Blog Anniversary: Blogging as a Ministry

I began learning about nutrition a year before I started this blog and I fell in love with the subject right away. I kept on reading on new topics, absorbing everything like a sponge, and wanted to know more and more. I realized our understanding of healthy living has been influenced so much by media, industrialization, and modern culture and healthy living is just not as simple as it once was. A year ago, after I was comfortable and knew enough about nutrition and natural living and practiced healthy living, I felt so many of my family and friends could benefit from many of the things I learned in this area. But writing a blog on healthy living scared me. Declaring that I want to start living healthy is like declaring my faith (I was that scared!). Once I do it, there is no turning back. I was nervous that people will judge me if I do anything less. Just thinking about what might come made me resistant about whether I should start a blog. Keeping it to myself would be the easiest thing to do. I don't ever have to explain to people why I eat certain food, why I choose to buy more expensive organic food, why I do things differently than others. And I could eat peacefully in public without fearing someone will judge the occasional treats I allow myself to enjoy. Going against the norm is hard. Additionally, I don't want other people to feel that I'm better than others because I choose to live "healthier." I don't want people to think that I look down on other people or induce guilty feeling because I choose to live life and eat food differently. These are certainly not the reasons why I want to live a natural and healthier lifestyle. We are not any better just because we choose to live life differently. We are all equal standing before God. I chose to do it because I want to be a good steward of my body because the Bible says that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Thus this blog. And what finally encouraged me to start this is knowing why I want to live a healthier lifestyle. My motivation and my goal is to glorify God through my body. Taking care of my body well pleases Him. I desire to serve my family nutritious food, because it affects our ability to serve the Lord - so that my husband can go to work with the energy and nutrition he needs to do his job well and so that my child(ren) can grow up appreciating the real food that God has created and equip them to be more fit for the journey God has planned for them. It is an investment on their health that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. We are still far from perfect but we're learning and making changes one baby step at a time. 

I wanted a ministry that I could do without compromising the ministry I have been called to with my family. I think this blog could be it. And as I try to live my faith publicly, even though it had to be done imperfectly, I'm honored and humbled to be given the time and enjoyment to learn about nutrition and natural living, things I didn't know two years ago. It is a testimony of how great our God is and how amazing His creations are. I realize what God originally created is best in its most natural form. He knows best. When He created the world and everything in it, He saw that it was good. Living healthy doesn't mean we will never get sick. Living healthy doesn't guarantee a longer life. And living healthy doesn't mean God favors us more than others. I know we will never be perfect, but we try as best as we can, where possible, to live healthy so that we can be physically equipped to serve the Lord. 

It's been a lovely one year of blogging. It forces me to learn something new everyday. It helps me to converse to a wider circle of people because health-related topic is understandable by everyone. I get to experiment with new ingredients that I never knew before. I also met many new friends who share the same interest in healthy living through this blog. Most importantly, I get to serve my family nutritious food. And I give thanks.

I realize what works for us may not work for everyone and it's okay. The changes I implement for my family, are something I learn through my own reading and research, while not everything may be scientifically correct (I'm still learning!), it's what works for our family, what we believe is true, and what we choose to do. I don't mean to even come close or even hint at the idea that what we do is the only right way to live. You don't have to agree with everything that I write about. Many studies say this and that and everyone are entitled to have opinions on how to live or what to eat, I hope we don't get defensive or lose sight of what God has called us to do with our family. My hope is for all of us to be encouraged to take care of our bodies, not to extend our days on earth (because only God knows the number of our days), but so that we may be more fit and equipped to do God's work when He calls us to. I keep this verse below as a reminder to myself to be humble in my journey because only by God's grace I have the opportunity and time to learn about healthy and natural living. And if any of my posts have blessed you, all glory belongs to God alone - the Creator of all things.

"Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them." - Romans 14:1-3

Disclaimer: I'm not a certified physician or doctor and I'm not here to diagnose, treat, or cure any diseases. I don't have a formal education background in nutrition and I can't decide whether a particular food is good for a specific need or someone. I just don't know enough nor do I have the qualifications to do so. I'm here to document what I learn, the changes I make in my own family based on what I believe is true. You are free to follow the things we cannot be held responsible on the decisions you make for you or  your family.