Fasting for real

I wrote a column before Christmas about being thankful for things that money can’t buy, things that I think come from God, like love and compassion. Then my house was burglarized and some items were taken that I had bought for my children.

Recently I blogged about possibly fasting or abstaining from some of my favorite old sitcoms like “Frasier” during Lent.  Then this past Saturday, I wrote a column about being mindful of the spiritual premise of fasting.

Well Sunday my own pastor called an all-church fast for one week.

We are to abstain from meat, breads, sugar or sweetener, fried foods and soft drinks. Add to this list items with sugar – and there’s to be no salt to season the food we do eat. 

I’m going to be straight — the food part is something that my family has adjusted to pretty well. We can eat fruits, vegetables, 100% fruit juice and whole grains. We can use herbs for seasoning. It has definitely given us a new appreciation for all the splendid varieties of fruits and vegetables. And salt — I never knew I loved ya.