I’ve always loved quotes and recently started collecting them on my pinterest board. I thought it would be kind of fun to create my own images to go with them, so this might be a new “mini blog series” for the next couple weeks. I’ll share briefly what the quote means to me or how it relates to the mission of our blog: simply intentional.
I think the above quote is extremely true. Oftentimes we say something is important to us, but the true test is whether we actually put our time, energy, money, and effort into it. When what we say- or even believe- is important to us, does not line up with our actions, we are sadly deceiving ourselves and not fully living the life we intended. So here’s a question for all of us to consider then: What am I putting my time, energy, money, and effort into? Take a second to think about what exactly you spent your waking hours on yesterday, what purchases took up a lot of your budget this past month, what has been occupying the majority of your thoughts. Sometimes my answers start to sound like things I’d be ashamed to call important: watching TV shows online, buying food that just gets wasted or that degrades my health, thinking bitterly about other peoples’ behaviors. If these are the opposite of what’s important to me, it’s time to try being more intentional with my time, energy, money, and effort, like spending more quality time face-to-face with people I care about, buying only what I need, bettering my health, and reflecting on how I can continue to improve my own character.
Other related quotes:
We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty. ~Marcus Fabius Quintilian
There is no such thing as a list of reasons. There is either one sufficient reason or a list of excuses. ~Robert Brault
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. ~Romans 7:19
This time Jedd took over the video editing, bringing to you a glimpse of our trip to Oahu over New Years for a big family reunion, time to relax, help around the house, and get in a little play time as well. It was our last trip “home” before we take off to Peace Corps, and it was full of memories we’ll treasure. Now that it’s been gloomy, snowing, and pouring rain in Portland, these memories prove to be a “light in the darkness” in so many ways. (Since people were asking in our last video: Made with this year’s and last year’s Christmas gifts, our waterproof GoPro camera and Panasonic HDC-TM55.)
Tomorrow will have an island. Before night I always find it. Then on to the next island. These places hidden in the day separate and come forward if you beckon. But you have to know they are there before they exist.
Some time there will be a tomorrow without any island. So far, I haven’t let that happen, but after I’m gone others may become faithless and careless. Before them will tumble the wide unbroken sea, and without any hope they will stare at the horizon.
So to you, Friend, I confide my secret: to be a discoverer you hold close whatever you find, and after a while you decide what it is. Then, secure in where you have been, you turn to the open sea and let go.
Ever since watching Forks Over Knives (which Jedd blogged about here) I found a great blog by the “Healthy Librarian” called Happy Healthy Long Life. She’s another great resource for “simply intentional” because she reviews and writes about medical research behind lifestyle choices, like eating vegan. Super informative! Anyway, I really enjoyed one of her non-food-related posts recently, which was based on the Cornell Legacy Project. The Legacy Project is based on collecting practical advice for living from America’s elders. As I am still honing my New Year’s resolutions now that we’re a week into the New Year, reviewing advice from wise folks seemed like a good idea. Here is the Legacy Project video, and below are some of my favorite tips:
Lessons for a Happy Marriage
1.Marry someone a lot like you. Similarity in core values is the key to a happy marriage. And forget about changing someone after marriage. (My own side note: They don’t have to share your personality though!) Continue reading “Lessons for Living”→
Here’s our official New Year’s update video, looking back on 2011. Although we expected to be heading out to Peace Corps in July, we found out in late spring that our placement changed and we were put on hold until the news of our new assignment arrived in August. Despite this “set-back,” we went ahead with our plans to resign from our full-time positions, travel the country, and visit family and friends. We never dreamed of all the places that our waiting period would take us; and even though the Peace Corps journey is postponed until March 2012, our adventures have already begun!
This post was inspired/stolen from one of our favorite authors, Donald Miller, who recently blogged about it here. I think you’ll like the video!
We’ve always been fans of TED Talks, not to mention sociology and psychology, and this talk seemed to fit especially well with the Christmas season because it’s about connection to others. When I saw it on Donald Miller’s blog, I decided to watch it because I know I have my own struggles with vulnerability and connection. Continue reading “Courage, Connection, Authenticity”→
(A continuation in a series from When Helping Hurts. Click on the “When Helping Hurts” link under Categories in the side bar to see related posts.)
Too often our attitude in service “initiates the very dynamic that we need to avoid, a dynamic that confirms the feelings that we are superior, that they are inferior, and that they need us to fix them” (pg. 126). I would say that our first thought and most common question when we are going into a community to help is: ‘What are the greatest needs?’ While this question makes a lot of sense, in a way it is essentially asking those we are hoping to serve: ‘What is wrong with you?’ What if we turned that question around and asked ‘What is right with you?’ instead? I’ve grown to appreciate this approach, which is demonstrated by community development experts who practice Asset Based Community Developed (ABCD).
Especially for those of us who profess that every human being is made in God’s image and is blessed with their own gifts and talents, ABCD reaffirms the dignity of the materially poor. It “recognizes that poverty is rooted in the brokenness of the foundational relationships and [can be overcome by] restoring both low-income people and ourselves to living in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation” (pg. 127). Notice how the questions asked by Asset-Based Community Development could make someone feel more confident, respected, and hopeful:
I’ve always thought that Vegans were a little crazy.
Give up all food that contains any type of animal products in it? No thank you.
Say goodbye to my other loves: meat, cheese, and sushi? No deal.
In many ways, I agree with Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations show host). I believe that some of the most amazing things I’ve ever tasted have come from all things anti-vegan.
And then I saw this movie (thanks to Michelle):
After seeing this movie I’m now singing a new tune: “Why not?”.
What if I told you that just by changing what you ate, you could not only lose weight, but effectively battle diabetes, fatigue, lower your blood pressure, fight heart disease, and more importantly, save your life by actually reversing many of these diseases.
Wouldn’t you say, “why not?”
The only answers I could give myself was:
1. “It won’t taste as good.”
First of all, I don’t think that getting pleasure from eating is a bad thing. However, a lot of the things that people enjoy are purely unhealthy and worst of all, we know it. We know that fried food, soda, sugar, mayo, fat, etc. – yeah, all the “good” stuff- isn’t that good for you at all. We don’t just eat these things on special, rare occasions, we find ourselves consuming these things on a daily basis. You’re probably like me. You don’t just like this kind of food, you CRAVE it.
I’ll have to admit, I wasn’t keen on the whole plant-based diet thing because I didn’t think it would taste good. I tried comparing veggie burgers to beef patties, tofu to chicken and it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) taste the same. That was one of the issues, trying to find plant-based food that substituted and tasted the same as animal based food. You might get lucky, but most of the time, it just tastes different. So the best way to enjoy plant-base food is to learn how to make different, but still very tasty things.
2. “I can’t find anything that doesn’t have animal products in it.”
This really blew my mind: we don’t realize how much food is made from animal products and chemicals. It’s kind of a scary thought. Even if you cut out meat in your diet and tried the vegetarian thing, chances are you would still be consuming animal products and highly processed foods. Take a look at any food packaging in your kitchen. You’ll find lots of it has some sort of animal product in it or a long list of mysterious ingredients you can’t pronounce. Some people have easier access to plant-based, whole foods. Here in Portland it’s pretty easy to find lots of different kinds of plant-base products. Elsewhere in the country where there isn’t much demand, good luck.
And how to cook without butter or milk? Thankfully those vegans know. Apparently there’s a lot of people all over the world that have known this crazy wonderful tip about plant-based eating for many, many years. Folk who have lived longer because of it. I didn’t realize how much literature and resources actually existed about the subject. I was unaware because it is very rare to see any commercials on TV or online advertising plant-base food. Apparently it’s not sexy enough. Or maybe there are companies and politicians who don’t want Americans to hear a different story. They hope we continue lifestyles that have lead to increases in obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
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So will I turn a new chapter in my life and become a full fledged Vegan? Probably not. Truthfully, I don’t see the majority of people doing it either.
However, after watching this movie, talking to awesome friends that are vegan, trying and enjoying whole, plant-based food, and seeing on a daily basis how bad food is ruining good lives, Michelle and I are committed to being more intentional about what we eat and how much we eat.
So “why not?”
If you’ve ever considered it even just a little bit, why not give yourself three months to try something different that could potentially save your life? If after three months you see no changes to your health, go back to what you were doing. I would like someone to try and disprove the notion that a plant-based diet can positively change someone’s life. If you ever need extra support, Michelle and I will join you in your challenge.
I still think vegans are crazy. But if crazy means that it might just save my life, then call me crazy too.
It’s our 101st blog post! I know I do this every year, but what better way to celebrate #101 than showing off Advent Conspiracy. I really admire their videos. It is my dream for our culture to turn around how we do Christmas. Here is this year’s updated video- it speaks for itself!
As you might recall, about a two years ago I did my own P90X challenge with some pretty good results. Of course, I didn’t actually change my diet, which actually makes a big difference if you want to really see results from the program. This year, both of us decided to do a 90-day challenge. We’ve completed week one of our new plan to exercise daily and to be more intentional regarding what we eat and already I can tell, it’s going to be a long winter.
Here’s our plan:
– Do a modified version of the P90X 90-day work out (Lean version. Running and swimming instead of kenpo and cardio workouts)
– No red meat, fried food, or beer for three months
– Reduce sugar intake (candy, soda, desserts)
-Eat fruits and vegetables to our heart’s content
– follow the p90x suggested nutrition 3 phase plan (1st month: fewer carbs, more protein. 2nd month: re-introduce carbs on a limited basis. 3rd month: a balanced diet).
-We are free to celebrate on holidays
The winter months in the northwest provide a cold and wet environment, a rich (insert sarcasm here) wonderland to retreat to warm, dry houses, non-activity, and holiday feasting. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t training for a marathon (which we have no plans to ever do) and we will not miss out on the holiday treats (last year my in-laws made AMAZING chocolate marble boxes). What we are simply trying to do is to fast, to gain control of parts of our life that can unintentionally get out of control, and to exercise the true gift of life, which is Choice (more to come on this another day).
Those of you who know me know that I am a “feeler.” I am emotional and very aware of how I feel (a blessing and a curse). On a day-to-day basis, I do what I “feel” like doing. I know this sounds ridiculous because we all do that. If we are hungry, we eat. If we are tired, we sleep. However, for me, when I crave, I try my best to resolve those cravings. Take, for example, truffle French fries from Jade Restaurant (where my brother works). I eat these things as if I will never have them again. I devour most food like this. I tend to eat too much, and too much of a good thing can be hazardous for my health (especially when you enjoy fried food, beer, red meat, sugar, etc…). It’s not that truffle fries are inherently bad, it’s that I’ve come to the hard realization that when it comes to food, I often have little control. I let my cravings control me.
Ironically, when it comes to exercise, it’s the exact opposite. Most of the time I am not excited to work out. Michelle is usually up and at ’em when we run in the morning. I would much rather stay in the warmth of the covers instead of run in the wet wintery weather (to be fair to Michelle, she would too, but she is much better at motivating herself). Exercise goes against my natural inclinations. I would much rather lounge around than to physically exert myself. Having completed p90x once already and having run half-marathons (things I would never have thought I could do before), I know it takes a lot of effort, time, and- in some ways- pain to accomplish these things (none of which sound as good as relaxing and eating truffle fries).
And this is what leads me to our plan to fast. Fasting has always been a foreign concept to me. I have always seen it negatively. Why would someone withhold themselves from things they enjoy? More importantly for me: I could never finish a fast. Take Lent for example. I would say: I won’t drink soda for forty days- and I wouldn’t last a week. I once tried challenging myself and a friend to do 50 push-ups and a 100 sit-ups each day for a month. I lasted a week and a half while Cory (because of his competitiveness and awesomeness) completed the challenge.
I couldn’t complete these challenges because, one, it was too easy to fail, and two, I didn’t have self-control and self-determination/belief. When I met Michelle, I couldn’t even run a mile or two. Through her patience and wisdom, I learned that I didn’t pace myself, that you can’t run 13.5 miles if you can’t run 1. It was about the little victories. Do a short distance that’s possible to accomplish. Start adding more miles. Start running more often. The little victories turned into bigger ones. Now I can say that I’m a runner (words I thought I would never write).
Fasting is about gaining control of your life instead of letting your cravings take control of you, starting with little victories to accomplish your overall goals. During this season where non-activity and feasting usually reign in our lives, we are intentionally choosing to do the opposite. It doesn’t have to be about food and exercise. It could be anything in your life that you feel you don’t have the best control of.
So if you could, please keep us accountable for this challenge by asking us how we are doing. Please note that if you make something that is deliciously fried and we decline, it’s not that we are trying to offend you, but we are trying to do something intentional and out of the ordinary (unless its a holiday). Support from family and friends is incredibly important with challenges like these and we all need challenges like these to remind us that we do have choice and control over our lives.
Simply Intentional 