Fast Sunday has become a really powerful event in my life each month. Preparing for it in the days prior, I start to think about what the purpose will be in my fast. This month, I'm fasting so that I can be a better person - a better friend, brother, son, and missionary. With life going crazy all around me, I'm realizing that I don't have time to do all the things I want to... or even all the things that need to get done. I guess the only thing I can do is ask the Lord to help me do the best thing now. I'm also fasting for help in overcoming my own struggles, and the ability to help others around me. Step by step, I grow stronger.

For me, Fast Sunday begins when I start my fast. I finish lunch, go into my room, and dedicate the next few hours to God. I don't do the same kinds of things that night - I probably won't attend a movie or go to a concert, instead, I'll spend time with friends, on a date, reading the scriptures, talking with family, or maybe just writing my thoughts. Sometimes I go to the temple. But, whatever I do, it helps me think of the purpose of my fast and prepare for the Sunday after.

I think there's something to be said for being, at times, away from the crowds. Being a good Mormon guy, sometimes I think that I need to constantly be around people - helping them, changing them, enabling them to be who they want to be - but, in order to do that effectively, I need time for myself, away from the rest of the world, when I can focus on doing the same in my own life. Most weeks I only have one day to rest, and even that's questionable with my responsibilities in the Church. But on the weekend of Fast Sunday, I have an extra evening to prepare. And, for some reason, that seems to make a major difference.
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