By this stage in our private communications, Emily and I are enjoying our growing friendship. It has become something we both appreciate in different ways. For Emily, the new year is starting with her participating in a Daniel Fast, which is a way to cleanse the body of impurities.

JUST PLAIN SCARED:  CONVERSATIONS WITH EMILY

The conversation continues.

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January 1, 20**

1/1, 4:28pm

Me:  Getting ready for 4 hr drive to take son back to his truck. (His semi broke down, we got to spend Jan. 1 together.)

1/1, 4:30pm

Emily:  u have a fun drive

1/1, 7:26pm

Emily:  if ur not too tired when ya get home i could use a chat

1/1, 9:54pm

Me:  I’m here. Hadn’t looked at my IPAD til now. You still up?

A ridiculous question. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.

1/2, 3:19am

Emily:  Sorry…made it through the moment and so exhausted I went to bed.

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January 2, 20**

1/2, 8:07am

Me:  It was too late.

1/2, 8:08am

Emily:  It’s ok

U can pray today…started the Daniel fast with some friends…no caffeine today is starting to take its toll.

1/2, 8:12am

Me:  Oh boy! I also am returning to a no sugar diet. I need to. Makes me feel better and I snack less. We can do this!

1/2, 8:44pm

Me:  How are your nights going now?

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January 3, 20**

1/3, 4:11am

Emily:  I passed out last night…no caffeine all day was a hard one. Seems as soon as I opened my eyes this morning the headache is returning. Should be better tomorrow or sun I suspect. I may give in to a swallow of coffee just to take the edge off today. I don’t need a lot.

Here’s hoping to being able to make it without though.

It really doesn’t help that last night was a toss and turn night either.

1/3, 8:27am

Me:  Why did you decide to give up coffee?

1/3, 8:33am

Emily:  Part of Daniel fast

1/3, 8:57am

Me:  I’m not familiar with it. Is it a short term fast?

1/3, 9:02am

Emily:  21 days short

1/3, 9:10am

Me:  Cool.

1/3, 9:43am

Emily:  google it…basically fruits/veggies/nuts/grains

no preservatives

no stimulants…caffeine

whole foods…no added sugars

1/3, 9:44am

Me:  Sometime today, tell me how you’re doing with your other stuff.

I had a sad evening last night. I want to tell you something private…and you don’t know him. My son is drifting away from his faith. I had noticed changes in him over the last year. He has been embracing a new path which has included some very good personal growth areas. He has always been my tender heart and was a good boy his whole life. People look up to him and trust him. At Easter something happened that opened my eyes that he was changing spiritually. Ever since, I have wished for an opportunity to engage him in conversation about it, but it never has happened. On Wednesday I wrote him an email and brought up the subject in a nonjudgmental way. He responded last night and said he appreciated my concern and that, yes, he was seeing things differently now. He opened the door for us to talk, which we will. His voice sounded so much like my sister, Lois, when she walked away, that it scared me deep inside. I know God has a call on his life and said as much. I fear for the compromises that he is probably making. He is feeling more happy than he ever has before because he has overcome some insecurities. He is successful, kind, and good. I just fear that he will embrace what will cause him heartache and pain in the end. Yet, we haven’t talked yet, so I am not reading into this.

1/3, 9:46am

Emily:  yes

1/3, 9:46am

Me:  A good diet!

1/3, 9:46am

Emily:  don’t like word ‘diet’…its a healthy way to eat

ur a good momma!

1/3, 9:47am

Me:  Thank you.

1/3, 9:48am

Emily:  i hear ur tender yet breaking heart for ur son…just remember we aren’t in control…but we can trust GOD IS!

1/3, 9:49am

Me:  Yes

Sometimes at moments like this I wish I had a soulmate husband that I could share these things with.

1/3, 9:51am

Emily:  i hear ya!

1/3, 9:55am

Me:  I am getting off this for awhile. Talk at ya later. Blessings …

1/3, 9:55am

Emily:  K

1/3, 10:20am

Emily: I WAS having a better day without coffee then yesterday til this afternoon now

Headache is coming back…was asleep by 8:30 PM last night without it or because the only way my head wasn’t pounding was if my eyes were closed.

Seems it may be rounding out to be a similar evening.

1/3, 10:29am

Me:  Well, the body is cleansing itself, detoxing I suppose. Tylenol PM?

1/3, 10:30am

Emily:  no meds…just gonna drink MORE water!

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January 5, 20**

1/5, 12:46pm

Me:  How’s the fast coming along? Hey, tell me some more of your story. How did God get your attention, release you out of the pit? How did you move forward? I don’t believe we’ve touched on this much, and I’ve been curious. If you have, I do have short term memory at times and can scroll back thru your writings. Write when you feel up to doing it.

1/5, 12:49pm

Emily:  the first day was the toughest without caffeine and i miss my tea and honey in the evening to wind down, but feeling better. thought i was gonna lose it today eating out with son after church but was able to find a bowl of fruit and a tossed salad with no dressing so i didn’t cheat. BIG football game today though and will be missing the pizza & bread sticks….grrrr

1/5, 12:51pm

Emily:  finding this fast that I’m missing the little things but the fast is reminding me that the little things are just as important as the big things….love how God is bringing my attention to the lil things with this time away with him.

tried soy nuts for the first time too so its expanding my food sources

1/5, 1:19pm

Me:  Excellent. Cool too. Progress. Sometimes it can make the head think clearer when one eats healthy foods.

1/5, 2:46pm

Emily:  And u’ll b happy to know walnuts were part of my protein today…picked some up yesterday to make a healthy trail mix to munch on.

1/5, 5:10pm

Me:  Right on! Supporting the walnut farmer! (I’m a walnut farmer.)

1/5, 5:43pm

Emily:  Thought u’d like that

1/5, 6:14pm

Emily:  whatchya doin?

1/5, 6:16pm

Me:  Nothin much. Did my good deed doing. G and I raked the yard of a vacant house across the street. The leaves will have to be hauled in my pickup to the burn pile at the farm. The city doesn’t pick up leaves after Christmas. Another neighbor came out and helped us.

1/5, 6:17pm

Emily:  nice

1/5, 6:18pm

Me:  I wanted to involve her. One of those life lessons.

1/5, 6:19pm

Emily:  a friend of mine from high school did that with her sons just before christmas…when i was very sick and we got 8+ inches of snow they drove a 1/2 hour or more to come shovel me out to help teach/show their young children how to be Jesus with skin on

1/5, 6:20pm

Me:  I’m crafting an article for the local newspaper on homelessness that will run in the Pastor’s section if they will let me. I’ve thought about doing this for a couple of years. Think I will give it a try.

1/5, 6:20pm

Emily:  great for u!

1/5, 6:27pm

Me:  It’s a growing problem in the downtown area. Word is out that Chico is a good place for the homeless to be. However, it is becoming a troubling issue for the businesses. I want to take a stab at it “even the least of these” as Jesus would see it. How to have compassion and care even when it is difficult and untidy, even scary.

1/5, 6:32pm

Emily:  i read an article once a while back of a pastor who started at a new church the first week dressed as a homeless man outside the church. no one knew it was him and his sermon revealed his act and pointed out why he felt called to this church…there were good & bad things his object lesson helped the church see about itself.

1/5, 6:37pm

Me:  That is revealing. We have arrogance and self righteous ways.

1/5, 6:47pm

Emily:  schools closed here tomorrow for the extreme cold

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January 8, 20**

01/08/20** 9:34am

Me:  Hi. Hope your day is treating you well. I am busy, busy with writing.

01/08/20** 2:59pm

Emily:  Phew! First day back to the office since before Christmas. Happy to b out of the house but tired. Just finished supper and heading to the treadmill now.

01/08/20** 4:55pm

Me:  Good! I have Awana tonight. I will do the story time lesson two times, K-2nd and 3-6th. Difficult subject tonight. Going to talk about how religions are not all alike. Have a story with the Muslim beliefs and their need for Christ. I am thinking about how I want to approach it. I know a Muslim (family from Iran/Persia) convert. She says Christians were the worst to her growing up in the States.

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January 9, 20**

01/09/20** 8:42pm

Emily:  U around?

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January 10, 20**

01/10/20** 8:12pm

Emily:  hey

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January 11, 20**

01/11/20** 9:32am

Me:  Sorry I’ve been MIA, Last night I was at my Book Dinner. It was wonderful. We’re on our 11th year. It was at my mom’s house. We just finished reading Sun Stand Still. Next we read Jennifer’s book. Have a great day. Btw, I finished writing 7 devotionals and got them sent off. Good to have that done. It’s trying to rain. I’ve been praying for rain lots lately. Much needed. Blessings…

01/11/20** 9:02pm

Emily:  Well good job get all those devotionals done!

01/11/2014 10:25pm

Me:

My bee sting is not looking good. I think I may have to go see a dr. tomorrow. Not my idea of fun.

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January 12, 20**

01/12/20** 5:52am

Emily:  Well I guess I just found a positive for living here…too cold for the bees to be out this time of year…lol. Praying its all ok.

01/12/20** 12:51pm

Me:  Got my leg propped up. It will be a quiet day! Feel free to communicate. I ain’t going nowhere.

01/12/20** 5:53am

Emily:  girl…crazy end of my week here!

01/12/20** 5:57am

Me:  Good type of crazy?

01/12/20** 5:55 am

Emily:  crazy type of crazy!

01/12/20** 5:58 am

Me:  Ok. Smile

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This is my first time to hear the term Daniel Fast. It has my attention! Also, this session has a new area of honesty to it. I share a personal concern, which, by the way, is difficult for me to put out there on my blog. But fair is fair. I’ve put her stuff out there, so I should too.

What are some ways you or someone you know have been able to help people in need?

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LINKS

>next post:  Struggle, empathy, sexual relations, and overcoming:  Conversations with Emily (19)

<previous post:  Beaten, raped, and left for dead:  Conversations with Emily (17)

|<<first post:  A woman at risk:  Conversations with Emily (1)

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