lenten fast

I have spoken with some you regarding the lenten fast and what you have decided to sacrifice for God. Some wondered why it hasn't shown up on the blog. I guess now I realize I needed to be into this for a time before I had something to share. I have practiced a lenten fast for at least five years now. It was never a part of my upbringing to fast during lent but as fasting became a part of my worship and relationship with Jesus, it made sense to fast at this time.
I have fasted for lent and I think benefited in some way during that time but I have been wondering if I was missing something in my fasting. I didn't always use the time to spend more time with Jesus in prayer or meditation during a fast. I was more focused on Him and during some fasts have needed Him and His strength greatly to maintain the fast. Could I really say I pressed in more? I wasn't sure. There was one 40 day fast that was specifically prayer related, that definitely had more time spent with Jesus but not my other fasts.
This year I wanted to make the fast more about spending time with Jesus not just for Jesus. I have been able to do this to a degree as my fast was TV. Now just to keep it honest and clear, I haven't given up TV entirely, we spend time as a family watching TV but for myself and my free time, I have been abstaining. This has allowed me to have more time in prayer and in reading the Bible or books relating to my life with Jesus.
I have read two things that have helped me on this fast - Practicing Lent: Cleaning Our Messy House by Ruth Haley Barton and The Lazarus Life by Stephen W. Smith. My life does have mess that needs to be cleaned up and I have to say that TV is part of the mess. So reading that article was timely. But in reading The Lazarus Life today I realized that TV does not bring me life and is therefore too small for me (as quoted from St. John of the Cross The Dark Night of the Soul).
Even now I have to ponder these things...
Please let me know how your fast is going or maybe if you aren't doing the lenten fast what you have learned or what was changed in your life as a result of a fast. Remember we are here to sharpen, love, and encourage each other.