fast facts

Fasting pretty much made no sense to me a couple years ago. It mostly seemed like a manipulative tool. The only times I had heard about people fasting was when they wanted something. Because somehow not eating showed God they REALLY wanted it? And if you pressed the magical button of not eating then God would give you what you REALLY wanted? Sounded more like a temper tantrum to me.

I was clearly not seeing things correctly. Not that there are no people who fast in that manner, but certainly that is not the spirit behind fasting.

At a friend's recommendation, I read God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis. I can honestly say it is the best book I have ever read about fasting. True, it is the only book I have read about fasting, but still. It's a good book.

And this is my book report, with the hope that maybe the stuff I learned will stick a little better. Sorry if its dry, the book I promise is much better. But here is the 2 minute version:

At its simplest, the book says, fasting is a time of spiritual renewal.

The book goes on to describe three kinds of fasting shown in the Bible: a normal fast (abstaining from food, but not water), an absolute fast (abstaining from food AND water) and a partial fast (restricting one's diet for a period of time). Clearly we can fast from things other than food, but at its most literal, fasting refers to food.

There was only one regular fast prescribed in the Law -- the Day of Atonement -- where all of God's people were commanded to fast. Some people fasted regularly beyond this -- the religious leaders in Jesus' day fasted twice each week -- but most often we see fasting taking place as God places it upon an individual's heart to do privately OR on a leader's heart to do as a group, publically. There are people who fast regularly, and those that fast on occassion -- either way, it is between the individual and God and certainly not to be reduced to an empty ritual.

I know of one friend who fasts regularly. (Most likely I know more people who fast -- which is to say I know them, but don't know that they fast.) I suspected her of the practice and when I asked she told me what she does, emphasizing over and over that these were things God had led her to, not to be taken as a tutorial. I pass them on in the same spirit:

She typically fasts once a week, beginning after dinner and breaking her fast with the next day's dinner. She's chosen this 24-hour approach because it is least disruptive to her home life, she's chosen a day in her week that most often is free, allowing her to focus her day in prayer and reading and journaling. She will drink fluids -- lots of water and also fruit juice, milk, or broth a couple times a day.

So why fast?

At its most basic level, fasting is an act given to God. Fasting is not self-seeking -- to get or to feel or to experience -- fasting is "a worshipping or ministering to the Lord, a giving of ourselves to God", it is a time for Him to be glorified. The book also notes that "fasting, like prayer, must be God-initiated and God-ordained if it to be effective."

The book discusses several secondary reasons to fast, I will reduce chapters to sentences:

• fasting is "a valuable aid to personal sanctity" -- it is a time to humble ourselves before God, mourn in repentance, or more positively, consecrate ourselves to God
• fasting allows us "to be heard on high" (Isaiah 58) - fasting is an expression of wholeheartedness, and when we do that and come into His presence and ask for something, God responds -- Jeremiah 29.13-14 says "When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you..." Why fasting is effective in this way is a mystery...but that it is is undeniable.
• fasting is used to change God's mind -- we see biblical examples of fasting being used in this way -- such as with Ninevah. They repented of their sin and God withheld judgement.
• fasting is used to "free the captives" (Isaiah 58) from spiritual captivity or physical illness -- "fasting is a powerful auxiliary weapon, appointed by God, to break the enemy's hold", it is "prayer without words"
• fasting can bring revelation -- fasting sharpens our spiritual sensitivity and is an avenue by which God can speak to us (which is not to say visions/revelations do not need to be tested)
• fasting is used to "buffet the body" (buffet like "to contend against" not "a smorgasboard of food") -- "[among other things] it was a temptation to eat that encompassed the ruin of the race" -- it's true, God gave our bodies their appetities, but "we are required to keep the physical subservient to the spiritual". For some of us food is an idol...some of us are in bondage to food and seek it without control. It's something we make light of, but it can cripple us spiritually. "When there is a failture to deal with this lust for food, the life is opened to attack along other lines."
• fasting is valuable for health and healing -- fasting is really good for your body (unless you've got health conditions that prevent it) -- most of us can benefit from the caloric restriction and your digestive system will benefit from a day off

The book goes on to give details concerning fasting from a physical perspective, describing what happens in the body during that time, how to begin and end a fast, and even includes a diary of one person's 21 day fast, just to give a peek into that experience.

And there are your fast facts -- information that pertains to fasting which can help inform and guide our experience. And I suppose in that way, fasting is like prayer -- there are facts of prayer and you can formulate and describe, but it cannot be reduced to such.

So there. Fasting has been talked about. I could go on, but I think I'll stop there because I'm still learning. I'm at the fetal stage of development on this issue, so I don't have much more to say except "working on it!"

slow to fast

I recently noticed another thing about Christians in America that confuses me: Why don't we ever talk about fasting?

Of course, it was interaction with Christians NOT in America that made me realize this. The first week of the year, I was chatting with friends in Rwanda and learned that their pastor had called the church to a week of prayer and fasting. I gathered that the idea was to gain perspective and direction for the coming year, to devote the year to God's plan for each of them and seek what God might want to do in their lives.

I was shocked. Rwandans -- many of them, anyway -- are quite thin. I mean, in a country where there is some seriously inadequate nutritional intake, is fasting really necessary, or even advisable? And not eat a single thing for a week? And given how I feel after a few hours of not eating, does that mean everyone just sits on the ground, away from everyone else, for the entire time?

(And to answer, not everyone in the church was able to participate in the entire week of fasting, those that did generally ate a small meal each evening, people participated in normal daily activities, spent more time in prayer and, at least once, gathered together for prayer and worship before breaking their day of fasting with a small meal.)

Naturally, after the 'how' came the 'why'. For most of my life, I've always thought of fasting as "just something they did back then" and that people who do it now are either in the category of "super-spiritual" or "fruitcake". In recent years, that perception has been slowly changing, but in considering the role fasting might play in the life of a modern Christian in America, it's been hard to find answers as to why one would fast.

Why don't we ever talk about it?

Maybe its because fasting is very personal and, based on Matthew 6, should be private and kept secret.

But Matthew 6 also says that giving and prayer should be kept secret, and there are plenty of books and seminars and sermons on those topics.

Maybe its because Americans are less expressive and more private and don't want to share these kinds of things.

But then, how do you explain blogs and Facebook?

In truth, there are probably a hundred reasons why we don't talk about fasting, but my guess is that one of the primary ones is that Americans are slow to fast. Though I know there are Americans who do fast, it's simply not a very popular devotional activity.

Either way, my friends' example has challenged my faith; I'm asking questions about this practice that I've pretty well dismissed as weird my whole life. And I intend, here, to report some answers I've gotten...partly as a means of taking notes on the topic, and partly to prove myself wrong that nobody ever talks about fasting.

sunshine therapy

Playing in the dirt keeps me grounded.

That's one of the phrases that will appear on t-shirts sold at Garden of Eatin', when I open it.

Seriously. January has had me in a funk. I just can't bring myself to want to do ANYTHING -- and when anything includes hanging out with friends and eating cookies and playing with fonts and reading books, you know its bad.

I realized yesterday that I needed some dirt and sunshine. They've proven that inadequate exposure to sunlight can cause depression ...I haven't heard any studies about mineral absorption through handling of dirt, but there's something there too, I'm certain.

This morning after de-segregation pancakes (white pancakes with black chocolate chips) for breakfast, I sat down to my tea and time with Jesus. There were mostly clouds outside. A little blue, but just enough to make me want to cry. So I asked for sunshine, acknowledging that it wasn't entirely imperative for my survival, but it would be heartily received if given. Then I checked the weather report: rain, rain, rain. All week. Sigh.

An hour later I looked outside: SUNSHINE! And a perfectly blue sky. I weeded. I cleaned up yard debris. I trimmed the everbearing raspberry canes. I sprayed lime sulphur on the peach and nectarine trees. I swept the garage. I measured and plotted three areas of the yard for future landscape projects. I talked to the neighbor. And her dog. I had the urge to get my swimsuit and dance, but...the party stopped there...

What a gift. Who knows if it'll pull me out of the Januaryness of it all, but my body and spirit are singing and that's enough for now...

news bulletin: the seeds have been ordered

The seed catalogues having been sitting around, mocking my indecision and it came time to put a silence to the noise. As of 10 pm last night, the seeds have been ordered.

And since I know you're dying to know what I ordered....here's the list:

From FedCo Seeds:

Masai Bush Haricots Verts -- petite green beans on a bush...mostly because I am wondering if they come close to the variety I ate in Rwanda...
Silver Queen White Sweet Corn -- never grown corn, so this is the year to try
Dakota Black Popcorn -- couldn't resist the popcorn experiment either
Prescott Fond Blanc Cantaloupe -- these are supposed to be some seriously ugly melons, all warty and wonderful
Cream of Saskatchewan Watermelon -- a smaller white watermelon, brought to this continent from Ukrainian immigrants, which is partly how I got here too, so I thought I'd connect with my roots
Over the Rainbow Carrot Mix -- my carrot are always spindly and sad...but at least their colorful?!
Chioggia Beet -- never grown beets before, but if I don't like them, I can use this variety for target practice
Space Spinach -- great smooth-leaf spinach, I've grown this once before and loved it
Tyee Spinach -- a savoy (crinkle) leaf spinach that does well even in warmer weather, a necessity for spring spinach in these parts -- also grown this one before
Rouge d'Hiver Lettuce -- a lovely winter lettuce, another previously grown favorite
Michelle Lettuce -- can't remember why I picked this one...
Lettuce Mix -- boring, I know
Summer Lettuce Mix -- summerily boring, as well
Arugula -- for a spicy mesculun mix
Early Mizuna - didn't so much care for my mustards last year...largely because I'd go out the garden and cut the mustand and then wouldn't know what to do with us. Mizuna goes in salad though, so I can do that.
Broccoli Blend -- mix of broccoli varities
Gonzales Cabbage -- wee little cabbages for fall/winter consumption
Graffiti Cauliflower -- I don't really get the point of eating or growing cauliflower...unless its purple and then it all makes sense
Peacework Sweet Pepper -- a nice peaceable red sweet pepper
Purple Beauty Sweet Pepper -- a (presumably) beautiful purple sweet pepper
Pink Brandywine Tomato -- time to attempt the ultimate tomato!
Aunt Rubys German Green Tomato -- and its green counterpart

Hyssop -- purple, medicinal experiment
Ziar Breadseed Poppy -- I tried to get the poppies like they grow in Afghanistan and couldn't find seed...so I'll try eating these seeds until I can get those other ones...
State Fair Mix Zinnia -- meet zinnia, my happy garden flower
Ruby Silk Love Grass -- so yes, I just wanted to grow something called "love grass"
Foxtail Millet -- millet looks cool
Butterfly Weed -- these orange flowers look cool too -- semi-native, drought-tolerant
Iron Maiden Penstemon -- red flowers, also semi-native and drought-tolerant

And from Pinetree Seeds:

Connecticut Yankees Delphinium Mix -- white, blue, purple mixed delphiniums
Minnesota Midget Melon - I ADORED these mini-canteloupes (ok, so technically muskmelons) last year -- compact vines, quick-ripening fruit and lovely flavor
Candy Lily -- a sweet little flower I found in Rwanda
Farinacea Blue Bedder Salvia -- I like flowers, I think
Marine Heliotrope -- I guess I like purple flowers...I'm seeing a lot of them...
Red Poppies -- ...and red flowers
California Poppies -- ...and orange flowers...what it my deal?!
Pampas Plume Celosia -- I think there's some yellow and pink in this mix, though...
Vega Red Cosmos -- back to red flowers...
Illumination Amaranth -- and then orange, with a tough of yellow, but I think this amaranth is more leafy than floral-seedhead-y
Bronze Mignonette -- a friendly looking butterhead lettuce I wanted to attempt

And yes, you're right. The motto was -- as it always is with seeds -- "Buy now, consider the time requirements later!"

10 minute stir fry for one

There's this terribly delicious stir-fry recipe I got a while back. The only problem is that the rest of my family mostly feels the "delicious" part of that description ought to be left out and that "terrible" would suit it just fine.

I tell you, this place is growing more and more similar to a Crazy House everyday.

Fortunately, I stumbled into this easy alternative yesterday and just have to share. It's super fast and easy, includes some protein and veggies, is seasonally sensitive...as well as lazy shopper sensitive because these things are in my fridge or cupboard most of the time.

So here we go. Set your timer for 10 minutes.

1. Put a small pan on a small burner and turn the heat to medium-high.

2. Pull out a carrot and head of cabbage from the fridge. Chop them up. Cut those carrots on a bias if you're wearing your fancy pants.

3. Assist/scold children in whatever activity they are engaged in.

4. Put down a little oil in your hot pan and toss in the veggies. I sprinkle a little salt over top to softed them up a little faster.

5. Once those veggies have just the smallest amount of crunch left in them, push them to the side of the pan and crack an egg into the empty space. Stir it up to scramble and cook. Once the egg is mostly cooked stir the veggies back into it.

6. Time to get saucy. Turn the heat off (keeping the pan on the burner) and add 1 Tb soy sauce, 1 Tb vinegar, 1 Tb peanut butter and 1/2 Tb white sugar. I also add a good dash of cayenne at this point. You're probably supposed to blend this before adding to the pan...but I find making a little space for it and mixing in the pan before stirring it through the egg & veggies works fine too.

7. Quickly assist child who has locked themselves in the bathroom.

8. Add rice. So you'll need 1/2-1 c. leftover rice in the fridge waiting for you if you want this to be fast. You'll have to think 20 minutes ahead of time if you don't. Stir your rice into the pan. The rice is cold, the burner is off (if the burner is still hot, remove pan from it), but if you're fast, you can mix in the rice, stick a plate over the pan and the remaining heat will take care of things nicely.

9. After squelching another child-related uprising, flip your pan and plate over, throw on some cilantro if you've got it, and you've got a 10-minute stir-fry for yourself:

I like this for breakfast -- got to my salt and vinegar somehow -- but lunch or dinner would work just as nicely.

booklist 2009

For posterity, the booklist, full and favorited, of 2009:

Most Recommended Non-Fiction
African Friends and Money Matters by David Maranz

I've recommended this book to more people this year than any other. And since I'd only recommend it to people who are connected, directly or indirectly, with Africans, it becomes obvious that I don't recommend too many books. Honestly though, it has been the most insightful and practical book I've read this year and has made interacting with my Rwandan friends much less confusing.

Most Recommended Fiction
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I love short stories. LOVE. But I don't like how reading a book of them makes my head feel like a pinball machine. But this novel is structured as a collection of short stories, each of them involving the central character, Olive Kitteridge. In some she is a lead character, in some she appears only as a brief memory. Even though it's an easy read about an older lady in a small East Coast town, it's not all tea roses and porcelain tea cups -- this book, like life, has a dark undercurrent. Bittersweet and brilliantly told, I wish I could read a hundred more books just like it.

Best Book to Read Now That I'm Not 17
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I read it in AP English in high school. Read being a term that meant 'noted words on a page grouped into sentences'. It bored me to death and made no sense -- all I could remember was "the horror!" But 12 years and an English degree later, it was an enjoyable, easy, vivid read with clear (almost painfully so) metaphors. It was a lovely thing to find that growing up made Conrad palatable, even appreciated.

Best Book About the Heart of Darkness if You're Not Grown Up Enough to Find Conrad Palatable
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

So it's not exactly the same, but certainly in the same vein. I was amazed by the artistic merit of the book -- she employs some surprising and beautiful literary techniques -- but it seems Kingsolver always has a sermon to preach and, in the end, she couldn't restrain it for the sake of her readers. Great insights into Africa (and the human condition), but ending monologues compromised what otherwise would've been a perfect read. (Sorry Barbara, I DO love you!)

Best Argument Against Divorce
The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce by Judy Wallerstein

This thorough examination of the effect that divorce has on children is the most convincing thing I've ever heard or read as to why marriage is important. This secular book is not "anti-divorce" in its language, but it is in its content. Since nearly half the population is affected by divorce, I found it insightful to learn likely effects it can have in the way people think and behave when it comes to relationships.

Best Insight into Addiction
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

No experience with this one either, but it was really eye-opening to learn what addiction is like from the perspective of a parent.

Best Use of Language
Atonement by Ian McEwan

The aforementioned fiction-writing ladies employed some brilliant literary structures, but McEwan's use of language certainly deserves mention. Reading this one felt like watching it. I have to admit I had higher hopes for the content and themes that were raised, but the words...the words made up for all that.

And the full list from this year:

The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce by Judy Wallerstein
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan
This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Mom Walk by Sally Clarkson
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Whatever It Takes by Paul Tough
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
African Friends and Money Matters by David Maranz
Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda by Rosamond Halsey Carr with Ann Howard Halsey
Pack It Up: The Essential Guide to Organized Travel by Anne McAlpin
Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures by Sarah Lanier
A Child's Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents by Molly Dannenmier
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Revolutionary Road by Richards Yates
People With Dirty Hands: The Passion for Gardening by Robin Chotznoff
Woman: An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier
Dead Women Walking by Jennifer Su
The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto
Berry Grower's Companion by Barbara L. Bowling
The Pruning Book by Gustav Whittock
Successful Small Food Gardens by Louise Riotte
The $64 Tomato by William Alexander
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
In The Hot Zone: One Man, One Year, Twenty Wars by Kevin Sites
Atonement by Ian McEwan