Fresh Start--Establishing New Habits

• Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies
• She looketh well to the ways of her household
• She openeth her mouth with wisdom...

I've already shared a little about the "light bulb" moments that came while I was at home for the holidays, and that the first thing I did toward my fresh start was to spend a little chunk of time one day at the church praying. I know that I don't have to be inside a church to pray, but there is something special about spending time in the sanctuary for the sole purpose of prayer. The Lord graciously allowed me the chance for space and privacy to spend some quality time repenting, praising, and seeking direction.

One of the things that the Lord dealt with me about while I was at home was going on an extended fast. I'll share more about fasting later, both Biblically and from a personal perspective, but I knew that part of the fasting, in this instance, was not just food, but other things that I allow to distract me from the purpose that God has intended for me. I knew from the start how long I was supposed to fast, but I but I wasn't sure when I would start or what all it would involve, I just knew I needed to spend some time "set apart" for the Lord.

When we got back to Georgia after the holidays and back to normal everyday life, before I knew it I was slipping back into my old habits of distraction and time slipping away from me while I accomplished nothing.

I realized after a couple of days that I was hiding again--from the very changes that I knew I needed to make. While I knew they would be good for me, and in the long term I would be glad I had made them--in the short term, they were going to hurt. A Lot!

So after some thought and discussion with my husband about my plans, I gave myself a start date of Monday, the 11th to begin my fast and to start to really set things in order that were out of balance and out of focus.

This weekend, which was our first Sunday back at the church we attend when we're in Georgia, I discovered that they had a church-wide fast scheduled, starting--you guessed it--Monday, the 11th. Even in the little things, like scheduling "the hard stuff", He works things out so that I don't feel like I'm out there all on my own!

So what are the changes I'm making and new habits I'm working on?

• The television is staying off. All day. I have a bad habit of leaving the tv on all day "in the background", but I watch more of it than I admit, and it keeps me from getting done what needs to be done. When my husband get home from work, he turns it on, but until then, it stays off.
• I'm leaving the computer off until at least noon or later, and turning it off periodically the rest of the day. I'm limiting my time on social media--twitter and facebook, as well as blog reading.
• I'm spending more time in prayer. Not just the quick "bless me" or laundry list of needs type of prayer, but having the time--or taking the time, which is more truthful, to spend quality and quantity time with the Lord
• I'm beginning to get back to really studying the Bible. I wanted to do the "Bible in 90 days" challenge, but I felt like the timing was off for that, so I'm holding off on that till later, and using this time for detailed study.

I can't begin to tell you what a difference these few things are already making.

No more looking around and suddenly wondering where my day went, I look around and realize that I've done what I need to do for the day and I still have time left to work on my coupon binder, or read a book just for pleasure.

There's a pervading sense of peace around the apartment. At one point today I thought about turning on some music, but I realized that I actually liked the quiet--and it's much easier then to listen for that "still, small voice" that speaks us much more often than we realize.

This post is linked to:

Works for Me Wednesday, at We Are THAT Family

Until next time...