Life in Balance

by Andrew Cromwell

These days is seems the new most popular phrase in the business and government sector is that things need to be “sustainable.” Well, that and “resilient” but we’ll save resilience for another article. The dictionary definition of sustainable is simply, “able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.”

It’s a simple concept and applies in almost every area of life. If you are a runner, you know that you have to run at a pace that is sustainable if you are going to finish the race. If you set a pace that is too fast for the length of run, then you will exhaust your energy before you get to the finish line. If you are a lumberjack (or a lumber company), you know that if you cut down more trees than you have land and time to regrow trees, then you will be out of business. And if you are a farmer, you know that you can’t plant more land than you have water to irrigate—it’s not sustainable.

We talk about sustainable business practices. Sustainable water usage. Sustainable environmental policies. Sustainable government spending.

And it’s a good thing! If you pump more water out of the ground than the rain can replenish, then the water table drops and your crops (or you) die. If you overfish the ocean, then you or your children won’t enjoy the incredible variety of seafood we enjoy today. And if you chop down all the forests and jungles, then we’ll burn up sooner than later.

All of these examples are based on the assumption that the world is made up of interconnected systems that are directly affected by how much is pumped, fished, or harvested. For the system to remain healthy, it has to stay balanced. But that doesn’t mean that the system shouldn’t be stressed or challenged. It is very possible to harm the system by not taking enough out of the system, just as much as it is by taking too much out of the system.

For example, the US Forestry service has recognized that some of their policies for forest management have been based on a faulty model that assumes that the way to keep the forest system balanced is to minimize the amount of forest fires. The result has been that in many places the forest has actually become less healthy as a result. Fires that would normally have thinned out the forest and allowed for healthy new growth, have been prevented so forests have become overcrowded and increasingly susceptible to disease and insect attack. As the rangers have recognized this mistake, they are now either starting controlled burns or allowing fires to naturally burn out.

So what’s the point you may ask?

Well here it is. You are also caught in this interconnected web of systems. You as an individual are an organism that must live in balance. You must live life at a pace and in a way that is sustainable. If you don’t, you will become overworked, underproductive, and unhealthy.

This means that you can’t take out more than you put in. This is not only true of things like food—if you don’t eat enough calories to offset the amount of energy expended (which might be a good idea for a while), you will eventually become sick and die of starvation. It is also true of emotional and spiritual food. If you don’t spend enough time caring for your soul and always give out to your spouse, your children, your family and your friends, then you will eventually become sick.

On the flipside, if you don’t ever stress yourself and give of yourself to others, work hard to achieve goals, and generally stretch yourself, then you’ll get sick too. You’ll end up fat and lazy. You’ll run out of energy and you’ll stop enjoying life.

The key is a healthy balance.

So what are you doing to care for your spirit, your soul, and your body? Are you feeding yourself in these three areas? Your spirit needs to connect with Father God. Your soul needs healthy doses of truth, silence and forgiveness. And your body needs some exercise and healthy food. If you don’t put enough in then you’re going to be sick.

Maybe that’s part of your problem!

What Are You Eating?

by Andrew Cromwell

“You are what you eat.” At least that is what we are told. And there is something to the saying of course. As the foods you eat are digested by your body, they are broken down into the basic materials needed to sustain the life of your cells. That hamburger you ate yesterday? Tomorrow it will be in your bicep muscle. That extra serving of dessert? In your butt, gut or thighs. You know how it goes.

One of our greatest challenges in keeping ourselves healthy is eating right. This is particularly difficult when we discover that what we have been eating is actually harming us rather than helping us and we have to change. Suddenly, all of our favorite foods, the foods that give us comfort and the foods that we look forward to at the end of a long day at work are verboten. Everything within us calls out to the 128oz Cherry Coke, the thick slice of extra chocolate double layer cake and the deep fried [you insert your favorite item] goodness that makes it all better.

But for most of those that endure the suffering, say “no” and retrain themselves to eat right, the reward is not only a healthier body but a new appetite. Sure it takes a while, but eventually if you feed yourself the right things for long enough, you actually begin to like them and instead of constantly craving the fat and sugar loaded goodies, your body calls out for fuel that is good and healthy. 
 This is true not only of your appetites for food, but also for everything else we “feed” ourselves in life. Not only do we have a food diet, but we also have an entertainment diet, a family diet and a relationship diet (among many other things).

If we have fed ourselves nothing more than the sugar and salt loaded prime time tv, then we probably will not appreciate the lean and healthy opera or stage play. If we have always feasted on Chuck E. Cheese as our outing with the kids, then going hiking with a picnic seems nearly impossible. If we always give in to gossip about those around us, then we are boared at the prospect of a steady, healthy relationship free of drama. These “higher” foods seem boring and difficult until we dive into them and train ourselves to appreciate them -- only then do we discover that there is a whole other side to life!

This weekend, the pastors of Kings County would love the opportunity to help you develop a new taste for the things of God. Perhaps you have developed a diet that excludes God altogether or simply relegates Him to the place of an occasional appetizer. It might be time to retrain yourself. It might seem strange and difficult at first, but you will soon discover what you have been missing.

Your Health

by Tim Howard

It has been said: “You never fully appreciate something until you lose it.” You take certain things for granted, thinking they will always be present but then something happens. Things change and you are awakened to how grateful you should have been for what you had. Loss can stimulate this type of awareness.

You should have done this. You shouldn’t have done that. You ask yourself “why didn’t I see it?” “Why did I act so selfishly?” “Why didn’t I appreciate what I had?”

I often take for granted my health. At 61 years of age, I’ve never had a surgery and only visit the doctor’s office occasionally. I seem to have a utilitarian body! It doesn’t look all that great but it keeps on ticking and running like the energizer bunny. When sickness hits and I lose my strength, however, I awaken to a new appreciation and gratitude for a healthy life.

The Bible reveals God as our healer. He doesn’t eliminate sickness from our human experience but he does want to help us recover our health when it’s lost.

High on God’s agenda is emotional health, mental health and spiritual health as well as the physical arena. He gives five words of advice through Paul the Apostle in Ephesians chapter 4 that will help avoid sickness and release wellness.

1. Make sure you are connected to a healthy church family. No one remains healthy by isolating and removing themselves from others. Church families come in all sizes but don’t be fooled! It’s not the size that’s important - it’s the balanced diet being offered. Bigger is not always better and smaller is not always better. Better is better!

2. When you connect with others in a family setting, make every effort to walk in unity. This unity will require a give and take lifestyle. You can’t just think about yourself; you must consider what’s best for the whole. If you follow verse 2: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” The door to unity will open a little wider.

 3 Unity, however, is not based on conformity but diversity. Paul says: each person is given different gifts, talents, abilities, perspectives, insights, tastes and those differences are beneficial to the ongoing health of any business, group endeavor, organization, or church family. When people are allowed to be whom they are created to be rather than forced to fit some cookie cutter mold, your business will thrive. Allow for diversity yet insist on unity. It produces healthy people!

4. Truth is a good medicine when it’s given in the context of love.

Eph. 4:15 “… by speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up … .” An environment of love, acceptance and forgiveness, surrounded by truth will boost the morale of any organization and release an atmosphere of wellness.

5. Lastly, Paul tells us that everyone must participate. Do what you are called to do. Don’t let others pull your weight. If exercise is good for physical health then fulfilling your responsibilities will produce a healthy sense of value and self-esteem. Vs. 15 “As each person does his or her own special work, it helps the other people grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

If you’re not feeling healthy, you may want to consider making a connection with one of the many church families in Kings County this weekend? Follow Paul’s advice and your strength will return. You don’t want to lose your health, so appreciate it!