Eight years ago, I used to write on this blog like it was truly a journal or diary entry. I was so raw and vulnerable that I oftentimes get immense pleasure from simply going through my archives and revisiting old Natasha. I love her so much, and I have so much gratitude for her.
Fast forward eight years and we’re in 2026. Life continues to ebb and flow, and we rise and fall with the tide. It’s January, and here I am in my fourth Daniel Fast. I remember being terrified to fast in 2018 with Nate, my then fiancé, now husband. I looked at his discipline back then as superhuman strength. I admired how he wasn’t scared of a challenge and was always willing to push himself to try and overcome anything. That’s clearly why he’s my husband now, lol.
I sprung the Daniel Fast on him this year seemingly out of the blue, a couple of days before we started, because I just had a deep conviction in my spirit to do the fast this year. It has been two years since my last one, and I do believe you have to be called to the fast by the Holy Spirit for it to be the most rewarding.
Going into the new year for me always feels bittersweet. I guess I’m no good with quick goodbyes, and 2025 was overall a really great year for me and my family. I’m thankful that despite the shortcomings of the world we live in, God provided and kept us. He gave me more than enough, and I had a lot of wins this year.
Coming into a new year, I sometimes feel myself getting pulled back into the younger version of myself, where I used to stress and put pressure on myself to think about really big goals and resolutions, then hit the ground running at the top of the year to ensure every goal was accomplished before the clock struck midnight at the end of the year. I know it sounds crazy, but that was literally me up until I turned 30, became a mom, and a full-time entrepreneur.
I realized that I need to have a little grace with myself and ease into the new year instead of rushing it. That has become even more apparent in the last couple of years, where I can physically feel myself getting anxious as we near January. I have always been driven by big goals, and that will never change, but January now represents something different for me. I’m calling in ease, rest, and gratitude instead of grinding, hustling, and getting ahead.
I truly believe the fastest way to crash and burn is to hit the ground running without enough gas. I want January to be a month of refueling, filling my tank both spiritually and physically. The Daniel Fast is the spiritual part that grounds me and reminds me that I am capable of immense discipline and commitment, and the rewards of the fast always last beyond the month of January. God always does abundantly more than I can ever ask or think.
In addition, it has been my dream to truly take a reset in January and vacation just because. In my adult years, most of my getaways and trips are tied to a celebration, a birthday, or a holiday. I’m in the phase of my life where I don’t want all my hard work to just be for a moment earmarked on the calendar that forces celebration. I want to create enjoyment at any moment, and January has always been a time where I feel that joy needs to be created.
With that, at the end of the fast, I’ll be heading to one of my favorite islands in the world, Turks and Caicos. And glory to God that I am able to do what I said I wanted to do the day my husband and I left Turks and Caicos seven years ago for my 30th birthday celebration. I said, “This would be a great place to come back with couples,” and that is what we’re doing!
I’m so excited and thankful for this life and all the blessings that God continues to bestow on me. It is not lost on me that He gave His only begotten Son so that I could have life. Thank you, Lord, for everything.
Alright, y’all, enough yapping for now. Maybe I’ll do a little monthly diary like this every month this year, what do you think?
With love,
Natasha
Natasha
