Day 23 - Techno Fasting

Greetings from the realm of non-eating.

As part of this fasting week, I've challenged D and myself to a week without technology. Ok, aside from the obligatory technology use at work. When we are at home, we will not be watching television or sitting on our computers. D was less than excited about this...but I think I've finally got him on board with me.

The basic idea here is that during the hours that we would typically be eating dinner, we'll be doing something else productive like:

• Working out
• Reading
• Talking (gasp!)
• Bible Study

I've been wanting to get back in a routine of spending time studying the Bible -- something I did a TON when I was living in Madrid. I didn't care much for Spanish TV, and since I was in another country with few obligations to tend to...I found myself popping into cafes mostly daily to sit with a cafe con leche and read the Bible and journal. I really miss this a lot. It was like built-in time for thought, meditation and learning. I'm hoping D wants to do this WITH me, but if not, I will probably just go down to the Starbucks on the corner and indulge in a little Me-time.

A friend brought this passage to my attention, which is totally relevant for the raw food diet! So I'll be studying the book of Daniel this week. Feel free to do so with me =D


Daniel 1:1-15 (from BibleGateway.com)

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

 ¹ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ² And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia^[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.  ³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— ⁴ young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.^{[b] 5} The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
 ⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. ⁷ The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
 ⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
 ¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
 ¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

Cheers,

K