Thursday, January 10, 2008

Day Five

DISPLAY OF VITAL SIGNS, ETC.

1) Lean body mass: About 118 lbs

2) Body fat: Less than 6.5 %

3) Pulse: 52

4) Body Temperature: 95.8

5) Blood pressure: 120 over 70----120 over 80 is optimal: 160 over 100, is Grade 1 hypertension (mild), etc.

6) Body fluid’s pH display: same as yesterday, 5.5 This level of acidity is extremely unhealthy------ 7.0 is neutral; any digits below 7.0 is acidic; any digits above 7.0 is alkaline. Most healthy people, especially the young, will usually have reading in the alkaline range, while most older people will have readings in the acidic range--that spells trouble.

7) Weight: 126 pounds.

8) Mental and emotional conditions: I am a bit discouraged mentally today because of my physical condition.

9) Spiritual experiences: because of my discomfort, weakness and pain, it makes my spiritual situation a bit difficult to concentrate on prayer and spiritual matters. I hope somehow to overcome these barriers.

10) Physical condition: I am extremely weak. It is difficult to do anything. I just don’t want to move. I am even having a difficult time working on the computer. I wonder if it is my age why this fast is affecting me so harshly. I must not forget, I asked for it.

11) Daily activities: Listened to the New Testament, almost 2.5 hours. Took a long nap. Continued working on the post for this weekend; it just needs proofreading. I did not leave my apartment for three days.

How will all the above figures and attitudes continually change my life/our lives in the uncomfortable and extreme conditions of prayer and fasting? Physically, your guess is as good as mine, but spiritually I am extremely optimistic. In the next few weeks, hopefully, we will find out.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have fasted many times in my life from the age of 27. I have accomplished a goal of fasting every month for four days (weather it's 2 days every 2 week or once per week, or even four days in a row. Also Every spring I like to fast for 7 days in a row. I call it "spring cleaning". Make sure you force ALOT of water. Most importantly listen to your body. Good Luck

JC said...

Dear anonymous, thanks for your encouraging words. It is good to know others are aware of the benefits of fasting. When I was younger, I also fasted mostly for physical benefits. The only thing, this fast is exclusively for spiritual reasons. One of the reasons I am as healthy as I am now, is because of my fasting and an excellent natural diet I observed most of my adult life.

But that is all behind me now. My life is now dedicated to advancing the gospel message. And through this time of prayer and fasting, I hope God through Jesus Christ will reveal His supernatural power through his dedicated disciples. At this time my physical health and even my life is worth nothing to me if I can’t somehow accomplish what we (Christians) are meant to do; that is to have a faith that can move mountains, as it were.

To those who are interested in spiritual and physical fasting, the book I would recommend is “The Miracle of Fasting” by Paul C. Bragg. It was first published over thirty years ago, but is still in publication. To my knowledge, there is not a better and more complete book on the market.

Again, thanks for your interesting comment. If it was not for your comment, I most likely wouldn’t have discussed this topic on my Biblical blog, God bless you and yours. JC

Anonymous said...

I only fast for spiritual reasons... I too when I was younger appreciated the side effects of looking better when I fasted. I feel like my fasts bring me closer to God. He rewards me with heightened senses and an increased amount of joy when I break my fast.