Day 4
Well, only 3 days left. Even though this has been a good experience I will be glad to actually chew next week. Last night we had our church service. I got to bed a little later than normal so early this morning I felt like a very slow moving train. Energy hit me about 3o minutes after I drank my first jar of juice. Pretty cool when you can feel it kick in.
Today I juiced by color. Think I’m getting a little bored?!? 
I made three different kinds of juice. Red, Orange, and Yellow. Kind of like Kindergarten. The Red consisted of grape, radish, cranberry, strawberry, red cabbage, ginger root, apple, and orange (I don’t love the radish!). The Yellow consisted of orange, carrots, a few grapes and apple. The Orange consisted of mango, apple, and orange. So, that’s what I will “eat” today.
A little trick a friend told me about last night: instead of peeling your oranges you can shave them with a potato peeler. It removes the bitter outside but leaves the white pith, which is really good for you. Thanks Ellen!
If you’re feeling weary, don’t quit. Remember, we’re in this with you!
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Day 3- Half Way!
So we’re at day 3 and I’m actually feeling pretty good. After this week I may not want to see juice for a while, though! Yesterday I went too many hours on water alone so today I juiced extra and stored it in jars to take with me throughout the day. If you choose to ever do this, fill the jars up almost to the top so as little air as possible is in the jar. I added pineapple today- yum! I’m learning, to me, that pineapple and strawberry mask most of the veggie taste- almost.
Yesterday I juiced grapes, celery and cucumber. It was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted! So I gave it to my husband. Joking, he was a good sport and actually volunteered to drink it!
Here’s a scripture that spoke to me today:
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
This week part of my focus is what I put into my body. How much more should we focus on a regular basis what we allow to get into our heart?
Thanks for reading! Have a great day.
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Day 2 of 7 Day Fast
Yesterday was great. I didn’t really feel hungry. Today I’m feeling a bit more empty mainly because I’ve been busy and have consumed more water than juice. It’s important to drink juice often (7-11 eight ounce glasses over 24 hrs. plus water). To make it work I’m going to have to juice a larger amount in the mornings, store it and carry it with me when I’m on the road.
So, yesterday I experimented around with ingredients. Some good, some not so good, but I downed it anyway. I’ve learned that celery, carrots, cabbage and tomato combined aren’t my favorite flavors but hey, I’ve consumed more vegetables in a day and a half then I think I do in a month! Here’s a nifty little fact: drinking 8 ounces of carrot juice is equivalent to eating a little more than a pound of raw carrots! That fact came straight out of the book, “Juice Fasting Bible” by Sandra Cabot, M.D. It’s a great read full of juicing info. There are plenty of websites to google too.
Today I needed more fruit so I ran into Walmart. What do you know I had to pick the time the bakery was baking fresh French Bread. The smell was wafting through the store. Painful! As I put ginger root into my cart I actually held my breath and maybe even called the ginger root a few bad names. Foods I don’t even like were tempting me. So, word of advice: while on a fast- stay out the grocery store!
If you’re fasting this week I hope you are going strong. If not, no worries, just get back in the game. Do whatever God has put on your heart to do. Carve out time for Him. Listen to hear His voice. In the end it will be worth every ounce of effort!
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Day 1 of 7 Day Juice Fast
Day 1:
If you are not participating in any kind of beginning of the year fast, I highly encourage you to do so. Our church, Keypoint Church, always does a fast the first week of the year. As difficult as this fast can be to my flesh, it is equally, if not more, inspiring to my Spirit! As crazy as it may sound I look forward to fasting (any faster understands this) because I love the anticipation building within me to see and hear what the Lord will do and say. He, like always, proves faithful! It’s important not to view fasting as just a time of denying yourself- it is so much more than that! It’s to carve out more time with the Lord, focus on Him and hear what He has to say.
Fasting is also beneficial to your health. This is the first year I will be doing a juice fast for 7 days. If you are interested you will need a juicer and lots of fruits and veggies. I don’t have an expensive juicer. Mine is from juiceman.com and I’ve been pleased with it. This morning was the kick off! I’m 2 hrs. into my fast and so far its going well! I’ll let you know more tomorrow. Here’s what I juiced this morning:
4 oranges (peeled but left the white pith-the skin close to the orange)
3 apples (green)
6-7 strawberries
2 organic carrots
2 handfuls of cranberries
1 sweet potato
1 kiwi
This made enough juice for Casey and me with some left over that I’m about to drink up. It was honestly really good! The sweet potato and carrots are for added vitamins but also make the juice even sweeter. As the day goes on I plan to juice more veggies with just a little fruit. Here’s a list of what I have:
Kale
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Cabbage
Broccoli (I’ll let you know how it tastes!)
Parsnips
Zucchini
Radish
Really, you can juice nearly any veggie and fruit, but don’t waste your time or money on blueberries, bananas and other fruits that won’t yield a lot of juice (just eat those when the fast is over).
Tip: If you don’t drink all your juice right away you can either:
-immediately freeze it and as soon as it thaws immediately drink
-store in frig in container with lid
-store in mason jars filled all the way to top with lid (this is what I do)
The key is to keep air out so juice won’t oxidize.
If you are fasting I’d love to hear what you do, and if you choose to juice fast, let me know about it.
XO
Read MoreMoms With Hope
A few months ago I received a call inviting me to speak to a group of mothers who had all lost children. I accepted the invitation feeling that I could glean from my personal experience to lend some words of encouragement. The day arrived this past Sunday. I walked into an old historic tearoom and saw women of various ages sitting around elegant tables talking in hushed voices. A sobering feeling hit me. I knew I wouldn’t be delivering just any ordinary message because this wasn’t an ordinary crowd. This crowd had collectively experienced so much pain that I felt extremely inadequate so I quietly prayed God would give me the words He wanted them to hear. Looking around at their faces, I noticed some were somber, others smiling. I asked a few to tell me their stories. This might have been a mistake, I’m not sure, because the grave reality of the women in that room weighed heavy on my heart, each mom was one child less. Some told their stories with a smile, reflecting on their deceased child and speaking of the love of Christ. For others, tears immediately spilled forth. I was reminded that I have never been alone in my journey, each one hurt as much as I did. Sometimes that’s hard to believe. What amazed me most were the women whose children have been gone for over 30 years. With watery eyes they still spoke about their loss like it happened yesterday. Why did I think they wouldn’t? Does time make your children less valuable? After talking with the moms I began to see more and more the powerful, devoted and vigilant heart God strategically places inside a mother. It’s a miracle really. Her children are forever sacred to her heart, whether on Earth or waiting in Heaven.
It was my time to speak. I felt very unworthy to be standing in front such a valiant group of women, yet I knew God had placed me there so I encouraged them on things such as trusting God, keeping an eternal perspective and remembering we have hope. I witnessed the wiping of tears, bitter faces that looked away when I looked into their eyes (they’re still working on understanding it all… that’s okay, God isn’t threatened), and smiles of hope. I offered my best and sat down feeling satisfied that maybe, just maybe someone was encouraged, and my story slapped the devil around a bit. I believe it did. Later the sweet lady serving my tea whispered to me that ironically she, too, had lost a child. She didn’t seem upset. I offered to pray for her anyway. Then the tears came. She quickly erased them as if they never existed, but God and I knew they did. It reminded me all the more that you never know what someone is carrying in his or her heart. I was glad I took the moment to reach out to her. Before I left mother after mother approached me. They told more of their story, I prayed and hugged each one.
Last Sunday was a day I will never forget. I will carry a piece of those precious, warrior ladies in my heart. It was one of those cherished times when God tangibly revealed to me once again how He is taking what the enemy meant for my destruction and is using it for my good. I was able to offer hope. And I am confident many took it.
Whatever you have walked through, place it in the hands of your Heavenly Father. He will turn it around. It can benefit your life and others in ways you never imagined!
2 Peter 3:8 “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
I will see you soon, H!
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