I have had a lot of questions about the fast.  Peeps wanting to know exactly what I am fasting from and the details of how I am doing it… so feel loved because I am writing a blog at 7am.

I am fasting from…

1.  Grains and Sugar.
2.  The occasional glass of wine that I have.
3.  My phone from 9am-7pm

#1 has been a journey that I have been off and on for the past year, but it is STILL hard.  Yesterday during some homeschooling drama a piece of chocolate would have made everything much better.  I found myself a little crazy headed and I knew that this was the purpose of the fast… to pray when things get challenging.

(here is my go to blog for yummy recipes.)

However, #3 is the MOST difficult.  I honestly felt like my right hand was missing all day.  Unfortunately this reemphasized the addiction that I have to this.  I realized that too often I mindlessly scroll thru my iPhone just to temporarily "leave" my circumstances.  Kids going crazy… scroll.  Stopped at a red light… scroll.  Lunch time with my kids… scroll.  I'm scrolling wayyyyyy too much.

So how did I put down my phone for 10 hours?  I simply put my phone on silent.  I did not check it at all until mid morning and mid afternoon, when I had a break from homeschooling.  I only did that to make sure my hubs hadn't called with something important.  Otherwise all texts, calls, and social media alerts had to wait until 7pm.  I knew God was working in me in this area.  Every time I went to grab it, I felt the conviction of the Spirit.  That was confirmation that He wanted me to do this.

Here is the best part… every time I have a "withdrawal" I draw near to God by praying.  I simply wrote 3 things to pray for on the fridge.

My 3 things I'm Praying for… (I won't tell you the actual requests, but I will give you an outline to use.)

1.  Something that God is probably already doing.
2.  Something miraculous that would definitely be an answered prayer to our family.
3.  And something IMPOSSIBLE.  Something that is so big, it could ONLY be God.

I am definitely excited about the #3 prayer.  It sure makes the #3 fast seem less important.

Wade and I have been a part of Life Community Church for almost 3 years.  It feels like we were family there even before we moved to Wilmington.  It's just that kind of church.

Each year we participate in a church-wide fast for 21 days.  I wrote about this fast back in 2011 (you can read that here.) when we first experienced it.  Each year gets easier but has its own challenges.  Each year we have seen tremendous growth in ourselves and breakthrough in different areas of our lives.

From the words of Pastor Tim Blevins…

I didn't realize how nervous I would be to write this post until today came.  I've never really put much emphasis on my writing before and the pressure almost made me want to quit before I even started.  I know it sounds silly because it's just a blog, but it always seems that when you finally decide to DO something towards a dream, there is always some sort of block.  Mine is usually always mental.

I remember the day that I started this blog.

In 2009, just after my second born, I was sitting in front of my computer and somehow stumbled upon someone else's words.  Her words encouraged me in a simple way and I remember thinking… I can do that.  I was probably still in my pajamas that morning and I'm pretty sure that I looked a mess, given that I had a newborn and an 18 month toddler running around.  But despite the messy hair, the pjs and the breakfast that was probably still sitting on the table, I remember that feeling of passion that always comes forth when you have a dream.  Something ignites inside of you.  And like with any new dream… you hit it hard and run after it full speed.  (Or at least I do.)  But somewhere a long the way, life gets hard and dreams seem to die down.  Dreams get put on the back burner for later or maybe it just seems that it wasn't for you.  Or my favorite… maybe now isn't the time.

I am a dreamer.  I have many dreams.

I want to be a writer one day that inspires many and carries His truth to people that may be sitting in their pjs with spit up on their shirt.  I want to go to Africa and wash some little babies feet, while singing Jesus Loves Me to their little hearts.  I want to stand beside a stage and watch my husband deliver a powerful word to people in other countries and watch millions give their life to the Lord.  I want our family to build a home and I want to go crazy with all the decorating.  I want an old school bus that is painted by kids on the outside and on the inside has clothes, food and other needed items… Then I would drive that bus into the poorest part of the city and let people come and get what they need.  And my craziest dream… I dream of being a ballet dancer.  Not for anyone else to see… just me and the Lord.

Pretty much all of these dreams are impossible.  They just are.  Especially the dancing.  I mean come on… some of you may even remember my clubbing days.  I.  CAN'T.  DANCE.  So why would God give me such crazy dreams that He wouldn't allow me to accomplish?  I don't think He does.  

I think Life sometimes causes us to relent on our dreams, big or small.  But God is unrelenting.  He never stops pursuing us and He wants to set us up for success.  I have small dreams too.  Like to make it through the day or to be a better teacher/ mom to my kids.  I think God sees these as the same… big and small, equally important.  It all matters to Him.

So why do we give up so easy?  I know that when I stop thinking about my dreams, my joy leaves.  And when my joy leaves, I have a very hard time just making it through a typical day.  And that sucks.
It just does.

But when I am dreaming… wow.  I can accomplish anything.  Anything seems possible and I am moved by the excitement.  Dreaming allows us to push forward through our current circumstances by creating hope for the future!!  And God is honored through that.  He is honored when we have joy and when we have hope.  It is from that place of contentment, that we can be the Light that we are called to be.

I don't know if I will see all of my dreams come into fruition during my lifetime.  But I do know that without dreams, my joy is lost.  So I am determined not to focus on the outcome, but to focus on the Dream Giver.  It is through Him that there is joy, peace, hope and true contentment.

So I say to YOU that this is the year to Dream.  And the year to Do.  Do what you love and change what you don't.  Just say no to what makes you blah and say YES to what gives you joy.  Dream big.  Even if it seems impossible.  Keep dreaming.  Cause God does not relent and He doesn't want your dreams to either.

Today amidst the homeschooling, the christmas shuffle of getting it all done and the baby juggling, I somehow managed to just sit.  And instead of sitting in front of the tv, digesting a pound of corn chips (I have never done that before), I decided to open up my computer and read some old blog post (like this one).

It was liberating.  There is something so great about having these stories on screen so that I can actually look back and see all that we have been through as a family and how far God has taken us.  It's all about perspective people.  If we can retain perspective in life, it truly allows us to sit in a place of thankfulness.

Last week our pastor's wife delivered a powerful message of what we should leave behind this year and what we should carry into the New Year.  It really hit home for me.  I have always done the goals and resolutions for the New Year, but I have never pondered on what baggage I should leave at the door before walking through the new.  Make sense?

In other words… what crap can I leave out of my life in order to make room for the abundance of goodness that He is just ready to give me.


1.  Negativity in front of the mirror.  No more will I stand in front of that huge, bathroom mirror and pinch back the places that I would love to see gone.  I mean… how I never saw this as a bad start to my day is crazy.  BUT… no longer.  I will embrace confidence and I will force myself to say nice things about the image He created.  After all, I am created in His likeness.

2.  The need to be the "fixer."  When I am told a "problem" my first reaction is to "fix it."  Which nine times out of ten, usually leaves me stressing about how I can be the one to make things better when in reality I really need to be looking to Jesus and speaking life into the situation first.  After I do that… then just maybe HE will give me wisdom as to how to fix it or peace to just stay out of it and let it be.

3.  Throwing the "maybe one day's…" out the window.  I cannot tell you how many things we have put on the back burner because "now is not the season..." or "one day when we have enough money we will…" We plan to be more intentional this year about planning purposeful vacations and fun activities as a family.  I have decided to write down 4 things I would like to see our family do this year.  And instead of being frantically worried about how we are going to pay for it or make time for it, I have decided to lift it up to the Lord for help.  In advance and not just two weeks before.  I know you've done it too.  I am willing to bet we will be much more successful this year about seeing our family fulfill some of the desires of our hearts.

4.  Saying NO to comparison.  I am going to try really hard to go into this year not worried about what others think.  Too often I am wondering about my purpose, am I doing enough or am I a good mother.  If I really reflect on the root of all thsese questions… most of the time they stem back to the opinion, or even worse the comparison of others.  I am going to tune my ear to what HE says, verses what others think.

5.  Sayonara shyness.  I know some of you who know me well are thinking I'm crazy by saying that I am shy.  But that's because you've either known me a long time and I feel comfortable around you OR I barely know you and that gives me enough freedom in "faking" it.  Yup, I said it.  So shyness must leave.  No longer will I feel intimidated by walking into a room full of strangers or doing something that I have never done before.  I am going to welcome Boldness into my life.  And I am willing this will improve once I start at #1.

Today was a rough day with homeschool.  Between a teething baby, a hyper toddler and an eager Kindergartner who asks about a million questions per second... this mama was spent by mid morning.  I realized soon that in order to keep any sanity I had left, I was going to need a break.  So we did what any mom would do... we headed out to Chickfila.

We ordered our food, ate too much and played hard.  It was just the break we all needed.  After a much smoother afternoon, we then had dance class.  I dropped Ej off at dance, did a few errands and then it was time to pick her up.

On my way to pick Ej up, I noticed that the server lady from Chickfila was standing at the nearby bus stop.  I heard a still small voice tell me I should offer to give her a ride.  Running late as usual, I simply told God that if she was there on my way back home, I would stop and ask her.  What I didn't know was that Wade was going to surprise us at dance class and treat us to a donut afterwards.  Therefore... I forgot about the lady and I especially forgot about the "still small voice."

But then something crazy happened...

Ej was invited back to her dance studio for a special worship night (which was unplanned), so around 5:30 we headed back out.  And the Chickfila Server?  She was still there... same bus stop, but almost an hour and a half later.  So what did I do?  I drove by her again.  I drove all the way to the dance studio to put my car into park and think... I am literally ignoring God.

I put the car in reverse, told Ej she would have to be late to her worship night and drove towards the Chickfila Server.  I realized as I was pulling up to her that I was never afraid of picking up a total stranger.  I mean she works as Chickfila... so she has to be nice right?  I was however saying no to God due to time.  I knew it was time that I get on His clock... not my own.

I pulled up, introduced myself, reminded her of my earlier Chickfila visit and asked her if she needed a ride.  Her face lit up and before I knew we were chatting away in my car.  What I didn't expect was how quickly we would begin to talk about the Lord.  I had mentioned Ej's worship night, which led to a conversation about my church, which led to deeper talks about healing and miracles.  I listened to her testimony of how God had touched her physical body and completely healed her.  I also listened how He had taken her out of homelessness and had changed her destiny.

The crazy miracle... she had asked the Lord the night before for Him to lead her to a church home.

There you have it.  Prayer answered.

Before I dropped her off at her destination, she said that she was so thankful that God had sent me to her.  I even joked and told her that I am sorry that I made her wait a whole hour.  That I should have listened the first time.  She kindly said she believed all things were in His timing.

Funny.  They should always be in His timing.  Not our own.

Oh and Ej... she wasn't even that late to her worship night.  Just so happened that the worship night started an hour later than originally planned.

I remember when I was pregnant with River a lady came up to Wade and I at church and said that she felt like the Lord was wanting us to know that with the birth of this baby, there would be many blessings.  She also said that burdens that we had been carrying would be relieved.  In other words, life would get better.  This sounds obvious with the birth of a new baby, but what this lady did not know, was that she was speaking LIFE into many circumstances that Wade and I had truly been carrying as burdens.  When these words were spoken to us while standing on the front row of church, we KNEW that this was what we needed to hear.

i am sitting in a hospital room watching my sweet 3 year old sleep.  she has had a vicious stomach bug that sent her into severe dehydration and the poor thing has spent the last two days in the pediatric unit hooked up to an IV.

just 7 days ago i was busy planning a 4, soon to be 5 year old's birthday party and watching both girls run wild in the backyard.

6 days ago, i began to hold each of their hair back as i watched their little bodies endure a sickness that no child should ever have to endure.  unfortunately, my lela, well her immune system just takes some extra nurturing.  with every hold back of the hair, i recall praying, "Lord please heal her."  Soon these requests turned into a frustrated mother, no longer asking, but demanding and asking why has it not happened by now.  i think we have all been in that moment a time or two.

i was almost relieved when we were sent to the hospital.  i think i felt like i could finally surrender everything i had been trying to do to make my daughter well, over to someone who actually knew what to do.  i could rest.  i could surrender.  i found relief in knowing someone else could pick up my burden of making my daughter well and i could just be a mommy.  i could just love her.

the last few days have been tough.  wade with a new job, had to go to work leaving me with 3 kids in one hospital room.  but i survived.  i don't know how, but i did.  i also felt the tears whelp up in my eyes when i saw that man of mine step off of the elevator as i was bouncing River outside in the hallway.  i once again felt relief from my burden.  knowing that not only was he an extra set of hands, but he was the mental support, the sturdy rock that i needed in the moment.

tomorrow, is my oldest daughter's 5th birthday.  i sat in my chair today and thought to myself, "how do i even begin to make this day special for her while we are all stuck in the hospital?"  even emma jane isn't quiet herself just yet from the sickness.  as i pondered this thought, i looked down at my phone with 9 missed text messages.  one message saying "i can bring cupcakes... another balloons... another a card... another a coffee... and so on."

once again... relief.  relief from my burden.

(i have the most amazing friends by the way)

so tonight...

why am i writing this blog when i should be sleeping.  because tonight was the last night that i was able to tell my 4 year old goodnight.  tomorrow she will be five.  because tonight i saw my 9 month old's eyes light up when she saw her mommy walk in the house for the first time in 2 days.  because tonight i am watching my 3 year old clutch onto her "get well" balloon as she sleeps.  and because tonight i am getting the room ready for a very special birthday girl.

because TOMORROW we will celebrate.

we will celebrate life.  because relief comes when living life under the eyes of the One who created us.   life is lived when we realize that we cannot do it all ourselves and that we must, we absolutely must hand it over to the One that can.

your heavenly father is the doctor waiting to take care of your sicknesses and diseases so that you can rest. your heavenly father is the one stepping off of the elevator ready to take your load off of your shoulders. and your heavenly father is the one ready to plan out the desires of your heart, even before you can speak them from your mouth.

life may get messy sometimes, but when we can hand it over to the Father who loves us, then we can always have a reason to celebrate.

life is good and worth living.

god loves you and he is ready for you to hand over your life to HIM.  do it.  you won't regret it.

We have a little crawler on our hands, a little girl who is now getting excited about kindergarten and loves to ask questions about Jesus and little chubby tot who loves to dance and lift her hands high praising Jesus as her daddy.  I have a husband who is successfully conquering the growing pains of a new company (his new job) and is constantly trying to live out the true compassion of Jesus Christ in his day to day actions.

With all that said... The Nagy Life has been busy, full of changes (good and not so good) and lots of living.

I was asking God what I should write about today.  It's not very often that I have two at preschool, one sleeping and a quiet house with worship music playing in the background.  ahhh...

I felt like the Lord wanted me to write about persistence.  If you know us well... then you know how upfront and personal Wade Nagy and I are about our life.  We are very real and don't really mind sharing details of our story.  God's story.

We have walked through some pretty trying times, but looking back on each circumstance we can see how His plan has prevailed through each thing.  We can also see that even though we could not make sense of the situation that He had His ultimate control over it and that really... we shouldn't have worried at all.  Because in the end, it will be okay.  So we are learning to rest in His sovereignty.  We are learning to realize that when things don't make sense to us, that ten times out of ten, He is working things to our advantage.

This state of rest doesn't come easy... it is usually a choice, a mindset or even sometimes a I am going to throw in the towel because I can't do anything about it anyways kind of attitude.  This form of rest brings peace amidst the storm, understanding that we cannot explain everything we go through and a release that takes the pressure off of us doing it all ourselves.  This rest also brings about persistence.  If we cannot rest amidst the storm that we are going through then we will tire out and lose sight of the prize.  If we grow tired and weary, then we cannot be persistent.  And if we cannot be persistent in what God has called us to do, then we will give up and convince ourselves that if it isn't happening for us right away, then it must not be God's plan.

I have been there before.

But God wants us to live life in expectation that He is ready to do the IMPOSSIBLE for your behalf.  That He is READY to make all things new and that He wants to see your heart's desires fulfilled.

Why?

Because He is a dreamer himself.  You cant tell me that the God of the universe who thought to make the caterpillar life cycle and the rivers that flow into the oceans is not a dreamer.

My God is the Creator.
The Ultimate Dreamer.
The Ultimate Fulfiller.

And it is He that breathed His Breath of Life into you so that you could dream His dream and fulfill His destiny that He has for each of you.

So be persistent.  Ask Him, Thank Him and Believe Him for what He wants to do inside of you, through you and for you.  And then rest in knowing that your persistence in His faithfulness will be rewarded.  That God will deliver.


This year, the Nagy Family is believing God to breakthrough in several areas of our life.  We believe that this year will be the year that God plants us firmly into a house.  A house that Wade Nagy has built based on the fact that this dream is impossible for us, but POSSIBLE for God.  A house that we have been dreaming of since we were two young kids dating.

We also believe this to be the year that God opens up and sheds light into the ministry that He has called us to.  We both know that ministry is not in where we are, but what we do.  However, the passion for more is something that is constantly a prayer of ours.  We believe that God is going to continue to expand Wade's passion for teaching and sharing the love of Jesus to the broken and my desire to tangibly give out the love of Christ is going to unite and that God will open up more doors to do this in our city, our nation, and our world.

And finally...

We declare this year to be the end of autoimmunity diseases.  That God will heal my body completely, restore the energy that He has destined me to have and rid my body of any sickness and disease that He did NOT intend for my life.  I believe that He has continued to call me into the knowledge and empowerment of how to take care of my body through exercise and diet and now... He is going to do the rest.  He is going to take away the sickness that I cannot do for myself.  I believe this for me and my church body.  I say no more to sickness in Jesus Name.

My life is full of 3 very active, crazy kids, piles of laundry, ministry and Bible Studies, being a good friend, cooking healthy (sometimes) for my family and being a wife who actually sits down and has time to listen to her husband.

The truth is, the past few weeks I have felt very inadequate in most, if not all of these areas.  One thing on the list would get accomplished while others fell of the band wagon.  Or worse, the "list" would get accomplished and then the good mama or listener of a wife would fall short.

The truth is, I often try to do too many things and lose sight of what really matters.  LIFE.  Life Matters.

This past Monday, my husband awoke me with with words you never want to hear the person you love the most, say...

"I have chest pains."

The words didn't seem real even though playing it strong and confident was the character I portrayed.  I wasn't confident at all actually.  But I was confident in Who my Jesus was.

With one stride at a time and with each passing minute while he was at work that morning, we trusted despite our nervousness.

At 10:30 am, Wade came home from work with some fear in his voice and tears in his eyes as he said it was time we go to the hospital.  The kids have never listened both at the same time when asked to put on their shoes... except this time.  This time, they were prompt.  Just shows HIS guidance through it all.

After 5 hours, many tests later and the worst pain that my husband had ever experienced, answers and peace came.  Although the pain simulated a massive heart attack, it was the result of inflammation around the heart and lungs.  The best news... his heart was strong and there was no damage.

As my husband rested physically, I found myself resting mentally for the first time in weeks.  The laundry, the cooking, the emails... none of it mattered.  As I watched my husband sleep, I found myself realizing that life is too short to miss the moments of true life.  Life is living.

So rest in the moments.  Leave the laundry.  And don't forget to LIVE life.