40 Day Family Fast Update: Week One

Well, our 'fast' is going very well. We made it through one week.

It was incredible to be reading the Word so much. I am reading through the whole bible in these 4o days and am using this bible.

I love it! It is arranged in such and easy to read way. I just finished with the whole section of the Law. This bible is arranged in chronological order and combines repeated scriptures. Also included are little 'commentaries' that explain what is coming up or why this section is placed where it is. It also give a little historical background. I thought I was going to skip over these because I have so much to read, but find myself so interested that I can't skip them! I bought this years ago when the children and I were reading through the bible as part of our school. I am so glad I have it. I would not want to be reading through the bible any other way. It really reads like a story.

We are all pretty much on track with our reading. A few of the children needed to adjust the amount of pages they read each day to finish on time. I think they were surprised by how much time it would take each day to meet their goals. Everyone is rededicated and on track. The conversations we are having around what we are all reading is so great.

We made it through our first weekend without TV! Yeah! Brian and I always have 'date night' on Saturday and watch something we have taped, Top Chef or an old West Wing, while enjoying popcorn and kombucha. Not this week. We pulled a few comfy chairs together, read our bibles, and played some cards. It was very nice.

For family night, on Sunday's, we usually watch something for an hour with the whole family. Usually, 19 Kids and Counting, but this week we visited grandparents and came home and had popcorn and kombucha! And later on Sundays we usually have 'big people' night, Brian, myself and the two older boys. We watch something from Food Network for an hour. But this week we played cards and got whipped at Spades by the boys!

This past week seemed busier than usual and we seemed to have way, way more strife than usual. We are excited to press in and seek the Lord, together.

These are a few of our key verses for our fast.

Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].

Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met]. (Joel 2:12-13)

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a straight and right way for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. . .
So we fasted and besought our God for this, and He heard our entreaty. (Ezra 8:21 & 23)