Health

My family (Adams, Armours, and Randy and I) is on a one-year journey to health. This started New Year's Day when the 12 of us met for lunch. Several members of my family have a lot of weight to lose and others of us need to exercise regularly, but ALL of us need to be HEALTHY!

We meet together every Thursday night to weigh in and encourage each other. We also have a private blog in which we post interesting health/fitness articles and encouraging notes. Also, we have a daily accountability partner (which changes each month) who we check in with each night for MORE encouragement!

By the end of the year, we will have lost over 300 pounds and exercised over 1,872 hours (minimum of 30 minutes per day, per person). To reward ourselves, we each bring $10 to each weekly meeting to go towards a family vacation at the end of the year. I am so excited and proud of my family.

For many years now, I have enjoyed educating myself on what is HEALTHY (not - what is diet). The more I study and apply these things to my life, the more I see a bigger picture going on...

God gave us ONE life... one LIMITED life in which we have no idea how long it will last. He gave us life and purpose and grace and this ONE body. He created it in HIS image! How could so many of us have gone and screwed that all up?

Many of us hate our bodies and take the easy way out on re-shaping them to our liking. Some skip meals or quit eating all together, some binge and then purge by vomiting, laxatives, or obsessively going to burn it off. (There is such a disorder as Exercise-Bulemia - which I know of all too well.) Some stare in the mirror and pick themselves apart for hours - crying and hating themselves. Some can't even look in the mirror.

On the other hand, many people have an ADDICTION to food - a selfish desire to eat whatever tastes good - whenever they want. Some look to food, rather than God, for emotional comfort or for stress relief... food is their drug. Some don't consider the consequences to their bodies, organs, or to those around them they love. They, too, alter the original "perfect" body God created for them - IN HIS IMAGE. All of these people will die younger than they have too for destroying the precious gift God gave them.

I am learning that HEALTH is not only physical, but also emotional, mental, and spiritual. These should all align with each other. I'm learning what a precious gift my body is from God and that it is my biggest tool to accomplish the purpose He has given me. It is my obligation to take care of myself. I am learning to eat mostly natural and organic foods (more gifts from God - through nature), drink a LOT of water, take vitamins, etc. I'm also learning to exercise daily, sweat out toxins, stretch and breathe, and to build muscle. I'm learning that all of this TRULY glorifies God! I feel better, look better, sleep better, and encourage better.

I'm learning to focus on HEALTH in each area of my life. I know this was a very long first entry, but I am so thankful for these lessons I'm learning. I am honored to take care of this body. I hope this post offers you some inspiration to start focusing on HEALTH in your own life!

-Ellen