Anna

Luke 2:36-38:

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;  and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Lessons from Anna:

1. Anna, a woman of 84 years, fasting daily. So you see, daily fasting is not necessarily unhealthy. (I used to think she had been a widow for 84 years, but I don't think that now. If you do, you may be right about it. Either way, Anna was an old woman.)
2. Her daily prayers and fasting was not for the service of others, though it did serve others to pray for them. No, it was for the service of God.
3. She was blessed to know that Jesus was the one to bring redemption because she knew God. Daily prayer, being in the temple around the public reading of the scriptures, with holy people who shared her faith and, of course, fasting - these things brought her close to the God of all creation.
4. No doubt, she was a woman held in high honor, being a prophetess; this simple woman who fasted and prayed daily.

Not so bad, really

I looked back at the November 4, 2014 post (next to last one) and I realized how far I have actually come. I HAVE been doing my daily fasting.

Somewhat.

I have lost 17 pounds and have gotten a little better control of my blood sugar. When I went to the doctor in February, it was a normal 103. I was shocked when I saw that. The doctor was very pleased. I had lost 24 pounds since August, when I had last seen him. My blood sugar number for the six month test was down to normal range, too. He was pleased.

So, really, I've not been doing nothing as I had thought. At least some improvements have been made.

The thing now is to keep going and to make more improvements. It's one of the most difficult things to do: changing bad habits. But, it can be done.

One day at a time.

Fasting and Dresses

Daily. Fasting.

The problem with daily fasting is that it's so, DAILY.

I begin again.

Also, I saw this picture, which will remain anonymous and if anyone knows this person, I will remove it. It's just a picture I saw online and snipped it. It made me more determined to wear dresses. Is it a man or a woman? It's a woman, but, you would have had to convince me if I hadn't seen the whole page. I admit, if it were a picture of me, you might wonder the same thing. I'm more determined than before to wear dresses!

What's more, I have noticed with myself and observing others that with the habit of wearing pants, it's easy to forget how to sit and stand like a lady - feet together, knees together. It's a bad habit and I don't want it anymore. Today, I begin my month of sewing for the Spring and Summer, and get back to Fast Five. Or Fast Eight.

Getting Serious

I've been so long in writing anything here because I've not been fasting at all. In fact, it's been "eat eat eat" for my latest motto.

In August, when my doctor told me that I am a diabetic, I didn't take him seriously enough. I thought, "I feel fine, it can wait". But with my two non-impressive monthly weigh-ins and my constant tired feeling, I decided it was time to get the test strips for the blood sugar monitor I already had. So, yesterday morning when I tested my blood sugar, which should be in the 80-100 range, especially in the morning, it was 210! In his office back in August, it was tested at 173, fasting, and he was worried about that!

Okay, getting serious now. Yesterday, after that first test, I thought I had eaten sensibly. I took the supplement to lower blood sugar (and it did), but I ate three sandwiches along with my apples and celery. During the night, I had trouble sleeping - I got up and tested. It was 303. That really scared me. This morning it was the same as yesterday morning.

Time to REALLY get serious. Today, all raw. I watched this film on youtube . It's about a 30 day raw vegan challenge six people try to reduce insulin or even cure their diabetes. It's very good.

So, now I am also trying that. I'll try to report from time to time how I'm doing. So, really, this IS a daily fast. I will be fasting by doing away with cooked foods. It's not easy, but it will be worth it. But, does any good result in life have an easy road leading to it? No, not one.

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

Since August 26, I've been more motivated than ever to lose weight and get my health back and indeed, better than it's ever been. Never before have I had such ability to resist a drive-through fast-food lunch or breakfast.

I feel as though I'm very strong in resisting the worst sweets, cheeses, peanut buttery things and breads with yeast. These are the main things I was told by an alternative doctor that my body is having trouble with now and to eliminate them from my diet. (yeast in the blood) I've been doing pretty good on this, though not perfect.

But I'm going to dare to say here, Satan has sent to me in the church office where I work, two very nice Christian gentlemen with gooey sweets just for me. This has never happened before! Ever. This is why I say "Satan" is behind it. I didn't want the Hostess chocolate-dipped mini-cake with creamy filling. I didn't want the soft fresh donut. I really didn't. But, to be polite, I ate them anyway. I didn't really want them, I just ate them. I saw sheep, but they were really wolves in this case.

But, now, looking back, I can see what I should have done - trashed those pastries. Those gentlemen would have never known. They left soon after giving them to me, so God gave me a way of escape and I didn't recognize it.

This is just the evidence I need to know that it's true that when you're just at the point you are truly trying more than ever before to stop a bad habitual sin, Satan will bring exactly what will get you off the track.

The solution? Reading more in the word of God. The closer we are to God, the more the devil runs away. I have to admit, I've not been reading as much as I should. That, and decline the gifts.

This is Sunday and my 24-hour fast time. The time I stopped eating today was 3:30, so that is when I'll be able to eat again tomorrow. I'm working my way to real cleansing of the body and healing of anything gone wrong in there.

God's Ways

In Isaiah 55:8,9, God tells the prophet that His ways are not man's ways, nor are His thoughts man's thoughts. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are God's ways and thoughts above man's ways and thoughts.

God has given us a body that is powerful enough to heal itself. We don't have to understand why, though I do like to read and hear scientific explanations why. People in all walks of life, whether they believe in God or simply in nature (which God created), see the amazing healing of their bodies when they allow their bodies to heal themselves through right eating and exercising.

Before I began again this time, my fingernails were horrible - the layers or the nail seemed to be separating, coming unglued. I didn't know why. Age? Diet? I couldn't polish them to hide it either. Since the short time I've been not only doing the fast-five (eight) diet, but also eating closer to the natural state of food, my nails are stronger. The layers are glued back together, and they are growing faster!

I wonder what other good is going on? I know I feel much better. I can breathe better. My sinuses are less bothersome. This is just a week or so of going back. Now, I have been going to a chiropractor who gave me some supplements, but I've not been very faithful in taking them. Maybe it is both the alignments, the supplements AND the diet that is clearing up my health.

I'm thankful.

It's SO Hard!

This is only "day one" (again), and I'm having such a hard time!

I've stretched out the fast-five to fast-eight, and still it's hard. I began around 9 and was going to end around 5. However, Daughter hadn't eaten and well, I ate with her after 5. It wasn't a healthy meal either - about four pieces of a large pizza and a Dr. Pepper.

Aaaargh! and I'm beginning to feel the bleh feeling of eating unhealthy food. Regrets.

I am eating more fruit, though, and I do have a veggie juice at the juice bar in town. I'm "heading" in the right direction, but that can be said of any vehicle that gets one wheel off the bridge and ends the travelling in the right direction in disaster.

Tomorrow is a new day. Use it!