Physical Health and Mental Health

How many of us set aside our physical health as we go through life? 

We get complacent. 

We neglect being intentional about what we are putting into our bodies. 

We eat out of stress or out of boredom.

I remember coming back from my 8 years in Europe
 and being stunned at how many Americans are unhealthy. 

It is not just an excess of weight.... 

It is the gallons of soda and fast foods that we consume. 

It is the thought that as long as you are skinny you are healthy.
It is the convenience of driving everywhere
It is the desk jobs
It is the fad diets
It is the neglect of the bodies God gave us.

When I am bored or depressed or stressed. I eat because it is something to do. I find myself eating without tasting what I am putting into my mouth which causes me to feel bloated and heavy...On the flip side, I have a history of forgetting to eat. and thus my mind loses its sharpness. 

God created our bodies and minds to need fuel. If I do not drink enough water, I become lethargic. Similarly, if I do not eat enough protein I become listless. 

I have been on a journey for about 5 years to be healthy spiritually, mentally and physically. 

On this journey, 

I lost 50 pounds, 

worked through some emotional traumas, 

found God leading me to the Catholic church where my spiritual life has grown,

married the love of my life,

gained 40 pounds and then had a beautiful baby boy,

worked through more emotional traumas

discovered a great system of nutrional products

and am now working on my emotional, physical and spiritual health with the help of the Holy Spirit

I hope to share this journey with you and hope that you will share the journey with me. We do better when we are in community. It is part of our spiritual and mental health to be in relationship with others

Health: Spiritual, Mental and Physical

I am continually struck by how God calls us to be Healthy
 Spiritually, Mentally and Physically.

We are not to neglect the body for the mind or the spirit for the body or any other combination.

In my 40 plus years of life, I have neglected one for the other often. 

I can hear myself saying: 

I only have 2 hours, I will sit with Jesus and not go work out. 

OR... 

I need to get fit, I am sure Jesus understands. 

OR... 

I don't have time to meet with a counselor or a spiritual director, I need to work out my body. 

Any number of these ways of thinking puts me at an overall disadvantage. 

On my journey to be healthy, I have been through depression, burnout, lack of finances, and lack of available time. I have used all of these as excuses to not care of some part of my health.

I did not know how much better my mental and spiritual health would be when my physical health was good... until recently. They all work together. When I am physically healthy, I am more mentally healthy. and when I am mentally healthy, I am more spiritually healthy. 

I remember hearing a man who loves God say, "I want to be in the best physical shape I can be so I have no excuses if God calls me to do something." That stuck with me. 

Our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit and yet we often leave the temple in shambles. 

I am on a journey to be in the best spiritual, mental and physical shape I can be. 

Will you join me? 

The body of Christ

My husband and I were recently trained to be Eucharistic ministers. This means we were trained to offer the body and blood of Christ, during Eucharist (communion), to fellow parishioners.

This past Sunday evening I was on the schedule for the first time.

As the service proceeded, I was going over my training and wondering if I was going to royally mess it up. I was consumed with this and then the time came...

I made my way over to the line -up of Eucharistic ministers and eventually to my spot. As the first parishioner came forward and I heard myself verbally offer to them, "Body of Christ".

At this moment, the enormity of what was happening washed over me. The body of Christ offered for you and for me is the greatest gift ever given!  And I was privileged to offer this to my fellow parishioners.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. What grace is this? That Christ died on the cross to cover our sins and He left us a way to be reminded of that every time we participate in the Eucharist.

I continued to offer to each parishioner the "Body of Christ" and in my mind I added offered for you! Wow,

I am overwhelmed with this role I will continue to participate in. What grace is this?!

Searching for a job that fits

In the generation before me, people would stick with a job no matter how bad the situation was. They would stick it out and retire after 30, 40, 50 years. I know many who were miserable but never considered changing jobs, positions, industries. I could not do that. No.. I refuse to do that.

In my working career, I know that I have grown and changed with each job I have held. I have learned more of what I am good at. I have gained new skills. I have learned what type of boss I do not work well with and what kind of boss I do work well with.

I have learned that I cannot stay in a job that is mentally/emotionally or physically unhealthy. This is a challenge for me, because my heart beats to help others be healthy (mentally and emotionally and physically). So I want to stay. I want to help....but this is not always conducive to my mental health.

As I am once again searching for job, I must take all this into consideration. I must consider what in my working career has been life giving.. and what has been draining. I must consider what things I have accomplished to the praise of others and what things I have not done so well at.

I have not failed often in my life but the failures have been intense and I seek to learn from them and become more of who I created to be.

As Robert and I are expecting our first child, I find that I don't want a job that will take me away from my child. I find that I want to put all that I am and all that Christ has created in me, my life experiences and my relationships into being the best wife and mother that I can be.

Being a wife and mother is not the sum of my skills or passions, but at this time, it is where God has me. This is the job that fits where God has planted me now.

life just keeps ticking by....

From time to time, I stop and realize that time is just marching on. 

I am not standing still as it marches, I am falling in line.

But
      I find myself wanting to change the course,
            or the scenery
                 or at the very least my intentionality in the "march".

Even the word "march" does not sit well with my soul. 

I have learned that to truly live, 

I need to learn to truly rest.

And

I am in a continuous learning journey...

 This world clamors for success, striving, performance, and getting more done in less time.

I hear these words of the Lord, they resonate in my soul:

"Cease striving and know that I am God." 

 “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”