Fast Sunday

The first Sunday of the month is what our church calls Fast Sunday and we attend church and have fast and testimony meeting. Basically we skip two meals (usually dinner + breakfast or breakfast + lunch) and members of the congregation voluntarily go to the pulpit and bear their testimony that they know Jesus is the Savior, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and we have a living prophet. Sometimes people add other things such as how they love their family and their dog, how they had a wonderful time on vacation, or other random stuff. The law of the fast has been practiced since Old Testament times (Isaiah 58:8-11.) and has 3 purposes:

1. It provides assistance to the needy. We pay a fast offering that is equal to or greater than the cost of the two meals that we skip.
2. It is physically beneficial. Science shows that periodic fasting can help promote health and longevity.
3. It is spiritually beneficial. Being hungry makes you humble.

For more info you can read this article.

I'm not very good at fasting because I'm usually either pregnant or nursing which is an automatic exemption from having to abstain from food and drink. It's nice to know there are benefits to being pregnant, but because of that, I am a horrible faster. I get grumpy when I'm hungry and when my blood sugar is low. Sometimes I even get angry. Last night when I realized I wasn't pregnant or nursing anymore I finally figured out why women might choose to nurse their child for five years. When I realized I no longer had an excuse for not fasting I quickly decided to supply one to justify the the bowl of cereal I was planning to eat in the morning. My period. Yes, I have my period. Surely that should account for something. However, I do keep the spirit of the fast which means I can still have a purpose to fast and pray for. I think it also means that my metabolism speeds up and I remain hungry anyway. So I guess it's time for me to get pregnant again. One of these days I will gain a testimony of fasting and quit my grumbling. My vocal grumbling, not the tummy grumbling, and show some faith.