Sober Sally

Many knew, some didn't, but I recently went 28 days without any alcoholic drinks whatsoever. No, I wasn't on any medications, nor was I pregnant, it was just a personal choice that involved me and my relationship with God. I was fed up with the excessive negativity in my life, and although I know God, I needed to just take my relationship with Him even a baby step further, so I decided to give up something that was prevalent in my life in honor of Him.  I have seen people do this before with other things, and then of course there's Lent, but I'm also not Catholic, and as with everything else in my life (especially my religion), I needed to make it personal and meaningful to me. 

"How does giving up alcohol bring you closer to God?" was a question I got often. I'm 23, my friends range essentially from 21-30, and we commonly drink when we socialize. I went to a party school...we always drank when we socialized...we even drank when we studied (I got good grades cut the judgment). So while I am by definition no alcoholic...it's a habit...and I'm a creature of habit. A habit of mine also included not praying enough, which was my alternative to drinking during my fast. My goal was to say a prayer, talk to God, or even just say "Thank you" every time alcohol came up in discussion, was around me, I passed a liquor store, anything. I wanted to make my communication with God a habit that would continue long after the fast concluded. 

I had some friends attempt to do this with me, which truly warmed my heart. I had another friend say they were going to try it just on their own time. I'm not entirely sure their purpose in doing so was as spiritual as mine, but inspiring people to do so or even making people aware of my purpose in doing so, possibly leading them to want to reevaluate their faith is more than satisfying to me. My goal in life is to positively serve other people, and I found comfort in spreading my testimony with my friends. 

My month of sobriety also overlapped with my uncle's series of "power" (yes, inspired somewhat by the show) sermons at the Transformation Christian Worship Center. I won't share all my sermon notes (because I'm writing a novel longer than this blog post), but I will share the scriptures, and offer the invitation to join me there whenever you'd like. Definitely a relatable person to receive the Word from that still keeps it real (and you're still out in time to watch football lol). 

Proverbs 22:1 
Philippians 2:7 
Deuteronomy 30:19
James 1:14 
1 Corinthians 8:6
Psalm 62:5
Romans 12:12 
Mark 13:34 
Matthew 8:16 


The following scripture was probably my biggest inspiration throughout this journey. Read it, process it, and meet any trouble that approaches you face to face with it. 


"'Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you'" 

Luke 10:19