My "Seven" Fast

Today I prep for my Seven Fast.  I read a book by Jen Hatmaker called “7: an experimental mutiny against excess” and realized that this is exactly perfect for where God had brought me to last November – to a place of decluttering.  For a while I have been feeling stifled by STUFF, being distracted from having to always organize, and reorganize and reorganize.  I have also had horrible digestive issues; partly due to processed foods I have been consuming, partly due to the stress of all this stuff.  I was all but crying out to God to help me.  I have a tendency to be fatalistic and impulsive, and although most of my friends think I am this super organized gal, they don’t know that it is painstakingly difficulty to remain as “organized” as I present.  At heart I am sanguine –creative, flighty, easily distracted, witty, loving and scattered.  It is through only through YEARS of practice in mindfulness and the YEARS of being a Nurse- grounded in the nursing process, which is basically critical thinking with the PDCA process, or in other words using SMART goals and action plans- that I have come to my current “success.”  I am perceived as successful which I do think I am, but I know if I had an earlier start at crazy gluing my head to my neck, I would be farther along. If I hadn’t had such emotional issues and addictive tendencies which were coddled by the media and dysfunctional relationships, I would probably not have so much material stuff and have been a basket-case for so long.  So, when God and I had a heart to heart it was revealed that most of my current anxiety comes from earthly things that have robbed me of my freedom and joy.  I have been robbed of simplicity.  I am a slave to excess, to the flesh, and to things that in the face of eternity really don’t matter.
So, here I am today.  I have read, and reread Month One of Seven: Food.  This is apropos considering I know everything spiritual should start with a food fast.  I have had embarked on several fasts in the past which have rewarded me with GREAT spiritual insight and astounding health!  I have cured myself and my family of diseases that doctors were baffled by…all by diet food choices.  More on that later.  According to Jen Hatmaker’s plan, she chose 7 ingredients that will provide holistic nutrition.  Maybe I should re-research her choices, but I trust that the ingredients are solid choices for these next 30 days based on my own extensive knowledge of food, processing and nutrition.  The ingredients she chose were chicken, eggs, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, spinach, avocados and apples.  I am modifying whole wheat bread to whole grain bread.  I will use salt, pepper and olive oil as she did.  But I will drink water, and unsweetened tea (she only drank water.)  I HATE the taste of water.  Water has a tasteless taste that I can barely tolerate.   I barely drink any water because of this “problem” of tasteless taste which I am certain is also part of my digestive issues, but if I don’t have some faint flavor I will turn into a prune for sure.  The other difference to Jen H.’s fast is that every morning I will use a dietary supplement/fiber full of probiotics with an orange flavor, and vitamins and minerals as nutritional supplementation as well.
The general fast as Jen H. laid out in her small masterpiece is as follows:
Month one: Food
Month two: Clothes
Month three:  Possessions
Month four:  Media
Month five: Waste
Month six:  Spending
Month seven: Stress
As each month goes by, I will document my experiences and share them here.  I wonder if anyone cares, but hey – maybe someone will and be inspired somehow.  Right now I have to run – I have an appointment to see to potential homes. More on this later as well….