Kristen Feola is the author of the book, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, an encouraging resource for individuals and groups who are participating in the Daniel Fast. She has worked as a personal trainer, nutritional consultant, First Place 4 Health leader, and fitness instructor. Kristen lives with her husband and two daughters in Springfield, Missouri.
A Little About Me
This will come as no surprise, but I really like to write and cook! I'm also an avid biker (road, not motorcycle) and enjoy rollerblading (since my body can't handle running anymore). Some of my favorite things are: traveling, working out in the yard with my husband, making crafts with my daughters, enjoying a cup of hot tea with a good friend, and spending time in the Word. My greatest desire is to bring glory to the Lord in all that I do. I'm thankful for the gifts God has given me, and I want to use those gifts to encourage and bless others.
History Behind the Book
Even as a young child, I dreamed of being an author. Although I've penned a fair share of poems, college papers, letters, and journal entries over the years, I didn’t envision my writing being anything more than a hobby. However, God had other plans!
In 2009, a case of severe shin splints forced me to exchange the time I would have spent exercising for time in front of the computer. Although it was difficult not to be able to ride my bike, work out at the gym, or even walk without pain, I recognized that my injury was not random. Nor was it just a coincidence. I knew that the Lord had allowed it for a reason.
At about the same time, my pastor announced that the leadership team at our church was participating in a Daniel Fast to pray for the launch of our second campus. Early in the morning on day one of the Daniel Fast, I started a blog, thinking it would be fun to write about my experience. I never planned for the blog to be anything more than a personal record of my 21-day journey. While cooking Marinated Zucchini that night for dinner, I thought, “This would be a great recipe for people doing the Daniel Fast.” I mentioned the idea to my husband, and he suggested that I post recipes for people in our church. I began putting new recipes on the blog every day, many of them from a cookbook I had written years earlier but never had published (more on that story in my book).
As I saw how people were helped by the information on the blog, I gained perspective on my physical situation and understood why God had allowed me to be injured. The Lord had interrupted my busy schedule for a specific purpose. The physical affliction was His way of slowing me down so I could hear His voice. Otherwise, I never would have stopped long enough to listen to what He had to say. I also would have missed out on what the Lord had for me to do – share God’s invitation for His children to seek Him through prayer and fasting.
That initial act of obedience – my first blog entry – was the catalyst for a series of miraculous events that resulted in a book contract with Zondervan, one of the largest Christian publishers in the world. God, in his mercy, has graciously given me the unique opportunity to share about the power of prayer and fasting with people all over the world through The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast.
My Family
I have been married to my best friend, Justin, for 13 years. We have two daughters, Isabelle and Jocelyn. Our lives are full of activity, and we love it!
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