Day 5 of Fast2013.  

The food part seems easier this time around, for some reason...I am struggling with my daily reading though.  My husband, Paul wound up in hospital on day 3, and that was quite a bit of a distraction, but I think I am back on track now... =]

I enjoy eating food I make myself...especially when it tastes good!  

One amazing thing is that I have not had coffee in over a week!  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a coffee snob!  I LOVE coffee...especially espresso!  And although I never have more than two cups per day, I have definitely developed an addiction!  NOT GOOD!  

Even more amazing is that I have had no sugar...of ANY kind...since the day before I started my fast (January 6th)!  I am SUPER addicted to sugar, so not having any has been a really good thing.  I have sweetened some things with orange juice...like my green bean stir-fry and my ginger tea.  It was great!

The other thing is making homemade peanut butter (pictured below)!  YUMMY!!  

God is really talking to me about holiness.  I have been reading The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges.  I am only on chapter two, and already I have had "ah-ha" moments!  Of course, God calls me to be holy as HE is holy.  He does not desire me to conform to the "holiness" of the Christians around me, but to His holiness alone.  He expects me to compare myself to Himself only.

I also realized that God does not want me to focus on being victorious over sin (which is me relying on my own strength).  God expects my obedience!  When I sin, do I feel bad because I did not succeed...I was not "victorious"?  Or is it because I know my sin has grieved the heart of my heavenly Father?  God does not want my goal to be victory, but obedience!  And when I am obedient, I realize that victory over sin is a byproduct of my obedience!