Fast, anyone?...Day 9

I really want to be transparent with you, which is why I have done this journal, and I want to give good news - all the time. I guess that is silly. I need to keep it real! Right?

Well, this morning I have to say I was a little aggravated. I was up a pound today and I ate really well yesterday. UUGGHHH! Oh well. I’m not going to let it get me down, but I need to buckle down really hard apparently. Maybe the way I’m eating now is maintaining my weight, but not really helping me to lose. Everyone plateaus at some point or another, I guess I just hoped it would be a little bit further down the line before that happened.

So, what do you do when you hit a plateau??? Well, you make changes…I don’t think they have to be drastic, huge, overwhelming changes. I think that just a little tweak in your metabolism, a little change in the food you take in, can help. My water intake is great, no problems there. I might drown if I drink more, seriously! My exercise program is very inconsistent though. I’ve got to get a better handle on that. Exercise is a must for a healthy lifestyle, not just to lose weight, but for cardiac health, just overall health in general. And, exercise is so beneficial to our mood. When we exercise, endorphins are released in our body. That boosts our mood, gives pain relief, etc. So, not really a down side to exercise unless the doctor has told you not to do it!
Next, I’m eating really good, but I have as few veggies as possible. Another “must change”! Not really a down side to eating veggies either really. I don’t even think a doctor would tell you not to do that!

So, with these changes in mind and getting this plan into action, I’ll see what progress I make.
Oh, and our pastor has called our church to another fast. He asked us to fast whatever we wanted to, and so I am going to be praying about that today and tonight, and will post tomorrow what my fast will be.

You know, God is so awesome! We think we are so smart, but he has wisdom we will never understand. People fast to give that extra time to God, to spend time with Him, to say “I’m willing to give this up and press in to see this need met, or to go to the next level - the next dimension with God”. And now, there are studies being done because according to statistics it is believed that fasting is related to better cardiac health! Wow! All this time we thought when we fasted that it was just us having to go without something. But, it is actually healthy for us to fast! I think that is so, so cool that something that God would have in His word for us to do would be good for us. Surprise, huh? There should be no surprise to it! God only wants what is good for us, and will never tell us to do anything that will harm us.

Joel 1:13 NIV (A Call to Repentance)
Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God, 14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly, summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

It doesn’t matter how healthy you are physically, if you don’t have a healthy relationship with Jesus. I guess what I’m trying to say is that most importantly we should seek God and strengthen our relationship with Him, and the rest of our life will line up with His word. When we are living for Him, seeking Him, and spending time with Him every day, then our lives will bear the fruit of his Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Did you see that last one? SELF-CONTROL! Wooo, I need a little more fruit of the Spirit!