When is the last time you had a date with God? I am not talking about just 15 minutes of quiet time with the Lord, but some time away (if possible) where you can spend an hour or two alone with Him? As a wife, mother of three, director of a school and owner of a small business, this is often difficult for me. Have you ever allowed your callings . . . to be your fallings? I confess; I have.

Eating snacks between small meals can help to boost metabolism, satiate the body, increase energy and aide digestion. Whether you are seeking wellness, fat loss or fitness goals, healthy snacking is vital.

Viable solutions and a proper plan of action only come AFTER proper assessment. How many of us really “take a pulse” on our reality before leaping forward into new year’s goals and resolutions? I would say this time of honest reflection is often overlooked. Or, maybe we are great at identifying the problems, but we have yet to dive deeper into the “why” behind the problem.

When you view your body as a spiritual temple, you are more likely to prioritize healthy practices that nourish your body and soul. This includes techniques such as healthy eating, physical movement, prayer, meditation on God's word, and rest. You begin to see your body not as a tool for achieving external goals but as a vehicle for attaining internal growth and transformation for the sake of the Kingdom.

Because camping serves as revival for the body, soul and mind, the last thing I want to do is feed our family junk on the journey. Some of the best memories are made when we are fueling our bodies healthfully for the experience and avoiding headaches, dips in energy and digestive distress (because, really, while I am grateful there are bathhouses, I would not say the use of them is the highlight of the trip). We want to be PRESENT while we are camping and RESTORED when we return home. With our desire to be the first generation in our family to pass on the tradition of camping, we hope our children are inspired to learn how to feed their families healthfully while enjoying sacred time with God, His creation and each other.

What a gracious God we serve to have created day and night – rhythms of work and rest.  In our glorified bodies with the Creator in heaven – we won’t need sleep!   But in THIS lifetime, He knew we would.  Our fragile bodies need time to recover. In His incarnate state, even Jesus needed it (remember his sleeping episode on the boat amidst the storm in Mark 4:38?). 

In every season of life, God has taught us new lessons as it relates to both physical and spiritual health. He has graciously walked us through trials as the faithful and unfailing love of Christ has anchored us in eternal hope time and time again.

The recovery from such heavy trauma to my lungs and heart was a long and arduous one . . . I began to feel like my body had changed at the cellular level. I was chronically fatigued, and I suddenly found myself having adverse reactions to a variety of foods.

Even though I was working out in the gym, I sabotaged myself by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and eating junk food routinely. My initial dedication to the gym was birthed out of vanity. I was hooked on the feelings I was getting from working out.