How Fasting Lead Me to Create My Vision Board

When I start the New Year, I create a vision board, but in 2018 I started fasting. Fasting is denying yourself pleasure or, in many cases, food and water to grow spiritually, emptying yourself to become full spiritually. From all the holiday eating and drinking and what you went through and experienced the year prior, fasting for me has become a reset for the new year. Beginning January 2nd, 2018, I did the Esther fast, or absolute fast, with no food or water for 3 days. In a story in the bible, Esther fasted for 3 days and 3 nights with no food and water to save her people. So that is where I pulled my inspiration from for fasting. I have started my new year like this every year for the last 3 years, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Spiritually I was fasting to grow closer to God, mentally feeding my mind with positive affirmations, reading scripture and Christian books, physically working out and rekindling my love for nature, eating right, seeking other opportunities to generate wealth in business, and to overall growth in all aspects of my life spiritually, relationally, mentally, physically, and financially.

I reflected on the year of 2017, the milestones, setbacks, breakups, and joyous occasions that took place that year. I then was lead to ask questions I wanted to know from God and what he wants me to do in the current year of 2018. My intention for the last 3 years was to hear from God, which I asked for when I began my fast. I wanted to hear from God, release direction for decisions, and lose bonds (things that no longer served me or had a purpose in my life).

In 2017 I went through a breakup with a man I was with for 2 years, so to heal and grow from that relationship during this 3 day fast, I sought out God like I never have before. The disappointment and loss were hard, but I asked God to strengthen my spirit as I move forward as a single woman in 2018, release the power in intercession, soften my heart and readies it for repentance, break my pride and bring humility, release strategies and breakthroughs in a crisis, release revelation, and release his mighty wisdom in my life daily. Like vision-boarding, fasting is to get spiritual clarity and vision for your life.

2018 was an incredible year for me, but it didn't start that way. It began with the death of my pastor of 15 years, Bishop Alexis A. Thomas of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ he died 3 weeks into the new year Jan of 2018. The spiritual leader who preached every Sunday and filled my spirit was gone. They say pain may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning; after grieving my pastor's loss, the church I attended didn't have a spiritual leader. Asking and praying to God for no more disappointments and loss, then boom, my pastor dies.

I began my home buying search at the end of 2017, shortly after my breakup. In Feb 2018, I closed on my first house, closed on Feb 8th, 2018, a newly built 3 bedrooms 2 bath home in the beautiful South Phoenix area. I call it my Diamond in the Rough. I feel like God built this house specifically for me because after my breakup I wanted to move and live somewhere fresh and new, so on the housing hunt, every house that I looked at was being snatched up left and right, and after my close date was pushed back 3 times I finally closed on Feb 8th, 2018 I became a new homeowner.

On March 4th, I turned 37 (I always include the age I am because life is short and tomorrow is not promised), So I became one year older and wiser. I reflected on 2015 (34), 2016 (35), 2017 (36). In 2015 I lost my condo. In 2016 I lost my brother; he was murdered, and in 2017 I broke up with my BF of 2 years. Reflecting on what I fasted and prayed for, I fasted to hear from God, release direction for decisions, and lose bonds.

April 28th, 2018, I had my house warming party. My home was showered with gifts and love. So nothing says a fresh start than new home in a new year.

Fast Forward to Summer 2018 was LIT! I began to travel, small ventures over the summer. I went to Rocky Point, Mexico with some friends nothing says summer than Rocky Point, Road tripped up to Antelope Canyon in Page AZ, I attended my first Essence Fest in New Orleans, a guy told me Essence Fest was the Superbowl for black women, which it definitely is, then a Family Reunion on my dad's side in Kansas City where my dad and grandparents are from. It was a blessing to meet cousins and aunts, and uncles I never met, visiting Kansas for the first time and seeing my grandfather's final resting place at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. My 2018 summer ended in Las Vegas, celebrating my friend's 10th wedding anniversary.

Now here comes the fall, Sept 2018 marked a year since I broke up with my EX, so it was a release for me that I went a year just focusing on myself and what I fasted and prayed to God for. Now here come the holidays. I hosted Thanksgiving dinner in my new home for the first time in 2018, and in Dec 2018, I confessed to God that I was ready to date again. I fasted to hear from God, release direction for decisions, and to lose bonds. The previous year in Dec 2017, I was grieving the loss of a relationship now; in Dec 2018, I told God I am ready to date again. I confessed to this decree on Dec 4th. Shortly after I told God what I wanted, on Dec 14th, 2018, I met a handsome fella from Houston TX, our saga continues…lol, and in Dec 2018, my church was blessed with a new pastor Terry Mackey by way of Houston, TX.

My first year fasting no food or water for 3 days, was not easy. I wrote the vision and made it plain that all I lost over the years, I lost my condo in 2015 but gained a new home in 2018. I lost my brother in 2016 but gained a niece in the same year his last daughter was born the same year he died, and in 2017 I broke up with my BF, and in 2018, I met the man God wanted in my life.

2019 I did the same thing, not going to rehash that year. Still, in 2019 I fasted and prayed to hear from God again, reveal confirmation and revelation on my goals and aspirations in 2019, lose anything that may be keeping my bond, sever all soul ties and create positive energy in my heart and soul throughout 2019. 2019 was a great year. I won't rehash every single detail, but The highlight of 2019 for me was starting therapy, attending a yoga retreat in Costa Rica entitled "releasing and manifesting your dreams," the launching of my blog "Black Girl Under Construction" on 6/19/19, Juneteenth and God showing favor on me in all aspects of my life.

Now entering my 3rd year of fasting for the New Year 2020. I was excited to fast again for 3 days with no food or water in a new decade. I fasted for confirmation and revelation of what is to come, financial overflow living in abundance, and to remove any distractions that are in the way of my purpose or will for my life. 2020 was LIT January 1st- March 14th, 2020 started good, then boom Kobe Bryant his daughter and other friends die in a helicopter crash 😢. The whole world began to mourn his death and honor and celebrate his life. February was good, and I turned 39 in March. I was able to celebrate my birthday with friends and family mask-less. On March 14th, talks began of COVID-19, and countries began to shut down, and on March 17th Phoenix shut down. And the word "ESSENTIAL" began to take root. 2020 definitely brought vision and clarity for me, especially over the summer, the downtime I had; I was used to traveling and going to brunch, and it converted to road trips and zoom brunch with friends. I wrote a blog entitled What did 2020 bring out of you? And it brought out a lot of clarity, sitting still, and spending a lot of alone time with myself but discovering things I could enjoy because I have a lot of time on my hands like I started a garden!

Fasting over the last 3 years has definitely grown me spiritually, and it has generated the vision I have for my life for the years to come, God willing. Below is my current vision board. I broke it down into sections spiritual, career/business, relationally/love, financial, miscellaneous/etc.

2021 Vision Board