a million times

is it just me, or are the final days of fasting the most difficult? the temptation is so much greater--like, we're hecka close to the end, would it really be so bad if i checked out seventeen magazine super quick? or whatever. it's so hard! i think the most difficult part is to remember to put effort into these last couple of days. it would be a million times easier just to coast through until the end, without intentionally setting aside more time just for God and i. but that would be a totally uncool thing to do. God deserves that time and so much more. i want for this fast to be pleasing to Him. but dang, i'm struggling so much right now! that to say...i need a lot of prayer to make these last days the best ones yet.

p.s.: i loved this francis chan vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ; pretty funny & convicting.

we're so close, guys! 2 more days, it's worth it. 1 corinth. 10:13

Last Week Rush

So it's the last week... what next? Are you going to make changes in your life to keep connecting with God? Or are you planning on going back to the same routine as before the fast? Make a commitment this week to make sure you always find time with God. Post here what you plan on doing at the end of the fast...

well, that was a pretty busy weekend. on saturday i went to a worship conference at william jessup with dave, jess, keisha, and allie. i had to get up early though... then today with spencer leadin worship in high school (i love that guy) and seein jason again :D theeen i went bikin around to a bunch of places that im applyin at, and it started rainin. walkin in to the movie theatre (to apply, of course) soaking wet, not the best way to impress the boss.. but its all good!

ive been goin through the book of daniel, and all he has to say about the end of the world and armageddon and other delightful things. its fascinating to read about whats gonna happen at the end of the world and how everything unfolds. hopefully ill be watching from heaven though :P

well i gotta go mow lawns!!

Halfway

Phew! halfway already?! these couple weeks have been really good, i was skimming through my bible the other day and found a passage in Isaiah 58 about true fasting. i read it outloud in our small group and it was really good :)

Not of This World

Day 14 already?!?!? This month has definitely gone by a lot faster than last year. We're almost halfway there guys keep it up! I'll be praying for you all!

Anyway, I've been reflecting on the past two weeks, and I've come to realize that I make myself feel "deprived" of the secular media that I'm not able to take part in. I feel as if I'm not "in the loop" anymore and that I'm getting left out because I'm unable to keep up to date with news and events that other people can easily just look up on Facebook, the Internet, apps, etc. But I thought about it more, I came to the conclusion that I'm not of this world! I was spending so much of my time and energy wallowing in self pity that I was unable to stay informed like all of my friends at school and most everyone around me. I didn't know the new movies coming out, the latest results in March Madness, and so on. But the bible tells us that we shouldn't store our treasures here on Earth. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) That was my 'Aha!' moment for the fast so far. I remembered those verses and thought it was an ideal facepalm moment for myself. I realized that I shouldn't be so concerned with these earthly things because I know I'll have it sooooo much better off in heaven. Yes, they help us stay connected and in the know, but will we need them in heaven? Nah. There are so many things that distract us in this day and age that we sometimes forget that we spend eternity with our Father, they won't be available to us anymore (although the thought of a Facebook for people in heaven is a pretty entertaining thought). That makes me even more thankful for the fast because it's a reminder of what we won't be having, because we'll be having a blast in heaven! So good luck everyone!

-Btw I'm looking forward to Saturday because I'll be having a movie day with two friends from school and Logan and we'll be watching Soul Surfer and some other Media Fast approved movie. It was really cool of my friends to be understanding of what I'm doing and still be willing to come over and have a relaxing afternoon. Yay for sharing about the fast opportunities!

No thanks, I'm just looking.

That is typically the response we give to all those pesky salesman in the department stores. They don't ever seem to leave you alone, do they? I mean, we just want to look around at all the stuff we want, with absolutely no intention of purchasing a single item.

I think that's what I've been doing in this fast, regrettably. I just go by every day, reminding myself of the media that I CAN'T have (things we can't buy) and don't listen to my friends/youth leaders (salesclerks) who are there to remind me of things that I CAN have and do. I accepted the fact that I can't have secular media (purchase an item) but don't really focus on replacing it with stuff such as: reading the Bible, praying, journaling, etc. I don't know about you, but whenever I'm reminded of that, I just kind of brush it off.

"Yeah yeah, I can read the Bible and pray but lets get real--I want TV." I have no intention of "buying anything."

It may have to do with the fact that I've been ridiculously busy with school, pit orchestra, and more. But nevertheless, I should not be making excuses.

This years fast hasn't been a complete failure, however. We're only halfway through! I did find a little extra time to write a story based on Jeremiah 29:11 which says: "For I know that plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

This verse is always very encouraging to me. Even though we may feel like we're just going through the motions, know that God has a plan for you and will always be there. He isn't going to settle for: "I'm just looking."

Praying for you all and I hope this fast is going amazing for everyone! :)

-Maggie

halfway done

its been a pretty great month so far! I forgot to bring my ipod to gym one day so i was stuck singing david crowder songs to myself the whole time i was there -__- haha but other than that its goin swell!

I like my chai tea lattés hot...

so you know that verse in Revelation that's like: "'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! so, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth'"?

i don't get it. i mean, i know what it's saying--like, don't be wishy-washy or only worship God when it's most convenient; basically, if you're going for it, go all in and drop everything you have to follow Christ--but how is that supposed to look? like how am i supposed to go from "lukewarm" to "hot"? how are you supposed to get to the point where it's obvious that you're on fire for God? i know the "Christian-ese" answers to this stuff...but i'm looking for something deeper.

on the other hand, it's getting easier to abstain from secular media the longer that we fast. it's awesome. like, genuinely cool.

a lot of the extra time i've had has been spent trying to apply what i'm learning to my life. like there's this book called "do hard things"...it is literally one of my favorite books. it talks about how society has some super low expectations of teens today. like, we always hear those generalized comments about how "this generation is going down the tube" or whatever. but if we're trusting God to work in us & that He will guide us when we're doing hard things for the glory of God, we shatter those expectations. like, we can seriously have a revival for Christ. do you know how cool that would be? even in small things--like i tried out for sports-a-rama yesterday at school (WAY out of my comfort zone) and made it. i was praying that whooole time (even if it may seem like no big deal to someone else). when you're doing hard things, you realize that you need to depend on God--for reals, you honestly can't do it on your own. it was cool to live that out.

i'm praying for you all!

anyways. ...excuse my ramblings... haha. there's been a lot on my mind.

p.s.: thanks a lot, ALLIE, for getting me hooked on gungor. sheesh! they're sooo good!

Rock and Worship Roadshow

I have been listening to 103.9 a lot lately, and I realized I know the words to almost every song, and I catch myself singing these songs during school and things instead of the songs from the other stations.

By listsening to this radio station a lot, I heard an ad for the Rock and Worship Roadshow hence the title) and realized this would be really fun to go to. It is a group of about 5 Christian bands getting together at Power Balance Pavillion, and for only $10, you get to have a night of music. I thought this might be kind of fun to go to, and that I should spread the word. If anybody wants to go, we could all carpool or something.

Are you a human or a zombie?

Media Fast is just as hard for adults as it is for high schoolers. I have successfully navigated away from TV and secular music, but have not been incredibly successful at seeking God during this time of fasting (unless sleeping a lot counts... which it doesn't). It's not just about cracking open our bibles or thanking God every time we see a flower or something, but seeking God is a matter of the heart. I read an interesting blog yesterday (for those of you ready to pounce, it was a Christian blog). The author was discussing Christian music versus secular music. He said, "It’s the soul of music, whether that soul is good or evil is not the point, simply that it is the soul. So when you remove the soul from music and transplant the body parts (chord changes, instrumentation, dress, lights, and everything but the soul…) and parade it around with some more “positive” lyrics posing as Christian music, then what you have is a musical zombie." I think this zombie metaphor translates far beyond music. I don't want to be a zombie. I want to be a human (as sinful and screwed up as I am) -- a human that is seeking after God. When I read the bible this week I am going to do more than just decode the words on the page, I am going to compare those words to those written on my heart. When I am thankful for God's creation I am going to tell him why and when I sing songs to Him and for Him, I am going to sing from the heart. Or at least I will try to "press on towards the goal." Phil. 3:12-14

Do What You Will... or Don't

The world is constantly trying to pull you and I away from what we say we believe. It's not the world's fault... it's mankind and sin... but it is pulling none-the-less. So what can we do? We need to get back on track. The media is massively influential in convincing us whether certain things are true or not true. Issues that we don't think are a big deal any more... philosophies that steer us away from who God is... creativity is skewed to nothing more than robot-like behavior... all of these are extremely dangerous if not addressed. One part of us will say, "I can do what I want to do"... and that's true. But do we really believe that? John Lennon, quoting a man (a man that is said to be the most evil man to have ever lived) that he and the Beatles idolized said, The whole Beatle idea was to do what you want, right?  To take your own responsibility, do what you want and try not to harm other people, right?  DO WHAT THOU WILST, as long as it doesn't hurt somebody. . ." That sounds good... but that's the opposite of what the Bible teaches. In fact, that phrase "Do what you will" was distributed through the media in an effort to destroy Christianity and the American family in the early 1900's. And yet, still today, we are drawn away by a simple, "innocent" phrase by someone, and then we are suckered into turning that into a belief.


Do you really believe that? If you do, than you don't believe in the Bible and you put more faith in the Beatles than in Jesus. Ask around... do people you know listen to the Beatles or read their Bible more? It's my belief that what the Bible says is undeniably more important than "who is the walrus?" 


So it takes courage to say, "I am stepping away from 'not-Gospel-focused' media and putting my attention on 'Gospel-focused' media." This week, share on this blog what you are doing instead of 'not-Gospel-focused' media.

day five!

day five already! honestly, its not that hard right now, i got a lot of time to catch up on homework. but i miss wcar and tdwp -__- haha but im lovin david crowders new album!

Courage

Pastor Craig was talking today about courage and that the next generation of Christians... Those who are teenagers now and soon to be teenagers are going to need courage. The world is going to try to get you to veer away from the Gospel. Satan is going to try to move the young Christian slowly away from what the Gospel is...

This month... you are showing courage. You are stepping away from those things that are intending to slowly move you away from the Gospel. You are avoiding things that, while they may not be "sinful", they are not Gospel-focused... they are not Godly.

I am so proud to be associated with a group of teenagers who are displaying courage! Stay strong. Pray often. Gospel-focused.


Pastor Matt

The month has come!

here we go, another month away from secular media! I hope God works in all of our lives in great ways, and we can focus on what's really important. Good luck everyone

The media fast is a bit harder this year for me then the last. There are more things now that are here to distract me such as my Ipod, new TV, and News. I'm doing okay for now, but I am constantly surrounded by media which makes it a bit harder. So, I got an interesting story... I was trying to get a hold of my sponsors and let them know that I was thankful and tell them how I was doing so far. Well, on my first call, I thought that the person was a female, turns out they are male! So when the wife picked up the phone, she was so horrified by my mistake that she hung up on me. They haven't been picking up the phone since... I feel terrible because the lady thought I was calling her husband Mrs. on purpose. Otherwise, my other sponsor had an obvious name and the conversation went very well. Wishing you all better luck then I am having(:

Media Fast 2012 Day 3

Day 3 already! This is my first time doing the fast, and honestly, it is not so bad... (yet). I know this will get harder as the month goes by, but at the same time I am very excited for what will be coming. I hope everyone is doing well. Good Luck!

First Weekend

Well here we go! Coming into my second year of the fast, I thought it would be easier this second time around. With the challenges of junior year and balancing other activities, I don't really watch tv or have time to go on the computer. What I did realize when the fast started was that my biggest challenge this year would be music. Most of time I'm doing hw or and errands, I usually have my headphones on and am listening to my iPod. But it'll be a good cleansing for me for the next few weeks :) I did go to an AMAZING concert last night though at Capital! It's usually around this time of year so I think the youth group should go next year! It's a bunch of high school christian choirs who are very talented and sing worship songs, which is very uplifting. It's a good way to start off the fast in my opinion :) anyways, good luck everyone!

Starting Over

Well its my second year media-fasting and its going pretty well so far. I'm excited for this month but I know its going to be kind of hard too. I had a great start yesterday with my sister when we went to a christian high school choir concert last night at Capital Christian and it was AMAZING. Soo glad I went- just a bunch of choirs from christian high schools singing music for God: what more could a media-faster ask for??

The Beginning

hello! WOW! this is going to be way harder than i thought, and its only day 3! This is going to be a long month, but I know it will be good for me:)

Media Fast 2012

Finally, I have figured out how to post on here!

The Media Fast is going well so far, even though we are only three days into it. I am excited for what this month has to offer me. I have discovered two Christian radio stations in the greater Sacramento area, and love them (103.9 and 90.1). They are both great. Good Luck everyone.

not my own

i read something yesterday. it kind of scared me... but in a good way. i don't know if that even makes sense, but it does in my head (which probably doesn't mean a whole lot. ha.). i was flipping through my Bible and found jeremiah 10:23-24:

23 I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own;

it is not for man to direct his steps.

24 Correct me, Lord, but only with justice--

not in your anger,

lest you reduce me to nothing.

ok, like, how can you NOT be scared when you read that? my life isn't my own? ...what the heck. that freaked me out for a while. but i guess it means that God is in control of my life, not me. and whatever God wants to use me for, He will. i just need to trust and be open to letting Him work through me. i just decided that's going to be part of my goal for this year's media fast. which is going well, by the way. there has been a lot of temptation already. maybe it's a little dramatic, but whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

lastly..."a return" by david crowder*band: cool song. praying for you all!

first day!

Hey everybody! Today was not as hard as i expected it would be but it was not easy!
i almost broke the rules but i remembered quickly:) phewww! i know i can last the rest of the fast with everyones support and prayers:)

Beginnings

Each year in March... We begin a challenge. Most years, we feel like the challenge is to not watch or listen to something that isn't focused on God. But this isn't about what we can't do. This fast is about what we do instead of something else. It's not about not watching your favorite TV show... It's about deciding to take that time you would watch that show and spending it focusing on something Godly.

This fast is not about what we can't do... It's about what we decide we will do.