Just Breathe...

Just breathe. Last week, I became a GiGi to a healthy baby boy. In a world of chaos and uncertainty, there was a bright spot and a blessing in life. Stop right now and count the blessings in your own life. Food, shelter, clothing, family, health, etc. There really is so much to be thankful for; it’s just we lose sight of it. We tend to focus on the negatives things that happen and become nearsighted.

During labor, practicing a breathing pattern is essential to help relax and get through to the next contraction. All you mothers out there are nodding your head right now….It also helps with focus and finding the inner strength that is needed during this current difficulty. Why not apply the same principles today? During meditation, breath is one of the most important aspects to help the mind and body relax. Intentional breath opens the mind to clear the clutter and worries that seem so large and can refocus the mind making the tasks and decisions easier to navigate. Worry and despair have been around since the world began, yet people as a whole, have moved forward stronger and better having gone through it.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Mathew 6:25-27

This period of time has been a wake up call as we are now forced to slow down and learn to live on less. There is now time to practice being rather than doing by disconnecting from the day to day routines and being present with family. This can be a time to discover something new about yourself and members of your family.

I’m particularly interested in the stories that will emerge after reflecting on our experiences. What did people most enjoy about staying home? What challenges did they face? What permanent changes have now been implemented? How does this experience change their future outlook?

The weather is warming and as more and more people emerge from the indoors, the fresh air and sunshine will refresh and heal our lives. Mother Earth rejoices that so many have been reunited with her. I’ve seen posts and photos of the creativeness of families hiking, playing games, and enjoying quality time sharing stories of life. Even with social distances, there’s a closeness in the community by and large. People are reaching out to assist others in their time of need.

Rather than share a recipe this week, I decided to give some ideas on how to save money and make the most of the dollars we have to spend. Everyone is concerned with being forced to isolate for an “extended” period of time. It’s the unknown that is difficult to deal with on many levels. There is time off work and what that looks like financially, there is children and keeping them occupied and fed, and just feeding the family. Budgets could get tight, so here are a few ideas that can help stretch those dollars.

1. Reorganize the pantry. It’s amazing the food that gets shoved to the back that has been long forgotten.

2. Purchase dry beans and lentils and cook from scratch. Not only is it less expensive, it takes up less space than those in cans.

3. Rather than purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, purchase those that are frozen. They are packaged at the peak of freshness and will not spoil like fresh foods do.

4. Eat less meat. Animal proteins are far more expensive that plant proteins like beans, nuts, and seeds.

5. Choose generic substitutions for name brands.

6. Buy foods that are in season when the market has plenty. It’s during scarcity that the prices increase.

7. Don’t waste ANY food. Make a plan to use the fresh food you have rather than letting it sit for days. Be creative….make a soup.

8. Cook your own food. While pre-packaged food is convenient, it’s neither healthy or cheap. There are thousands of recipes online with reviews, so there’s no excuses.

Spend time as a family formulating a menu, create a shopping list, and cook together as a team. Teach your children to provide for themselves and gain a better understanding of nutrition. Cooking is a wonderful creative experience. I used to be surprised by the number of people who don’t cook…but not anymore. It seems more normal to either eat out or purchased prepared food. Cooking is only intimating if you allow it to be. It’s really quite fun, plus there’s a wonderful reward in the end. What are your ideas for saving money?

Health Bite: Preparing and cooking your own food is better for both the body and the budget.

To Go

I just passed a billboard with information on how using my phone with the appropriate app, I can order, pay, and pick up food. While for some, this may seem like a splendid idea, I wonder, how much more can a person cram into a day?  With all the “efficiency” in our modern society, why are we more stressed out, suffer with anxiety, and depressed than ever?

“Back in the day,” as some would begin, things looked much different.  Men would go work, mostly on the farms or run local mercantile businesses, while women tended to the family and household. I can only imagine it was hard work, but with a slower pace.  People relied on neighbors and community, and by in large, supported one another. Mothers were mothers to every child and it was a village that raised the child. Think of a time when there were no automatic dishwashers, microwaves, grocery stores that provided food from all over the world, automobiles, cell phones, televisions, etc. My guess is that it was a quieter time to live as well.  No one has termed “air pollution” or “noise pollution” yet. 

Fast forward a century later with all the amazing advances in front of us. Food will arrive at our doorstep, groceries will appear in the trunk of our vehicles, lunch will be handed to us through a serving window, and now we can order, pay and pick up in with the use of our mobile device. There is soccer practice, karate, piano lessons, after school activities, work, projects, household chores, meal preparations, grocery shopping, home and auto maintenances, travel….  You get the idea. It seems the more conveniences there are, the more “things” we stuff into the day. When will we ever “do” enough?

I’m guilty of the to do list. It’s been a way for me to organize my mind and keep me on track, however, there have been many days that I really pushed myself too hard to get it completed. For what reason? The only answer I can come up with is to satisfy my ego. I remember almost bragging about how much I accomplished in a single day. If I didn’t get my list accomplished, my ego would tell me I had failed and will need to try harder the next day. As I think back on it, I’m certain my body was stressed and exhausted. The cost of completing the list really wasn’t worth it.   

Our society has moved away from living to doing. Take a moment and read that again.  When I was a child, Saturdays were used to take the occasional road trip to visit family or friends. Sunday was spent at church then home to rest in the afternoon. I remember people having small homes and large yards to sit outside under the shade trees and the children ran around in the yard. There were conversations about life between the adults. Now people seem to have large houses with small yards. Rarely are people outside to talk to a neighbor or take the time to just sit and be. Rather, working long hours, stopping for an errand on the way home, taking the children to their activities while cramming in some nutrients along the way has become the way of “doing” things. In the end, it gives our society and ego what it wants….busyness.  

I’m often drawn to the story of Martha and Mary. In Luke 10, Martha is busy with household preparations while her sister Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him.  Martha becomes annoyed with Mary and asks Jesus to tell her to help. The Lord replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This season, as we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth, why not let some of those list items fall away? What can you put off or even delete from your list? Take the time to breathe in the season and live this beautiful gift of life. The past is history, the future is a mystery and today is a gift, so enjoy your present.

Health Bite: Stop DOING and start LIVING