin I want you to keep in mind that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not fast because it was easy, actually it was probably hard because when everyone else around was not fasting and honestly did not understand the fast they probably had a difficult time, Also when Jesus fasted He was tempted by the devil. We fast to get closer to God, but remember the Satan does not want us to become closer to God, Instead He wants our relationship with God to be very impersonal, but when you rid of something like food, facebook, video games, tv and various other things for prayer, bible reading, and worship it brings us closer to our Savior, but Satan does not want that so do not be afraid if temptation comes, when battles rage it means that you are headed in the right direction so when it happens, stand firm keep persevering and push closer to God! Also keep in mind when someone drops things they are addicted to it is challenging to not pick it up and withdraws are common, just because you see something dont let it tempt you to pick it up, most of the time things like video games, and texting and computers, and food challenge us in our every day life, we let these things run our lives, you may not see it as an addiction but most of the time it comes to just that. Refrain from distractions, let Jesus become your addiction! Last and not least, remember that in the bible with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they went through the worst trial of all right before breakthrough, you see because of their faith they did not bow down, because of their strength in their faith that came through prayer and fasting, and they stood for their faith and it got them sentenced to death, but in the process of stepping into a fiery furnace God stepped in and rescued them, things will get hot, things will get challenging, but God is still God, God Will be the knight in shining armor and HE WILL SAVE THE DAY! stay faithful and remember that I am so proud of you! I love you all so much, If you need help in any way during the fast feel free to contact me, I will be blogging every day so if you are fasting facebook bookmark this so that you can get to it if you want to, also remember that I am praying with you and for you in this! I believe that God is going to do big things!!! I am believing for every prayer to be answered! I love you guys!!!!

-Hannah