STARTING OFF WITH A BANG

I don't know about you, but that's surely the way our year is starting off. The starting gun sounded and we were out of the chute!!!!! Here, it is already the 12th & this is only my 5th post.

So very much is happening and it is all GOOD and exciting. I have had a great anticipation for this New Year and this New Decade and what God is doing.

God began dealing with my heart about my Hearts In "1" Prayer Blog and I will be posting about that later on in the week.

As you know Oksana & Aric's great-grandmother, Beryl, was in town and we got to spend a lovely lunch with her, and our son, Marc, and soon to be daughter-in-love, Deann, on Tuesday.

Then from 4 to 6 we went to hear a new minister (to us) that our friend, Carmel, has been supporting. He was in town and a fast meeting was called and held at the Library and we went. His name is Rev. Sherlock Bally. I'm sure you'll be hearing me talk more about him as the year progresses. He was powerful!!!

Wednesday was of course picking up the grands and going to McD's and then church.

Thursday night at 7 Carmel, Wantha Ann & I went to another church to hear Sherlock Bally again. Another powerful, moving service.

Friday night was our at home prayer meeting and we had 2 new woman come who had not been here before. That was a blessing.

Then Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Mickey, Carmel & I went to ORU for a special meeting with Billye Brim. Also in attendance were Sharon Daughterty and Mother Tucker!!!!! So we were triple blessed. This was a special prayer gathering in preparation for an upcoming Empowered21 conference here in Tulsa in April. I will be posting separately about it later.

This meeting was absolutely glorious!!!! I don't think my feet have touched ground since :o) and Mickey keeps telling me he is going to have to put weighs on my feet to hold me down. There is NOTHING like being with a group of Christians who are on fire and who truly love the Lord and are following His leading. That was this meeting. What was really a blessing was seeing all the young people so on fire for God.

Now I'll share my "detail" personality (could be my accounting background). I keep a running inventory, on an excel spread sheet, of all our food items. Every once in awhile I have to take a physical inventory, because sometimes as I'm cooking I'll forget to take items off of the inventory that I'm using, so I spent time doing that big job. Also closing our our accounting records and books for 2009.

I have also been deep cleaning and going through drawers and my messy office. Do the rest of you have trouble keeping your offices clean? The rest of my house is no problem but boy can we (I) pile up the stuff and make a mess of our office.

I had told Mickey at the beginning of December that come January 1st I was not going to spend any money on groceries except for bread, milk, fresh vegetables, etc. To date I have spent $13.12 for a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, broccoli and cauliflower. Of course, being on a 21 day fast is facilitating this greatly!!!!

Last but not least, this is the 12th day of the 21 day fast I committed to and began on January 1st. I did a total fast (water only) for 3 2/3 days (I was trying for 4 but broke down and ate supper on the 4th day). Since then, and for the balance of the 17 days I am eating only 1 meal a day. Actually, after the 3 2/3 days the others have been easy. I immediately lost 9 pounds eating nothing and then during these 8 days since gained 2 of them back and now lost them back, so my total weight loss is 9 lbs. Since I have 33 lbs to lose that leaves me 24 to go.

Got BIG news to tell you about a new ministry Mickey is starting but I'll save that for another post.

We are excited about what God is doing and going to do within His Body this year !!!!

Almost forgot: the 21 day fast I put myself on will end on January 21st. Then Sunday night our Pastor called for a church-wide fast for 21 days beginning on Sunday, January 24th!!!! Haven't decided fully yet what I will fast for those 21 days but I will enjoy January 22nd & 23rd!!!!!! Doesn't God have a great sense of humor? Surely will help me take off more of those 24 lbs.