The Daniel Fast - Day 1

So my friend Chris suggests a fast might be a good idea. The Holy Spirit soon convicted me and I heard about the Daniel Fast. I suggested it to my wife and she was in agreement. The fast is for 21 days starting today. We are giving up any animal products (meat, eggs, milk, cheese, ....ect), any kind of sweetener including honey, artificial preservatives (will my body survive!), bread with yeast, white rice, white flour, and I'm sure I've not named everything. Yes I know what does that leave to eat you may ask?! Fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans, and brown rice (yeah beans!). Oh and only water to drink. My wife will not be able to drink her oh so precious coffee. I love milk and meat and am hoping God knows what he's doing. ;-) We are only supposed to eat reasonable portions at meal time and 2 small snacks a day with 500 gallons of water each (maybe that's exaggerating but it feels like it).


So day 1 has come to an end. It's weird to eat and not be completely full. As an American that's a "privilege" we enjoy to eat until we feel like we will explode. I also gave up facebook since it was taking too much of my precious free time that should be spent with God and my family. I'm definitely feeling the physical effects of the food change. I know it's a good process but it doesn't feel or smell that way. I have found myself talking to God much more today than I have lately. I feel like God is definitely wanting to show Lori and I some things during this time. No the kids aren't fasting with us. That would be cruel and unusual punishment for them although Collin is quite fond of beans and liked the rice and bean dish we had tonight. I am thinking about some sort of fasting (not necessarily food) for the kids. Maiya is a little young but I think Collin could really benefit. I'm sure he will fight it but we shall see.

More Ramblings

I really do need to get better at updating. Chris pointed out(Thanks Chris) that I hadn't updated how God had provided for One Heart Many Hands. I last reported that God had provided the registration fee through a family member and us somehow having extra money at the end of the month. (that never happens!) You have to love God's math. Well Lori was especially ready to give up and prayed that if God wanted us to go he would provide someone we trust to watch the kids. Not even and hour later good friends called and said God wanted them to watch Collin and Maiya. Wow! God is definitely growing our faith. Now we still have to come up with the remainder of the funds before June but that should be an easy one for God! ;-) I can't imagine if God is providing for this "small" trip how he will provide when we are called overseas. Lori and I seem led more and more toward Eastern Europe. Albania and Hungary have been brought to our attention as of late. The plan is unfolding much slower than I would like but God's timing is perfect. Our call to teach children and to reach the lost through them is clear.

As I sit here on this nameless Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, I wonder at the despair the followers of Jesus must have had. Everything they had hoped for, believed in, and witnessed was gone. They watched it all die on the cross with Jesus. What glorious hope tomorrow brings! Jesus is risen and I am so thankful that he is Lord of my life. Happy Easter to all my friends and family out there. Thanks for your continued prayer and support.

Blessings,
Adrian

Confirmation

I'm going to have to post everyday to fit all my thoughts in. Lori and I were both set to go to One Heart Many Hands and really feel God leading us to go. We even had a family member provide most of the registration fee for us which was a huge blessing. Now suddenly we don't have someone to take care of our children while we are gone. We are trying to discern if this is God closing that door or Satan trying to keep us from going. The registration will be due Sunday so there's a bit of a time crunch. I was needing some confirmation and went to the Our Daily Bread devotional and today's devotion was on Phillipians 2. See my previous post. That was the passage that God led me to for this trip. The whole situation got me feeling down and questioning our calling to missions when my son's devotional tonight referenced Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. I feel more strongly than ever that God is bringing us much closer to going overseas. I had several people bring to my attention that we could just be "missionaries" to people around here because there are many people needing help. In a sense they are right. We are all called to be missionaries in our own neighorhoods and jobs. God has just called my family to go to a different culture to tell them the good news of Jesus. We are still not totally set on what to do about our mission trip this summer but will continue to pray.

Stepping Out of the Boat

Where do I start. My last post was starting the new year and so much has happened since then! To start I'm being "reassigned" to a lower paying position at work. Needless to say that has caused a lot of concern and worry. Lori and I have been in the waiting for a few years now and God seems to be pushing us out of the boat. (a reference to Peter walking on the water to Jesus) We have been trying to see what God is trying to tell us in this situation. We are solely leaning on him right now. My insightful music pastor asked if God might be telling us that it's time to go into missions. The signs seem to be pointing in that direction. We have been looking into teaching English overseas and that is probably the route we would go. The question is how soon.

On another note we are possibly going to One Heart Many Hands in Orlando Florida. It is a giant Work and Witness program that the church of the Nazarene puts on before their General assembly. About 3,000 people will complete almost 200 service project in some of the poorer areas of Orlando. I can't wait to see how God will use this. I am helping to make plans for our church group to go. I was drawn to Phillipians 2:1-4 while praying about it.

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. This year will definintely not be a boring one!

Happy New Year!

I am watching the sun come up on this new year 2009. (I wonder how many times I'll write 2008?!) 2008 wasn't an easy year by any means. You'd think I'd want to forget it. The Bauer Family went through some major struggles including my Nana passing, financial stuff, and some health problems with several of us. Through all of this God has been there. I would have to say I am much closer to the Lord than I was a year ago. I am cautiously optimistic about 2009. Some of the struggles don't know it's a new year and that they need to go away! Things are looking up. Pun intended. All I know is that I am starting the new year in God's will and pray each day that He keep me there. Somehow all this craziness is bringing us closer to God and serving him as missionaries. God is definitely using this time to prepare us. If I had a new years resolution it would be to show more hospitality. I won't go into the root of that word but somewhere it lost it's meaning with many Christians. By nature I'm an introvert and a bit of a hermit but God is stretching me. Some good friends of mine are really good at hospitality and often have people over at their home. I'm learning you don't have to have an immaculate home and be the best at throwing a party to show hospitality.