Hi friends! This week my friend Heidi Jaquith is with us to share how scripture encourages her to make healthy choices regarding emotional eating and overall physical health. I hope you are encouraged and challenged to crave God! Ladies and Gentlemen, Heidi Jaquith:

We are made to crave God. He is our creator; we are the creation. Everything he created has purpose and beauty. In our household we talk a lot about food that comes from the earth. Each fruit, vegetable, nut, seed, plant, grain, some animal meat- ALL He created is good. Things He created have healing properties. Food, that God made, is the best, most pure food because He created it with the intention for nourishment and fueling. Look at the beauty of all the colored fruits: orange, purple, deep red, or the vast variety of  green vegetables we have to choose from! He is such a wonderful creator. He had his best in mind when it came to creating food to fuel us.

I believe as a parent I oversee the nutrition of my children, whose bodies also belong to the Lord. In our family we would eat a paleo diet (caveman diet). We enjoy pizza and cake at parties but in everyday life we eat food that’s nourishing, colorful and beneficial. We don’t have a “you can’t eat that” mentality but instead “look at all these beautiful colors, and foods each with its own unique taste and nutritious value.”

First Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

In times of stress or when in need of comfort some of us may turn to junk food, or reach for the second glass of wine. God wants to be our comforter. Cookies may comfort for the six minutes you indulge in them, but food never brings lasting peace or comfort. Reaching for the second glass of wine or numbing yourself in other ways will only bring a short spout of temporary relief. My personal struggle is paleo cookies. Food made with almond flour, honey and cacao nibs is fabulous, but when the intention behind it is to comfort, instead of enjoy one or two, that is where the problem lies. That’s not honoring God with our mind.

Two scriptures I use to remind myself when I want food for comfort sake:Psalm 119:76 “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.”

Psalm 46:1 says “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

When I eat 16 paleo cookies in one sitting, I am craving God but living according to the flesh. I want to live and be led by the Spirit! Romans 8:5 “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires.” Please understand me, eat your cookies, enjoy a slice of pizza, but I am talking about the intention of indulgences for comfort. Honor God with your mind (and your actions.) Worldly things do not satisfy. The Bible encourages us with John 4:14 “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” God will satisfy us if we go to Him when we need Him.

So the first step to good health is to eat the good food God made us. The second step is to exercise. We are the caretakers of our own bodies. My husband works in the world of finance. He talks to retired men and women that started investing at a young age, saving a little bit each year thinking of their future. For years they have invested and now that they are at the age of retirement many of them are enjoying the benefits of their hard-work. Use that same idea and invest in yourself, invest in your health. You can do this a bunch of different ways: Eat food that nourishes, then go for a jog outside, fast or slow whatever you want! Go get your blood flowing and work the most important muscle you have, your heart. Go invest in your future health. Lift weights. Sit outside. Take five minutes to lay down and breathe in silence. Seriously, grab your shoes and go for a 20-minute jog or walk and notice, better yet, enjoy His creation. Guaranteed, you will come back refreshed, and feeling a lot better than when you left!

Pick one or two of these things to challenge yourself this week:

1. Go outside.

2. Try a new fruit, vegetable, or a new recipe!

3. Have a vegetable with every meal this week.

4. Ask yourselves if you are honoring God with your bodies. Our eyes with what we watch, our ears with what we hear and listen to, our mouths with the tone we speak to one another.

In all we do let’s bring glory to God.

Thank you Heidi for challenging us! Friends, if you are looking for a way to work out, eat well and keep Scripture on your mind, without getting behind, check out Heidi’s planner hereon Amazon. For more health tips find Heidi online at HangingWithHeidi.Net.

Next week join me for some big announcements about my book and all this summer has planned! EEEK!

xo,

Steph