~The Fast is in Full Force!~

Wow, 2012 is here! Is everyone making goals for the year? Have you kept them thus far? I sure hope so. Setting goals and hitting them is such a fantastic feeling!

My hunky hubs and I are on day #4 of a fast. This year we are fasting more than we ever have. It is tough, but wonderful at the same time. We have cut out television, sugar, caffeine, red meat, processed foods, eating out, etc. Basically, we are only eating what grows from the earth (fruit, veggies, whole grains, beans, etc). Which cuts out pretty much everything that we enjoy!

Why do a fast?
We have been doing a January fast for years now. We believe it is the best way to start off a new year. We believe that cleansing our bodies, minds & souls will bring us closer to God. Trust me, it works! Sometimes I wish we fasted all the time. It is so peaceful to spend time in God's word and to not have the interruptions of life. Sadly, you realize how out of alignment your life really was when you do a fast.

Benefits of a fast?
For us it is to feel closer and to hear from God. Just yesterday I got a word "DISCIPLINE" after praying specifically for a situation. It takes discipline in all areas of our life to succeed. We must be disciplined to stay on budget, keep our goals, to not be obese, you get my point. Everything comes down to discipline. So, yes this is one of my "words for the year".

Okay, I'm fully aware this post may be strange for some of you to read. It was not at all what I had intended to write today! Oh well. Just rolling with it in 2012 ;)

Coming up this week...my goals for 2012! Get ready, they are ambitious!

Happy Wednesday!
SHO

~Menu Wednesday!~

This is our last week on the Daniel Fast. The menu looks very similar to last week. We've only found a few things that we want to eat more than once. Here is a menu of what we are eating this week:

Tuna melt w/ mushrooms & spinach on whole wheat
(shown above in photo)

Whole Wheat Pita Veggie Pizza w/ Spinach Salad

Loaded Spinach Salad
Baked Potatoes

Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Chicken & spinach on whole wheat bun

Tuna, refried beans & avocado on whole wheat wrap

Black bean, cilantro, garlic, onion burrito on whole grain tortilla

Stuffed pepper w/ brown rice & veggies

When we are finished with the 21 day fast, we will not have eaten at a restaurant in 21 days! It can be done! That was actually harder than anticipated for all of us. We really enjoy Taco Bueno on a weekly basis ;) Having a menu and a plan has been key for us! It has been more work, but has been an enjoyable process at times. I'm not going to lie and say that cooking (some from scratch) twice a day has been a joy, because it has been a drag some days. However, knowing that I can do things that I normally don't was a great feeling. Knowing that we made a commitment to God and have honored it has been AWESOME!

Hope you are having a blessed day!
SHO

~2011 Preview!~

I'm pondering what we are wanting to accomplish for 2011. We are setting the same savings goal as 2010. Now that we know we can achieve it, I don't think it will seem like such a tall mountain to climb. We have been looking into a newer, more fuel efficient vehicle also. Never fun to have to purchase a car! After much looking and discussion, my cute hubs decided he would like to wait it out. He likes having money in the bank and isn't ready to drop a large sum of cash on a car when his is working just fine. Gotta love a sensible man! I LOVE that I'm married to man that is not defined by the car that he drives! A man that is not afraid to be who he is in any situation, even if that means being different. I wanted to marry someone who believes in himself and in me and I did just that. I'm constantly saying (singing) to him "When God made you, He must have been thinking about me".

Whatever 2011 holds for us, I'm believing it is going to be wonderful! We started 2011 with the Daniel Fast and boy is this stretch for us. Whew! I usually give up sugar for this, but this year we are trying to modify everything. I've spent hours researching recipes to make within the guidelines. I've almost got my 21 day menu finalized. We are on day #3 and are feeling it! It is a hurt like no other. Sort of "hurts so good". The more my body aches and detoxifies from the junk I've been polluting it with, the better my spirit feels. Make sense?

It felt so good to go to the grocery store and not purchase chips, soda, snack bars, candy bars, sugary cereal, etc. I have been treating my body more like the TX State Fair than a temple as of late!
We are excited to see what God has planned for us over the next 3 weeks!
More to come on that later.

2011 Blessings~
SHO