Chris Seed "Caffeine"

You say, "I am allowed to do anything" - but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything" I must not become a slave to anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

For Lent this year, I decided to give up caffeine. The decision has been on my mind for quite some time. Caffeine can be addictive and so innocently. I rationalize it by saying,  "There could be worse things I could be addicted to".

Flashback with me to when the Bubba mugs had just come out and they were so popular. I would go into a local gas station to fill it up everyday without realizing the habit was overtaking me and it felt like buying the had become a “need” instead of a “want”.

Back to the present, my usual caffeine intake on any given day would be coffee in the morning and flavored water with added caffeine. No more soda in my life. However, I was still feeding the addiction to my brain. The day after I had made the vow to give up caffeine for lent my brain felt like mush. However, I was not surprised. Slowly but surely, day after day, I have come to a deeper understanding of what it means to fast from something. I've had to say no to caffeine more than I thought I would; especially on stressful days – which seem to appear more often than not.

So instead of caffeine in my diet, I have replaced it with more prayer that I would not become a slave to anything like Paul says, and that God would continue show me His will for my life. I never want to be out of step with the Holy Spirit and if it means being conscious of what I can and can't have, then that’s what I want to do.

-Chris Seed

Lance Grimes

Fasting---Google’s definition of fasting is to “abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink as a religious observance”. Not saying Google is wrong or right, but fasting is more than just going without something. It’s about taking something away and replacing it with something more, something better.

When I decided to give up Facebook it felt kind of like a joke. Like “I don’t spend that much time on Facebook”. But now that I am 20 days into it, it feels good, I spend more time reading my Bible app, praying; I even decided to exercise with my wife. I feel almost free. Not to say that I still don’t want to “troll” Facebook, because I do.

In place of Facebook I have been reading a 40-day plan called “40 Days of Lent.” It is about the last days that Jesus walked on this earth. It spends most of the time in Matthew talking about parables Jesus teaches. Don’t take time for granted, get your life right now because you are not guaranteed tomorrow.

God bless,

Lance Grimes 

What is this thing!?

We are on this "fasting" journey to prepare ourselves for the Easter season. Beyond that though, we are trying to turn and re-orient our lives towards our Savior Jesus! Therefore, we will be sharing the stories of those who are journeying with us! Please feel free to share in the comment section about your own experience! Let's encourage one another through the process. Let’s “CONNECT” so that we can have a deeper relationship with the Lord!

Happy reading and fasting!!!

I'm already hungry!!!

It's the first day, and I think: "why are we doing this?" But this is the point right! To help us remember that we are "ash" and to "ash" we are going to return. Then all of a sudden I remember that I do not just need coffee - my laying down - I need God's word written on my heart! 

"Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care"     Psalm 95:6-7

I'm like this poor dumb lamb! I can't seem to realize my propensity to rely on my own strength to get through life. My prayer today is that I would bow down to him - in a real physical and spiritual sense - and worship the only one who is worthy.