Once Again, Putting Things in Perspective

A friend of mine sent me an article about a 108 year old Oregon woman who attibutes her long and very healthy life to two things:  1.) her faith in God, and 2.)  Her vegan diet.   Regarding her faith, she says she lives her life as God told her to and then added, "It is all in the Bible."  I like that. No matter what your religion, there is a lot of common sense advice in there, like "do not worry about your life...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"  (Matthew 6: 25-27).  And "do not judge or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged." (Matthew 7: 1-2).   In the Old Testament, The Proverbs are full of life's wisdom.  Right off the bat in Proverbs 1, Solomon tells us to listen to our father's instruction and to not forsake our mother's teaching.  I like that one a lot...Along with "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you" (9:8), but that's another story for another day. 

As for her diet, this amazingly sprite 108 year old claims she has been a Vegan since 1922, eating 2 meals a day and walking 15 minutes every two hours.  It's funny, but as of late, I have found that I, too, function better on 2 meals a day (with a healthy snack when I need the energy), and walking has been "my thing" for the past several years.  So many of you have told me that you do not find time to "exercise".  But walking is easy and, in 15-minute intervals throughout the day, it is difficult to find excuses not to do it.   I felt encouraged when I read this woman's story - what she said rang true to me and made a lot of sense.  I don't like to separate the Spiritual part of my life from the physical.  I have found that, for me, the two are, and should always be, intertwined.  I truly believe that we are made in the image of God, and are filled with His Spirit, consequently, we should respect our bodies and feed them with wholesome, healthy food that will not weigh us down, hype us up, or clog up our arteries.  And stay active - however you are able to.  My years have taught me that eating well, staying active, and heeding the advice contained in the "Good Book", like trying not to worry, seeing the best in people, and honoring the wisdom of our elders, does a person a world of good. 

I hope you are having a great week.  Until next time, happy and healthy eating!