Day 7 - Donald and Daffy

As I wrote earlier, Day 6 was a blur. We were B.U.S.Y. with three of the grandchildren that we are helping take care of while Amber and Nathan are in Ukraine getting grandchild #7.

(The three kiddo's - not the ducks, but the people)

Day 7 was just as much of a blur but for different reasons. The kiddo's went to Deda's after church, so we had the rest of the day to ourselves.

It was my first "down day" since I've started the fast, and what goes with down days: FOOD....sorta like birds of a feather, Donald and Daffy, peanut butter and jelly (pardon the food pun), Samson and Delilah.....well, you get the drift.

But I didn't cheat. However, I went to bed at 7:00 p.m. (I did have the thought that maybe I eat when I'm tired verses sleeping when I'm tired - brilliant, huh?)

Some things I've learned....

(1) Food only has as much power over me as I give it (and I've given it A LOT of power).
(2) If I live too far in the future, I get anxious and conning (I start to manipulate the process).
(3) God has a plan for my life that I can't EVEN begin to comprehend if I will just let it unfold.
(4) When I'm not eating, I crave healthy things like fish, salad, sushi. When I am eating, I crave unhealthy things like milkshakes, Krystals, pizza.
(5) This process is forcing me to live in the present and I'm MUCH more at peace living in the present.

I'm actually going to an exercise class tomorrow night, Devoted Fitness, and I'm excited. For the record, I DON'T get excited about exercises classes! So, thank you, Jesus, for doing in me what I cannot do for myself.

Day 6 - Was.A.Blur.

Not much more to say than that....not bad, not good, just B.U.S.Y!

Day 5 - James 1

In September, I felt like God was leading me to read James 1. After reading it, I felt this HUGE urge to memorize it.

Well, now I know WHY!

Tonight started to get a little tougher. I was somewhat dizzy at work today, especially when I would stand up. I can start to feel my stomach, as our sweet Sarah Johnson would say, "beginning to eat itself."

So a short but significant post (and one that I will have to re-read over and over for this 40 day adventure):

James 1: 1-5 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Here's to asking God for wisdom!

Day 4 - Small Victories

When I started this journey, I had no intention of defining success in tenths; however, that's all I could think of today. On one hand, it seems like such a small victory, but I've tried shorter fasts before and have never been able to finish them. So completing four days is a huge milestone.

Today was the most interesting and insightful day so far. First let me state, I have not been hungry at all; not TRULY hungry. I have wanted to crunch something with my teeth, wanted to chew and chew and chew. I've wanted texture. But, I have not been hungry.

However...today, let me state, I WANTED TO EAT.

Here's the newsflash: Being hungry and wanting to eat are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, and today, I just wanted to eat!

It became obvious around lunch time what was going on inside of me:

1. We had watched Amber and Nathan get on a plane to go half way around the world this morning.



2. We had watched their sweet, precious kids say good bye to them as they got on said plane.


3. I had to work while Gary stayed home and tended to their sadness, their acting out, their lives.

Then it continued throughout the day:

1. It's snowing, and I DID NOT want to get stuck in Green Hills when I could be home playing with the kiddos.
2. After coming home, I wondered how I might have finagled a way to get stuck in Green Hills.

JUST KIDDING!

It was hectic but I'm excited about the extra time we get with the grand kids while Amber and Nathan are gone.

My routine is to come home, eat dinner, and hang out with Gary watching TV or something constructive like that, while I scope out Facebook, Pinterest, Southern Savers....you know, the important things in life!

Tonight was helping Layla study for a spelling test, cooking dinner, emptying the dishwasher, making snacks, picking up toys, fussing about people's teeth getting brushed, filling the dishwasher, fussing about people going to the potty, deciding which bed everyone will sleep in, and oh by the way, in the midst of that, Gary is throwing up with a stomach virus...

and HOW do people deal with these kinds of things? Why, eating of course!

Thankfully, I didn't choose that option today, but I can see how many times I have chosen it in the past without even knowing it.

In addition to not choosing food, I'm thankful that I'm one-tenth of the way through this commitment; I'm thankful that there are three little ones sleeping soundly upstairs while I type this and that a forth one will be joining us soon!

P.S. It's now 6:00 a.m. on Friday. Amber and Nathan are in Paris, France. The bad news: After sitting on the plane for three hours at the Paris airport headed to their final destination, they had to deplane due to a "security issue". The good news: they get to, actually, see Paris!

Day 3....When you Face the Naysayer's

On the food front, not much to report. Not hard, not easy.

On the sponsor front, however, a lot to report.

To digress...I was reading an article on becoming "mentally tough". One of the twenty ways to do this (and Lord knows I'm going to need all twenty before these forty days are over) was:

When you face the naysayer’s, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.

Naysayer's may be a little strong, at this point, (at least to my face), but already I'm amazed by the people who have believed in what we're doing and are speaking positive words to me.

To date, I have 31 sponsors. 31. That equates to $1,240 toward the goal of $1,800. When we add Sara's sponsors, we're getting REALLY close to our goal!

I like the way sponsors trickle in. I needed those three new ones yesterday to help me remember why I'm doing this in the first place.

The words of support and encouragement for me, and the boys, are appreciated more than you will ever know.

So naysayers beware! Tomorrow is Day 4!

Day 2 - Thank you Whole Foods! (did I already say that ?)

Let me just say for the record....

THIS TASK IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH EASIER WHEN I'M WORKING!

First of all, did I mention that there is a Whole Foods a stone's throw from my office that has a juicing bar :). I think it will become my "favorite (and only) restaurant" for the next 40 days.

Secondly, I am SO FOCUSED at work, I don't think about anything except what is going on with the client. That means food and hunger (and stomach growling) seem far, far away for those hours.

Driving home last night got a little tricky (meaning the far, far away became much, much closer). I decided I would make homemade vegetable broth for dinner. Well, nope! No ingredients for homemade vegetable broth in the Leftwich house! So it's off to the grocery tomorrow to stock pile on juicing supplies.

However....

No desire to quit.

No desire to cheat.

All in all, that's a good day for me!

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3

You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. Psalm 10:17-18

Day 1 - Thank you Whole Foods!

Day 1 is over and I made it through. Not to jinx myself, but it wasn't even that difficult. There is a Whole Foods very close to my office and I think I will be spending a great deal of time there in the next 40 days. They have an awesome Green Lemonade (kale, celery, spinach, apple, and lemon) and I had one today. For dessert, I had A Limbo (banana, orange, mango, and pineapple) with a protein powder thrown in for kicks.

The only time I felt that little "draw" toward food was when I came home and Gary had made himself spaghetti and meatballs....and bread....and ate a Whatchamacallit for dessert.

However, I resisted the smell of freshly cooking meatballs and wandered to the couch (which means I have to walk through the kitchen, I might add) to see how many sponsors had volunteered to help A N D to my surprise, there are 25! yes 25! people willing to sponsor me in this process. That's within 24 hours of posting it. Add Sara's sponsors and we have a total of 33 which equates to $1,320.

Another confirmation that God is driving ALL OF THIS!

I love how His plan is so multi-purposed. As one of my sponsors wrote in her email:

A wonderful gift for them, a healing gift for you and the gift of giving for the rest of us!

I think she said it best!

Blessings to you on Day 1!