A New Thing….

This makes me a little anxious as I type..

But most REALLY GOOD things begin that way don’t they?

Over the past 3-4 months, God has taken me down a new path. It has been a period of focus, wrestling, fasting, and more wrestling.

I dove head first into the Whole 30 this summer, because I found myself struggling with some gut issues that were presenting themselves as bloating, irritability, sleeplessness, more bloating, and heartburn.

I did some research and decided the Whole 30 would be my first and best course of action. If you’re not familiar, the W30 requires you to give up dairy, legumes, grains, alcohol, sugar and artificial sugar. It was not easy, but I had the support of a few friends who helped me focus!

And wouldn’t you know, the results came! I felt amazing. The choice to give up foods that didn’t serve my body well became easier, and I had the privilege of guiding some other women through a similar experience!

But I kept finding myself coming back to two foods when I was tired, hungry, bored or irritated.

I prayed a lot over this. I do not believe in legalism or that we MUST give up all food groups forever to be healthy. But my reliance on sugar and a glass of wine to entertain me concerned me.

So I prayed. I fasted. I prayed some more, and today, on my 41st birthday, I am beginning a journey unlike any I’ve walked before.

On my 41st birthday, I am committing to giving up

sugar and alcohol for 365 days….

You read that right. An entire year.

I’m sharing for many reasons.

1. I know that I’m not alone in turning to food and drink before I turn to my Savior.
2. I know that my story is not my own, and that God calls us to share the good, bad, ugly and scary to encourage one another.
3. Selfishly, sharing with you will keep me more accountable!
4. I have been inspired by so many other strong, courageous women, and I sense God telling me to inspire you with my story!

So many verses are guiding me in this, but the first one I want to share with you is this:

God is constantly showing me that He wants to do something NEW in me! Refine me. Use me in a new way. Reveal new strongholds and sin in my life that are keeping me from walking closer with Him!

And I won’t lie; I am HUNGRY to go deeper with Him through this journey!

My Plan

It’s simple, really.

No alcohol or refined sugars for 365 days.

I know there will be lots of questions:

• Am I giving up artificial sugar? No, not entirely. I will consume stevia and erythritol very conservatively.
• Will I cook with alcohol? Not at home, so I remove that temptation.
• What happens if I slip? Well, unless I slip in a puddle and land face first into a cake, I don’t believe in slips. I believe we CHOOSE to divert from our plan. I will be praying hard for Holy Spirit power to help me!
• What do I hope to achieve? A greater reliance on my God to meet my needs – physcial, spiritual and mental – above anything else.

I do plan to keep you updated here and on IG weekly! Just to share what God is doing and hopefully encourage you to chase hard after Him in ways He is calling YOU to!

For now, I could use your prayer above all else! That I would lean in and not get distracted or comfortable in this journey!

If you would like to join me, I’m happy to link arms! But don’t rush into anything because I am doing it! Pray for yourself. Seek God’s will in your life. He will show you the way!