Well I was able to get another HD and install XP again. I just didn't have the energy to troubleshoot my computer so I waited until now.Patty and I just stopped four days short of a 40 day fast and it was quite enlightening. Matthew 17:21 was clear. I will not sugar coat it, because it was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. We wanted to do a 40 Day fast just after our 40th birthday, in prayer, to stop the spread of my wife's tumor that she had before. It's technical name is a 'rathke's cleft cyst' and she went through three brain surgeries to get rid of it a couple of years back. We happened to be led here to California by God, we feel, to be near the best doctor for the job who is a pioneer in the U.S. He has a top notch team and I am so very grateful for his knowledge and expertize in his field. Dr. Kelly took such good care of Patty, we just knew we were led by God to him.
As mysterious as the tumors were to us, the symptoms returned again recently. We feared it was coming back right after our 4th child, she was getting pretty shook up about it. This time we decided to do a 40 day fast and keep in prayer to stop the growth and hope for a miracle from God.
Well, it appears we got our wish and the tumor disappeared with no more signs during the fast (headaches, blurred vision, sinus troubles ...) so we feel our prayers have been answered. We were attacked by the devil in many other areas of our lives and we came through it quite humbled. Our bodies even started to reject water on day 34 and we were vomiting green bile the last two days. I felt like that exorcist girl towards the end and that is what prompted the early stopping point. We listened to our bodies and stopped when it was time.
Both our bodies were getting too stressed to handle our work load we had, so on day 36 we had the Lord's supper as our first meal and began the reintroduction of food again. The food tasted so very good those next days. We stayed as close to God as possible (eating raw fruits and vegetables) and we feel 100% again.
I suggest to all people that are questioning their faith or validity of God, and wants to know the truth of God, to "deny thy self" for 40 days with nothing but water and to focus on God for those days to allow Him to manifest Himself to you. Stay in His Word for those days. God has showed me everything I need to believe/trust in Him and I wish that would be the same case for all of you, if you give it the effort to understand Him. I can't begin to tell you the benefits of a long fast. Our bodies feel rejuvenated and toxin free. My spirit is calm and peaceful and ready for the challenges that life has for us. We should all strive to do a 40 day fast on our 40th birth day to reboot our systems both physically and spiritually.
bit.ly/40dayFast
Hey, Dan's back!
ReplyDeleteWhile I appreciate your dieting tips, I think I'll stick to healthy food and as much excercise as I can fit in. Fasting sounds too much like self harm.
"The difference between fasting and starvation is whether the hallucenations are good or bad."
-- Can't remember who said that, it might have been myself...
All the best to you, Dan, and I'm glad to hear that Patty is doing well. I do hope that she is consulting the doctor, even if she is free of symptoms at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI have gone on fasts, too, but not as long as you. Be careful- a good friend of mine, very intelligent and the best musician I ever knew, went on a macrobiotic diet which became progressively stricter, and she ended up starving to death. No kidding.
cheers from overcast Vienna, zilch
Welcome back, and I echo the sentiment regarding your wife -- doubly so the sentiment recommending the input of a qualified team of physicians with respect to your decision to fast.
ReplyDeleteRather than make a crack about the power of prayer to overcome illness, I'll resist the urge and just say I hope the power of medicine and healthy living are sufficient in your case.
I look forward to your next posts which presume to debunk Atheism.
--
Stan
Quasar,
ReplyDelete"I'll stick to healthy food and as much exercise as I can fit in. Fasting sounds too much like self harm."
I am sure if you do it for the wrong reason it would be harmful or if you go to extremes, like Zilch's friend, but if you listen to your body it is quite exhilarating and satisfying. The Body is a wonderfully Created system. If you only tried a small fast (like 20 days) to see and feel the benefits. But that is the side bar to the spiritual connection felt in my case. Plus we all know what the Bible says about physical exercise, right?
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Zilch and Stan,
Thanks and yes we are well aware of the stakes and symptoms. We are in a fallen creation and we aren't so stubborn to refuse doctors assistance at any point if it warrants it. It felt like this time though, she was being called to do a fast so we can witness God's glory, so we were compelled to do it.
My blood pressure was shooting through the roof and my doctor wanted me to go on Advicor® to lower it. I tried it for a couple of weeks but the super strong hot flashes were frightening and very uncomfortable. I just knew there was a better way and a better natural non-mankind solution. So between us we felt the strong urge to trust God for once.
It was the solution we were looking for. My very first fast i did last year was about 11 days and afterwords it felt like angels were carrying me to the Lord's supper. It was strange and wonderful to feel so close to God. Admittedly, this 36 day fast was much more difficult and challenging but worth the results. My Blood pressure problems virtually went away. As long as I can force myself to now eat well I believe I am out of danger, and Patty's symptoms disappeared to not return I believe. I can't tell you how good we feel that we did this. Glory goes to God for all of it.
Stan,
"I look forward to your next posts which presume to debunk Atheism."
You should like this, it just happened today. The atheists wanted to rename their blog and someone suggested S.M.A.R.T. as in:
Skeptical
Minds and
Rational
Thinkers.
SO I replied:
Yea SMART works.
Some
More
Absurdly
Ridiculous
Thoughts
so Froggie said to me:
"D.A.N.
Debunking Atheists, Not!"
I can't stop laughing at that one.
Glad to hear your wife is doing well, Dan.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a Baha'i household - have I mentioned this before? Anyhow, they fast for 19 days in February/March - but not nearly as strenuous as the one you both undertook. You weren't allowed to take anything into your body (including water, aspirin, gum, cigarettes, etc) between sunrise and sunset. Thus, we got up early and ate late - not having water during the day is really what made it difficult.
Back when I was religious, I remember feeling as if it helped bring me some peace. Not because I believed I was being more spiritual or getting somehow closer to God (though this is what we're told). It might have been because you end up feeling tired and with less energy; but it also felt like my mind slowed *while* my vision sharpened. Actually, it felt like all my senses were heightened somehow.
Anyway, just wanted to pipe in with that minor story. Long term fasting is easier for those used to taking in less food in general - which pretty much rules out most people in North America :)
Just be careful, is all I'm saying.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteYou know have direct knowledge of how most of the bible was written:
"My very first fast i did last year was about 11 days and afterwords it felt like angels were carrying me to the Lord's supper. It was strange and wonderful to feel so close to God."
You weren't close to God, you were hallucinating just like Paul and all the other Shamans did. Now you know what produced their "visions." You have proved it beyond reproach.
It's funny how people like you end up exposing themselves as the frauds that you are.
Before you delete this I want you to know from the bottom of my brain that to have your wife do this fast until she is throwing up and rejecting water, I consider criminal and if something happens to her you should be held responsible.
This is totally irresposible and life threatening.
A perfectly healthy person might get away with that some, but you could kill your wife with this irrational stuff.
Froggie,
ReplyDeleteYou weren't close to God, you were hallucinating just like Paul and all the other Shamans did. Now you know what produced their "visions."
Can you back up any of your claims or are they just an attempt to character assassinate with fallacies?
"It's funny how people like you end up exposing themselves as the frauds that you are."
(Please reread above and answer)
This is totally [irresponsible] and life threatening.
A perfectly healthy person might get away with that some, but you could kill your wife with this irrational stuff.
I appreciate your concern but we are watching very closely.
Please don't think for one moment we are not watching carefully and monitoring and listening to our body's, otherwise you might be the one that is irrational. Remember we made promises to God to go 40 days and fell short by 4 days to call it off to err to caution. If we were "irresponsible" or "irrational" we would of done the full 40 no matter what. We broke our word with God for her safety.
In an attempt to ease your mind, if that is even possible, we are monitoring with, so far, more then 10 MRI's of her brain and have the very best doctor and team in the entire United States to help 24/7. We are no dummies and/or fools here.
Hopefully your lack of confidence and your prejudice has been thwarted. You were completely wrong and irrational yourself.
Proverbs 28:5 "Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed."
"Can you back up any of your claims or are they just an attempt to character assassinate with fallacies?"
ReplyDeleteYes I can back up my claims.
My brother in law is a neuro surgeon and he told me the symptoms you experience on that kind of fasting are caused by the fact that you are dying and your brain is shutting down.
I have also checked and the idiot that wrote your copy/paste on the benefits of a long fast is a chiropractor who practices other "alternate" cures. Alternate = FAKE, Dan. He is a quack.
I have also checked with my own family doctor and she is actually very concerned that I know someone who would do this. She said it is very dangerous.
By the way, I dedicated a post to your foolishness over at Raytractors.
"Hopefully your lack of confidence and your prejudice has been thwarted. You were completely wrong and irrational yourself."
ReplyDeleteYou are only fooliong yourself.
Also, Dan, After a few days of fasting, your body will break down fats. Acetaminophen is released when this happens and this can poison you! Liver failure is a high possibility from this. And what is one of the symptoms of liver failure? Vomiting up green bile.
I don't think you would have felt too smart had your wife's liver failed and then be on dialysis for the rest of her then shortened life.
I tried my very best to respond to your post HERE
ReplyDeleteSent with love.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across your website while doing research on fasting. Did guys still have your normals jobs and did "normal" stuff while you fasted? I've been motivated to fast for 40 days too but I'm trying to find the right time to do it. I play sport so I don't know if that would be a good a idea to fast for 40days or is it still possible?
So can you explain to me the process and how your body felt and all that?
I hope your wive is well now and praise God for His healing power. His grace is sufficient.
Solus Christus,
Albert H.
Albert,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. It's kind of weird that you are inquiring about this on this day.
Patty and I are at this very moment on day 20 of another 40 day fast because the brain thing came back so we are in prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:20-21). The headaches have gone away slightly, for now, so we are encouraged that God will answer those prayers. Thanks for the kind words though.
Advice I can give:
Hang in there. The first 3-10 or so days are brutal but then it gets very easy. Your body will stop trying to make you eat at that time, and you can get into it. Optimism really kicks in with a sense of "I can do this."
Take it slow! As far along as we are, when I get up fast to feed the crying baby, I get a little dizzy because your body pulls in the resources and your slow heart and blood needs to 'wake up' when you get up. So, I suggest that you sit up in bed first before running. Sports? It all depends on your body. I do remember reading about Hakeem Olajouwan (Houston Rockets) fasting while playing but I am not sure for how long. I couldn't imagine playing sports but I do run and play with my kids, in little spurts, without too much trouble. I have a great deal of energy because all those fatty foods are leaving me and I am losing weight so it helps (30 lbs thus far) so I can do all my jobs. Patty is working still (desk job) but she will take the last week off to take it really easy and to be able to relax. It is a commitment but worth it.
This time we eat shaved ice as a treat and homemade sparkling water to help break the monotony of just water all the time.
I will say this from our last experience, though it is slightly personal. Last time both our body's tightened up, when we started the fast, and retained everything to utilize the resources. In other words, we never had a bowel movement until we started eating again. That is why we believe we were not able to keep the water down after some time, our bodies were just shutting down with the poisons. So this time we used methods for detoxification and feel much better. Get rid of those poisons and you will feel much better. Coffee enema anyone?
Plus, one additional benefit from fasting this long is that all foods taste soooooo good afterward. We had an egg and some toast with some fruit for our first meal and it was the very best we ever, ever, had. Also, try your best to stay away from the food network, too much lusting going on while watching that, and stay in God's Word. Best of luck to you and let me know how good fruit tastes afterwords. It is worth the wait! You can do it.
Blessings.