The Daniel Fast

I want to fast. This time I want to tackle some life decisions I have to make and trust God in everything. However, the fasting part comes in specifically to focus on getting closer with God. In the past, I did like weekly fasts or 30 day fasts and even lent in college, to take something out of my life for a time. I've done no sugar, no soda, no television, and all kinds of other stuff, but I did all these fasts in the past to make myself sacrifice something. I never once understood the true concept of fasting. It's suppose to be for God. Why was I doing it in the first place? Why did I pick no sugar or no soda? What was the meaning of it all? Well, I did it to sacrifice something that would help me loose a few lbs. It worked, but didn't last and sometimes I gave up. I even embraced the lent season in college. Often at Messiah College they have different cultural and spiritual events for you to take part in to feel included in the campus social realm. So, I did lent one time and took a brake for 40 days from myspace and soda. I don't have a myspace account anymore, and this was all of 3 years ago too. I didn't stop drinking soda after that and ironically, I didn't spend much time with Jesus. Wasn't I suppose to do that? Wasn't that the whole point?! Yeah, it was the point.

The point of fasting is to spend time with God and give up things to subtitute them with Jesus. I didn't realize that before. I was nieve - haha. The Daniel Fast has been on my heart for a good month. Today I decided to research it and read up on it. If you get a chance, you should read up on it too. It's interesting. You know, God never once says in the Bible to fast. We as Christians aren't required to do it to enter the Kingdom of Heaven or really be a part of this believer's family. No not at all. It's a personal choice, but God does specify that He wants us to spend time with Him. In Song of Solomons, God calls out to us and when we draw near to Him, He will in return draw near to us.

I've decided to start looking into preparing for the Daniel Fast. I have to figure out what the requirements are, what I can and can not do. I also will be praying about it and asking God how long He wants me to do it. That's a very key point. How long should I do it and what am I doing during it? This fast specifically focuses on eating only certain foods while focusing on spending more time with God. My adventure starts soon on this and I want to really press in and spend time with God more. It's important and good stuff.

So in conclusion, my encouragement for you all today - if you are searching for something, if you're wanting a deeper relationship with God, if you're searching for your purpose in life, spend time with God and see if He wants you to fast something and focus on Him. God wants you. He wants your heart. He wants your attention. He wants your life. He gave you life, lets give it back.

Blessings from my heart to yours :]

Don't lose the Hope found in His beauty

"Don't loose Hope, Jenelle," is what I heard when I woke up this morning. God revealed and spoke to me this morning before I even began my day. He knew that today would be different for me. He knew I would face some things that would bother me. He knew I would drink 4 cups of coffee and be sitting down writing a blog note at almost 10 o'clock at night. He just knew every thing about me. He knew I wanted to give up today on every thing and anything. God knew I rose this morning without hope. So, He woke me up to remind that my hope isn't to be lost, but to be found, rooted and established in Him.

Today was an easy, but hard day. I know both of those words are complete opposites, but that was my day. I didn't have much to do except go get a hair cut. The hair cut was relaxing and easy, but the hard part of my day was trying to find my hope. As I just sit here at the end of my day, God revealed to me scripture verses about hope. There's one that stuck out to me from the book of Psalms and its from Psalms 31:24. It says, "Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord." There's quite a few verses in Psalms that are good to read about hope in the Lord and this one just stood out to me the most.

There were times today that I felt like I was hopeless. What I mean is that I feel like my future doesn't hold much for me. I feel used up, disappointed, hurt, wounded, and thrown aside. However, what I am reminded of the most is that God is my hope and in that hope in my Abba Father, I can be free and trust again. I think I've talked about trust before. It's hard to do if you have a past of betrayel, hatred and mistrust from people who have hurt you. That was me long ago it seems, but now, my hope is to be found in a being that doesn't or hasn't betrayed, hurt, wounded or thrown me aside ever.

It's a time of strengthening my heart. Really, this season that God has placed me in has been a very initmate season. It says in Song of Solomon 4 that God longs for His bride. He wishes to stare at our eyes, see our faces and hear our voices. It's been a season of big change for me and the biggest is being called to love God on a deeper and romantic level. In this level of covenant with God, trust and hope are established. It's just mind blowing to me. As I sit hear at my laptop and desk, I can't fathom this whole thing. I think I know how I am loved and where my hope is found, but I don't have the slightlest little inkling. I know it, but I need to KNOW it for sure. That knowing feeling needs to be so deep that I don't sit here again and write about how bad I felt today.

In 1 John, God says I am an overcomer. Today was a day of overcoming doubt and fear personally. I have nothing to fear really, because my hope is in Christ alone. That is where my trust should be grounded. It's hard man. We all have pasts that tell a specific story, but it's time that I rise up and forget the past. Sometimes the past can creep up and try to dictate how I feel or what I should feel and those are assignments that kingdom of hell have for me, but the Kingdom of Heaven knows my future so that's it. That's it! It's finished when Christ died on the cross. My pain, sorrow, hopelessness, doubt, fear, loneliness and more were finished and taken from me. God did it long ago. Why do I feel I need to face hopelessness everyday then? I'm only human. I'm not perfect. We all aren't perfect. So there's going to be days were we fall and don't make the cut of the day, but it's okay because God rescues us.

I know today Jesus rescued me. I know He became my hero today. He swept me up today in His arms and loved on me in our quiet time together. He became my hero today and it felt good.

Photography through His eyes

So, I've begun my search for the perfect camera that fits my "talents" in picture taking. I've been looking for a camera that will suit my needs as an amatuer photographer. In hopes that one day I wish to go wherever I want and take pictures at no cost. I've chosen the Nikon D40 as my target purchase. I was in a couple of stores where the D40 was sold and I got a chance to play with the settings and buttons. It's such a simple camera without the bells and whistles that a hard-core professional needs to have. One day, I want to have a 1500. dollar digital camera, but that's future plans. I think the Nikon D40 will suit me.
I've been taking pictures a lot since I got my little verizon LG dare cell phone. It has a 3.2 mp quailty. When did we ever think companies could put a 3.2 mp camera in a cell phone? Most phones today have about a 1.3 or 2.0 mp. I remember when my sister, Ashley, got her very first digital camera from HP. She got it for the christmas of 2001 and the camera had a 3.2 mp quailty in it. That was just 8 years ago. Even though the process of quailty imaging is progressing slow in cell phones, I think it has the potential to get better in about 3 years or so. I know my LG dare is great. I upload a lot of photos to Facebook and sometimes twitter. It makes for a good gadget to have fun with.
I've been wondering why I've become so interested in taking pictures and spending time outside more than I have time for. The interest started over a year ago. I thought it would be fun to learn some things about photography. Well, I had my first chance to actually get involved with digital photography this summer. I took an art class online through a community college in my area and I made out well for a grade and I learned a thing or two about photography. I never understood shutter speed or aperture before this summer. It's good to know how to use your camera, whatever camera you have, because you can get the best you want out of your device. It makes for a better experience and better pictures for your memories/keep sakes.
The biggest thing I discovered about my growing interest in photography is, I can take my time and learn how to take pictures and view things through God's eyes. It's quite a beautiful world out your front door and it just needs to be appreciated and explored. I was such an adventurous girl when I was little and I loved the outdoors. I loved camping, flowers, fields, farms, climbing trees, etc. I had to grow up quick when I was a young teen and I hid that part of me away for about 7 years. I just recently rediscovered that adventurous part of me and I think photography is a good outlet for it. Also, I get a chance to spend some time with an awesome Dad. My Father from Heaven desires so much, to spend time with me. So taking pictures, which I plan to start doing this autumn season, is going to be great.
There's this song from the artist Brandon Heath called, "Give me Your eyes." He sings about looking through God's eyes at people and creation in general. I want to get to that point where I can view everyone and everything as beautiful and wonderfully made by the Creator. It's important to do so because God's creations are precious and amazing. Photography can bring that out. Whether I can snap a picture of a dog running in a field after some bug that is bothering their nose, or snap a picture of my sister baking in the kitchen or snap a self-portrait of myself, it's all about the beauty in the picture. I think I want to learn more about God through His eyes and I want to learn more about life and myself through His eyes.
In the future, I plan to post my pictures and write about them. You'll see those soon. I speak a D40 into my hands. I prophecy beauty in everything I will see and snap up in a moment of photography making.