My sweet Ben has quickly deteriorated and his mortal life is coming to an end.
Ben was able to attend the Brigham City Temple Dedication a few weeks
ago as his last hoorah out of the house. I can't think of a better
activity to choose. It truly was a blessing to be at a sacred event
surrounded by family. Ben is now chair-bound from increased pain in
addition to fatigue so he hasn't been
able to stand or be out of his chair for more than a few minutes. The
tumors are growing and causing increased pain and general ill feeling.
We
are not seeking further treatment. By the power of priesthood blessings,
Ben's pain has been controlled this week to a tolerable level that he
might enjoy these last days with family and have a peaceful passing. Ben's
faith continues to grow and he is being sanctified as we trust in the
Lord that this is his plan. We all continue to learn from this
experience as we yield up our hearts to Christ. It is heartbreaking yet
peaceful. We hold onto the knowledge that we will be together for
eternity after all is said and done. It is hard but all is well.
We have been able to enjoy some wonderful visits with family and friends
on top of our own personal time during the last few days. We have been
looking at old photographs and videos and reminiscing about the fun
times we had. These sweet moments I will cherish forever.
We celebrated our anniversary, or better known as our Thanksiversary,
early. We were married the day before thanksgiving so every year we
prepare a delicious turkey feast for two for our anniversary. We look
forward to this day all year. As we ate dinner we watched our wedding
video that brought on tears of joy and tears of sadness.
It is absolutely heartbreaking but we are kept strong and able to endure
by holding on to the thoughts of the opportunities and promises that
lie in our future when we are reunited.
We love you and are lucky to have such a large amazing group of family and friends.
His will be done and all will be right.
We would have it no other way.
Peace is with us.
Friday, September 28, 2012
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11:10 AM
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By:
Unknown
I read this in Ensign September 2012 "Building Faith in Christ" and thought I would share.
Paul includes faith in his list of spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:9). Faith indeed comes by the spirit, yet as the Bible Dictionary notes, "Although faith is a gift, it must be cultured and sought after until it grows from a tiny seed to a great tree." There is much we can do to influence and expand the endowment of faith we receive through the Holy Spirit.
I just really liked this. :)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
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10:56 AM
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By:
Unknown
I forgot to include my favorite quote in the lesson! This quote from our beloved prophet, Gordon B Hinckley, perfectly describes what I am trying to put into words.
"In my 90 plus years, I have learned a secret. I have learned that when
good men and good women face challenges with optimism, things will
always work out! Truly, things always work out! Despite how difficult
circumstances may look at the moment, those who have faith and move
forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out."
I created this lesson for my young women (mia maids) and just wanted to share it with you in case it might help. :)
The Power of Optimism
Optimism can change
your life!
The word optimism comes
from the Latin word “optimus” meaning “best” representing looking for the best
in any situation.
Let’s look up the word “optimism” in the topical guide. It
says (see cheerfulness; hope). Hope is
exactly what optimism emanates. Looking up “hope” in the topical guide we see
it says (see also faith; trust). Hope
is nurtured by faith, which is not something others can bestow on us. It is
something we must find and practice for ourselves.
Definition: Optimism is the tendency to believe, expect or
hope that things will turn out well.
How does this relate to the plan of salvation?
What is salvation?
Simply, it means being saved from a bad outcome. In other
words, things will work out to make you happy (obviously contingent on
obedience).
What is the plan of salvation also known as?
The plan of happiness.
We were put on Earth to experience joy in addition to being
tested. This is not exclusive. We are not here to experience joy OR be tested;
it is to experience joy AND be tested.
2 Nephi 2:25 “…and men are that they might have joy.”
So is there a way we can endure our trials AND enjoy life?
Of course!
Card Exercise:
Each girl is given a card folded in half. On the front write “Perception is
Reality”
Flip open the card. On one side, write something in life
that you are struggling with. It can be anything that is giving you trouble
right now. Think of this struggle throughout the rest of the lesson and write
down how you are going to perceive this situation differently to help you
overcome this challenge.
So HOW do we experience joy through our trials?
1 simple concept can do this. (Note I said “simple” not “easy”.)
We need to change our
thinking. Period.
Reality is based on how we perceive life. So if we can
change how we perceive life, we can change our reality. Perception is reality.
3 Habits to Change Your Thinking
(or as I like to call
them: The 3 Habits of Highly Effective Optimists) :)
1-Think from the Eternal Perspective
2-Look for the Positive
3-Be Grateful
This WILL take practice and does not mean we will or should
NEVER have a bad day. Mourning and sorrow is part of our earthly experience used
for our benefit and is good. Optimism can make you happy the rest of the 95% of
your life (results will vary).
First, Think from the
Eternal Perspective
What do I mean by that?
I often think to myself when I am having a hard time with
something “Does this matter in the Eternal Perspective of things?” or even, “Will
this matter in 10 years? 6 months?” This can help you make decisions as well as
think yourself through hard times. Do you do this? Can you think of a time in
the past when this would have been useful?
Next, Look for the
Positive
We have all heard the old adage “When one door closes,
another door opens.”
Who said this?
Here is a scriptural reference.
1 Nephi 3:7 “…for I know that the Lord giveth no
commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them
that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
Nephi said it… in slightly different wording.
If God closes a door, or allows
a door to be closed, he will always open another door that will lead you to
happiness. The hard part is learning to see it.
How can we learn to see this invisible path that is lying
before us?
Don’t look back. Don’t dwell on what was. Looking back won’t
let you see the paths that lie in front of you. Look to the future for hope.
The future is only as bright as your faith. Let’s move forward. Everything will
work out because of Christ. Live for the future because you can make of it
whatever you want.
Changing your future takes new habits of perception. New habits
take practice and awareness. Make an effort. Take a step
back from the situation and realize all things are possible and look for the positive.
Seem daunting? Well we’re not alone. Romans 15:13 “Now the
God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in
hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
All he asks of us is for us to ask him for help. Ask and ye
shall receive.
Think of the way you talk to yourself. Do you take
responsibility for your own happiness or do you rely on people and situations
around you to make you happy?
Which can you control?
D&C 123:17 “…let us cheerfully do all things that lie in
our power; and then may we stand
still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm
to be revealed.”
One of my favorite sayings is “Do your best and let God do
the rest.”
Here are some characteristics of optimistic people:
1-They think about, reflect on and emphasize the
good things in life.
2-They are grateful for all their blessings.
3-They don’t complain when something bad happens.
4-They feel that nothing can hold them back from
achieving success and reaching their goals
5-They
believe in abundance, fullness, and
richness in life
6-They are confident that the world offers plenty
of opportunity for everyone to succeed.
You can change your thinking with practice. Take that step
back.
Third, Be Grateful
#2 on our list of characteristics was having gratitude.
Optimists are grateful for the good things in life as well as for their trials.
Why in the world would anyone be grateful for adversity?!
Because they have used it to help them grow and progress,
which is why we came to Earth in the first place, to progress. As children of
God, we rejoice in progress.
I am grateful for each of my trials because I am a better
person after every single event. I grow. I learn and I become happier as I am
able to handle the stresses and sorrows of life from a more eternal
perspective. Mastery over self can be achieved, not in perfectness yet, but enough
to make us happy here on earth. When life hands you lemons…. all you need to do
is add a little sweetness to create something great.
Return to the Card Exercise:
How can we overcome the struggle that we wrote down on our
card? Discuss. Here are some ideas
1-Consider if this will matter 3 months from now...10
years…. Eternally?
2-Try to see things from their point of view. Or
the Lord’s point of view.
3-Does this person need help themselves? How can I
help them?
4-Do I need to humble myself?
So once we develop habits of optimism, how do we keep it?
Moroni 8:26 “...Because of the meekness and lowliness of
heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with
hope and perfect love, which love
endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the
saints shall dwell with God.”
We must be diligent in our prayers and commandments to keep
the Holy Ghost with us, nurturing our optimism, and we will be able to endure
to the end. We must keep in constant communication with the One that brings us
happiness. If you do not nurture your optimism (this also applies to your testimony,
hope and faith) it will become easy for it to slip away without you even
knowing.
WHY be optimistic?
1-We ALL have 1 thing in common. We may not all
have the same ideas but we all want to be happy.
Optimism allows you to be happy most of the time, even throughout life’s
trials.
2-Optimists live longer.
3-Optimists are healthier.
4-Optimists handle stress better.
5-Optimists have brighter futures.
6-Optimism is contagious. You may have no idea how
your optimism can impact or even change the lives of others.
7-Optimists can gain eternal life. 2 Nephi 31:20 “Wherefore,
ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect
brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall
press forward feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold,
thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”
This quote from our beloved prophet, Gordon B Hinckley, perfectly describes what I am trying to put into words.
"In my 90 plus years, I have learned a secret. I have learned that when
good men and good women face challenges with optimism, things will
always work out! Truly, things always work out! Despite how difficult
circumstances may look at the moment, those who have faith and move
forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out."
(Gordon B Hinckley (1910-2008) Way to be! p84)
His will be done in all things. We can still be happy.
Perception is reality.
If you can change how you perceive things then you can
change your reality and your life.
I just finished reading 703 by Nancy Makin and I highly recommend it to everyone.
This book is a memoir about the disparate life of the author, Nancy. Written in first person, this book leads us through her life and all of her thoughts. Through her childhood and the journey that packed on 703 pounds we see her struggle as an outsider. She has a unique story to tell and the reason she wrote the book is to help others like herself overcome self-detrimental thoughts and actions and how to recover from them. Anyone can benefit from the life lessons of this tale, plus I found it quite entertaining.
It is an easy read, nothing too deep. I listened to it as an audiobook that I obtained from my county's online library service.
Here is a clip of an interview with ABC news in April 2010. She weighed 703 lbs in May 2000.
Here is an excerpt from the book to show you her writing style.
"703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life," by Nancy Makin
Preface: A View From the Crow's Nest / My Turn
No one could be more surprised than I to find myself here tapping on
this keyboard, pounding out these characters, building words, telling a
tale that could never be; it is too fantastic. But I am tapping, and it
did happen. I am alive, and that revelation still stuns me. This was not
the plan, the blueprint that I saw lying there before me. Life is for
the living; I was not alive, only went through the motions, and even
those were streamlined to the very barest function necessary to keep my
heart pumping and lungs filling in a heavily encumbered chest. My
vacant eyes were still activated, watching all that bustled about me,
all I had no part in. I marked time, waiting for the end.
My death would come; either slowly, incrementally, a wasting sort of
degeneration, or in a swift manner, suddenly, taking me away in one fell
swoop and releasing my misused body, my brain's unspent currency and
saddened spirit.
My incarceration crept up on me over years, built not in a day, but in
millions of moments, one upon the next, as if each were a single brick
in some ominous structure of my own design. In every moment, I pressed
firmly down each sturdy rectangle, applying a liberal layer of the
mortar of worthlessness, then another and another heaped upon the last,
till the walls of my prison were erected solidly around me.
I was a fine mason. There were no gaps between bricks, no air pockets in
which to find a fissure, some defect that could later be exploited,
tearing down my encasement and letting daylight shine upon my prisoner's
face. There would be no escaping this mind-numbing cell. Yet this is
the story of one woman's unlikely prison break. There alone in my
confinement, I felt helpless to find a way outside. My liberation would
come from the most unexpected source, and in my wildest imaginings, I
never contemplated its arrival. I had resigned myself to this life
sentence, although that was surely a misnomer. For truly, it was a death
sentence I faced. And I ought to know, it was I who was prosecutor,
judge and jury. I had imposed a sentence, the harshest possible. And
those outside the dank walls would be my improbable liberators. I did
not even know them, nor were they aware of me, not yet. Let me take you
back to when it all began.
I had a ton of zucchini from my garden so I decided to grill it up for a family 4th of July barbecue yesterday and boy am I glad I did!
Wow!
This really surprised me. Not only is this a healthy meal.... it is a vegetable and it is amazingly delicious! Grilling it just brought out the delicious flavors in the zucchini especially in the skin. Mmmm..... now I want some more.
So if you have a bunch of this:
You can make this:
Drooling yet?
Grilled Zucchini
Ingredients:
Zucchini
Italian Dressing
Slice up your zucchini so it is 1/2 - 3/4 inches thick and put it in a zip-lock baggie. Pour the Italian dressing over the zucchini. {I just bought a small bottle of Italian dressing and used the whole thing but I probably only needed half the bottle or about a 1/2 cup or so.} Seal the zip-lock and shake the bag to evenly coat the zucchini. Let it marinate for about 15-20 minutes while you are heating up and prepping your grill as necessary.
With the grill on low-medium, place all the zucchini on the grill so it doesn't fall through the grates. Allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes then flip the zucchini over with tongs. Allow another 4-5 minutes to cook. The zucchini will be done when soft and somewhat bendy. I think it is best when it has softened slightly but not enough to become floppy. The longer you cook it, the softer and floppier it will get so cook to your liking. Serve and enjoy! Mmmm!
I know I already posted today but this was too good not to post right away!
I just had the best vegan veggie burrito ever (haha...like I have had one before).
Seriously, it was amazing.
It gets a 5 out of 5 rating on my awesomely delicious scale.
When you look at the individual ingredients, it doesn't look like it would be that tasty.
I can honestly say this was amazAZing!
I will for sure make this again.
Why didn't I take a picture?!
My inspiration was the Cafe Rio salad with tomatillo sauce because I loved those;
and now I am extremely happy that I just created an amazing dinner from it.
Best Vegan Veggie Burrito Ever
{I hate to even call it vegan because of the stigma. Vegan is delicious too!}
by Sara
Tortilla
Green Leafy Lettuce
Tomato, diced
Cucumber, diced
Black Olives, diced
Black Beans
Avocado
Salsa
Lemon Juice
Vegan Ranch
Prepare veggies: Dice cucumber, olives and tomato. Wash and shred lettuce. Scoop out avocado and mash it up with a fork in a bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and some salsa to taste. Heat tortilla in microwave for about 15 seconds and place on a plate. Spread avocado spread onto tortilla, add black beans, lettuce, veggies and drizzle with a small amount of vegan ranch.
Roll up and enjoy!
This vegan ranch was so amazing that it really deserves its own post but here it is anyway.
Follow Your Heart High Omega Vegan Ranch
I was really not expecting a lot because I've never heard of a delicious vegan ranch before (haha....silly me) but I decided I will just keep trying different products until we find one we can "tolerate".
Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! I think I might even like it better than Ranch if you can even imagine that! I am really glad that I found this. It is much healthier for you than Ranch too!
It does have a price tag though. Ouch. $5. Not that bad though when you are already buying Newman's Own. :)
My first trip to Whole Foods as a vegetarian was like walking into a foreign country, not speaking the language and trying to find my way to the local park. Yet everything was so new that is was still fun and exciting all the same.
It felt almost like a cult. Everyone there drove small compact cars, were very thin, wore flip flops or some sort of grass article of clothing and seemed to know exactly what they were looking for.
This of course is quite a broad (and maybe sort of slightly exaggerated) generalization but it still seemed like this all the same. ;D
I liked it. I have been there before but I kind of saw it in a new light this time.
What I really loved about Whole Foods was how the produce was so FRESH with brilliant colors!
I really couldn't believe it. I have never seen such nice produce before (especially for organic) and the prices were not outrageous. It was more expensive but well worth it I think.
Whole Foods really had anything I could need to eat a wide variety of healthy and vegetarian foods, except cashew cream....apparently it is not as common an ingredient as recipes and audiobooks would have me believe because no one had any idea what I was talking about. It's all good. I will just get to make my own. :) The employees there were very nice and helpful too!
See the spoils
Looks amazing! Doesn't it?! Mostly fresh fruits and vegetables with a few other things such as vegetable broth, raw cashews, spirulina and sesame sticks.....just because those are delicious.
I learned a few more things today.
I have never used fennel (I have tasted it and it's really not one of my favorite flavors). I only got it because a recipe I have uses fennel and I thought, "Why not? Let's give her a try."
Well here it is.
Weird looking little bugger isn't it?
It's basically a big ol' root with spidery green foliage.
I also had no idea what kale looked like until I found some and realized I have seen it a lot and just never knew it was kale. Good times.
The nectarines were tasty.... I'm excited to dig in!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
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10:58 PM
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By:
Unknown
We have decided we are not going to eat eggs or dairy products anymore as wells as limiting refined sugar. So, yes, we are getting a bit extreme, but extreme circumstances call for extreme measures.
Essentially the only thing keeping us from Vegan is honey consumption....we're ok with honey at least for now. =D
THIS is going to be quite the adventure.
THIS is a whole new way of eating.
We are going "cold tofu"..... haha..... get it?!
This is going to be challenging but not nearly as challenging as cancer.
To start, I need to go shopping.
Actually, before that, I need to clean out the fridge and cupboards.
{Anyone hungry?}
The game plan is raw fresh vegetables and fruits with some whole grain and super foods thrown in.
Sound good?
Delicious Snack = Watermelon bowl
I bought a baby watermelon and cut it in half. Put each watermelon half in a bowl and grabbed a spoon. Dig in!
This is how I ate watermelon growing up so why quit now? :)
I ordered a few Vegan cook books from amazon. I hope they will have some good information and recipes to mix things up a bit. My goal is to go raw as much as possible but I think I will want to have a few other things too like pastas and such.
Tomorrow. Whole Foods.
Shopping List:
Apples + other fruit
Celery
Kale
Cucumber
Lettuce
Cashew cream
Nutritional yeast
Soy Milk
Lemon
Avocado
Ginger
Fennel
Carrots
Veggie broth
Spinach
Am I missing anything vital?!
Stay tuned for info on a new blog I am creating regarding the pathway to total body wellness- uncovering the facts and fiction behind food through literature research. I do the research, you reap the benefits!
Introducing
The Verve Body Project
Featuring: The Food Identity Crisis
Just as I got excited when you came home from a long trip or came to
pick me up at preschool,
I still get excited when I get to see you.
Even though our lives have taken us on different adventures and I don't see you as much,
I still think of you often.
I frequently think about the great childhood memories you gave me like Midieval Times, going to the beach or building a tree house and being called Little Miss fix-it.
Thank you for always wanting the best for me.
Thank you for loving me whether a little awesome or a little off....
...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. ;D
As I go through stuff I want to get rid of some nice stuff because I just have a lot of it and i know I don't use it all. So I will be posting the nicer things that I hate to just get rid of in case any of my family or friends could use it.
I'll keep it for about a weekish and if no one wants to claim it for their own then I will give it to good will.
I'll post the stuff in the sidebar for a quick reference and keep updating this post.
We can arrange a time when you can come and pick it up and I can leave it on the front porch if I am not home.
So this is FREE FOR ALL! Let me know if you want anything or know someone who wants something!
You can comment here or send me a text or email.
Large Dog Kennel
H 3' x W 2.5' x D 4'
It has been outside for the winter so it could use a hosing off and a quick spray painting in a few parts but is in decent condition (especially considering these puppies are expensive!) The bottom tray has 2 parallel cracks. For a scale, that is my full grown boxer. It's a pretty big kennel.
My first reference for my research on what I should be eating is the Handbook on Life so I figured that this really was the only place to start- to get the correct foundation right off the bat. Of course, everything is open to personal interpretation. Here is mine after much pondering and thoughtfulness.
If you don't know already, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I believe in a few books of revelation in addition to the Bible, namely The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants.
The Doctrine and Covenants are modern day revelations given to the prophet, Joseph Smith, who restored the priesthood and gospel back to the earth after the great apostasy. These revelations consist of a wide variety of topics, one of which educates us on how to stay healthy in both body and spirit.
Here is the original text in its entirety.
This "diet" is called 'The Word of Wisdom'.
{If you click on any of the following hyperlinks, it will take you to the entire original text. From there you can click on an individual hyperlink and it will describe that particular footnote in a popup box without leaving the page. Way cool!}
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, 27 February 1833 (see History of the Church,
1:327–29). As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in
their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter;
consequently, he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation,
known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result. The first three verses were originally written as an inspired introduction and description by the Prophet.
1–9, The use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks is proscribed; 10–17, Herbs, fruits, flesh, and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals; 18–21, Obedience to gospel law, including the Word of Wisdom, brings temporal and spiritual blessings.
1 A aWord of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—
2 To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the aword of wisdom, showing forth the order and bwill of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—
3 Given for a principle with apromise, adapted to the capacity of the bweak and the weakest of all csaints, who are or can be called saints.
4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of aevils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of bconspiring men in the last days, I have cwarned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—
5 That inasmuch as any man adrinkethbwine
or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the
sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up
your sacraments before him.
6 And, behold, this should be wine, yea, apure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.
7 And, again, astrong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.
8 And again, tobacco is not for the abody,
neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for
bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.
9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with aprudence and bthanksgiving.
12 Yea, aflesh also of bbeasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used csparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be aused, only in times of winter, or of cold, or bfamine.
14 All agrain
is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life,
not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of
heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And athese hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the afood of man; as also the bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
17 Nevertheless,
wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for
the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley
for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ashall receive bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;
20 And shall arun and not be bweary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the adestroying angel shall bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.
This seems pretty self explanatory to me.
My interpretation:
God has given us the guidelines to be as healthy as we can. Whether for the temporally practical and physiological reasons or for spiritual reasons by just being blessed with health for following his word, we can gain much from following these principles.
God created the body. I trust that he knows how to run it. I choose God's team.
It appears to me that we are meant to live a "vegetarian" lifestyle consisting of grain, fruit, nuts, seeds, and herbs, etc. However, our merciful God has created for us a backup plan in times of winter and famine or anytime we cannot harvest from the earth. For these times has God reserved for us and granted us permission to eat the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air. This makes a lot of sense to me because we would not be eating the animals of the Garden of Eden (had we stayed there) and were our bodies not meant to be healthy whether in the Garden or out of it? We were created in the image of our Father and therefor our bodies are eternal and meant to live under any conditions the Father puts us in. (D&C 29:34)
When God gave us dominion over the beasts of the field, I don't think farming animals for meat is what he had in mind (I could be wrong- this is my interpretation). He is telling us to use them sparingly only when we really need it to survive.
What an omniscient and loving God to give us the information we crave and need in this day of information overload.
Maybe I am reading into this a little too much, but I don't think so.
If God hands be a textbook and says read this and follow it, I think I'm gonna do it to the best of my abilities.
I only regret that I didn't consider this earlier.
My two cents.
That said, there is a scripture that states as long as you eat "with faith" meaning according to what you believe is correct and not against what you think is correct, you will be blessed for that and not be condemned. Rom. 14:21 (20–23)
So go forth, interpret and eat as you will. :)
I don't think I really explained my goal very well in my last post about food.
I received a lot of emails from family and friends making sure we weren't going to be unhealthy vegetarians (yes those exist). I am glad my family loves me that much. =D
I am going to take back the title of my journey from:
Our Journey to Vegetarian
and change it to:
Our Journey to Maximum Health
I have
learned a ton over the last 4 months. I have listened to many audiobooks and also seen primary
literature on nutrition topics. I also now see that what I used to think
was healthy is not healthy at all. I look at food totally different.
My goal isn't to just not eat meat because I do agree that meat can have
a place in our diet. I am all about eating REAL food. I totally agree
that a lot of vegetarians do not look healthy and look rather frail at
times. That's not my goal and we are not doing this at all to get
'skinny'. I can be skinny and still eat meat. There are also vegetarians out there that know what they are doing and are very strong and healthy. Our goal is overall maximum health so we are definitely wanting to eat REAL
food and not soy burgers or tofu dogs that are processed into a
vegetarian meat option. I would rather have a fresh cut of organic
grass-fed beef or wild fish because that is natural. I am very interested in
learning more about nutrition and very open to new ideas especially if they make sense.
Obviously our motivator is cancer so if there is a certain food that is linked to it then I am willing to give it a try.
I am still looking into the literature that says cancer may be
associated with meat consumption and I am not 100% sold that meat itself
causes cancer but that it could be the way we produce our meat.
I do think that if we (society) could know what is best for our bodies and have the
discipline to eat what we should then we could save ourselves from a lot of suffering
and health costs.
I am planning on documenting my education and the new
literature and information I get because as I have changed a lot over
the last few months I am sure I will keep learning new things and change
again.
All I can act off of is what I know.
I am really just on the
continual search for truth.
