OK, so how does MY Fast do anything?

My previous blogpost sounds rather hypocritical, doesn't it? "People shouldn't make a big deal out of their Lenten Fast...but here's what I'm doing!" I have reasons for that, which I'll get to in a second.
The other "issue" that might be taken with it is "what the heck does dieting have to do with focusing on GOD?" So I'm going to answer both of those questions.

1) Why did I "announce" what I was going to do for a Lenten Fast?
Easy. For me, goals must be announced, or they Just Don't Happen. Private vows between you and God are great if they work for you. Unfortunately, for me, they just don't seem "real" unless I make some sort of public declaration about them. It's not that I think God's less important than people, or incapable of holding me accountable! It's just something weird about the way I'm wired - to "announce" it takes it out of the realm of "personal" to the realm of "real and accountable". I have no idea why. That "public declaration" doesn't mean I go to the streetcorners; I just have to tell at least one other person - whether that's my husband, a friend, or my blog. :D
Besides, this makes me far more "accountable" - and I don't plan on announcing "Oh, man my fast was so hard today! Look at how I'm suffering!" No...I just wanted it to be On Record. Kind of puts me "on notice" to stick with it.

2) Fine, whatever, but what does dieting have to do with Lent?
Nothing. Everything. It helps me to focus on God, because I'm doing something I really don't want to do. I need God's help to do that. And because I'm doing it as a Lenten "Fast", then it keeps Christ's sacrifice in the forefront of my mind while I'm selecting my meal, while I'm recording my food intake, while I'm eating a pile-o-steamed-veggies instead of a piece of Texas Toast. I've integrated both into one. I'm keeping my focus on God because I'm doing this as a Lenten "Fast", not being distracted from God by the Onerous Task of keeping a Lenten Fast.

So that's why I did what I did, and how it's keeping me focused on God and Christ's sacrifice for me.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever."

Psalm 136: 1-4