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Get Your Mind Right

Praying and planning your meals are alike in a few ways.

1. They both bring calmness to your daily life.
2. You may not be doing either as often as you should.
3. The more you do it, the more naturally it comes to you.

I’m not saying that praying and meal planning are equally important. What I am saying is, if we know both of these are good for us, let’s think about what’s stopping us from doing them.

As a personal chef and mealtime strategist, I work with families

who are stressed about dinnertime. Worrying about what to eat can consume your thoughts if you let it. That's definitely not where God wants your focus during the fast.

Though God has the final say, the Bible still instructs us to create a plan for our lives (Proverbs 29:18, Habakkuk 2:2).

During this fast, you’ll find that already having a plan in place for your meals will help your mind focus on more important things like your family, yourself, and your walk with Christ.

Here are some ways to find time for prayer:

• Start in the morning before the day's craziness begins.
• Consider where you can borrow pockets of time throughout the day, like cutting back on social media or reflecting in the shower.
• Decide what you can delegate to others to give you more time (ex. grocery shopping, house cleaning, etc.) Remember, “help” isn’t that kind of four-letter word.
• Realize that prayer is just talking to God; you can do it anywhere.

Making time for meal planning works in a similar way.

• Start thinking of the meals you want before you need them. (Deciding after work is too late.)
• Instead of just saving meals online, actually pick 1 or 2 to make. (You probably have tons of options already.)
• Let your family handle dinner a few nights a week or month. Even God rested, so why shouldn’t you?

Today, spend some moments setting intentions by asking yourself:

• What am I believing in God for during the fast?
• What events will challenge my strength during this time (celebrations, parties, etc.)?
• Is there anything that’s holding me back from fully committing?

When you find the answers, pray that you will:

• Trust God’s words and not your own (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• Have eyes to see and ears to hear Him during this time (Ezekiel 12:2).

Below is a fresh option to help you have energy for the day.

Berry Oat Smoothie

Course: Breakfast/Snack

Prep 5 minutes

Total 5 minutes

Serving: 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice (oat, almond, coconut, etc.)
• 1 cup berry of choice (ex. blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a blend, etc.)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of spinach or similar green vegetable
• 1⁄4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or similar whole grain

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth.
2. Serve immediately.

Chef Tips

• Use frozen or fresh fruit. Get creative with different fruit options like pineapples or kiwis.
• Prep ahead by adding fruit and spinach to individual freezer-safe containers to pull out when ready to make your smoothie.