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3 Practical Ways to Care for Your Body Today

During this quarantine it seems like folks have fallen into two camps:

 

Those on their way to quaranTINY

Those on their way to quaranTHICK

 

Now I’m not sure which of these camps you’ve aligned with. If pursuing quaranTINY, congrats and I pray your decision is rooted in obedience to God and seeking to honor Him in your temple. If you’ve fallen in with the quaranTHICK, let me say that I recognize your need for comfort, solace and and perhaps just something to do to stave off boredom. For where ever you find yourself in this season, I want to encourage you to love yourself enough to honor your temple.

 

After all, the bible is very clear that your body is not even your own.

 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

So whether you are slimming or snacking, exercising or over-eating, here are 3 Practical Ways to Care for Your Body.

 

NOURISHMENT

Your body is a finely crafted, multi-million dollar machine. If you own a luxury vehicle you don’t fill it with 87 and expect it to run at peak performance. The same can be said for your body. Your body is a prized possession. It is a multi-million dollar, top of the line, custom model. So you cannot fill your body with junk masquerading as food and expect it to operate optimally leaving you feeling energized, healthy and strong. If you fill it with junk though you CAN expect to feel sluggish, inflamed, exhausted and frustrated.

 

That’s why adequate nourishment is critical. And you don’t have to be a nutritionist, a dietician or even a health nut to know exactly what to eat. Let’s make this super simple. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Start there. Eat them close to their original state i.e. peel the orange as opposed to mandarin oranges in the little fruit cup or eat the veggies roasted or steamed as opposed to slathered in a sugary, cloying sauce. What you eat truly does result in what your body becomes. It’s a simple principle of input & output. Put LIVING foods in = Feeling ALIVE.

 

It brings to mind a PSA I heard as a kid (I’m going to date myself here but that’s ok). I can literally remember EVERY word. To this day I can hear Time for Timer saying, “You are what you eat from your head down to your feet….All these motors in your body need a lot of fuel to go on. Like carbohydrates, fats and proteins, vitamins and so on.” And while it was a cheesy PSA, it was and still is true. You really are what you eat. So be mindful of what you’re choosing to fuel your body with and I implore you to choose well. And because I’m committed to helping you choose well, I have recipes on my website. You can also get 30 salad & homemade dressing recipes in my book 30 Days 30 Ways to Salad Heaven

 

REST

Rest is a bit counter culture. We’ve all seen the journals, mugs and T-Shirts that say “Hustle Hard” “Grind Hard”. Well there is a time for work, but there is also time for play and for rest. In fact, Psalm 23 opens with David telling us he lacks NOTHING. Then David proceeds to give the prescription. Why does he lack nothing? Because the Lord made him to lie down in green pastures. Are you accepting or rejecting the Lord’s instruction to come aside and lay down for a while? David goes on to say that the Lord led him beside still waters and God refreshed his soul.

 

Will you allow yourself to be refreshed? Don’t make me get tough on you. For those of you who are obedient and accept the Lord’s invitation, enter into His rest. For you who are a tad bit hardheaded, overzealous, have issues trusting God, or just feeling like you gotta do EVERYTHING, let me say this, “Go Setdown Somewhere!” Give yourself permission to rest that you may lack nothing.

 

EXERCISE

Let me tell you, exercise is not necessarily my favorite past time. I do like the camaraderie of exercising in a group and I do like dance classes but I almost never get to do those forms of exercise. Even before Corona, my workouts were all at home. And it takes discipline and diligence to stay committed to honoring the body through working out. But exercise is key. Not only does it help you sleep better and feel stronger, it relieves stress, it strengthens your heart, it improves and supports bodily systems like your lymphatic systems and your circulatory system and that’s just to name a few.

 

Your exercise routine doesn’t have to require special classes or equipment. Just walk if you can. Move your body. Stretch from head to toe. Run with your children. Workout with your spouse. If you need support, find an online class. I’ve seen many many fitness instructors offering free or nearly free classes. Remember, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And just as you are diligent in strengthening your inner man, it would serve you well to strengthen the physical body. From the dawn of creation man has been walking, working, and moving this body. Let us not give way to a sedentary lifestyle. Your work may have to strapped to your chair and computer so it’s critical that you are purposeful in ensuring you move.

 

My friend, you get that one body, so I encourage you to care for it while you have the chance. Here’s your 3 steps formula: Nourishment, rest and exercise. Now go be great!

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

 

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Beware of These Three Signs

Superwoman

 

Wonder Woman

 

Storm

 

Somehow the world has come to believe that we really are SUPER women. And we’ve bought into the lie. “I’m every woman, it’s all in me.” I can be assertive in the boardroom, passionate in the bedroom, gentle and patient with my children, slay on the runway, slice and dice in the kitchen, all at the same time with a smile on my face. And in the meantime in between time, I don’t require self-care because I don’t have time for ME while I’m tending to everyone and taking care of everything.

 

We’ll I’m come by today to shed the light of truth on this situation here and now. I pray this frees someone today for whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

 

The ability to do all and to be every woman because “It’s all in me” comes at a price.

 

Have exhaustion and weariness become your standard mode of operating? Have you been pouring out pouring out and pouring out some more until you’ve got nothing left?

 

To give and to serve are dear to the heart of God.

 

Repeatedly Jesus gave and served. But we also see Him break away from the crowds to reflect, restore and refresh so that He could then reengage from a place of power and strength.

 

Have you embraced self-care as part of your wellness routine? Are you exhibiting these three signs that indicate self-care is sorely overdue?

 

Join me over at TiffyTalks to continue reading.

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How To Get Rest

Intel’s fastest PC processing chip does about 3.5 GHz. Perhaps my brain was clocking 8 GHz. Thoughts about managing people, projects, homework, housework, spiritual warfare, tenants, ministry events, oh not to mention my own health, appointments, helping others and the list goes on and on.

 

Then He gently whispered, “I will lead you beside still waters.”

 

This is something I’ve heard Him say before. In fact, He leads me beside still waters almost daily but then one of those sweet little people of mine find some way to encroach on my STILLNESS.

 

Then He whispered again, “I will lead you beside still waters.”

 

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So the day commences with a flurry of activity, make breakfast for 7 people, pack lunches for 5, drop one off extra early in the a.m. for music, drop 2 others, go somewhere else drop off one more. From there I’d normally rush back to get in some exercise but I told myself, “Break from the routine. Go to the park.” The park it is. There I exercised and had fun with my littlest guy. We were about to rush back to begin the next series of errands but God drew my attention to the pond. Just a stone’s throw to my left, the still waters.

 

“Come, sit with me a while,” he beckoned.

 

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

 

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So disregarding the voice in my head that wanted to rush out of the park to “Get things done” I heeded the voice of the Lord.

 

I squarely placed myself in the middle of the bench. My little guy climbed up beside me and rested his head on my lap. As I gaze out at the water, love, joy and peace overcame me.

 

geese

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

 

Newton’s 1st law of motion says:

 

An object that is in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and direction unless an external force acts upon it. An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an external force acts upon it. The unbalanced force changes the state of motion. This law of generally called the law of inertia.

 

From this we can deduce that we will keep doing what we usually do unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Glory be to God that it is HE who wants to tilt me in His direction. He provides the imbalance so that I can recalibrate and find my balance in Him and in Him alone. When I REST in Him, I am refreshed and renewed. My peace is like a river and my joy is full. He said in His presence there is fullness of joy.

 

When He beckons you to be still, to come sit a while, don’t disregard His prompting. Heed the voice of God. In Him is how to get rest.

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Caring for the temple requires proper nourishment, exercise and REST. Be intentional about getting rest today. Perhaps you could:

 

~Have quiet time

~Take a nap

~Get adequate sleep

~Embrace the now moment

 

What will you do today to purposefully get rest?

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It is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

  1. Happy to connect with friends at Fellowship Friday’s & Dance With Jesus 
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Be Quiet, I’m Trying to Think

QU-IET!!! QUI-ET!!! QUIET!!! Is this what your brain is screaming? Is this what your soul is crying out for?

 

If you are able, pause everything you are doing for a moment. Close your eyes. Inhale deeply. Hold a few seconds. Then exhale slowly. Repeat that ten times. Deep, cleansing breaths do the body good.

 

But we are in such a rush, in such a hurry that we don’t even take the time to BREATHE. Most of us are moving at such a frenetic pace, that even the thought of slowing down to breathe may not be very practical. One may even think, “Ain’t nobody got time for that”.

 

But I beg to differ. I say you can’t afford not to. We have so many things vying for our attention and the things are winning the battle. From the moment you wake up, your brain is bombarded and generally you are an active participant in the mayhem.

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~Wake up and pick up your device to check your personal email, work email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and the like.

 

~Turn on the news to check the weather

 

~Turn on the radio in your car or insert ear buds in your ear to listen to something

 

~If you take public transportation check social media again….and again. Be subjected to listening to the conservations around you.

 

~Arrive at destination and check email and social media again

 

~And it same continues all day and night

 

The onslaught of chatter, stimuli, ear noise and eye noise is endless.

light waves

 

You have to tell all that stimuli, “Be quiet! I’m trying to think”. God wants you to rest (click here for more on rest). He wants you to rest your brain. He wants you to make room to breathe. And to do so, you will have to be purposeful and intentional about quieting the chatter.

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And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. Mark 6:31

wheat

 

But quieting the mind for some people is not so easy. The constant chatter of external noise is sometimes a diversion from having to confront the internal noise. Sometimes we don’t want to deal with our own thoughts.

 

I once stayed at a monastery for work related training. The grounds were beautiful: lots of trees, walking paths and a lake. The rooms were sparsely furnished: a bed, a dresser, a bible and a chair. No clock. No radio. No TV. No external stimuli; just me and my thoughts. It was a wonderful time for solitude and reflection.

 

But some in my group just couldn’t get with the idea of minimal external stimuli. Some of them in fact went to the manager and asked if a TV were on the premises. They were told yes there was one in a locked training room. They then went on to ask if they could be permitted into the room to watch the TV. The manager obliged and they went to watch TV. As they recounted this story the next morning at breakfast, I was amazed that they went to such lengths to fill the quiet.

 

Our minds need rest and quiet. In order for our brains to work as designed, they need periods of low activity so the brain can properly process and catalog the day’s events.

 

We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly – spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order. ~Susan L. Taylor

 

The benefits of creating mental white space are numerous.

 

~Clarity of thought
~Ability to hear clearly from God
~Ability to renew the mind
~Helps relax and calm you down
~Makes room for new creative ideas
~Helps keep emotions balance
~Creates an environment conducive for peace
~Creates room to address deeper thoughts and feelings

 

My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places Isaiah 32:18

 

So how do we create mental white space and breathing room?

 

~Practice deep breathing techniques
~Minimize social media
~Turn off the TV
~Turn off the radio
~Curb mindless eating
~Curb internet surfing

 

TV, radio, social media and the like have their place. And there are times we can extract useful information from these outlets. I am not saying they are inherently bad or wrong. What I am saying to in order to maximize on your mental, social, physical and emotional health, you have to give yourself opportunities to truly rest and quiet the mind.

Tyra serenity

 

You show honor to God when you honor Him in your temple. Your body needs adequate nourishment, exercise and rest. And we can find rest for the mind when we minimize external noise, address our internal chatter and embrace the quiet.

 

As always, I pray that you have been Inspired to Live Fully!

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For the Rest of My Life

“Excuse me…but…um.  Do you know you have your pants on inside out and backwards?”, he said.  This kind man had pensively approached me while at my son’s Cub Scout meeting to share this news.  I can only imagine his embarrassment at having to break this news to me.  And sure enough, my pants were on inside out and backwards.  And no, I had no idea.  

You see, I had run myself ragged; staying up way too late to tinker, tweak and fine tune the appearance of my soon to be launched website.  Yet my life necessitates that I wake up early so it was a recipe for disaster.

And what would drive an otherwise put together, A-type personality to be out in public with her pants on backward and inside out?

NO REST.

For a moment I had gotten away from properly caring for my temple through rest and I suffered because of it.  I had a headache that lingered for over a week and was out in public looking disheveled (To my defense, I had changed abruptly out of my exercise clothes and hastily grabbed a pair of pants off my closet floor in the dark to race with all 5 children in tow to arrive at Cub Scouts on time).

Proper care of the temple requires nourishment, exercise and REST. Forsaking rest is one of the greatest ways we can sabotage our health.

Rest is defined as: Refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor.  To be free from anxiety or disturbance.

As a mother of 5 young children, I am constantly ‘ON’. I asked God to show me, outside of sleep, what are other ways I can get rest? He answered me saying,” look to these windows of opportunity to turn ‘OFF'”:

~morning quiet time before my family wakes

~peaceful solitude during/after lunch without tv, phone or social media

~a quick snatch early evening even if it’s just gazing out the window or walking slowly to the mailbox and back

~in the evening before bed more peaceful solitude.

Maximizing on these rest opportunities fills me with peace, helps me remain calm and keeps me balanced. It gives my brain an opportunity to give thanks, file my thoughts, and refocus if necessary. These mini siestas are crucial to overall health and wellbeing.  And while they are short snatches of time, they are enough to create room for me to BREATHE.

In her latest book, Breathe, Priscilla Shirer digs into the concept of the Sabbath rest.  She says, “The Sabbath is a pause, a stopping point, a decision to take a break from buying or gathering or producing or accruing or doing or working. It’s the Spirit empowered choice to stop and enjoy God.”

Jesus Himself urges us to CEASE activity and REST.  In Mark 6:31 He says, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while”.

So what can you do today to ensure you come aside by yourself and rest a while? Tell me by commenting below.IMG_5448.JPG

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