It turns out I'm kind of what you'd call a healthy nut and I would love to encourage you in a healthy lifestyle. Now, I'm not saying that you have to be a total nut like me, but I do think it is a good idea to make healthy choices most of the time. Yes, it is ok to have the bloomin' onion as a treat when you eat out or to eat lots of junkie food on vacation. But that should not be the norm. That should not be our "diet". Our diet should be healthy, colorful, cold, crisp, satisfying, and taste good. It should be fuel for our bodies. They call it healthy food because it is good for our bodies. Therefore, if it is not healthy, then it is not good for your body. Plain and clear. If the fuel is bad, the car doesn't run well. Does your engine run well? Or do you fight things like high BMI, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low energy?
Today's the day - make a change. One step at a time, you can do it!!! And I would love to encourage you. Starting each Tuesday, I'm going to add more information on choices that I have made for my own diet (and my family) that have made a difference in how we feel (and even the behavior of the girls). I will also post a yummy delicious recipe.
AVOID CHEMICALS
I know that this is not going to happen 100% of the time, but when possible, avoid the added chemicals they add to food to enhance flavor or preserve it for years and years. If you can't pronounce it, it most likely isn't good for you. God did not design our bodies to injest these products. The first chemical I suggest avoiding is
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS).
- This is a “sugar” derived from corn.
- The problem with this type of sweetener is that it does not stimulate the hormones in your stomach that make you feel full. That is why it is easy to eat an entire box of cookies – and still feel hungry. And do you really want to eat that whole box of cookies?
- This is also bad if you are at risk or have diabetes since HFCS does not trigger insulin production the same way as glucose.
- If a product is labeled “natural”, it may still have HFCS, so be sure to check the ingredients.
- I have personally noticed a difference in my daughter when she eats food with and without HFCS. she gets a spurt of almost uncontrollable energy when she has HFCS.
You can find more information at http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-High-Fructose-Corn-Syrup
Humility, True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney
How do you define TRUE greatness? Can you give an example of someone who is truly great? What personality traits do they have? Well if it is someone that the world thinks is "great", they are probably some sort of entertainer (athlete, singer, actor) - but if it is someone that God thinks is great, very few people probably know their name. The Bible defines TRUE greatness as a servant. This book was very convicting for me personally, and I am sure you will find it that way as well. We all battle pride, and as the author points out, some of us might even feel a little proud that we are reading a book about humility. How sad is that ?! Thankfully, the book points out several practical ways to battle the sin of pride. This cannot be done without the saving work that Jesus did on the cross. So is the top priority of the list of suggestions on how to weaken pride and cultivate humility:
ALWAYS
1. Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ.
AS EACH DAY BEGINS
2. Begin your day by acknowledging your dependence upon God and your need of God.
3. Begin your day expressing gratefulness to God.
4. Practice the spiritual disciplines - prayer, study of God's Word, worship. Do this consistently each day and at the day's outset, if possible.
...and you'll have to read the book for yourself to get the rest of the list. It also suggests focusing a study on the attributes of God (particularly those that are different than humans like omniscient and omnipotence), the doctrine of sin and the doctrine of grace. When you focus on how great God is and how horrible sin is then grace is so much sweeter and undeserved. It sure is hard to be proud with that at the forefront of your mind.
I would suggest this book for ALL who believe in Jesus as their Savior. We are all very proud people and need to read this book to begin the battle against pride, or as a tool to continue to fight the good fight. Excellent book!
I noticed there are many Moms blogging about summer bucket lists, which I particularly think are super fun ideas! We will definitely do things like go for a canoe trip down the river, go camping in the backyard, attend a local concert in the park, watch fireworks, and play with squirt guns and water balloons (check, did that last week). But this has me thinking...are we making summer actually count for something? I am challenged to not only make a bucket list, but to put things on the list that will be opportunities to serve others, grow in our walk with the Lord and share the love of Christ with others. I want to add things like:
Memorize Psalm 23
I would like to brush up on this myself and have our 5 year old memorize it.
Vacation Bible School - attend and serve
Our church puts on a super fabulous VBS the week of June 13th. If you are interested in attending, click here for more information.
Hand out water on a local walking path to walkers
We have done this in the past and think it is a nice way to bless someone without expecting anything in return. It will be fun for our super-outgoing daughter as well.
Have a cookout - or a dozen. :)
Invite people over to our home for a great time of fellowship and food. We will try to invite a couple of new families so that we can get to know them better.
Summer Reading Program
Read books for the summer reading program that glorify God (maybe the librarian will notice) such as The Tanglewoods' Secret, 
Little Pilgrim's Progress: From John Bunyan's Classic
, and Rainbow Garden. 
Clean out unused toys
We will donate them to a local charity, not just Goodwill, but either a women & children's shelter or fundraising garage sale for a local Christian school.
So I would encourage you to not only create a super fun bucket list, but to also add a few things that glorify God. Tell your children that you are purposefully adding things that will help help share the love of Jesus with others and create unity in the church body.
