“Stay Home – Save Lives”
Staying Healthy at Home – Body, Mind, Spirit

This is the beginning of week five of our “Stay Home – Save Lives” order. Many of us are still sheltering in place for long periods of time.

*I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all the first responders and medical workers who are risking their lives to save lives. Also to those in the food industry who work to provide food through take out or drive-thru. And of course, to our own Emergency Disaster Services and Social Services departments of The Salvation Army – THANK YOU! 

Here are some reminders for us all on how to continue making the most of our time at home, focusing on our Body, Mind, and Spirit.

BODY

Eating Healthy & Get Moving
We all know that taking care of your body is an important part of staying healthy at home. But how do we do this with limited trips to the grocery store and the gym locked up tight? Here are some ideas:

Eating Healthy
*Stock up on frozen (steam-in-bag) veggies. Fresh is always better but frozen is just as good in a pinch! Try to eat vegetables with at least two meals.
*Make meal plans and set reminders to defrost food in time for use each day.
*Replace carbs with veggies and/or good carbs when you can. In place of pasta noodles try Zoodles (spiraled zucchini); Riced cauliflower instead of rice; mashed sweet potatoes in place of boxed mashed potatoes; etc. (You can find all of these in the frozen section too!)
*Prepare portioned healthy snacks to grab when you’re hungry. Stick to the portions!
*Looking for something sweet? Replace high-sugared, carb-loaded desserts with fruit or sugar-free Jello. Again, watch those portions!
*When having cravings, drink an 8 oz. glass of water over a 5 minute period. See if your cravings go away. If that doesn’t work, do something to keep yourself busy for at least 10 minutes: walk the dog; change the laundry; clean the toilets; make your meal plan; read a chapter of Scripture; etc.
*Take your vitamins and other supplements!

*Shower regularly and wash your hands frequently!

Get Moving
*Walk or jog in place for 10 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes and repeat. Do this at least 3 times per day.
*If you can get out, set a time twice a day when you can take a walk around the block, or if you have a pet, walk them instead of just letting them out in the yard.
*Have stairs? Use them as your own stair-master!
*Looking for a workout? Check out online classes for Zumba! Great and fun workout!
*DANCE! Put on your favorite music and just let the rhythm move you!
*Difficulty walking? Do some chair aerobics! Click HERE for an awesome sitting workout!
*No weights? Use canned goods or water bottles.

Read more HERE: EXERCISE IS MEDICINE

MIND

Connect With Your People
We all have individuals who we consider to be our “people”. This could be a friend or a family member or a group of people. It is so important to stay connected to your “people”!

Many Women’s Ministries groups are offering ways to keep meeting together, doing Bible studies together, having fellowship, or working on projects together.

Reach Out When You’re Feeling Down
Personal connection with others is crucial during this time of isolation. Even if you’re “sheltering” with others, it’s important to reach out to your friends and family when you’re feeling down. You should also be able to turn to your pastor, Corps Officer, or Women’s Ministries leader for encouragement and prayer. Use Facetime or Skype to see the other person! A smile from a friend goes a long way!

Read a Book!
Another way to keep your mind healthy is to read! Reading makes you smarter! It also allows you an escape into an author’s mind. One of my favorite quotes about reading is this:

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist,
but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – Neil Gaiman 

Reading takes our minds off our current circumstances and can refresh our souls! We suggest choosing books with good reviews from reputable sources.

If you don’t have an extensive library or you have exhausted your current one, you can “check out” books on line at openlibrary.org. It’s free!

SPIRIT

Pray
Prayer is a refuge for us. It is our direct communication with God the Father, with whom we have access to through Jesus! We don’t need someone to intercede on our behalf…Jesus already did that when He died and rose again! We can now “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16).

Through prayer, God makes Himself available to us. Whatever you’re going through, He wants to hear about it. He knows your concerns, and you can put your trust in Him. Prayer is powerful and God can do miracles when we have faith that He will do what He says He will do!

Prayer is active! It is intentional engaging with God. Carve out a specific time to talk to the Father without distractions, but also leave the lines of communication open so that you can have an on-going conversation throughout the day.

Prayer also make us more like Jesus. Each time we connect with God through prayer we learn more about Him and therefore become more like Him. Prayer keeps us connected to the vine – as Jesus describes in John 15.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you,
you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

If you don’t know how to pray, just think of it as a conversation with a friend. God wants to have a relationship with us. Just talk to Him. He is listening!

Read “FIVE THINGS CHANGE WHEN WE PRAY” HERE.

Memorize Scripture
Our greatest defense against the enemy is recalling Scripture. But we don’t just recall random Scripture. God has given us His Word to use for specific purposes. We believe 2 Timothy 3:16:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”

Therefore, God’s Word is the most powerful spiritual tool we have at our disposal.

First, we memorize Scripture to remember who God is. God reveals Himself to us through the pages of His Word which testifies to who He is. Through Scripture we see God the most clearly and we learn of His faithfulness, His power, His sovereignty, His great, everlasting love for us –

“That He would give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure”
(“How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” – Stuart Townend)

Secondly, we memorize Scripture to remember who we are in Christ. If you’ve ever doubted this, I would direct you to the book of Ephesians.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Thirdly, we memorize Scripture to defend against the enemy.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17

God’s Word is a sword, a living discipline, a teaching tool, a weighted blanket, a shelter, a gift, a reminder of God’s everlasting love and pursuit of us.

Be blessed during this time!