I was not ready to end my 30 Day Daniel Fast on Sunday when the church-wide fast was due to end. It wasn't because I didn't want to eat something other than salad and green smoothies before 3:00; it wasn't because my clothes were looser and my skin clearer. Nor was it because I had discovered that a simpler menu meant simpler shopping, simpler clean-up, and more time outside of the kitchen.
I was not ready to end the Daniel Fast because I liked having the entire act of feeding myself dedicated to a Godly purpose. Hunger served as a reminder to pray. The desire to spontaneously eat something, even when I wasn't hungry, reminded me of how to discipline my wants and desires. The act of cutting up kale and washing carrots became a soothing ritual. I felt like I was on on a spiritual retreat.
The constant barrage of food ads, fast food signs and food commercials helped me to see just how hard it is for a person to be of a healthy weight in our culture. I have much admiration for the likes of Jennifer Hudson (and my cousin Audrey), but after my Weight Watcher's meeting, I realized that although Jennifer is thinking about food in a different way, she still has to think about food (and points) all of the time.
I was glad to have been on my Daniel Fast while in Houston with my brother. I think that it helped me to stay focused on him and his care. But once I returned to my normal life, I felt the tug to return to my break-neck, hectic, crazy busy existence. Then I came across this quote in a book, the phrase "Festina Lente." It is Latin for "Make haste, slowly."
That is what I wanted from the fasting experience- how to live better in my normal life. To me, a Godly life is a calmer, richer life; where I don't need food to calm me down, or distract me from lonliness or boredom. Nor am I naval gazing all day. When my mind is God-focused I am calmer and my mind is clearer. With a clearer mind, I am more creative. When more creative, I can solve problems and see solutions that I normally wouldn't see. It's not so much about the fasting or the food. It's about the focus.
The food that I eat makes a difference in my ability to focus. Foods that make you jittery or sluggish don't help you stay focused. Food, therefore, plays a role in how easy or difficult it is for me to have a calm, clear and creative mind. So, I've decided to continue with my Green till Three, a little while longer. I've added soup to my menu of smoothies and salads and have committed to not eat anything after 8:00 p.m. I am motivated because I have a problem that needs solving. It is a big problem that has to do with my job.
Last semester, I had several students who were expecting to graduate once they completed the semester. In order to do that they had to obtain a "C" in my course. Unfortunately, for some, that didn't happen. Furthermore, I serve as a faculty adviser. I advise students on what courses to take. A few of them have lower than a C average. When the student's grades drop below a C average, then they are placed on probation. Federal financial aid only allows one semester grace period. If students drop out they could end up with thousands of dollars worth of school debt and no degree. If this happens on a mass scale, then the University undergoes a budget crisis. How can I help these students? This problem was also a focus of my prayer and fasting and I did receive an answer.
I have to start a revolution!
More about that next time.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Finding God at Weight Watchers
I'm in Houston with my brother while he recovers from Cancer surgery. He is now cancer-free and we are so thankful. He has had a long year of chemo and radiation treatments which culminated in his successful surgery. My brother is fortunate in that his insurance has allowed him to be treated at this mega-specialty hospital in Houston. People from all over the world come here. On the day he had surgery there were 59 other surgeries performed. His ward only services people with cancers associated with digestive organs. And even though his surgery was extremely difficult, it is routinely done here.
His surgeon commented to me that one of the things that helped Damon was the fact that he was healthy and strong before the chemotherapy began. Because he was able to withstand this rigorous treatment, they were able to shrink the tumor enough for it to be surgically removed. Had he been obese or diabetic things would have been much more difficult.
A few days after we learned that the surgery had been successful, my host family here in Houston attended their Weight Watchers meeting and invited me to join them. They were signing up again as part of a New Year's commitment to healthy living. I had never been to a Weight Watchers meeting so I was happy to tag along.
I found it very inspiring. The leader, Betty Jo, did an excellent job of facilitating. There were about 100 people there and she knew how to work the room in a folksy kind of way. There was a lot of interaction as people shared their struggles and their triumphs. Betty Jo offered a lot of encouragement and gave practical tips about how to manage yourself while you are on the Program. The word "diet" was never used. Weight Watchers is a life-style.
I thought about this after I got home- the life-style change that happens when you are constantly aware.
Weight Watchers requires that you track every single morsel of food that enters your mouth. There is a point system and you only have so many points per day. Fortunately, most all fruits and veggies are zero points, so they are encouraged. Which was a great thing for me as I have continued my "Green till 3" Daniel Fast since being here and introduced green smoothies, to my hosts. They LOVE them.
This constant awareness is the same thing that is asked of those who go to AA meetings. The basis of the Twelve Step program is awareness. You have to monitor yourself and slowly over time, with the help of your new community, change the thinking and reasoning that led to drinking.
Constant awareness is also the basis of a spiritual practice. Just being aware of your thoughts and habits is necessary in order to be God-centered. Just like it's easy to be too busy or too stressed or too tired to monitor your points or go to your AA meetings, it is sometimes not so easy to be in constant communication with God all day through out the day- to "pray without ceasing".
However, imagine if every morsel of food was a reminder to lift up a short little prayer. It would be like God Watching and Weight Watching combined. By God Watching AND Weight Watching maybe more people would stick to the program. If more people stuck to the program then they would not be obese. When people are not obese they are healthier and less likely to have diabetes, hypertension or heart disease. If people are healthier then if some bad disease does happen they will be more resilient.
That's what I got out of going to Weight Watchers.
His surgeon commented to me that one of the things that helped Damon was the fact that he was healthy and strong before the chemotherapy began. Because he was able to withstand this rigorous treatment, they were able to shrink the tumor enough for it to be surgically removed. Had he been obese or diabetic things would have been much more difficult.
A few days after we learned that the surgery had been successful, my host family here in Houston attended their Weight Watchers meeting and invited me to join them. They were signing up again as part of a New Year's commitment to healthy living. I had never been to a Weight Watchers meeting so I was happy to tag along.
I found it very inspiring. The leader, Betty Jo, did an excellent job of facilitating. There were about 100 people there and she knew how to work the room in a folksy kind of way. There was a lot of interaction as people shared their struggles and their triumphs. Betty Jo offered a lot of encouragement and gave practical tips about how to manage yourself while you are on the Program. The word "diet" was never used. Weight Watchers is a life-style.
I thought about this after I got home- the life-style change that happens when you are constantly aware.
Weight Watchers requires that you track every single morsel of food that enters your mouth. There is a point system and you only have so many points per day. Fortunately, most all fruits and veggies are zero points, so they are encouraged. Which was a great thing for me as I have continued my "Green till 3" Daniel Fast since being here and introduced green smoothies, to my hosts. They LOVE them.
This constant awareness is the same thing that is asked of those who go to AA meetings. The basis of the Twelve Step program is awareness. You have to monitor yourself and slowly over time, with the help of your new community, change the thinking and reasoning that led to drinking.
Constant awareness is also the basis of a spiritual practice. Just being aware of your thoughts and habits is necessary in order to be God-centered. Just like it's easy to be too busy or too stressed or too tired to monitor your points or go to your AA meetings, it is sometimes not so easy to be in constant communication with God all day through out the day- to "pray without ceasing".
However, imagine if every morsel of food was a reminder to lift up a short little prayer. It would be like God Watching and Weight Watching combined. By God Watching AND Weight Watching maybe more people would stick to the program. If more people stuck to the program then they would not be obese. When people are not obese they are healthier and less likely to have diabetes, hypertension or heart disease. If people are healthier then if some bad disease does happen they will be more resilient.
That's what I got out of going to Weight Watchers.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Fasting in a Cancer hospital
I am well into the second week of our church fast. I am adhering to my "Green till 3" goals despite being here in Houston, Texas tending to my brother, Damon, while he recovers from cancer surgery. He is doing very well, remarkably well and is now cancer free. It has been a long year, with his chemo and radiation treatments and it will be a slow recovery but we are all thankful for this outcome.
A cancer hospital provides a great space for reflection, especially if you are disciplining yourself with nothing but Green (raw) food most of the day. There are lots of opportunities for free doughnuts and coffee. I pass the Starbucks and Chick-Fillet on the way to the room.
However, these are not my biggest challenges. The biggest challenge is to keep a peaceful heart and mind when all around me there are balded heads from chemo and the recent surgery patients rolling their IV stands. The talk of a waiting rooms is all about sickness and recovery. I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about the symptoms of cancer, the treatments for cancer and the ravaging of cancer.
No, forgoing food is not the biggest challenge. It is only the practice session. The actual game involves how to be peaceful in the midst of fear and anxiety. How to love and to express love to a person who is in pain. How to remain kind, compassionate, gentle after hours of sitting and waiting...trying to manage your normal, back-home life from gmail. And finally, reminding myself that the God I serve lives in Damon; relating wiping up a puddle of body fluid to an act of worship.
This is why I fast, so that I can learn to control myself and my actions, so that I can learn to control my thoughts and feelings. I cannot allow myself to eat anything I want because I can't allow myself to think any way I want. It is not about the food. It is about the thinking.
I was reminded of this during a sermon last Sunday. I am staying with extended family members who attend Weaver Avenue Baptist Church. The youth pastor, (who looks like a sophomore in high school) gave an incredibly energetic and far-reaching sermon. His verse focused on the story of Zachias, who climbed the tree to see Jesus and in the telling of that story he included: Mohammed Ali's fight with Joe Frazier and Rope-A-Dope (with boxing imitations); a famous Basketball dunking competition won by a guy who was 5'8"; late night comedy star Arsenio Hall; and a Do-It-Yourself home repair project.
The insight that I received from the sermon was that anything and everything can be a reminder of God's presence.... if you are looking.
Tonight I will be accompanying my family to a Weight Watchers meeting...and I am looking for God to show up. More on that next time.
A cancer hospital provides a great space for reflection, especially if you are disciplining yourself with nothing but Green (raw) food most of the day. There are lots of opportunities for free doughnuts and coffee. I pass the Starbucks and Chick-Fillet on the way to the room.
However, these are not my biggest challenges. The biggest challenge is to keep a peaceful heart and mind when all around me there are balded heads from chemo and the recent surgery patients rolling their IV stands. The talk of a waiting rooms is all about sickness and recovery. I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about the symptoms of cancer, the treatments for cancer and the ravaging of cancer.
No, forgoing food is not the biggest challenge. It is only the practice session. The actual game involves how to be peaceful in the midst of fear and anxiety. How to love and to express love to a person who is in pain. How to remain kind, compassionate, gentle after hours of sitting and waiting...trying to manage your normal, back-home life from gmail. And finally, reminding myself that the God I serve lives in Damon; relating wiping up a puddle of body fluid to an act of worship.
This is why I fast, so that I can learn to control myself and my actions, so that I can learn to control my thoughts and feelings. I cannot allow myself to eat anything I want because I can't allow myself to think any way I want. It is not about the food. It is about the thinking.
I was reminded of this during a sermon last Sunday. I am staying with extended family members who attend Weaver Avenue Baptist Church. The youth pastor, (who looks like a sophomore in high school) gave an incredibly energetic and far-reaching sermon. His verse focused on the story of Zachias, who climbed the tree to see Jesus and in the telling of that story he included: Mohammed Ali's fight with Joe Frazier and Rope-A-Dope (with boxing imitations); a famous Basketball dunking competition won by a guy who was 5'8"; late night comedy star Arsenio Hall; and a Do-It-Yourself home repair project.
The insight that I received from the sermon was that anything and everything can be a reminder of God's presence.... if you are looking.
Tonight I will be accompanying my family to a Weight Watchers meeting...and I am looking for God to show up. More on that next time.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Fasting and New Beginnings
One thing I really like about the New Year is the opportunity it gives for a new start. I am a teacher and January is always a new semester. So, no matter how hard things were in the Fall semester, I get to start again. Also, our church goes on a church-wide fast in January. This provides a time to focus on a behavior that I want to change. Last year, I embarked on a 40 day raw-food fast. When it was over, I had learned a lot about myself and also had identified areas in my spiritual walk that I have worked on all year. I also learned how my body feels when I eat only raw fruits and vegetables. I liked how I felt, However, I LOVE cooked foods and so a 100% raw food diet was not sustainable
.
For January 2012, I have begun a 30 day, regimen that I'm calling "Green till 3." I am eating only raw fruits and veggies (mainly in the form of green smoothies, big salads, nuts seeds and fruit) until 3:00 p.m. followed by healthy snacks and dinner. It has only been one day, but I believe that this fast will have a lot to teach me as well. At breakfast and lunch during the fast, I plan to turn my thoughts toward my relationship with God. No eating while working at the computer or standing by the sink! My goal is to eat mindfully and gratefully, while focusing on some inspirational material.
The reason for this is because there are OTHER areas I would like to change. I noticed last year, that the discipline used in eating raw food, was transferable. I was better at staying on my budget. I exercised more. But I'm still a long way away from demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit in every area of my life and with every person in every situation. Yes, it's a big goal but being a CHRIST-IaN is a big thing. If Christ is in me, then I should be acting like it all of the time.
So, I have challenged myself to make three distinct changes in my life by January 1, 2013. The focus for the next 30 days is to identify what areas need attention....my temper, being impatient, clutter in my closets...it can be anything. As I write this I'm thinking one of the three will be to feel less rushed during the day. I often sense that I should be rushing to finish what I am doing so that I can get on to the next thing. I want to be at peace instead of being rushed...but I also need to get things done. This is one area. As I quiet myself and pray this month, the other two areas will identify themselves, I'm sure.
I'll keep you posted of the progress.
.
For January 2012, I have begun a 30 day, regimen that I'm calling "Green till 3." I am eating only raw fruits and veggies (mainly in the form of green smoothies, big salads, nuts seeds and fruit) until 3:00 p.m. followed by healthy snacks and dinner. It has only been one day, but I believe that this fast will have a lot to teach me as well. At breakfast and lunch during the fast, I plan to turn my thoughts toward my relationship with God. No eating while working at the computer or standing by the sink! My goal is to eat mindfully and gratefully, while focusing on some inspirational material.
The reason for this is because there are OTHER areas I would like to change. I noticed last year, that the discipline used in eating raw food, was transferable. I was better at staying on my budget. I exercised more. But I'm still a long way away from demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit in every area of my life and with every person in every situation. Yes, it's a big goal but being a CHRIST-IaN is a big thing. If Christ is in me, then I should be acting like it all of the time.
So, I have challenged myself to make three distinct changes in my life by January 1, 2013. The focus for the next 30 days is to identify what areas need attention....my temper, being impatient, clutter in my closets...it can be anything. As I write this I'm thinking one of the three will be to feel less rushed during the day. I often sense that I should be rushing to finish what I am doing so that I can get on to the next thing. I want to be at peace instead of being rushed...but I also need to get things done. This is one area. As I quiet myself and pray this month, the other two areas will identify themselves, I'm sure.
I'll keep you posted of the progress.
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