Faith & Health:Your Body the Temple #Mamavation

Photo of Herod's Temple (model) found on edibleteacher.com

1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."  

I cannot tell you how many times I heard this verse used as a child and youth in a manner that was not holy.  I heard people repeatedly use this scripture as an excuse to be intolerant about a variety of body modifications: tattoos, body piercings, even hair dye.  Here's the thing that really kills me:  I believed it.  I thought that these people, who I highly respected, certainly understood what the Bible was talking about.  Because I knew that they had my best interests at heart, and were much more knowledgeable than I, I never questioned it.

In fact, I was 28 years old before I finally allowed myself to be okay with coloring my hair.  Guess what - I don't think this was an unholy act.  I don't believe that this was a sin that destroyed my "temple".  I have a different understanding now about what this means.  I'm still working on forming my mind around the truth in the statement, and apply it to my life.

I plan to share more about what this means in my life over the next several weeks.  Please stay tuned, challenge yourself to think about your understanding of this verse.  Please share in the comment section.  What do you think this verse is about?  Is it a sin against the body to get a tattoo, color your hair, or pierce your body?  

My faith is a leading factor in my current desire to achieve better health.  I hope that as I share, you will also begin a journey toward self-improvement.

Disciple

Conversation with Manasseh at dinner.  We were sharing the story of Jesus sharing Passover with his disciples.

Mama: Jesus had dinner with his disciples, the people that followed him.

Manasseh: Am I a disciple too?

Mama: Disciple means that you learn from someone like Jesus.

Manasseh: That's right, I told my Awana teacher I am a disciple, and she said "no".

Ah, yes - my 4 year old gets it.  I love hearing that he is discussing theology with his teachers.  This boy blesses me!  

My New Favorite Mobile App

You read it right, this week I have discovered my new favorite mobile app.  It's all because of this boy.  He's my nature lover, climber, adventurer.  He's my 4 year old with arthritis.  Yuck!  Nasa is on some pretty strong medicines and we have to have them refilled every couple of weeks.  We always use Walgreens pharmacy because they are half a mile away from our house, always very friendly and helpful, and we can find them anywhere we happen to be travelling.


Oh right - the app.  Walgreens has a mobile app.  Did you know that?  With their app you can order refills on medicines from your living room, dining room, office, or bathroom.  You can probably refill them a lot of other places too.  I'm pretty sure they don't limit your use of their application.





I already said it, but I'll say it again to make sure you know.  This app is excellent!  You can do so much more than medication refills with it.  You can order photo prints, schedule appointments with the pharmacist, clip coupons, check your Balance Rewards... just check it out.  You can see for yourself what all it does.











To refill my son's medicines I had to pull them out of the cupboard, click "Refill by Scan", and scan them.  It really is very easy.  Unfortunately, I had a little technical difficulty with my phone and my camera (which is not all that great) would not scan the barcode for me.  Not a big deal, I just had to check a couple of boxes telling Walgreens which medicines I wanted to refill for what person in my family.  See my whole shopping experience here.













It only took a few minutes to order Nasa's medicines from the comfort of my dining room.  I will use this app again and again.  It is MUCH easier than dialing the pharmacy and entering each script number individually, then trying to get the phone to understand when you want to pick up medications!  This really made a busy week a little easier, as we were able to just stop by the drive through and pick his medicines up on the way to his Awana class.









Walgreens also offers a "Balance Rewards" program, that we have only recently begun using.  This program allows us to save money on products, earn points, and then redeem them for rewards.  We have been using the program for about 2 months now.  Recently I learned that we can earn more points toward our rewards simply by walking!  In fact, I can earn 10 points for every mile I walk - that means every time the boys and I walk to or from the public library (we do this a lot in the spring and fall) we can earn 30 points!  Make sure to check out the Walk with Walgreens part of Balance Rewards!

Thanks to Walgreeens Mobile App it was easy to get this guy to his Awana meeting on time!

Links of interest:

• Walgreens Website
• Walgreens on Twitter
• Walgreens on Facebook

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Walgreens #cbias #SocialFabric  #HappyHealthy.

My Why #Mamavation

A few weeks ago my husband and I shared a meal with some friends.  During our conversations we shared a little about our push toward fitness.  The question that one of our friends asked was, "Why?" Why would we care about expanding our life?  Why not just enjoy what we've got now?  What has happened in our lives to create this change of attitude and desire to be fit?

So here it is, my WHY.

W - Wellness increases the quality of my life RIGHT NOW.  Living better, exercising more, eating healthier - all of it comes together to give me more energy.  Health makes me more able to chase my little boys around and enjoy them more every day.  When I have more energy I feel more productive, there is so much I want to fit in to my every day!  As I get stronger, my body is less prone to illness, which means I can spend more time with family and friends doing what I love best.  Wellness improves my quality of life all around - now and in the future.

H - Health means that I don't have to worry as much about how diabetes is going to damage my body.  I don't get as tired from ridiculous blood sugars.  I can give my mind other priorities - there is no need to be concerned about the possibility of losing sight, or limbs due to diabetes.  My organs will function properly, and I can spend time doing other things.  Health feels good.

Y - YoungOnes: I have 3 little boys and I want to be part of their lives as they grow.  I want to see them graduate from high school, get married, make babies.  I want to know my grandchildren.  I don't want my children to have memories of a sick mama that was laid up in bed because of diabetes, a mama that could not enjoy them and spend time with them.  I want to be active as my boys grow and continue to be active in their lives once they have grown into honorable men.

What's your WHY?  

Premama Vitamins

What's better than yummy snacks and drinks with the ladies?  Sharing a great product like PreMama prenatal vitamins.  They're for pregnant women, nursing women, and those who are trying to get pregnant.  I can't even count how many ladies in my women's group fall into one of those 3 categories (I can count how many don't - but I won't name them).  

I don't know about everyone else in my group, but I have always had a hard time with prenatal vitamins.  They're too big, or leave me feeling sick when I'm done taking them.  It's hard to find a vitamin that really works for my body.  Premama mixes into just about any drink to provide mamas with daily vitamins, and it's smartly packaged to easily be divided into 2 daily drinks instead of just one.

I loved sharing it with the ladies at my mom group and hope it's helpful to them as they prepare their bodies for baby!

By publishing this post, I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. All opinions are my own.

Mama Madness Giveaway: NeoCell Beauty Products

Welcome to the Mama Madness Giveaway Hop!  

We have a great GRAND PRIZE that you should go enter.

Have fun entering this giveaway and make sure to check out all the others on the linky at the bottom of this post.  

All are themed for making the Mama in your life feel special!

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I am a firm believer that mamas need to take care of themselves.  This does not mean we ignore the needs of our families.  We allow ourselves to continue nurturing others when we take some time to be healthy inside and out.  

 

NeoCell beauty products help mamas care for themselves!  I love the way their products make me feel as I take just a moment or two a day to make myself a healthier, happier person!  My husband doesn't know it, bu the likes it that I feel healthier too - my hair looks nicer, my body feels better - I am better able to function because I'm caring for ME!

NeoCell has offered to give a prize package of Beauty Bursts and Hair Volumizer to one of my readers!  To enter this giveaway, use the Rafflecopter form below.  This hop will be open from midnight March 1 through midnight March 20 EST.  The prize is available to residents of the US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NeoCell Beauty Products: Review

I recently had the opportunity to try NeoCell's Keratin Hair Volumizer.  I was surprised that NeoCell wants to help people make their hair healthy from the inside out!  I expected a cream or a rinse, instead NeoCell offers capsules to strengthen and beautify your hair.  I love the difference it is making on my head!

Another fantastic health product from NeoCell is the Beauty Burst.  These yummy, chewy bursts of collagen help your body by providing specific amino acids.  They come in 2 flavors: Mint Chocolate and Fruit Punch.

A little about Collagen from NeoCell's Website:

Collagen supplementation is one of the most fundamental things a person can do to prevent premature aging and promote youthful vitality. Understanding Collagen begins with knowing that it is truly the glue that holds the body together; it is the building block for all our body's major systems.

Although abundant in our youth, the body's natural Collagen production typically slows at a rate of 1.5% per year after the age of 25. As this collagen production slows, the collagen fibers in the body become brittle and begin to break down resulting in many of the tell- tale signs of aging, such as loose, flaccid skin, wrinkles, ligament and tendon injuries and osteoarthritis. Super Collagen+C™ utilizes Collagen Types 1&3, which is 90% of the body’s total collagen supply and the main collagen constituents in the skin, hair, nails, ligaments, tendons, bones and muscles.

Find your nearest NeoCell Retailer right now!  

NeoCell is taking part in the Mama Madness Giveaway Event (March 1-20)!  Make sure to check it out today!