Marketplace Ministry
This is the beginning of our 40 DAY Journey seeking the Kingdom of God first!
The 40 DAYS ends March 5.
If you would like to join us and say: “I’m in!” please read the scriptures below and consider the challenge! Let us know if you are “in the game”!
MATT 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you.
Our Faith is strengthened when we seek the Kingdom first. (E.g. Like Tithing)
Today, this column is devoted to Spiritual health more than physical so put on your ‘open heart’ and listen in. We are taking a Spiritual journey to find the Purpose and Vision God created us for. We are launching a Teleseminar series called:
Thank God It’s Monday!
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According to my perspective the holiday season is officially on. Yummy treats showing up at work…Parties on the schedule…Lunch and a little shopping with my friends. I’m not exactly sure why, but food seems to be involved in all of the fun. Food is fun! I love to cook, I love to eat, I love to share treats with friends and neighbors.
You’ve heard the old saying, “mind over matter”. Well, what’s in your mind does matter. We often set ourselves up for more troubles by allowing our minds to talk us down. “I can’t do it”, it’s too hard, I’m not that smart, or lucky, or….the list goes on. You may have even heard it from others…a teacher or a parent who said or communicated in other ways, “you won’t amount to anything”, “You’re not very smart” or some variation of these. It is unhealthy in every way to continue to allow those messages to control our lives.
The truth is, by putting our minds in a positive, uplifting state…we can totally take charge of our lives, our futures, our health, our finances. Oh, that doesn’t mean life won’t still have its bumps and bruises, but we can meet them head on with a zeal for life and an “I can do it” attitude.
So what is it in your life that needs a bit of “mind over matter”? Life can be a wonderful adventure or endurance. We all have choices and how we view the things that we encounter has a big impact on how we feel, how we make decisions and how far we go in life. Now I’m not saying it’s easy, especially if we’ve spent many years feeling negative or beaten down. But with practice, one step at a time, we can change our attitudes and our thoughts to ones that benefit our lives, instead of hinder them. Dr. Caroline Leaf, author of The Gift in You, says “there is not an expiration date on potential”. Is it time for you to develop your potential?
Losing weight and keeping it off is not always easy. For me, I had to decide to eat differently. That was 20 pounds and 1+ years ago. So far so good. Making a decision to make good choices and being accountable are very important in losing it and keeping it off. My family may laugh at the phrase, but for me I had to come to the point of acknowledging that I was growing older, but that I did not have to be “fat and frumpy”. That decision was like driving a stake in the ground and saying loudly and clearly…”No More!”
There is a wealth of information out there, but I have found some ideas that have been very helpful to me. One important tip is to make food choices that help you feel full, longer. Debra Enos, author of Weight A Minute! has the following suggestions:
“I discovered the formula that would keep me full. I had to include protein, fat and fiber at every meal. Here’s why:
Key point: While fat can keep you feeling full, bad fat (potato chips & cookies) will just end up in your fat cells. Good fats (salmon, avocado & nuts) will keep you full and help your body to burn some belly fat.
So, as you can see, these are pretty small changes that can really make a difference in healthy eating. It’s hard to be healthy when we’re starving and will eat anything in sight. Try the combination of foods recommended above and see if that helps keep your eating on track.
I was recently in a restaurant with some friends and their daughter and young grandson joined us. I was reminded of how we have been suckered into thinking kids will only eat from the kids menu. Actually, in my experience, they’ll pretty much eat what their fed if it’s taught that way from the beginning. Now, as you probably know, kids menu items are, almost, without fail a collection of high fat (fried), high carb foods. I was pleased to hear recently that some of the fast food chains were going to begin offering more healthy choices in their kids meals.
If your kids are older, it may be a bit more of a challenge, but I would encourage you to care enough about them to teach them to eat nutritionally sound meals. Plan to incorporate one or two more healthy choices in each meal. If they have a fried chicken entree, see that the side dish is fruit or carrot sticks. I’ve discovered that if I slice up an apple and leave it on the counter my kids and husband grab slices as they walk by. They would probably do the same if I left a bag of potato chips on the counter. It’s a matter of making and helping them, make good choices.
If your kids are young, train them from those early years to make healthy food choices. Here are some ways we can help our kids develop lifelong healthy habits:
The point is, we live in a fast-paced, fast-eat, fast-food culture. We can choose to slow down, eat well, enjoy our family and teach our kids to make better food choices.
When I was growing up my family always gathered at the table and had conversation about the day and about life while enjoying my mothers good cooking each evening. I have tried very hard to pass that tradition on to my family. It is important to take time to connect with our friends and family and at a meal is perfect. We all live hyper-rushed lives and this takes effort, but it is well worth it. I realize this is not the norm in our society. It is so unusual that a few years ago, my son’s school sent home an assignment to have at least one meal with your family that week. If it helps, you can accept this as an assignment…turn off the TV and the phone, and make pleasant conversation with your family for one meal this week!
There is more than just connecting with your friends and family though…
I hope you enjoy eating and appreciate the flavors and textures of each bite. I know I do. It is an important part of health in many ways to take the time to learn, “how to eat”. While this may seem a little odd, believe me, it can impact your health. Our bodies are amazing in the way they work and proper digestion is a part of that. It all starts with the chewing. It is recommended that each bite be chewed twenty to thirty times. Wow! Sometimes I am doing good to get in five chews. Chewing actually starts the digestive process by allowing your saliva to begin to break down carbohydrates. Slow down and allow your body to work the way it is supposed to. Not only does the digestion start as it should, in your mouth, this also allows your brain time to get the message that you are full.
Our health can be improved in many small ways, this is a win-win situation:
These are small steps to overall better health. Dr. Don Colbert in his book, The Seven Pillars of Health, adds one more idea to this way of eating. He tells his patients to “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Mom had an angle on this too when she said, “eat a good breakfast”. Many of us typically reverse this and eat little or no breakfast and a huge evening meal. By just following Dr. Colbert’s advise we will made great strides toward living more healthy lives.
Bette James Laughrun Visionary, encourager, and people builder.
Patsi Day Bette's daughter and business partner. World traveler and expert organizer.
