Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Tyndall on TV



An interesting thing happened today.  A news reporter contacted me and said she found our family blog and would love to interview us about adoption.  A local family has recently been in national news about their adoption journey, so the reporter wanted to get another adoptive family's take.  I thought it was pretty cool (and would make a fun blog entry!), so at 12:30, plans were made for the crew to come to our house at 1:30. {Read--only an hour to get the house and myself and Tyndall presentable for tv.}


Matt was at work, so I called him to give him a heads-up, but they were busy at work, and my phone didn't ring when he called me back.  So... sweet husband arrived home for lunch just as the tv crew was getting to the house as well.  He had NO IDEA why a news crew was at our house.  The look on his face was priceless!  He was such a good sport. 

They were here for about an hour and asked us about our adoption, our blog, and our thoughts on the "Save Veronica" movement.  I tried not to get too political with my answers related to the case, because the truth is, it's a very complicated case.  But ultimately, I do believe {from everything I've read}, that the birth father signed away his rights and had nothing to do with the birth mother or pregnancy, so the adoption was legitimate.  I believe Veronica was very loved and cared for for the first 2 years of her life with her adoptive family, and I think it's wonderful they and birth mother seem to have such a great relationship.  I do hope Veronica will end up reunited with her adoptive family but also have some kind of relationship with each of her birth parents... BUT... I will admit that I do not know the whole story surrounding the custody battle and probably never will. I have read details of the case here, though, and would encourage those interested to do so as well.  I'm certainly glad I wasn't sharing my opinion as an expert, only as another adoptive family who is excited that the ruling of the SCOTUS upheld adoptive law.


They ended up using more of our interview than I thought they would, but they used less of the 'b roll' stuff I thought they would use.  They had taken some shots of Tyndall 'standing' in his crib with his name mural in the background which I thought would have looked cool. I'm thankful they left the part in there about God having His hand in the details of adoption.  


Our blog even got some air-time... so cool!




I enjoyed working with Ava and John, the crew from ABC News 4.  And I thought Tyndall looked pretty awesome on TV. :)   
You can view the whole 2:22 here.  And I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the case if you've been following it. 
 
P.S.  Fellow blog friends, you never know when your blog will get you a tv interview, so keep it updated! ;)
P.S.S.  You never know when a tv crew is going to come to your house for a news interview, so keep your house clean. ;) 
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

St. Patrick's Day Adventure

It really didn't have anything to do with St. Patty's Day, but I guess it does make it a little more memorable. 

Tyndall is finally big enough to fit in a carrier + it's beautiful these days in Charleston + I was craving some outdoors time = we headed out on an 'adventure' to Caw Caw Interpretive Center


Ginger, Laura, another Matthew, and the three of us piled into Laura's new Dodge Journey Sunday morning.  We made a stop at the grocery store to pick up some stuff for a picnic lunch.  After our eclectic picnic, we were off to the walking trails! 


 You may or may not know that I have a fascination with alligators.  I love them.  I especially love seeing them in their natural habitats, but not-too-close.  So, Caw-Caw was perfect.  Not too far into our walk, we spotted our first gator... the first of 11!

Ginger with our first gator-sighting!


 Not too long after our first gator sighting, we had our second snake-sighting.  But, this one wasn't a little baby black rat snake like the first, this was a Cottonmouth. Very poisonous.  In the middle of the walking path.  Thankfully, we spotted it a few yards before we got to it.  We attempted to startle it so it would move out of the path-- it didn't.  And it seemed way too interested in us when we tried to take the skirt of the trail and leave it be.  So, we just waited.  And waited.  And we let it move off to the side before we walked by.  Well, we QUICKLY walked by, on the opposite side of the trail.  And the adventure continued. 

It was soaking up the sunshine too.
Can you see it in the middle of the pic?

Matt was a trooper to carry Tyndall the whole 2+ hours of walking. 



The biggest gator we saw... from a distance!  Probably 12ish feet but can't be sure. 







Enjoying more of the beautiful day before we headed home!
My thirst for alligators and sunshine and quality time with family and friends was satisfied.  I also can't wait to go back!  We are truly blessed to be able to live in such a beautiful place with such fun, free things to do!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Liebster Award: 11 Things

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by a new blog friend, Ashley. She blogs over at Expecting Miracles so go show her some love. Thanks for thinking about me, Ashley!

  This award is given to new or up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers...the award is then passed along to other bloggers in the same category to help spread the word and support one another.

11 Things About Me:
1.  I don't like eating meat from a bone. 
2.  I love to travel and learn new things about different people and cultures.  
3.  Fall is my favorite season because I can wear sweaters and flip-flops at the same time.
4.  Matt and I met in 1997 when he was in 7th grade and I was in 9th.  When we first met, he was scared of me because I was kind of a punk. We had band together that year in school. 
5.  My best friend is Ginger who I met when we spent the summer together on 'Summer Project' with Campus Crusade for Christ in Gatlinburg, TN.  
6.  I used to love riding horses and hanging out at a horse barn and everything that involves.
7.  I have super sensitive smelling powers. 
8.  We've lived in our house for almost 3 months and haven't done anything in our yard.  I'm afraid we're going to get kicked out of the neighborhood. 
9.  I love being a big sister to my 2 younger sisters... and so thankful that we have all become close friends. 
10. I am NOT a plant person.  Every plant that has ever been under my care has met an early demise... 
11. I confuse myself by being an introvert who loves people and a task-person who is not nearly as organized as I used to be. 


Ashley's Questions For Me:
1. If you had to choose one of your 5 senses to give up, which would you choose?
    This is hard, but I think I would give up smell. 
2. What is one thing on your Christmas wish list this year?
     A Pyrex dish with a cover and a carrier so I can make stuff and transport it easily.
3. What was your favorite subject in high school? Least favorite?
     English was my favorite... anything science was my least favorite.
4. If you were a crayon, which color would you be?
    Purple Mountain Majesty... why?  I have no idea.
5. What is your favorite home cooked meal?
     "Mrs. Judy's Chicken" which is Parmesan-crusted chicken in small pieces. 
6. What is your favorite movie of all time?
     Way too hard to choose just one... favorites are LOTR trilogy, Gone with the Wind, 
    Sound of Music.

7. Do you have any tattoos?
     No. I'm a chicken. Matt has 4 or 5, and I've been with him for 2.  Does that count? :)
8. Have you ever traveled out of the country?
     Many, many times.  My earliest trip was when I was 9 months to London.  My longest 
    time overseas was 9 months in Central Asia.

9. What is your dream vacation?
     Alaskan cruise.
10. What scripture or quote has been the most encouraging/inspiring to you in life?
     Ephesians 2... especially the first 9 verses. 
11. What is one of your goals for 2013?
    I don't really do goals. (Maybe I should.) But one of my hopes is to complete our first
    adoption!





My questions for my Nominees:

1.  What is your favorite thing about the Christmas Season? 
2.  Do you like shopping? 
3.  Where is the farthest you've been from home? 
4.  Aside from your spouse or child(ren) (if applicable), who is the family member you are closest to? 
5.  Would you rather eat out for a week straight or have someone make you meals at home for a week straight? 
6.  Who are your top 3 non-profit organizations to joyfully give money to?  (In other words, is there an organization you enjoy giving to?) Why? 
7.  Describe yourself at the age of 16 in 3 words. 
8.  What's your favorite part of a beach vacation? 
9.  Last movie you saw in the theaters?
10. Most helpful thing you could pass on about money management? 
11. What's your favorite Christmas song? 

My New Nominees*:
Mindy at Mindy's Non-Adventures
Jeannene at La Casa de Pacheco 
Kristin at Kristin With an I
Debbie at the Lowthers
Gracia at A Committed Follower

If you receive the award, there are a few rules to follow...
1) Each blogger nominated must post 11 things about themselves.
2) Then answer the 11 questions the tagger has asked
3)Blogger must then create 11 questions of their own to ask the bloggers they decide to nominate
4) They must choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate and link them on their blog post
5)Bloggers must be notified of their award!
6) No tag backs!

*I understand everyone is busy, especially during this time of year. Don't feel like you have to participate if you can't find the time. I would love to learn more about you, though, if you can!
 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

ABC Meme

Got this from my friend, Kristin, AND in the process, I learned what "meme" means... it's a French phrase that means "the same thing".  I had been wondering about that forever. :)

A. Age: 29 (for a few more weeks!)
B. Bed size: King.  And I'm thankful. 
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning bathrooms.  Used to love doing it for others.
D. Dogs: 2. Nala (5 year old pitt mix) and Zoe (1.5 year old Great Dane).
E. Essential start to your day: Shower.
F. Favorite color: Purple.
G. Gold or Silver: White gold. 
H. Height: 5’5.5”
I. Instruments you play: Used to play flute.  Now, really just Pandora. :)
J. Job title: Ministry Assistant for Media and Publications.
K. Kids: None... yet.  Gosh, I hope it's soon.
L. Live: In Charleston, SC... in an apartment for a few more days, then our first house!
M. Mother’s name: Beth.  :)
N. Nicknames: Trish, T, RickiPat, Patty Pat, "Treasure"
O. Overnight hospital stays: in Turkey on summer project. 
P. Pet peeves: I have lots but am blanking at the moment.
Q. Quote from a movie: "I ain't been dropping no eaves, sir, I promise."  Takes me back to college. :)
R. Right or left handed: Right. 
S. Siblings: Two younger sisters.  Love them! 
T. Time it takes you to get ready: I liked Kristin's answer and could identify, but usually 20-30 minutes.  I should take longer and blow-dry my hair, but I never leave myself enough time.
U. Ultimate Vacation: Would love to go on an Alaskan cruise or Mediterranean cruise. 
V. Vegetable you hate: Brussel Sprouts. 
W. What makes you run late: Trying to do 'just one more thing' before I head out the door.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Many head x-rays after falling from horses, x-rays to both ankles/knees/legs after ankle/knee/leg injuries.  Back/hip x-rays at the chiropractor.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Easiest thing I love to make is Pampered Chef's Jerk Chicken Nachos.  But I don't usually have limes or any produce, so it's just chips, chicken, cheese and seasonings.... yum!
Z. Zoo animal: All of them... except if the monkeys are eating their own waste.  I still have a very unpleasant memory of the Fort Worth Zoo for that reason.  BUT, I love most animals and love watching them!

Was fun to do something different! 
Y'all got any other good distractions?  


What? I need to go home and pack?  

Okay... 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Compassion Children

The last weekend of August, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Compassion International at a Beth Moore conference in Charleston.  

I was soooo excited to go and get to serve in this way.  We have come to love Compassion and our sponsored girl, Gift, over the past 2+ years since we started sponsoring her.  

During a worship song that I snuck into the auditorium for.

There was something special about being at a conference with 9,000 (mostly) women worshiping God and learning more about Him.  It was also very special that the conference planners know that giving is a huge part of worship.  They had opportunities for people to give to other great organizations like Samaritan's Purse as well.  The worship leader shared about his heart for Compassion, how he has gotten to meet one of his sponsored children and how sponsoring a child helps him teach his children about perspective.  They also showed a video of lives who had been changed as a result of the ministry of Compassion. 

After that section of the conference, we were very busy at the Compassion booth.  We got to help ladies find children with the same birthdays as their child, or children who were in a certain part of the world, or who had certain physical traits.  It was very special.  After my second shift, I learned that there were about 400 children who got sponsored that weekend... wow!  What a blessing!  

a small portion of the available children
But my mind was truly blown by just how many children still need sponsors.  Sponsors in places like America, where people pay $60 to go to a conference for 10 hours.  Sponsors who probably get to go on trips and eat out at restaurants while there are children in other places of the world without the basics.  We're talking basics, like regular food and clean water.

Click on this picture to be taken to the Sponsorship Page.
 

I'm not judging.  I'm just challenged.  I'm asking:  How do we balance the blessings we've been given with the needs of many in this world?  Would love to know your thoughts on this.  I am well aware that there's no one-size-fits-all answer.  What does Scripture say, and how does that fit into our modern-day culture?


I've been in a VERY similar hut.  This was not just for show.  It's reality for a LOT of people. 


Seriously... I'm asking. :)

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Saturdays

I used to take Saturdays for granted.  Then I worked at Verizon for 2.5 years and didn't have any Saturdays.  I Looooooooooove Saturdays now.  They will be even better when Matt is teaching, and we have Saturdays off together.  But for now, I'm starting to figure out how to fully enjoy Saturdays and fit it as much as possible. 

Last Saturday, I met Celeste for breakfast.  Definitely a treat!  Going out to breakfast is my favorite thing, but it was extra special to catch up with a long-time friend.  (We've been friends since 2004).  After breakfast, we still had lots to catch up on, so she came with me back to our apartment.  We talked and caught up while doing dishes and laundry.  It was pretty perfect.  Being productive AND hanging out with a good friend. I need to do this more often!  

Today, I got up pretty early (I think I'm too old to really sleep in now) and decided to take the dogs to the dog park before it got too hot.  On my way, I decided to see if I could pick up my favorite 2 year old to take her with me.  Her mom happily obliged. :)  So, Allie and I took Nala and Zoe to the dog park... the very muddy dog park.  I totally should have turned around when I saw the puddles, but I knew my girls (the dogs) needed to get some energy out.  Well, we had SOOOO much fun.  All 4 of us got muddy and messy but burned up a lot of energy and made some fun memories.  It was a blast!  

Dropped off a muddy 2 year old almost 2 hours later and came home to wash up my two girls.  Neither of them like baths, and it's not very easy to man-handle either one of them into the bathtub, but I somehow managed to get them both clean.  Felt like a HUGE accomplishment!  Matt came home for lunch, and I straightened up a little bit while he ate.  I LOVE that he can come home for lunch now and will probably miss that when he teaches.  Then again, I'll be working most of the days that he teaches, so I guess it doesn't matter... 

This afternoon, my friend Lauren (also the momma of my favorite 2 year old) picked me up, and we got to enjoy an uninterrupted afternoon hanging out (hard to do since she's a busy wife and momma of 2 + a new exchange student from Australia.) :)  But we had sooo much fun enjoying chatting at Starbucks then going to the grocery store.  (Again, mixing friends and productivity... it works well!)  

My heart is full.  AND I get to enjoy an evening with my honey and a day of family tomorrow.  We are truly blessed.  I don't want to wish this time away.  I don't know how long this season will last, so I want to treasure it while it's here.  Soon enough, Saturdays will be full of new adventures and joys (with home-ownership and parenting on the horizon).  New responsibilities.  For now, I'm going to enjoy my pups and low-maintenance apartment as much as possible.  

(P.S. Sorry no pictures. The beloved camera is MIA and has been for about a month now.  Pretty bummed about that.)

Monday, June 25, 2012

You Might be a Cares Team If...

You bake in bulk.
You have about 30 signs like this in your car and/or hall closet.


You stock-pile (donated) drinks from one event to the next.

Again, baking in bulk.

And baking Green things in Bulk!

Your kitchen gets full of friends helping prepare food for 200 people.

You make fruit pretty.

Have I mentioned that we bake in bulk?

You give out Breakfast to your neighbors on their way out of the apartments.

You have a dedicated Cares Thirty-One utility tote (and often use a few more!).

your Halloween pumpkin looks like this.

You have LOTS of candy and LOTS of cookies for passing out treat bags at Halloween.

You cook in bulk.
And you actually use the Microplane Grater from Pampered Chef.

You stock-pile dog treats to pass out at pet events.

You have 300+ of these in your freezer to give out to neighbors at the pool.

You have LOTS of these signs in your hall closet.

You buy in bulk!
Just a few pictures to show what this "Cares" part of our lives is like.  We do 3 events every month for our neighbors at our apartments.  We also visit all the new move-ins and neighbors whose leases will expire in about 3 months.  We also have a Book Club, Walking Club, and Ladies Bible Study.  We definitely stay busy and enjoy getting to know our neighbors and building friendships with them. 

Monday, June 11, 2012

iPad 2 Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations... "Uncle" Steven!!!

Y'all, he reallllllly wanted to win.  I was SHOCKED when random.org came back with one of his entries.  



There were 194 entries as a combination of donations, Facebook shares, blog comments, Coupaide purchases, and blog posts!  And it was a last minute donation by Matt's brother, entry #192 who won!  

A total of $1040 was raised through this fundraiser for Baby Flagler.  Thank you so much to all who participated and helped us get closer to bringing him/her home! 

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Everyday Life

Awhile back, I asked if anyone has questions for us in this unique season.  My friend Kristen responded that she wanted to know more about our everyday lives.  Since one of the main purposes of this blog is to journal and preserve memories... I thought it was a great idea.  So, here goes. 
Mom keeps us well-stocked with yummy creamers. Great way to start the day.

Mondays... If Matt opens, he gets up around 6:15 and gets to work by 6:45.  If he closes, he sleeps in and goes into work at 11:00.  Sometimes, he goes in for another shift in between.  He usually takes Nala (and now Zoe) out before he goes to work.   I usually get up around 7:30 (or sometimes 8:00 or 8:15) and get to work by 8:30 or 8:45.  Matt doesn't eat breakfast.  I eat breakfast on the way to work and drink my one cup of coffee (thanks to my Keurig!) throughout the morning.  At work, Matt checks animals in and out of the vet, calls owners of pets to schedule appointments or remind them of their appointments, weighs pets, gets them their medicines, and does LOTS of other things to stay busy.  He comes home for lunch, which varies depending on when he goes into work.  He takes Nala and Zoe out during lunch and chills for a few minutes then goes back to lunch.  
Matt with the girls.

I usually eat lunch at work (used to eat what the chef for the childcare center made, but now I take my own since I'm doing Weight Watchers).  Mondays I usually work on updating the church's website and processing sermon videos to post online.  Depending on what's going on at the church, I often have lots of other projects going on.  

Once we both get home from work, we figure out something to do for dinner. If one of us planned ahead, we took out some meat to make.  If we didn't think it through ahead of time, we will make something from the freezer.  :)  Monday evenings, we usually watch tv shows from the night before online.  Usually, it's Amazing Race and/or Celebrity Apprentice, but they're both on a break right now.  One Monday a month, I do a Book Club with our neighbors through Cares.  

Tuesdays... (Normal daytime).  After work, we usually have a family dinner at Dad & Gail's.  They usually keep out niece, Hailey on Tuesdays, so the whole family converges on their place for dinner.  It's one of the many perks of living in the same town as family.  After family dinner, we come home and tend to the pups then spend time doing things around the house.  And sometimes, we will watch a show together. Bachelorette online currently.  (Of course, this depends on whether or not we can pickup free internet or not.) 

Wednesdays... (Normal daytime).  Since a couple of weeks ago, I stay at work late on Wednesdays and meet Steven at a Weight Watchers meeting.  After weight watchers, we have dinner with Matt. 

Thursdays... I love Thursdays.  For the last couple months, I've been meeting with some ladies and studying Beth Moore's James.  I rush home to straighten up my apartment.  Ladies start coming over around 6:30.  We usually start with snacks and catching up.  Then we discuss the homework and watch a video.  I haven't been great at keeping up with the homework, but when I do it, it's always on time.  And even just the teaching videos that we watch on Thursdays are full of wisdom and encouragement and challenge.  Plus, it's great to spend time with these new friends and learn about how God is at work in their lives and pray with one another.  A lot of times I crash after Bible Study.  While I'm doing this, Matt is usually working on school stuff or Cares stuff. 

Fridays... I have a love/hate relationship with Fridays.  When I get into work, my coworkers and I have a devotion from Experiencing God.  Then we have breakfast together, and my day gets crazy after that.  Preparing worship media, sermon PowerPoint, sermon notes, printing the weekly newsletter, updating the website, and LOTS of other stuff.  Thankfully, my coworkers help with this a lot.  But still, lots of Fridays, I work late.  By the time I get home, I'm exhausted and like to do nothing. :)  

Worship media.

Saturdays... Saturdays are usually filled with Cares events-, planning, shopping, or actually doing them.  And sometimes we do things with friends.  Sometimes we go on walks, but we call it "looking for alligators".  Which we see often.  There are several who live in the big neighborhood we live in.  I love alligators... from a distance.  Housework. Laundry... more laundry.  

An alligator Matt saw recently.  But not in our neighborhood.


Sundays... Church. Lunch at Grandma's with the family.  Hang out over there for awhile.  Home for housework.  We used to have Community Group on Sundays, but we're taking a break from that for awhile.  Gives us more time to do a better job at Cares.  We look forward to joining back with Community Group eventually.  Also on Sunday nights, we have Family Movie Night.  This is at Mark & Steph's house with them & Hailey, us, and Steven.  We watch Cupcake Wars until Hailey goes to bed, then we pick a movie to watch.  It's usually pretty late by the time we're done with that, so then we just head home and get ready to start the week.  
Movie Night.
Of course,  every week is different.  We try to find time to spend together.  We spend time loving on our dogs.  We go on walks. We go to the dog park.  We cook and bake.  We hang out with friends.  We watch movies and play games.  We have friends over for dinner & games.  

Most weeks depend on Matt's schedule.  He works 4 days each week and spends the other days doing housework, working on Cares stuff and working on school.  

Each day is also affected by our ongoing wait for our baby.  Each day, we pray and hope and wonder.  Will this be the day our lives will change forever?  

In the meantime, we wait.  And go on with everyday. :) 



Thursday, April 12, 2012

Credit Card DEBT FREE!

Source
We cut up our credit cards in 2009, after we used them to buy our plane tickets to Thailand.  BUT, there was still a hefty combined balance at that point... 

A combined balance that equaled more than the cost of a car... more than a year at each of our private colleges... more than one of us made in a year.  A HEFTY combined balance.  

First, we paid off our personal loan (also taken out for us to move to Thailand.) 
Second, we paid off our smaller credit card. 
And last week, we paid off our largest, LAST credit card!!! 

We are officially credit-card-debt-free! 


We did it in our own way.  Not exactly Dave Ramsey style.  But we did learn some things from his class, that we halfway took in 2009. (Remember?)  

These are some specific things we did to knock out our credit card debt. (And you can too!)
  • Spent less money than we made.  Not too easy at first.  Took some getting used to. (Shocker!)
  • Both got second jobs. (This was hard for awhile, not gonna lie.) 
  • Got together an emergency fund.
  • Cut WAY back on eating out. (We both LOVE eating out and still do occasionally but not near what we used to. We also went through a few slumps in this area but with Matt's leadership, got better.) 
  • Became a Cares team. 
  • Cancelled our Cable. 
  • Cancelled our Internet. (Thankfully, we can get the apartment's free wi-fi!)
  • Sold our body for medical research. (Well, Matt did.) 
  • Put "extra" money (like school loan 'refunds', bonuses, babysitting money, gifts) toward debt. 
  • Refinanced car loan for much lower interest than our credit card interest.  Put the 'extra' toward credit card.  
Even with the new car and student loans for Matt's grad school, our net worth has increased due to us getting the credit cards paid off.  The next step will be the cars (mine first, then Matt's), then Matt's student loans.  


Bottom line is: if we can do it, you can do it!  Talk to us if you have any questions.  We are both big advocates of not using credit cards anymore.  And so are both of my sisters!  Go Tyndall girls!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

This Adoption by the Numbers

Source
6,741 dollars raised towards our adoption. 
6 fundraising events so far.
22 days since our "missing" packet was mailed from Myrtle Beach to Columbia. (Now considered lost.)
33 days since we heard we could move forward with our home study.
1,000 dollars paid out for our marketing fee. 
167 days since we were told "not right now" again.
1,000 dollars paid out for our home study. 
307 days since we were told "not right now".
3 meetings/interviews with our social worker. 
4 profile books made to introduce ourselves to expectant parents. 
300 dollars paid out for adoption training. 
340 days since we attended Bethany's adoption training. 
500 dollars paid out for the formal application fee.
515 days since we went to Bethany's informational meeting.
50 dollars paid out for preliminary application.
576 days since we decided to pursue adoption.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Questions?

So... what questions do you have for where we are these days? 

Most of my intention for this blog is to keep in touch with family & friends, but it's also going to serve as a memory-keeper for me.  It's a good place for me to record things in our lives. 

Keeping the two things in mind, what would be good ideas to blog about?  


Thanks for your feedback!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Daniel Fast

I shared on Facebook that I recently completed the Daniel Fast for 21 days.  Just want to share a few more of my thoughts.  If anyone is considering checking it out, feel free to contact me with any questions.  If I can do it, you can do it!
 
(Sorry no pictures.  Was having formatting issues. Thoughts are in list form because that's how I'm thinking right now.)
  • The Holy Spirit used some posts on Facebook to prompt me to do this.  I'm thankful I was obedient.
  • I mentally prepared myself for about a week. (This might have been the hardest part.)
  • Stocked up on produce at Costco.  This was not necessary since I am just one person and even though I was eating exponentially more produce than normal, it did not justify buying grapefruits, grapes, strawberries, apples, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, peppers, lettuce and the mini oranges in bulk. I will remember this next time. 
  • The hardest part for me was drinking ONLY water.  Prior to this, water would, 95% of the time, truly make me nauseous.  Just never drank a lot of water.  And I can get unlimited coffee, sweet tea, and lemonade at work for free.  But, guess what?  It IS possible to drink ONLY water.  For me, I definitely needed the Lord's help the first few days. 
  • The first couple of days, I had crazy headaches and was super tired.  Obviously, this came from going to coffee/tea drinker all day to no caffeine at all.  Also, I had very limited protein at first.  Went home from work and took loooooooong naps the first couple of days. 
  • Tried a lot of new foods.  This is a big deal for me.  New likes: quinoa and peppers.  Other things I ate: PLAIN oatmeal (added cinnamon and raisins for texture), beans (once I realized these were a good source of protein), dried apples, dried strawberries, dried bananas, chips & salsa, mushrooms & onions sauteed with olive oil, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, fruit smoothies.  
  • Survived eating out on the Daniel Fast: ordered side salads with no dressing/no cheese.  Used oil & vinegar, salt & pepper to flavor.  (Realized it IS possible to eat salads without Ranch dressing.)  Also ordered sides of steamed veggies and a sweet potato without butter/brown sugar.  Macaroni Grill for my Mom's birthday was a challenge. The yummy bread and cheesy pastas were very tempting. :)
  • Survived baking a couple batches of chocolate chip cookies.  (Did you know that it IS possible to bake cookies without eating one or two fresh from the oven?)  :) 
  • Survived a road trip without coffee.  This one is a neat testament to the Lord.  I drove up to Columbia for a bridal shower for my sister.  It was a cold, rainy day, and I usually get tired when driving for longer than 20 minutes. So, I had sorta already pre-meditated that I would get Starbucks in Columbia for the ride home.  I had a gift card, and it was really for my safety (at least, that's how I justified it.)  When it came time for me to go through the drive-thru, my car just didn't stop.  It was almost like God whispered to me you can do it.  That was a very special ride home.  :) 
  • A major key to this being successful was having prayer partners. My special friends Shari and Ginger were praying with me throughout the fast.  At times, I could honestly feel it.  Even got some special texts with sweet encouragement.   
  • To be completely honest, I can't say that I got any major spiritual revelations.  I definitely could have found more time for concentrated prayer.  Did spend more time in the Word with more journaling than I've done in ages.  But, next time, I will be more intentional with time in prayer. 
  • I am honestly still a little shocked and surprised that I actually did it.  I learned that God has given me much more self-discipline than I thought.  With Him, I truly can do more than I think I can.  The only other time I've had an extended time of fasting was giving up chocolate for Lent in 2006.  
  • I don't think I lost weight.  Though this wasn't the goal, I wouldn't have complained if it had been a side-effect.  I was sorta expecting it because of the water thing and eating smaller meals throughout the day.  Not disappointed, but just throwing it out there. I think a lot of people EXPECT to lost weight, so I will just go on record saying that I didn't. 
  • Several take-aways from this fast:
    • Drink more water.  Now that I know it's possible, I plan to drink some everyday. 
    • Eat more produce.  Feels pretty good. 
    • Cheese, bread, chocolate are not necessary to survive.  Remember this. :)
    • God is bigger than cravings, and He has given me self-control as one of the fruits of His Spirit. 
Okay, so that was a lot of writing.  But hopefully it will help me to be able to look back on this and remember this season.   And it may even be encouraging to you. 


If you are interested in learning more about the Daniel Fast, you can visit this website.  You can also listen to this webinar.  


Has anyone else done it?  Anyone have any questions?