My Media Fast Story

My name is Grace Brown, and this is my first time doing the media fast. I've actually been very excited for this opportunity for a very long time. "The media fast is what the high schoolers do, and I want to be like the high schoolers," I would think. But as I grew older, I forgot about it. Two months before given the chance to do it, I was constantly listening to 103.9 and 99.5 on the radio for great Christian music. Every day, all day. I could listen to my beloved Taylor Swift music, but never wanted to miss what song might come up next. Years before even that, I had given up watching TV, except maybe X-Factor from time to time.
   The day my mom went to a meeting for in coming high schoolers at church, she came back with a small slip of paper about the media fast. "Matt said you can do it this year!" she said. I didn't expect that. I'm in 8th grade, and I had already been given the chance to do a high school thing? When my mom handed me the card, I hesitated.
   In fact, I hesitated for several days. Why? I'm still not sure. I don't watch TV, and I only listened to God-focused music anyway. Books-- that was the problem. Books are one of my top favorite things. But I knew my best friend, Jael's mom would have a lot of Christian books I could borrow, especially Ted Dekker ones.
   I may not be sure why I hesitated, but I'm so glad I said yes in the end. Yes, of course it was hard at the beginning of the month, when only a couple days in it seemed as if the month would go on forever. I brought in an iPod to block out the music that was played in PE everyday, which I hated. I was the only one with my iPod, and it always threatened to slip from my pocket and become lost.
   But I carried on. Within the first week, I was lent a six-book series called the Lost Books by Ted Dekker. The books are amazing, and they definitely keep me occupied. The music is great, and I love listening to songs from Tenth Avenue North, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Third Day, Anthem Lights, Tobymac, and more. It totally keeps me feeling great, encouraging me in my times of sorrow and anger.
   I'm sure this media fast isn't as hard for me as it is for others. But still, sometimes Satan tempts me into wanting to listen to other music, read other books. I fight it, but it involves much struggle. I never realized just how much secular media there truly was in my life around me, but I'm determined to avoid it and spend the time with my Father, my Savior, my Lord.