Yesterday I mentioned Pastor Roly-Poly.
It's a dirty little secret in ministry world that too many pastors self-medicate their stress by letting their bodies go.
The imaginative Ken Wilson imagined what I'd look like
(click pic left).
After spending time with David Wenzel last fall, I was convicted to better steward my health. Last October my awesome wife and I quietly made changes to our everyday rhythms and habits. Just like our quest to become entirely debt-free, we are experiencing freedom through greater stewardship of our health.
For what its worth, here's some of our new rhythms 3 months in:
Exercise
I run 4 days a week for a total of 6 miles on our indoor Nordictrack. Exercise is a healthy stress-relief valve that also increases my overall energy levels. When I'm running, I allow my mind to disengage from thinking about church work and instead relax. Amber and I hold each other accountable by initialing this calendar after exercising. Trust me, if I don't get my 4 runs in, I'm held accountable through great mocking and ribbing.
Vitamins
I take 5 different vitamins and 4 all-natural nutritional supplements every single day. My goal is to give my immune system every opportunity to function naturally at 100%. The Vitamin D doses especially help during the dark winter months.
Sabbaths
There was a time in history when God's people worked day and night building pyramids. No vacation days, no breaks. God gave His people a gift - the Sabbath - after their exodus from Egypt. The word "Sabbath" literally means, "to stop." The idea is you work hard for 6 days, and stop on the 7th. Yes, there might be unfinished work still to be done, but by sabbathing, you are trusting God with the unfinished business.
Amber and I are making strides at honoring the Sabbath in 7's:
- Every 7 days, take a day off (no iPhone, no checking email...)
- Every 7 weeks, take a few days off
(we just returned from an overnight family getaway at Splash Village) - Every 7 months, take a full-blown vacation
- Every 7 years, take a sabbatical.
