Fasting for 21 Days

Our Pastor here at Fellowship challenged us to take a 21-day fast with him. He introduced it during the weekend services last week, while I was in Alaska, so I watched his sermon online when I got home and started then, a few days after everyone else. It started with a 24-hour liquid only fast, which I did Tuesday night to Wednesday night (after eating at Olive Garden when I got back :) Our fast is based around Daniel's fast in Daniel 1:8-16. In Daniel they only ate vegetables and drank water. We are eating vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and nuts. We're drinking real, unsweetened fruit juice, soy milk and herbal tea and water. For more info about the details of our fast...check out http://fellowshipchurch.com
So, the first 24 hours was way easier than I thought, as I slept for a good portion of it (as I'm sick) and wasn't too hungry. I broke my fast with carrots and celery, a mixture of cashews, raisins and almonds, and an apple. As you can expect, all of us in the office at church are sharing ideas for food and stories about how our bodies are reacting to it all. It's crazy how our bodies are detoxing from all of the sugar, caffeine and preservatives we normally eat. Today I feel the best I've felt so far. Yesterday I had trouble focusing, but today I feel really good. The best part of all of this is that I am able to really put things into perspective. There are some great devotionals online that help encourage us. The verse that really hit me today was Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Our God is good. A big change that's happened in my life since I've been back is the new phase of my internship. Instead of working with Chase and Campus Team East in the Senior High Ministry, I am now working in the Junior High Ministry and will be overseeing the seventh grade students, until they hire someone for that position. I am really excited about this new phase, as it will stretch me even more and give me tools to grow our Junior High Ministry at Birchwood. Never a dull moment at Fellowship Church!