There are many ways to think about physical fitness. When it comes to exercise, I think that sometimes our biggest barrier to staying motivated to be consistent is an overwhelming and often irrelevant picture of why we should improve or maintain our fitness level. Think about our sources of motivation to get fit in our society – The Fitness Model/Celebrity – We see them in almost every advertisement for a fitness class or equipment and we aspire to their greatness. They are lean with not a lump or bump anywhere. They have perfect curves or chiseled muscles and a slight tan to enhance the look of health and vitality. And don’t forget that signature smile that reflects satisfaction in the societal advantages that can be yours if only you could look this way. The Athlete – We show great admiration for great athletes. We give them applause and celebrity status. In monetary terms, we value their contribution to society more than that of a doctor, nurse or teacher. In terms of attention, we give them praise for their accomplishments more than for Nobel Prize winners. As Christians, we would consider this type of thinking to be worldly. But even in the Christian community, we set up these hierarchies of greatness to motivate us. I once heard a Christian encourage people to get fit using the admonition “If God asked you to build an ark, could you physically do it?” This question is very motivational. Who would not want to be the one who, because of their strength and vitality, could be an ark builder for God? But the truth is that for every person called to attain physical attributes of a visible ark builder, there are many others who contribute to the cause from behind the scenes doing very sedentary activities, such as: fundraising, prayer, accounting, encouragement, supply chain management, instruction and training, quality control. So maybe the best motivation to get and stay fit is not to aspire to do or be something great, but simply to be full participants in the life God has given us and to be able to do what we are called to do with effectiveness, energy and excellence. Rather than motivating yourself to stay fit to meet the challenge of doing some kind of great work for God that may not even be within your ability, giftedness or calling, it may be wiser to ask: Is there any place in the my life where I am being held back from doing or fully participating in what God has assigned for me to do because of my level of fitness? Is there any area of life where, rather than participating, I find myself staying on the sidelines because I know that I will be too fatigued, winded or embarrassed? In other words, a fitness goal does not have to involve the pursuit of greatness. A good fitness goal can be very ordinary, such as:
God may call you to build an ark or to do some other monumental task that requires a very high level of fitness. Or God may call you to be a fun-loving parent, engaged employee or involved neighbor. The type of calling is not the issue. A quick read through 1 Corinthians 12 shows us that God has given each of us different gifts and is interested in our participation in His work. The perceived greatness of our work is not the issue. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 The point of pursing fitness is that we are able to be full participants in whatever we are called to do. And when we look at it that way, the pursuit of fitness goes from being overwhelming to ordinary and therefore becomes very attainable. How about you? Is there any place in your life where you are being held back from fully participating in what God has assigned you to do because of your level of fitness? Is there any area of life where, rather than participating, you find yourself staying on the sidelines because you know that you will be too fatigued, winded or embarrassed? If so, what is an ordinary fitness goal that you can set for yourself this week? If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
This week, my mother celebrates her 90th birthday! There are so many things that I could say about the way that she has shaped, molded and influenced me as her daughter. But of all her activities associated with motherhood, there is one thing that she did for me and for our family that stands out more than anything else. She cooked. I mean, she really cooked – as opposed to ordering take-out or adding water and oil to food in a box or reheating prepared meals. My mother cooked well and she cooked often! In the simple act of daily cooking for our family, my mother shared her values and demonstrated important attributes of character. To value home cooking is to value good health! First and foremost, by cooking meals at home, she shared with me the value of investing time and resources in activities that promote good health. During the time when home cooking was beginning to decline, my mom continued to cook from scratch using real foods in the interest of good health. These days, the tide has begun to turn back to seeing the value of home cooking. In fact, a good body of research points to the numerous health benefits of consuming real foods that have been cooked at home. Recent research (2014) done by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied the eating habits of 9000 participants for 30 days and found that:
A more recent research (2017) using data from the Fenland Study (2005 – 2015) showed that those eating home cooked meals more than five times a week (compared to less than three times a week):
I have no doubt that my mother’s dedication to daily home cooking is greatly responsible for the good health enjoyed by me and other members of my family. In addition to teaching me to value good health, my mother also displayed and taught me many other character attributes by her cooking at home. Faithfulness: My mother cooked a meal at home for us every day whether it was raining or the sun was shining and whether our home environment was calm or chaotic. In her service to our family through cooking, she displayed consistency and dependability. Courage: When I was growing up, fast food, processed foods and junk foods were becoming very popular. Some of my friends regularly had Twinkies, Ding Dongs, soda, bologna sandwiches with fake cheese slices on white bread. Others ate at McDonalds or had TV dinners often. My mom never bought into that popularity, much to my youthful disappointment. She displayed the courage to stand against the popularity of convenience foods and stuck to cooking healthy meals using real foods. In fact, when I first got to college, I was shocked at how different my eating habits were compare to my peers. Organization & Efficiency: Through the tasks of cooking, my mother demonstrated good management of her resources and time. She always shopped with a grocery list. She cooked meals ahead and put them in the freezer and she always knew exactly what was in that freezer at any given point in time. She did batch cooking and lived by the philosophy that “If you have to chop one onion, you might as well chop two and use the extra for another meal.” Thriftiness: My mother believed that food should never be wasted. She always had creative ways of repurposing leftovers. I remember the year that my grandfather had a bumper crop of zucchini in his garden and we ate zucchini in what seemed like 16,000 different ways, thanks to my mother’s creativity and thriftiness. Respect: My mother had a set of rules that taught me to respect the people who were expending the effort to feed me. The first rule was, “Eat what you are served.” My mother cooked healthy meals and was not a slave to my food preferences. The second rule was, “After dinner has been cleaned up, the kitchen is closed.” There was a proper time and place to eat and the kitchen was not open 24/7 to accommodate my food whims. Love: Cooking was and continues to be my mother’s love language. As her child, I enjoyed her warm pudding with pureed fruit on a cold day. Her grandkids enjoyed her blue blueberry oatmeal when they came to visit. She expresses her love through cooking for her family. We have all benefitted not only from her healthy meals, but also from her very practical expressions of love through cooking. Thanks Mom, for all the wonderful benefits that our family received from your dedication to daily home cooking! If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
I have noticed that when I am feeling short on rest, I often turn to blaming the people or circumstances in my life for my lack of physical energy and for my mental and emotional exhaustion. But when I really examine my life carefully, I am embarrassed to admit how much energy I have expended and how much rest I have forfeited simply by getting involved in problems that were never mine to solve. When it comes to relationships with the many people in our lives, there are, in general, four different verbs that best describe our roles and responsibilities: Comply – Those to whom we must submit because they have a position of authority in our lives and we have the responsibility to comply, cooperate and conform to their directives: bosses, governing authorities, guardians, parents (of minor children) Cover - Those over whom we have a position of authority where our responsibility is to care for, correct and cover them with our protection: minor children, adults under our guardianship, those below us in the chain of command of an organization. Coach – Those over whom we have influence and have a responsibility to coach, counsel and challenge in order to help them to be successful: students, colleagues, anyone who is a few steps behind us on a common journey. Collaborate – Those with whom we have intentionally chosen to coexist – we choose to share our lives with them at home or at work in a spirit of encouragement, cooperation and collaboration. Of these four types of roles, in which one do we have the unquestionable responsibility to find and implement the solution to a problem? Only one! In the role of covering we have both the responsibility to find solutions to problems for those under our care and the authority to implement those solutions. In all of the other roles, we are participants who can be part of a solution to a problem, but only if our contribution is desired. My husband, Bob, is a man who works hard, but also experiences a great deal of peace and rest in his life. I think this is because of one very simple rule that he lives by; outside of his covering roles at work and at home, he only gives advice and gets involved in the problems of others when he is invited to do so. Yes, I know – it sounds so simple, but, in reality, it is very difficult. But he actually does live by this rule that he has set for himself. As a result, he not only experiences rest and peace in his life, but he is seen by others as a person to be respected and one who is worthy of being listened to. I, on the other hand, tend to think that it is my duty to get involved and try to help, even when my help is not directly requested. Perhaps it is because I am concerned, compassionate and caring. Perhaps it is because I am prideful, fearful and unwise. Most definitely, it is because I have not heeded the wise advice from scripture that I should mind my own business! “Now about your love for one another…we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders….” 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-12 “Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.” Proverbs 26:17 As I have thought about it, I believe that, many times, I am exhausted for one of two reasons: 1. I am expending my energy to solve problems that do not belong to me and into which I have not been invited. 2. I am expending my energy trying to solve problems into which I have been invited, but the person who invited me is not really all that interested and invested in really finding a solution. There are times when all of us are not quite ready to solve a problem as we are processing some of the issues and emotions around it. In other words, what looks like an invitation to help solve a problem is really an invitation to be attentive and listen. When I am feeling like I have a lack of rest and an abundance of exhaustion, there is a long list of questions that I can ask myself regarding getting enough relaxation and sleep, taking on too many commitments and taking good care of myself in general. But I have a very important set of questions to add to my list: Am I expending energy and forfeiting my rest by getting involved in trying to solve problems where…
How about you? Are you involved in something that is draining your energy where it would be wise for you to ask yourself these questions? If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
Throughout the years, I have seen many quotes about the value of “just showing up”: “Just showing up is half the battle.” – Woody Allen “Just show up and things will happen.” – Mother Theresa “To stay on the map, you’ve got to keep showing up.” – Peter Gallagher The older I get, the more I see the value of this wisdom, especially when it comes to being consistent about getting regular physical exercise. In fact, this past Monday morning was one big lesson on the importance of just showing up. At 6:30 AM, I woke up and started making my coffee and reminded myself that, if I was going to make to my exercise class, I had to be out the door by 7:50 AM. Immediately, my thoughts went to all the reasons why it may be a good idea for me to skip my exercise class that day: “I have some important things I want to get done, so maybe I should skip my exercise class and take the dog for a walk after I finish my to-do list.” “My joints feel a little stiff; maybe I should take the day off and just do a little stretching.” “It’s a cloudy, dreary day and I don’t feel very energetic. Maybe I should go tomorrow instead.” At 8:00 AM, I was driving to my exercise class and thinking of several reasons why it may be best for me to turn around and go home. “The poor dog really needs to be walked, so maybe I should go home and make that my first priority.” “My husband needs some exercise too. Maybe I should skip my class and just plan on taking a walk with him after work.” “I don’t feel like doing this, so maybe I should go home and go to my exercise class tomorrow when I will have more energy to put into it.” At 8:15 AM, I had finished my pre-workout stretching, the instructor started the class and, while I was going through the physical motions, my mind was wandering: “I don’t want to be here.” “My heart just is not into this today.” “I’ll do what I can, but it may be the bare minimum.” At 8:25 AM, something interesting happened. There was a shift in my thinking which led to a shift in my attitude which led to surge of energy in my body. It’s as if my body woke up when my mind said to the rest of me: “We are committed to be here for the next 50 minutes and we’ve made it through the first 10 minutes and we are okay. So, let’s kick it up a notch and see what we can do.” “Honestly, it’s feeling pretty good to move right now. Maybe being here is a good thing” “After a workout, it always feels like it was worth it.” At 9:20 AM, I was out in the parking lot walking to my car to drive home and I felt great! My body felt invigorated, my mind was clear, my spirit was thankful and making it through another workout brought some emotional satisfaction. I wish I could explain the shift in my thinking, but I can’t. I didn’t will it to happen, it just did. The only thing I can take any credit for is the fact that I just showed up. My Monday morning experience reinforced to me that, if I want to be a person who makes consistent exercise a priority in my life, I need to stop thinking about how I feel, what else needs to be done and what other things I could or should be doing and, instead, I need to just show up.* Wise King Solomon reminds us that: “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4) Or put another way: Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life. (Ecclesiastes 11:4, The Message) If we put our focus on our feelings, circumstances and subsequent excuses, we will have a hard time moving forward with anything. But if we decide to just show up, who knows that God won’t supply the strength for us to succeed despite our feelings and circumstances? “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:19) How about you? Whether it is your exercise routine or some other priority, is there any place in your life where the best decision you can make right now is to just show up? *Please don’t take this statement to mean that we should not listen to our bodies or the re-direction of our plans from the Holy Spirit. There are times when we are not feeling well and taking a day off exercise may be the best decision. The key here is awareness, wisdom and discernment. If you are not sure, it may be wise to pray about it by asking this question, “Is my decision to skip exercise based on a warning signal from my body or a prompt from the Holy Spirit, or is it based on an excuse? If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
The other day, I could have just kicked myself! I got caught in a food foible and I should have known better! I took my husband in for an outpatient surgery with an arrival time of 10:30 AM. We spent most of the morning getting the house set up for his recovery and, after a quick breakfast, I thought I would grab lunch at the surgery center while I was waiting, because… …certainly, in a same day surgery center, they would have a small café where one can grab a quick sandwich or salad, right? Wrong! No café. …certainly, in a same day surgery center, they would make a way to stay in touch with relatives who have stepped out for a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant, right? Wrong! Relatives must stay within the walls of the surgery center at all times. I had made lots of wrong assumptions which put me in a bad place in terms of food choices. The surgery center did, however, provide snacks for waiting relatives and they looked like this: Popcorn was the only “real food” option, so I enjoyed that. Beyond that, it was all about reading labels and choosing the granola bar with the highest amount of protein and fiber and the lowest amount of sugar. So, I had a snack and it was okay, but I could have done so much better. You see, I forgot about my “go to” snack which is a snack that I always have ingredients for so that I can produce it in very little time. My current “go to” snack is hummus and cut up vegetables. I serve it every time when we host our small group because it is easy and healthy and, no matter what anyone else brings, people have at least one healthy choice food-wise. The great thing about hummus and veggies is that they are very portable. It would have been so easy to quickly put some in a container and take it to the surgery center with me. And I think that hummus is so much fun because there are so many different things that you can do with it! My current favorite is Macadamia Nut Hummus (recipe below). My experience reminded me of the importance of always having my “go to” snack in the refrigerator and ready to go. It only takes about 15 minutes for me to make a homemade hummus and cut up some veggies and they last in the refrigerator for the entire week. The result is that I have a healthy and portable snack anytime I need it. My food foible could have been easily avoided. Having a “go to” healthy snack in the house requires that I plan ahead, be prepared and have provisions on hand. That means that I have the ingredients on my standing weekly grocery list and that I take the 15 minutes once a week to prepare it and have it ready to go in the refrigerator. Being prepared and having provisions on hand are indications of wisdom, intelligence and good management. From Abigail (1 Samuel 25:2-42), to the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8), to the woman of Proverbs 31 (Proverbs 31: 10-31), we see that being prepared and having provisions on hand enables us to effectively manage circumstances that come our way. How about you? What is your healthy “go to” snack that can be used as a provision on hand for even the most difficult of eating situations? Macadamia Nut Hummus Platter https://healthygffamily.com/recipe/macadamia-nut-hummus-veggie-platter/ Ingredients 1 cup dry roasted macadamias 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 clove garlic. minced ¾ - 1 tsp salt (depending on tastes) 2-3 tbsp water ⅓ cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 2 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp olive oil Assorted cut up veggies – red/yellow peppers, zucchini, carrots Instructions Place macadamia nuts in food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides periodically to make sure all the nuts are processed. (The nuts will break down, release its oils and go from grainy to paste-like) Add all the rest of the ingredients to the food processor, streaming the olive oil as blending. Taste and adjust seasoning needed. Hummus will thicken in the refrigerator so bring to room temperature before serving. Enjoy! If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
During the first week of February, for a period of about 30 minutes, I had a lively mental intersection with the word intentional – doing something on purpose. Those of you who don’t live in the Midwest may not know that during the first week of February those of us who live in the Chicago area were dealing with snow – what I would call a serious snow (about 10 inches) which we have not seen in a few years. And part of dealing with this serious snow involved getting out and starting up the snow blower. This is a relatively new thing for us. For the first 30 years of our marriage, we dealt with snow the old fashioned way – with snow shovels. But a few years ago, some good friends moved south and sold us what my husband calls “the Barbie snow blower” because of its small, compact size and easy maneuverability (assuming you can get the thing started). But start it did and I was glad about that. And so I went about the process of snow blowing and as I did so, all I could think about was my dad. My dad managed snow removal at my childhood home with a drive way that is three times the length of my current driveway. I remember seeing him out there wearing his black Russian hat and bravely shoveling that snow for hours until the driveway was passable. And when that was done, he would go over to my grandparent’s house and help them. I’m going to be honest enough to admit that I really enjoy the comfort and convenience of our newly acquired snow blower. But my 30 minutes of snow blowing made me keenly aware of how much of my life is ruled by things designed for my comfort or convenience. What used to be a pretty good workout on a snowy day has now become nothing more than a brief interruption in my schedule. And as I thought about this, I was convicted of why it is so very important that I be intentional, as opposed to indifferent, about actively moving my body throughout the day. And I was, in a sense, disappointed with myself when I thought about how easily I have readily accepted and enjoyed things that enhance my comfort and convenience often without giving a thought about the impact of those things on my health. With all of our creature comforts, it is just so easy to make “taking it easy” a way of life. Consider the contrast reported in a study of Old Order Amish adults (Dr. Bassett, University of Tennessee, 2004) where it was found that these average Amish adult males and females took over 18,000 and 14,000 steps per day respectively, while the average American struggles to even approach the commonly recommended 10,000 steps per day. King Solomon addresses the problem of getting into the habit of “taking it easy” in Proverbs 24:30-34: I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. While this passage does not specifically refer to the maintenance of our health, I believe there are some helpful considerations and applications. King Solomon looks at someone’s vineyard and observes that, instead of producing fruit, it is in a state of neglect and disrepair. From this, he learns the lesson that a little “taking it easy” can, over time, lead to a significant negative result. This lesson rings true in just about every area of life, including the maintenance of our health. To be indifferent is to have no particular interest or be unconcerned. To be intentional is to do something deliberately or on purpose. My 30 minutes of snow blowing reminded me that I need to be careful to not be indifferent to the potential negative impact of removing snow the easy way. Given all of my creature comforts, if I am going to actively move my body every day, I will have to make an intentional decision to do that rather than leaving it to chance. Does this mean that I have to get rid of my snow blower and do everything manually as do many of the Amish? Not necessarily. But it does mean that, if I do partake of the comfort and convenience offered by my snow blower, I need to intentionally find another way to incorporate physical activity into my life. How about you? Do you have some creature comforts? Have you become accustomed to their presence and indifferent to the potential negative impact on your daily activity levels? Have you made an intentional decision to maintain an active lifestyle in another way? When it comes to daily activity, don’t be indifferent to the impact of your favorite creature comforts, but do be intentional about maintaining a healthy level of physical activity in spite of them. If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
Have you ever gone through a period of time where it seemed that your good health habits were going to "hell in a hand basket" (as in rapidly deteriorating and on a course for disaster)? I had just this experience last week and the contributing factors were that:
I wasn’t getting any exercise and I just didn’t care. I was eating whatever unhealthy food item was in my line of sight and I just didn’t care. I was short on sleep and I just didn’t care. I was missing the sunshine and I just didn’t care. When I was pretty much at the end of my rope, I had a phone conversation with my husband where I told him of my intention to go out and eat the most unhealthy, fattening, good-tasting food that I could get my hands on. And he responded with some very wise words: “That is not a good idea and that is not who you are. This decision will not help you now and you will not feel good about it in the days to come. Get out your phone and find the nearest place where you can go get a healthy salad and go eat there instead.” And so I did. And getting back on track with how I typically behave and what I typically value was very beneficial in helping me to decompress after a very difficult day. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) Oh, how I needed someone to come alongside me and set my thinking straight. And my husband did just that. He sharpened me by reminding me of who I am. And that reminder helped me to regain some equilibrium by encouraging me to align my behavior with my beliefs and values, even while going through some stressful circumstances. I think that I am not the only one who has a bit of an identity crisis during times of stress. I think we all sometimes make impulsive and unwise health-related decisions because we think those decisions will provide us with: A quick, easy fix for our unpleasant circumstances and feelings A deserved reward for our efforts A source of pleasure in the midst of pain A distraction from pain that we are powerless to alleviate Who is the person in your life who sharpens you by reminding you of who you are, what you believe and what you value? Who is the person in your life who will love you enough to take the risk to speak the words that will help to set your thinking straight? Have you ever given someone in your life permission to do this? I suggest you do. It really does help! If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
A recent culinary adventure reaffirmed for me that “sometimes you just never know!” I like vegetables, but had never really invested much time in learning some vegetarian recipes. It just didn’t seem practical because I live with carnivores. My man likes his meat and I have no interest in cooking multiple meals to suit multiple dietary preferences. Enter my daughter’s roommate who is going through a very difficult time facing a tough situation that is difficult for most people in middle age, let alone a young girl in her mid-twenties. And like many women, one of my basic beliefs is that, while I can’t solve people’s problems, I can make sure they get a good meal! And so I confidently set out to make some delicious comfort food to send over, until my daughter reminded me that her roommate is a vegetarian. My confidence quickly faded as I realized that I had no “go to” vegetarian recipes and I could not imagine how any vegetarian recipe could produce that “comfort food” feeling. Thank goodness for Google which saved the day and sent me on my vegetarian culinary adventure. In my search for Crockpot vegetarian recipes, I came across Crockpot Chickpea, Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Stew. As I read the recipe, I will admit that I had my doubts, especially when I saw a spice on the ingredient list called garam masala. My daughter informed me that it is an Indian spice. Every experience I have had with Indian food has left me either sweating or with indigestion. But my daughter assured me that it is more of an aromatic than a “spicy” spice. And so I gave it a try – Crockpot Chickpea, Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Stew! My culinary adventure resulted in an amazing success! It was delicious, hearty and definitely had that “comfort food” feel. And any doubts in my mind were erased when my son tried it and told me that it tasted great and the chickpeas were really good. And this was from the boy who could once eat a double cheeseburger at any time, in any place for no reason in particular. I really enjoyed this vegetarian recipe and have since made it several times for myself. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul describes how, though he is a free man in Christ, he often used his freedom to adapt to the needs and preferences of others so that he could effectively share Christ with other people. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) I admit that adapting to the needs and preferences of others does not always appeal to me. I like to do things that are done my way and within my comfort zone. And I’m not a vegetarian! But my vegetarian culinary adventure taught me that Paul’s approach to ministry brings about blessings for the person we are serving as well as for ourselves. The vegetarian stew was a blessing to a young girl who could use a good nutritious meal while going through a very difficult time. But the vegetarian stew was also a blessing to me. I broadened my definition of “comfort food” and added a delicious, healthy and nutritious recipe to my personal cookbook that I would have never tried had I not made it for the purpose of ministering to the needs of someone else. So, it is with great pleasure that I share this recipe with you. Why not give it a try? It makes a good amount (I needed to use my 6 quart Crockpot for this recipe) and it freezes very well! And if you really want to take it to “over the top” delicious, once the stew has completed cooking, you can add one ingredient that is not on the original ingredient list: a small can (5-6 ounces) of coconut cream which will add richness with a touch of sweetness. Crockpot Chickpea, Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Stew http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-chickpea-butternut-squash-and-red-lentil-stew/ Ingredients: 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 tbsp olive or canola oil 1 large carrot, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced 2-3 tsp garam masala 1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs–average sized), peeled and chopped 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice 1 quart vegetable broth 1 cup red lentils 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1-2 tsp sea salt (to taste) fresh minced cilantro for serving Directions: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and jalapeno and sauté for about six minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds, and then add the garam masala, stirring well to coat. Take off heat. Place the chickpeas, butternut squash, canned diced tomatoes, red lentils, vegetable broth and onion mixture in your slow cooker. Turn the heat on LOW and cook for 8-10 hours…the longer you cook, the thicker your stew will be. Season with sea salt to taste and serve with minced cilantro on top. This stew freezes extremely well and will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Enjoy! If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
We are now two weeks into 2018 and many of us still have on our minds the things that we feel led to start or accomplish or change this year. Not that there is any special magic about the New Year or the associated resolutions. We can start down the path of accomplishing or changing something at any time in response to God’s leading. But, for whatever reason, at the dawn of a New Year, many of us feel led to take stock of where we are at health-wise and devote ourselves to make some changes. And given that health-related achievements or changes are so related to the daily routines of life, a perceived “New Year New You” fresh start can be very helpful. In last week’s blog, we talked about getting back to some simple basic health routines that are part of the cost of achieving and maintaining good health. How are you doing with these? I personally am falling short in the area of getting to bed on time in order to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Please pray that I would get that routine in place this coming week. Today, I want to discuss the opposite side of the coin – things that we may need to let go of, rather than resume, in order to have success in the health-related accomplishments or changes that we feel God leading us to pursue in order to be more effective servants for His kingdom. The prophet Elisha gives an excellent example of what it looks like to “let go” in order to take on something that we believe God is leading us to do. …He [Elisha] was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”… So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19:19-21) The throwing of the cloak symbolized a divine calling. Elisha knew that, through this action by Elijah, he was being led by God into a new direction. The slaughtering of the oxen and burning of the plowing equipment indicated his full commitment to follow God’s leading. These were the implements of his current profession and, in doing away with them, he purposefully made it impossible, or at least very difficult, to backtrack. Elisha’s example can be applied to our life in many ways as we are called to follow God’s leading in many different areas of life. Today, some will be led to believe and follow Jesus, some will be led to step into a new role in work or ministry, some will be led to confess and renounce a sin, some will be led to speak some difficult truths and, yes, some may even be led to improve their health as an act of worship of and service to God. Just like Elisha, if we are going to be serious about following God’s leading to go in a different direction when it comes to our health, then we also, will have some implements from our current way of living that we must let go. Here are a few examples to start your thinking about how this concept may apply to your specific situation: Do you need to “let go” of your TV in your bedroom in order to avoid the temptation to stay up later than you should and not get enough sleep at night? Do you need to “let go” of your social media account in order to make the time to invest time to grow a significant face to face relationship? Do you need to “let go” of your favorite chips and cookies that you have stashed in the back of your pantry in order to avoid the temptation to snack rather than prepare a healthy meal? Do you need to “let go” of your Starbucks rewards card in order to not consume calories when you are not hungry for the sake of earning a free latte? Please apply this one to almost any rewards card! Note that Elisha also saw the need to “kiss my father and mother goodbye.” We don’t know the details or implications of this separation, but we do know that some degree of separation took place. Is there any relationship or environment in your life from which you may need to seek some degree of God-honoring separation in order to follow God’s leading to improve your physical, mental or spiritual health? I pray that all of us, myself most of all, would follow the example of Elisha. May we “let go” of our implements or seek some degree of a God-honoring separation from relationships and environments that encourage us to maintain the current status quo and hinder us from being fully committed to following God as we are being led in a new and healthier direction. And may we, like Elisha, do that to the extent that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to backtrack. If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
I don’t know about you, but I enjoy taking down Christmas decorations just as much as I enjoy putting them up. Why? Because: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) From Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s is the season of celebration. We enjoy colorful decorations, gathering with and buying gifts for friends and family and special foods in abundance. But by the end of December it can all seem to be “a bit much” and so, come January, a transition takes place. We take down the decorations, clean out the refrigerator, decrease the commitments on our budget and our calendar and return to our simple routines because we know that seasons of even healthy abundance and revelry are only good for us for limited periods of time. The return to simple routines keeps us grounded, focused and healthy! In this first week of January, I’d like to suggest a few things that you may want to do in order to quickly and effectively make that transition back to some simple routines for the sake of good health. Eat: This week would be a great time to clean out the refrigerator, freezer and pantry for the purpose of getting rid of any leftover holiday food that you cannot incorporate into a healthy meal at a later time. Cranberries, turkey, ham and candied nuts can all be used to enhance a healthy meal. But eggnog, pastries, sugar cookies, and candies should probably go. After all, they won’t be special if you don’t reserve them only for a specific time of year. Also, if you got some great fruit for Christmas, now is the time to eat it, include it in a recipe or freeze it before it goes bad. This may be a good time to return to a more simple way of eating. Consider making your grocery shopping list to include staples that will help you to use this formula for putting together a simple, healthy meal: Healthy meal = 1 protein source + 2 vegetables/fruits + 1 whole grain As opposed to a complicated diet plan, this simple formula will enable you to put together a healthy meal at home, at a restaurant or even in another part of the world – no elaborate recipe, menu, exotic ingredients or master cooking skills required. Move: This week would be a great time to get back on track with staying in touch with your current level of fitness. With all the time off with family and friends over the holidays, we often spend more time than usual in PJ’s and sweat pants. This week may be a good time to make the transition back to wearing structured work clothes (with non-stretch material and a solid waistband) so that you can assess how your clothes are currently fitting. If your exercise routine got off kilter with holiday activities, now is a good time to put recurring exercise sessions on your calendar so that you schedule other things around them. If it has been a few weeks since a good workout, your first few workouts of the year may be a bit harder than you think they should be, so pay attention to your body and regain your fitness level over time. Cope: With all the activity of the holidays, you may have started to feel like your calendar and To Do list have been running you instead of you running them. With a fresh and clean 2018 calendar in front of you, take an hour and schedule important recurring activities (exercise, quiet times, date nights, family dinner nights, lunch with friends) and important one-time activities (birthdays, medical appointments, vacation days). This is also a good time to make sure that your daily To Do list has a place for clearly defining your top 3 priorities for the day. Also, the holidays have a way of bringing up emotions or issues that we have denied or swept under the rug. Things like unresolved family issues, strained family relationships, unpleasant truths and unprocessed grief may have shown up in your life in the past few weeks and addressing these issues may need to become part of your daily routine in 2018. Whether it is through prayer, reading, seeking wise counsel, support groups or medical intervention, now is a good time to make a decision and an appointment with yourself or others to add some routines related to effectively coping with difficult emotional issues. Rest: Days off during the holidays often include staying up late and sleeping in. No doubt that the break in the usual routine is a gift of the holiday season. But now is a good time to get back on track with consistent times to go to bed and wake up in the morning. Equally important is re-establishing the “wind down” routine before bed (such as reading, bathing, writing in a gratitude journal, turning off all screens) and the “get focused” routine before the day starts in earnest (morning coffee, bible reading, prayer/meditation, eating a healthy breakfast and defining the top priorities for the day). This is also a good time to make a rough draft plan for your vacation days for the year. Many people leave vacation days unused because they planned to make a vacation plan only after things calmed down at work. To counteract this unhealthy mindset, please see the previous post called “Rest Even During…” There is a time to break from the normal routine and enjoy some healthy revelry and there is a time to get back in the race. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (Hebrews 12:1) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24) The above scripture verses refer to running the race of faith though which we are able to be and do and have all that God has planned for us. And this race of faith requires engagement of our whole being - our body and our mind as well as our spirit. As the mom of a former cross country runner, I can tell you that races are won because of what happens behind the scene - the consistent practice of a few simple, well-chosen routines. Happy New Year! If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
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About the AuthorHello! My name is Ginger Hill and I am a Christ follower and a n employee wellness professional. I am passionate about helping myself and others to live a healthy lifestyle and I believe that good health is essential in helping us to do the good works that God has called us to do. Because I am a work in progress, I write these blog posts to encourage myself and I share them with others in the hope that they may be encouraged as well.
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"But the godly will flourish...Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green."
Psalm 92:12,14 (NLT)
All Contents Copyrighted © Ginger Hill and Good Health for Good Works 2017-2022. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted,
unless otherwise indicated. You may share this website by any of the following means:
1. Provide a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate.
2. Quote extracts (with context) from the website with attribution to www.goodhealthforgoodworks.org
Psalm 92:12,14 (NLT)
All Contents Copyrighted © Ginger Hill and Good Health for Good Works 2017-2022. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted,
unless otherwise indicated. You may share this website by any of the following means:
1. Provide a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate.
2. Quote extracts (with context) from the website with attribution to www.goodhealthforgoodworks.org