REflectiON

So I'm confused entirely. We spend a whole month encouraging and talking to each other about this past month and where its put us with God and the fast is over and no one feels the need to still be supporters? What if its awkward for some people to talk about their struggles in person.? Where are we to back each other up? Not only can we challenge each other to talk in person about our faith, but what about myspace? or facebook? or twitter? or through your email? Blog on it. Pick a verse everyday to write about on your myspace blog! compare it to a life story! I love and pray for you guys all the time!

??????

So since the Media Fast is over so do we stop blogging? I'm in Arizona and it has been wonderful reading your stories, don't quit now.!! I don't have friends to turn to, but I talk to them, but reading your stories made me think about diff. things. Guys this month was amazing but lets not avoid the "wordly influences" for a month, lets keep going on this. I know my friends that are not Christ Followers asked why I do this and they kind of stare at me very dumb-like, but it feels good to be open about my faith even when I'm being downed for it! Its hard, but its pleasing to please God.

First time for life, love, and the persuit of happiness

Okay so tonight after work I had the most AMAZING chance to speak to my friends fiancee about GOD and I DID!!! I've had plenty chances previously, but this one slapped me smack in the face.


So my friend has been going through a hard time with her fiance whom she has been with for two years! Its confusing but anywho, her "MAN" was waiting out side for her to get off and i asked him how he was doing and he hesitated, so i pushed and he finally confessed he had been a real jerk to her. So, the first thing that pops into my head is

1st Corinthians 13:4-7 " ~4~Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud~5~ or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of wrong. ~6~ It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. ~7~ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. "

My friend is like a siser to me, but when I came out with that verse I just wanted to yell in amazment that I could share God with This Friend. ! I mean never in my life have I felt obligated to tell others that God is their creator and the creator of this beautiful girl my friend is becoming. and that God allowed him to meet her. Like my life has seriously gone "topsey-turvey"" this Media Fast and i love it. God has shown Him-self to me this month and this time I'm taking him by the hand and Letting Him doing the Leading.

Will We Remember???

Yaay!!! There is only one more day of the fast!!!! It has gone by super fast and I feel like i actually got something out of it! =)
But a few days ago, I was reading through James 1, and I noticed a passage that really caught my eye. It was verses 22 through 26, here is what it said...
(22) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (23)Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror (24) and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediatly forgets what he looks like. (25) But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. (26) If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
Okay, that was a little scary for me... I mean if we consider ourselves religious but we dont keep a hold of what we say, our religion is worthless!!! WORTHLESS! I was thinking about that for the longest time.....and I realized..we(including myself) dont take our religion as serious as we should! I mean during the media fast, when we blog, we all have these deep and heartfelt blogs. But if you think about it, do we ever think this way any other time than in this month?? I mean come on, we all keep these thoughts bottled up inside ourselves, and they only come out one month in a year??? Well, maybe its just me, but Ive noticed that I dont normally talk to my friends about my relationship with God and how we can get closer to him! Sometimes, Im sad to say, I wont talk about it because I think that they'll think its a weird topic or that people dont normally talk about that. Im sure others feel this way and thats why we are never saying whats on our hearts and instead we almost ignore the topic. So my point is really that after the media fast, i usually dont do anything that i talk about in my blogs. It must make God really disappointed to see us truly living our lives for him and after the month practically shun him! I wonder..... will I remember all the things that have come from my heart this month? My true feelings for him?? I am praying so so hard that we wont forget everything that has happened this month. Im praying for each and every one of you! and I hope you will help pray for me and everyone else! I want our christianity and love for God to be true, not worthless! We made a promise to follow through with what his word says! He is keeping his promises to us.....shouldn't we keep ours?

I'm Still Praying!

Ok, so I'm in Yosemite and I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still praying for you! You guys have all done a great job over the past month with keeping us up-to-date on your experience. I know you are almost done but I would challenge you to make sure you really evaluate what you will do when it's over. Are you going back to the things that are taking you away from God... just because you "like" it? Is your relationship with God really worth it?

I believe that each of you are trying to grow up, become your own person, and have your own personal relationship with God... remember the saying, "YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS PERSONAL BUT IT'S NOT PRIVATE". Have someone help keep you accountable... stick with what you know is right... no matter how much you want to go back to your old-self!

I'll see you all Sunday! Don't forget that if you have a pictures for the video awards night, get them to me no later than Sunday Morning! Look at Contest #4 for info and ideas!

DAY 27

Well its the 27th day of the fast and we have 3 days left. This has been a really hard month for me not so much because of the fast but just the stress of life really has gotten me ,with trouble on the track and and some drama at school, but the coolest part of it is I've had influences around me (hint all the christian media). That has gotten me through the month and really changed how I see problems and struggles now I've really just got into a gods will attitude thanks to verses like Jer 29:11 specifically . have really just helped me not worry so much and just trust God it might be cliche but the way I'm looking at life now is a complete 180 from where i was just a year ago and I'm really just having faith that God will see me through struggles and its not all on me to get myself through stuff. With track I've had a lot of tension with my new coaches but through that tension I've found new skills in new events such as the 400m which i have been dropped to due to the tension and while its not the mile =( its something I'm good at and might even end up at the state meet for.

God works in mysterious ways. but he does have a plan just go with the flow !

4 MORE and still Going!!

Oh my goodness,. Aren't you guys excited! 4 more days and WE did it!! Lets kwwp GOING!!! :)

God is Good

Oh my goodness. The fast is almost over! Wow I feel like this month has gone by faster than my other two years. But I must say this year has probably been the hardest for me with movies. There are so many good movies out and it is so hard when people are watching a movie you have really wanted to see but can't watch. I have really struggled with what to do with my extra time. I never realized how much I rely on TV to take away boredom. Some amazing things that have happened over this month that wouldn't have happened without media fast:
1. I am lending my Sex God to a semi-Jewish, but completely lost
2. I am making C.D.s of a bunch of my Christian music, mainly Barlowgirl but a few others, for my friends who are "Christian", or as I like to call them, Fairweather Christians.
3. Because I cannot rely on TV to fill my time, I am spending a lot more time with my friends and in doing so, hopefully making an impact.
4. I am more often in the mood to hang out with my friends and talk than to watch a movie or TV.
5. It seems as though I am impacting my Morman O'ma through my example and my desires.
6. I have a pen pal in Spain and I get to share Christ with her through this media fast. It is so cool.
This has been probably one of the best media fasts for me. I am growing and even though sometimes it really hurts, it is so worth it. I have changed a few of my behaviors, not really by focusing on them, but by focusing on God and the other amazing things in my life. Like the rain today. Oh my goodness, we still need more rain, but oh wow how amazing. God is so good. It was so pretty!
I've been reading up on other religions and am currently reading about Islam. It is making me so grateful that we have a god who loves us and wants a relationship with us. I remember being at a point in my life where I thought of God as this high and mighty Judgemental person and I was so afraid. How lame would it be to feel like that every day? To worry every moment of every day if you were "good enough" to get to live with God. I am so thankful for His grace. I feel like I need it more than anyone and am so full of gratitude that God is able to forgive me and make me new every day. How amazing!!!!

Star Wars

So I had a half day of school today and when I got home by brother put in the movie Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope. Being that the movie is not a christian movie I spent the time of the movie in other areas of the house. I went to the kitchen to get a drink about the time that the rebels were attacking the Death Star although I could not see the screen I could think of exactly what was going on and could follow the images in my mind as the lines were said. it made me realize that I can follow line by line a movie that has no eternal value yet if someone were to put in a CD of someone reading the Bible I would be lost in no time. why is it that we get caught up in these other things and don't seem to care about god's word?

First Blog

Wow! It took me long enough to start blogging! For the past couple of weeks, I've had a lot more spare time than I usually do. I've started to read my Bible more than usual, including family devotions, which hadn't happened for a long time. I've also been reading Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot, which has been an encouragement to give up everything and follow Christ. This is beside the point, but I've also had a little bit more time to brush up on my soccer skills. And that's been really nice. It gives me more time to do my homework and study. This fast has been more challenging than I expected, mainly the lack of cable tv, going on the internet, and movies in general. But it's good to get away from it all and focus on what's really important.

Feedback

Give me some feedback regarding the Devo on Day 20 and 22! Post them on those days or on here!

9 days !!

5from the exploritorium 5
Im not sure if im happy or sad that the fast is almost over. On one hand, im glad i can listen to ALL of my music and not just some of it. But on the other hand I love how much closer to God i've come through fasting from media. He's helped me not pick up the secular book from the library that i've been waiting for forever. He's helped me not listen to stuff and challenged me to fill my time with something else. The only problem is school. (that sounds weird) but these next two weeks at DC is star testing. we have this really weird schedule on top of our 4x4 days. since i had all of my electives the first term i have to go back to all those classes even though we dont have a test in any of them. So guess what we've been doing ... BINGO!! who would've known, we are watching movies. So i've already watched edward sissorhands, some like it hot, and shrek, and tomorow we're watching something else. grr i dont think these count since i pretty much have to watch them but ya. So i kinda like mikes idea of capture the flag -- sounds fun! my fingers are super duper sore from playing guitar cause i havent played it in forever so im done typing-- almost--i have to memorize this huge witness statement (3 1/2 pages) for mock trial class and its key to the whole case so i need to go work on it especially since its tomorow!

love you all and i'll be praying!

Jess

CAPTURE THE FLAG ANYONE !

ok so with the staff taking a much needed two week vacation and us still being on the fast and all i was thinking maybe we could as a youth group get together on Thursday and do something. ok so here is what i was thinking ( while in the middle of the CST math section) the idea is similar to the Ultimate Frisbee night we had over spring break but capture the flag with glow stuff and at the same park. I was just thinking with the fast still going i cant be the only person tempted by the TV when i have nothing to do so lets make something to do and have some fun.(p.s. if some staff had freetime and wanted to come play and supervise that would be awesome=D)

(comment the post if your interested and lets find a time that works for everyone interested. perhaps the same time we would have normal youth group?)

why

this month has actually gone by pretty fast for me. i don't know why exactly, but its also been easier. i don't really miss TV and i now have a lot of time to catch up on my reading. however, i told my friend at school about the fast and he said, "So you can't do ANYTHING? You could just not do it and say you did because that sounds really dumb and boring and no one would know" so i explained to him that it was my choice to do it, and i was going to go through with it even if he thinks its dumb. haha. Even after that he still didn't get why im doing this fast. So its stuff like this where it gets hard because i actually don't want to break it, its just the explaining WHY to my friends.
We are almost done! Im praying for you all. =)

Forget the Music! I Got Jesus!

ok so tonight I had a really hard time being patient with my co-workers and our "NEW
manager. But previously I was getting impatient with my grandma, and all i could do was pray for God to give me patience and to just be passive with the slow pace of my 60 year old grandma(really she acts and looks maybe 50 lol) anywho, i got to work and one of my co-workers just walked out on us I mean in the middle of a afternoon rush!! That meant my wrapper and expedite had to go take over her job!!! I was short handed and running low on patience, when all the sudden our NEW promoted manager starts getting on to me, (and i WAS frustrated) and he wouldn't do his job, so i'm cleaning and (i work with my bro) and he started spraying water o the floor, and i started to get mad when BAM i already was mopping! All i had to do was mop 2 more seconds than normal lol. But I was so relieved when i kept my cool with all this rush of chaos. and the exciting thing was that i have been struggling with keeping a good attitude toward my parents and grandma and all it took was prayer and God to give me a bit of a push to learn to have patience with some of the people i am around Daily! I know this is irrelevant for you, but it's exciting to know that God IS here 24/7 helping me relax lol WITHOUT MEDIA!!!! (and naturally to cool down i listen to music) SORRY i forgot to write that earlier, lol. Instead of tuning to music I turned to GOD!!

10 More Days

Only ten more days! I seriously think this has been the longest month of my life. I can't believe it's not over yet. It's been the perfect month for the fast though. With extra homework near the end of the school year and soccer every day, I haven't even had time to dwell on the absense of media. It's been kind of nice actually.
I admit I've broken it a couple times. Oops. Good reasons though, I swear.
I saw Heather's post about Matt going through James next, and I'm reallyyy excited about that. James is my absolute favorite book, I think I've honestly read through it ten times just this month. Looking forward to it a lot.

New music

well actually just one guy (Manafest) hes a rapper but has quite a few songs that are like LP his songs " So beautiful " and "Impossible" are SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET !

This fast

So it's the twentieth day of the fast, and its going pretty well. Ive only succumbed to temptation a few times :( But they were mostly at concerts, which were awesome by the way. I really do not miss television at all, it's just a waste of time. I really do miss secular music. I know I do not need to listen to it, but you know how it is, there will be a song you cant stop singing and just really want to listen to it. And Im not gonna lie, that song for me has been 7 Things, by Miley... All month long.
Other than that this fast is going really well. Im busy enough to not miss much stuff. Been reading the bible more which is good, and was needed. I just hope that I dont get into coasting mode with the fast. I want to keep focusing on the purpose of the fast and seek God, not just try to not watch tv.
As far as music goes, it has mostly been Matisyahu, subseven, The Devil Wears Prada, and Attack Attack.

Contest #4

My-So-Called-Digital-30 Contest

Take 30-40 creative pictures of what the 30-day Media Fast means to you. Use a program like animoto.com or other program to make a slideshow and add music. Turn it in by April 30th!

We'll show the videos at the 30MFA Night... on May 7th!

Contest #3

Although this ended, I'm willing to extend it. Remember, if you do it, post it, and then you get extra chances to win big prizes at the 30MFA Night!

Contest 3 is doing something creative for you small group leader. Show that you love them. Take pictures or video and turn it in to Matt!

Ends on April 30! (extended)

Keep it Up

You all are doing great! If you notice someone hasn't shared their story, ask them what's up!

Take a look at today devo... it's getting intense!

Time is a funny word.

….Break my heart for what breaks yours,

as I go from nothing to, Eternity….

Hey guess what you guys, it think I get it.

Like honestly get it.

[lemme explain]

This week [being what? . . .the third week already?] anyway, its been kind of tough.

I’m at the point where I feel like I’ve seen all the Christian movies that don’t consist of talking vegetables, I’ve heard all the Christian music I like over and over again, and I’ve watched enough of the skit guys to drive someone crazy.

I was thinking, “hmm what can I do now?” And then I realized, I’m just stuffing myself with Christian media. Not necessarily a “bad” thing, but its taking valuable time that I have away from God.

{Ok well maybe its not taking but maybe I’m not choosing to spend more time with God.}

So, from day 15 on, I have challenged myself to read the bible just a little bit everyday. So far its going really well and I’m discovering more about God even with just like 10 minutes of reading. The funny thing is, I guess Matt’s reading through the book of James with us next and that’s the book that I’ve been predominately reading. It’s cool how God works like that.

[Ok also, I’m having a problem with the last contest {#4} I’ve tried animoto.com, but its making me pay if I use 15 photos or more an I don’t really want to make 2 separate slideshows. I tried using my picasa3 program, but movie maker crashes. :[ basically I’m not quite sure what to do next. Any ideas?]

~Heather Dunmoyer

Music

Man, do I miss some of my music. But I just found a cd that sounds just like Jack Johnson, who I love. The cd is Limbs and Branches by Jon Foreman. He also happens to be the lead singer of Switchfoot. I found another band called My Epic, who I can't compre to anyone cuz I've never heard anything like it. Also look up a band called Deas Veil who sound a bit like Death Cab for Cutie (8 days 'till the concert!!) Anberlin is an amazing rock group. Andy Hunter and The Benjamin Gate are kind of New Age/ Electronica. Demon Hunter is some scary screamo. Dizmas is kind of a heavy rock little bit of screamo. Grits is rap/ hip-hop. RED is a rock group I really like. This is all because I finally got a new iPod and was looking through iTunes for some christian stuff to go on it. woohoo!

Finally!!!!

Hey everybody! sorry i havent posted anything yet ! I couldnt figure out how to post anything for a while. Its been going pretty well- i been having a problem with music but i havent given in yet. i have been listening to relient k, anberlin, and barlow girl. i have also been playing guitar occaisionally. i sometimes catch myself looking at the tv but then i just turn around or leave the room. ive been grounded so i havent really done anything yet and it sucks but i will get over it. the only thing we did was go to san fransisco which was extremely fun cause we went to the exporitorium and the oldest bakery in sanfran. it was the best bread and pastrys ive ever eaten in my whole life! ive been reading a TON of frank perretti and ted dekker and my bible too. my mom also recorded all the love comes softly movies and althogh extremely hokey and corney i have been watching them. ( i wont admitt that i might secretly like them) ive also watched evan almighty and fireproof. i gots to go i need to eat lunch and then we get to go swimmmiinng!!!!!!! yay the pools finally clean. lol

Jess

p.s. anyone who got tickets to the devil wears prada concert - i hate you!! haha jk

Getting caught and running

Yeah getting caught while tping I will admit is sorta fun especially if its your youth pastor.... then going back and chilling with tp still in his tree and talknig to him. I mean come on its the cool thing to do these days. But yeah i have gotten caught a lot lately listening to non christian music especially... I was getting ready too buy tickets to see my favorite band mewithoutyou and they were playing with another band who isnt christian and I started to listen to them and i was like man this is good music and then i was all like.... DANG and it was so hard to exit out! I wanted to keep listening so badly! So finally i just left my computer and I couldn't believe how much I am taken by with music. If i hear something that I know how has true talent I get drawn so far in its hard to leave. I want to finish the song even the playlist or cd because I want to know what this artist is capable of. But why can't i apply that to my own life? that I get so drawn in of the artist that created everything around me? Or even getting drawn in by reading my bible? What is it about music that draws people in? ITS CRAZY! Also I was spending time with some close friends and they were playing video games of course and eating pizza and having a grand ole' time and of course without thinknig and being drawn in yet again I was caught. Its so crazy how much this "media" surrounds us. In one of the songs by mewithoutYou he says ""the material world seems to me like a newspaper headline-it explicitly demands your attention and it may even contain some truth and what's really going on here?"" and its so true! Because yes there is truth surrounding us but what type of truth? Whats really going on?

Caught

So have you got caught yet? Caught doing something you shouldn't have? Like TPing? Or sneaking a peak at the TV?

Keep each other accountable this week... check in on each other... and hey, if TP-ing is in your "good ideas on a Friday night" file... pick someone who won't catch you... then clean it up the next day! They'll know you love them!

Thanks guys! You made my night!

WOAH !

well we are two( almost three) days past half way =D. GOOD JOB EVERYONE !


im still reading same book and im alomst done but I'v found myself to be drawn in to the words in the book and the bible given having versus in the book helps with looking things up for myself.

anyway to the that has grabbed by the collar and stared me in the eyes .

Christians are so often seen as people that have it all together and have it all figured out.

How much better could we connect to the people around us if we were open and they knew how much of a wreck we really are ?

No one is perfect in fact far from it except Jesus . Sharing in the struggle and hardships not only in the church but also outside of the walls it hasn't been until now that I Finally really understand the whole purpose of " The FIX !"(the ministry that by helping in it got me more connected into arcade) and i love it i finally get the point its not to simply try and get people to the church. Its to show love to people that don't come to the church and get them looking over the fence at the love that is possible within the church and to keep showing them "until it hurts ." and if they come to know christ or not they experience that love and grace that we all have.


another funny thing is im writing a bunch of stuff like poems and raps that have to media fast influence .

Have to... Want to... Need to...

I was talking to a student tonight about a really tough issue. Life tends to get tough, doesn't it. So the struggle they were having was one of those ones you can't fix. Then God used my lips and twisted brain to say something that may help all of you who are really struggling. Ready?

SOMETIMES WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO, BUT YOU NEED TO DO.

I know, you don't have to be doing this fast... and I'm not talking about the money. But many of you know that you really should keep your commitment... you know it's good to do it. But you don't want to.

Take for instance obeying your parents... the Bible says you have to do it. But you don't want to. But in order to get more responsibility and gain trust from them... and to have ultimate freedom, you need to obey them.

So as you round the final corner next week... don't slack off... think of it this way: You have to finish (you made a commitment), and you may not want to (giving in to feelings is for sissy's), but you need to finish strong.

I'm praying for you... all of you! And I'm proud of you all stepping up this month!

House... the Movie

Guys I got HOUSE!!It is my new favorite movie lol.Its so exciting.You guys got to watch it!LolAn how awesome is this im sending all this to you my cell phone!!

This Is HARD!!!!!

OK! I am struggling with this. It's easty when i'm constantly with my friend Amanda cause she likes to listen to switchfoot, flyleaf, and hawk nelson, but wehn i'm with my brother he just says" who cares, no one wiill know" but the thing is I DO!!! lol I just think this is so hard. Everyone around me is watching the MEDIA!!! and I am struggling like a fish in a net. I find it even hard sometimes to tell people that i'm on the Media fast. pray.......please.

New Music!

If you like dance music like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, or Blackeyed Peas... You gotta listen to the new Group 1 Crew CD... it's actually not too bad!

New Cell Phone Blogging Feature

Just set up the blogging feature on my cell phone! Pretty cool. You can too! Just log on like you are going to post but before you click the Our Thirty new post tab, click on the cell phone symbol. It's easy. It works through your text messaging so unless you have unlimited, you may want to stick to the old fashioned way of logging onto the internet.

life is like a mud pie

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! i totally want to watch T.V. but i cant. i also have been kind of struggling with listening to music cause i like to listen to the radio but for some reason there is a lot of static so i have to listen to my cd's and that is kind of hard cause i like to listen to my disney remix cd. well enough about me i hope all of you are jus tsuper. my friend shelly says hi to all of you

akdjfhiouqwefnijadfhv

So this year's media fast music wise hasn't been all that difficult for me. Part of it is a huge thanks to friends and part is just getting really lucky at Berean. If you guys like Hip-hop/RnB, listen to the group The Washington Projects, they are really good. Another good one is the newest Mary Mary CD The Sound and The Grits newer CD Reiterate. I have a pretty awesome mix of music this year which is awesome. The two things I am struggling with the most are TV and playing games like solitare online. I have quite a bit of time on my hands after school because I get out at noon and have really nothing to do until swim practice at 6:30. That's another bummer for me. I have to stop going to the two amazing bible studies I was going to Monday and Tuesday nights because of swim. It makes it a little harder to not have the fellowship of fellow media fasters or past media fasters. I really want to watch TV and I am struggling so much with not watching it. I have been trying to redirect my time to things much better for me such as reading my Bible, hecka Christian books, actually doing my homework (Oh silly senioritis), and trying to keep my house clean. I think this is really hard too because I have so much extra time to think about things like leaving for college and while it is so exciting, there are so many logistical things that need to be taken care of. Not to mention how much I will miss my friends being so far away. It has been good though because I have realized that I am not supposed to be a doctor, so that will save me a lot of science and math classes (Woot woot!). I am really enjoying the reconnecting with some of my best friends and healing broken relationships. I love challenges, woooo! (

argh.

I've discovered the hardest part of the media fast so far. BEING SICK!!! what do you do when your home sick? Well, I watch Lord of the Rings (sick tradition), I spend hours on the computer playing games, I turn up KWOD really really loud. It was so hard not to just say screw it for a day. I think I listened to You Found Me about a million times. I even did homework, wow right? I just finished Facing the Giants. I think I might go watch the first Narnia movie. But still, this has not been an easy day. But Iv'e looked up a few Psalms. I liked Psalm 38 a lot. It is a good one. Try reading it sometime.

I Just Don't Get It...

God made us to love the simple stuff, like a flower or a sunset. But this simple stuff somehow turned into complicated stuff such as movies or videogames. And i don't know about you but i don't think God wanted us to sit around our whole life and look at a screen, i think that he made this world so beautiful so we can enjoy and explore it! God is soo awesome and amazing that he made jungles, oceans, and deserts so we won't get bored.....He gave us the power to run, jump and laugh so we can have fun! So tell me, why did the world get soo amused with technology when all we do is just sit there and watch someone else live an adventure, when we could go out there and live our own adventure??? i was just watching the sunset and i was thinking about all this, and to tell you the truth it made me kind of upset on how the people of the world would rather spend most of their time on man-made things(that we see everyday), then rather on the things that God made for us to enjoy. And i'm not going to lie i always watch tv, use the computer, and play videogames....this just made me sadder because i was one of those people that spent more time on technology then on Christ! But since we have started this fast i have noticed that if you actually look out on nature you will find things that you have never really noticed before....like the super small details on a flower or how fast the sun sets. Well this is all i wanted to say...

News

I just got an email from Air1. It's a national Christian radio station that you can find here in Sacramento at 93.3. They have heard about the fast you guys are doing and are praying for each of you. Tune in and they may give you all a "shout-out" as an encouragement! How cool is that!

Home

So I'm finally home from Costa Rica!! I am not quite sure how hard media fast will be for me at home but it was super hard on the plane and on the bus. I loved Costa Rica and sometime soon all of my pictures will be up on facebook. That is where all of our pictures must be put so our trip leader can put them all onto a DVD. So for those of you who are still doing facebook or are just checking up on us, you should look sometime this week!!! Oh God is great and so is the beautiful landscape in Costa Rica. He made some of the most beautiful stuff, it is better than any picture could ever show. Well bed time for me. Talk to y'all later! Pura Vida!!!!!!

week 2!

So, this week has been much harder for me. It was spring break for most of us and that means a lot of down time in which we can fall into temptations. I did pretty well, but it was hard to find things to do when I was with my friends. One day I was relaxing at the river with a bunch of friends and one guy was about to put on music and asked me what kind of music I like. I used this opportunity to tell him about the media fast and how this month I was avoiding all media that is not focused on God. He decided to put the music away and no one even seemed to care! 

I can't believe we are almost half way through the month though! This year is not nearly as difficult as least year but there have been a few bumps in the road. One thing I really need to work on is just spending more time with God. I have realized that this month I have gotten rid of all 'bad/negative' media and instead filled my time with God centered media. I guess that's improvement but it wouldn't hurt to just set some time aside for me and God.

Easter

two thousand and nineish years ago God came down and lived and died and now we celebrate the resurrection of that man that we call Jesus Christ and now that we can look back and say that was great we can live forever we forget what i must have been like to be a follower of Christ you would in an instant switch from the deepest depression to an emotional high that would last a lifetime why is it that we cannot bring ourselves to love God so much that we could be on that emotional high when we celebrate His life in us

making the best of the fast

Well I just arrived at Katie Cramer's house for a movie\dinner thing with around ten other high schoolers. I'm the first one here but others will start arriving in 45 minutes or so. The media fast has been shockingly easy. I'm having no trouble with it at all, unlike the first two years I did this. It's most likely because I know alot of great Christian bands that I didn't know of the years before. The only shows I really mind missing are Heroes and The Office. I AM however really looking forward to the Wolverine movie which ironically comes out May 1st. I'm going to see the midnight showing of it with some other guys doing the fast so we'll be at the movies seeing it the very first minute the fast is over. So that works out nicely. ANYWHO, I hope the fast is going great for everyone else too. Bye.

friends

so since this fast started most of my time has been spent with friends its been what keeps me accountable my friends and i can hang out and one of us may think of something to do that we can't and the others will remind them its been awesome and you guys know who you are so thanks all

Contest #2 Update

Can't wait to hear how you are all doing on Contest #2. If you don't remember what it is, click on "CONTESTS" to the right of this post and you will be able to read about it... it's actually pretty cool!

Tired

After 38 hours with no sleep... some things just don't work right. Like your brain. So last night, after youth group. I got home. No one was there. I was exhausted. I couldn't focus on anything. So I got shorts on and laid down on the couch. And without thinking, I turned on the TV to Sports Center... now I want to be clear, my brain wasn't working. The last thing I remember is turning it on and laying my head down. I woke up around 1:30, turned it off... and went to bed. Then I woke up around 11 am!

Here's what I realized... I have some habits, that when I'm most vulnerable (tired, exhausted, numb), I turn to. I better do some serious reflection and self-evaluation: What things am I turning to in order to "wind-down" and is it really benefiting my walk with God?

Untitled

I can't think of a name.... =]
So, Monday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon I went to a cabin with my family and Rachael in Truckee. The cabin isn't exactly big. And is really open. So my family almost constantly had on the TV, whether it was Indiana Jones or the game channel. And Raerae had her iTouch almost the whole time. Listening to good music. That I couldn't. It was a hard "vacation" Cuz it was that or snow. And I really dislike snow. The 24-hour thing rocked. It was really fun. I learned that at three in the morning is not a good time to make decisions about sleep. And that the answer is always sleep. While we were bowling Wednesday night, they played some decent music and a few of my favorite songs. Which was a little, I dunno confusing I guess. Cuz I couldn't avoid listening. But I was with the youth group... so I don't quite know what to make of it. Anyway, I think I'm rambling now. I'll stop. haha. So, the point. This stuff is EVERYWHERE. And ridiculously hard to avoid.

the end.

hugs

today was kinda tuff but i found comfort in knowing that gods word could help me get through the obstacles of daily life and the media. hope that you all are good and i know that god is watching over all of us.

Wow-ee!

I though this week was going to drag on soo slowly but it’s almost over! These past few days have been amazin’!

So I posted a little banner on facebook saying I was going to be doing a media fast and one of my friends from school emailed me asking what it was about. I explained it to her and she decided to join in! She’s not doing it for fund raising but just for her benefit in growing in her relationship with God. Its so cool how a little post on facebook can impact people in that way.

Things have been a bit difficult though, some of my friends from school think that the media fast is “stupid” and what’s the point of avoiding something if it’s EVERYWHERE. Anyway, I didn’t let it get to me and just explained that It was so I could focus my life more on God. I kept on thinking of that verse in James; for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. So I need to keep the faith and not let what people think get to me, it’s for God after all, not myself. [:

Ok so I’m going to go snap some pictures for the Digital 30 contest.

Au Revoir

~Heather Dunmoyer

Getting Through

Ive been doing good still. i have been reading my bible, but since im so bad at looking up chapters of the bible, ive just been randomly opening it up to random pages and reading... ive also been listening to allot  of christian music=) ive really enjoyed hosanna by hillsong united. ive been hanging out with my friend mary allot and i was surprised when we were in the car and i told her we couldn't listen to 107.9 and id put my ipod in so we could listen to ok music, and she said sure, do you have any reliant k? so i said oh i didn't think you listened to christian bands.. but ive been having a really good time without having tv and stuff take over my life. im really bad at praying cuz i get so sidetracked but lately ive been able to really just sit down and focus on what im struggling with=} so thats good! 

BY!

hope everyones doing good!

-BRIANNA!

Big Daddy Weave

The song that really touched my heart was "What LIfe would be like" by Big Daddy Weave. He wonders what life would be like if we let Jesus live through us instead of controlling our own lives. It made me think of past situations and conversations where, if I had allowed Jesus to take complete control, would have gone a whole new direction.
At times we are afraid to stand up for God because we fear to either lose our popularity with others. sometimes we want to stand up for Him but we worry because we don't know what to say or we are scared we might say the wrong things. But if we know that Christ is living in us what is there to fear? If we let Christ take complete control of our lives we can trust Him. He will lead us in the right direction! We can freely stand up for Him and speak the truth without hesitating because God will speak through us. That's what this song reminded me.

mewithoutYou

This band is exactly whats been keeping me together musically through this fast. They are so pure and authentic and they say exactly what most musicians will not say. Their words are so exact. I was listening to their song "A glass can only spill what it contains" and he said

"what new
mystery is this?
what blessed backwardness??
the Immeasurable One is held and does not resist!
struck by wicked words and foolish fists of senseless men
the Almighty One does not defend!"

And honestly after hearing that I was like WOAH!
Thats so true because the Love of God is a true mystery and its crazy how much we can try to run from him but he is held there always there.
He never turns away from us.
Yesterday I really reflected on everything that I've really messed up on and my past.
And I can totally see God everywhere even through my mistakes
That no matter how much I may hurt God or harm the life hes laid out before me
he still does not defend himself against me
hes there open arms

Seriously this band is a really good band
Their music may be really different but
theyre words have seriously changed a lot about the way I think

And hey I think thats what it takes to have a different look on things or sound on things
to actually to see something totally new.
I wish I could go on more about this guys lyrics but I would never stop.

Tough Decision

So last night... Monday. I had to make a decision. I got invited to the house of a group of men that I've been trying to build a relationship through basketball. They invited me over to their house on Monday to watch the game. Before I had a chance to think about it, I said, sure! My wife is gone. I could do that.

So I show up and there they are... sitting around a table to play cards and eat pizza and watch the game. I had been praying about how I should tell them that I'm on a Media fast when one of them says, "hey, since you're the new guy, you have the seat with your back to the game." Wow! talk about an opportunity. So I told them that actually that works out since I am doing a Media Fast with a group of High School students.

I can go into more detail but actually, what was amazing was the conversation about family, religion, and taking a stand for things. And they respected me for it... turned down the sound... and we enjoyed hanging out, laughing, all the while they watched the game and I did everything I could not to look back... I did take a glance (I admit) but they said "hey, no looking at media." It was really good... and they said they had a lot of respect for all of you... Good Job everyone!

And now, you know I'm human too... but don't tell anyone. It's like revealing that Clark is actually Superman.

Spring Break!!!

Hey everybody!!! i don't know about you but for me it has gotten a tad bit harder:/ but im still on track.........actually everybody in the cabin is watching a movie down stairs so thats the only reason i got on the computer..it sucks though because you can hear pretty much every word through the walls and its slumdog millioniare, my favorite movie!!!!!!!!!!!!! i actually heard some girls talking up stairs so im going to see what they are up too....hope to see you guys all tomarrow and the 24 hour thing!

:)

A.R.K.

this week has been pretty easy for me. so i've been with merritt since sunday morning, except for 2 hours in the evening yesterday. haha. so it made it a lot better. we have just done simple things like play cards and we went shopping and just spent a lot of time together actually talking without the media influencing us. Today, i was at merritt's and tim and smiley came over and we watched evan almighty and then played cards for a long time. It was just really nice to talk to eachother. but watching evan almighty made me think about the last time i had done an Act of Random Kindness, and it made me realize how caught up we get with ourselvs and don't think about others. so my goal is to carry out the acts of random kindness, not just this month, but continue when we have finished the fast. im praying for you all. :)

relief at last

thanks for all of your prayers this morning my aunt learned that she had a benign tumor and that it wont have any side affects and that she only has to go for check ups. i have felt that your prayers have helped a lot. thankd for taking an interest in my aunt. see you all tomorrow night at the spring break

Hardest Day Yet

so today is the first day that i might not see friends its been weird though cause i find myself just working I've been digging out a spot to pour some concrete in. the thing is i would never do this normally, i would be watching TV or on Facebook or something like that. its been nice i feel like i'm being productive and relaxing at the same time

Life !

So on day seven the fast is going well with its struggles here and there. I was reading i my book "The irresistible revolution" and i came across a quote that really caught my attention , in school lately we have been covering the cold war and its economic system and all that jazz. The book has an interesting point to what ive been being taught in school as well as what im starting to see for myself i says " When we truly discover love,capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary." and it may be controversial even today but Christ and the disciples while they traveled depended on that kind of love they went into the villages without travel plans or (expedia.com )but instead the love of others within the early church.CAN YOU IMAGINE how intense it would be to be able to turn to the people in the church for ANY and EVERY problem you had? How many more people would come know Christ and come to church just by witnessing the love we had for one another not just as people at the church but as PEOPLE in general ?

Firt Late Post!!!

Yay! So I’ve finally stopped putting off this whole blogging thing and got into blog mode. So I’ve been reading these devotionals and I especially liked day five’s.
I went to Monday night bible study at metro and it was on almost the exact same thing. The speaker based most of his sermon around 1 peter 4 and it was about how many things hold us back from living our lives fully committed to following Christ. One of the things that hold us back was what our friends might think or say to us. The main message was that we must love God and love following him more than we love our reputation and being thought of as cool.
It was a very good message and I think it is relevant to all of us. We have all had times when we know that what we should do and the cool thing that we want to do are very different things. We must trust God enough to do the right thing, even if it causes suffering here on earth. 1 peter 3 says it is better to suffer for doing good than doing evil.
Hope everyone’s fast is going well. How was ultimate Frisbee?

Mighty To Save

Everyone needs compassion,
A love thats never failing,
Let mercy fall on me,
Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a savior,
The hope of nations,

"Savior He can move the mountains,
My God is MIGHTY to Save,
He is MIGHTY to save,
Forever author of salvation,
He roase and conqured the grave,
Jesus conquered the Grave,"

So take me as you find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything i believe in

Now i surrender

" Savior He can move the mountains,
My God is MIGHY to save,
He is MIGHTY to save.
Forever author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conqured the grave,"

"Savior He can move the mountains,
M God is MIGHTY to save
He is MIGHTY to save,
Forever author of salvation,
He rose and conqured the grave,
Jesus conqured the grave,"

Jesus shine your light and let the whole world see,
Were singing for the glory of the risen king,

Wow! This song Hit Me at praise team pracice, i know this sounds dumb but it made me feel Alive for God! It was an awesome feeling. Pray for me tho, I'm sill struggling....

Spring Break!

okay so i've been trying to figure out how to blog this whole week and i finally figured it out!!! =D

So yaaaaay its spring break!!!!! But what am i supposed to do??? That was the first thing that I thought of when spring break started! But you know, there are plenty of things that I could do that aren't secular! Like on saturday a bunch of us hungout at chloe's and watched some movies! That was so much fun! And on sunday some of us went to merritt's house and went swimming!!! That was a lot of fun too! So throughout the media fast I'm going to try and hangout with my friends more often! Like there is a park really close to my house and I like to hangout there a lot! ................My dad told me something that I thought was pretty cool, he said that during the fast, I shouldn't just replace all of the media that I watch into more media! Whether it's christian or not! My dad said that the purpose of this fast is not to replace everthing with christian media. But to kind of put aside most of the time i spend on media, and fill it with spending time with God! I thought that was pretty cool! Of course we can still spend our time watching and listening to christian media, but I think that God would be much more pleased with us if we spent time with him! This has kind of been a struggle for me but I'm guessing it'll get quite a bit harder towards the half-way point! But all I ask of you guys is to pray for me to read my bible and actually follow through with what my dad said! I'm not a big fan of reading so reading the bible doesn't sound too great! Alright, so that's about all that I have to say right now. So if you all would please pray for me i'd really appreciate it! I'm praying for you all and I hope you guys trust God and your friends and family to keep you accountable!
~Emm N' Emm

why do we do this

when i first started this venture two years ago my goal was to make it thirty days without secular media so that i could get all the possible money from my sponsors. last year about halfway through the fast i realized that there was more that i could do to make the fast worthwhile but i just did the same thing. this ear i committed myself to study scripture in the spare time that i do have as a result of not participating in the whole media thing. its been great I've not been nearly as tired its kind of odd that God woke me up because i read His word.

New Music!

Hey... just a thought. If you are looking for some new music with a message of encouragement to what you might be dealing with during the fast, check out the lyrics of the Newsboys new song "In the Hands of God". If you need some more upbeat and cool sounding music, check out Robert Randoph and the Family Band's new album "Color Blind". Group 1 Crew came out with a new album a couple months back. And David Crowder is always a good choice. Also... if you like that "hypnotic" sound, check out Plumb. They're an older band but pretty good!

Any other bands or music out there that you like? Let us know. Comment on this post!

Focus

For me, the first week of the media fast wasn't very difficult. A lot has been going on with my cousin getting married and relatives coming over. there hasn't been much time for the media. Music is also not so difficult. i am always listening to air one or the fish. what has been chalenging though was to take time out of the day to sit down and focus on God. I picked up the Bible countless amount of times and read a couple of verses, but my mind just cant stay focused.

too much thinking.

I'm just going to be totally honest when I say that I'm struggling. I'm keeping the fast but emotionally its been draining. My goal for this month has been to formulate as many of my thoughts on God as I can and I've been hitting a couple walls. There is sooo much grey area to the Christian faith! So many denominations and beliefs that one must choose between. Are tongues for today? How involved can women be in the church? How much wine is too much wine? How do I know that what I've always been taught is true? It's virtually impossible to completely prove anything in the area of faith. No one believes anything without a basis for that belief. So theological discussions always end up turning into an argument based on intellect, and the smartest man wins. How can we know that what we've put our faith in is legit?
So this is kinda what I've been dealing with. Too much time for thinking I guess, rather than mindlessly absorbing the TV for hours. But I really just want to know how to figure this stuff out!

Contest #2

ARK Contest.

This one could be fun! You get to "build an ARK!". Here's how you do it. You have until Saturday night finish it.

• Get a group of your friends (they don't have to be doing the fast).
  
• Rent and watch "Evan Almighty".
  
• Then, as a group, perform an Act of Random Kindness.
  
• Be creative.
  

The best stories will win free stuff!

How Did Your First Week Go?

I would love to hear how your first full week went with the Media Fast. I know... it's Monday. But I want you to be thinking about it and share it by Wednesday. It would be cool if we could share some of your thoughts at Collide on Thursday Night.

And remember, we need you and your friends to come to the 24-Hour Spring Break event this Wednesday and Thursday... get signed up today!

Folgers in a cup

Yeah so I woke up this morning after having an awesome time yet again at Sams. I really wanted to turn on T.V and watch Regis and Kelly. Its so hard to not turn it on! But lately I won't lie I'm not able to commit to just sit down and read my bible. Or I'll try and sit and think and pray but my mind wanders. I start thinking well I wonder what Sam is doing... or man Matt's head really is like Mr. Clean's... But I've realized for me I relate so well with words through songs. As I'm listening to this awesome singer JJ Heller she says.. " when my world is shaking Heaven stands, When My world is breaking I never leave your hands...." And thats so true. When everything sorta seems not to be working just right or when I'm not even focused on God I never leave his hands...

Amazing

I have really been encouraged by reading each of your blogs! It's been really amazing seeing how each of you are "working out" the issues of the fast. So now, for some of you, Spring Break begins. What will your days look like? What are you doing during the day time? What are you reading? What Scripture has caught your attention and challenged you? What are your friends thinking?

Find some time away from the noise and get your Bible out and read through a passage. Spend some time praying for each other... and your families. And keep sharing your stories. I'm praying for you all!

Stuggle

So I've never "blogged" before lol. But ill give it a shot!

So I realized tonight while i was talking to my dad how much of a struggle this media fast is for me. It's not the part where I'm supposed to stay away from media and center my attention on God, but the accountability. I read that you guys had little get togethers to watch God centered movies and to do certain things to help focus more on God, and I am struggling right now because I don't really have acountability. I don't have christian friends that will be there to back me. I am really trying tho. ====

Week 1

These past few days of the media fast have actually gone really well! Today a few from the youth group came over and I thought it was really cool to actually have a real conversation with out all the media bombarding us. We were able to play spoons and go swimming and just enjoy each other's company. I am still praying for everyone and I hope everything is going well for all of you!

Question

wow, I'm reading your guys' stories and you totally put me to shame. I am trying to do this fast with you guys and I'm not doing very well! On Friday Dave and I went to some friends for dinner and we walked in and sat on their couch and Jeopardy was on. I totally started getting into the game trying to answer questions (or give answers questions) and then I realized...dude, I'm on a media fast! So confession, I blew it just 2 days into it! It makes me question how strong my commitment to doing this to honor God actually is. Am I doing it for God, or just because I'm a leader and it's a good thing to do, or what? I challenge you to really consider why you're doing this. The #1 reason is because God is worthy...is that your #1 reason? Let's keep writing on here and encouraging each other to keep our commitment...and when we mess up just know that God loves you anyway and try again.

week one

OK so week one has been good, its weird for me as a christian school kid that has done the fast twice, to think that its so hard for people to do this whole fast thing. But as I read the stories of all of the others I realize that they have it alot harder than I do. I mean shoot you guys are all surrounded by people at school and teachers in class that are playing/listening to secular media. I must commend all of you for your strength and courage to withstand the temptation to just try to ignore it and take a stand and ask the person to stop listening to their music out loud. The greatest thing about this whole thing is that even though we've only been doing it for 5 days now I know that I have seen my friends for all five of those days its been time that we can spend bonding and growing in our relationships while we grow in Christ

Costa Rica

So I haven't yet written yet because I left for Costa Rica yesterday and in fact I am sitting in the computer lab thing at our hotel, yay for free internet haha. This keyboard is very strange because it was made for Español but whatever. So the fast, well the first day wasn't all that bad because I was just so busy preparing for my trip and my birthday and such, but my birthday was really hard. I woke up to one of my best friends, much earlier than I needed to I might add, baring balloons and such. I has a lot of extra time alone and I was like you know no one would know if I just listened to what I wanted to listen to. But I listened to the voice of reason in my head and made some CDs, awesome Christian ones that I am willing to make copies of :), and listened to them all day. It was awesome!!! The plane ride here was a little bit hard as well. They were playing a movie our second leg of the flight and I was much to awake to fall back asleep. Luckily I had some great books to read which helped so much. All of the music I have heard here has been in Spanish so I can't understand half of what they are saying, I figure I'm good lol. So I'm off to prepare for dinner and hopefully get some sleep tonight. We are doing a nature walk and hiking up a volcano, its 8100 meters above sea level!!!! Peace, talk to ya'll later!

first week

so ya im a little late. but my first week has been really hard. im still using myspace because i pretty much only use it for communication. but what ive really been struggling with is tv.. ive been babysitting my nephew and he loves all his shows like yo gabba gabba, and handy manny and stuff but i didnt feel like that was focused on God at all. so i think ive watched veggie tales about 6 times in the past few days. and i decided to read to my nephew from a little kids bible and he actually really liked it and so did i, cuz its so much easier to undrstand the message in the story when theres pictures! but its also been kind of easy because i can hang out with my parents and just talk with them=) and i don't remember where i read it but i remember someone saying to distract yourself by creating things with your hands or something along those lines, so i took up like 3 hours by drawing easter pictures. wow im rabbit trailing so imma go.

BY! i hope every ones been doing good on their fast!

-BRIANNA!

Need Yours Prayers ( Cancer)

hey everyone . I just recieved nws that my aunt moye might hae liver cancer so i just really ask fo all of your prayer right now that it wont spread and that it' s not really bad. i am also going into honors english next year and there are some strong subjects in the books that they want me t read that i dont fel comfortable with and know arent god related and just ask that you pray for me to hav guidance from god and to do what is right. thanks and hpe to see you all at the spring break thing and hope you are doing well with being tempted during the media fast.

Contest #1 Ends tonight!

Make sure you have posted your story. Refer to your green-colored card you got in your packet for more details on Contest #1. Not only are you given a chance to win a free CD and/or movie (God-centered by the way), but everyone who posts their story of how this commitment is impacting their friends will recieve an extra "raffle" entry to win "The Experience!"... more details to come soon!

Need Thoughts?

Why not spend some time with Jesus tomorrow? Read (or subscribe) to OurThirtyDevos and read through Day 4... it may be one of the best challenges yet.

so far, so good.

Well this fast has started out pretty darn slow for me. The hardest thing so far has been avoiding myspace. I've found myself reading in my free time, and I never can stick to one book at a time. One really good book that I've been re-reading is Blue Like Jazz, I highly recommend it. And I've been getting into the Bible and praying some more. I also recommend that, its very relaxing and peaceful.
I hope everyone else is doing well! Try not to forget the purpose of all of this. Its not as much to avoid media as it is to refocus our lives on God. Wow that sounded really cliche. But seriously. Good luck guys!

Catch!

Sorry, I’ve been meaning to blog for awhile now but school was tying me down. I think it was the official kill-your-students-with-homework-week at my school . . . Anyway.

So these three days have gone really well. I’m spending a lot more time with my brother (David) and he’s helping me pick up my long forgotten guitar chords. So that’s really cool.

The thing that’s been the hardest for me so far is music, but I’m “defeating the temptation” pretty easily.

Ok so, I was reading through the book of James on Wednesday night and a verse really grabbed my attention: James 1: 5-8, 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Wow, powerful stuff. James is that really grounded guy that gets straight to the point and I think this verse explains what someone is like if they can’t defeat the temptation, it really makes me re-think what I’m doing.

Well I’m going to go play USC monopoly and rat slap with my parents. :]

Good luck you guys.

~Heather Dunmoyer

Parents & Families

Comment to this post and let me know if your family or parent or sponsor is participating in the fast with you

Keep the stories coming of how the fast is making an impact on your friends... Contest #1 ends tomorrow at midnight!

Birthmark

So last night, one of the girls in our youth group came up to me and said, "I thought I was a Christian, but I wasn't but now I'm sure! I just accepted Christ into my heart!" I was so excited for her. The look of relief and joy in her eyes was amazing. It got me to thinking, when was the last time we were really excited about a relationship... actually, when was the last time we were excited about our relationship with Jesus? I'm not saying that we aren't... just wondering if we've thought about that?

Tomorrow's devotional (Day 4) may give us some perspective on this... and maybe rekindle something in us about our relationships... check it out on the OurThirtyDevos tab above

Day 3

OK so we're three days into the fast ,I'm actually having an a lot easier time this year I've been reading "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne and listening to Air 1 and the 3 or 4 christian music CDs ive gotten over the last year along with Matisyahu. 27 days to go and ive realized the impact a simple greeting can have on someone im making it a habbit to say hello to people on the street and kids in the hallways at school and wishing the clerk at the gas station and people at subway a good day .

so far...

What I am missing the most is Myspace. I find it pretty sad how much time I usually spend on there! The music part of the media fast is not too hard, I have just been listening to air one a lot. And I never was a big fan of t.v. or movies. Another thing that i was tested with today was my friend came over and immediately turned on 107.9. But as soon as I told her about the media fast, she was happy to turn on air one instead. I also recently dug my old Switchfoot and Toby Mac cd's out of my closet. So I have been listening to those a lot too! 

Something I get out of the media fast every year is that i spend a lot more time with my family. Last night, my parents and I went to American River college and I got a quick driving lesson! It was nice to get out for an evening and just spend some quality time with them. I hope the Media Fast is going well with others too! I'll keep you all in my prayers.

New Thoughts

Those of you who came tonight, I hope you had fun. I mean, who doesn't like cereal? We had all the guys meet tonight and many of them had some really good thoughts and ideas for the Media Fast. One of our leaders, Scott, focused on praying when tempted. Many of them seemed to really enjoy hanging out together and encouraging each other. Chloe is hosting a movie party at her house where they are going to watch God-centered movies together.

Here's the thought I had... maybe the key to surviving a fast begins with our relationship with God. Spending time with Him (that's what the OurThirtyDevos are for). But an addition to that is our relationships with each other. Praying together. Hanging out together. Being together... focusing on God... hmmm... sounds kind of like youth group and church.

So what do you think? What are some of your ideas?

Help!

hey everyone! since the media fast has started Ihave been spending more quality time with the lord and have actually grown much stronger in my journey and relationship with the heavenly father. Iknow that after all this is done i will have grown in my faith and in the relationships all around me. I will be praying for you all to do well and i just ask that you pray for me too. I am also grateful for your stories.

Week #1 Contest

April 1-4: Share your story (on ourthirty.com) of how your fast is impacting you and/or your friendships. Make sure you share your feelings, thoughts, struggles, and triumphs. Also, remember to use your first name and last initial in the "Labels for this post:" box just above the "Publish Post" button. All who enter will be placed in a drawing for the new "The Fray" or "4th Avenue Jones" CD at Collide on April 9th... so share already!

OurThirty Devotionals

Sign up to recieve the OurThirty devotionals by clicking on "OurThirtyDevos" tab above... then subscribe

If you don't see your name...

It's because you haven't posted anything yet. Go ahead and follow the directions in "How to share your journey" and then, when you write your new post, make sure you put your first name and last initial in the section "Labels for this post:" before you select "Publish Post".

It Begins

So today is the first day of the 30-Day Secular Media Fast. I can't wait to hear how each of you are doing after the first couple of days. It's always interesting how slow and difficult it is the first week and then by the end of the month, you can't believe how fast the time went. Each year there are those who regret not taking the fast more seriously. Most of those who have done this find it easier to do when their family and friends are participating with them. This year, we have added a devotional sight. If you look above, you see "OurThirtyDevos"... if you click on that, you will be sent to the page with devotional content on it. If you subscribe, you will recieve daily devotionals and thought and experiences that you can share with friends, family, and refocus your attention on God. I look forward to hearing from each of you that are particpating.. be watching your email for info on this week's first contest for a free "The Fray" CD!

How to share your journey

So if you are participating in the Media Fast and you would like to share your journey, there are a few things you need to know:

1) Keep people up to date weekly, at the very least. The more you write, the more they can follow you and pray for you

2) You will need to have a "g-mail" account. I will make you a "contributer" and then you will recieve an email to log on. Follow the instructions by entering your Gmail account info (Gmail address and password). Once you are logged in, Blogger will come up.

3) On Blogger, you will see "Our Thirty Blog". Click on "New Post". Give your message a Title and begin writing.

4) Try to keep from rabbit trails. You want people to read what you are writing, so be honest and direct.

5) On the bottom of the box you write in, you will see in small print "Labels for this post"... put only your FIRST NAME AND LAST INITIAL in that box. This is VERY IMPORTANT! This is so all your posts will be listed under your name. I put my full name on it but I ask you not to... for your own safety.

6) Then click "Publish Post". If you want to edit it, you can go back and fix it. That's it!

I can't wait to hear your stories, if you need help, call me and I can walk you through it... I'm praying for you! Are you ready?

Welcome

So the fast hasn't started yet but the preparation for this year's Media Fast is long under way! A new look! A new year! And some new challenges.

Here's some things to look forward to during this year's Fast:

• Weekly devotional challenges and updates
  
• Weekly competitions
• Weekly polls
• A comment and encouragement contest
• Further study and research challenges
• And much more!

So follow this blog and watch for more upcoming updates. If you would like to participate, sign-up today by clicking on the subscribe button at the top right.