Chapter 1: Food

So....have you read Chapter 1 yet?  I have and really enjoyed it.  I actually burst out laughing when, on Day 19,  she was talking about standing in front of Starbucks wanting so badly to buy a coffee and she said "the only possible way I could act more disturbing is if I ground up some beans, made a line with a razor blade, and snorted it in the middle of aisle 9" - hilarious!

Other parts of the chapter made me cringe, like when the she mentions standing in the kitchen looking at the variety of food in the fridge and cabinets, and saying 'there is nothing to eat', or throwing away left overs just because there is plenty of new food to eat today.  I have done both of those things, and even today, I threw away some uneaten left overs (they really were past their prime) but her words were ringing in my ear as I did it.

So, the question on my mind is... are you thinking of fasting from food in some way this month?  In the leader guide,  Jen gives some ideas about ways to fast that you may not have thought of...

• cut out 7 ingredients (for example:  high fructose corn syrup, sugar, caffeine, hydrogenated oil, etc)
• no fast food or processed food - only whole food
• choose a country and eat their simple diet
• eat the same simple breakfast, lunch and dinner for 7 days
• eliminate your 7 'go-to' foods 
• eat what you already have - no grocery shopping for 7 days!
• fast from one meal a day, for 7 days

Jen lists some famous fasts in scripture, and talks about how after them, God really moves. (see Esther 4:16, Ezra 8:21-23, or Daniel 9:3, 20-21) The fasts positioned God's people for a breakthrough.  She states "what wasn't possible, suddenly was.  What wouldn't move, came unstuck.  What hadn't worked, finally did.  What was totally blurry, became crystal clear".

If you decide to fast sometime this month, don't worry too much about the rules - just establish what you are going to do and stick to it - then focus more on the spirit of the fast.  Remember, you are fasting to allow room for God to move in your life.  If you are having trouble figuring out exactly what you want to do with all of this, please pray for answers.  God will show you the way.

Cant wait to hear how it's going!

PS - regarding our conversation about gratitude in kids - I found this book - I like the description, might be worth a peek...

Thanksgiving Heart: Cultivating Gratitude in Young Children All Year Round (with access to 12 bonus printable pages) for Kindle

With practical ideas, faith-filled stories, and a heart for moms with young children, Stacie Nelson shares simple ways she's growing gratefulness in her own life--and the lives of her three girls.

This is not a book with activities or ideas for Thanksgiving Day; nor is it a book with a prescribed formula or ten-step program to make your child grateful. Instead, Thanksgiving Heart is a Christian book focusing on simple, practical ways to guide and train your children in growing a grateful heart all year long. It’s about learning to giving thanks in ALL things at ALL times.