Christmas Wishes
 
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace             Isaiah 9:6
 
One of my favorite Christmas carols is I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. Irving Berlin introduced the song in the movie Holiday Inn. Twelve years later, producers made a movie using White Christmas as a title.  I have always been a sucker for snow. I enjoy playing in it, running through it, and skiing over it. Most years, living in northern Mississippi, I have to live without snow.
 
While growing up, the experience of waking up on a Missouri morning and seeing the yard blanketed with snow was always exciting.  Snow meant a good chance for a cancellation of school.  Snowmen, snowball fights, and snow angels waited for my friends and me. 
 
It is so beautiful to look at a snow-covered yard.  I love the appearance of trees with snow resting on top of its limbs.  Snow seems to have such purity.  No matter what may be underneath snow makes all things look gorgeous. 
 
During the Christmas season, the covering of snow reminds me of the covering God gave me through Jesus Christ. Underneath I am ugly, sinful, disobedient, and rebellious. When evil occurs in our world, we often wondered why bad things happen to good people.  Equally, our thoughts will wonder as well as to why good things happen to bad people. Nothing in my life deserves the gift God gave to me at Christmas.  Yet, it was in my most ugly moment of life that Jesus died for me. 
 
Our sports, recreation, and fitness ministries are full of "ugly, dirty" people. There are people from all lifestyles and from all over the world that join us in our events and activities. God ordained our sports, recreation, and fitness ministries so that we might share His love with people that need Jesus.  Without Christ, there is no hope for these people at all. 
 
We celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas.  Later in His life, He died to cover me with purity.  The real joy of Christmas is that in Christ it can always be a white Christmas.  No matter how ugly we are, He makes us as white as snow!  So, I am dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.  Share Christ with someone and give him or her the opportunity to have God's purity create a blizzard covering in life. It will lead to the best white Christmas ever!
 
We at CSRM wish to share the joy of Christmas with the thousands of local churches, ministries, and Christians around the world that we work with and influence. Whether you serve Christ as a coach, administrator, craft teacher, fitness instructor, puppet leader, official, scorekeeper, camp leader, or party planner; CSRM thanks you for using leisure services as a tool for sharing the love of Christ with others.

In case you missed it, you can check out Part 1 of this series on Wholistic Health here: http://www.csrm.org/blog/well-or-whole
If you’re a part of all of the wonderful things CSRM is doing around the world, then there is no doubt you have a passion for using sports and recreation to facilitate ministry and help people get healthy. For most of us, it’s the sports, recreation, and fitness that comes easily in our lives and our teachings. It’s easy for everyone to understand, not offensive, simpler to implement, and doesn’t require a large shift in our thinking or way of life.

However, when it comes to physical health, there is more to it than physical activity. If we are concerned about the “wholistic” health (body, mind, and spirit) of our ministry teams and those we serve, then we must broaden our approach.

Food is much more personal than sports, and therefore it can be a much more difficult task when it comes to educating our people about the best choices for their bodies. The plain fact is that people are rarely willing to give up the foods that are doing the most harm in their bodies. They joke and say, “Well, we’re all going to die someday, and I’m going to die eating the way I want!” but the sad truth is they’ve most likely not been educated as to the harm that’s actually doing.

The biggest issue with the above argument is that it comes from a place of selfishness. While it is a spiritual issue that needs to be resolved, it is affecting the choices that are being made relating to physical health. When we say that we’re going to eat what we want despite the consequences to our bodies, we are blatantly defying Scripture which tells us to glorify God with our body (1 Corinthians 6:20). I believe that throughout Scripture, it is made clear that our bodies allow us to serve God on earth and fulfill the great commission. Without bodies that are well, how can we be the body of Christ to a broken and hurting world?

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the topic of food with two specific points:

1-Real food is whole food
Friends, if it’s made in a factory, chances are the food you’re eating has been so denatured that there is little, if any, value remaining in it. In fact, such denatured food typically not only lacks the ability to contribute much to your nutritional needs, but can also affect you in negative ways by adding empty calories (calories without much nutrition) or chemical/synthetic additives which God did not create our bodies to process.

Our sources of food have changed so dramatically in the past couple hundred years and I believe we’re paying a hefty price for it.  While incidences of communicable diseases have dropped thanks to many modern conveniences in developed nations, incidences of “lifestyle” diseases (cause by our diets and sedentary lifestyles) are dramatically on the rise. If we unknowingly (or knowingly in some circumstances) fall prey to these diseases, how will we be strong enough to continue spreading the Gospel message?

Every time we open our mouths to eat, we are making a choice to either build up our body and make it strong or bring it one step closer to disease or disfunction. The choice is ours. We all know that we have an enemy who seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy…”(John 10:10), but do we ever apply that truth to our food choices? If he wants us to be unwell, then he is going to lie to us in the moment and tempt us with choices that will bring harm to our bodies in the long run… ultimately taking us out of the race we’re running for the Lord.

We must recognize the battle and not give in to the lies that will keep us from living on mission for God. Unprocessed, whole food- as God originally made, is always going to be better than the alternative.

2-The importance of plants
There’s a lot of debate out there about what kind of diet/lifestyle is best for long-term health. While I’m not going to declare one as king of them all in this setting, I am going to make a declaration that we all already know, but yet often struggle to do, and that is to very simply eat more plants.

It’s not some hidden secret that plants contain innumerable amounts of enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more that are beneficial to our health. The changes in health seen around the world by those who decide to incorporate more into their lives can be jaw-dropping. All too often, we get distracted by what is trendy in culture at the moment- especially the latest “fad” diets. They make hefty claims for the short-term, but it’s the long-term that we should be more concerned with. We should be looking at credible science when making the best decisions for our health, but also God’s Word.

“Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food' and it was so.” Genesis 1:29-30 NASB
We were originally created to eat plants. It really can’t get much clearer than this. Our physiology even reflects these verses. We were not created with the teeth, digestive tract, stomach acid, or claws that carnivores or even omnivores have. Meat and junk food were not part of the original plan and our bodies agree. When our Creator God formed man and woman, He told them to be fruitful and multiply and then He told them what to eat. This fact alone should cause us to desire many more plants in our diets.

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel 1:8

Daniel had a choice to make. And he seemed to make it quickly and without hesitation regarding his beliefs about what kind of meal he should be eating to keep himself strong in body and conscience. So he basically told them thanks, but no thanks. This had the king’s eunich a little concerned. But Daniel vowed to prove to him the benefit of his diet of plants.

“’Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.’ So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.” Daniel 1:12-16 NASB
Right here in Scripture, we have our very own Biblical case study which proved a diet of plants helped Daniel not only keep up with the others but actually appear MORE healthful and robust than those dining on the king’s foods!

• “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;” Revelation 22:1-3 NASB

The Bible both begins AND ends with a tree of life, fruit, and health. Before the curse AND after, God gives us a picture of a garden and perfect health. He does not give us the image of indulging in junk food for all of eternity, but rather an endless bounty of vegetation.
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​Amber Lauren of Fix Your Eyes on Him Biblical Health and Wholeness is the wife of a Senior Pastor of an energetic, growing local church, homeschooling mother of 3 school-aged children, and has a passion to empower people to become whole in Christ.

Link to free printable version of this article (and free “Eat More Veg” Challenge worksheet) for distribution (unaltered) to those in your ministry: https://fixyoureyesonhim.com/download/3173/

Well Vs. Whole
In the world of Sports, Recreation and Fitness (SR&F) Outreach Ministry, we quite obviously tend to focus primarily on the physical fitness component of both ourselves and those we serve. But as a Certified Health and Wellness Coach who specializes in Biblical Health and Wholeness, I see a bigger, more complex picture. It all started when my family had to call an ambulance for me one day while out running errands.

See, I had taken on too much. Like many of us, and many of those we serve, it was hard for me to say no. I did everything anyone asked of me… in addition to my God-given responsibilities. I didn’t want to let anyone down and wanted to look like I had it all together. After all, if I said no, they would think I couldn’t handle it, right? But where it got me was somewhere I never expected to end up. I landed in the ER.

In the process of trying to not fail others, I had failed to care for myself well. I had fallen for the enemy’s lies that whispers, Christians sacrifice. Others come first. You don’t have time to slow down. Maybe you’ve heard those same whispers? But you didn’t know it was from an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy? He has a way of twisting truth and turning it into a lie. Sacrifice? Caring for others? Great things! And obviously a part of the foundation of our faith in action, but God cares about YOU, too. He cares about those we partner with in our ministries who are running on empty.

We all know that the greatest commandment Jesus gave us was to love our Father in heaven with everything we are. But the second has a component we often leave out. We are told to love others as we love ourselves, but often simplify restate it as: “love others”. Yet, in order to love others as we love ourselves, we must first actually love (and thus care for) ourselves! We aren’t much good to the expansion of the Kingdom, if we aren’t well enough to serve.

I like to teach that in those 2 commandments, there are actually 3. And if we put them in their proper order, it looks like this: We are to love God, love (and care for) ourselves (so that we can), love (and care for) others. God not only gave us the command to rest (Exodus 20:8-11), He also modeled it at creation (Genesis 2:2). However, I’m willing to bet most Christians don’t take it seriously. Jesus also modeled stepping away for times of prayer (Matthew 14:22-23, Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12… you get the idea), encouraging others to rest (Mark 6:31), clarifying His priorities in ministry (Matthew 15:24), even catching a nap (Mark 4:38)!

I’m sure you’ve seen it. I know I’m not alone in having been there. You may have been down that road also, or know others who have. We live in a culture, even a church culture, that neglects to care for ourselves well. We want good health, but we’d prefer the quick fix offered by the world than look at true wholeness.

While I have been blessed to find the path to healing, many are left to navigate those waters alone. Medical doctors often just want to prescribe a pill to reduce symptoms in the body, psychologists often only look at worldly theories on the brain and mental health, and pastors often only offer prayer. While each of these professionals may have the patient’s best at heart, each may be missing that bigger picture.

There are 3 areas of the whole person that we must address in order to guide people toward true wholeness. God made us with 3 parts: body, mind, and spirit. We must address physical health including diet as well as exercise, we must address mental health and what the Bible says about it, and we must address spiritual health and not simply assume it’s healthy. Many of us, or those we serve, have become experts at masking the real issues. We may look fit, seem sane, and appear spiritual, but under the surface we are a mess. For most, it is a definite struggle to be real in front of others and open up about what’s going on underneath the façade.

But by creating a new culture within your church or ministry that is a safe space to talk about these things, people WILL begin to open up about what they’re facing. By hearing you discuss your own internal or unseen battles, people will be encouraged to do the same and begin to walk toward healing those areas. Remember, leaders must lead by example! You cannot expect your people to be transparent with you if you are not being transparent with them.

We must start addressing health more wholistically- the whole person: body, mind, and spirit, if we want to lead people toward true wellness…toward true wholeness. Begin the conversation with your leaders. Challenge your people to examine their own wholistic health and be willing to work through it with them. (I’ve got a fantastic new resource for this in my shop!) Checking in on their physical, mental, and spiritual health is not only a component of discipleship, but will keep your ministry strong and healthy as well. Burnout benefits no one.

The rest of this year, I’ll be periodically offering new blogs to talk about the specific areas we should be covering as we teach others (and learn for ourselves!) about wholistic health and what that might look like as a component of your ministry. In the meantime, feel free to join me over at http://fixyoureyesonhim.com  for other wholistic health tips, resources, and more!
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Amber Lauren of Fix Your Eyes on Him Biblical Health and Wholeness is the wife of a Senior Pastor of an energetic, growing local church, mother of 3 school-aged children and has a passion to empower people to become whole in Christ.

Link to free printable version for distribution (unaltered) to those in your ministry: https://fixyoureyesonhim.com/download/2657/