from Jennifer

So I was able to fast yesterday for my family. It was a great experience because I was able to feel like I was with my family all day. It was a great connection! The day was pretty much like any normal day for me as a missionary! It was a great experience to be able to think about my family for the day and focus on us. I gained a testimony of fasting. We are so lucky to know of this knowledge to fast for strength and comfort. Its a power that we receive. I have being learning a lot about Christlike attributes and my favorite one is humility. When we are humble we are opening the door to let Christ into our lives. We are saying that we are willing to do anything the Lord ask us to do. I like fasting because we are humbling ourselves to the Lord. We are abstaining from the things we want and focusing on the things the Lord wants. When we humble our selves and fast we are more open to receive revelation and guidance in our lives. I feel that fasting is a great opportunity to grow spiritually and grow closer to our Heavenly Father. I was able to fast for my family and feel closer to you all. It was a great opportunity and I feel thankful I was able to do it!

Judd Family Fasting

Emmy's day (11 yrs) to fast was Sunday, July 24th. She has been such a good sport about this family fast and has taken it very seriously. Emmy takes on a lot of emotional responsibility and was eager and nervous to be the family representative for this day. Needless to say, she was a little upset when she woke up early Sunday morning throwing up the absolutely nothing that she had in her stomach. She couldn't go to church and felt horrible.

"Does this mean that my fast isn't going to work? Am I letting people down?" Emmy said as she stumbled from the shower and fell limp on her bed, a failed attempt at preparing to go to church.

Dealing with my own pesky anxiety has made my especially sensitive to the anxiety of my children. It seems to be genetic, although experiencing it from a mother's perspective has helped me to respond to her and then to myself with empathy.

"Of course not. Your willingness to fast and your thoughts and prayers that are with the family, even those relatives that you don't know, will be just as effective in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. Maybe when you remember how awful you felt today, it can help you understand how awful other people feel other times. This helps us know how to comfort other people that are in hurting in some way."

I was thinking later that day as she lay moaning on the couch, how horribly difficult it is to see your children in pain, not being able to take that pain away. I could sit by her and stroke her head and I hope that just knowing that I was there, loving her, would make her physical load a little lighter.

So whatever loads we are carrying in the Stacey family, be they physical or spiritual, or both......we have felt the power of togetherness, of kneeling together and offering our love through this fast. Miracles can happen.

My day of fasting was Monday, July 25th. I had the benefit of being uplifted the previous day at church by an inspired High Councilman, who spoke of Gideon and his humility, mentioning that by making small efforts to do better, smaller than we can imagine, we will make a huge differences in our lives and our relationship with others. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with how much about myself that I want to change that I let this keep me from feeling the spirit and the love of Heavenly Father. I felt a peace when he spoke. This life shouldn't be as hard as I sometimes make it out to be. I have so much to do, but I can do it a little bit at a time. I felt so happy during my fast and it miraculously left me without my usual fasting migraine.

LOVE,

Vanessa and family

From Jessica

My fast day was a week ago today, but I haven't gotten the chance to post since then.

Because I can't physically fast from food, I planned myself a service fast. I kept my day cleared to work on Humanitarian Aid projects for as long as I would have fasted from food.

The day before my fast my Grandpa Chris had a stroke. Because I'd kept my schedule clear I was able to go down and be with family all day Friday. Instead of working on humanitarian aid projects, suddenly my service project became setting up a slide show of grandpa's life and designing a program we used yesterday for his funeral. I am so grateful I had that block of service scheduled so I could do that for him. Even my fast day turned into a blessing!

As far as other blessings, we have already seen one on our behalf. As I'm sure most of you know, I've been sick ever since I got home from my mission. I've recently felt impressed to start searching for coping methods rather than a 'cure' and braced myself for a long, annoying road of finding professionals who would actually understand my condition. (finding understanding doctors has been one of the hardest parts of all this)

A few weeks ago I met with the first one, a physical therapist, and to my complete surprise it worked! He just transferred from a clinic where he'd been working with cardiac patients and so instantly understood my condition. That never happens and certainly not on a first try- my condition is rare enough most doctors just look at me with a blank stare as I explain it to them. I'm really excited to work with someone who can help me learn how to manage my symptoms a little better.

We are still searching for doctors, specialists or coping methods to help us figure out the best quality of life I can have with my illness. (specifically a chronic fatigue specialist, POTS specialist, a dietitian or possibly someone else- Who knows! We're just kind of making this up as we go.) While we appreciate all prayers in our behalf during this fast, we would really appreciate prayers in this specific search.

Thanks for your sacrifices. I know we are fasting and praying for a large number of family members, but it's amazing how it can still feel very personal.

-Jessica

From Linda

So,

I really hope today was my day, because I fasted. I couldn't access the chart but I'm not computer savvy and it's a gradual work in progress............my computer savviness!!
It was cool to fast on a weekday when everyone is going about their weekly business. I don't do that very often. I kept thinking about all of you knowing (well if today is my day) that I'm fasting for our family welfare this day. I think that kept my hunger pains away. My fast day (if this is indeed my day) came at a time I needed to fast. I found that interesting and I am very humbled and grateful.

Several years ago when my (not so mature.............they are mature now) children would complain about fasting and how hard it was and how hungry they were, I decided to do an exercise and find all of the blessings that have been promised us when we fast. I used my scriptures. I shared them with my kids and passed them around in fast meeting during sacrament.............but lost them somewhere along the way. So, last Sunday I did the exercise again. I thought I would share them with everyone:

AWESOME BLESSINGS PROMISED TO US THROUGH THE FAST

Helamen 3:35 We can be PURIFIED and SANCTIFIED from fasting.

3 Nephi 27:1 Fasting in mighty prayer and fasting can UNITE our family.

D&C 59:13 Our JOY can be full if we have a perfect fast.

D&C 88:118 If we create a house of fasting, we will find a SANCTUARY, a TABERNACLE TO BE EDIFIED BY HOLY SPIRIT. I noticed something in this verse I haven't noticed and I like it.

Isaiah 58:THE WHOLE CHAPTER (IF YOU READ ONLY ONE THING IN MY BLOG READ THIS)
1. loose the bonds of wickedness
2. undo heavy burdens
3. burdens will become light
4. you will feed the hungry
5. your health will spring forth
6. the lord will be your reargaurd (defender)
7. the Lord will hear you when you call upon him.
8. You will be a light to those around you.
9. The Lord will guide you continually
10. The Lord will satisfy your soul in drought (hard times)
11. You shall be a spring of water whose waters fail not.

I'd say this is pretty much the coolest fast I've ever done and I thank all of you for the opportunity. I'm holding fast to the united power we can access from this Fast.

Linda

From Yvonne

I fasted last week. It was a wonderful day, but has been so busy since that I haven’t had a chance to post until now.

I felt the same connectedness that Marika had felt on her fast July 2 and I spent the day thinking of all of you. While I am do not see many of you very often, I know you include my sisters’ and brothers’ children, grandchildren and in two cases, great grandchildren. I love my brothers and sisters and find myself having the same desires for their children and grandchildren that I have for my own.

My prayer was that the Lord would be mindful of you, of your needs and righteous desires. I know that fasting and prayer is not a magic wand we wave in the expectation that all our problems will be solved and all our wishes will be granted, but I also know the Lord hears the petitions of our hearts, spoken and unspoken, public and private.

So while I know the answers sometimes come in dramatic fashion, it is more likely that they will come quietly, often in our hearts as often as before our eyes. I just know they will come.

Thanks to all of you who are fasting each day. I feel like you are doing it in my behalf as well as everyone else’s, both for me and for my children and grandchildren. It is another way in which I feel connected to you.

Yvonne Peterson

From Rulon

It is now July 9, so I am a few days late in posting this. But, just wanted to thank everyone for the guidance that lead to this amazing family effort. I am proud to be a part of this family, but I never felt closer than when I ended my fast late on July 3. What a great opportunity. I can feel the combined strength of the family both as a giver in being able to fast for the collective, and as a taker as I and my family need continued support. I promise that I will never miss a fast day or one of my individual fasts...it just is too important to me at this point. Thank you everyone for this great family effort.

Rulon

From Marika

It is a bit intimidating to write one of the first posts, however I wanted all to know I felt very connected to the family today through my fast. I thought of a lot of you today, feeling far away from the family hubs, and wondering about the worries that prompted this fast.

As soon as I downloaded the calendar form, I selfishly signed up for the first available spot. Ben just quit his job last week to start a business, and we are living on faith right now! The timing could not be much better than now to take this on-with the faith and prayers of the entire Stacey family behind us for the next three months!!!! I look forward to posting how it all worked out for us! I do have more to say, but I will wait until a few more cousins have posted. :) I love you all! A joy in my life is thinking about the wonderful family I come from. A copy of the fast form will be on our fridge, and our family will specifically pray for the needs of the person fasting. I believe in The Atonement, and I know miracles happen!
-Marika