Juice/Daniel's Fast Conclusion

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I finished my fast at the end of September, so this post is a little late. I wanted to take some time to kinda reflect on the experience before writing about it though. (You can find my initial post about it here and my update during it here, which I had some issues posting, but I believe all is well now) There's so many directions I could go with this and so much I could say, but I decided to just pick a few things that I felt were close to my heart during this time. I think sometimes we all need to be reminded of things we've heard before and know to be true, but still struggle with making them our realities. Here's my top three:

#1 - Either pray or worry, you can't do both. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpassed all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

I think this is much easier said than done. It's probably safe to say that the majority of all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, cannot say they live a worry-free life. We worry about everything and anything, even though, as Christians, we shouldn't. In prayer, we have the opportunity to lay down all of our fears and anxieties, and pick up the peace of God. As amazing as that is, it is so hard to follow through with. It takes some serious trust and child-like faith. You know the kind young kids have in their parents, where they can be carefree just with one word from mom? Yea...I need to be like that with Jesus. I found during this time, being faced with situations completely out of my control, I had no other choice but to trust God. I had to pray and let it go or things would've probably driven me crazy. However, even when things seem to be in my control, I have to have that same attitude. Tough stuff.

#2 - Stop, breath, and count your blessings. "Sometimes we have so much to do and so many deadlines to meet that we forget this one simple part: stop and take a breath. Jesus, himself, often went away from the crowds to get alone with God.  This is how he maintained his relationship with God.  This is how he stayed in tune with God.  This is how he was continually able to hear God clearly, by taking time away with God. If Jesus needed to do that on a regular basis, so do we." - Kim Potter

Those words hit home for me! The state of perpetual busyness is something I find easy to get stuck in. It often seems like there's not enough time in the day to get things we NEED to get done, done. Even sleep evades me at times! But if it's one thing this period of consecration has honed in on for me, it's the importance of just taking time for God. Taking time to take a deep breath, to think positively, to pray, to realize how blessed you are in spite of the current things you may be going through, to hear what God is saying to you or to just thank Him. And it doesn't have to be a lot of time, it just has to be a priority. I've realized that, sometimes, the things I get so caught up with, won't even matter in the long run. But taking time to maintain my relationship with Jesus (and my sanity at times) is something that will never perish.

#3 - Redeeming the time. "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise, [intelligent] people. Making the very most of the time [redeeming each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17

At work and even in school, I am great with time management. In my free time, or after a long day though... not so much. Sometimes, I just don't feel like doing anything! And as a result... nothing gets done lol! Granted, everyone needs their lazy times, I know I can do better. I just proved it to myself during this period of time. So now I can't let that standard down. Living on purpose is the goal. 

I think writing about this experience was really encouraging for myself. It caused me to think through things in ways I might not have ordinarily and for that I'm grateful. And if you followed along/got something from it, I'm grateful for that as well! 

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Juice/Daniel's Fast Update

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I talked about my juice/Daniel's fast a couple weeks ago, and think now is a pretty good time to do an update. I thought the hardest part was going to be drinking only juice initially, but I've come to find that the partial fasting is more challenging for me. When I was doing research about juicing fasts, many people said day 2-3 were the worst. If someone were to give up, these would be the days that would make it happen. I couldn't agree more! I had headaches, was nauseous and had a number of other sickening symptoms. 

I'm pretty positive if I hadn't read so much before I started I would have thought I was getting sick and given up. However, when you're feeding your body nothing but nutrients, it begins flushing out all the negative stuff you've ate that has just been sort of "stuck" in your body. This flushing results in all the unpleasant things I was experiencing. Detoxing. Those feelings were enough to motivate me to eat better period, even once this over. To know that there are toxins just chilling in my body that can make me feel THAT bad is pretty disgusting to me. It doesn't matter how young I am or how fast my metabolism is, I've got to do better. That's gross!

As I transitioned from juice only to the Daniel's, I found a whole new appreciation for eating itself. It was funny in a way, the simplest thing of just eating, is something that can be taken for granted. Even though I feel like I'm just eating nuts and berries, it's so much more fulfilling than not even chewing anything! The funny thing is that now that I am eating again, my body is craving everything it can't have: sweets, meat, fried foods, dairy... I think my body adjusted to juice only by day four, but there is no adjusting to this partial deprivation stuff.

One thing I am learning is about how much self-control I do (or don't) have. Denying my basic human desires is hard and I'm getting more frustrated with things that normally wouldn't even bother me, but when I do I have to remind myself of the origin of those emotions. And essentially get over myself, which is what this is all about. It's a struggle that I'm trying to embrace because it wouldn't be a sacrifice if it wasn't. Sometimes I feel like I am accomplishing nothing, but at the same time, it's become easier to deny myself other things that I usually struggle with like budgeting, eating out, shopping and wasting time. I think because my body and mind are so focused on the basic things that I'm not giving in to, these other things are not even phasing me. That coupled with feeling like I am more focused on my relationship with God and drawing closer to Him, has me motivated to continue. 

During this time, I have watched God move miraculously in the lives of close family members who, by medical reasoning, should not be alive. I don't think being on this fast made this happen; I think being focused on Christ when things seem to be falling apart has allowed me stay positive and be extremely grateful just for life itself. I am at the point now where I am going to start slowly adding things back into my diet to prepare for ending. First dairy then in a week or so bread and then I'll be done. I am way too excited about cheese and milk! haha! As always, thanks for following along with me and reading!

(Note:this post was reposted due to some issues I had with posting it initially)

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My Juice/Daniel's Fast

 
I started a fast recently and I really wrestled with whether it was something I should share on my blog or not. To me, fasting is a very personal thing between you & God, and maybe people who are close to you. It's not something you just go around telling everyone... enter my hesitation. But my blog is also pretty personal; it's a glimpse into my life and a journal of sorts. When I was researching juice fasts, I stumbled upon a very encouraging blog where someone described their 40 day juice fast. This is what sparked the idea to blog during my own fast. 

I also began to think about the fact that my blog is not just meant to be about outer beauty & hair. If you've read the about the blog page, you know the name of my blog comes from the scripture:

"So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him." - Psalms 45:11

And a quick glance to the right will also let you know this is about my journey to becoming the person Jesus wants me to be on the inside, too. So now, it just seems fitting that I should begin to share a bit more of myself and my faith, by being transparent during this period of fasting. 

In case you are not familiar with the biblical principle of fasting, the purpose of spiritual fasting is to consecrate (set aside) a specific period of time to drawer closer to God and hear from him. It is not designed to move God or gain favor/get Him to do something for you, but rather to move you closer to him by removing distractions and disciplining yourself. By sacrificing the most basic human need of food, you feed and strengthen your spirit through prayer and meditation on the Word of God. Simply put, fasting directs our hunger toward God and requires a large amount of self-control as you deny the natural desires of your flesh. 

Initially, I will be only drinking all-natural, fruit & veggie juices. Then I will move into a Daniel's Fast. This is the fast described in the book of Daniel, that he went on in chapters 1 and 10. It's a partial fast, where you abstain only from certain foods, with plants being the basis of all eating. You eat only fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and avoid all meats, sweets, fried foods and breads. There are variations of this fast that include or exclude dairy. I've never excluded dairy before, but I will for the majority of this time. 

Most Christians will agree that there is always room for improvement in their relationship with Christ. We go through valley experiences where we learn how much we truly need and must trust and depend on God. Our love for Him grows deeper. Our prayers are answered. Guidance and breakthroughs are received. I need that, my family needs that, we all do at some point. That's where I am. And if anyone is encouraged by my journey, thank God. 

 
If you would like to learn more about fasting and/or the Daniel's Fast in particular, here are a few resources:

• What does the Bible say about fasting? 
• The Power of Prayer and Fasting 
• 7 Basic Steps to Successful Fasting & Prayer
• The Daniel's Fast 

Happy Labor Day! Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday!

 

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