Thursday, June 28, 2012

Thoughts On Beige Food

Image c/o Etsy
Those who know me probably know this: I am completely nerdy about wellness, nutrition, and exercise. This is a strange thing for those who knew me about three years ago. I grew up as a vegetarian by choice. My family ate meat and I ate... about five things. Pasta, potatoes, cheese, bread, and milk. My dad recently reminded me that I used to pick out any specs of color from my food and ask how animals were killed to become meat. (Not exactly a meal time conversation you might expect from a child.) I wanted to eat things of a certain texture. I wanted to eat things that tasted good and made me full. I ate this way (picky and vegetarian) until around the time Luke and I got engaged. Why? I was in love and I wanted to live a long and healthy life with Luke. I also wanted my diet to be a way I worshiped God. Wasn't my body a temple? I surely didn't treat it like it was something fearfully and wonderfully made. 

I began watching documentaries and scouring the internet. I had to change the way I thought and felt about food. I had to go from ignorance, mindless eating, and desiring instant gratification to asking questions. Why should my food be colorful? Am I eating because I am hungry? Why shouldn't I eat fast food? Why don't I eat meat? Food is important. We should have opinions about why we eat certain things and why we avoid other things. There are reasons most people don't feel well. There are reasons Americans are dying from heart disease. There are reasons obesity is an epidemic.

I am newly into fitness. I spent so much of my life being lazy. Now I need to make up for lost time. I didn't realize how much happier I would be with an active lifestyle. I used to be a depressed person. Now I am not. I really believe that running and regular exercise changed this for me. (Not to mention Jesus... but that's another story.) Now I want to always have fitness goals. If I don't make this a priority now, I will spend the rest of my life making excuses about why I am sitting on my butt. 

My goal here is not to "preach". My goal is to say if I can do it, you can too. I used to only eat things that are beige. I used to maybe eat one fruit a week. I used to get tired from going on long walks. I used to... weigh fifteen pounds heavier than I am right now. (True story.) All of this to say, please get inspired about what you eat and the way you treat your body. You can feel better. You can be active. You can live a long and healthy life with your loved ones. It's worth it! You are worth it, my friend.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

On Marriage

Shannon Moore Photography

After tons of green tea and some important conversations with a couple of dear friends, my mind is on marriage. Marriage is many things to the world: political, controversial, offensive, celebratory, captivating, mysterious, sacred... the list goes on and on. It seems clear that marriage is important. Otherwise, what would all the fuss be about? When I think of marriage, words come to mind based on my own experiences: transforming, hilarious, comforting, sanctifying, restoring, authentic, unique, enriching. Just before Luke and I got married, I had come out of a (very) difficult time. I did not feel like a good person. (I wasn't.) I didn't like who I was. I did not feel that I deserved the blessing and experience of falling in love and becoming engaged. Especially to Luke. Luke seemed to be the opposite of how I felt on the inside. He was honest, patient, consistent, gentle, loyal, and loving. He and I had known each other for years. Luke knew the best and worst of me, so I was stunned that this man still wanted to marry me. 

Even after we exchanged vows, it took my heart some time to accept his love for me. Why would I be freely given such a beautiful gift? Then one day, it was as if a light bulb turned on. My marriage was a symbol of God's grace and mercy in my life. It reflects what God has done for me- and for us. God is generous. He gives good gifts. He blesses us when we don't deserve it. He loves us in ways that soften our hardened hearts until we change and grow. I have learned so much about the way God loves me through Luke. I can't help but hope and pray that this is what marriage looks and feels like for all Christians.

I am thankful that God has blessed me with an incredible husband in Luke. My experience of marriage gives me hope and faith that my friends and family will also be blessed through their marriages. What an incredible way to experience life on this Earth... to be humbled... to say sorry... to laugh until you cry... to talk about Jesus... to change together. If you are reading this and you have been hurt by marriage- I am so sorry and I pray God will restore your mind and heal your heart. If you are reading this and you are discouraged- I pray God will show you how He loves you more than any one person is able to. (How can you be discouraged when you are convinced that you are truly loved by the God of the universe?) If you are reading this and you are not a Christian- I pray God will reveal Himself to you... that you can see evidence of His love in people, in nature, and in the ways He is already demonstrating His love for you in your life. Marriage is not the only way God shows us He loves us, but for me it has been healing, joyful, and precious. I am confident that God has enormous plans for you... ways He wants to love you that are more beautiful than you can imagine or hope for yourself.