It’s the first day of the new year. Supposedly a day to make resolutions, get a new start… blah, blah, blah…. It’s just another day. There is nothing inherently special about it, just a change in the date. There is however, something nice about starting fresh and giving yourself a chance to restart. Plus, you can take advantage of all the fabulous sales for all those New Year resolution items.
For me, I’ve chosen not to make any “resolutions.” I’ve made goals instead. Goals are far easier to achieve than a “resolution.” Goals are measurable (or at least they should be, if they aren’t you need to rethink them.), easily defined, and you can make small incremental steps towards achieving them. Resolutions, on the other hand, are usually broad (think, “I want to lose weight”) and hard to accomplish. This is why most “New Year Resolutions” are history by the time January is over.
But all that is another post. This one is the beginning of a 21 day adventure. Our youth group is doing a Daniel Fast. For those of you unfamiliar with what that is, it’s a fast taken from Daniel 1:12. (“Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. NLT) The 21 days part comes from Daniel 10:3 (All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. NLT)
The idea is that for 3 weeks, you eat a diet of vegetables and water and spend time seeking and getting closer to God. And this is where it gets a little more complicated. Some believe that you should only eat vegetables, because that’s what the Bible says. Others believe that the word “vegetables” is a misinterpretation, and that it should read “foods grown from seed” or “pulse.” (which is found in some of the earliest translations, including the KJV) This allows for not only vegetables, but fruits, nuts and whole grains.
Regardless, no meat, dairy or sugar (or anything artificial) is allowed.
And so, we are embarking on this 3 week fast. I’m not sure how it’s going to go. To be completely honest, I’m only doing it because I’m a youth leader and I feel it’s unfair to ask the teens to do something that I’m not doing myself. It’s probably not the right place to be, since it’s supposed to be a fast, but it’s where I am.
My plan is to chronicle some of what is going on, and how I’m doing with the fast over the next 3 weeks. Now I’m off to enjoy some homemade potato chips…. (these are REALLY good….)
Jewels and Trucks 