Welp, it's been an interesting couple of days. I may consider it a bit of an experimentation period, or a testing period, or whatever. I began to feel re-convicted of my time-wasting skills... haha. I mentally forced myself to add up all the hours I waste, mainly in front of a computer, when there are so many more things to do, fun things and things that fall under the category of responsibility.
When I was fasting weekly last fall, fasting from food, I felt a call to fast from the internet... did I respond to God's call? I sure did: I responded negatively and didn't obey. Why is it that I say I am willing to do the hard things that God calls me to, that one day I will be willing to follow where He calls and obey when it is a big issue, when I can't even prove my faithfulness with little issues? Idiotic, if you ask me.
So 3 nights ago when I was praying and reading, I was smacked in the head by a quiet voice whispering, "Sarah... give it up. Give it to me. You know you can do it, and you know I want to test your obedience to me even if you don't understand the purpose... You promised... you promised..."
How can one ignore a pleading voice in your head? I don't think you can. You can TRY, and you can push it aside, as I did, but it always resurfaces, begging to be heard. That's the Holy Spirit doing some convicting, there.
So yesterday I greatly limited my internet time, and today I totally fasted from IM chat and cc.net. I prayed about email and the school website and felt as though the Lord were saying it was okay to check those.
Was it easy? No. Was it as hard as I thought it might be? No. Despite the mucky weather out and the typical boredom that goes with it, I found many things to do, the most important that I spent a lot of time with the Lord... a lot! Whenever I found myself staring blankly at the walls in my room, I whipped out the Bible, my study guide, journal, and some good ol' John Piper.
I also spent some quality time with a couple of friends that I have just started getting to know. God is so good to provide for me! He brought me friends just when I needed them! And um... he lets me have starbucks now and then too... He is so good, hehe

Oh my, I miss my brothers! I am sure that by the end of this three day weekend I will be ready to be away from them, but I just caught myself gazing at my pictures of them on my desk, and goodness gracious, they're so cute! And my babies... and I miss them... I hope my kids someday will be as cute as Sam and Austen are. Of course they will be.

I watched the fog come rolling in tonight as we sat in Starbucks. Right behind us looms a hill that is covered with evergreens, but as I watched, some of the evergreens became immersed in wispish clouds, creating the illusion of snow and Christmas. I love the holiday season, but I sure am ready for summer and lakes and sun and family and biking and walking on trails. But I sure do love fog. It's mysterious and deep and intense and murky... all sorts of mystic secrets could be hiding behind it's billowy walls. Fog and frost are probably two of my favorite fall qualities.

Haha, I am really reflecting on all the seasons without even meaning to. I better stop before I get to proclaiming the joys of radiant Spring.