Back To The Grind

Getting up and back to work today wasn't as bad as I imagined. Work was actually very productive, and it wasn't hard waking up early, either. I thought I'd feel a bit more like Garfield in the morning, but it wasn't that bad.

Having two weeks off at Christmas is nice, but it sure does mess with the schedule. It is nice to be back to a normal schedule. I talked to NR, my walking buddy, and we are going to finally go walking tomorrow. We are going to see what walking at the high school is like. I got on the treadmill this afternoon, and boy did my legs enjoy the movement. It felt GOOD!!!

I am at the beginning of the Daniel Fast. This is the third year PKR and I have started off the new year with this kind of fast. Our church takes the first 21 days of the year to fast and pray, and get focused on our relationship with God. It is a type of spiritual discipline that really is a good way to get headed in the right direction for the new year. It is a partial fast, focusing on eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and some dairy. No meat, preservatives, caffeine or sugars. I always feel so good when I eat this way.

The snow continues to fall here in the Silver Valley. But we aren't as bad as the Coeur d'Alene to Spokane area. It sounds like some of those schools are closed tomorrow just so the roofs can be evaluated on snow loads. Yikes!! Yesterday Spokane had 61 inches of snow on the ground, and probably got more today.

We have snow, but so far it seems managable.

Well, time to get to bed so I won't turn into Garfield in the morning.

Ta-ta for now.

Sacred Sunday--Victories Through the 21 Day Fast

Tonight our church family gathered to share the victories that happened during the last 21 days. As I mentioned last week, some of our church members were participating in a 21 day Daniel Fast.

What an encouraging time it was to sit and listen to the wonderful things God did in our midst. People were healed, miracles happened, and lives were transformed.

One couple wept as they shared how God healed the baby growing inside SF. They had gone to the doctor and didn't get a good report, so they came forward for prayer te following Sunday, and SF felt Jesus was standing before her. A week later, they had an appointment with a genetisist, and this doctor wondered why they were even there because the baby was growing and healthy. What a wonderful miracle.

In the book of Joel it talks about seeing visions and dreaming dreams. Many shared of seeing visions and special dreams they had where God revealed things to them.

A relationship between a mother and daughter was restored.

A relationship between a son and father was restored.

A marriage was restored.

During some special services over the weekend, people were told of a good future ahead, and given some exciting words from the Lord about what to expect.

There was laughing, and crying and rejoicing tonight.

People were earnestly seeking God, and wanting to hear from Him.

And they did!!!!

How Great Is Our God!!

Sacred Sunday--The Daniel Fast

My final new theme for the weeks ahead as I blog is Sacred Sunday. On Sundays my plan is to share some spiritual insights or truths that I may have learned or discovered throughout the week.

For the second year in a row, our church has participated in a Daniel Fast for the first 21 days of the new year.

A Daniel Fast is a specific fast during which you refrain from many of the rich foods you might enjoy throughout the year and simplify your diet. It is important to remember that the intent of any fast is to deny yourself something that you would normally do in order to focus more specifically on the Lord and prayer. In considering a dietary fast such as a "Daniel" fast, it is best for each believer to prayerfully determine what thing they will eat or not eat. The Bible does not give us details, but rather says Daniel refrained from the King's rich food, and ate vegetables and water.

Our Daniel fast includes whole grains, legumes, all fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, sprouts, water, herbal tea and dairy products.

So far, this fast has gotton me more disciplined in my morning prayer and Bible reading time, which was really lacking in my life. It has also helped us focus on some problem areas that need some work, and some focused prayer time on those specific areas.

We are having special services at church this coming weekend, and have been asked to take three days this week to completely fast, water only. Today is my first day, with water only. It was interesting this afternoon, when I went downstairs to be alone and pray, and I felt like I was alone, like I wanted to reach God, but I couldn't. It was very interesting. But I am not deterred. I will continue to pray and seek wisdom on my life.

I look forward to the week ahead, and see what God will teach me.

The concept of a Daniel fast comes from Daniel 1:8-14,

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.”The background of the “Daniel fast” is that Daniel and his three friends had been “deported” to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians had conquered Judah (2 Kings 24:13-14).

Daniel and his three friends were put into the Babylonian court servant “training program.” Part of the program was learning Babylonian customs, beliefs, laws, and practices. The eating habits of the Babylonians were not in complete agreement with the Mosaic law. As a result, Daniel asked if he and his three friends could be excused from eating the meat (which was likely sacrificed to Babylonian false gods and idols).