Book Review: That Printer of Udell's by Harold Bell Wright

It’s been several weeks since I reviewed a book here, so I thought I’d let you know about a great book I finished last month. As I was reading a biography about The Faith of Ronald Reagan, the author mentioned that President Reagan considered this book to be the most impactful book he had ever read, outside of the Bible.  That fascinated me, so I found the book on Overdrive and listened to the audio version. Sure enough, it is a spiritually challenging book, so I bought a used copy on Amazon, and am passing it around to my local family members with my highest recommendations!

Harold Bell Wright, a Disciples of Christ clergyman, lived from 1872 to 1944 and wrote numerous books that have impacted generations of Christians. His books, including The Shepherd of the Hills, challenge believers to live out their faith in ways that often go against the grain of the established church.  As I've read some of Wright's work, I've often found myself convicted about my own lackadaisical response, either to the sufferings of others (a social gospel), or about their eternal souls (an evangelistic gospel). Ministering to both sides of the human condition should be a natural outgrowth of our love for Christ, and That Printer of Udell's communicates these priorities effectively.

The book follows the young adult years of Dick Falkner, who leaves the home of an alcoholic father to find his own way in the world. The response of church people and of the official clergy in the town where he lands is convicting, and leaves Dick with few options. The author leads Dick to the business of an unchurched man, who proceeds to show 'true religion' (James 1:27), though he avoids the church and Christians at all costs. As Dick comes into contact with the young people of the church, the author draws a distinction between those living their faith and those out to get only the social benefit of being prominent church members.

There are many ups and downs in Dick's relationships with Christians and non-Christians in his adopted Missouri town. The course he chooses is not easily accepted by the local religious community, but it makes a difference in the trajectory of his own life, as well as in the lives of many of his companions. Wright shows clearly how Dick's choices affect not only his everyday working life, but also his free time, his dating relationship, and every segment of his life.

If you have teens in your home, I highly recommend that you encourage them to read this book and discuss it with you. If you are courageous enough to have your own toes stepped on, get the book for free (at your local library or on Overdrive.com) and read it this weekend! You won't be sorry, and you might just find it life-changing!

DON'T FORGET: If you're interested in owning a copy of the Daniel Fast book I've been mentioning all month, you have just 3 more days to enter the giveaway! I'm drawing a winner this Saturday, April 23!

"The Ultimate Daniel Fast" Book Giveaway!

Good news for those of you who have been following my Daniel Fast posts – because this will be the last post devoted to the diet itself, I'm GIVING AWAY a copy of Kristin Feola's book, which I found so helpful during this process. (Read to the end of the post for details.) From here on out, I’ll continue to mention dietary victories or challenges, and might share a recipe or two as the need arises. But let’s get back to real life soon, shall we? :-)

Let’s start today’s post with a couple of tips I’ve learned (or had reinforced to myself) during this journey. If you’re trying to make a life-change in the way you eat or feed your family, these tips are a good place to start:

1. Use your crockpot for meal prep. The less time you’re in the kitchen in the hour or two before a meal, the less you’ll snitch and snack through those early hunger pangs! Open cans or throw in frozen meat when you’re already in the kitchen cleaning up breakfast or lunch.
2. Prep meats ahead of time. Cook chicken and shred a large quantity at a time; brown ground beef or venison in the crockpot in larger quantities; brown a whole 3 pound tube of sausage at a time, then store in zippered bags in the freezer for quicker meal prep when you’re in a hurry! This is invaluable when you need to throw together burritos or spaghetti in 20 minutes for a starving family. :-)
3. Set yourself guidelines determining what you will or won’t eat BEFORE you’re holding the restaurant menu in your hands! The best way to avoid fudging these guidelines is to have an accountability partner, too, to whom you know you’re going to report what you ate that day. If you’ve told your hubby on the way to the restaurant that you’re not eating cheese or drinking soda tonight, you’re unlikely to place that order when the going gets tough.

My menu this week included some favorites from the Daniel Fast plan (with modifications, of course), as well as some attempts at new recipes.. The kids had requested that I do another spaghetti squash, so that was Sunday lunch. My hubby cut it in half, so all I had to do was stuff it in the oven and put a jar of Aldi pasta sauce in a crockpot with some already-browned sausage I had in the freezer. Easy and healthy meal prep! And no… there were NO leftovers :-(

If you’ve been watching my boys in blue (Judy), you noticed that the Royals did a lot of winning this week! Here in KC, when the Royals score at least 5 runs and win, Papa John’s offers 50% off your order. They sure lost money on that deal last season! :-)  That meant that I got to test my commitment to one piece only…. Hhhmm….. But, I DID IT! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! TWICE this week, hot, yummy, fresh pizzas walked into this house, and TWICE I chose one perfect (lotsa pepperoni) piece, enjoyed it slowly, then walked away. Hallelujah!

Do you ever find the struggle over “what to eat” to be especially difficult when you’re over-tired? One morning this week, I found myself chopping veggies from 4-6 am, because I couldn’t sleep. When a missionary family dropped by mid-morning with their 7 kids I had carrot and celery sticks and lots of dried apple chips and banana chips to offer. I even chopped the veggies for the broth I needed to make before I could work on that day’s dinner and I cleaned up the kitchen a bit. Then I took a nap until 7 am. :-)

So many times this week, I was VERY grateful for the guidelines I had already set. Because I had told my accountability partners (my faithful blog readers) that I wouldn’t have dark soda, I chose lemonade at Pepperjax when my hubby took me out for lunch one day.  And because I had told you (and God) that I would only use my Daniel Fast treats for sweets, I made peanut butter cups to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and didn’t even lick the beaters! No snitching at all! Praise the Lord! [I do, however, have a zippered bag marked “MOM” in the freezer with two cookies and two of the Reece’s cups, just waiting for the future, when these guidelines are past. :-)]

The Daniel Fast book, which I mentioned early on in these Diet blog posts, continued to provide more great recipes this week. I made the zucchini soup, but added some milk and flour to try to thicken it up some. The flavor was different, but good enough. I ended up giving it to my mom, who loves to eat healthy but doesn’t always have the time for healthy cooking. I also cooked with Fennel for the first time this week.  Again, it was different, but good. The recipe started out as “Italian Style Broccoli,” which called for fennel, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, oregano, and pine nuts. Since I had some veggies threatening to go south on me (and since the kids beg not to eat tomatoes), and I only had about a cup of broccoli, it turned into “Must-Go” (everything in the fridge ‘must go’). I threw in less than a cup of leftover steamed broccoli, about half a can of plain tomato sauce, and a half-cup of leftover cooked brown rice. It looked funny, and there was no way of identifying exactly what flavor it should have, but everyone cleaned their plates, and hubby took it for lunch the next day! I call that a win!

If you're interested in owning a copy of the Daniel Fast book that I've mentioned throughout these posts, here are three easy steps that will give you the chance to win one for yourself: 

1. Subscribe to my blog updates (see the buttons to the right of this post). Those of you who are already subscribed may skip this step.
2. Comment on any one of the Daniel Fast blog posts (going back to March 31), letting me know you're out there and reading!
3. Share any one of the Daniel Fast blog posts (going back to March 31) on your Facebook, twitter, or Instagram accounts, and TAG ME in your post.

Next Saturday, I will randomly draw ONE name from among those who have completed these three requirements, and they will receive a FREE copy of the Kindle book, compliments of your favorite blog author! :-) Happy sharing!

Dizziness Demands a Decision: Delectable or Disciplined?

Friday, April 8, 2016

Today was a ROUGH rough day, physically! :-( It started with huge waves of dizziness even overnight, in my sleep… the kind that woke me up out of a dead sleep, with the feeling that I could fall out of bed. That is a miserable feeling, and one I’ve not had in several weeks, thankfully. It’s frustrating, though, not to know why it happens when it happens. (I suspect it has to do with the hormones in my cycle, though the response is not consistent. Some months the dizziness does not change around my cycle, and other months it is drastic, like this.)

When my husband left for work, I was in my recliner, hoping for improvement after a morning of slowly spinning out to the living room, grabbing on to counter tops and walls as I tried to act normally. One of the kids got a valium for me, since I couldn’t stand or walk by then. The valium often takes an edge off things, at least enough that I can safely walk back to my bedroom. I dozed a bit in the recliner, but continued to awaken, crying because of dizziness, and again with the waves of feeling as though I were falling off the side of the chair, even though it was fully reclined and I was braced in with pillows. Soooo miserable. :-(

My girls take such good care of me, and I hate that they have such heavy responsibility some days. I’m so glad they’re homeschooling right now, though, or I could have been in serious trouble! They ended up calling a sweet neighbor, who quickly came over and helped to walk/drag me to my room so I could get in bed. By that time, I knew “toughing it out” was not going to be the solution today.

Obviously, since I wasn’t doing anything, I didn’t need much food today. I found a bag of Panera chips (ingredients: potatoes, sunflower oil, and sea salt) on the dresser during one of the times I made it to the bathroom unassisted, so I snacked on that mid-afternoon. When the kids got home from Burger King (look at me, sticking with my guidelines and not eating fast food meat!), my sweet son, Malachi, made me a Peanut Butter and Honey sandwich and hand delivered it to me in bed. What a guy!

I was able to sit up in bed for more than an hour in the evening, but was back to lying back down by the time Dan got home from work. I listened to one of my books on tape, read ahead in some of the devotional books I’ve been making my way through, and dozed off and on throughout the afternoon and evening.

The one weakness I allowed myself is a bit embarrassing, but in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you. I asked my son to bring me a small Sprite from Burger King. (embarrassed grimace) That carbonation was so yummy, but I’ll tell you, it is NOT the same as dark soda. In fact, I felt like I was traveling on an airplane, because that is about the only time I’m ever sick enough to drink plain Sprite. Alas… I’m just going to have to stick to my commitment against root beer until the Ohio trip. :-) I don’t think it will kill me, but then again it might… what do you think? :-)

My FitBit tells the story of just how little I moved and was capable of getting around today. My daily goal is 2000 steps, since I've been struggling with the vertigo and my surgeon wants me to minimize walking because of my hip degeneration. Today, apparently, I took exactly 104 steps. Wow… that is lame-oh! Praying tomorrow will be better. 

The verses God gave me today were almost ironic, in light of how unsteady my steps were. Check out Psalm 40:1-3 ~

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (another version says "He made my footsteps firm). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

When I find myself overwhelmed and fearful, in the midst of a vertigo attack like I experienced today, my responsibility is to cry to God and to remind myself of His promises to me. His responsibility is to incline unto me and set my feet on a rock. I can trust Him, even in the midst of a spinning world!

Continuing Healthy Choices

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Day Two of the rest of my life. :-) If I'm going to make these changes a permanent part of my commitment to healthy eating and honoring God with the temple of my body, then I need to keep going in the right direction from this point.

For breakfast, I enjoyed the homemade granola from the Daniel Fast book with my mixed coconut and 1% cow’s milk. I would love to eat more Kashi, but I’ve been out of cranberries for a while, and blueberries have gotten more expensive. I don’t want to eat it with just raisins. :-)

I also enjoyed a cup of decaf coffee (my first since before Easter) with Peppermint Mocha creamer mid-morning as I worked on school with the girls. That was delightful, let me tell you! (Ok... so it was a bit too early in the day for me to do a selfie, but look at my awesome cup from a sweet friend in Texas!)

Lunch was an incredibly tempting proposition, but the girls and I persevered. First, we finished off the grilled veggies from Tuesday night, when Dan grilled for us. Then, we each finished off the few bites of our individual pizzas that we had put away as leftovers last night. Finally, we jumped into the leftover hot dogs and brats from one of the grill nights. I was so excited to eat a brat, after so long without meat as a main meal! I sliced it in half (as I always do, to cut calories and keep from over-stuffing my tummy), souped it up with my homemade ketchup and some spicy brown mustard, and dug in…. only to find it was a PINEAPPLE brat! Yuck! The sweet flavor was quite a downer after I had gotten myself so worked up. Needless to say, I let my older daughter finish my brat, and I reminded myself that this was a great opportunity to exercise self-control (as opposed to grabbing a hot dog and eating it, instead). I wasn’t truly still hungry after the veggies and bites of pizza, but I knew my tummy would be complaining very soon. In the afternoon, we snacked on dried fruit, and I worked on dinner, which needed to be ready to deliver to a sick friend by 3pm. 

For supper I was quite proud of myself for tackling the Tuscan soup from the Daniel Fast cookbook. Since I’m off my 10-day Daniel Fast, and since I was also providing it for a sick friend, I added some sausage that I already had browned in the freezer. The soup included carrots, diced tomato, cannelloni beans, onion, garlic, lentils, and spinach, and it was yummy awesome!  I thickened it, as I have most of the others, with more of the pureed veggies from making veggie broth. Not sure how long it will be before the puree goes south, though, and I can’t seem to use it all before that happens. I also served the soup with Saltine crackers. All in all, it was a comfort food that I knew contained some really healthy ingredients that I otherwise never would have tried! :-) Day two of continuing with healthy choices - CHECK!

Freedom with Boundaries

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Happy 20^th birthday to my sweet son, Sam! (at Pensacola) Mom misses you!

This is my first day of giving myself a bit more freedom. You’ll see very soon why I gave myself such stringent guidelines before I even woke up today. Discipline is not my strong suit.  So let’s see how today went.

Until my coconut milk is gone, I’m planning to mix it ½ and ½ with cow’s milk. This is a continued sacrifice, but I don’t see how else to motivate myself to finish the coconut milk off. Once I go to cow’s milk alone, I would find it very difficult to go back and finish off the coconut milk. So I enjoyed a glass!!! of milk (mixed) with my apricot breakfast bar from the Daniel Fast book for breakfast. It still had a strong coconut flavor, but it was more of a pleasant taste than the overwhelming dirty-sock flavor of coconut milk alone.  Since I drank the milk instead of using it with cereal or granola, I didn’t make my every-other-day cup of coffee today, so that I’ll be able to enjoy it tomorrow.

After the girls had left for school, I faced the same challenge as last week, but with new freedoms, the temptation was even stronger! My first thought – let’s order from Sarpino’s (an incredible Italian fast-food place that delivers) for lunch! But I didn’t…. The fridge is full of healthy leftovers, as well as full of veggies that need to be turned into healthy meals. So I know I can’t spend money to get “yummy” food. But the leftovers just didn’t light my fire today. :-) Finally, my eyes lit on the jar of natural peanut butter I picked up at Sprout’s. Delicious!!! I’ve always been a sucker for PB! I used the multi-grain bread that my mother-in-law brought to me last week (when I was off of yeast products) to make Peanut butter toast, and made a cup of decaf hot tea to go with it. Yuuummmmm Yuuummmm! What a delightful treat, after so many days of staring at that bread with longing!

When I got up from my nap (eat your heart out, tired mamas!), I poured the last few ounces of tea over ice to make a half cup of iced tea that lasted me through my afternoon, until I was making dinner. I did a good job NOT snacking all afternoon. This was probably helped by the fact that I didn’t have the dehydrator running with something yummy in it all afternoon. :-)

For supper, I made the flatbread pizza with Macadamia Nut cheese from the Daniel Fast book. It was plumb wonderful! However, because I’m off the first ten days, I did make the following modifications: I used veggie sausage crumbles on my portion, and I added a tablespoon of parmesan and a tablespoon of mozzarella to mine. This recipe necessitated making the flatbread recipe first, which has to sit for 30 minutes and bake for ten minutes before assembling the pizza. Then I had to make the spinach artichoke dip from the cookbook (I made a half batch, and added about a ¼ cup of mozzarella to this, too) and bake it. I cut the flatbread into four portions (for me and my three kiddos) before baking, then let each person top his or her own. They chose from sliced veggies, cooked chicken, and whatever else they could find. For the most part, they enjoyed all of theirs, although I LOVED mine! I even saved a little of it for a leftover another day, and am looking forward to it! I served it with the remaining white bean salad from yesterday (yeah, that did NOT improve with age!) and it made a filling, healthy dinner.

The miracle of miracles for today was that I MADE IT TO CHURCH at Eagle Heights! I haven’t been able to attend a Wednesday night service in forever, partly because by that time of day, things are pretty rough in my fuzzy little head. Malachi was driving, since Dan was at work till 8pm, so he had the privilege of walking his dizzy mama all the way down the hall to the adult service, then coming back for me afterward. :-) What fun! He’s a sweet guy, though, and teased me the whole way, instead of grumbling or mocking. :-)

Overall, it was a great first day to continue making wise decisions while giving myself a bit more freedom. What suggestions do you have?

Day Ten: Modified Daniel Fast

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

When we woke up this morning, the house was 67 degrees, and soon fell to 66 degrees. Isn’t it funny that, although I know I can start adding things back in tomorrow, it was today that I was most tempted for a cup of coffee? I just want something warm that tastes comforting! J But God wants me to find my comfort in Him, not in a coffee cup. So that's what I did.

I had my granola from the cookbook this morning, with my classic coconut milk. (I think it might be growing on me? It didn’t seem quite so gross today.) I ran out of my dried cranberries, and I’m a bit low on the blueberries, so thought I’d wait till those are replaced before I eat the Kashi again. It needs all the help it can get! :-)

My hubby is off today (It’s his weekend), so I’m planning the White Bean Salad (from the Daniel Fast book) for lunch. I think he’ll enjoy it, and it will broaden the girls’ horizons, which is good for them. :-) They think they’re about to die from having their diets stretched so far this week. I think they’ll live. :-) The salad wasn’t the most popular thing I’ve made, but it wasn’t the worst, either. There was a bit left over, which will be even worse tomorrow, I’m thinking.

For supper, Dan grilled again, as he had done last night. We did the Veggie Kebabs from the Daniel Fast book, which basically entails chopping a ba-jillion (that’s actually a number!) veggies, then marinating them in soy sauce, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and I don’t remember what else. We used cherry tomatoes, zucchini, onions, red and yellow peppers, red potatoes, carrots, and all sorts of yummy veggies. Dan grilled it up in a grill basket while he did his venison steaks. It was yummy yummy!

I suspect that if I release myself from the food guidelines without setting boundaries for myself, I’ll go crazy and lose the ground (both in my health and in my relationship with the Lord) that I've fought so hard for during this time. Since I want to continue the healthy choices I’ve made, and I still suspect there could be some continuing health benefits from limiting my sugar intake (ya think?!), these are the boundaries I’m setting for the remainder of the week:

•  I will eat dairy (cheese, sour cream, or milk to drink) only when the rest of the family is doing so. Even then, I will do so in moderation, using “half of my normal serving” as a guideline.

• I will enjoy a cup of (decaf) coffee no more than once every 48 hours. That is about what I’ve always done, but I’m going to make it a hard and fast rule to keep me honest. 

• I will not have dark soda until the Ohio trip (mid-April). From now till May 26, if a decaf flavored lemonade option is available (for instance, in restaurants or at Panera), I will choose that. (I only drink decaf soda anyway, whether dark or light.)

• I will not eat fast-food meats (burgers, chicken nuggets, etc). Instead, I will choose the less processed cut of meat (steak or grilled chicken topping on a taco salad, etc).

• When the family has pizza, I will eat only ONE piece, and enjoy the daylights out of it, while finishing my meal with a classic Daniel Fast leftover or recipe. (Yikes! Did I really just say that?!)

• I will continue to use my Daniel Fast recipes for sweets (the oatmeal raisin cookies and the apricot breakfast bars) until the Ohio trip, with the exception that I will enjoy a dark-chocolate covered almond once in awhile.

What other guidelines do you think would be wise? Have I not gone far enough on any of these? I know, I know… cutting out soda completely would be a lot healthier. I’m getting there, OK? J  I’ll continue to update from time to time as I add things back in, and we’ll see where we’re at in a few days!

Thank you for joining me on my Daniel Fast journey. I hope you’ve been encouraged to try some new recipes yourself, and maybe to make a fasting commitment of your own to God, whether form certain types of food, or from some other area in which He is prompting you. God bless you on your journey!

Day Nine: Modified Daniel Fast

Monday, April 4, 2016

One…More…Day!! No coffee today. No sugar. No cheese. No meat. No cow’s milk… But a sweeter, closer relationship with the Lord is worth it, right? Right!

Psalm 22:25b – “I will pay my vows before them that fear Him.” That’s what I’m striving to do with this blog – to use the decisions and the commitments God is using to change my life to encourage you and others who read these little ramblings. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

One of the books I'm reading right now is entitled Tongue Pierced: Howthe Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live. Here’s a quote from the chapter I read today: “You and I are never more like God than when we use our words to speak the truth of His will for our lives into existence.”  

Lots of doctor’s appointments today, and no time for a detailed record. Thank you for checking in. Stay faithful!

Day Eight: Modified Daniel Fast

The last couple days' posts were scheduled (to post on Friday and on Saturday) after I wrote them on Thursday. At the time, I didn't realize why God had prompted me to do it that way. However, I've spent the last two days flat on my back with the worst dizziness and headaches I've had in many months. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness, and for His healing! It's been so nice to be out of bed some, and able to interact with my family today. So, before the day is over.... here is today's post. :-) Thank you for your feedback in person and via email. I hope these posts have been a blessing and encouragement to you in your journey with the Lord.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Psalm 16: 7-8, 11 ~ “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. You will show me the path of life; in the presence is fullness of joy; at the right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” [paraphrased; emphasis mine]

These verses were such a comfort to me this morning. As I hit the one-week mark on this journey, it is easy to become discouraged because I have not seen the miraculous results in our child’s life that I have asked God for. Furthermore, the wholesale change in my eating habits has not, apparently, made a drastic difference in my dizziness, restfulness, or headaches. But I continually go back to the fact that it was God who counseled me to do this, and the results are His responsibility, not mine. I will not be moved, or shaken, because He takes longer to answer than I had scheduled (how infantile, to put the God of the universe on my human timetable, anyway!). Instead, I will rest in the pleasures of the closer relationship He and I have developed through this time, and I will continue to seek Him ever more earnestly in the days to come.

I really wanted to make it to church today, but it is a big deal for Dan to be able to have me there, knowing he might need to leave at a moment's notice, and that he needs to get me right home afterward. There were some people he still needed to talk to regarding the issues of the last couple weeks, so we decided together that I needed to stay home this morning. And by tonight, I wasn't able to attend because of the dizziness and exhaustion. Ah well... the Live Stream services from Val Verde continue to be a huge blessing! My son's youth group put on tonight's service, and he preached the closing. I have no greater joy than to "see" my children walk in truth! ~III John 4

For lunch, I was able to put together the Black & White Chili (also served last Wednesday night), since the kids had all requested it again. This time, my hubby got to try it, too. Unfortunately, he doesn’t care for chili in general. His comment was, “You took out the part of chili that I like (the meat) and put in more of what I don’t like (the beans).” Haha…. But he had seconds! He’s always super sweet about trying my creative failings in the kitchen. :-) I also attempted to make corn muffins from the Daniel Fast book, but I didn’t have rice milk (the only liquid in the recipe), so I substituted coconut milk. I soon discovered that coconut milk is not as watery as rice milk, and the muffins turned out like little sand-flavored rocks. They were OK in the chili, but not really edible by themselves. Again, my sweet hubby drizzled his with honey and got them down with a good attitude! He’s a keeper, for sure!

It was a rough day physically. There was lots of dizziness, coupled with a minor headache that I think was rooted in a stiff neck and shoulders. I’m just not sleeping well, and it’s discouraging to not be seeing more of a benefit from the changes I’ve made. For reals…. It’s been a week! Before I started this, I was told “You could probably see a difference within a few days!” Now people are telling me, “It might take a few weeks.” That’s a bit discouraging. :-/

For supper, I ate some leftovers of the other healthy stuff I’ve had in the fridge. Most of these healthy dishes are definitely more appetizing fresh! But alas… I hate to waste food, and I’ve already messed up on the onion soup. GGrrr…

Finally, when Dan got home from church with the kids, he set them to making Ramen and asked me to go out with him somewhere where he could catch the Royals’ opening game. We found a little Mexican restaurant that we hadn’t tried before and I ate the chips and salsa, even though I didn’t know the ingredients. I tried some Espinaca dip (which I’d never ordered before), thinking it would be mostly spinach and tomato, but it was quite cheesy, and I knew it wouldn’t fit my commitments, so I saved it and brought it home for the kids. The hardest thing at the restaurant was to drink the water I had brought from home, instead of ordering a nice BIIIIG refreshing soda! They didn’t even have hand-flavored lemonades… just the pink lemonade from the fountain, so I made the right choice, but it was HAAARD!! God is faithful!

Day Seven: Modified Daniel Fast

Saturday, April 2, 2016

We finally had our last meeting of the very long and difficult week this morning. Hopefully, from this point, we’ll all be able to go forward with spiritual and emotional healing, and see God work miraculously in the lives of those involved.

Before we left for our early-morning meeting, I had my delightful bowl of 7-grain Kashi with coconut milk, and more dried fruit than cereal. The dried blueberries and cranberries, in addition to raisins, really improve the flavor of the cereal, and drown out the milk completely. I use just enough milk to moisten the cereal. At this rate, this first half-gallon of coconut milk is going to last me a lifetime! :-( NOOOOO!!!!

I’ve been very busy with my dehydrator, using apple chips or banana chips, and even the odd carrot chip, to settle my munchies without adding either liquid (since I’m limited) or sugar to my diet. When the kids went fishing with my dad today, I sent with them a bag of the fruit leather that I had made from unsweetened applesauce, and a bag of the dried fruit I had made. They enjoyed it immensely! J And I felt good about being able to provide them with a healthy snack. Who is this lady offering them dried fruit instead of homemade cookies? I’m gonna lose my Grandma card! J

For lunch, since the kids were gone with their grandpa, I wended my way through some of the leftovers. Our microwave died last night, so I reheated the spin dip on the stove, which dried it out a bit further. Then I mixed some salsa with the Great Northern Bean dip, since it already had the avocado in it. That improved it to “nearly edible,” and I used tortilla chips to eat some of it, but didn’t finish it off. I finished my broiled polenta crisps (from Monday?) with the spin dip, and one of the kids snitched the last bit when she got home, so that is gone for now.  While I had the kitchen to myself, I used the dehydrator to dry the cilantro and the last of the green onions that were threatening to go south on me. I love having an inexpensive way of preserving food that otherwise might be wasted! Dehydrators are SOOO COOL!

The biggest challenge I faced today with my food choices might seem strange to some of you. I’ve always been kind of a private snacker. I am a hoarder by nature, and this translates to my relationship with food. I can make a package of Oreos last 8 months (I did this during one of my pregnancies!), or a dozen authentic buckeyes from Ohio last 6 months. Yes… I’ve had chocolates spoil before I ate them. Because of my hoarding tendency, I am more likely to hide a treat in my room, and enjoy just a bite of it when no one is around. This works well when you’re making a snickers bar last a month, but it doesn’t work well when you want to be honest before God about what you’re eating. The first thing I thought when all my kids were gone today was, “I should have a glass of milk.” Then I remembered I had told God I wouldn’t, so my next thought was, “Well maybe a cup of coffee then.” Same story… I’m humbled to admit how close I came to failing in my commitment, but by God’s grace, I stayed strong, and stuck with the plan. I didn’t even snitch a crumb of the no-bake cookies (yes, one of my favorites!) that the kids made and left open on the table after having them for dessert! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

I used the last of my date honey (better make more! That stuff is versatile and yummy!) to make the Apricot Breakfast Bars from the Daniel Fast book, because I was in the mood for something sweet besides the oatmeal cookies I had made earlier in the week. These bars are much more flavorful, especially with the diced dried fruit, and really hit the sweet spot I was struggling with.

For dinner, I apparently hit another home-run. There is a recipe in the Daniel Fast book called Chunky Potato Soup, but my family likes a creamier soup, instead of broth-y. I used the last of my veggie broth (Looks like I’m going to be cooking some more this weekend) with chopped carrots (finished those off), celery (out of that, too!), and onion, as well as the last few crumbs of broccoli and cauliflower that the kids hadn’t finished off earlier. Add potatoes and seasonings, then run it through the food processor to blend everything together, and VOILA! The color is less than appetizing, because it has green and orange veggies in it. But the flavor is fabulous! Some of us ate it without anything added. I tried part of a bowl with veggie sausage crumbles, but thought it was better without. None of the kids added cheese, although I had told them they could, and a couple used bacon. It was quite flavorful, and everyone voted to do it again soon! Yay! Another victory for healthy eating!

Day Six: Modified Daniel Fast

Friday, April 1, 2016

Happy April Fool’s Day! I slept sooo poorly again last night. I had tried the Alteril suggested by a friend (I only took one, instead of two). While I felt very drugged overnight and until about 9am, I lay awake for more than an hour at different times of the night. It did help me get to sleep earlier, though (about 11pm, instead of the usual midnight or later). Ah well… the investigation continues! J

The girls and I had a blast celebrating April Fool's today. I bought these zippered food storage bags on Amazon last week, and have been using them first to get the girls, then their cousins, and finally, to share treats with the senior class on their last school day before their Senior Trip. We put homemade cookies in them (yes, I helped, without so much as licking the spoon!) and the girls wrote each student's name on them. Unfortunately, I didn't get any hilarious texts or stories out of the deal, but we had fun, and that's an important way to make memories with my girls. heee-heee.... still laughing!

I was also STARVING overnight! Lots of tummy growls and fat-burning! I was tempted to eat breakfast at 5:30 when I was up, but I put it off until 8, which is more my usual time. I enjoyed a bowl of the homemade granola from the Fast book, with some extra dried cranberries thrown in, all with the ever-present Coconut milk! Deee-lightful! I’ve pretty much decided that I’m going to start using some cow’s milk, and maybe a cup of coffee here and there, after ten days, which will be next Wednesday. Because of my limited fluid intake (32-40 oz total per day), it is just too difficult to drink only water and have no other flavor for when I’m hungry, but don’t want to eat an hour early. It might not make sense to the reader, but that’s the decision I’ve come to, with the Lord’s guidance. 

On a brighter note, I am getting encouragement on the scale, even if I’m not sleeping or feeling any better overall. It is a blessing to see those numbers move, and to know it’s in direct response to my obedience to what God has asked of me. Spiritually, I’m also seeing benefits in my family. There is a peace in our home this week that has been very refreshing. I’m still praying for certain specific actions, but I know God is in control, and seeks holiness for my family, more so than even I do!

For lunch, I attempted another recipe from the Daniel Fast book, the Great Northern Bean Dip. But I 

made a definite error in judgment! When I tasted the dip, it was good, but I thought, as bland as it was, that it would benefit from the half-avocado that I had sitting in the fridge. And since the avocado had been cut two days before, it needed to be used, even though I had stored it in an airtight bag with lime juice. Adding the avocado was a mistake. It took a basic, albeit bland, dip and made it a funky-flavored dip that vaguely resembles a gastric emergency. Yuck! We ate it with Romaine leaves, and I chopped up broccoli, cauliflower, a yellow pepper, and grated carrot to add to the wraps to give them some crunch. All in all, not only was it not a very filling meal, but it had a strange aftertaste, and since my girls don’t care for avocado, it was not pleasant to make them eat it.

For dinner, I had a little better success. I made the Spinach-Artichoke Dip from the Daniel Fast book. The kids were all distracted elsewhere, so they were unaware that the major ingredient was 8 oz of tofu. After baking it, I served it with their choice of tortilla chips, or in a tortilla, or on my flatbread. I personally ate it on my whole wheat low-carb/high fiber tortillas from Hy-Vee, and enjoyed it immensely! I put some crushed macadamia nuts on my wrap, to give it some texture, and found it to be wonderfully flavorful. Yes, it would have been better with cheese, but isn’t everything?  Have you ever found a recipe that is as good without cheese as with? :-)

Day Five: Modified Daniel Fast

Thursday, March 31, 2016

I had a rough night, not sleeping more than an hour or so without being awake for 20 minutes or so throughout the night. Because of this, it was an exhausting morning. I had hoped that the changes I’ve made in my diet would eliminate this sleeplessness, thinking perhaps it was a result of a food intolerance that I hadn’t yet narrowed down. I’m still hoping to see a change in my overall health as I continue this, but I also recognize that it will be harder and harder to continue, if I don’t have the motivation of feeling better. Do you have any suggestions about insomnia? I'm thinking it might be a change in hormones as I age (you know, 39 is the new 60, right?!) :-)

For breakfast, I had my flavorless Kashi 7-grain stuff with a boatload of dried fruit: blueberries (from my dehydrator), cranberries, and raisins. I ate it with coconut milk, and was reminded once again just how much I miss cow’s milk! 

I made the mistake of cutting up some of my green onions and putting them in the dehydrator, which filled the house with a yummy onion-y smell. This got me to craving onion soup, or at least the idea of it. Since I’ve never had onion soup, this was an odd craving to have. However, I found a couple of vegan recipes online and got working on it. First, I had to make more veggie broth, since I had used it all up on the Black and White chili last night. Then I proceeded to make a very small batch of onion soup, mixing in some of the pureed veggies from the broth process. That was the most horrible thing I’ve tasted on this whole Fast thus far! J Yikes! I don’t know if it was a bad version of onion soup, or if it was just proof that I don’t like onion soup, but it was NASTY! I forced the girls to try a bite, and they agreed. I tried it with tofu (telling myself it was just like cheese), and that didn’t help. 

The flatbread I had made Monday, which was a bit too chewy to be appetizing, I put in the toaster to crisp up, and that was the only way I could eat half a bowl. I sure hope my hubby likes it. I really hate to throw away food, but I can not eat that stuff again! [Update: hubby doesn't want it either, but another friend said it sounded great. I'm throwing it in the freezer and taking it to her next week!]

Fortunately, for dinner I had better success. Since we still have SOOO MUCH cauliflower and broccoli left from taking it to Easter dinner on Sunday, we needed a way to use it up more quickly. I made the Pan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli from the Daniel Fast book, using both oregano and basil for flavoring, with sea salt. It was a hit with every one of the kids and myself. I served it with spaghetti squash and Aldi pasta sauce, which we used to top the veggies, too. Overall, it was a flavorful meal, even though I missed the parmesan and meat I would usually have used.  Every one of the kids voted to do both the spaghetti squash and the roasted veggies again. Victory!

Remember how I mentioned insomnia at the beginning of this post? Here is one of the verses God showed me in my time with Him today. 

Psalm 3:4-5 ~ "I cried unto the Lord with my voice. He answered me from His holy hill. Selah. I lay me down and slept; I awaked, for the Lord sustaineth me."

Isn't that just like God to give me a specific encouragement about something so trivial as a good night's rest? Praise Him for His faithfulness!

Day Four: Modified Daniel Fast

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

I finally got a morning to sleep in! Praise the Lord! But of course, because of my son and daughter-in-law getting a newborn foster placement, I was too excited to sleep very much! J That’s a good reason to sleep late, though! (More news on that later... but no names or pics, since they're in the foster system for now.)

I enjoyed the granola I had made yesterday for breakfast today. I ate it with coconut milk (still not a fan!), and decided tomorrow I will add more raisins, dried cranberries, or dried blueberries. I kept walking through the kitchen, struggling with the temptation to make a cup of coffee. I REALLY wanted a cup of my decaf candy bar coffee from Barista de Casa today! But… I skipped it, and reminded myself of my commitment to focus on God during this time of depriving myself.

During the morning, I worked on some baked potato crisps. I cut the potatoes with my apple slicer, then coated them with olive oil, garlic, onion, and salt, and baked them until they were crisp. Meanwhile, I also made a version of sugar-free ketchup that would work well with them. The only modification to the classic Daniel Fast would be that the ketchup called for apple cider vinegar. ACV is not on the version of the fast that I am basing my own efforts on, because of the fermentation, but I have modified the fast in a few ways already, in order to work best with my limitations, so I didn’t feel that was a commitment the Lord was asking of me. The end result was pretty good, although McDonald’s fries would definitely be better! 

After snitching on the potatoes and eating a few of the cut broccoli and cauliflower (still leftover from Sunday), I wasn’t hungry for lunch, so I rested until mid-afternoon, when my kids brought their cousins home from school because of my sister’s surgery today. I had prepared their snacks (PBH and juice boxes), while eating my celery and healthy peanut butter so I wouldn’t be tempted to lick the knife. (Ever have that problem?) Fortunately, all the kids think of apples and veggie sticks as great treats, so it wasn’t hard to avoid bad stuff while they were here.

I made the Black and White Chili from the Daniel Fast book for supper, and it was FABULOUS! I didn’t have as many cans of beans as it called for, but I threw in the cup or so of leftover taco fixin’s from Monday night, and also a couple of scoops of the pureed veggies from making veggie broth yesterday. With the three Welch kids here, they and my three ate every bite and scraped the pan clean! It was very tasty, and we all enjoyed it immensely. My kids even suggested that I make it again! Wow! Of course, they were eating it with sour cream and grated cheddar, while I was eating mine with smashed avocado, to try to convince myself it was creamy. Ah well…. 

In my devos today, I read Deuteronomy 32:39. Part of the verse says, “It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal…” This was a good reminder to me that not only does He know my frame, but He plans my health according to His glory. 

I would never desire to be healed, if I can bring more glory to Him by my illness.

 But at the same time, I can trust Him for healing, if it is within His plan, because He is the I am who can do this for me!

Day Three: Modified Daniel Fast

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

It was another early day, leaving for a doctor’s appointment by 7:15 a.m. For a mama who generally sleeps until 8, these two days have been a challenge, coming back to back as they did. Breakfast was 7-grain Kashi (you can tell it has no sugar by the taste!), with dried cranberries and dried blueberries mixed in, and coconut milk. My Mother-in-law gave us her dehydrator yesterday, so I’ve been busy dehydrating everything in sight! Fun stuff! Have you ever used a dehydrator? Any tips or tricks to suggest?

When I got home from the doctors offices, I started working on some more advanced recipes from the Daniel Fast book, with the idea of both using the ingredients I bought yesterday, and also giving myself more healthy and tasty options to work with.  The first thing I tried was Broiled Polenta Crisps. They are WONDERFUL, and especially taste yummy with Aldi pesto!

I’m looking forward to trying them with either black bean dip or spinach artichoke dip, too. They were incredibly easy, too, since I bought pre-cooked polenta in a roll (similar to sausage) at Sprouts, and just sliced it with my wire cheese slicer before broiling it for 15 minutes on each side. AAAhhhh-mazing!

Another win was with the flatbread, which turned out well enough, although I think it would be better if I had a true grain mill to make finer brown rice flour. My flour had pretty big pieces of rice still. I’m thinking the flatbread will be good with the same things as the polenta, listed above. I’ll probably make some with cinnamon, too, instead of the garlic and basil, so I can use it with nut butter or date honey.

Speaking of date honey, I think that is my favorite recipe so far. It is so simple! Simmer dates in water for 20 minutes or until they start to break down, then run them through the food processor and add cinnamon if you want. It makes a creamy, sweet spread (much like apple butter), or sweetener (for use in baked goods like granola or cookies). UUnn… believable! I love it! J

For dinner, I made the Antipasto Pizza Pie (although we were out of artichokes, and our local Aldi did not have them in stock) and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it! In fact, he took the rest of it as leftovers for his lunch at work. It had a yummy brown rice crust, which I brushed with pesto, just because pesto is amazing stuff. Since I didn’t have the artichokes, I used Aldi pasta sauce for the pizza sauce, then filled in with sliced black olives, diced green pepper and onion, then used grated tofu as the “cheese” substitute, as called for in the recipe. I was amazed by how tasty it was!

The family had leftover strawberry shortcake (from Sunday's family dinner) for dessert with whipped cream, and they’ve been drinking milk at every meal (because otherwise, it might go bad, since I’m not drinking any)… so I’ve been facing a lot of temptation! I used 2 oz of unsweetened apple juice to take my pills, but otherwise am drinking water (just the 32 oz I’m allowed) throughout the day. I still think cow’s milk is the thing I miss the most! But it is an easy thing to sacrifice, for the sake of worshiping God through this fast.

Another thing God brought to my attention today was that I’m still over-eating, even though I’m eating healthy stuff. I’m grazing… from dried fruit, to broiled polenta, to carrot sticks, or broccoli and cauliflower with hummus… I’m not actually allowing myself to get hungry throughout the day, since I’m constantly ingesting food. That’s something I was prompted to change, and have renewed my commitment to eating only when hungry, and only the meal or snack that was planned… not just whatever food my hand lands on! :-)

Day Two: Modified Daniel Fast

Monday, March 28, 2016

Today started early and painfully. After being awake from 3am to 5am, the alarm went off at 6 to leave the house for a difficult meeting at school with our administrator regarding some challenges we’ve discovered with one of our children. That meeting lasted, with much prayer and lots of tears, till ten a.m. and was followed by two more meetings later in the day with others who had been impacted by our child’s choices. It was the perfect day for food temptations, trust me!  I thought many times how yummy a cold, fizzy soda would be, and when my husband asked me to go to lunch with him (something we rarely make time for), I decided to join him, but make the best choices I could without making him uncomfortable about having asked me. I had the nachos, with baked tortilla chips, black beans, lettuce, avocado, and a bunch of other “allowable” stuff. Unfortunately, I was not at the counter to tell them to make it without cheese, so I did end up eating some of the cheese. I also ordered it with the grilled chicken, knowing 1) I needed all the strength I could get for the decisions that needed to be made, and 2) that my husband would enjoy the leftovers more if I saved him most of the chicken. J

When I had an hour at home between appointments, I was able to spend some time on II Chronicles 20: 1-4, where Jehoshaphat declares a fast throughout the land of Israel. The reason God gives for the fast is that the people were afraid. Though they were afraid because of an imminent attack, all of us face fears on a regular basis. These verses were perfect for me today, because it is easy to be overcome by fear when a child is turning their back on God’s ways, or when I am facing difficulties with my health. Both of these fears have had an impact on me today.

For meals today, I spent a LOT of time and energy shopping for the specific items that would make these choices easier. I discovered that Aldi sells a lot of items with no added sugar. The pasta sauce that my whole family loves has no sugar!!! J I bought a spaghetti squash to go with that.  Aldi also serves some dried fruits that have no added sugar, and they are an inexpensive place to get the nuts I’d like to use in some of the dishes. I also buy my rolled oats there, which makes oat flour and oat-based foods easy and inexpensive. Their pesto is also amazing, yummy, and has all legal ingredients.

For other items, I finally made my first trip to Sprouts. Again, God gave miraculous strength, not only to be able to participate in so many meetings (usually, I would be in pain, or too dizzy to be able to concentrate), as well as to work my way through two stores. I have not been able to shop in over a year because of the migraines, and even before that, I was using handicapped carts because of my hips. I did use the electric cart at Sprouts, and reminded myself and my husband both why I am NOT driving right now! J Let’s just say, this 'woman driver' had some close calls, proving that I am not able to focus on where I am going while also watching for cross-traffic. J

With all my new yummy ingredients, I was able to make a version of Taco Salad (black beans, corn, diced tomato, and homemade taco seasoning in the crockpot) with avocado to give it a creamier texture (I really missed my cheese and sour cream!!!) and brown rice to make it stick to the ribs a bit better. I served this to the whole family, and they loved it for the most part. We forgot the lettuce… go figure…. So that’s about par for the course around here. J 

I also used a recipe out of the Daniel Fast book to make oatmeal raisin cookies. While they’re a little more dense and less sweet than I would like, they really hit the spot when you haven’t had “real sugar” in a few days! However, I quickly discovered that I cannot drink Coconut milk plain. YUCK! I can use it over cereal, but alone, it tastes like someone strained cow’s milk through their dirty socks! I think so far (after only 48 hours!), it is cow’s milk that I miss more than anything else.

What are your thoughts on the choices I made? What would you have done differently? Any recipe suggestions from the ingredients I listed?

Day One: Modified Daniel Fast

Sunday, March 27, 2016                                Easter Sunday

This morning, I started the day remembering the Savior’s resurrection and helping my family get out the door for church. I knew already that there is a significant celebration planned at my mom’s house after church, so I am not planning to start the most restrictive plan today. My goal in researching the “Daniel Diet” initially was wondering how it might impact my long-term health conditions, namely: Migraine associated vertigo (debilitating vertigo and headaches that I’ve experienced since January of 2015), arthritis (I’m trying to put off bi-lateral hip replacements for at least one more year) and obesity (the enforced lethargy from vertigo, combined with my doctor’s decision to limit my water intake, have wreaked havoc on my weight!). As I went back to the original purposes of Daniel’s decision to limit his food, I was reminded of the spiritual benefits, too. While God designed our bodies to work perfectly, given the right fuel, and I do trust Him for the physical results I need, 

God is far more concerned with the condition of my heart than that of my body.

This week, God has brought to our attention a need in the life of one of our children. Out of loyalty to that child, I won’t go into detail, but suffice it to say, I am asking God, during this time of renewed focus on Him and His Word, to do a couple things in the life of our child, and in our relationship with him. First, I am asking, as I do anytime we have a significant discipline issue, for definite confirmation of the child’s salvation. What does it benefit our children, if we raise them to look and act righteously, but their hearts are far from Him? Second, I am asking God to break his heart over the issues that have been revealed (and to bring to light any hidden sins that have not yet been discovered and dealt with). Finally, I am asking Him to restore our relationship in a supernatural way, as He has done for us so many times before, with other children in the family. We don’t take lightly the sweet, open relationships we have with any of our kids, and we know they are a gift from the hand of God. I am also asking God to prompt our girls about baptism in a way that they can no longer put off. I have seen Him convicting their hearts, and I fear for their willingness to delay this step of obedience. (I originally wrote this journal for my own use, and was prompted to remove some details before sharing it publicly.)

Here are the gritty details for today: I studied Isaiah 58, and was reminded of several promises from God, which I intend to claim during this time (I’ll paraphrase). God promises these results from a fast that causes us to humble ourselves before Him:

• Your recovery will speedily spring forth (I’m claiming that for my issues with vertigo!)
• The glory of the Lord will be your rearguard (My desire is to show His glory in my life, regardless of whether He chooses to heal me or work supernaturally on my behalf.)
• You will call, and the Lord will answer (I’m claiming this for my erring child!)

Knowing I won’t be responsible for my noon meal because of Easter dinner, I made these commitments ahead of time: no desserts (that is a BIGGIE for me!), no meats, no soda, and no sweet tea (that is my dad's specialty). Replace with herb tea (with honey) and fruit (I’ll pack my own to take with me.) Also, my husband has already suggested getting pizza for supper, and I intend to NOT eat it (another big sacrifice for me), but to eat something else…perhaps the leftover Spanish rice from last week, even though it has some white rice mixed in. One of the biggest sacrifices I’m making is that I’m providing veggies and hummus to the meal, instead of the classic Robart dessert. I am known for my baking, and generally would have taken a collage of multiple cookies, bars, and brownies that I’ve had on hand. But I’m giving that to God, and choosing veggies instead. J  ***The honey in the tea, and the leftover white rice are both major modifications to the Daniel diet that you won’t find in “official” lists of allowable foods, if you try this on your own.

As I said, today I am not sticking ‘religiously’ to the parameters of the Daniel Diet. I can’t go to the grocery myself, so while I have several of the things on hand that I need, I am waiting until tomorrow (payday) for my husband to get to Sprouts and Aldi for a few more items. In the meantime, I do need to finish, or throw away, some items I already had opened up, that my husband has bought for my previous health journey. This includes the granola I had for breakfast (it has honey in it, so I won’t be using it on the true Daniel Diet). But, the caveat I made today is to have just a few sprinkles of granola with blueberries and banana, in Coconut milk instead of cow’s milk (I am a serious Cow’s milk addict, and that is one of the addictions I’d like to break during this time). The other reason I’m not going all-out today is that I have been prompted to make this a private decision, and that means I don’t want to draw attention to what I’m eating or not eating while my husband and son are home today. If I choose to eat a leftover, such as the Spanish rice from last week, it is a sacrifice to God in my heart (because it isn’t pizza), but it won’t draw their attention, as would my making something new or special “just for me.”

The best hint I’ve found for helping me to stick with my choices is something most of you won’t find earth-shattering. J As a stay-at-home mom, and one who is bed-bound many days, it is easy to put off personal hygiene (getting dressed, brushing my teeth, etc.) until late morning, or even later (embarrassing, I know)… I have found, as I’ve been trying to work on my bad habit of snacking my way through the day, that if I brush my teeth as soon as I’ve finished breakfast, I don’t have that munchy mindset as badly. Also, my brain doesn’t want to spoil the fresh flavor in my mouth, so it is easier to reach for a sip of water or a book to read, instead of a handful of nuts or a cup of coffee. We’ll see how things go. J

I haven’t yet committed to God a specific amount of time for this plan. I want to look at it as more of a life-style change (hence the modifications), but with a few more severe choices to make it a sacrifice and draw my heart closer to Him, reaping the benefits of a true fast. In real life, I probably would have a piece of pizza now and then, if the family were getting pizza. And I probably would have a soda now and then. And meat would definitely be a part of my normal diet, unless I find that it negatively impacts my vertigo. But for now, I am choosing to limit those things, both as a sacrifice for my Savior, and as a means of determining what choices will best impact my health overall.

Have you ever done a Daniel Diet? What suggestions or encouragement do you have for me? Are you interested in joining me on this journey? Comment and let me know what you think!