The End

wow, awesome job you guys! I cant believe we are done. that was such a good experience for me and I hope it was for you as well, my relationship with God was strengthened incredibly and I hope all of you who participated had the same or similar results. I successfully completed all thirty days of the fast and had an amazing journey through it. thank you to everyone who helped me and kept me accountable on the way. im so proud of all you and cant wait to go on the mission trip to Globe, AZ with you guys!! love you!
Michaela Biggs!

The End

Well, it's April 3rd and the Media Fast has been over for almost 4 days now. I would say for my first media fast, it went pretty well. I successfully fasted for 30 days, but can't deny that I wasn't being tested the whole way through it. Even on Sunday my family wanted to go to the movies saying, "It's only a day away, who cares." I got a lot of that this month, and I'm extremely thankful to all of those who acutally respected and encouraged my fasting, because I think it was that encouragment that kept me going strong and enthusiastic throughout the month. Especially in these last 4 days being back in the media, I realized how much the fast really did pull me closer to God. Over this month I was more productive both in general and in my faith. I started up a couple different bible plans with my YouVersion bible app and I'm really taking from them. I was doing a lot more deep reading with my bible and I watched as God worked within my life in March and beyond. I would say that the most challenging thing for me this month ended up being the music part, I love Christian music, I listen to it regularly, but by the end of the month I really missed my music. It wasn't until the end of the fast; however, that I really realized how meaningless a lot of the stuff I was doing with media was. I mean, sharing a good moment on instagram every once in a while is nice, but checking up on my different social media apps after the fast (mostly just to remove the notifications), I was scrollingt through thinking about the fact that I didn't care much for the random pictures and statuses. Now when it comes to communication I think that's entirely different. Apps like kik or snapchat where people are talking specifically to me about something that actually matters- those were the apps I missed because I think it's important to socialize and have good realtionships or connections with people. Point is, I actually did take from the fast; I'm still staying involved with my bible, maintaining a strong relationship with God, and while I'm still on media occasionally, I'm limiting it. I want to give a huge thank you to my family, supporters, sponsors, and fellow fasters; you were all a huge help throughout the fast.

First day off

I went the whole month listening to christian music and listening to christian radio but now the media fast is over. After softball practice I was sitting in the car and I turned on the radio, I was flipping through the station I would normally listen to. I never really notice how meaningless and dumb normal teenage music is. After I told my dad this he pointed out how over time we become desensitized to it and how we don't even realize that they aren't even saying anything important.

oh wow

Honestly this media fast was amazing, throughout most of it I had felt that God wasn't showing up in this whole experience. In the final days though I felt this overwhelming source of joy sweep over my body. God is truly great to me, yes I made a few mistakes pertaining to checking sports scores, but for the whole 30 days I stayed off of social media! I was upset when I made these mistakes, but I remembered that God forgives so I should forgive myself! I love the worlds of a song by Phil Wickham that goes, "this is amazing grace, this is unfailing love. That you would take my place, that you would bear my cross" this reminds me of Gods grace and love towards us. I also loved reading the story of Joseph who through all these trials and triumphs (aka us and media fast) he stayed faithful to God, and God DEFINATLEY stayed faithful to him. Congrats everybody! Hopefully I will see all of you guys in Arizona!!!!

Only hours to go!

Who's excited?? I'm excited!!! The media fast is almost over and I couldn't have been happier by the way it went. I have been reading the bible this month more then I've ever read it my whole life (a little bit of an exaggeration). And I noticed that when I pay attention to it and don't have my phone as a distraction I can comprehend what the bible is telling me. I have learned a lot about myself and people around me and have had a lot of hard decisions to make. This has been a phenomenal experience and I am very thankful for Matt and that he gave us an opportunity to do this! I absolutely loved all of the support from my sponsors and friends, thank you all for praying for us. 

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40 

Last day!

This has been a really fun, yet hard experience for me. Through the month, I have been challenged at school more than I thought I would with people trying to get me to listen to certain songs or watch a cool video. You don't really know how things affect you until you stop doing them. It really makes you realize what God wants you to do. I can't explain how this changed how i am except that I feel more lead by God than by my own desires.

WHOOP

Seeing less than 8 hours on the countdown clock thingy is so exciting. I'm spending my final few hours on the media fast with Megan so that we can keep each other accountable as the clock counts down. Along with newfound Christian movies and music, my relationship with Christ has been rekindled. It is not quite at that "post-camp level," but it is pretty darn close. This month I've been able to take a breath of fresh air and appreciate how God works in my life.

The month kind of started of slow because going into my third year, the fast had become sort of a routine. The fast is meant to break routine, so that was not a good starting point. With the help of encouraging messages from my sponsors and constant texts from Matt with the Remind101 thing, I was able to dive into the month as if it was a brand new experience. My goal this month was to hear and see God in the little things. I spent time sitting outside in the sun with my bible. It was nice because it was just me and God- no distractions. By looking for God in the little things, I realized the magnitude of who really He is.

I hope to savor these last few hours of the fast. There's no doubt that tomorrow I will begin to catch up on my shows, but I pray that the things that I have learned this month will stick with me. I love all y'all.

-T

The Last Day

Ok, so I couldn't think of a song title that would fit the last day of the media fast (my last two posts followed this pattern : "Oh, We're Halfway There" and "The Final Countdown"). Is that so bad? :)
     Anyway, I have been thinking about this past month, and how much it has done for me. I can't believe it's already the last day! This month wasn't the dreaded, torturous month I thought it would be. No, it was instead an eye-opener, a blessing instead of a curse. I had more face-to-face conversations with people; I felt more comfortable openly sharing my faith with my nonbeliever friends. I also read a lot of inspiring Christian novels that taught me that God is in control of our lives, and he can do amazing things through what might seem to be tragedy. I spent more time with my family: laughing, playing games, riding bikes; things I wouldn't normally do but got to enjoy because I wasn't thinking about the next thing I would look for on Pinterest. I really did enjoy this time with my family, and it helped me realize these years with them are precious. This month I tried to focus on God and see Him in every part of my day. When things got though, either with temptations or just with everyday struggles, I prayed and was reminded that God is in control if my life; everything is a part of His plan.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
     I hope and pray that all of you have been able to see the wonders God is doing in your life this month. Thank you all for your prayers and support; I couldn't have done it without you!

there and back again.

(Note that last post was incomplete. Totally disregard it. That is all.)

So, this it. The last weekend of March. I didn't think I would go on the mission trip, or do the media fast this year. I thought I was just going to sit around and play games or something like that, but I guess God had a different plan for me, at least different from my own , this year. But even though this was probably a harder year to fast, by God's grace I made it!
Between doing school work and vegging out with my friend Nintendo, I ended up wanting to talk more about stuff in the Bible, I like talking about God stuff with my Dad and Bible study group. And it is really hard when say, my family wants to watch TV, we have to make a conscious effort to find something to do. Or when I go to a friend's house we have to think of something other than playing Halo. Even forcing myself to choose my Bible study over reading my manga ( if you know me well you would understand why its hard).
Overall I am thankful and glad about doing the Fast this year. It gave me( and hopefully you all too) a chance of identifying those idols in my life.
Thanks to ALL of my sponsors and friends who encouraged me to be more!

2 days remain.

~DJ

Almost done!

You guys we're almost done!!! I hope this has been a meaningful month for all of you, it has for me. I have learned a lot about myself and my values and I have learned to appreciate life and what it has to offer. I'd like to thank all of our sponsors for the support and prays it means a lot! Love you all :* 

Iron

Is it really halfway over?
Wow! I guess its true time flies when you're having fun.

Over the weekend I had a friend over as a belated birthday thing, and we had a lot of fun! We watched a funny christian comedy show and played board and card games too.

T-minus 4 days

Dude, guys, we've practically made it. There’s less than a week left. I want to encourage everyone to push through these last couple days. I know that for me, in past years, these last days have been all about getting to the end. That’s not a good way to look at it. We all need to take each day as it comes. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble,” Matthew 6:34. I love this verse because it is so real. Yeah, everyday we're going to encounter adversity, but when we focus on tomorrow, we are just wishing our lives away. Instead, we should focus on the ways that God impacts our lives each and every day. That is what this fast is all about—removing secular media in order to be able to see God more clearly.

Also, this past Sunday I did the scripture reading thingy and when I was told the passage I found this super awesome verse. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans 8:37-39. I don't know if it’s just me, but this sounds super legit.  First of all we are called conquerors and I think that it is extremely encouraging. Then there’s the really amazing thing, there is nothing at all that can separate us from God. Even as the media fast begins and we slowly fall back into old habits, God will always be right there calling to us. We just have to open our ears to what he has to say.

Have a spectacular last leg of the fast. I can't wait for all of the adventures on Missions Trip this summer that I will get to experience with all of you. I'm totally psyched. Love you guys and I am still praying for you.

Also thank you to my sponsors who have continually encouraged me throughout the fast. You are the reason that I have been able to keep going. You guys are awesome and mean the world to me.

one week left.

its crazy, almost like I don't really miss my media anymore. My experience in the years that I have done the media fast is that the first week or so, you have some withdraws, because we are so used to always having our media right at our fingertips. as we go throughout March, and we begin to focus more and more on God, we begin to rely less on our media. That's the crazy thing about God, as we increase His value, other things in our life begin to pale in comparison, and their worth becomes much less prevalent in our lives. God should be the focus of our lives every day, and anything that distracts us from Him should be completely uprooted and gotten rid of. This, and other experiences during this time, have helped me, and my friends grow in our relationships with Christ. My friends noticed a change in the way I have been spending my time, and the way I have been treating others while on the media fast, and some have agreed to join with me in a media fast. so, thank you media fast, and high school staff for giving me an opportunity to be a testimony and have a ministry for Christ. I encourage you all to share what you have learned, and find new ways to be a light to those around you. I love you all and I cant wait for mission trip!

Almost Done

I have always had a hard time reading my bible and listening to christian music. After I went to the Rock and Worship Roadshow on Thursday I found an app that give me a bible verse each day and constantly plays Christian music. With the daily bible verse I am able to take a moment to focus on what the verse mean and how I can live it out. The verse I got today is Ecclesiastes 4:10, "If one falls down, his friends an help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up." It made me realize that without friends there will be no one help you and help keep you on the right path. Family and friends give you strength.

The Final Countdown

Imagine this. It's the bottom of the ninth inning in the very last game of the World Series. Your team has won three games, but the other team has also won three games. Your team is up to bat with the score tied 1-1. All you need is one home run and you've won the game and the World Series. You and your team have played their hardest tonight, and now you're up to bat. Your whole team is cheering like crazy for you; they are confident that you can do this. They are there for you when you need it most, which is right about now. You have done the same for your teammates as they have faced their own trials throughout the game. And then there are your fans. They aren't playing in the game, but they have come to watch and support you. They cheer just as loud as your teammates, and you're glad to have them there to support you, because you need all the support you can get. You're in foreign territory, and things can get ugly with all of those people against you. You take a deep breath and walk up to the plate. The pitcher looks at you with a gleam in his eyes that says "I'm going to strike you out." He winds up, and then releases the ball.
     "Steer-ike one!"
The pitcher winds up again and throws.
     "Steer-ike two!"
You take a deep breath. If you don't hit this, you have to go into a tenth inning. The pitcher looks at you with fiery eyes, and releases the third pitch. Your bat makes contact with the ball with a"crack" and you start running like the wind. The ball sails over center field and into the stadium. Home run! The crowd goes wild, and your team is whooping and hollering in the dugout. When you round third base, they pour out onto the field and surround you as you cross home plate. You did it. You won the game with the help of everyone around you. Your team, your coach, your fans, even the other team. But you won! The game is finally over.
     I use this analogy for two reasons. The first is because baseball is the only sport that I understand and care enough about to make an analogy out of. The second is because I feel like this is what the media fast had been like. But we haven't hit the home run yet. We are almost done with the game. Our team, all of the high schoolers, our coach, Matt, and our owner, Jesus, have been cheering us on as we all go through the game. Our fans, the people of the church sponsoring us as well as our own personal sponsors, have been cheering us on as well. They have watched us as we go through the game, each having our chance "at bat". But we are in foreign territory. There are many out there who have ridiculed us for doing such a thing as a media fast; it's just not a normal thing to do. And, to make matters more difficult, we're Christians. The other team can boo us all they like, but we have to keep playing the game. We have to turn the other cheek.
     This has been a very good experience for me. I have had my share of temptations, but the Lord has helped me resist them. I pray that He has done that for all of you, too. Three weeks down, one to go.

How it's going

This media fast I can definitely say has been very difficult so far. We are two thirds of the way through and although it is a little easier than the beginning it is rather difficult. I have made a few mistakes, like forgetting I was on the fast and then checking scores on sports center. The really hard thing about it is that i don't really feel much closer to God, I have been doing what I think is right and I guess that it's not time quite yet, but there are still 10 days left so we'll see! Push through on these final five days guys, and I'm praying for you!

Yeah, I Know This Is Late

Yeah, so I know that the fast is more than half way over and this is my first post, but better late than never, right? Blogging just isn't my thing, but I'm going to give it a shot. These past few weeks I have been so busy. Even without the distractions of media, I found myself struggling to find time to focus on God. I was so worried about AP tests, midterms, homework, and colleges. Then recently I realized two things: first, this is only my junior year, and the second thing was that ultimately God is control. I was trying to find my own way instead of listening to God's plans for my life. With this new mindset, I've been able chill (for lack of a better term) a little more. Two verses that have helped me with that are Jeremiah 29:1 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope," and 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 
Have an amazing week. I love and am praying for you all.

-T

refocused

Today I was thinking about Arizona and it helped remind me what the Media Fast is all about. The Media Fast, to me at least, is a way that I can strengthen my personal relationship with Christ before going out and being Christ to all the people in AZ.
I never believed anyone when they said the missions trip was more fun than Hume, but after experiencing AZ, i would choose that trip over Hume in a heartbeat. It is so cool to be able to be a light to a group of kids, and to gradually see them start to open up and tell you about themselves. Seeing them have a great time, while learning about Christ is such an eye-opener, because even though running VBS isn't 100% fun all the time, we are doing it for the kids who don't see Christ regularly like we do, and we are doing our best to give them good experiences, because a lot of them don't have a lot of those.
Another key part of the Media Fast is the financial and prayer support. If we didn't do the fast, a lot more people wouldn't be able to afford it, myself included. So, as much as it sucks, the media fast is blessing!! It is so cool to know that there are people that are praying for me right now and for the kids in AZ. Each and every sponsor is so appreciated and crucial.
Thinking about the kids really helped me to refocus, and it gave me a new determination to finish up the fast strongly, and to try and connect with Christ instead of with media for the rest of this surprisingly loonnnnnnggg month.

On my heart

Hey guys,
You are all on my heart in prayer, and I want to encourage you all to keep going strong in the media fast! I pray that you all feel Christ close to you and all around you, and that you surrender fully to Him. That is something I've been learning lately. Usually, I'm the kind of person that takes a problem head on, and keeps it to myself or only confides in one person, so as not to upset anyone else. Sometimes keeping things to yourself is not healthy for your mental or physical state, and it can help in the healing or coping process to share what you are going through with someone. You might say, "I cant tell anyone because they will judge me, or tell everyone else" and you might be right, I would probably say that too, but there is One person who will never judge you, never spread rumors about you, and never gossip or tell anyone else. This person is the person who knew no sin. Jesus Christ. He is waiting to fellowship with you, to cry with you to laugh with you, He will always be there for you, no matter what you may need at that time. Just think about that for a minute, the creator of the whole world, He who knew no sin, the beginning and the end, the one HUGE, infinite being; He is there right beside you, holding your hand and giving you a shoulder to cry on. He calls us His friends, His family, and He loves us more than we could ever imagine. The God of the whole universe wants to have a personal relationship with you, with me, with all those who He has called to be His children, and through everything, He will be right there beside us. He gives us His peace that passes all understanding in the midst of trials and he comforts our hearts and minds in the middle of affliction. In no way does this mean our lives will be easy, but it will be so worth it when we can live forever with Christ in heaven. Sometimes God gives us challenges that are very difficult, to either test our faith, or grow our faith, or make us surrender to Him. That is what is on my heart.
Also on my heart are my good friends Stephen and Noelle, whose niece Ella was born prematurely and died within the same minute of birth. I would like to ask for prayers on my friends and their family, especially Ella's mother. Thank you, and good luck with the media fast. I love you all.
Michaela

What I have learned so far

For the first week it was completely tempting to go on my social media but I fought off that temptation by completely deleting any social apps off my phone. Now that the month is more than half way done I have definitely learned something. And that is that social media was my everyday thing to go on, it was like some sort of necessity for me just having to go on it and checking what was up. But it really isn't important, my life hasn't changed whatsoever without it. It just takes up my time when I could be using it to build my relationship closer with God. There is this verse I read when I was reading Proverbs that goes "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6. So as this month is coming closer to an end I hope that I don't return back to how I was before, to how I went to watching Netflix when I had nothing better to do or just scroll down my feed on Instagram just to pass the time.  But instead stop myself and do something good for myself such as listening to the Arcade podcast or learn a couple of Christian songs on my guitar and instead of checking my phone before I go to bed I would read the bible, right now I am trying to make it my daily routine. Hope you guys could pray for me to accomplish my goals and that I will successfully complete this media fast.

Sophya Vecherkovskiy

Closer to God

I made it half way through, and I'm feeling closer to God and my family through this experience. I have had some rough spots though, so I found a few verses to help me past them. One of the first verses that I always think of to help me resist temptation is 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." This verse has helped me during this fast, as well as many times in the past. It always reminds me that God knows what we're going through and will always make a way out for us. I feel like, through the temptations to listen to music and watch TV, ect. that God is bringing me closer, and teaching me more about Him. I feel like I'm learning to trust God to help me through the hard times, both during this fast, and throughout life. Although I know I am far from perfect, I think God is shaping me and teaching me through the media fast.

I would also like to thank all my sponsors for encouraging me and praying for me, I really love and appreciate it! I can't reiterate enough how much you help me to keep going, and how encouraging it is to know that I have so many people who are supporting me!

I will be praying for all of you doing the media fast alongside me.

-Myles

14 days left!!

I am usually not one to blog frequently, but I felt inclined to share this (I don't know why). I was reading my Bible this week, and I came across a few verses and passages that really spoke to me.

The first verse was Hebrews 10:26, which says "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." 

So often I find myself in the middle of a sin, and I will recognize it, but I won't do anything to stop it, or prevent it. I found this verse eye-opening and paralleled it to the Media Fast in the sense that I will find myself absent-mindedly opening Twitter, and I will recognize it, and it is truly a struggle to close the app. After reading this verse, I took it upon myself to log out and delete every social media app I have. This has already helped me to get off my phone (since now i have nothing to look at on it) 

The last verse is Hebrews 12:15, which says "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God." 

This verse helped me to see that through the Media Fast, I can point people towards Christ by my actions. With me not going on social media, it makes my friends ask about it, and it gives me a doorway into a conversation that wouldn't normally come up. I try not to push my faith onto my friends, but I should be living in a way that reflects Christ's presence in my life. 

I hope everyone is doing well, there's only 14 days left!!

Just keep thinking about Arizona!!!!!!

Half Way There

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

First of all, I want to thank you high school students doing the media fast. You inspired me this month to give up Facebook & Instagram! ...Ok I know Facebook isn't really that cool anymore, but for those of us in our mid-20's it's a huge deal. Why? Well our friends are traveling the world, getting married, starting families, and moving up in their jobs.  It is really easy to get sucked into the "grass is greener" game.  While I am very blessed with my life, I have been pretty sick the past few months and its easy to get discouraged and jealous of other...NO GOOD! So while I am forced to fast from many foods for health purposes, I thought it best to fast from my go-to facebook and instead go-to God! You know what...it has been so healing in so many ways!

I wanted to share with you a verse we read at my International Student Bible Study last Friday. Matthew 6: 9-13, also known as the Lords Prayer! Pay close attention to the last 2 lines...
  
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread,

 and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.


God wants us to pray that we do not fall into temptation!  As good as I thought I was doing with avoiding my Facebook...I still almost click the app every time I am bored and open my phone! I create statuses in my head to post daily and almost click the "share on facebook" link when I read an article I like. As humans we form habits, which isn't a bad thing, but can make temptation all to easy. Isn't it cool that God wants to be part of our struggle? He wants us to make this part of our prayer to not be tempted.  

I hope you all stay strong these next 14 days! What an awesome journey it's been so far. I'm excited to see how God continues to use this fast in our lives.

Michelle Ross

The Road so Far...

 The media fast is halfway done, and I feel closer to my family and friends all around me, already. I am glad to have taken to this commitment and I have struggled with the tests that have been put before me, but each time that I seem to fail I notice that I am picked right back up by the grace of God and brought forth again. For example, if you did not already know I am mostly a stay at home guy, looking for things to do to pass the time and almost any chance that comes my way to leave the house I take. Recently a group friends had invited me to a party, and not necessarily the good kind. Instead of going, something had tugged on me to instead invite them over and keep both, them and myself out of dark and enjoy ourselves with something less careless. God is great, and I am proud to be a follower and help those who are not to see his light shine.

 Thank you, to all my sponsors, friends and family who may be reading this. I wouldn't be able to do this without your support. Also thanks Matt, for being there putting things that are unclear into a different perspective to where I can understand, don't where I'd be without that.

Oh, We're Halfway There...

It it officially the halfway point of March. We're halfway through the marathon, half a donut left, the glass is half full (or half empty; depends on your perspective). I have honestly really enjoyed this month so far . I never realized how much time I was giving to my media. Sometimes I found myself at a loss for something to do, and I realized that at this point I would most likely solve this problem by "hopping on to Pinterest". I can't do that this month, so I found homework to do or a book to read instead. I have been trying to be as interactive face-to-face with my friends as possible because I am trying to limit my texting conversations. I feel like that builds my friendship, and it helps me prevent gossip or destructive things that I might say to someone if I were texting them. I thank God that He is showing me that media is not the only thing out there. I am trying to focus more on thinking about the sermons on Sundays and the things we discuss on Thursdays. I hope you all have had a meaningful first half of the media fast. Thank you to all of my sponsors, and thank you to all those participating. You're in my prayers!

halfway

Wow, half way already. This fast has been very good for me, and from what I can see, good for many of you too, whether you are a sponsor, a student, or someone else who happens to be reading Our Thirty blogs. 2 weeks down, 2 weeks to go. I am very excited for the rest of his media fast, as I have been growing a lot in my relationship with Christ in various ways. The removal of media from my life, is a great thing to give up as a teenager who, as many other teens, LOVES music and movies and my TV shows, as well as a lot of media in the world today. While media in and of itself is not always bad, it can be a temptation and become a sin, whether in the intention behind the media, or how much we use the media. I don't think we realize how much the church has been in the world and how much we love the things of the world until we have to give them up. I know for me its hard to give up my music and many other things. Also, we often don't realize just how fortunate we are to have these things right at our fingertips, our phones, TVs, computers, iPads etc, the list goes on and on. As teenagers being raised in a technologically advanced society, we are so spoiled, in a way, that we just expect to have secular media readily available to us, and we don't even think about until something like the media fast happens, and we find ourselves turning on the radio by habit, or sitting down to watch our favorite TV shows or posting something on instagram that we did with our friends. Even something as simple as snapchatting our friends, we don't realize how fortunate we are to be able to do that. So, thank you Media Fast, thank you Matt, and Student Life ministry team, for giving us this opportunity to be thankful for what we have, to grow in our relationships with God and the people around us, and to stop and think about how great our God is, and notice things in His creation, we might not have seen if we were stuck on our phones. I want to encourage you all to stand firm in this commitment and see it through to the end, it is very much worth it, and rewarding to you and others in the end. Hope you all have the best of luck through the rest of March, and I'm praying for you all! May God be with you and grant you peace. -Michaela Biggs

Halfway Point!

I've made it this far succesfully, and I hope all of you have too.  I still am grateful for what my sponsors have done for me, by encouraging me.  I realize that without so much media,  my mind isn't always thinking about it.  Even when I had other stuff to do, I would think about a movie, video game, or good book that I was reading.  Without it, I have time to think about stuff that I have to be happy about, all that God has given me, such as friends, family, pets, food, a house, and the privilege to talk to him whenever we want to, either through his word, or by having a conversation with him through prayer.  I pray that everyone will do well for the rest of the fast, and if you haven't, don't give up!  Whatever time we have left is perfect for letting yourself focus on God, and not letting the world have such a strong grip on us that it usually has.  Good job and good luck!

Halfway There

I'm practically half way there and I feel great! These past weeks were very stressful, but on Friday I finished up a lot of things at school, at home, etc. and I just felt so care free. Last night my family and I played a board game, I made dessert, and we all had a really good time which just set me up for a good morning. I want to give a huge thanks to my sponsors because they have been so extremely supportive, especially in this last week. Your prayer has been very prevalent in my life lately, 'How gracious the Lord will be when you cry for help. As soon as he hears, he will answer you' Isaiah 30:19. Having supporters who take the time out of there day to send me an email, write me a letter, or pray for me, is the thing that ignites this spark of joy that will keep me going up until Thursday nights or Sunday mornings. For all of those participating in the media fast with me, really take this time, free from media and outside distractions, to be an example of the faith for others. When someone is trying to show you something like a youtube video or music (or whatever else), take that opportunity to tell them why you're not going to watch it. Just like Matt was talking about on Thursday, sticking to your commitments and setting these standards for yourself and then following through with them can be very powerful. People these days aren't as persistent, and seeing you stick to and stand up for something because of your faith can have an impact on them. They might see that you have something different because of your faith that they are lacking- that might be the defining moment in which they are pulled closer to God. As we continue on with our next couple of weeks keep this verse in mind, 'In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven' Matthew 5:16. Stay strong guys, I'll be praying for you!

Two weeks left!

I have to say that this weekend is going to be the hardest for me since it my birthday and I all I usually do is text. And since I can't, it's going to be hard not being able to connect with people. This past two week have gone by very fast and have been fairly easy. I have been very busy with all of my school work and swim so I didn't have time to even think about my phone. I would love to thank all of my sponsors and say that I really appreciate all of the prayers. 

Thanks

I would like to thank all those who have sponsered me and who have encourged me through the begining of this fast. And to all the students, lets finish well and keep in the word and prayer

SECOND WEEK

The second week of March is already here, that means that the media fast is almost halfway over. It has been a very busy month for me because of my student government requirements, and i have been very distracted with that. My Bible reading is increasing, and i have started the habit of reading every night before I go to sleep. It helps me to wake up feeling more connected with God. If anyone could pray for me to have peace this week, it would be greatly appreciated because i have been very overwhelmed with everything going on! Media still finds a way to distract me, or vice versa. Thank you to everyone for the support!!

First Week of Fasting

  This first week has been... I would say very influential, God has shown up in my life in many various ways and I am very happy to feel my love for him grow and almost feeling his grow for me. I have hit many bumps in this past week, like temptations and other things and I have done my best to hold onto my commitment, but one thing is for sure and that is that I am growing and focusing more on Christ everyday. I'd like to thank everyone who is sponsoring not only me but everyone who is also doing the Media Fast, We really appreciate having the chance for being fully supported.

First Week

I've successfully survived my first week of media fasting. It wasn't too hard because I'm not one to be glued to my phone 24/7, but I still experienced a lot of the challenges. I personally didn't turn off my notifications, so I still know when people text me, but rather than looking at it, I call them to see what it's about, if it's important etc. I'm sure that more than enough of my friends have been kind of shocked seeing that I'm calling them rather than sending them a quick text. Getting through this first week doing things like that has been somewhat of an eye opener for me. So many people these days rely on texting and are almost uncomfortable hearing my voice over the phone. I just think it's a bit sad that this generation loses a sense of sincerity and personality when communicating. Along more personal lines, this past week and the upcoming week have been/will be extremely stessful school wise and I'm really relying on God to pull me through it. I'm currently working on a major project involving the community and plastic pollution, and because of all of the outside efforts being put in, it's a lot more time and energy consuming than anticipated. Thankfully, after much prayer, the Lord has been by my side, working with me through it. In this post I just want to emphasize prayer. It's so powerful and has been so vital in my life. In my times of need I've prayed to God, and no matter the measure, big or small, he has answered. In this I just want to remind those reading of two verses, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" 1 John 5:14 and "He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along" Psalm 40:2. Both verses have been a source of hope in my times of need. As we continue throughout the month, remember that you are not alone, you have your sponsors, your fellow high schoolers, and above all you have God walking along side you. Thank you so much for all of the support, love, and prayer; I look forward to keeping you up to date on how the Lord is working in my life. :) 

Most Played Songs this Week:                                      

Oceans (where feet may fail) by Hillsong United         

Come Thou Fount by Shane and Shane                             

Great I Am by Phillip, Craig, and Dean                          

Let There Be by Gungor                                                   

You Have Me by Gungor                                                  
Some of my Favorite Verses: 
Isaiah 40:31
Philippians 4:13
Psalm 139:16
Jeremiah 29:11
Psalm 40:2

Long Week

I finally got through the first week successfully, though I can't say it was really that much of a challenge for me. It has been a long week though. I have been so busy with school and other extracurricular activities, that I don't have time for much media. When I do though, I find myself very bored, and very tempted to listen to that one song, or watch a short movie clip, or play a video game.  I think that the Pause series has been the best one that we've had, since I find myself pausing, thinking that sure, my parents and sponsors might be dissapointed, but the person it would dissapoint the most is God, the one I love the most.  The media fast is a pladge between you and God to devote time specifically to him, in place of the things that controll our life the most.  Going back to the Remote series, I think that this is the perfect time to give the remote to God, and let him control your life, since media is often a huge controller.  

I wanted to thank my sponsors for talking to me, and praying for me to get through this month.  I hope that everyone else will be successful, and will learn alot spiritually from this challenge.  

Love in Christ,

        Brandon

One Down, Three To Go

As I said yesterday, I have survived the first week. It was not always easy, but I know that God helped me (and all of us) through it. Thank you to all of those who are sponsoring me and/or praying for me; I really appreciate it and it means a lot. Thank you to all of those participating in the media fast; it takes great trust in Him to fast from something that we are in constant bombardment of. I pray that all of you are seeing the good things this experience is bringing about, and I pray that we will be challenged and stretched in a way that helps us see God. As Pastor Craig said in the sermon today, we do not come up with the ideas or the "Oh, I get it's" of God and Jesus, but rather, the Holy Spirit gives these to us; it is the spotlight that shines a beacon on Jesus Christ. I think that this is definitely the time the Holy Spirit will be shining a spotlight on Jesus as we fast from our distractions and lift our eyes to heaven.

For the Glory of God

Well, to say the least, I've survived the first week. It has been an experienc like I have never had. It has been one of those kinds of things that you don't really think it's happening until it impacts you. Hard. This week has been fairly easy, but there were the times when I didn't have anything to do and was tempted to play Crossy Road or check Pinterest. The weekend was the part that impacted me hard. My family doesn't do a lot of tv watching during the week, but we usually watch at least one episode of Upon A Time on Friday and Saturday nights. Last night, we couldn't do that, so we played a card game as a family. It was really fun, and I realized how much I love spending time with my family, even if sometimes they get on my nerves (it happens to all of us). I think that what God wants for me is to see the simple beauties of life. When we are on social media or other forms of entertainment, we miss those pleasures that He has put before us. I noticed a beautiful sunset that I may not have noticed had I been on my phone. I have also been only listening to Christian music or classical music (wordless). For the Christian music, I have tried to listen and think specifically about the lyrics and how they apply to my life. I was listening to Lose My Soul by Tobymac, and the lyrics went something like, "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul". I think this is true for me; I don't want to gain the most followers or post the best post or pin the greatest pins at the expense of my relationship with God. For the wordless music, I try to focus on the instruments and imagine the people playing them. The music is so beautiful and the musicians are so talented, and I think that there must be a God out there who loves us that He would give us gifts and talents to share with others. And the beautiful thing is that there are so many people that use their gifts and talents to glorify Him. I want that, and I think that fasting from the things that distracts me from doing so will help me discover how to give Him glory.
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Habakkuk 2:14

The first week

This first week has been hard. However, I realized how much drama there is around me and how much easier life is without it. I'm starting to actually appreciate the media fast and think that it would be good for everyone at my school (and other schools) to do it. 

Thank you everyone that is praying for us, it means a lot. 

Love,

Dasha 

first post

First, I want to say thank you to all of the sponsors that pray for us.
This past year was so crazy, I didn't even think about the Fast until something like three weeks or so ago.
So far, I don't have any real humongous goals or anything for the Fast this year, well, except not going crazy, and making more time to reconnect with God. It is really cool that I have all these people encouraging me to grow because I think that by myself I would have a very hard time with all of this.

So with that, I leave you to your Friday!

Joshua 1:9

DJ F.

Going Great but Big test underway

So far the Media Fast has been going great! After the first couple days, it is now becoming easier and easier. I've been putting in a fair amount of time reading the bible and doing the devotional, as well as getting ahead of next months homework and reading. I have also been having very long conversations with my theology teacher at Jesuit about my walk with God and how much good he can do for me in this month. Yesterday was a tough day because although I'm not the most popular guy, I was surprised to find like 15 notifications of text messages on my phone in just that one day. It's hard not only to not be able to respond, but also not being able to read the messages. It's also hard because at Jesuit we use iPads to do our homework, and we have our text books on there. I asked my colleagues to pray for me but instead most of them will shove their phones and tablets that have twitter feeds and games in my face. This makes it rather more difficult, Its also hard because when the teacher says we have free time all of the kids around me will pull out their phones and play games and check twitter. I have been pulling out my bible or studying, which can be difficult because kids are constantly asking me why I am doing this, and then I tell them why and they'll say something like "that's stupid". This next weekend I get to go up to Indian Wells to see a tennis tournament of my favorite professional players. This will be fun and a good distraction as this was a late birthday present. The good thing is is that this weekend I am going to Seattle to visit my sister and her boyfriend (Scott Sumner) as well as more of my family. This first week so far has been challenging, but thanks be to God I am staying strong and happy. I hope that all of my fellow media fasters are staying strong too, I am praying for you all!

First days are hard

If those who are like me the first days are the hardest but the you get into a groove.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
                               1 cor. 10:13

Not Easy

For me the hardest things this media fast will be staying away from social media and Netflix, I hope this experience allows me to get closer to God and my friends, thank you for all the prayers (:

A Call to Fast (and Pray)

  The Bible teaches us that fasting is a way to draw nearer to God, and to demonstrate seriousness when seeking the Lord in prayer. I believe that fasting, weather it be with food, media, or something else, shows God that we are serious in desiring Him more than food, or media. During these thirty days, I hope to prove this. I know it will be hard, it already is hard, but I hope that I will use this time, free from the distractions of media, to seek Him. I hope I don't just fast from media for a couple of weeks, only to binge back onto it again, forgetting what I learned from this experience. I hope that this time will encourage me to develop, and improve, habits and choices regarding my "media diet", and most importantly, my walk with God.

As I progress through this challenge, I ask that you would pray for me to keep going strong and grow in my walk with Him. To all my fellow media fast members, I will pray the same for you.

Myles.

Year Three

YEAR THREE is finally underway, and although I have been too busy to blog as of yet, I did take the time to compile a list of all my media fast goals for this year.. I hope this year can be even more successful then years in the past, and I hope every one participating gets something positive from this experience.
My 2015 Media Fast goals:
Stay responsible
Constantly refocus on God
Come to Christ expecting nothing, but needing everything
Be an example of Christ
Strive to please God and not myself
Always be aware of God's endless love
Trust God
Pray for all the people in Globe, Arizona, that their hearts will be open and that we will be a strong positive impact in their lives this summer.
Have pure thoughts
Be a good example for my peers
Keep my sponsors updated, make sure they know just how appreciative I am
Be prompt in my faith
Stay so humble
Remember that the fast was my choice, and  I am doing it so that I can impact the kids in Arizona!
Listen
Hold confidence in my faith
Seek advice
Love UNconditionally
Keep the mindset of a believer; resist temptation of media
Acknowledge the greatness of God
Stay honest
Stand out as a believer
Be aware that every action is a direct reflection on Christ.


I'm optimistic about this year, and good luck to everyone!!!!!!
xoxo Megan

Already Difficult

To all of my fellow sponsors, media fast members, and anybody else out there I can already sense a change. It's amazing how just a day can change the way I look at things, today I realized how much media takes part in my life. I found myself with lots of free time that I would at any other time just be on media. It isn't easy just changing a regular schedule like that, and tomorrow now that I am heading to school I'm sure it will be much more difficult. Please pray for me, and all of the other people doing the media fast as I bet they're in the same boat as me.

Personal goals

Some of my personal goals for the Media fast are to not text, and not being on my phone 24/7. It will be difficult, not being able to watch Netflix and not listening to my music. 

In the Beginning...

So it begins. The famous Media Fast. Though I've never participated in the Media Fast, I have heard of the wonders it can do to people. I hope that by the end of this telltale trial I will see the beauty in all of God's creations, the wonders of His hands. I hope that I will have a better grasp on my time on secular media, and I hope that I can see when I am giving in to my idols instead of focusing on God. I am very excited for this month, but I can feel dread threatening to spill out and distract me from the real purpose. I have heard that it is a hard month; I know that it will take much prayer and perseverance to keep my from turning to my selfish desires and giving in to temptations so simple it would seem they wouldn't be a problem. If course, after having to fast from little things like Pinterest or TV, they will become big temptations. What once seemed like a small, insignificant thing is now a huge temptation. I pray that all of us will persevere and not give in to the temptations of this world. To those who are sacrificing their money to support us, I thank you. It helps us so much to know that there are people who want us to know the Lord and are willing to give money and time in prayer to let us know that they want it, too. To those who are participating along with the high schoolers in this Media Fast, I thank you, too. It means a lot to me that you would not see this a just a month for the high schoolers; you would actually decide to participate along with us. I pray that you all will also be brought closer to the Lord. So, as I said before, so it begins... Good luck!

And So It Begins

Hello fellow media fasters, sponsors, and anyone else who may be reading this,
so its that time of the year again, the Media Fast. Yes, the time when students give up their social media, TV shows, and movies. The time when high school students focus their hearts and minds on God, and devote their time to Him. I think the Media Fast is wonderful; very difficult at times, but wonderful. It is a time of growth in a Spiritual sense, possibly a time of repair in a relationship with God or with others, and an opportunity to live in a state of total bliss in the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As high school students, there is so much distracting us and A LOT of it comes from secular media. So many temptations and snares of the world that are set up specifically for the people of our generation. This can sometimes be hard to hear; that the things we love, the movies and shows we watch, and the things we post, are temptations. Now, don't get me wrong, not all of the movies or TV shows or social media are bad in and of themselves, but if we are consumed with them in all of our spare time, that's when it might become an issue. It can become almost like an idol and we don't even realize it. We spend so much time in front of our screens or listening to music, that it seems like we need our secular media to get through a day. That is where I believe the media fast can help us incredibly. It gives us the push to get off our media, and show us that we don't really need it. Many teens, myself included, say that they don't read their Bible or pray as much as they should simply because they don't have time; well, if we have time for all of our media, we should definitely have time for the Creator and Savior of the world, shouldn't we? In the month of March, my goal is to take all that time that I would normally spend in secular media and focus directly on God in a form of worship. Whether that is reading my Bible, or praying, or singing, or playing an instrument, my goal is to do everything, EVERYTHING, to His glory. He deserves our all, and we were made to glorify Him in everything we do. That is my heart, and what I am going to strive to do this media fast. I hope you have similar convictions and will strive to do the same. If we are in Christ, we have a desire to be like Him and be in fellowship with Him, sometimes we just need an extra push. In this case, the Media Fast. I will be praying for all of you this month, that you will have strength and peace in His presence, and that you will succeed. I would appreciate your prayers as well. Good luck to all this media fast! And so it begins..

Media Fast Goal

For me this media fast is going to be exceptionally difficult, though this is completely obvious I am actually thrilled about this opportunity. I feel that genuinely this will be a great opportunity to grow with God, friends, and even learn more about myself. If we all just put down all of the electronics and focus on what really matters, then I'm sure things are bound to be better. I hope that through this fasting, I can learn more on what it means to be a man, and what it means to be a man of God. The hardest thing will be to pull through with integrity, but I believe that with the help of God he will provide me with the temperance and self control to pull through

Media Fast Goal

This is not only my first year participating in the  Media Fast, but it's also my first year attending Arcade Church, so this will be a whole new experience for me. My main goal this year is to trade the media in my life for the bible. At the beginning of the year I started a bible plan, but since then I've fallen behind because of school and the distracting media surrounding me. I not only need to catch up on my reading, but then I need to spend more quality time with it. I typically do my reading at night, when in reality, I think I'd be able to focus on it deeper during the day time. Overall, I want this month to reflect that I'm living a life full of and focused on God. Taking out the meaningless gossip and loud noise circulating the world just seems so peaceful, I'd much rather fill my life with praise than what's around me now. I wouldn't say I'm particularly interested in media in general, so the fasting part shouldn't be too hard. The thing I'm most concerned for is still being able to interact with others around me; my friends are extremely supportive, but my family isn't as encouraging (my immediate family doesn't go to church with me). I just pray that God will lead me through this, work within my family, and that this will have an impact on my life and how I perceive things. Thank you so much to all of my sponsors, your support is both encouraging and appreciated. 

Personal Goals for Media Fast

My personal goal for this years Media fast is too overall stop my giving what seems to be all my time and attention to little things of importance like tv, music, social media. My goal is to reconnect in my relationship with god, I am hoping to reignite the spiritual flame which is burning in all of us.

My Goals

"What is your personal goal for the media fast this year?"
     This is my first year of the media fast, so it'll be a new experience for me. I hope to successfully fast from TV (Once Upon a Time), games (Crossy Road), and "social media" (Pinterest). I really think this will be a good thing for me to do, as I spend a lot of my time focused on these things instead of God. My prayer is that He will help me all through this month and teach me that there is more than what is right in front of me to live for. Good luck to all of you participating, and thank you to all of our sponsors out there!
Madeleine Jones

Thirty Day Goal

My goal for this year's media fast is to do my Solo: An Uncommon Devotional every night, and to seriously pray to god as often as I can, which I currently have trouble with.  I will also try to support as many of my friends during the fast as much as possible.