I'm being tested. Our church wide Daniel Fast* began on Monday and even though I am doing a slightly modified version that allows grains and a cup of lightly honey sweetened tea once a day it is not easy. No meat or fish, no dairy and no sweets or junk in general is my diet until the 22nd. Tacked onto that I have added a severe limit to my time spent online. In fact I have decided that the internet in its entirety is off limits on Sunday. I even set up a program to block the sites I tend to frequent.
The fast started out pretty difficult the first day or two but now I am hitting my stride with it. Even though I have every reason to go back to my comfort food of sugar. Alex is not going easy on us. Lately it feels like all I say is; "Alex stop that right now!" and that is not fun thing to say.
*pause*
Alex then knocked over my full cup of tea, spilling it all over, then she wanted to play in the puddle of tea. So I had to say "it" and back her off while I tried to sop it up as quickly as possible. Then I had to keep her entertained until the EI therapist came. Normally I participate in the therapy but I really needed to get some house stuff down so I excused myself. Then we went to the playground for two hours. Then lunch which she is currently finishing up. And hopefully a nap. Some hours later I am able to wrap this entry up.
I swear, the only thing keeping my sanity beyond God is the GTD (Getting Things Done) method of scheduling I recently implemented in my life. And just in time! Despite all the craziness I am still pretty calm, not overwhelmed and actually getting things done with renewed energy. I use a website (I upgraded to Pro) and iPhone app to keep me scheduled but a simple pocket notebook would do. But since my notebook is my iPhone I figured it was best to keep it there as the website and the phone app sync.
Here I am eating a very limited diet and much less food in general, working out daily, getting woken up in the middle of the night often, with a ton to do and a needy two year old and I am doing great!
* 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your c]">[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
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4 comments:
Wow! Fasts are always so intimidating to me. I can do a meal or two but all day...I freak out before I even start. Fasts and diets make me binge eat stuff I don't even like. It's sad. So that's pretty inspiring to me.
:)
Don't go being too impressed. I've always failed at them too. I tend to do a little better with the Godly fasts rather than simple diet fasts for the sake of health. But I've still never lasted much longer than a week. And never with anything this restrictive.
But this time it feels different. I actually felt called to participate in this fast. While it was proposed by the church they don't require it at all. But I knew that I HAD to do it. I've never felt that way about a fast. But I'm fasting for different reasons this time around. I think that has something to do with it.
*Giggles at bLee*...Good luck with your fasting-I wish you strength. I fast twice a year and have to say that the results and the way I feel about having completed the fast far outweighs the discomfort during the fast. I try to remember, "committment is a promise you make to yourself (your faith)".
Honestly, sometimes it feels like it is too easy. I'm shocked at how generally not tempted I feel. (though I am not being super super strict about the grains or the sugar as a low level ingredient.
The weirdest thing is happening, my appetite is plummiting and I enjoy what I do eat more. I've missed meals multiple days and not even thought about it.
Yesterday was the hardest day so far. Normally we take little day trips in the fall and I have a lobster roll or something while we are there and now I can't do that and would have to pack a hummus pita sandwich or something. And by the time the fast is over fall will be as well.
But I do feel closer to God, more than I have in a long time.
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