re: Bible Accountability

Quoting grace life:" Usually, yes. Sometimes I think giving up things that are important (to focus on what is MOST important) ... [snip!] ... faith, your walk with God, etc. There's no "one size fits all" with fasting, and how God wants it to be applied to our lives. "

Well, I've got an understanding with God, and that's where all that's at...

I like that idea, though, of giving up things that are important too...

Quoting Blue Song:" Well, I've got an understanding with God, and that's where all that's at... I like that idea, though, of giving up things that are important too..."

Yea. I mean, for me if I ever gave up something like...chocolate, it would never do anything for my spiritual life. But to give up something that I actually enjoy? That's more difficult for me. I have to put my trust in God, that He will really cause my life to change somehow.

Quoting grace life:" Yea. I mean, for me if I ever gave up something like...chocolate, it would never do anything for my ... [snip!] ... enjoy? That's more difficult for me. I have to put my trust in God, that He will really cause my life to change somehow. "

So you're giving up something that's important for the sake of your religious life, rather than just giving up something for the sake of saying you're giving up something?

Because that's awesome. I have so much respect for that...Is this to do with Lent? I had googled fasting a little bit, and it's what popped up...

Quoting Blue Song:" So you're giving up something that's important for the sake of your religious life, rather than just ... [snip!] ... I have so much respect for that...Is this to do with Lent? I had googled fasting a little bit, and it's what popped up..."

Yes, and no I don't do Lent (not in the traditional sense.) I'm not catholic. I try to fast a few times a year, it just so happens I've started to try to read the Bible in 90 days (I usually do it in a year.) and have been thinking about finding a way to fast while doing so -- to really try to soak it all in.

Jesus once said, "And when you fast..." An indicator that he expected Christians to fast, not just on some "special" occasion. I think it walks the line of being pure religion..."tradition", ya know? Instead, I think fasting should be an issue of the heart. I'm not against people who do Lent, it just isn't something I do (or feel convicted about.)

<blockquote><b>Quoting grace life:</b>" Yes, and no I don't do Lent (not in the traditional sense.) I'm not catholic. I try to fast a few times ... [snip!] ... should be an issue of the heart. I'm not against people who do Lent, it just isn't something I do (or feel convicted about.) "</blockquote>

I agree. In the past I haven't really done lent because I hate how people treat it. But this year God layed it on my heart to do the love dare. So it just do happens it came during lent. Which Lutherans do have te option of practicing but it's not like required. But we celebrate the season of lent at church. Well us Lutherans celebrate everything haha. I think it's so we can have potlucks  

Quoting grace life:" Yes, and no I don't do Lent (not in the traditional sense.) I'm not catholic. I try to fast a few times ... [snip!] ... should be an issue of the heart. I'm not against people who do Lent, it just isn't something I do (or feel convicted about.) "

I think I knew that Catholics and Christians were different...I'm pretty sure that was logged somewhere in my memory.

So you just fast for the reasons you've stated, rather than it being obligatory?

I'm sorry, I will stop bothering you eventually, I promise!   But I have one more question...I'm not a Christian, no interest in that side of things whatsoever...but is there a way to apply this outside of religion? I think it's an awesome idea to fast off of something important for whatevers more important, and it wouldn't be a bad thing to apply in my life.

Quoting lolajessup:" <blockquote><b>Quoting grace life:</b>" Yes, and no I don't do Lent (not in the traditional ... [snip!] ... we celebrate the season of lent at church. Well us Lutherans celebrate everything haha. I think it's so we can have potlucks  "

  We joke that "fellowship = potlucks" for most churches, haha.


I have friends who celebrate lent by doing various things. My friend says they pick someone to pray for every day, another friend says they often start a new family routine (this year it is to go on a walk nightly after dinner.) Stuff like that.

Quoting Blue Song:" I think I knew that Catholics and Christians were different...I'm pretty sure that was logged somewhere ... [snip!] ... idea to fast off of something important for whatevers more important, and it wouldn't be a bad thing to apply in my life."

You are fine with your questions, not bugging me at all. And yes, I fast because I want to get closer to God. No other reason.


And sure, I think so. I mean, fast from something that takes attention away from your husband, or children. Surely we, I know I can, all stand to strengthen those relationships. Or fast from spending money on something, and instead save that money and then donate it to a cause you support. I think there are numerous ways we can use this "concept" for good. This is small, and not really fasting, but we stopped buying ice cream. That saved us 5$ every grocery trip (we got a box, or two, each time.) Instead, we hand a 5$ gift card to the person behind us in line every single time. It's a very practical way to give to someone else, which is something I want my kids to have a passion doing.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Blue Song:</b>" I think I knew that Catholics and Christians were different...I'm pretty sure that was logged somewhere ... [snip!] ... idea to fast off of something important for whatevers more important, and it wouldn't be a bad thing to apply in my life."</blockquote>


Not bugging us at all  

Yes fasting would be something personal, nothing you feel obligated to do, but something that you choose to do and feel you should do. Sometimes we might not *want* to do it, like giving up something we feel is important to us. But typically you find that you didn't really need it to begin with and you can focus on something else.

Of course you can do fasting for other things besides being closer to God. You can do it to be closer to other people close to you. I've given up BG for school before. I like Dee's idea of giving a gift card away instead of buying ice cream. Bein a good person isn't just for Christians or people who are religious. I make it a point to get off BG when my fiancé gets home because I have noticed I spend less time with him and more on here. It's hard and it's always a temptation but I do it so we can become Closer.

And there are diff denominations of Christians. All basically believing in the same thing(God, jesus, the bible) but have diff ways of practicing it. I've been to many types of churches and find they're all the same core. Just different little Rituals they do, or styles of worship, or even different attitudes.

Oh and I wanted to add. A lot of times it's not giving something up that God lays on my heart. But rather more often He lays things on me that I should do. Such as working on my relationship using the love dare or giving something back to others (like random acts of kindness or paying things forward). One of my big ones that God layed on my heart for years that I was too lazy to follow was counting calories. I have felt that's what I needed to do. I've always felt like God was telling me "this is how you need to get healthy". But I always ignored it. I finally decided to listen a year ago and it definitely blessed my life in diff ways. I felt like he wanted me to be healthy otherwise I would have faced some medical consequences.

Ladies, just keep me in your prayers as I try to make a difficult decision on whether I should switch career paths or not.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Mommeee™:</b>" Ladies, just keep me in your prayers as I try to make a difficult decision on whether I should switch career paths or not. "</blockquote>




Praying!!

Quoting The Blissful Six:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Mommeee™:</b>" Ladies, just keep me in your prayers as ... [snip!] ... as I try to make a difficult decision on whether I should switch career paths or not. "</blockquote> Praying!!"

thank you so much

<blockquote><b>Quoting Mommeee™:</b>" Ladies, just keep me in your prayers as I try to make a difficult decision on whether I should switch career paths or not. "</blockquote>

Uh oh. Aren't u in school and already changed majors a lot? Or was that someone else? If so, i'll pray for God to lead you in the right direction so you can finish school already  

Our co-op is having a play date this morning to meet another family, see if we'd like to invite her to join our group (we'd be adding FOUR more kids!) I always feel nervous at these things.