Daniel Fast 2013

Jose and I are on our Daniel Fast again this year.  Last year we really enjoyed it. Our relationship as husband and wife grew tremendously, the relationship with our kids and most importantly the relationship with God.  We were really excited to start it again this year.
Well, I said and always stand by my honesty.  And being totally honest, we are struggling!  Jose's body has been having horrible withdraws and not feeling good at all. He has been suffering with a headache since starting.  He was driving home yesterday having horrible hunger pains.  He came home and told me the story of what happened when he was driving home.  Pretty cool!  I've been feeling horrible.  I'm exhausted and just feeling very sluggish, having dizzy spells, body aches, sinus feel icky.  Could be lack of caffeine, although I don't drink a lot.  Could be food withdrawals. I could be coming down with this cold all the kids have had.  Who knows but I don't like it at all!

Yesterday when I was just feeling blah, I had a "wow moment".  I realized that my body is detoxing (you should have seen how many times I tried spelling that.  Even my brain and figures aren't working!) of all the junk I put in to it.  That my body is addicted to some of that stuff like it's a drug.  I've seen my mom go through withdrawals, they aren't fun!  I have very vivid memories of my mom coming off of things and her body going into shock from it.  I can somewhat sympathize with someone withdrawing now and would see why they would throw in the towel and say "forget this"!  But, I remember why I'm doing this.  It isn't about me and my flesh, this is about God and His plans.  Not only for my life, my kids' lives but others that I impact.  Others who watch me and are inspired by me.  Others who think, "I can't do this, it's too much" and then just by chance (or I like to believe it's a Holy Spirit Intervention) they run into me or my writings and read this.  Let this be an encouragement that YOU CAN DO THIS!

Jose was talking to me about his experience last night when he was coming home from work and was literally starving.  He felt horrible and was having horrible hunger pains.  He had thoughts running through his head and maybe it was the Holy Spirit that prompted me to send him a "sneak peak" at his dinner.  But he said the Holy Spirit spoke to him and told him, "Jose, these are just small hunger pains you are going through.  Can you imagine the pain Jesus went through for you?  Your pains are minuet compared to the sacrifice Jesus made.  Remember why you are doing this, it's to grow closer to Him."

WOW!  So true!  I've been watching others in my church going through the Daniel Fast also post on facebook or my Pastor's messages he's been posting.  They are really great encouragements.  But what Jose said last night gave me another WOW moment and brought it all into a perspective for me.

We must remember why we are doing this.  I made a plan before I started and wrote down why, who, what.  Why I'm doing it, Who I'm doing it for and What I want to get out of it.  Take a moment to do one for yourself.  When you get tired or weary, go back to your plan and remember why your doing it.

There is NO giving up, NO turning back, NO shortcuts!  Think of it as a woman in labor, because believe you me, we are birthing something!
#whateverittakes