“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” — Hippocrates
“A sad soul can be just as lethal as a germ.” — John Steinbeck
“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.” — Fred Rogers
“Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.” — Julia Child
“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” — Winston Churchill
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” — Benjamin Franklin
"Don't let your happiness depend on something you may lose." — C.S. Lewis
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. —
Proverbs 16:24
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —
1 Corinthians 10:31
For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. — 1 Timothy 4:8
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Peter and I will NEVER claim to be health experts. While we strive to make healthy choices for each day the Lord grants us, we certainly make questionable decisions. Sometimes we choose to eat an Oreo, and we know it's not adding an ounce of health to our body, but there can be happiness in eating a special treat from time to time. Such are the deliberate choices.
Alternately, modern life and the food we have available to us are so complex, many times we don't even know when we are making bad choices. For instance, we 70's kids grew up being told by the "food industry" that margarine is a healthy substitute for butter. Or how long were told to avoid eggs or eat only the whites? Evidence turns those old beliefs on their heads. How do we cope? So we slow down, we learn, we adjust, we continue to strive towards healthy choices for body, soul and spirit. Most importantly, don't turn healthy living into its own idol.
We are stewards of our time, our resources, our abilities, and our health. The food we eat powers our ability to do these things well or not so well, and we seek to use what we are stewarded wisely. Are we foolish? Yes, at times, but this new chapter of homesteading offers an opportunity for weekend-ly assessment, which of course spills into all of life.
With that being said, we want to highlight some things we are currently doing
Physical
Make time for work and time for rest. Naps are our favorite!
Growing some of our own food in natural/organic fashion.
Get in the sunshine and away from dark office spaces with no windows!
Swap out for natural lotions/products, largely tallow based. I love the Hearth and Homestead brand, based here in Virginia.
Emotional/Mental
Create time to talk and connect in meaningful ways with screens downs/away.
Learn a new skill, we are not afraid to try, or try again, or again-again.
Spiritual
Morning devotional. Spend time together in the Word and in prayer. Encourage one another to continue personal devotional time.
Refreshment for the Soul: A Year of Daily Readings from the 'Heavenly Doctor'; by Richard Sibbes
The Practice of the Presence of Jesus: Daily Meditations on the Nearness of Our Savior; by Joni Eareckson Tada
Not allowing guilt or regret to consume when things don't work, don't go the way we expected, or we make a poor decision...there is grace for one another and ourselves.
