Whatever attitudes or habits you need to “fast” why not substitute attitudes or habits that will restore or increase your joy, creativity, positive relationships, mercy, and love.
What is fasting?
Lent is the season in the Christian calendar that precedes Easter. Many Christians do something to observe this time as a spiritual refresher, like fasting , or refraining from, from a certain food or drink. I’ve heard of people “giving up” a range of things during Lent, like television, video games, social media, news, sports, or music. Some people “take up” a certain practice, like prayer, Bible study, or service projects.
“meditation of my heart” photo from Lightstock.com– stock photo source (affiliate link)
A “critical” lesson
One of most interesting examples of fasting I’ve heard of was from the late Catherine Marshall. Mrs. Marshall wrote a memoir about her husband, Peter Marshall who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate. She also wrote a memoir, novels, and devotional books. (see links below)
In a story reprinted in Spiritual Classics, Catherine realized she was too critical, tending to judge people and situations harshly and negatively.
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.For you will be treated as you treat others.The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
(The word “judge” used here is analogous to “criticise.”)
So she felt her “assignment” from God was:
“For one day I was to go on a “fast” from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything.”
At lunch with her family that day several topics came up that she had definite negative opinions about but she stayed silent. Even though she felt lost without her usual sharp interaction, she said no one else seemed to notice.
“The federal government, the judicial system, the the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations.”
She thought about a young man she knew whose life had gotten “sidetracked”, and suddenly realized her negative attitude toward him wasn’t helping. As she began thinking about him in a more positive way, she saw ways that his life could be turned around that she had not considered before.
Her new attitude seemed to create an ability to see a new vision for his life that she hadn’t been able to before.
She related 5 things that she learned about a critical attitude.
It focuses us on ourselves and makes us unhappy.
It can distort our perspective and destroy humor.
It blocks positive creative thoughts God will give us about situations.
It impairs relationships with other people, perhaps causing them to be critical also.
It blocks feelings of love, good will, and mercy from God’s Spirit.
Whatever attitudes or habits you need to “fast” why not substitute attitudes or habits that will restore or increase your joy, creativity, positive relationships, mercy, and love.
Other posts from this blog based on the Sermon on the Mount include
February is American Heart Month, highlighting heart health amidst Valentine’s Day. In this post I outline seven major types of heart diseases and risk factors such as smoking and hypertension. Recognizing heart problem symptoms is crucial. Maintaining heart health involves addressing risk factors with healthy lifestyle choices. Share this vital information.
updated February 6, 2026
February is American Heart Month . Valentine’s Day is February 14. So, let’s explore our hearts and how we can keep them healthy.
At this previous post you can learn about the HEART’S anatomy and how it works.
Heart diseases affect any and sometimes multiple parts of the heart- the atria, ventricles, the valves, the aorta, the pulmonary artery and veins, the walls and the coronary arteries (not shown in this diagram. )
Congenital heart disease (problems present at birth)
Cardiomyopathy- disease of the heart muscle
Coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction ( heart attack)- the most common cause of death in the United States
Congestive heart failure
Sudden cardiac death
Arrhythmia-irregular heart beats
Hypertension- high blood pressure
An electrocardiogram, EKG, records the heart beats produced by the heart’s electrical system.
Protecting our HEARTS from Disease, Disability, and Death.
7 major risk factors for heart disease
smoking
hypertension
excess body weight
sedentary lifestyle, too little physical activity
high blood fats (cholesterol)
high blood sugar (glucose)
poor nutrition
Other Risk Factors
Gender– unfortunately males are somewhat more at risk, especially at younger ages.
Age– our risk increases as our age does.
Ethnicity– some ethnic groups have a higher risk. In the United States these are African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics.
Family history– This means a close relative, like a parent or sibling, who developed heart disease young, or less than 50 years old.
Recognizing that you may have a heart problem can be the first step to getting effective treatment. Here are
7 Symptoms of a Heart Problem
Chest pain– this is probably the most recognized heart disease symptoms, but is not unique to heart disease, nor is it always found in heart disease.
Shortness of breath– especially if it occurs with minimal exertion, or if you find you have less tolerance for exertion.
Palpitations– this means feeling like your heart is beating too fast, too hard, or at irregular intervals.
Fatigue- especially if out of proportion to physical activity, if you tire more easily or quickly, or seem to have less energy than in the past
Unexplained weight gain or swelling in the feet and legs
Dizziness or lightheadedness when standing or walking, especially after exertion.
Syncope, the medical term for fainting or passing out, especially if no other obvious cause (some people know they faint at the sight of blood, or with certain smells; that form of fainting is usually harmless, unless injured from falling)
How To Keep Your HEART Healthy
Keeping our hearts healthy involves changing the first 7 risk factors I mentioned, which doctors often call modifiable risk factors.
Have your blood pressure checked regularly (ask your doctor how often). If you have hypertension, follow your doctor’s management plan, which may include medication. Learn more from FamilyDoctor.org
Control and manage stress. Medical studies suggest that emotional stress can bring on cardiovascular disease. You can learn more from Dr. James Marroquin’s fascinating post.
My husband took this photo of me at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I’m not in the class of those athletes, but I try to move intentionally and eat healthily.
Always Exploring the HEART of Health
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This information is current as of the date of original publication or update but may have changed by the time you read this. Do not use this information for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Before making health decisions, discuss with a qualified healthcare professional.
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 