Daniel Fast--Day One

And so today is my first day on this journey.....I didn't get all the food made last night...my achy joints commanded me to stop.  I got all the breakfasts and dinners made and prepped for the soups.  I couldn't get to sleep until after 5 this morning...body aches and mind swirling...I questioned whether or not I could do this task I have set before me.  I know some people would think this was no big deal...a piece of cake (which I can't have for 21 days!) but, for me, it is a big deal!  Learning to recognize my body's signals and learning to have faith again is a huge step for me.  For too many years, I have struggled and given up because the task seemed too hard...for now, my mom's mantra..."One Day at a Time".  Some days, though, it will probably be one minute at a time but I am going to give it my best efforts.


The first 32-ounces of water went quickly.  I almost always wake up thirsty because of my apnea and the fact that I breathe through my mouth (snore!).  I read the Daniel Fast Devotional for today and thought about how I need to place God first in my life every day and how I haven't done that in a long, long time.  I ate my whole wheat cereal with banana and almonds and I made myself aware of each spoonful...the taste, the texture, and how it was filling my body's needs in a healthier way than sweetened cereal or poptarts!  


I am now at our "new" house making as much of the rest of the meals as I can and I am enjoying the preparation with fresh ingredients in a kitchen that makes cooking a joy!  I am so used to depending on a "quick fix" for meals that it takes actual thought to plan and cook real food.  When John and I were first married, I planned the menus for each week and cooked food in as healthy a way as I could do.  As the years have gone on, I've gotten lazy on so many fronts that it is terrible to admit that my family's health came second to the various tasks that confronted me...but I know I was stretched with young kids, a military husband, frequent moves, distance from family, and all that stuff that keeps us from being our best.  


I've managed to finish the soups and I'm almost done with the two salads...next package everything up in portions....ugh!  I think I'm going to skip making chapatis and roasted chickpeas for this week...John bought some fresh fruit and I will take advantage of it.  I am on my third! container of water but I often drink close to a gallon of water a day anyway and (fingers crossed!) no caffeine headache...yet


I ate a bowl of navy bean soup and said my rosary for lunch--so I fed my body and my spirit!  Dinner will be paella (and another rosary) and I will probably have 3 strawberries and a little bit of salad later.  My devotional reading for this evening is called "Many Rooms" and the focus will be on John 14:2.  I hope for some rest tonight so I can start Day Two rested and refreshed..........