While doing my Daniel Fast, I've been eating a vegan diet. It makes breakfast hard, because cereal is not so nice without cows milk and, frankly, I'm not keen on soy milk or rice milk. They just taste yuk. I'd rather not have milk than drink that stuff. I know that makes me sound fussy, but I would seriously rather make my porridge with water and throw a bit of fruit on top of it, than to try to convince my tastebuds that soy milk tastes as good as cows milk.
Anyway, here are some of the recipes I've been playing around with on my fast.
Brekky Hash
This was inspired by Nigella's Brekky Hash - but she has bacon.
1 x tomato diced
1 x decent sized mushroom sliced
1 x Good handful of baby spinach leaves
1 x splash of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parsley if you have it.
Stir-fry all ingredients on a med-high heat until hot and spinach is wilted, around 3 - 5 minutes.
Serve on toasted wholegrain / sourdough bread or alongside some baked beans.
Optional idea: add some sliced fresh chilli to the mix.
Tainton's Carrot Salad
Grated carrot
Shredded coconut
Slivered almonds
Blackcurrants
Toast the coconut and roast the almonds. Toss all the ingredients together into a bowl and enjoy it. It works best with baby carrots because they are naturally sweet.
Date stuffed apples
These apples literally have their dates stuffed with apples.
Granny smith apple
Date (1 per apple)
Honey
Cinnamon
Remove the core from granny smith apple, leaving a clean hole in the centre. Run a horizontal slit around the skin so that the apple can swell on cooking. Stuff the apple hole with the date. Top it with a drizzle of honey and some cinnamon. Bake in the oven on 200c for approximately 20 minutes. This would be nice with accompaniments but none of them are included on my fast so I ate it straight.
A couple of ideas that work well in a vegan fast:
Sushi Rolls with Vegetable Fillings
Thai Rice Paper Rolls.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Pride comes before a,....
Well, after yesterday's proud humility, comes the inevitable fall. I was out, jetsetting around the coast. I was prepared with nuts, fruit and boiling water in a thermos for some herbal tea. I'd drunk my one coffee for the day and,.... well, I confess,... I bought a coffee. Not only did I not need the coffee (since I had already drunk one an hour or two before), the coffee was not part of my fast and neither was the MILK it was made from.
I do feel like I have committed a monumental blunder here. I wonder about the implications for the rest of my fast. Does God turn his face away from me now? Do I have to pay some kind of fasting penance?
No. I do need to come before God and repent though. My heart,.... the heart attitude that made me buy that coffee when I didn't need one, was one of selfishness and pride. My focus was not on God but on me and my body and how nice it would make me feel to drink a warm milky coffee on this miserable rain-flooded day. Even as I ordered it, I felt guilty. Repentance is necessary,...
But I know that as I come to God with a sorry heart and seek forgiveness he will be faithful and just and He will give me more opportunities to draw near to Him.
I love the promises of God. These are what I am holding out for with this fast. I am reminding God of the good promises He has made to me, the barren woman, who doesn't have enough money for a home.
I do feel like I have committed a monumental blunder here. I wonder about the implications for the rest of my fast. Does God turn his face away from me now? Do I have to pay some kind of fasting penance?
No. I do need to come before God and repent though. My heart,.... the heart attitude that made me buy that coffee when I didn't need one, was one of selfishness and pride. My focus was not on God but on me and my body and how nice it would make me feel to drink a warm milky coffee on this miserable rain-flooded day. Even as I ordered it, I felt guilty. Repentance is necessary,...
But I know that as I come to God with a sorry heart and seek forgiveness he will be faithful and just and He will give me more opportunities to draw near to Him.
Psalm 113
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.
9 He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD.
I love the promises of God. These are what I am holding out for with this fast. I am reminding God of the good promises He has made to me, the barren woman, who doesn't have enough money for a home.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Proud of myself,...
I am proud of myself for being so humble. Sounds stupid, I know,... but what I mean is I'm proud of myself for laying my pride down at the Lord's feet through fasting. I'm really glad I've done this - even just for two days!!!
For two whole days my actions have showed the Lord that He is God in my life. Every meal and snack time is an opportunity to humble myself and honour God. Even if I collapse and crumble tomorrow, I will still be happy with myself for spending two days honouring God. If I can make it to 21, all the better!!!!
Q: How often in our busy lives do we set aside time for God?
A: Not very! We rush around from alarm clock to couch collapse doing things we will have forgotten all about in two months time.
But fasting has eternal significance. It is an act of worship and of breaking down strongholds. It glorifies God and it heals my body all at the same time. What a miracle!
So today, I felt closer to God than I have in a long time and it was because I had been obedient to His word. In 1 Samuel 15:22 it says to obey is better than sacrifice, meaning it is far better to do as God asks in the first place, than to sin and rely on the Grace of God. Obedience is joyful and abundant. Sacrifice carries with it scar tissue and regret.
For two whole days my actions have showed the Lord that He is God in my life. Every meal and snack time is an opportunity to humble myself and honour God. Even if I collapse and crumble tomorrow, I will still be happy with myself for spending two days honouring God. If I can make it to 21, all the better!!!!
Q: How often in our busy lives do we set aside time for God?
A: Not very! We rush around from alarm clock to couch collapse doing things we will have forgotten all about in two months time.
But fasting has eternal significance. It is an act of worship and of breaking down strongholds. It glorifies God and it heals my body all at the same time. What a miracle!
So today, I felt closer to God than I have in a long time and it was because I had been obedient to His word. In 1 Samuel 15:22 it says to obey is better than sacrifice, meaning it is far better to do as God asks in the first place, than to sin and rely on the Grace of God. Obedience is joyful and abundant. Sacrifice carries with it scar tissue and regret.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Fast Day 1 - Caffeine Withdrawals
The first day of my fast was harder than anticipated. The problem? Coffee. My body is used to having around three heavy coffees a day, and one or two decafs. I was planning to fast coffee as well as part of the Daniel Fast.
By lunch time I had one heck of a headache and was really churned up inside about the issue of coffee and this fast. I've done two Daniel Fasts previously and I did one each way. My rationale for keeping the coffee in was that I failed the first fast and fell apart after six days. I didn't want coffee cravings to be the reason for failing the entire fast and then beating myself up for it. After all, this is not a diet it is a spiritual endeavour.
So I've spent the entire day feeling a bit confused about what to do and how to cope with the headaches and cravings. My decision is this - I will drink a couple of coffees tomorrow because I'll be at work and the last thing I need while working is a headache. On Wednesday, though, I'll cut the coffees out and allow myself to detoxify. After all, isn't that the point of the fast? The headaches should be all gone by the time I have to work again.
Maybe coffee is one thing that would be good to give up completely as a result of this fast???? Herbal tea eg. peppermint tea has a lot fewer nasty side effects.
I spent some time in prayer today and even marvelled when God gave me an instant answer to a little request for help. All those headaches today prompted prayers that would not normally get prayed. I know that God is faithful and the other things I'm fasting and praying for will be high up on God's to do list this month.
By lunch time I had one heck of a headache and was really churned up inside about the issue of coffee and this fast. I've done two Daniel Fasts previously and I did one each way. My rationale for keeping the coffee in was that I failed the first fast and fell apart after six days. I didn't want coffee cravings to be the reason for failing the entire fast and then beating myself up for it. After all, this is not a diet it is a spiritual endeavour.
So I've spent the entire day feeling a bit confused about what to do and how to cope with the headaches and cravings. My decision is this - I will drink a couple of coffees tomorrow because I'll be at work and the last thing I need while working is a headache. On Wednesday, though, I'll cut the coffees out and allow myself to detoxify. After all, isn't that the point of the fast? The headaches should be all gone by the time I have to work again.
Maybe coffee is one thing that would be good to give up completely as a result of this fast???? Herbal tea eg. peppermint tea has a lot fewer nasty side effects.
I spent some time in prayer today and even marvelled when God gave me an instant answer to a little request for help. All those headaches today prompted prayers that would not normally get prayed. I know that God is faithful and the other things I'm fasting and praying for will be high up on God's to do list this month.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
My 21 day fast starts tomorrow
I am doing a 21 day fast, starting tomorrow, in conjunction with the congregation at my Church. Jesus said not to make it obvious that you are fasting, but to get dressed, brush your hair and get on with your life. The whole point of fasting is to reconnect and revitalise your relationship with God, not to gain some kind of sympathy from your colleagues and friends. So why am I sharing it all here on my blog?
I want you to understand what it's like to fast. I want to share the sacrifices and struggles that go with it. I also want to share the miracles that happen as a result of my fast - I am expecting several! I have fasted before and failed before I reached my planned end date. So, as a strategy to help me make it to the end I have anticipated temptation and made plans to deal with it. Expect a blog entry about that on approximately day 6, if past experience is anything to go by.
There is a group of Church goals that we are believing for,.... but my understanding of the spiritual purpose of fasting is that it breaks strongholds. So, really, we are believing for the breaking down of strongholds that would prevent us from reaching our goals.
My personal stronghold and my lifelong battle that needs divine intervention is an addiction to food. I'm a foodie, a food junkie, a chocaholic, you name it I crave it! Food is my number 1 coping mechanism and boy, doesn't my waistline show it! I've even been counselled for a binge-eating disorder,... but some counsellors say it's not an eating disorder, it's just disordered eating. Either way, it's inappropriate and it puts food before God.
So, God has been leaning on me, as He does and his Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about doing this 21 day fast and laying down my food addiction once and for all. I know that it lies at the root of my struggles with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). So it is with humility and trepidation that I head off to bed tonight, knowing that from tomorrow morning all I will be eating are fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
I'll blog daily through this time to explain more about the fast, the food, the rationale and the temptations. I'll tell you a little bit more about what I hope to gain from the experience and what I hope to do at the end of this 21 days. So stay tuned and return often for updates.
I want you to understand what it's like to fast. I want to share the sacrifices and struggles that go with it. I also want to share the miracles that happen as a result of my fast - I am expecting several! I have fasted before and failed before I reached my planned end date. So, as a strategy to help me make it to the end I have anticipated temptation and made plans to deal with it. Expect a blog entry about that on approximately day 6, if past experience is anything to go by.
There is a group of Church goals that we are believing for,.... but my understanding of the spiritual purpose of fasting is that it breaks strongholds. So, really, we are believing for the breaking down of strongholds that would prevent us from reaching our goals.
My personal stronghold and my lifelong battle that needs divine intervention is an addiction to food. I'm a foodie, a food junkie, a chocaholic, you name it I crave it! Food is my number 1 coping mechanism and boy, doesn't my waistline show it! I've even been counselled for a binge-eating disorder,... but some counsellors say it's not an eating disorder, it's just disordered eating. Either way, it's inappropriate and it puts food before God.
So, God has been leaning on me, as He does and his Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about doing this 21 day fast and laying down my food addiction once and for all. I know that it lies at the root of my struggles with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). So it is with humility and trepidation that I head off to bed tonight, knowing that from tomorrow morning all I will be eating are fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
I'll blog daily through this time to explain more about the fast, the food, the rationale and the temptations. I'll tell you a little bit more about what I hope to gain from the experience and what I hope to do at the end of this 21 days. So stay tuned and return often for updates.
Friday, 29 January 2010
The stories of the Shunnamite Woman
2 Kings 4:8-17 - The Lord gives her a son
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."
11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' "She replied, "I have a home among my own people."
14 "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."
15 Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!*"
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
*Some versions say "Don't get my hopes up".
2 Kings 4:18-37 - The Lord restores her son's life
18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 "My head! My head!" he said to his father. His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."
23 "Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath." "It's all right," she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?'" "Everything is all right," she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why."
28 "Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?"
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
30 But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened."
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your son." 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
2 Kings 8:1-6 - The Lord restores her home
1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, "Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done." 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."
Wow. This is a powerful old testament story. We tend to attribute amazing miracles to Jesus, but Elisha has some fantastic ones. In fact, if you think about the Biblical principle of 'first mention' then these were powerful examples and faith builders for Jesus. I imagine Him, as a young boy, hearing these stories read aloud in the temple and growing in faith. Over the years I have learned so much about the barren Shunamite woman. I felt her pain. I begged God time and again not to get my hopes up. Hope is far too painful when it's dashed.
Lately, probably as part of reflecting on my goals for the year, I've been considering what is important to me, things I'd like to see happen this year. One of these, is that I'd like to have a house. We've been renting for years and it's wearing thin. I'd dearly love my own home. So, I might have prayed a prayer or two about it in the past week or two.
When Better Homes and Garden announced their competition to win a home on the Sunshine Coast, I found myself salivating. Wouldn't it be great to win a home? My self talk went something like "Don't be stupid. You wouldn't win that home! [pause] Why not? Somebody has got to win that competition and it might as well be me. Why not me? Why couldn't it be me?"
But this morning, while praying about my goals, about my desire for a home, about this competition, I just randomly flipped open my Bible. It landed open at 2 Kings 8, a story I had never read before starring a woman I knew well and related to as a kindred spirit. We shared the pain of infertility and it sucked. But here she was, begging for the return of her home and being blessed abundantly for it. She shared with the King about what Elisha had done for her and God was glorified for it.
Wow. That story is filling me with faith for my dream this year - to have my own home again.
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."
11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' "She replied, "I have a home among my own people."
14 "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."
15 Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!*"
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
*Some versions say "Don't get my hopes up".
2 Kings 4:18-37 - The Lord restores her son's life
18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 "My head! My head!" he said to his father. His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."
23 "Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath." "It's all right," she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?'" "Everything is all right," she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why."
28 "Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?"
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
30 But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened."
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your son." 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
2 Kings 8:1-6 - The Lord restores her home
1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, "Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done." 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."
Wow. This is a powerful old testament story. We tend to attribute amazing miracles to Jesus, but Elisha has some fantastic ones. In fact, if you think about the Biblical principle of 'first mention' then these were powerful examples and faith builders for Jesus. I imagine Him, as a young boy, hearing these stories read aloud in the temple and growing in faith. Over the years I have learned so much about the barren Shunamite woman. I felt her pain. I begged God time and again not to get my hopes up. Hope is far too painful when it's dashed.
Lately, probably as part of reflecting on my goals for the year, I've been considering what is important to me, things I'd like to see happen this year. One of these, is that I'd like to have a house. We've been renting for years and it's wearing thin. I'd dearly love my own home. So, I might have prayed a prayer or two about it in the past week or two.
When Better Homes and Garden announced their competition to win a home on the Sunshine Coast, I found myself salivating. Wouldn't it be great to win a home? My self talk went something like "Don't be stupid. You wouldn't win that home! [pause] Why not? Somebody has got to win that competition and it might as well be me. Why not me? Why couldn't it be me?"
But this morning, while praying about my goals, about my desire for a home, about this competition, I just randomly flipped open my Bible. It landed open at 2 Kings 8, a story I had never read before starring a woman I knew well and related to as a kindred spirit. We shared the pain of infertility and it sucked. But here she was, begging for the return of her home and being blessed abundantly for it. She shared with the King about what Elisha had done for her and God was glorified for it.
Wow. That story is filling me with faith for my dream this year - to have my own home again.
Get yourself organised.
I have to admit, a tidy decluttered home is my version of mecca. It definitely seems like an unattainable goal,... just like losing 20 kg and being a respectable 75 kg. I wish!!! Ugh.
Anyway, we all need a little help along the way and Simple Mom have some great articles on organising and decluttering. One of my favourites is using your super tall glamourous spaghetti vase (that only gets fresh flowers put in it once or twice a year) as storage for spare toilet rolls in the loo. Nice.
Here's the URL: http://simplemom.net/
Return often.
Anyway, we all need a little help along the way and Simple Mom have some great articles on organising and decluttering. One of my favourites is using your super tall glamourous spaghetti vase (that only gets fresh flowers put in it once or twice a year) as storage for spare toilet rolls in the loo. Nice.
Here's the URL: http://simplemom.net/
Return often.
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