Sane, Simple, Sacred: Fasting and Feasting

Fasting and Feasting

I think a few of you know that since February I've been following a food plan that has resulted in significant weight loss AND a blood pressure reading within "normal" boundaries. (This is maybe the HUGEST benefit of the discipline I've been practicing.)

It's called Fast-5 by some and is a form of Intermittent Fasting. While I don't like the word "fast" (it doesn't FEEL like fasting), it does describe what I do for 19 hours every day. The other 5 are considered my "window" to eat.

There's another kind of fasting that I want to incorporate into my life - with even MORE determination than I have been applying in my eating habits! I copied it quite awhile ago from a Lenten meditation which I failed to document. I want to:

Fast from judging others; feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from the darkness around me; feast on the light of Jesus within me.
Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from actions that pollute; feast on deeds that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from pessimism; feast on hope.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from guilt; feast on freedom.
Fast from complaining; feast on complementing.
Fast from stress; feast on self-care.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from selfishness; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from apathy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from idle gossiping, feast on spreading the good news.
Fast from being so busy; feast on peaceful silence.
Fast from being in control; feast on letting go.

(I just realized as I reread these that practicing THIS kind of fasting
should ALSO help my blood pressure!)

8 comments:

BeanAugust 26, 2012 at 7:52 AM
I like that. And, it reminds of the Prayer of St Francis.

Bean
ReplyDelete
Replies
Kathleen August 26, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Wow. What a healthy regiman! I am guilty of eating whatever & whenever I take a notion, which is to say I'm not always hungry when I eat. Though my health & BP is good, I don't need the extra 15 pounds my frame carries. I'll have to look into this Fast 5 stuff.

As for the feasting alternatives, they are the stuff of Phillipians 4. The pure, true & noble stuff our body truly hungers for.

Great post!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Janettessage.blogspot.comAugust 26, 2012 at 11:32 AM
Oh wow!! That is good..and yes fasting from all of those would change not only my blood pressure but my heart...now I could use the physical part of fasting to eliminate my weight, but I think the Lord would be more interested in my heart on all these issues. Now to feast on all of them...that would produce great abundance in life

Yes I would love to hear your take on the movie "Hope Arising" and the book "Almost Amish"...both gave food for thought
ReplyDelete
Replies
Brenda Leyland @ Its A Beautiful LifeAugust 26, 2012 at 5:01 PM
I picked the RIGHT day to come and visit (and to catch up from my summer hiatus from being on my computer and thus blogging much). But I must say I've missed you.

Thanks for the info on the regime you've been on. I love the results! You must too.

And the other Lenten 'fasting' list.. oh yes... I agree totally, that's a winner list for helping to bring down the stress levels our lives and bring down that BP.

Hope you've been enjoying your summer. It's been a beauty here... lots of hot weather, rain to keep my garden from frizzing out (I like that when heaven water my garden). And all the glitter of lightening and thunder storms, well that just added some pizzazz to it all. LOL

Bloggerly hugs and blisses...
Brenda

ReplyDelete
Replies
DianaAugust 27, 2012 at 8:07 AM
That was really beautiful Rebecca and of coarse wonderful words of wisdom!
Love Di ♥
ReplyDelete
Replies
elaine @ peace for the journeyAugust 28, 2012 at 11:33 PM
Fasting from something in order to take hold of Someone . . . that's my definition. Congrats on the weight loss. I've heard of this being very successful. Not sure I could do this, but maybe a variation therein.

peace~elaine
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney)

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Beth--a TRUE home manager....

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry,
and see a fine picture every day of his life,
in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contentment makes poor men rich.

-Benjamin Franklin

"What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God." ~ Nouwen

~~"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."~~Edmund Burke

C.S. Lewis: "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." William Henry Channing

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Apostle Paul: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand. It stops us from taking anything for granted. It has also taught me alot about living in the immediate moment. I am somehow managing to live one day, one hour at a time." Madeleine L'Engle

FIVE CERTAINTIES
WITH WHICH TO
START YOUR DAY

God holds you. Each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT
God sustains you. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1 AMP
God covers you. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust. Psalm 91:4 AMP
God pours His love upon you. Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me. Psalm 42:8 NLT
God will not fail you. The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! Lamentations 3:22 NLT

THE BLOGGER'S PRAYER Lord, help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me, dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.
Love, The Dust Bunny Hostage

Sane, Simple, Sacred

Mercy

Fasting and Feasting

8 comments:

Writing a Song a Week #3