fast

I have several guilty pleasures.

One of them is McDonald's. The other is mexican food...the kind that is flavored with lots of frying. Another is cheese. I love food. Food is a way to bring people together, celebrate life and get lost a sense that God gave us (like all of the others) to praise Him. God is good...and so are the fruits of his creation.

To decipher the difference between "good" and "good for you" doesn't take a rocket scientist. My trainer drives me hard, as I do myself, to meet new fitness goals and continue in a lifestyle that is active and fit.

My guilty pleasures should not be a regular part of my life.

Depending on busy-ness or stress, food can become more than my sustenance. It becomes my friend that comforts me by being dependable hot and ready from a drive-through window or my friend whose smells invade my house and make me feel warm and secure with the flavors of my childhood. It also adds weight and fat that I don't need on my body.

My choices influence who I am.

Today I rest, or fast, from food. My focus is on my real food, my Father's love. I meditate on Him and accept all kinds of Revelation from Him. John wrote "Revelations" the last book of the Bible while fasting, and the incredible insight and power and pictures God gave him for the future makes Nostradamus look like an idiot.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that is almost lost among modern day Christians. Fasting is the body's natural state of rest (we all fast when we sleep) and is meant to encourage and cleanse the body of impurities. Even so, Christians fast to enter into warfare prayer and show absolute dependency on God and mastery over their physical body. After all, we are not animals, we have control over what we do.


In reality, life moves fast and we find ourselves needed nourishment to bring us through for energy. During times of fasting, life doesn't stand still, it just shows you how much you rely on other things, rather than the grace of God. Today we pray and reflect and declare God to be our true sustenance...

But I have to admit, I'm a terrible faster...is there such a word? I tell everyone I'm fasting (the Bible encourages not attracting attention to yourself when you do, and to be cheerful and not angry). I also read magazines or books as much as the Bible.... and the truth is, I've never once...and I mean, not once!! regretted that I was fasting.

It has always been a good time for me to hear God, who really understands me and loves me more than anyone else. It also is a journaling time (although my journal is now kinda my blog) for notes and revelation. Even so, one thing that defies the written word is the heart change and change of focus that is much needed in our hurried world. Ministry takes a back seat to relationship and prayer. It is, in short, like a honeymoon with God.

We have losts of jokes about fasting. Christioans kind of collect them. One is: "I don't know why it's called fasting, the time goes by so slowly". And then we all laugh. A harsh word, but true.

We all realized how spoiled we are when we give up something...