Today's Menu:
Breakfast:Banana
Snacks: Apple, Salt n Pepper Pop Chips(Wholefoods has best price-I know, amazing. Best non fried potato chip I've found, tastes like munchos), baked Tostitoes and/or Olive tortilla chips with salsa, nuts and raisins
Lunch/Dinner: Black beans with mushrooms over brown rice and portuguese collard greens (cut into strips and sauteed in olive oil and garlic)
Fizzy Lizzy (cranberry juice in seltzer) or Lemon Mineral Water
Been feeling a bit nauseous. Any advice?
Run Your Own Race
Got off to a late start this morning. I've been very tired lately. My goal is to get to bed by 9pm tonight so I can get back on board with my routine which needs to begin at 4:45am. My goal is to get to the gym next week and do some cardio. The good thing about this fast is that I can exercise since I don't have to miss meals.
Right now, I am focusing on settling in and listening to God. God seems to be talking to me in the details with gentle nudging and making more aware of things. I feel a peace and that has come much sooner than the last fast for which I am grateful. I am convinced that I must continue to focus on God and what God wants of me.
I must admit that I was a bit disappointed by the initial lack of response to this fast (and maybe it as changed, maybe like God told Elijah, He has 7000 who have not bowed to Baal or kissed him). But it did make me wonder why I should continue to sacrifice, especially during my 40th birthday, for a corporate blessing that others do not care enough to sacrifice for. I get tired, too. And then, I felt the Lord tell me: Run your own race.
You see, we are all in this together. We should be running together. But do you ever feel like you are doing your laps and each time you come around the bend, you see the same people sitting on the sidelines who are supposed to be running with you? It's natural to feel that way which is why I believe Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith..." So, I refocused, took my eyes off the stands and the sidelines, surrounded myself with some running buddies, and looked to Jesus. I have to keep pace with Him, believing that I will eventually make it to the place God is calling us. I have to believe that others will not hold up what God has for us.
Victory is on the way! As a matter of fact, it is done. We are just waiting to catch up with it. We believe God. We obey God. So let's run on and see what the end is gonna be.
I too found peace earlier in this fast. Since completing the first fast, I found it easier to focus on my relationship with God than on what I was going to eat. I'm in a much better rhythm this time. I've had annoying challenges but I recognize them as just that. None of them brought me down, I did stumble but I'm still standing and dancing. I am also challenged with getting to bed early enough to get up and really spend time in the presence of the Lord. I'm gonna keep trying. It also seemed easier to do this in warmer weather but this sacrifice is no where as big as the sacrifice Christ made for us. It feels good to be back on the blog. Life challenges had me away for awhile but I'm back, still dancing and praising God.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite snack is wheat thins with grapes. It taste like a slab of jelly on a cracker - yum, yum. Also I made the most delicious roasted red pepper sauce and whole wheat pasta - wow was that good!
Yay! @ dancingangel...
ReplyDeleteYou know Rev. St. Clair; I have plans to jump start my gym routine tomorrow. I just was chilling all this week. My appetite is in submission to the Holy Spirit and that’s a great thing.
ReplyDeleteHave you guys noticed a difference in your temperament? I have. When I am freely accepting other people work to do around the office and I know I got my hands full with my own stuff to be done by 5pm, I know its nothing but the Spirit of the lord.
Re: nausea...you may want to increase your water intake...nausea is a common symptom of detox from fasting. The nausea may just be the toxins being released in your body as a result of the fast. Drinking a lot of water helps to expel the toxins from your body while you are fasting…
@dancingangel...it does seem a bit harder to do the fast during the winter months. I find myself seeking out hot filling foods that take time to prepare.
ReplyDeleteI am having a light dinner tonight-a cup of piping hot vegetable broth.
In regards to the gym, I changed my mind. I am going to get back in gear on Monday. I just want to sleep a little later on tomorrow as I have Youth Ministry Leadership Training at 9 am.
Grace and Peace!
@ Tammy-thanks I will increase the water
ReplyDelete@ Susan-hate to tell you this but the wheat thins have sugar, malt syrup and high fructose corn syrup-all sugars. that's why they are so good! switch to triscuits the thin ones are a good alternative
I am struggling with the early morning wake ups and the cold makes the gym a push but I will try on Monday...
Hey Ya'll. So today was another rough day at work. All week long I have felt such a heaviness when I get there. I know it is a trick of the enemy to discourage me. Please keep me in prayer. My other challenge has been the early mornings. Getting up so early when I get home late from work makes it difficult. But I am pressing on because I want to be obedient to the move of God. I want victory!
ReplyDeleteThankfully, the food has not been as much of a challenge this time around. It's like my body has gotten right back in sync where I left off. This type of food seems to agree with me. I do miss my sweets, but overall it is going well. I went running twice this week and it felt really good. My plan is to keep that up every week.
Its 2:22am Saturday morning. I just had a nightmare...I dreamed I was eating a big hunk of chocolate cake! There was more chocolate icing on the cake than there was cake itself. I am thinking to myself, while i am dreaming, "this is violating my fast". Than suddenly i woke up feeling relieved that it was just a dream.
ReplyDeleteNow I got all this energy and wish that my gym was twenty-four hours on the weekends. I feel like running a few miles on the treadmill. I literally feel like i just had a sugar boost. I tell you the mind is a fascinating thing. This fast has gone deep into the subconscious!
If I still feel this way at 6:00am, i may just run a few laps around Lincoln Park - which is within walking distance of my apartment. If not, than after the youth leadership training, which is scheduled to end around 3:30pm, I will go to the gym. I will pack a gym bag with my lunch so I will have no excuse not to go to the gym...
Be blessed everyone...
BTW: have you been dreaming about desserts or other sweet eats lately...lol…or perhaps you been having other out of the ordinary dreams since you been fasting…do share, if you can. :o)
I am going to try to go back to sleep...
*the above should read chunk not hunk...:o)
ReplyDeleteso i just knocked out the Abs Diet total body weight training workout at home. All you need is a few sets of dumbbells, a step, and workout bench and its on!...I'm charged. I still plan on getting some cardio in this afternoon at the gym.
about to make me some oats and prepare my meals for the day...later peeps!
I am excited about Youth Leadership Training...Woohoo!
I love when I fast! I feel that much closer to God and I feel good.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel deprived of sweets because of the fruit we are allowed to have...love my dates! Not eating too much salad though because of not having the "just right" dressing. Any suggestions for salad dressings?
Rev I always believe that if you help just one person, your sacrifice is not in vain. I know it seemed as though it was the same 2 responding to to the blog but believe that we/you were helping others and maybe, just maybe they needed the time to digest what has already been written. You may never know how many people's lives you have touched, as long as you know you have done the best that you can praise God and keep it moving. I like your analogy of folks sitting on the sidelines, some people were not made to run the race with us cause all they do is complain, some stuff we gotta do on our own.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling pretty good, no complaints, been enjoying my home made soups, hummus and organic corn chips, found some new type of rice cakes in Shop Rite, will report on them after I try them.
Note - I heard from some folks about the eating all the time just because the foods are on the DF list. I mentioned to them about your post from the last fast on Gluttony, maybe it needs to be in writing because the people who mentioned it to me don't access the internet to read your blog.
@Teora - I have a Daniel fast cookbook which I am willing to share which has a number of dressings that you can make. I can email it to you. Lemme know...Balsamic Vinegar is also an option
@Rev along with the water, take some food enzymes with your meals. We don't digest our food and now with all the fruits and veggies in our systems the extra intake of fiber is bulking up and needs to pass. The enzymes will help break up the food that may be sitting in our stomachs and that can cause nasuea too.
@Tammy, I don't remember my dreams, I never really went back to eating sweets, so the last dream I had I was in Neiman Marcus at a huge sale and someone took all the great sale stuff I found - SMH cause I am fasting from that too :-)