I haven't had the time to sit and think this one out as much as I'd like to, and even less time to type it out. But I wanted to give you all some more "food for thought" on this Frankenfood idea...
We put a lot of time and energy into learning about our foods and their sources. And we should! We should be questioning what we're eating and find what is truly healthy for our bodies. After all, if our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, it makes sense that we'd want to be good stewards of that body, yes?
How about spiritually? Are we eating man made 'spiritual' foods? Modified to taste better... Packed with sugars to make us happy and feel good... Addicted to the emotions, where we keep coming back for more...
Why are we addicted to the spiritual food that the world offers when we have REAL food in God's Word? And why do we not take and eat that every day? It is necessary and yet it so often gets neglected for the philosophies of the world. The Oprahs and Osteens. (Did I open a can of worms??) We have a very real God who wants to communicate with us through His Word. He has food that sustains and it is at our fingertips.
Are you settling for spiritual frankenfoods? Or the real banquet table of wholesome, healthy, life giving foods found in His Word?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Frankenfoods?
I have often giggled at the term regularly used by Jillian Michaels and others~ Frankenfoods. But it should also make us think a bit. What's in our foods?
Now I do want to be a realist and enjoy a good meal at a restaurant. However, I try to be a bit more of a fanatic when shopping for foods in my home. People have asked me what guidelines I use in shopping for 'healthy foods.' First, I read labels. I read a lot of labels. And even though I find a product I love, I still have to read their labels now and then to be sure they didn't bring in ingredients I refuse to eat. For example, I had been purchasing a certain brand of bread with good (not EXCELLENT, but good) ingredients. I started making my own bread for a long time. But I went through a time where I couldn't make it myself and so I went back to buying that brand from before. I didn't recheck the label. I just went on faith. One day I read the label and found that they had started putting High Fructose Corn Syrup in it! Why?? So I will not buy it any more.
I was given a fabulous book recently, called Food Additives: What's Safe and What's Not. This little tool will go in my purse to the grocery stores! There are lots of ingredients that I have NO clue what they are and what they do to people. This book will help!
Another tool is DVDs... I just watched this movie http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html recently, in DVD form. Then found it online for free. It discusses GMO foods (genetically modified.) Food Inc. was also a great resource for this information, I got it from the local library to watch.
I also have watched some DVDs on artificial sweeteners. Don't think they are harmful? Are you willing to bet your life on drinking them? I'm not! And watching movies like Sweet Misery (see this link for more info...
http://products.mercola.com/sweet-misery-DVD/ and you can read Dr. Mercola's book Sweet Deception for an eye opener on all artificial sweeteners!
In the end, we can only do what we can do. So learn to read labels. Learn what the ingredients are and why you do not want them in your home. Get involved in CSAs and other garden type co-ops. I learned to can a few years ago so I could enjoy our produce all year. My husband invested in a chest freezer for us to store produce also. We shop at many stores, not just one. And we read LOTS of labels.
I don't hate comments and questions. If you have any questions about this topic or comments on how you eat healthy, please let me know! :)
Now I do want to be a realist and enjoy a good meal at a restaurant. However, I try to be a bit more of a fanatic when shopping for foods in my home. People have asked me what guidelines I use in shopping for 'healthy foods.' First, I read labels. I read a lot of labels. And even though I find a product I love, I still have to read their labels now and then to be sure they didn't bring in ingredients I refuse to eat. For example, I had been purchasing a certain brand of bread with good (not EXCELLENT, but good) ingredients. I started making my own bread for a long time. But I went through a time where I couldn't make it myself and so I went back to buying that brand from before. I didn't recheck the label. I just went on faith. One day I read the label and found that they had started putting High Fructose Corn Syrup in it! Why?? So I will not buy it any more.
I was given a fabulous book recently, called Food Additives: What's Safe and What's Not. This little tool will go in my purse to the grocery stores! There are lots of ingredients that I have NO clue what they are and what they do to people. This book will help!
Another tool is DVDs... I just watched this movie http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html recently, in DVD form. Then found it online for free. It discusses GMO foods (genetically modified.) Food Inc. was also a great resource for this information, I got it from the local library to watch.
I also have watched some DVDs on artificial sweeteners. Don't think they are harmful? Are you willing to bet your life on drinking them? I'm not! And watching movies like Sweet Misery (see this link for more info...
http://products.mercola.com/sweet-misery-DVD/ and you can read Dr. Mercola's book Sweet Deception for an eye opener on all artificial sweeteners!
In the end, we can only do what we can do. So learn to read labels. Learn what the ingredients are and why you do not want them in your home. Get involved in CSAs and other garden type co-ops. I learned to can a few years ago so I could enjoy our produce all year. My husband invested in a chest freezer for us to store produce also. We shop at many stores, not just one. And we read LOTS of labels.
I don't hate comments and questions. If you have any questions about this topic or comments on how you eat healthy, please let me know! :)
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year Goals: weight lifting...
Luke 14:27-33 (King James Version)
"27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
It's a new year, and that usually comes with new goals... Often those goals have to do with weight loss and exercise. I admit, I'm a sucker for those resolutions, and in fact I have a few this year as well! But I want to suggest a goal for weight lifting and cardio. The weight and aerobics? Carrying our crosses and following Jesus.
A couple weeks ago the boys and I covered this topic in our homeschool. They read the verses and talked about planning and counting the cost and building. This was a great bible study and illustration for spiritual truth, as well as a segway to our architecture unit. I gave them 2 bags of sugar cubes, one with 200 cubes, one with 20. Eagerly, they grabbed for the bag with 200 cubes. Mind you, I covered the idea of planning, counting the cost, considering laying cubes like bricks, etc etc. They didn't talk a lot about what they'd build, they just started building. The excitement of all those cubes took over all the talk of planning.
They worked so hard on that building, but it just kept falling apart. Half way through the building they changed their minds on how they wanted it to look. But it was too late. Things started crumbling around them.
With a little less wind in their sails, they took the bag of 20 cubes, and a paper and pencil. And they planned. They drew up ideas and talked about how to best use those 20 little cubes. And they had success. They built a much better structure!
It was a valuable lesson.
While there was a lot of opportunity for success with so many cubes, it turned out to be a flop because no one counted the cost. And the 20 cubes worked out much better. A lesson is hidden in there for us all. This turned out to hold far more spiritual truth than I could have given them if I'd planned it all out myself. And in turn, I also learned something.
Many of us call ourselves Christian, but have we counted the cost? Do we daily pick up our cross and follow Him? Have we asked Him what it means to be His disciple? In this new year, it seems appropriate that we take that time to ask what that means. People are watching us, and seeing if we've counted the cost.
As if this weren't enough, the pastor at church yesterday taught on this very lesson. I wish I'd e-mailed him these photos to use as an illustration! ;) But I'm guessing God is drilling home this point for me. It's time to dig in and really be His disciple! It's time to lift some weights this year, my own cross. Pastor said that if you are being crucified, you are looking forward, one direction, no turning back.
Galations 2:20
King James Bible
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
New years resolutions are hard. Very easy to start but hard to see through to the finish line. And, hard it may be to die to myself. But that is what is necessary! Count the cost, pick up that cross, don't look back, go one direction only. And be His disciple, letting the world watch in wonder. :) Happy New Year!!!
"27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
It's a new year, and that usually comes with new goals... Often those goals have to do with weight loss and exercise. I admit, I'm a sucker for those resolutions, and in fact I have a few this year as well! But I want to suggest a goal for weight lifting and cardio. The weight and aerobics? Carrying our crosses and following Jesus.
A couple weeks ago the boys and I covered this topic in our homeschool. They read the verses and talked about planning and counting the cost and building. This was a great bible study and illustration for spiritual truth, as well as a segway to our architecture unit. I gave them 2 bags of sugar cubes, one with 200 cubes, one with 20. Eagerly, they grabbed for the bag with 200 cubes. Mind you, I covered the idea of planning, counting the cost, considering laying cubes like bricks, etc etc. They didn't talk a lot about what they'd build, they just started building. The excitement of all those cubes took over all the talk of planning.
With a little less wind in their sails, they took the bag of 20 cubes, and a paper and pencil. And they planned. They drew up ideas and talked about how to best use those 20 little cubes. And they had success. They built a much better structure!
It was a valuable lesson.
While there was a lot of opportunity for success with so many cubes, it turned out to be a flop because no one counted the cost. And the 20 cubes worked out much better. A lesson is hidden in there for us all. This turned out to hold far more spiritual truth than I could have given them if I'd planned it all out myself. And in turn, I also learned something.
Many of us call ourselves Christian, but have we counted the cost? Do we daily pick up our cross and follow Him? Have we asked Him what it means to be His disciple? In this new year, it seems appropriate that we take that time to ask what that means. People are watching us, and seeing if we've counted the cost.
As if this weren't enough, the pastor at church yesterday taught on this very lesson. I wish I'd e-mailed him these photos to use as an illustration! ;) But I'm guessing God is drilling home this point for me. It's time to dig in and really be His disciple! It's time to lift some weights this year, my own cross. Pastor said that if you are being crucified, you are looking forward, one direction, no turning back.
Galations 2:20
King James Bible
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
New years resolutions are hard. Very easy to start but hard to see through to the finish line. And, hard it may be to die to myself. But that is what is necessary! Count the cost, pick up that cross, don't look back, go one direction only. And be His disciple, letting the world watch in wonder. :) Happy New Year!!!
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