Be Happy Now
“ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.“
James 1:2
One of the best ways I’ve found to be happy is to be empty and hungry for God—right now. This state of being brings me closer to him. The way that I do this is to delay sugar, flour, and alcohol to Sundays for a spiritual purpose.
A really important spiritual purpose. This helps me stay committed to being metabolically flexible—maintaining fat adaption during the week and sugar burning on the weekends. With this method, I can easily fast off food and alcohol when I need to—especially on Wednesdays and Fridays as the Blessed Mother asks of us. If I am fasting for someone who is near and dear to my heart—I’ll do it.
And, most importantly, it also has helped me eradicate addictions and attachments that have put distance between myself and God—and others, too. It is the answer to being happy. Because it is always in my control.
After all it says in scripture that some things can only be cast out by prayer and fasting. Yes—I can help with that!
That is what we are doing with Spiritual Fasting. We are taking a look at our attachments and surveying our addictions with a magnifying glass so that we can repent (ask forgiveness for) what is standing between us and God. And, we can help others at the same time.
Addictions to sugar, flour, processed food and alcohol cost us in so many ways. Not only in dollars, but in time, energy, and dreams.
To chip away at those addictions and journey toward a more healthy body and soul will take courage, discomfort, investment, and a type of loss that is at first a feeling of deprivation.
But as you lean into redemptive suffering and learn to manage your emotional thoughts with Christ and the Blessed Mother as your guide—you will soon find out that all your loss is gain. Deprivation turns into joy. Learning to delay turns into an incredible gift to the world here and ultimately gains you the Kingdom of Heaven—strengthening those hinges from heaven to earth.
So, I can expand that sentence about being happy right now. I am happiest when I am empty, hungry for God, and hinged on prayer and fasting.
This is where I live my best life.