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!

Modified Daniel Fast

I've been trying a version of an elimination diet this week, in yet another attempt to "get healthy." As I studied out God's Word regarding health, I kept coming back to the diet Daniel chose when he wanted to show his commitment to the one true God. His mode of refusing 'choice foods' had the side effect of showing him and his friends to be healthier than their other companions. He chose to use a ten-day fast to prove the point, following that up with an entire lifestyle change for the whole group.

After praying about it for a few days, I felt like the Lord was really offering me this opportunity, not just to see if it would make me feel better physically, and possibly lose some weight, but also to draw closer to Him. How I would need that in the weeks of the fast, I couldn't imagine at the time! God has taken our family through a sifting this week unlike any we've experienced yet. He is showing grace and mercy throughout the trials, but I've been extra-grateful for the promises in His word that I've re-discovered as a result of the time we're spending together each day.

While I don't see this as a permanent lifestyle change, I have been pleasantly surprised by a few things:

1.     I haven't died yet, even after eliminating all the fun stuff (sugar, dairy, coffee, meat, etc) from my diet! Wonder of wonders! (The jury is still out... I may yet die if I don't get some chocolate pretty soon!) :-) 
2.     I have found many recipes that do not include sugar, dairy, or meat, and yet are completely palatable to me and to my family. We might actually come out of this experience with some new favorites!
3.     There are some very weird foods out there that I've been avoiding just because I'd never worked with them. Creativity takes courage, and it isn't always a bad thing. I hate wasting money by buying a strange ingredient and not knowing what to do with it. The book I've been using has been a huge blessing in this regard! (I broke a cardinal rule and spent a whole $1.99 on this book, but it has been worth that and SOOO much more throughout this process!)

Starting Sunday, I'll be sharing my diary from this Modified Daniel Fast (as I'm calling it), with a few deleted sentences to maintain the privacy of those involved in this family issue. I would appreciate your prayers as I seek the Lord's wisdom on how long to continue this process, and continue to ask Him for miraculous healing, both spiritually for our family, and personally for myself.

Have you ever done something like the Daniel Diet? What were your results? Do you have a favorite recipe suggestion from that experience?

Need prayer

It's been a very difficult couple of days with my illness. I'm having a hard time being out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time, and am very dizzy and miserable, including headaches, even in my sleep or as I try to rest. I would covet your prayers, please.

It will never be perfect...

I made my goal of 100,000 pages and over 365 books!

My dad used to tell us (especially in Yearbook class, which he taught) "It will never be perfect, but it WILL be the deadline."

Well, the deadline for this post has come and gone about 60 days ago. I had begun to write it in late December, but kept telling myself I could improve it. And here we are, in early March, with a less-than-perfect review of my Year in Reading for 2015. So, I'm here to tell you that it is NOT perfect, but it is WAY PAST the deadline. Enjoy! Hope it's an encouragement to you. (I don't expect that most people could read nearly this much, if they were actually accomplishing anything else in their lives. But this is the life God gave me in 2015, and I tried to use it to His glory as I read.)

My year in books

This year started out as any other, except that I was fully recovered from a broken foot that took up 11 months of 2014, so I was ready to get back into “normal life.” Much to my surprise, God had other plans. J On January 6, I woke up so dizzy I couldn’t sit without assistance. While not every day has been like that, every single day in 2015 has involved migraines and/or debilitating dizziness to some extent. I haven’t been able to drive or go out of the house much, except for multitudes of medical appointments. But I have been able to read most days! Praise the Lord for that! On days that I couldn’t read, I listened to audio books, and on days I couldn’t even do that, I prayed… probably for some of you who are reading this! Thank you for your prayers and loving support of my family throughout this year. As I learn a new normal in dealing with this (permanent?) condition, I am reminded of my place in the body of Christ, and I am so grateful for those who continue to uphold us, both physically and spiritually. Here are the books God brought across my path this year.

Biography/Autobiography (38)

This was the most encouraging category I read in during 2015. In no particular order, my favorites were:  Unbroken, the story of Louis Zamperini, was fascinating, and much better than the movie, in my opinion. There was some language, but it was not gratuitous. We encouraged our teenaged son to read it. Evidence Not Seen, by Darlene Deibler Rose, recounted the journey she and her husband took as young adults to become missionaries in the south Pacific. Their island work was halted and they were imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII, and her testimony of faith and seeing God work in that inhuman place was refreshing to my daughters and me as we listened to the audio version in our homeschool time. The Last of the Doughboys by Richard Rubin is a collection of interviews with the last living World War I soldiers as of about the year 2000. I was amazed to see how each of them had lived an entire lifetime beyond their military service, which was from such a different era. I Dared to Call Him Father by Biquis Sheikh (set in mid-20^th century Middle East) and Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi (set in 9/11 era United States) each dealt with a Muslim’s passage from devout worship of Allah to a miraculous New-Testament-style faith in the One True God. I encourage you to read these books and have your own faith challenged!

Classic Fiction (10)

For want of a better title, this category covers everything from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockinbird and Go Set a Watchman to Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. I saw these books as the yummy veggies on my reading plate. They’re definitely not “dessert” like other fiction, but they don’t require quite as much discipline as devotionals and some non-fiction work. Les Miserables was the most challenging for me to accomplish this year, partly because I found it at a time when I was feeling stronger physically, and actually didn’t HAVE to lie around reading 12-15 hours a day. I had to force myself to stick with the first 25%, but then I began to enjoy the story more. Hugo really does have a serious problem with rabbit trails, which he hammers on until they are modern paved highways of multiple chapter diversions! Ugh! This category also included Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Billy Budd, which were not my favorites. I found it difficult to follow characters and almost impossible to figure out why he chose to include some of the more arcane details. My favorites included Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and My Antonia by Willa Cather.

Middle School Fiction (49)

My favorites in this category are definitely the “I Survived” series by Lauren Tarshis. My daughter found these at the library, and both she and I have devoured every one we could find. She even convinced her grandma to gift one to each grandkid this Christmas, so they can trade around after they finish one! The books are historically accurate with fascinating detail and captivating characters. Even in the worst tragedies, the author is cautious about which characters die, making these ideal for the 4^th-7^th grade set.  Another series I enjoyed this year is Flavia de Luce, by Alan Bradley. I was disappointed by the use of vulgar language, and especially by the focus on the occult in one of the later books, but as an adult, I enjoyed the other books. Unfortunately, I chose not to share them with my middle-school girls because of the language. Perhaps the best book in this category was Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. (See how I put the same author in two categories? Proves I don't have a clue! These categories are very...ahem....fluid!) Her fiction is didactic, but without hitting the reader over the head. Her characters are well-developed and face real problems in relatable ways. Her writing spans many different age groups, but I haven’t found a bad one yet.

Tried to Read, but Hated (3)

It is rare for me NOT to finish a book. I consider it to be a challenge for me to overcome my ‘druthers’ and power through, even when it is no longer enjoyable (see Billy Budd and Les Miserables). However, these books go down in history for being so distasteful that I QUIT! L Gasp! The Claim by Kevin Borgan uses angels and demons impersonating characters to create a lousy rendition of Christian fiction. This is not Frank Peretti, folks, it is a confusing mish-mash of powers that Scripture says we should not use for entertainment. Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake was just plain stupid. The characters were unclear, and the author assigned them feelings and mindsets that were not well-developed, in my opinion. Don’t waste your time. Finally, Truth Seekers, by Anne-Rae Vasquez, is the first book in a trilogy that I really wanted to enjoy. The write-up on Amazon seemed like something that could pique my interest, but again… the characters were confusing, and the author assumed too much about my understanding of their perspectives and their goals. I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t.

Devotional/Christian/Self-Help (20)

The other enjoyable, but still meaty, category that I read this year involved a variety of books designed for 31-day studies, etc. Perhaps the most meaningful book, which I’m still working on for my 2016 list, is Amma, a book about the writings and life of Amy Carmichael. I plan to find more books by Carmichael in 2016, in large part because she spent the final 20 years of her life in debilitating illness. Her ministry continues today not because she was a great missionary, but because God tested her physically in a great way. I also read The Friendships of Women by Dee Brestin, which was kind of disheartening, because I read it at a time when I was feeling very down about missing church for months on end without hearing from most of the women I would have considered to be friends. 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife by Arlene Pellicane, Plenty: 31 Sips of Joy for Moms Everywhere by Kari Patterson, and 31 Days of Prayer for my Teen by Susan Alexander Yates both served as great one-month challenges for me. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and Welcome to the Funny Farm by Karen Scalf Linamen were awesome reads, in that they were enjoyable and light-weight right up until the point they stepped all over my toes. I found myself both challenged and encouraged spiritually.

If you are looking for free or inexpensive e-books, I encourage you to subscribe to these sites: Christianbookfinds.com (both on FB and on the web), and Bookbub.com (via email). Both sites list e-books that are available at a discount each day. I download the free ones that interest me and keep them in a queue for when I am looking for something to read. J

Besides these two sites, I get most of my books from my local library, or on my favorite app, Overdrive. Overdrive allows you to sign into any library for which you hold a card (even if you are not local to that library) and borrow e-books and audio-books through that library for a set amount of time.

As I said, this post is incomplete, and for that, I apologize. I wish I could tell you more about every category I read. But I pray you will look up some of these books for your own edification. Tell me what you think of them! :-)