Change Can be Beautiful
Today I’m lending my page to my friend and writer, Katherine Pasour. Her recently released book, Honoring God with My Body, gave me fresh perspectives on changing seasons and health. Psalm 139 reminds us that we are God’s special creation, “fearfully and wonderfully made”, and Katherine believes we should nurture all aspects of wellness. Read on for ideas for change to be beautiful. Her bio and information is found at the end of the article. Comment below and be entered into a drawing to receive a copy of her book,
Now, from Katherine:
Our calendars and cooler temperatures recently signaled the arrival of Fall. A meme on social media caught my eye as the season officially changed. Although I don’t recall the exact wording, the message was something like this:
“Fall reminds us that change can be beautiful.”
Hmm…often, we balk at change, don’t we? At the very least, change is hard, but like Fall, change can be beautiful for our lives.
Throughout our lifespan, it’s important for us to take care of our health. If we’ve developed some poor lifestyle choices, changing these habits to healthier behaviors can be a challenge.
But, changing lifestyle behaviors is possible.
[Tweet “Change can be beautiful—especially for our health.”]
Some actions that benefit our well-being—no matter our “season” of life—are healthy eating, regular physical activity, a rewarding social life, good sleep, finding joy in each day, and serving others. Whether we are a child, teen, adult, or in the category labelled “elderly” (as I approach that status, I’m not too thrilled about that label), we can use these behaviors to keep our bodies going strong.
Six actions to stay in the season of good health
What we eat—Fruits and vegetables are good for us—at any age. These powerhouses of nutrition provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Fresh or frozen are best and, as much as possible, avoid frying, adding salt, or high calorie seasonings or dressings. Try to select lean meats (fish or poultry) and limit consumption of red meat (beef and pork). If you’re able to eat grains, select whole wheat and other whole grains for your bread, cereal, and pasta choices. Skim milk and yogurt are good low fat dairy selections. Avoid added sugar, fats, fried foods, and anything high in sodium. Drink LOTS of water and limit sodas and other sweetened beverages.
Do these guidelines sound like you’ll never eat “good food” again? This doesn’t mean we must completely deprive ourselves of “treats” (those foods we love that are high in fat or sugar), but those unhealthy choices should be occasional rather than daily choices.
Daniel said to their guard: “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. At the end of ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Daniel 1:12, 15) NIV*
Be active—No matter our age, physical activity is beneficial for us. Regular exercise keeps our heart strong; reduces our risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer; helps us maintain a healthier weight; strengthens our muscles; and helps control stress. If you’re not currently physically active, check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. You can find suggestions for a walking program** on my website or feel free to contact me for recommendations.
Social time you enjoy—Humans are created to be social, but it’s up to us to plan and participate in social experiences and events. They should be rewarding—something you look forward to. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, chose activities that help you feel good. If they’re activities that serve others (and you enjoy), that’s even better.
Good sleep—Sleep allows our body to rest and recuperate. We need seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. If you are a good sleeper, you are blessed. If you’re struggling, these recommendations can help:
- Avoid screen time (television, computer, phone, etc. for at least an hour before bedtime).
- Try to keep a regular schedule of going to bed and getting up.
- Avoid naps unless naps don’t prevent you from falling asleep at your usual bedtime.
- Try not to eat after seven in the evenings.
Have fun and laughter every day—Laughter is good medicine. Select activities and social interactions that bring joy—share laughter and joy with others.
Serve others—We are called to serve others. This can be through our career or vocation (our calling). If our vocation is our career, that’s even better. I’m a teacher—it’s my calling.
What is your calling—your gifts? (We all have them, so answering, “I don’t have any” isn’t an option). How can you use your gifts to bring joy to others, while you also work toward making healthier lifestyle choices?
Replacing some of your unhealthy habits with good ones improves self-esteem, leads to better management of your health, and improves your quality of life. You also have more energy to serve God and others and you can enjoy your season of good health.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Change can be beautiful! What changes are you thinking about? Or if you’ve made changes, how have you seen their beauty?
Wishing you blessings on the journey,
Katherine
*All scripture is from the NIV
Katherine Pasour is an author, teacher, farmer, and speaker with a passion for service. She blogs regularly at www.katherinepasour.com with a focus on faith, wellness, and the lessons nature teaches. She is a regular contributor to Refresh Bible Study Magazine, published by Lighthouse Bible Studies and has articles in several Bible Study compilations.
Katherine’s wellness Bible study, Honoring God with My Body: Journey to Wellness and a Healthy Lifestyle, published by Morgan James, is available from all major booksellers. Find her on Instagram at KatherinePasourAuthor and Twitter @KatherinePasour. You can also connect with Katherine Pssaour on Facebook
The Conversation
Thanks for graciously sharing your space, Marilyn. Katherine is an author friend that I admire as well, Of course, her piece does have a potential downside. It tends to kick in convicting realizations that I should take another look at stuff I like to avoid thinking about, like my diet and exciting things like exercise. The spiritual issue I struggle with is whether when Jesus said, Follow Me, was He really heading to the gym?
Ron, I love your sense of humor–after all, laughter is good medicine! I think each of us, upon close reflection, can find some habits that we could change to help our quality of life. As far as Jesus going to the gym, He was so active in His daily lifestyle, He probably didn’t need the gym as much as we do. He traveled a great deal by walking and the distance between villages and towns in the region required some endurance walking. Carpenter work can be muscle building, too. I think Jesus is a great model for a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, my friend. You sent smiles our way.
Like every journey, the journey to better health begins with the often-times most difficult step to take, the first one. While change can be difficult to achieve sometimes, positive change can make a world of difference in our lives. Great message Ms. Katherine. And a big THANK YOU to Ms. Marilyn for sharing your blog with friends. It’s these little acts of kindness that show how we can honor God beyond a physically healthy lifestyle. Enjoyed the post this week ladies.
You are right, dear friend, sometimes the very first step toward change is the hardest one. I pray that we all will examine some of our lifestyle habits and see where we can make changes that will honor our Father, and the gift of this amazing human body. Small changes can make significant differences in our quality of life. Continuing to pray for you and your sweet bride.
Marilyn, I’m honored and grateful to be your guest this week. Thank you for this opportunity to share and I pray those who visit your blog will be blessed and encouraged.
Katherine’s book has provided us with many great health care tips. Thanks to both of you for sharing this resource we can use over and over again to help us stay on track.
Thank you, Barbara. I’m so blessed by your encouragement and for Marilyn’s kindness in having me as a guest. I pray Honoring God with My Body can be an encouraging guide for those seeking a healthier lifestyle and a closer walk with our Lord. Wishing you a blessed day!
Katherine and Marilyn, this is a great tool for self-evaluation and potential change. Isn’t it funny how long it takes to establish a good habit and how easily we fall out of one we’ve followed for years? Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway, this list from Katherine helps me to stay on track.
Thank you for stopping by, Annie, and sharing encouragement. I definitely agree, establishing good habits takes time and constant commitment, whereas the beginning of a bad habit pops up on a daily basis as we are tempted by multiple urges. And as you say, it’s so easy to fall away from a good habit (and it isn’t just you). But God is on our side–He wants us to make healthy choices. With Him as our encourager and guide, we can stay on the journey to wellness. Each day is a new day, a gift, and a new start to make healthy choices. Wishing you joy and blessings on your journey, Annie.
You give a great breadth of ideas here from food to sleep to work–all important and all key to our health. Thanks, Katherine. God bless!
Thank you for stopping by, Nancy, and sharing encouragement. Our wellness is multifaceted, with many dimensions. I certainly didn’t focus on all, but tried to touch on some basics to encourage those who are seeking a healthier lifestyle on their journey. May God send you showers of blessings!
Katherine, what a wonderful encouragement that change can be beautiful. I have recently commenced a personal health journey- drinking more water and reducing my sugar intake and it is tough! Realizing that taking care of our bodies is a way to serve God and others is worth it putting down the piece of chocolate cake I so badly want to eat.
Thank you Marilyn for sharing your share and thank you Katherine for a wonderful post!
Dawn, I’m so happy for you–choosing some new habits on your journey to wellness. Yes, it is hard to give up some of our favorite foods, develop healthier nutrition habits, and increase our activity levels when life is so busy. But the rewards are many–our body thanks us for treating it better; we have more energy and better quality of life; we honor our Father (I could go on and on). Wishing you joy on the journey and sending my best wishes to you as you make these changes toward a healthier lifestyle.
Katherine, your book and this post offer such wise practical strategies for helping us honor God with our bodies. You’ve reminded me to take one step at a time. Thank you.
Thank you for your encouragement, Jeannie. I pray Honoring God with My Body will encourage others to seek a healthier lifestyle to honor our Father and enable them to start their journey to a healthier lifestyle. Blessings!