FIRST FRUITS FAST DAY 19 - WHAT KIND OF LEGACY WILL YOU LEAVE?

We went to Kevin's Grandpa's 85th birthday yesterday. He has been a Pastor for more than 60 years and is still pastoring at 85 years old. He doesn't just talk the talk, but he walks the walk. He is a man of integrity. He is a very Godly man. He fasted, nothing but water, every Tuesday for most of his adult life. He tells the story that once he took the kids for an ice cream cone and got one for himself forgetting for a few minutes that it was Tuesday. He felt terrible. There is absolutely no doubt that one day he will hear God say "Well done, my good and faithful servant." All of his brothers are Pastors, most of his nephews are Pastors and 2 out of 3 of his sons were Pastors (Kevin's Dad is not a Pastor anymore, but his uncle still is). His youngest son and his family had a Southern Gospel singing group for years. My oldest son who loves going on mission trips, teaches Sunday School, leads a discipleship group and preaches whenever he gets a chance, really enjoyed talking with his Great Grandpa about his life in ministry. When Grandpa is gone, his legacy will live on.

4 Generations

One of my favorite songs is "Legacy" by Nicole Nordeman. It says "I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering."  I think about that a lot. I want to leave a legacy my children and family will be proud of. When I get to heaven I want to hear God say "Well done my good and faithful servant". I want to love like Jesus loved. Boy, that's hard isn't it? People can be so mean, rude and hurtful. Our flesh says we should hate them or seek revenge or be bitter. But God's Word says we should love them, pray for them and BLESS them. What? BLESS someone that has hurt you? Be nice to someone that goes around purposely being mean to others? Yes. If we truly want to live a Godly life, that is what we have to do. I struggle with this and I know some of you do as well. We are not perfect, but we can strive for perfection and with God's help, we can leave a legacy our family and friends will be proud of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3GxmLaaAwg

Have a blessed day,
Lori

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 16

Today's devotion from The Fasting Edge -

"When you draw closer to God, He draws closer to you. In the same way, when you get serious with God, He gets serious with you. There are two powers at work when you fast: the human will and the supernatural power of God. When you decide to exercise your will and put your flesh under submission to the Spirit of God. His supernatural power kicks in and helps you fast according to the level of commitment you have made. You can do far more in the anointing of God than you can in human zeal. God's anointing is not for thrills - it is for battle. When you go into battle, you fight to win. The anointing that comes through fasting and prayer gives you a fresh strength to fight for you family, for your kids, for your marriage, and to win! It gives you the ability to hear God's heart and pray forth those things that He desires to release in the nations.

You cannot do God's will with human zeal any more than you can effectively chop down a huge oak tree with a dull ax. Most of the time you will cause more damage than good by not waiting upon the Lord for His way, His direction, and His anointing. Our zeal can become a stumbling block based in our own pride. God needs empty vessels - not ones so full of themselves that He can't pour Himself out through them."

I have struggled with this for a long time. Being fiercely independent, I want to do everything on my own without help from anyone. God has really been working on me the last few years. It has not been easy! I have had to learn to put my pride aside. I have had to learn to be obedient to Him. This may sound crazy to some of you, but I have argued with God so much the last few years. I am an extreme introvert. I used to go to church. Sit on my pew and go home. I rarely talked to anyone and if I did they had to approach me first. I did not like going to church fellowships. Too many people and you were expected to talk and be friendly. I didn't like and being friendly. But my husband does! God began this season of growing by telling me to start going around and speaking to others at church BEFORE they spoke to me. What?! But, God you know I don't do that. That is very uncomfortable for me. He kept prodding me and I gave in. It is still not comfortable for me but it's getting easier. And when He told me to start a blog, I really argued with Him.There's no way I could blog. That means putting personal stuff out there for the whole world to see. I'm a very private person. I can't do that. Well, you can see what happened. Being obedient and putting my flesh aside has not been easy, but I am so glad that I did. I have a relationship with God now like I never had before. An elderly man at our church used to always say "Get self out of the way". That is what we have to do. Get ourselves out of the way, so that God can do His work through us.

Have a blessed day!
Lori

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 15

I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling pretty weak. I don't function without protein and I did not eat enough protein yesterday. When fasting I try to get my protein from eggs, nuts and greek yogurt, since I'm not eating meat.

Today's devotional from The Fasting Edge was so good that I'm just going to share most of it with you today. It is titled "Surrender Complete Control".

"It can be so easy to come up with reasons not to fast or to cut short a fast after you have started - especially when it comes to jobs, sports, our overly worshiped entertainment, and, last but not least, convenience. Fasting breaks the routine, and that is inconvenient. We can either submit to God or submit to the world. Likewise, we are either resisting the devil or resisting God. If we are not drawing closer to God, we are drifting farther from Him. Fasting is a choice to break the allure of the world and all its trappings as we put our flesh under submission When you turn from the things of the world and submit yourself to God, He will give you the grace to stand strong and resist the temptations of the enemy.  Especially on an extended fast like this 21 day fast, you will discover that time spent fasting, praying, and meditating on God's Word cleanses and purifies your heart and focuses your thoughts on things above rather that the stuff of this world.

It takes work to get your flesh under submission.  Paul explained that the flesh wars against the flesh. So you need to ask yourself: Which one are you empowering? Which one are you giving access to control your life?

I understand that sometimes on a fast you can't hear God speak over the sound of your stomach growling. I've been there! You can't focus on your morning devotions for thinking about oatmeal. (It is amazing how, during an extended fast, even the most bland foods sound wonderful) You want to read the Word, but you have a headache; you are cold and probably tired from the toxins being filtered out of your body. You might feel like you are just physically falling apart, but stay the course and don't let your flesh or the devil shortchange your reward. Now you can see why Paul so urgently warns us to "walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). You can be victorious in the battle between your flesh and spirit - and fasting, prayer, and feeding your spirit on God's Word will help accelerate the process.

There may be situations in your life, your ministry, your calling, your business, or your marriage where it seems like Satan is so deeply entrenched he will never be ousted. Don't believe the lie. Fast, pray, and wait upon the Lord. As you do, you will change your inner man to line up with God's will. Think about that when the enemy tempts you to give up on this fast, and determine that this is the time to press in like never before."

Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." 

Hang in there! We can do this!

Lori

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 14 -PERSISTANCE

We are in day 14 of our Fast. Woo hoo! We had a MAJOR prayer answered yesterday. I can't stop praising God! We found out a few months ago that our health insurance was going up over $500 in 2014. We have been very concerned and praying hard. There's no way we could afford $500 a month on top of all of our other bills. Our prayers were answered yesterday. God provided a way that most of it is going to be covered. Praise God! I feel like I got one elephant off my chest.

Don't give up! Persistence pays off.

From the Fasting Edge - "When you pray and fast, your persistence breaks resistance. It brings you to a place where you can feel God move powerfully in your life - but it also causes Him to feel your need. Whatever forces have been resisting what God had coming in your life, your persistence will break resistance. Fasting not only positions you to feel God - but it also positions God to hear your heart's cry as well.

You may have heard of the PUSH prayer model:  Pray Until Something Happens. It's a good reminder to be persistent in prayer. You may have other areas that need persistent prayer in your life, but today, if there is sickness in your body or mind, or in the body or mind of a loved one, begin to speak forth health and healing in Jesus' name. Begin to declare what His word says about healing. Your persistence will break resistance, just like the woman with the issue of blood. Her healing came about because she persisted and positioned herself where she could touch the Master. By your prayers today, position yourself to touch the Master. Speak words that release health and healing for your body, your family, your church, and others."

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

FOOD - My family's favorite way to eat veggies is to take potatoes, onions, zuchini, yellow squash, carrots, bell peppers & whatever other veggies we've got handy. Slice them or dice them where they are even in size so they cook evenly. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spread veggies out on parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and I use my hands and make sure all the veggies are coated in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and whatever your favorite herbs are (we love basil). Place in 400 degree oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes. Roasting the veggies this way really makes them tastes delicious. We love it. You can also do this with sweet potatoes. YUMMY!

Have a blessed day!
Lori

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 12 - HOW HE LOVES US

Good morning! Here we are at day 12 of our annual Fast. How are you doing? I'm hearing some great reports from some people that are fasting. Like I told you before, the first week I was discouraged about some things, but God showed up last week. He caused some things to happen that we've been praying about for a long time. I know it's not easy, but hang in there, you will be so glad you did.

FOOD - Again, Daniel Fast is no meat, no breads and no sweets, BUT it is all between you and God. We allow ourselves tortillas because we are so busy and it is easy for us to wrap something up in a tortilla and eat it on the go. Yesterday I made burritos for us to eat on for a few days. These were super fast and easy. Here's what I did:

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 can chili beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder (more if you want)
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1-2 teaspoons pepper
cheese (your favorite, we like cheddar with this)
ALL SPICES CAN BE ADJUSTED TO YOUR TASTE

I cooked rice in microwave according to directions. When rice is done, add all other ingredients and mix together thoroughly. I wanted to add corn to this also but Kevin didn't want me to. I think corn would be good in it. Heat coconut oil in skillet or spray a griddle with non stick spray. Put some of the mixture and cheese in middle of tortilla, wrap up like a burrito, place in hot oil or on hot griddle and cook until outside becomes golden brown on both sides. I put in individual ziplock bags so we can take to work for our lunches this week.

The last few days I have been completely overwhelmed by how much God loves me. Then yesterday morning, my Pastor preached on that as well. Pastor Phil said "If He gave His son, what would He withhold from us?" Can you imagine giving up your child. Knowing that you are sending him to be persecuted and tortured, to die a horrible death. I love my boys so much. I don't think I could do it. But God loves us so much and Jesus loves us so much that they did it just for me and just for you. Jesus didn't have to come. He could have said "no". The David Crowder song "Oh, How He Loves Us" keeps playing in my head. Here's a link to the video for you. Listen closely to the words and meditate on how much God loves you. There is absolutely nothing that you could ever do to make Him stop loving you. I am so thankful for His amazing grace, His mercy and that He loves me unconditionally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ

Have a blessed week!

Lori

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 8 - "BROKENNESS"

I'm going to be very transparent today which is extremely difficult for me, but God has put it on my heart so maybe someone else needs to hear it. The most difficult part of being a Christian for me has been to let go of EVERYTHING and let God have control. I am a control freak. I have always been strong... physically, mentally & emotionally. When my body started breaking down and I was becoming weaker and weaker, I was embarrassed and disgusted with myself for allowing that to happen. I am now getting physically stronger everyday. It's slow, but I'm getting there. It's funny how it takes so little time for our body to fall apart when we don't take care of it, but it takes an enormous amount of time and dedication to get it strong and healthy again.

My mother was very weak... physically, emotionally, she was just never a strong person. Both of my grandmothers were incredibly strong ladies and very Godly women. My grandmothers were my heroes. I loved learning from them. I would listen intently to everything they said and try to soak it all in. I always wanted to be strong like them. I promised myself at a very young age that I would never be weak, never depend on someone else to take care of me and always take care of myself. Being independent is a good character trait. Right? But, I also kept God at a distance. I didn't want God or anyone else to think I was needy. So, I would pray everyday, but for YEARS I would never ask for anything for myself. I could take care of myself, there were weaker people that needed God more than I did. He has a way of getting our attention. When my husband's kidneys failed in February 2010 and our lives changed forever, our church family came to our rescue. I love helping others, but I have a very hard time allowing others to help me. I had to learn to put my pride aside and allow others to help us. It was so difficult for me to admit that I needed help. We are so blessed to have some dear friends that saw through my facade and basically just stepped in and started helping. I was broken and finally let go and let God send the cavalry in to my rescue.

From The Fasting Edge "Brokenness is so precious in the eyes of the Lord. Brokenness makes room for Him to release His strength through our weakness in order to accomplish His plans. That is a crucial difference that we need to understand. Most of us struggle with the concept that is is our own strength that draws God's attention, when our strength is the very last thing God notices.

The brokenness that comes through fasting starts with throwing everything we identify as our strength down at the feet of Jesus to say, "Lord, I know I am limited.  I'm coming to You in brokenness, not in my strength, but in my weakness.  i acknowledge that You can do more through me, broken, than I can ever attempt to do on my own."  That is the type of fasting that connects with God."

2 Corinthians 12:29 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 

I'm praying for and I hope that you are also praying for me. Have a blessed day!

Lori

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 7

How is your fast going? Kevin & I are doing ok. It gets pretty comical because our son is not fasting so I cook meat for him & Kevin & I stand over the skillet and smell that aroma of beef or chicken. LOL. We have fasted at least once a year since 2007 or 2008, so we know it's worth it and we would never give up. However, we will have a big juicy steak on January 22 and savor every bite. :) 

That reminds me of something I want to share with you. When we started fasting in 2008 Kevin decided to give up chewing tobacco. He had dipped tobacco for over 25 years. He had tried numerous times to quit and would always pick it back up. But in 2008, he set his mind to it, prayed about it and quit. What started as a fast ended up with him being set free from over 25 years of tobacco use. I believe that fasting and prayer tears down strongholds.  

"Jesus was waiting on God for forty days and nights as He fasted in the wilderness. God was working on Him. There is a work going on in your life right now that you may not be fully aware of, but without fasting, prayer, and wilderness experiences, you will never be qualified to handle what God has for you in the future.  Fasting prepares you for what is yet to come. 

Fifteen times in the New Testament the Lord says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says."  You were born into God's family with spiritual ears. Having spiritual ears to hear from God is not enough. You must learn to use them. Hearing from God must become the highest priority of your life. Fasting is slowing down to speed up.  It's taking time to listen for your next set of instructions from the throne." 

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Jentezen Franklin says "one thing I believe all Christians must come to realize is if we are going to walk with God, at some point we need to get out of our comfort zone.  Life brings extremes. I trust the Spirit of God has led you into this season of fasting. Continue to follow Him. You will return in the power of the Spirit. with a fresh rhema word from God for your life. We want everything with a shortcut, but remember there is work to be done. His timing is perfect, and your time will come." 

Here's a chile rellenos casserole that looks pretty good and would be ok on Daniel Fast. 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chili-Rellenos-Casserole/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

I am praying blessings and favor for each one reading this post. 

Lori 

FIRST FRUITS/DANIEL FAST DAY 6

Matthew 3:16-42 When he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

Jesus was led by the Spirit to fast and pray in the desert before He ever preached one sermon, healed one cripple, freed one captive, or called one disciple.  All the while He was sharpening His edge for what was yet to come.  Satan did not want Jesus to succeed in taking back what Adam and Eve had turned over to him  when they gave in to their appetites and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

"We are driven by our flesh far more often than we should be.  We want what we want when we want it, and we want it now! Fasting "dethrones" the rule of demanding fleshly appetites so that we can more easily follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The wisdom of coming away with the Lord and sharpening our edge indeed brings success.  We see it modeled in the life of Jesus more than once.  If Jesus needed the power of the Holy Spirit in His life and ministry on Earth, then you and I need that same power all the more.  The days are not getting any easier.  The church desperately needs to regain the edge for the battles ahead."

Pray for a release of God's power to overcome any situation and for supernatural blessings to pour into your life as you prepare to fulfill the destiny He has given you.

Have a blessed day!

Lori

FIRST FRUITS DANIEL FAST DAY 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR! That comes with mixed emotions. 2013 was a year of heartache and blessings for me and my family, but so was 2012, 2011 & 2010. I am believing that all curses are broken and my household is moving into a year of blessings and favor. My youngest has been set free from drug addiction by the grace of God and for that we are truly thankful. But he still has some strongholds that need to be torn down and some maturing to do. Kevin got a new healthy kidney. We are overwhelmed at that incredible gift of life that God blessed us with. We are believing that he is going to be the healthiest transplant patient there has ever been. My sweet sister in love had two miscarriages last year. I still cry every time I think about it. She is now 7 weeks pregnant. Praise God! They are going to be such wonderful parents. I am so proud of them and so happy for them. And I can't wait to be the most awesome aunt ever!! This kid is going to be spoiled rotten!

We also started our own business in 2013 with Plexus Worldwide. We love the products and the company is incredible. Their compensation plan beats all others hands down. Between working full time, dialysis, then transplant, dealing with our son's rebellious behavior, then driving back & forth constantly to OKC and Lawton, we have not had much time to work at building our business so we are way behind most people that signed up when we did. We believe that God is going to send more customers and add ambassadors to our team in 2014. I want our team to have incredible testimonies of healing and transformation. I truly believe that these products were divinely inspired and that God is using them to help so many people get healthier than they have ever been.

Kevin and I started our fast today. This morning we had oatmeal and orange juice for breakfast. We have to eat black eyed peas today so I'm planning on making a stir fry with brown rice, black eyed peas, corn and onions and of course garlic. I always have to have garlic.

For our devotional during the fast we are using Jentezen Franklin's The Fasting Edge Journal. Today's passage was talking about recovering your passion. If you find yourself not feeling God's presence like you once did, fasting and prayer is a great way to draw closer to God and rekindle that passion that you may have lost. Passion is contagious. Lack of passion is contagious also. Remember to pray for your Pastor, worship leaders, deacons and other church leaders. They need our prayers and support. "The altar is not just for those coming to the Lord for the first time.  The altar is a place to get free from that thing that weighs you down and drowns out your fiery passion for God. Alterations are made at the altar. The altar is a place to alter your direction and get back on the right track with God."

"Pray that over the course of these twenty one days God will give you a new passion, a renewing of your first love, of the days when all you wanted to do was read His Word and spend time praying and worshiping Him".

Here's a link to a black eyed pea soup. It has meat in it but you can just leave out the meat and it would still be good.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-Hoppin-John-Soup/Detail.aspx?soid=carousel_0_rotd&prop24=rotd

I'm praying for you all and I can't wait to hear about the great things that God has done for you through this time of prayer and fasting.

Many blessings,
Lori

PREPARING FOR DANIEL FAST

In Matthew 17 a man brought his demon possessed son to the disciples. The disciples prayed for him and the demon did not come out. The man took his son to Jesus and told him that the disciples were not able to cure the boy. Jesus rebuked the demon and immediately the demon left the boy. The disciples asked Jesus "why could we not drive it out?" Jesus said to them "20 - because of the littleness of your faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21 - But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." 

We all have mountains that are in our way. Some mountains are small and some are HUGE. Casting out demons has to be one of the biggest obstacles you could face. Being diagnosed with a terminal illness; having a loved one addicted to drugs and there are other HUGE mountains that get in our way. Those HUGE mountains require HUGE faith and fasting. If you really and truly want that mountain to move, you can't just whisper to it or spend 5 minutes a day praying about it or crying about it or whining about it, you get what I'm talking about. You have to get SERIOUS in order to see SERIOUS results. Spending time in prayer, reading your Bible and fasting is serious. You are honoring God by denying your fleshly desires for food and maybe giving up a little television time to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. 

If you have chosen to do a Daniel Fast (no bread, no meat & no sweets) here is a list of foods to have on hand: 

Apples and peanut butter

Nuts

Plain Greek yogurt with fruit (I love frozen blueberries)

Cottage cheese with fruit

Cheese

Carrot sticks

Beans

Rice

Veggies 

Beans & rice

Stir fries with rice & veggies and/or beans

Vegetable soup

Tomato soup

Salad

Oatmeal

Eggs

Quiche

Veggie omelet

Potatoes - don't forget sweet potatoes

Here are a few links to some of my recipes that can be used for a Daniel Fast. The Gumbo and soup can be made without the meat and still be delicious. 

http://4newtons.blogspot.com/2012/05/broccoli-cauliflower-salad.html

http://4newtons.blogspot.com/2012/05/anti-inflammatory-sugar-free-cole-slaw.html

http://4newtons.blogspot.com/2012/03/healthier-gumbo-with-flaxseed-coconut.html

http://4newtons.blogspot.com/2012/02/belly-busting-soup.html

http://4newtons.blogspot.com/2013/12/scalloped-potatoes.html

Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014. 

Keeping you all in my prayers, 

Lori