sustained | daniel fast week 3.

Our fast ends in less than three hours.

21 days. 504 hours. No meat. No dairy. No processed foods. No flavored drinks. No coffee. No tea.

Just water and plant-based foods for 21 days.

But it's been much more. It's been a journey, an experiment, and a challenge. And while we followed the restrictions and kept it up for three weeks, it's God that truly sustained me.

First, my hangry (hungry = angry) moments were pretty minimal. For those who have experienced my regular hangriness, this is a miracle. Second, the intentionality of the fast encouraged me to be intentional in other areas, like pouring into God's word and spending time in prayer. Things that have at times seemed like a chore now feel crucial to my every day. And finally, He gave me exactly what I needed. There were times that I cried out to Him, hungry or tired or frustrated, and through His word, through His Spirit and through His people, He sustained me, and He renewed me. So while we fasted, I have to give all credit to my Father for His sustenance.

Here's a passage that I read last week that was just the reminder I needed of how God always provides, how He's always got it covered...

The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the  Lord are right, making the heart glad;  the command of the  Lord  is radiant, making the eyes light up.  The fear of the  Lord  is pure, enduring forever;  the ordinances of the  Lord  are reliable and altogether righteous.  They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold;  and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb.  In addition, Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.  Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.  Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;  do not let them rule over me.  Then I will be innocent and cleansed from blatant rebellion.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You,  Lord , my rock and my Redeemer. 
Psalm 19:7-14

Thank you for praying for us, thinking of us, and talking with us about the fast.

xoxo.

fed | daniel fast week 2.

We're now on day 15 of the Daniel Fast, and into our third and final week. Last week marked a turning point for me in this process. Nothing major, nothing dramatic, just the beginnings of a real and raw change in my heart. I committed to pouring into God's Word every morning before work last week, and I did. And the days were lighter, and my mind was stronger and God was with me. He truly provided the nourishment the I needed, as He always does. I'm learning that His nourishment is always there and His Word is always relevant, but He gives me the choice to glorify Him with my days, with my actions, with my thoughts, and with my heart. He is faithful.

And yet I know that I have so far to go. That God wants to take the ounce of faith that I have now and turn it into tons and tons of faith. And He will do exactly as He desires to accomplish His work in me, that I might be an ambassador for Him alone. 

There is much uncertainty in the future for Landon and I, but my prayer is that I would be open, willing, and ready to follow God's call for us, carrying with me what little faith I have, and trusting in God to provide the rest. I've been repeating a little phrase to myself as a reminder of this: My hands are open, my heart is willing, and my feet are ready. My hands are open, my heart is willing, and my feet are ready. Open, willing, and ready.

As we walk through these last six days of the fast, would you pray for us? Would you ask that we would be open, willing and ready to do God's work, and to let Him do a work in us?

xoxo.

And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. Daniel 1:20

P.S. This talk really spoke to me this week: Ruth / Once Upon a Time via He Speaks in the Silence

weight | daniel fast week 1.

We're on day 7 of our 21-day Daniel Fast, so I thought I'd give an update. We started off the week with dedication and preparation, having all of our meals planned and discussing what we'd be praying for specifically during this time. We've also been reading scripture together each morning, so we planned to continue that discipline during the fast.

But by the end of the week, we were drained. We felt negative, tired, and impatient. Our conversations seemed gloomy, the small details of our work and life suddenly became most important, and the things we can't control weighed on us heavily. The truth is, we had started out the week with energy and consistency, but we hadn't kept up with the spiritual part of our fast, and it was evident. The physical portion of the fast wasn't too difficult of an adjustment this week, but the spiritual portion was. It seemed as though there was a battle for my heart, and I couldn't think of anything but myself. I could feel the weight of my sin, and I could feel so clearly my need for God's provision.

I spent much of my morning yesterday pouring into God's Word again, refreshing myself with His truths, rather than my own desires. And as we enter our second week of fasting, I am reminded that only He provides true nourishment, and only He loves me enough to have sent His son to bear the weight of my sin and sorrow.

xoxo.

God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life. In addition, Daniel was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams. At the end of the time set by the king for their training, the head of the royal staff brought them in to Nebuchadnezzar. When the king interviewed them, he found them far superior to all the other young men. None were a match for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel 1:17-19

daniel fast 2013.

We're doing something a little different in this new year. Together with our church family, we'll be fasting for the next three weeks, following the Daniel Fast plan, which combines prayer with a diet of only plant-based foods and water, as a way to focus on spiritual nourishment. While it will be challenging, I'm looking forward to this time, and focusing on the discipline of more dedicated times of prayer in 2013.

We spent much of the weekend preparing for the fast, so our kitchen is stocked and ready with fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, and some whole wheat pasta.

I typically plan my meals each weekend, so I've included a list of our meals for this first week of the fast below. I'll be posting more updates throughout the fast with our weekly meal plans, and what we're learning during this time.

Monday
Baked Oatmeal (I'm subbing unsweetened dried cranberries for dates) // Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wraps (omitting the cheddar and subbing olive oil for the canola oil) // Vegetable Pad Thai (from this book)

Tuesday
Baked Oatmeal // Balsamic Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables (omitting goat cheese) // Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans & Greens

Wednesday
Applesauce & Hazelnuts (using homemade unsweetened applesauce) // Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wraps // Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad & Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf (a variation of this)

Thursday
Banana, Berry, Peanut Butter Smoothie // Balsamic Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables // Mexican Haystacks (subbing beans for meat) & Green Salad

Friday
Applesauce & Hazelnuts // Butternut Squash, Carrot, & Ginger Soup // Cauliflower Crust Pizza (using vegan flax eggs...yikes!)

Saturday (happy birthday to me!)
Oatmeal & Dried Cranberries // Butternut Squash, Carrot, & Ginger Soup // Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Sweet Potatoes

xoxo

P.S. I'll be pinning Daniel Fast recipes here over the next three weeks.