Don’t let people guilt you into eating because “you earned it.” We don’t earn food by exercising, we earn our life by excerising.

photo credit: Dendroica

Feeling like all hope is gone? Never, never let go of hope. It can move mountains. Survive valleys. Swim rivers. Trek deserts.

Photo credit: Ana_Cotta

Mondays are typically a day that people dread. How many people do you know that say “Happy Monday!” (well, besides me)? Very few! Well, we want to help you have a positive day, week, month, year, life … So every Monday we have a series called ME: Motivation Encouragement. This is one way we can help you start your Monday off on the right foot!

What are you struggling with today? Like the intro says, Monday’s are generally tough days for people. So let me ask you this next question. (Perhaps today’s article should be called Question Monday )

Do you have love in your life? Not the wishy-washy kind of love, but true, compassionate, tender hearted love?

Sometimes encouragement comes in the form of love. When you give love, you receive love. And when you have love in your life, the whole world seems brighter. Fun. Life is doable.

Love in a relationship isn’t the only way to receive love though. You can give love by being kind, thoughtful and compassionate. Seeing a need- big or small- and doing something about it. It’s interesting that when you give love, your outlook and mood improves. Love is a natural mood-lifter! Love can give you hope. Love can give you peace. Love can give you love.

If you are feeling down, discouraged, or unmotivated, go love someone. It will lift you and the person you love! How can you love? Here are two practical ways to love: send a handwritten card (yes snail mail). Call a friend (yes an old fashioned thing called a telephone).

Your acts of love encourage not only you, but the person receiving the love. Love is amazing and I’m thankful that I get to experience real love and give that love to others.

Food for thought: who can you show your love to today?

photo credit: epSos.de

Welcome to Soul Food. Each Sunday, on this site, we focus on healthy living by reflecting on our soul and God. For if we neglect that, we have lost everything. (Luke 9:25 and Matthew 16:26.)

Question: Have you ever been overwhelmed by life?

If you said yes, you’re being honest. I don’t think any of us have ever not been overwhelmed with life to a certain extent! The question is what are you going to do with that overwhelming feeling?

Last week, I was under a ton of stressful, overwhelming situations. And then I encountered someone else who was also feeling overwhelmed by life and was going to end it all. My heart went out to them. I did what I could (email, resources, prayed with them over the phone and called the police). I don’t know what happened, but I am hopeful that they chose life.

Naturally, I started thinking and pondering on why some people lose ALL sight of hope and others hold on to that very fine thread of hope in the pitch black. I don’t have an answer, but I do know that when I am overwhelmed there are a few things I do to keep that spark of hope alive. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed today (and if not today you probably will in the future!) and I hope they help you.

1) Talk. It’s very natural to want to withdrawal and not talk about what is bothering you. By talking with trusted friends you can gain a different perspective and lean on them when you don’t see the light. We were created to be social, to talk, to be with people. We weren’t made to do life alone. If you don’t have a trusted friend, seek one. A good, Christian church is a great place to start. When you deal with your overwhelming stuff with someone else, the mountain doesn’t seem so challenging anymore. 

2) Time. It’s been said that time heals all wounds. I don’t necessarily believe that. I do believe that time will make the pain a little more bearable and the scar that forms serves as a reminder that you’ve survived. The second piece of time is that even if you can’t see your future in front of you (and if you do, it looks like a never ending black cloud) it’s there. Don’t think about months from now, focus on today. Slow down and do what you can to make today better. If you do that each day, things will get better. 

3) Tackle. What is bothering you? What is overwhelming? Don’t be afraid to get dirty and wrestle with what is weighing on your mind and heart. We can only change what we acknowledge. It might be scary and frightening but healing can only happen when we face what is bothering us and work through it. 

4) Faith. Not a “t” word, but it has to be here. There are times in my life when the only thing I had was my faith. Two verses that helped me:

Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.”

AND

Deuteronomy 31:6 “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Read them until you believe.

Feeling overwhelmed by life? You shouldn’t. God will never fail nor abandon you. Chances are that your perspective is skewed and just needs a little encouragement. So be of good courage and live life with faith vs. overwhelming fear.

photo credit: david.nikonvscanon

You don’t need stats to show you that our country is out of shape, overweight, paying for sick care vs. health care and turning to pills and a drive-thru mentality instead of looking at the problem and working to have a better life.

Glaring at your alarm clock at 5 a.m. as it goes off, stumbling out of bed, putting on your shoes and hitting the gym, pool or trail – it’s not for the faint of heart. It takes dedication, commitment, hard work and perseverance to get what you want. What you put in is what you get out. Don’t go through life half -alive. Be fully alive! Put in the hard work to train for a race. Challenge yourself. If it seems too big, then you’re on the right track.

There are no quick solutions. To do anything in life, not just fitness or health. People seeking quick-fixes, magical miracles or instant solutions are either: A) lazy B) uncommitted C) no personal desire to change. You’ve got to light that personal spark to live life wholeheartedly. No one can do it for you. Sure, you can have positive influences around you to inspire, encourage and motivate you, but the hard work and determination lies squarely upon your shoulders.

The state of our health can only be changed by each person taking personal responsibility. If we are a parent or in a care-giver role it is our duty to take personal responsibility and set a good example for those in our care. The little eyes, ears and feet that look up to us are seeking guidance, wisdom and most of all, watching how we live our life. The next generation is predicted to live a shorter life span then you and I. Kids don’t need treat after treat (hear me out on this), they need you and I to live a positive, healthy life. Treats are a falsehood and set kids up for (food) problems later on. Food is not a treat, food is energy. Yes, food is good, but not as a barter/reward system.

The next generation needs to see us taking our health just as serious and important as we do our job, house, car, golf, etc. Active movement shouldn’t be an afterthought, but a natural part of our life. And movement doesn’t just mean hitting the gym, it’s playing on the playground. Shooting hoops with the kids. Going on a nature hike. Biking. Planting a garden if you have that luxury. Or container gardens. Shopping at farmer’s market. Using every opportunity to teach, show and live life on a positive, healthy note.

I can’t change the world. And neither can you. But what we can do is to keep on living a positive, healthy, fit life as an example to the world that they too can change the way they live. Say no to excuses and yes to living an active, healthy, happy life each and everyday.

Food for thought: are you taking personal health/wellness/fitness responsibility? Or making pathetic excuses?

photo credit: fruity monkey

If you read the title, you might be wondering where I am going with this. Well, read on and you’ll find out .

I meet so many people that are afraid to get dirty. Either metaphorically or in real life. In real life, they are afraid to mess up their new running shoes. Newsflash – if you are trying to keep your shoes clean you better just stay sitting on the couch. This life isn’t a dance, it’s a battlefield and you better be prepared for whatever may come your way. Metaphorically speaking people are afraid to peel back the layers that makes them the person they are. It’s much better to just build a bridge over the mud and not get dirty. It’s a lot of work to try to live a better life.

I mean, honestly, who wants to face a battlefield of past hurts, hangups, addiction, depression, fear, loneliness, excuses, purity – insert your war here? Facing any or all of these things can be daunting. Overwhelming. Scary. But if we don’t go to battle to fight for the freedom you so desperately desire, how will you ever win? The only way to winning the battle is A) with God’s grace B) standing up to our deepest fear and dealing with. No war was ever fought ignoring the enemy. 

Don’t be afraid to get dirty, be afraid to stay dirty. When we get dirty, we become clean. But when we refuse to get dirty, that’s when we will always be filthy. When you choose to work on whatever problem you are struggling with, victory is yours. Half the battle is just acknowledging that you are going to face _______ and get dirty.

Want life? You’ve got to be brave enough to go to battle and win the fight for your soul, mind and heart. God gives victory to those who long to have a heart after His own heart and work on the things that keep us from truly knowing God. Seek freedom from ___? You’ve got to get dirty to be clean.

Getting dirty doesn’t have to be scary and getting dirty doesn’t mean we get dirty alone. We are all in this together and each of us struggle with problems. The key is to reach out and seek the right help in fighting our battle. There is power and strength in numbers. There are support groups, good, godly friends, even the right Christian counselors/therapists

Afraid to get dirty? Afraid to truly live life? If you seek victory over whatever is troubling you, get dirty. Lay it on the line. Wrestle with it. Have a mud fight. Freedom is found when you cry out to God for help. And you can declare peace and victory of mind, heart and soul. 

Food for thought: Will you get dirty by facing your deepest, darkest fears, problems and get dirty by going to battle?

1 Corinthians 15:57  “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Photo credit: Stig Nygaard

You and I both have memories. Some good. Some bad. Some happy. Some sad. Some bittersweet. Memories are funny like that. They have the effect to make us think back to that moment it time with happy or sad emotion.

And today is one of those such moments for me.

In fact, every March 15 is a memory-charged day for me. As I was mentally preparing for today, I thought about what makes us think about memory makers. And how our reaction to the sad memory makers can make or break us as a person.

Memories can be marked from all sorts of various things. Birth, first race finish line crossed, first house, first driver’s license, weight loss goal achieved – they all come back to one thing. Life. Life is made up of life changing memories, but what about sad memories?

Sometimes we let sad or difficult memory makers become memory markers (read that carefully) because we don’t want to move on. But if we perpetually stay in the marker stage instead of healing and moving on, we are only hurting ourselves. And we’ll always have trouble when that date rolls around. So what can you do?

Acknowledge. The first thing we have to do is acknowledge the pain behind the memory. Brushing it under the carpet won’t do a bit of good. Sooner than later, something will trigger an emotion and you won’t be able to hold it back. As painful as it might be, by acknowledging it is where the healing actually begins.

Accept. Accepting the memory won’t make the memory go away, but it does make it easier to deal with it. By choosing to heal and moving on with our life is where freedom can be found. Also, accepting the memory doesn’t mean that what happened is right, accepting the memory just means we can live life without looking behind our shoulder. And ask God to help you accept it to. Our healing comes from Him.

Appreciate. Appreciate the memory marker. Strive and seek to find the positive in it. It might be hard to do, but when we acknowledge and accept whatever memory is troubling us, we can step back and appreciate what we learned. Life is so much better when we can appreciate the things that make us a better and stronger person.

Food for thought: Do you have a memory marker that you need to make a memory?

(In honor of my memory maker, Hannah. Happy birthday, Hannah. I will always love you. And you will always hold a special place in my heart.)

photo credit: Pink Sherbet 

It was massage day. This isn’t your typical relaxation – smell the roses – would you like chocolate with that – type of massage. No, the massages I receive are nail biting-see stars-pray for it to end – massages. Don’t get me wrong. It is SO worth it when all is said and done. And my massage therapist is the best. He knows my muscles quite well by this point. (Note: there is a difference between pain and discomfort. This is the later. Pain during a massage is not beneficial. But that’s a topic for another day. )

The other day as he was working on my calves, he finally came to a dead stop. (I didn’t complain.) And announced he was going to try a different approach. We’ve been working on this body part for MONTHS. And not much improvement has been made (guess running a million miles a week hasn’t exactly helped things!) on them. So he had me turn on my side and he worked on them from that angle.

And here is the keyword: angle. As I was laying there on my side, I knew a life application was in the making.

How often do we spend countless time doing something and getting frustrated when results don’t happen? Banging our head against the wall doesn’t fix anything, but give us a headache. Perhaps if we face our problem from a different angle, things could change. When we change our approach to a problem, things suddenly take on a whole new outlook.

Maybe that angle is a positive perspective or looking at things from another person’s point of view. Or asking God to help us. I don’t know what you are facing or how you need to change your angle, but I can assure you this, that if you do approach things differently, your whole world could change. For the better. Things that you thought were hopeless is now hopeful. Things that you thought were dark now full of light. Things that were gloomy are now bright.

Things might not change overnight when you change your angle, but with time they just might. But when we change our angle to problems, can we then begin to grow & learn.

Does your angle need to change?

photo credit: mikebaird

Mondays are typically a day that people dread. How many people do you know that say “Happy Monday!” (well, besides me)? Very few! Well, we want to help you have a positive day, week, month, year, life … So every Monday we have a series called ME: Motivation Encouragement. This is one way we can help you start your Monday off on the right foot! (And the day that this is published is the day after losing one hour/daylight savings time. People will be talking complaining about it for weeks.) 

Question: do you have hope?

There is a ton of negativity, darkness, sadness and despair in the world.  People are looking for hope more then ever. And when you have hope, it gives others hope too. If you don’t have hope and faith that you are going to make it, life can be pretty tough. But when you have hope, everything changes. And hope doesn’t have to be an earth-shattering revelation, it can be a small spark that will eventually lead to a giant bonfire. If you lose hope, you’ve got to find it. Not having hope is like going a day without coffee. Or water. 

Hope is the difference between having a very good day or a very bad day. When we let our circumstances dictate our hope scale, things will always be unstable. When our hope is based in Jesus, our hope will always be there. When we become overwhelmed with earthly troubles and our hope becomes clouded, it is important to remember that just because we can’t see the sky, hope is still there.  

How can you regain hope if you’ve lost it? Here are some ways that might help you to restore your hope again.

#1) Positive outlook/perspective. A positive outlook can do immense wonders for your mood. 

#2) Good friends. If the people you hang out with are always full of doom & gloom, it’s probably a wise idea that you make (and find) new friends. When you keep good company, your spirit will be lifted automatically. 

#3) Recognize the little picture. Sometimes we get so hung up on the big picture that we forget we actually need to live today. Right here and now. Keep the big picture in mind, but don’t forget to keep living day by day. Being faithful in the little things builds longterm success. 

#4) You have to want hope. No one can make you have hope. Other people can help plant the hope seed, but it comes down to your effort to keep the hope alive. You have to want hope.

#5) Daily life. Hope also depends on what you are (or aren’t doing). Exercise, eating a healthy diet, drinking water, keeping the faith- these are all things that can keep hope growing in our lives.

#6) Goals. Goals can help us keep focused when it seems like everything is lost. Perhaps you’ve lost a job, a house, a relationship, a car or maybe your surround by debt. Whatever it is, write down what you want and the action steps to make that happen. When we take the time to physically write down what we are seeking and the action plan, it gives us a sense of accomplishment. Of course the hard part is doing the action steps .

#7) Jesus. Ultimately Jesus is the only one that can give us the hope we are seeking and needing in our life. Jesus can take your darkness and give you light & life! It doesn’t get much better then that my friend! When we acknowledge that Jesus is our only source of hope, the way we view life changes. 

Psalm 39:7 ” And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.”

Food for thought: it’s Monday. If you’ve lost hope, how can you renew it? If you do have hope, can you share it with those around you?

peace, sweat, love: life

Photo credit: rkramer62

Are you a Monday Morning Quarterback? Or a motivator and encourager (what I refer to as “ME”). The world has plenty of people that sit back and criticize you for something they don’t have the courage to do in the first place. Or place judgement on you without even walking a second in your shoes.

You see, it is REALLY easy to cast “what-you-should’ve-done” on someone else without even understanding their basic circumstances.

Case in point, this past Saturday I attempted to summit a 13, 423 feet mountain in the dead of winter. (If you haven’t read the recap, you probably should. The last 24 hours has actually shown me that I didn’t realize how close to death I really was. Looking back, it feels like I am living the nightmare all over again. But that is a story for another day.) I’m not entirely sure how it was got a hold of (I try to remain anonymous when/where I can) but someone found my “Winter Mountaineering Adventure Recap” article and thus began the Monday Morning Quarterback effect. Thankfully, some nice people stuck up for me and I even received a very kind email from the captain of Custer County SAR (Search And Rescue). He explained that Brain and I essentially performed a self-rescue. And there was nothing else we could have done (he said if we had waited for SAR, I could’ve been dead by that time). While I stayed off the boards for the most part, I was hearing through the grapevine that I was the topic of the day. So I posted two statements and didn’t read any further. Everyone came out of the wood-work to offer their take on the day & what I did wrong (I already know that!) And a lot of the comments were unfounded and were made by people who had no idea what happened that day.

And here is the point: it is very east to cast judgement on a situation that you have no business judging. People get bored, people think they know everything, and suddenly people are experts on your life, your situation  in a matter of seconds. When we haven’t gone through something that another person has, we have no business telling them what they should/shouldn’t do. Can we offer advice and suggestions for how they might be better prepared for the next time? Sure. Can we do it in a loving, caring way? You bet! 

When we operate from a place of love, grace, compassion, mercy, humbleness and kindness, everything we do changes. But if operate from a place of judgement & criticism, people get hurt. And tt’s been said that hurt people hurt people. Well we should be forgiven people forgiven people. (Read it slowly.)

Are you a Monday (or Thursday) Morning Quarterback? What can you do to change that?  Can you be a ME: Motivator Encourager? The world doesn’t need to hear that they suck; they want to know that they have hope. The world doesn’t need to be told that they made mistakes (they usually already know this) they need encouragement that they can get back up and live a better life. 

Food for thought: What kind of person are you? What kind of person do you want to be?

peace, sweat, love: life

Photo credit: markbyzewski