The Daniel Fast- My Experiences

I probably should have written this sooner, like right after I finished doing the Daniel’s Fast, but I didn’t. I have spent 21 days, from February 7-28, doing the Daniel Fast. I was supposed to have done it with a friend long distance, I generally am one that is more willing to do something if I have a buddy do it with me, like go to the gym or go on a diet. It would turn out that I ended up doing the fast by myself, but I will talk more about that later.

What is the Daniel Fast?

I was introduced to the Daniel Fast by a friend who mentioned it in a text once upon a time. I looked it up and bought the book by Susan Gregory. It is a fast based on the one the prophet Daniel did in the Old Testament when offered the food of the king of Babylon. The caption on the cover of the book reads, “Feed your soul, strengthen your spirit, and renew your body.” These are the goals of the Daniel’s Fast. While detoxing the body and restricting what is eaten you are able to feed the soul and strengthen the spirit. As Susan wrote in her book, “Your body will benefit from the healthy eating plan. Your soul (your emotions, intellect, and feelings) will benefit from the spiritual discipline of fasting. Your spirit will grow in strength and in knowledge of Christ and His ways.” The lessons that I learned during the fast are great and I hope to touch on some of them as I look at the fast week by week. 

The Daniel Fast would fall under what is known as a partial fast, where some foods are eaten and others are restricted. In modern versions of the Daniel Fast, food choices are limited to whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, seeds and oil. And I was only allowed to drink water. The Daniel Fast prescribes the vegan diet in that it excludes the consumption of animal products. The diet also excludes processed foods, additives, preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners, caffeine, alcohol, leavening agents like yeast, and products made with white flours.

Because of the restrictions, it meant that most of what I ate had to be made from scratch. Or if I were to buy something/ ingredients from the store, I had to read the labels to make sure that I wasn’t raking in anything that I wasn’t supposed to.

It was also important to set a purpose and goal for doing this fast. While many facets of my fast were/ are personal, the overall goal was to feel closer to God. I won’t go into too many details, but I had felt like I was in a lull or trough for some weird reason and that I needed to propel myself out of it in order to move forward. This fast seemed to be a way to do that.

For each week I will be telling you what each is about, the focus of it, and give some insights of Susan Gregory. I will also provide some of the experiences that I had during the week.

Week 1- Fasting and the Body- Your body needs to be respected as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Susan Gregory wrote, “We’re used to allowing our physical needs to dictate almost everything we do. When we’re tired, we sleep—or consume caffeine to help us stay awake. When we’re hungry, bored, or upset, we eat. When we have a craving for a treat, we indulge our taste buds. Yet the process of fasting brings the body back to its rightful place: under the control of the spirit. When we’re fasting, we are willing to deny ourselves because that encourages us to turn to God.”

My preparations for this fast was not as good and thorough as they should have been. I remember after a day and a half of doing this that I was having constant headaches. Luckily I was reading the workbook that went along with the fast and they pointed out that headaches are common at the beginning because your body is trying to deal with not having the things that you normally consume. The solution? Drink more water. And it worked. I haven’t had a headache since.

Working in a grocery store made this experience interesting. I would be around food that sounded or looked so amazing. More than once I would pick up a package and read the label and see if it was permissible. And more often than not, it was forbidden according to the restrictions.

But I got to make most of my own meals. For breakfast I would generally have some kind of steel cut oats with apples and raisins.

For lunch I would have a spinach salad with different fixings. I would get creative each time. I don’t think I had the same salad twice during the whole time. I would add or take out an ingredient each time.

For dinner I would have whole grain pasta and plain tomato sauce, or it had garlic in it. Sometime I would have quinoa and brown rice, and that’s what I ate.

It was always interesting having to eat around other people. One of the most heard phrases I heard during the fast was people telling me they were sorry. Why are they sorry for a choice I made? But as much is the case, when you are fasting, you spirituality is heightened and you see lessons to be learned. I had many friends and family members eat “normal” food around me. As much as I wanted to, I knew that I had devoted this time to fast and that I had to remain true to it. Similarities became apparent when I looked at my temptations that were beyond food. I have friends who, like me, deal with same sex attraction. But they have partaken of fruit that I have not, if you get what I mean. I do have these temptations, but have decided not to partake. I have devoted my life that I will have no sexual relations outside of marriage. I am not judging my friends, whether gay or straight, who have had sex outside of marriage, but it’s not for me.

One of the more interesting times after starting was the first weekend of doing this fast. I went to Lincoln for a concert with some friends. Afterwards they wanted to go to Old Chicago. I have never really been to that restaurant, but I had heard that they have amazing food. What did I have? A Garden salad! With no dressing!!!!! But I asked them to take off the croutons, and because the description says it comes with “a” cherry tomato, I asked that they substitute the crotons with additional tomatoes. Additional to them meant two. So I had three cherry tomatoes. And there I sat at the table with my salad while everyone else ate their wings, cheese curds, nachos, jalapeño pretzels, and calzone. They were nice enough to offer to share, and they tried each other’s, but I sat with my salad feeling it would be ridiculous to offer.

I also have a friend who is an amazing cook. I had the opportunity to help him and his new roommate move into their new apartment. He had left over pizza and pie that he made earlier. But I didn’t have any. Nor any of the thank you dinner that he put on the next day. But I was grateful for the company. And grateful that he didn’t take it personally.

Week 2- Fasting and the Soul- Your soul, or flesh, needs to be put in the right position so that it does not run your life.

“Our constant challenge as humans and believers in Christ is to let His Spirit—not our own worldly trained flesh—be in control of our lives. Fasting can make us aware of this struggle in a dramatic way. When we choose to fast (to limit certain food for a spiritual experience), we suddenly come face-to-face with our own weaknesses. Yet those very moments when we are most tempted to cheat or quit altogether are moments that point the way to transformation. In Romans 12:2, Paul encourages us to be transformed by renewing our minds. When we change our attitudes and conform to God’s Word—rather than to the world around us or to our temporary circumstances—we will become more and more mature in Christ.”

This week was pretty hard. It was about this time that I found out that the friend, in Idaho, who was to do this fast with me wasn’t doing it hardly at all. This fact was kind of a hard blow and could have given me an out. If he’s not doing it, then I don’t have to. But as much is the case, when you are fasting, you spirituality is heightened and you see lessons to be learned. It made me think of the covenants that I have made. These covenants, much like this fast, were and always will be between God and me. It is nice to have others on the journey. Others that make similar covenants as you so you can have a support system. But in the end of ends, it is based on my relationship and faith with God. If I were to base my faithfulness to my covenants on whether or not my friends who have similar covenants keep them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s for me, not for them.

Word to the wise: Don’t go traveling while you are on the Daniel’s Fast. Especially to Texas. It does not bode well. I am grateful for an understanding family who was mindful of my dietary restrictions during this fast and helped me make decisions or provided options on how to keep the fast strong. And FYI, Chili’s makes some pretty amazing salads, and will even let you customize them a bit.

Week 3- Fasting and the Spirit- Your spirit needs to be strengthened day by day so you live the way God intended you to.

“The Holy Spirit is key. When Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples that a Helper would come to them—the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. And as believers in Christ whose spirits have been born again, we have access to that Spirit! He is living within us, and He will guide us, if we are willing. Every day we have a choice: Will we live according to the flesh and gratify our own desires, or will we live according to the Spirit? Will we be focused on ourselves, or will we be focused on Christ?”

This week turned out to be both the easiest and the hardest at the same time. It was easiest because I had already done it for two weeks, and hardest because I would be ending the fast at the end of the week. If I had spent as much time preparing to start the fast as I did to end the fast, I think it might have been an even better experience.

But as much is the case, when you are fasting, you spirituality is heightened and you see lessons to be learned. My spirit and will can be stronger than my body. I can do hard things. Temptations may come, but if I keep my sights where they should be, I can, with God, do all things. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to do this fast. I may do it again in the future. And now that I know what to expect, next time will be better than this last time.

God Bless! Until Next Time!

PS I lost 12 pounds in the 3 weeks.

Why Dumledore is My Role Model

I have just spent my weekend in Provo, Utah at a North Star International [North Star] Conference. (North Star is organization that helps members of all faiths, but more particularly members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [LDS] who deal with same sex attraction or gender dysphoria remain faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the covenants that they have made. It also helps family, friends, loved ones, and church leaders understand how to help the people in their lives who experience these things.) I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to go and gain new insight and a renewal of my convictions and determination to move forward the way God would want ME to. Just because it is the way I feel like my life should go forward doesn’t mean that it is expected of other, every jot or tittle. Everyone is different and their path to God is an individual one. But one of the best things that I learned was how to make my relationships better and how to seek out healthy relationship, even while I deal with same sex attraction. I am grateful that I got to meet so many cool people during this conference. We are all children of God trying to do what is right.

When I got home, I forgot that my mom and little brother would be on Spring Break. My little brother is a huge, HUGE, Harry Potter fan. I am as well, but I think he surpassed me a while ago in nerdy-ness. But I woke up from my nap yesterday and got to watch the last half of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I must say that I prefer Richard Harris’ portrayal of Albus Dumbledore. He was a great mentor to Harry Potter and many others. Then it dawned on me. Dumbledore is homosexual. He could potentially be one of the greatest examples in literature for me, but I’ll get into that later, I want to focus on other attributes that he had.

*Disclaimer: Because I wanted to get this post out quickly I turned to Wikipedia to get most of this information, although I would love to spend time researching the books and Pottermore to gather all I can about his character, I hope you, the reader, will forgive me. But I am not writing this for profit, and you can read it as much on that page as you can in my post. So if the copyright police are out there, I think I covered my back.

Rowling stated she chose the name Dumbledore, which is an Early Modern English word for "bumblebee", because of Dumbledore's love of music: she imagined him walking around "humming to himself a lot".

The author has stated that she enjoys writing Dumbledore because he "is the epitome of goodness." Rowling said that Dumbledore speaks for her, as he "knows pretty much everything" about the Harry Potter universe. Rowling mentioned that Dumbledore regrets "that he has always had to be the one who knew, and who had the burden of knowing. And he would rather not know."

Albus Dumbledore was tall and thin, with silver hair and beard (auburn in his youth{Bryce again: I just want to say that I like him even more that he had auburn hair when he was younger cause Gingers are the best}) so long that they could be tucked into his belt. He had a very long and crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken at least twice. (It is speculated that his brother's punch during their sister's funeral may have played a role in shaping his nose.) He was also said to have long and skillful fingers. His eyes were described to be a brilliant, soul-piercing shade of blue, and usually twinkled with kindness and mischief.

Dumbledore wore half-moon spectacles and a colorful array of robes, ranging from purple to bright orange. He once claimed to have a scar above his left knee in the precise shape of a map of the London Underground, but whether or not he actually does is unknown. His demeanor is often – if not always – serene and ethereal, and he usually spoke in a calm, pleasant voice even when Harry thought that he was actually furious.

During the last year of his life, Dumbledore's right hand was scarred when he donned Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, which was cursed. Had Severus Snape not intervened with a counter-curse, Dumbledore would have died much more quickly. Regardless, the curse left his hand blackened and dead-looking, and no amount of healing could repair the appearance. According to Snape, the curse would eventually spread itself from the contained hand, and Dumbledore was doomed to die in no more than one year's time. Whether this means the blackening dead-look appearance would spread throughout the entire body is unknown.

Considered the most powerful wizard in the world, Dumbledore is benevolent and wise, a good wizard in the style of Merlin. He almost constantly gives off an aura of serenity and composure, rarely displaying intense emotions of anger or fear. Yet despite his benign nature, it is said that Dumbledore was the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever truly feared.

+Remember this next part:

Dumbledore is very eccentric and even slightly effeminate; he is very fond of knitting patterns and frequently wears flamboyant clothing (at one point, he is seen wearing a flowered bonnet). He is also known for his odd displays of whimsicality; he often uses humor to make people feel comfortable in his presence.

+So good, right! I loved his attention to detail and that he was fashionable, if not for anyone else, for himself. And that he cared about others and that they would feel comfortable in his presence.

In the Chamber of Secrets DVD interview, screenwriter Steve Kloves stated that he considers Dumbledore a fascinating character because of the wisdom he provides, but he feels that "Dumbledore bears such a tremendous dark burden, and he knows secrets and I think in many ways he bears the weight of the future of the wizard world" and the "only way that he can keep that at bay, the darkness, is to be whimsical and humorous".

As a supremely talented wizard, Dumbledore displays numerous examples of extraordinary powers. His abilities as a wizard are combined with a kind of cunning and subtlety of mind that allowed him to comprehend human nature and turn the better aspects of humanity (trust, love, and friendship) to Voldemort's disadvantage in particular.

More than anything else, Dumbledore has a deep capacity for love, frequently reminding Harry that love was the greatest magic of all. Dumbledore believes in the good in everyone and insists on giving second chances. The greatest example of this is Dumbledore's relationship with Severus Snape, in whom Dumbledore is willing to place a considerable amount of faith because he showed remorse. Dumbledore is highly perceptive and emotionally intelligent; his knowledge of a person's true personality goes beyond simply being a good judge of character. This is never more apparent than in his complex insights into Voldemort's psyche, which he pieces together with Harry to deduce where Voldemort's horcruxes are hidden.

However, in spite of Dumbledore's many extraordinary qualities, he was no saint. According to Rowling, "Although Dumbledore seems to be so benign for six books, he's quite a Machiavellian figure, really. He's been pulling a lot of strings." In a 2005 interview, Rowling commented: "Immense brainpower does not protect you from emotional mistakes, and I think Dumbledore really exemplifies that." Dumbledore's greatest personality flaw, which he explained to Harry, was his desire for power. He eventually found that those best suited for power are those who do not seek it. When he and Gellert Grindelwald met each other, they made plans to enslave Muggles and re-establish wizards as the natural rulers of the world. However, Dumbledore fell from this fantasy after his sister Ariana Dumbledore was killed during a duel between himself, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Grindelwald.

Dumbledore was haunted by his sad family history. In particular, he was riddled with guilt over the circumstances surrounding the death of his sister. He felt enormous remorse for his selfishness and was tortured for the rest of his life by the possibility that he might have been the one who cast the spell that killed his sister. When he looked into the Mirror of Erised, he saw himself redeemed in the eyes of his brother and his entire family alive and together.

+Okay! And for the great finale. I remember this being a big issue of turmoil among fans and critics. Even in my closeted state, I had a hard time believing what J. K. Rowling was about to reveal about Dumbledore, and just after he died in the 6^th book and the 7^th book had just come out a few months earlier.

On 19 October 2007, Rowling was asked by a young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love." Rowling said that she always thought of Dumbledore as being homosexual and that he had fallen in love with Gellert Grindelwald, which was Dumbledore's "great tragedy"; Rowling did not explicitly state whether Grindelwald returned his affections. Rowling explains this further by elaborating on the motivations behind Dumbledore's flirtation with the idea of wizard domination of Muggles: "He lost his moral compass completely when he fell in love and I think subsequently became very mistrustful of his own judgement in those matters so became quite asexual. He led a celibate and a bookish life."

+Unrequited love has been a part of my life, from both guys and girls, so the fact if Grindelwald returned the affection or not is not that big of a deal. But I too have been blinded by my crushes and have done things that I may not have done otherwise, both good and bad things. But Dumbledore eventually realized where his feelings were taking him and cut that relationship of and became the man that we know and love. Who is to say if he would have achieved as much greatness if he was in a homosexual relationship? J. K. Rowling, that’s who. But he didn’t. It also doesn’t say that he didn’t struggle with those feelings ever again, just that he became quite asexual. I’m not ruling out marriage right now in my life, but I am saying that I am happy where I am. I can still achieve good in my life. I can be a source of good for others, helping them learn from my experiences or helping them on their way to have their own to make them better people. So thank you J. K. Rowling for Dumbledore. I have a literary role model that has showed me that it is possible. That love is the most important thing, and that love doesn’t have to be sexual to be sincere.

God Bless! Until Next Time!