So after 21 days...

...here is the honest truth of what I learned (in reference to 21 Days in 2011). Have I mentioned before that I have a tendency towards perfectionism? Well, setting super-high goals goes hand-in-hand with that ...so these are the results of my lofty intentions:

1. Gone are the days of spending unlimited, uninterrupted time studying the Bible...or anything else, for that matter! A few minutes here and there are all you get with an increasingly curious (and lately also sick) little crawler.

2. A sleep-deprived momma with nothing but fruits, vegetable and a few peanuts in her stomach is a crabby momma! Oh, it sounded so deep and adventurous, but the reality is that twenty one days without sugar, coffee or any type of comfort food is a loooong time!

3. A crabby momma has a crabby and often self-centered heart! In my quest to learn more about God's view of the heart, I saw first-hand the ugly view of mine and how desperately in need of God's grace it is. (Whoever started that "follow your heart" stuff is really, really wrong.)

That was a good description of the first week. Every entry I made in my journal during that time starts out thanking God for being so thoughtful to provide new mercies every morning, because I had definitely used them up the previous day! But as I trudged on, praying for God to change me, He did. I began to wonder where all the deep spiritual significance of this whole ordeal was, but I started to recognize that I had made up my mind what God would do. I forgot He has his own plans. Apparently the big, obvious part of his plan for my 21 days was a smoothing out of the sharp edges in my character. That first week, my sweet husband kept looking at me with big eyes and eyebrows raised as if to say "Are you sure this is a good idea?" But each day got a little better and by God's many mercies and grace, I think I've at least started to learn the habit of yielding my heart, attitudes and character to the Lord and not letting them rule me. Sounds pretty basic I guess, but some things need to be re-learned in the different stages of life we face.

Oh, and I discovered how much I love bananas.