Day 6: Prayer and Fasting - The Dynamic Duo

Sunday, August 6th

Prayer and fasting are the dynamic duo. Many who cleanse for spiritual reasons share a common experience when it comes to cleansing and spending some prayerful alone time.

Well I discovered something this morning: We can be led to fast even when it comes to the prayers that we pray for others.

After arriving at church this A.M., and sometime before service started, the Pastor and his wife shared wonderful news with me. Their lives were touched in an area that I have been praying for. I realized that this cleanse/fast wasn't for me at all... but an opportunity to get the Dynamic Duo working on an old prayer.

It's human nature to pray for ourselves, cleanse for ourselves, and hope for personal blessings. Yet praying for the lives of others is a much higher calling. The last time your grocery cashier looked blue, did you speak a kind word and say a small prayer for her as you left the store? That tiny gesture could change the course of her day and therefore every day after.

I know I'm off on a tangent, and somebody should really hook me with a large cane.

I said all that to say: My work is done here. I'm very satisfied with my cleanse results, almost more so to see that the result was for somebody else. Tomorrow is Attack of the Oranges.

Cleansing Rocks. hehe

A note to my readers: In weeks to come, I will be expanding the scope of this blog to include more posts about my life after cleansing and general health information, and other specific research about the Master Cleanse. In spite of successes with the Master Cleanse, my goal is to live a "cleansed life," which to me is defined by healthier living on a daily basis.

Rock on.

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Lessons from a Hair Ball

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

My 6-year old son was particularly good on a recent shopping trip to Target - so I allowed him one impulse-buy. He chose an overgrown Koosh-like ball called "Hair Ball." It looks like a round green porcupine, and I admit that it's lots of fun to handle.

The huge "hairs" all over the ball are elastic and seem to stretch to infinity. There's only one thing... my son can't stand to see anyone pull a "hair." I was able to leverage this little gem to negotiate some extra peace over the weekend.

Me: "Mommy said sit down and stop making so much noise."

Him: [still running like the energizer bunny]

Me: [yanking about 3 "hairs"]

Him: [Suddenly the picture of perfection, sitting indian-style, and asking for his helpless hair ball]

Now that may sound like parental torture, but it's actually child-level negotiation at its finest. All the parents are nodding in agreement...

Strangely enough, the hair ball reminded me that I need to negotiate my health and leverage what I can. Just like you can't always reason with a small child, there are some things you shouldn't try to reason with yourself. Hating my genes, accepting others' opinions, and signing petitions to shut down the McDonald's empire represent a monumental waste of energy.

But, cleansing and changing habits related to my life are things I can control... and give me leverage over results.

If you're thinking about cleansing, get started right away! Make that the first step to a new life.

I'll wrap this post with the Serenity Prayer... a popular prayer that we should say everyday:

God, give me the serenity to accept the things I can not change...
The courgage to change the things I can...
And the wisdom to know the difference.