Week 6: The Helmet of Salvation
"Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life."
~ Ephesians 6:13-17 The Message
"When our mind is undisciplined and allowed to spin, it wreaks havoc on our soul" (Karen Brogch) The crazy thing is that we don't undo and disintegrate our minds on our own- we help... BUT, our enemy's best tactic against us is deception and he most often focuses his attacks on our minds. If you're like me, we desperately need help disciplining our thoughts and emotions. We need the concepts of our salvation, and who we are in Christ, to move from being a seedling of brain knowledge into a deeply rooted redwood of heart belief.
This week's video devotional digs into the battlefield of the mind and is brought to you by my precious friend Karen Brogch. What I love about Karen is that she is not afraid of the deep end- you know, the place where the really hard stuff of life resides. She's the type of friend that allows you to go deep and she LISTENS!!
She's this beautiful soul that has the most amazing maturity in her walk with God; and she's got tangible life lessons and real nuggets of wisdom from God to impart on others.
Click on the video below to dive in deep with her. God's got something for you in her devotional and I promise you don't want to miss it.
Detox & Nourish:
Detox your workout routine from the gym, studio or living room
Nourish your mind, body and spirit by adding an outdoor workout
Get outside! Yes I'm aware that it's winter.... But getting outside is a super boost for your mind, body and spirit.
Here's why:
- It feeds the spirit: " God has made the world and everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. He is not served by human hands, as if He needs anything, because Himself gives all man life and breath and everything else." ~ Acts 17:24 When we spend time in God's creation our souls exhale. When you open your eyes to the beauty that God has created, you get a glimpse of how creative, amazing, and powerful our Creator is. Being outside- walking with God in His creation reminds us that we are loved and empowered by the One who brought the universe into existence by the mere sound of His voice. "Our Father is the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man. He is the One who turns dawn to darkness and treads the high places of the earth- the Lord God Almighty is His name!" ~ Amos 4:13
- It quiets the mind and nourishes the body:
- Walk and run outside rather than on a treadmill at the gym. The surface you traverse matters too- so whenever you have the chance, walk/run on unpaved ground. The bumps and hills of natural, uneven terrain strengthens differently muscles groups (think tiny assister muscles), and challenges your balance and coordination. All of that combined gives you a more comprehensive workout.
- Getting 15 minutes of sunshine a day delivers a healthy dose of Vitamin D. Your body needs vitamin D from the sun to protect it from all sorts of diseases, including many types of cancer; and most of us only get 1/2 of the vitamin D we need. By soaking in just 15 minutes of sunshine, our moods and energy levels are also greatly boosted.
- When we are outside, we naturally look up and out with our gaze. This is a form of nourishment that the age of smartphones has seriously messed with. If your emotions have gotten the best of you and your mind is racing, step away from your computer and phone and head outside. Look at the sky, notice the people that are around you, release your stress by breathing in clean, crips air and tracing the shape of the horizon with your eyes. Burying our faces in our phones takes us out of the moment and shifts us into a sort of junk food-for-the-eye place. By lifting our heads and being apart of our environment we are fortifying our minds.
Weekly Workouts:
Here are the outdoor workouts that I've added to my fitness regime this week- I hope you'll join me:
- Shoveling snow- followed by a gentle yoga reset to soothe my low back ;0)
- Snowshoeing on our Backcountry Trails- I'm already getting excited about our summer time hikes together on these same trails.
- Snowy walks with my furry and very curvaceous golden retriever, Daisy.
- Sledding with the kids- schlepping the sled up the hill not only hits the cardiovascular engine, but it's quite a glute workout.
Let us know what you think of our workouts & devos on our Facebook page, or on our Vimeo account.
Recipes of the Week: GREEN DRINKS
BREAKFAST IN A GLASS SMOOTHIE
4-6 oz water
4-6 oz unsweetened coconut milk
1 scoop whey protein or pea protein powder
1 scoop Greens Powder (I like Miessence's DeepGreen Alkalizing Superfood)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 - 1/2 an avocado
1 cup kale
4 ice cubes
Blend until smooth and creamy.
(Recipe curtsey of "The New Health Rules" by Frank Lipman, M.D. & Danielle Claro)
AMBER'S FAVORITE GREEN JUICE
5-6 Cups of Dark Leafy Greens: My favorite combo is collard greens, parsley, kale and bok choy
2 Carrots
2 Stalks Celery
1 Apple
- Wash and cut all ingredients into small chunks.
- Put all ingredients through a masticating juicer (I use an Omega brand). Centrifugal juicers are good too, but masticating juicers grind and break down food at a very slow pace without friction, thus preserving more nutrients.
- Bottoms up! Try and drink green juices on an empty stomach. Snack time (10am or 2:00 pm) is my favorite time for my green drinks.
- Wash all parts of the juicer immediately.
**I love using my Vita Mix to blend up smoothies, but I found that they were quite filling and required a lot of work for my digestive system. So, I've added the habit of juicing into my diet, and I feel as if it has revolutionized my health. I still drink smoothies, they are a great source of fiber and nutrients, but I have found that green juices absorb very quickly and that the nutrients are extracted quite efficiently by the body. I'd recommend doing BOTH and paying attention to how your body feels with each. Your body will tell you when it needs one or the other.
Here's to ya!
Amber