Halloween used to mark the beginning of the sick season for us. The temperatures dropped, the candy came out and so did the ear infections, sinus infections, and stomach flu. All of this added up to many, many trips to Urgent Care, sleepless nights, and sick days taken at work and school.
Now I see Halloween on the horizon and smile--bring it on! We are ready for you. In the last four years, I can count on one hand the times one of us made a trip to urgent care.
Our preventative wellness system was reinforced when I watched an insightful video by Dr. Edie Wadsworth on this very topic. Edie was a family practice doctor in Tennessee for many years.
She had some really helpful tips from an M.D. perspective on how to be prepared this winter.
1. Complete the Stress Cycle
I loved Dr. Edie's explanation of the stress cycle. She said that when we become stressed the most important thing we can do is to complete the stress cycle.
This means conducting heavy work or physical exercise where we are lifting weight. Bonus points if this work is done outside.
This allows the stress to be moved through our bodies. The last thing we want is for it to take up residence in our bodies.
Dr. Edie also recommended allowing yourself to feel whatever negative emotion that is stressing you out. Let it wash over you like a wave instead of eating it, spending it, or scrolling to numb it. This is where a good cry comes in.
One tool that speeds up the processing of emotions is aromatherapy. Dr. Edie pointed to these aromatherapy tools (seen below) as being particularly helpful for emotions.
2. Cut the Sugar and Eat Whole Foods
Dr. Edie said to avoid the middle aisles at the grocery store. That's where all the processed food is that has been linked to inflammation in the body.
It's also where all the sugar is. Sugar suppresses immune function. Isn't it any wonder why kids get sick right around Halloween? That's when the candy comes out and stays out until Easter. All that sugar works against us in the fight to stay healthy this winter.
Dr. Edie said to plan your meals around whole foods like lean protein, vegetables, and fruits. Go for those cruciferous veggies--kale, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, and arugula. Back it up with herbs, spices, and the allium family. Love me some leeks!
Dr. Edie also suggested daily doses of this superfruit drink which fights off irritation and swelling in the body. We love taking 2 oz of it in the mornings. It is low in sugar and chock full of antioxidants, which are like soldiers for our cells in the fight against sickness and disease. These packets really bring energy, too.
3. Stop Poisoning Cells
Dr. Edie quoted the statistic that the average female is exposed to 300 toxins in their own home per day! This comes in the form of cleaners, skin care products, makeup, even laundry detergent.
Who hasn't cleaned a bathroom with Scrubbing Bubbles or Kaboom and walked out needing an oxygen tank?
The compound effect of this over time is dirty cells. All these toxins seep into our cells and prevent them from doing what they are supposed to do. This can lead to autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto, PCOS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and even Cancer when our cells literally cannot keep up with filtering all the junk out.
Even Asthma, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and ADD are beginning to be linked to toxic overload in our environments both in utero and after birth.
Dr. Edie recommended protecting yourself by swapping out toxic cleaners, soaps, and detergents with a plant-based one. The products we use (seen below) are super affordable and concentrated for multiple uses.
In her closing words, Dr. Edie suggested finding a meaningful project to focus on this winter. Even better if it involves outdoor time.
What does that project look like for you?
One project I will be completing soon is my Be Healthy--Feel Good (60 Day Program). This is the program I have used to drop 20 pounds, cure canker sores, stop chronic infections, and get my energy back after birthing and breastfeeding 3 children in 9 years. It is also the program I used to start talking to myself like a trusted friend, fix my scarcity mindset, and stabilize my hormones and emotions. The waitlist opened up for that program Nov. 1. You can read more about it here. There are some pretty amazing turnaround stories!
Have a splendid day!
Jacey
One of the bright spots of this year was the time and space to think about our former routine and habits. Did we want to return to them or tweak them?
During all that time at home, we also had plenty of time to clean out our closets, refrigerator, freezer, pantry, and garage.
Maybe you did the same?
Being a 5 on the Enneagram and a default minimalist, I welcomed this decluttering. It made me feel a bit lighter in a heavy time.
It also kicked my mind into overdrive surrounding ethical consumerism.
- I watched garment workers go unpaid for clothes they already made.
- Warehouse essential workers were denied sick pay and proper PPE, even though their long hours made their company record profits.
- Shockingly, many hospital employees in the U.S. are also being denied hazard pay, even though they are the heroes in this fight.
- The rush to make unsafe cleaning products and hand sanitizer for outrageous prices left many with nasty side effects and less in their bank accounts.
I couldn't help but ask myself what purchases were we making that exacerbated these injustices?
In my mind, I use these filters to make purchasing decisions:
1) Will this product be good for our health and be safe for me and my family?
2) Was this product sourced ethically via wages paid and impacts to the environment?
3) What kind of company is the end distributor of this product?:
-Do they do business the right way?
-What kind of wages do they pay and hours do they mandate of employees?
-Do they knowingly sell toxic products and don't seem to care until busted?
-Do they give back to global relief or local charities?
-Would I be sad if they closed?
Putting those filters in place, here is where we are at with 11 categories of purchases.
My Purchases I Am Content With:
1) Food
I realize the perfect scenario is to grow your own produce and raise your own protein. I look forward to my giving garden and the impact it will have someday, however I am not going for perfection here. I abide by the Dirty Dozen and try to find grass fed beef and organic chicken.
For the non-gardeners, we rely on a food chain in the U.S. that is accomplished by many global hands. All we can do is make sure that the food we buy is working for our bodies and that the retailers we purchase from are worthy of our dollars. Maybe along the way, we hear about brands using child labor (like Nestle) and we skip those products at the store. If we make changes along the way, that's ok.
I have found a few choice food retailers that I love supporting in my area for food.
One of them is Target. I was happy to see that Target continues to give employees raises and bonuses throughout this pandemic. I don't love every cleaning product that Target sells or the way every piece of clothing is manufactured, but I love that I can get a box of Lego's, a package of razors and a carton of lactose free milk in one trip and not pay for tax with the Red Card.
You can read more about the others in my Smart Shopping Guide found here.
2) Household Cleaners
3) Makeup
4) Skin & Body Care
5) Supplements
I group 2-5 together, because I buy these all from the same U.S. company that delivers straight to my doorstep. (Spoiler alert: It is not Amazon, but even more environmentally friendly in that what I buy from them comes in one box). I have been doing business with this company for four years and have been nothing but impressed.
I continue to buy from this company because of their safe products, the ethical way they do business and their sourcing of global goods. To date, I have not found any other company that does business the way they do with the breadth of product they carry. (Case in point: I can get both a pack of non-toxic baby wipes and a box of gluten free pancake mix from France here.)
It's the only store I shop where I no longer have to read labels, because every product is safe and health-promoting. (P.S. I still read the labels).
I watched closely as they covered all their bases during this pandemic and still managed to give back to the community in these ways:
A) We are working with Baby2Baby to fulfill needs for baby essentials and personal care items in family resource centers, homeless shelters, health clinics and Head Start centers across the nation.
B) We donated over 400 pounds of food to the Utah Food Bank after temporarily closed our on-site cafe at Global Headquarters.
C) We offered the use of the former U.S. corporate building in Lehi, Utah, to the Utah Department of Health as hospital overflow.
D) Our Foundation donated 1,728 boxes of True Grit Einkhorn Flake Cereal to the Cereal Project, which distributed the cereal to aid local schoolchildren and families.
E) We donated 500 packs of our Seedlings Baby Wipes to Silicon Slopes Serves to aid their short supply. This donation will be sent to One Utah Child Care programs.
F) Our most recent donation to the Tracy Aviary will help this important institution through this tough time. The aviary's gates are closed for the time being, so it relies on donations to continue caring for birds and maintaining their grounds and facilities.
G) We donated 1 percent of all North American proceeds from our most popular product line through the month of March 2020 to Meals on Wheels. The total donation--$233,767--was given directly to the Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund.
These are the kind of companies that get my dollars--every month.
My Purchase Areas I Am Actively Working On:
6) Drinks
Although we have ditched plastic water bottles for good by purchasing a Berkey Water System, we still have our vices.
Like many households, we go through a lot of tea and a pot of coffee at our house everyday.
I am trying to do better at sourcing tea and coffee brands that are organic, local, and fair trade for these reasons:
A. Coffee and tea production make a huge impact on wages for millions of workers around the world.B. Tea leaves are routinely sprayed with chemicals, some of which are known to disrupt thyroid function in the body.C. Local tea and coffee shops are some of the hardest hit during this pandemic. I love visiting independently owned shops like The Nile in Mesa, Infusion Coffee & Tea in Tempe, Alternative Fuel in Rapid City or The Daily in Bozeman. Will they make it past this? It is up to us--the consumers-- to make sure of it. Call your favorite coffee shop today and order a pound of coffee. They will be delighted you did!
7) Gifts
I am focusing on thoughtful gift-giving this Christmas, not just mass produced plastic goods in a box. Like coffee shops, gift shops are also strained for cash right now. Many are closing for good. I can't wait to support local and online gift shops that make ethical goods this Christmas. Do you have any favorites? Drop them in comments.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Love & Lava Designs--local AZ jewelry maker who is also a teacher. I love her gemstone bracelets. Many diffuser bracelets aren't made with real gemstones like these are.
Honeybee Wraps--Made in Australia eco conscious food wraps and bags in the cutest prints.
Passion Planner--(use my code JACEY10 at checkout and I will send you stickers!). My absolute fave paper planner. Now carrying a digital version!
I am also going to be ordering a few artisan made gifts from my favorite online retailer in 2, 3, 4, and 5 above. I am currently eyeing the wool dryer balls, handmade wood trees for mantle decorations and the advent calendar. These purchases will support women entrepreneurs in poverty-stricken areas in both the U.S. and globally.
Makes for a feel good Christmas season to see the joy in the eyes of people I love opening these gifts that were made ethically and with love.
8) Clothes
This is the area of the most awareness and movement right now at our house. I used to love my trips to TJ Maxx, because it felt like a luxury garage sale. Now, we take those trips to Goodwill instead.
At some point during this pandemic, I went through my closet and started to ask myself, "who made all of this?"
Then the #PayUp movement started and I was even more motivated to feel good shop for my closet.
One of the saddest business closure stories I read in the last few months was this clothing maker in Nashville having to shut their doors and put all their seamstresses on unemployment indefinitely. They made the cutest, timeless linen shorts. Really bums me out that I won't ever get to own a pair now.
This is an area of constant discussion and learning at our house, because I have a ten year old and 13 year old daughter. Clothes are a big part of the teenage years, but I also want to teach them many of the fast fashion brands are made by girls their age in unsafe factories around the world. Yet, many of these children are earning wages that their families desperately need for food and rent. So, what do we do?
Keep asking questions and seeking better options.....
I love what LA is doing for the Made in USA fashion movement. Check out an article on that here.
For now, I am loving not needing to buy as many work clothes. What about you?
Three Areas I Still Don't Have a Clue:
9) Electronics
I seriously want to get rid of my Apple products after learning that Apple stashes all of its billions offshore, so as not to pay corporate income tax here in the good ol' USA. Not to mention some of the rumors coming out of Apple factories in Asia. Plus, the way they source raw materials also brings up concerns of child labor.
Why can't we just have a cell phone manufacturer that isn't all about greed and pillage? We use these pocket computers every dang day, for heaven's sake.
Do you know of any options here? Please share them in comments if you do.
10) Toys
Two words: plastic and batteries.
Soft, plastic toys like rubber duckies--straight up toxic!
Battery consumption goes without saying...
Does that mean every toy has to be wood?
What about Legos?
Clearly I need to do some more research here, but I think it's a safe bet that we have consumed just as much plastic in toys, costumes & dolls the last 13 years, as we have plastic water bottles.
As far as I know, plastic doesn't compost real fast.
Who makes these toys? Do they get paid fairly?
What about all these toy retailers going out of business? (i.e. Toys R Us)
When was the last time you visited a locally owned toy store?
Again, please share your thoughts and research below.
11) Furniture
I know after doing a minute of research that much of our new furniture is coated with materials that off-gas into the air in our homes. These off-gases can turn out to be fairly toxic to the human body.
This includes mattresses, upholstered items and even wood furniture with all of its stains and varnishes.
Who makes this furniture?
I guess it's a safe bet to buy antique?
What do you do for new furniture purchases?
In conclusion, we are all at different points in this journey. I am not sure anyone has really mastered all of these categories, but if you have made progress in any of these areas please do share in the comments.
For now, if you want to know how I cut my shopping time for essentials in half you can find my Smart Shopping Guide here or join my Full & Filtered Life Facebook group here where we chat about these topics all the time.
Have a Marvelous Day,
Jacey
When daylight savings time comes to an end, I always think back on how big of a time waster I used to be.
In high school, I was a notorious time waster. I repeatedly slept past my alarm. I spent way too much time on what I looked like and not nearly enough time on what I was eating. I was frequently late for school, as my sister threatened to leave me and honked from the driveway.
I spent a lot time on hair and makeup. Like hours on hair and makeup. You know, normal teenage stuff.
I remember one too many friends waiting on me to "get ready."
This continued into college, although I learned that it wasn't necessary to do my hair and makeup for every 8 am class. However, I still had friends who waited and waited and waited......on me.
To all my friends who had to wait on Jacey for hours, I AM SORRY I wasted your time.
The ironic thing is I was a big planner even back then. I had a Steven Covey fancy planner with black patent leather case. I spent a lot of time working through his 7 Steps prompts.
But I couldn't seem to translate all of that planning into "doing."
I finally came to grips with the "doing" when I planned a wedding, applied to law schools and worked full-time simultaneously.
I kid you not, when Mitch and I got married Pastor Clyde Teel joked at our wedding that he knew I was going to be at least 5 minutes late to pictures. He actually said that in front of all the guests! The horror!!! All I could do was smile and laugh at myself, because it was pretty hard to deny.
I was 45 minutes late to pictures. Ok maybe 1 hour and 45 minutes.
But you guys, it was no one else's fault but mine that I was late to everything and wasted buckets of time. It was all me.
I can't pinpoint exactly the day where it all turned around for me, but I am pretty sure it had something to do with becoming a lawyer and realizing that my entire world now revolved around accounting my day in 6 minute increments.
Also, having three children really cleaned up my act. My lateness translated into their lateness. Not something you want to pass onto your children. They shine a bright light on many areas for growth in life, do they not?
If I had to sum up my 3 black holes of time over the past 30 years these three would be at the top of the list:
1. Time Getting Ready
SOOO many hours in front of the mirror in junior high and high school. I truly think it was also a creative outlet for me with clothes, shoes, makeup and jewelry. How could I make them all fit together?
But still.....I could have done better and cared about others more.
Every year since high school graduation, I have simplified my routine. I have more peace and contentment now in this area than I ever have.
- not washing my hair everyday=less water, less shampoo
- a 10 minute clean beauty makeup routine in the morning=protects hormones, saves time
- intermittent fasting through breakfast=less dishes, food and time
- no more hot rollers in my hair=only using a blow dryer twice a week
- decluttering my closet= less clothes to choose from
- 5 min face and teeth bedtime routine=less money on harsh products, glowing skin
If you're curious about what else is in my routine, I reveal it all in my Get Healthy Now Course.
This course covers my daily routine for 60 days. Some of these practices have taken me 20 years to master and I share them all with you. Find out what others are saying about it here.
Oh yeah, I do all your meal planning for you for 60 DAYS!!
2. Time Shopping
When I tell my children stories about how many hours I spent shopping in malls in my teens and 20's they laugh and I cringe.
Now, most of those malls are closing for good or cutting back on stores. (Commercial real estate in this country is fascinating really, but a topic for another time).
Don't get me wrong, my kids love a good shopping trip. However, what constitutes a shopping trip back then was ALL DAY.
We went into the mall when it opened and came out when it was dark. I am not even joking.
What constitutes a fun girls shopping trip now is 3 hours max.
For essentials, I use to have quite the route too.
Safeway, Costco, Walmart, Target, health food stores, TJ Maxx, ordering Mitch's favorite lotion online, piecing clean makeup together through Sephora and Ulta. So exhausting!!!
But seriously, who shops in stores anymore anyway?
We have Amazon. Costco delivers. Walmart has pick-up.
Been there, done that too.
What if I told you I do ALL my essential shopping in under 15 hours per month at only 4 stores?
Would you believe me?
Jacey, the slowest shopper of all time who knew every nook and cranny of Kirkwood Mall, TJ Maxx, Target and the Amazon website only shops at 4 stores?!! Yeah right.
It's true. Here is a link to my free guide on how I did it.
I can't tell you how happy I am to not step foot in a single store on the weekends.
I love spending my money at these four stores. They take care of their people, they give back to charities I have actually volunteered with, they care about their local community, they reward me with stupid low prices or reward points I can spend like cash and one of them even ships right to my door!
Never going back to pushing that dang cart around Costco on a Saturday ever again.
3. Time On the Phone
Yep still working on this one.
I held off on social media until 2014! I have come a loooong way.
These are the two principles that help me the most with screen time:
1. If I'm having a conversation with someone face to face, my phone should not be in my hand.
This is particularly difficult when I had my phone in my hand and the person walked in the room and started talking to me. That is a different scenario.
I am talking about eating a meal with someone and not bringing my phone to the table.
Helping a child with homework and leaving my phone on the counter.
Having coffee with a friend and leaving my phone in my purse.
2. I Set Office Hours for the Phone
Just like when I practiced law, I had hours my phone was on and hours my phone was off.
I now pencil my phone hours into my Passion Planner Daily.
These are the hours I am allowed to use social media on my phone for personal or work purposes. My family knows that this is my phone time.
When the hours are up, I limit social media.
This is a work in progress, but writing it into my daily planner helps me to stick to these office hours, especially when I am working from home.
If you want to find out more about the Passion Planner I use, you can find them here.
If you find one you like, go ahead and use code JACEY10 at checkout and I will send you some stickers!
Time is like money, every deposit in the piggy bank adds up.
Twenty years ago, I had big dreams, but I couldn't quite figure out that how I spent my minutes on the daily was the deposits on those big dreams.
I hope this post helps you out in some way. If it does, please leave a comment below and join my email list where you will get notified whenever new posts are up! You can find that list here.
Have the best afternoon!
Love,
Jacey
Weeks back in the Facebook group we talked with a Naturopath Dr. Peter Raisenan about healthy foods to start losing weight.
The best foods for weight loss and overall health promotion include:
1) Leafy Greens like spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce.
2) Cruciferous Veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and leeks.
3) Starchy Vegetables like yams and sweet potatoes.
4) Cooked Mushrooms
5) Legumes, lentils, and peas
6) Nuts and Seeds sprinkled on salads
He also suggested following a paleo or keto diet that incorporates a lean protein source 1-2 times per week. This could include
7) Lean game meat
8) Wild-caught fish
9) Organically fed poultry
Oftentimes, switching to a more plant-based diet leaves one with vitamin deficiencies over time. This can look like fatigue, cracks in the corners of the mouth, and weak hair and nails.
That is why we have incorporated a whole-food-based bioavailable supplement into our daily supplement routine to make sure we are getting the vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics we need.
Here's what a few friends are saying about the supplement we take:
“This was amazing for me postpartum with bubba no. 2. I couldn’t believe the immediate deep nutritional support I felt and the energy!! I felt so nourished.”
“These little handy, dandy packets are packed with so many vital vitamins and minerals (including Zinc)! It is easy, handy and you don't have to think about it! It is a must for Immune system support right now!!”
“Zinc has been found to be really important to support immunity.. I got a box for free with my points and after 3 days I felt so much more energy, that I knew this would be a monthly thing.”
Dr. Peter also walked us through a list of the 8 foods to avoid for overall health and weight loss.
Avoid these foods for weight loss and overall health:
1) BBQ Grilled Meats
2) Fried Foods
3) Baked Grainy Foods
4) Olive Oil heated to High Heat
5) Dairy Products including milk, yogurt, and cheese
6) Refined Grain Products
7) Diet Sodas
8) Refined oils like canola or vegetable oil
High Heat Produces Free Radicals
Many of these suggestions have to do with the temperature at which the food is cooked and the oil it is cooked in.
For example, grilling a chicken breast brushed with olive oil until its blackened produces carcinogenic toxins as a result of the chemical reaction that takes place on the meat. The high heat of the grill oxidizes the olive oil, which in turn produces free radicals that are then consumed by eating the chicken.
Free radicals in the body contribute to cellular breakdown and over time lead to defenseless cells that are "more susceptible to attack by pathogens and toxins--which is why rates of everything from obesity to cancer and heart disease go up dramatically in populations that consume refined crop seed oils. " (The Energy Reset: Remove the Toxins, Reset Your Hormones by Michelle Brown pg. 97).
This is also why it's important to focus on foods that are chock full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help flush out free radicals in the body and repair cell membranes.
Same goes for frying food in vegetable oils. These oils are delicate and should only be served cold in dressings for salads or in cold soups like gazpacho.
Dairy, Dioxins, and Hormones
Dairy was another hot topic during our discussion. Dr. Peter said that the concentration of toxins called dioxins in dairy products like milk, butter and cheese were remarkable. The concentration of exposure to dioxins through intake of these foods were much higher than what one human would encounter in a lifetime of environmental exposure.
Dixons have been known to lower reproductive capacity, contribute to epigenetic manipulation and changes to methylation patterns in imprinted genes. See article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31212893/?from_term=effects+of+dioxins&from_pos=1.
Dr. Peter also mentioned the hormonal effects that dairy products can have on humans by the introduction of their hormones from cow's milk into our systems through consumption.
He said, “We make enough hormones, we don't need extra outside hormones to run interference.”
Ditch the Soda and Donuts
It may come as no surprise that the absolute worst foods for weight loss according to
Dr. Peter is diet sodas and processed grainy foods.
Do You Wonder How Often to Eat for Weight Loss?
To optimize food absorption, capitalize on digestion and induce weight loss, Dr. Peter suggested Time Restricted Feeding.
This is a process where you only eat during a window of 8 hours per day. This is a great diet for a weight loss fast method. Most people find success when they skip breakfast and focus on lunch and dinner. He also warned against eating any closer than 3 hours before bed.
In the Slique in 60 Challenge we are focusing on this time-restricted feeding method for weight loss.
Some of the Challengers have already seen results after 30 Days!!
In this challenge, I plan all the healthy meals for you for 60 Days.
I also provide you with recipes and weekly shopping lists for these meals.
Plus, I spotlight a home product every week and teach you how to read labels to protect your family from harmful ingredients.
We also share a weekly mindset affirmation and a diffuser recipe.
It’s basically a peek into my daily and weekly routine. Some of these practices have taken me 20 years to master!
If you would like more information about joining the Slique Challenge click here.Slique Challenge
Join my email list here to capture more helpful blogs like this one. Email list
Thanks for following along!
Jacey
It's that time of the decade again. It only comes along twice every ten years.
That time when we start having nightly dinner conversations with our children about elections and politics.
Heads up! When they get to be 9 they start asking some really tough questions.
Be ready! "Let your conversation be gracious & effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." (Colossians 4:6)
I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Cal Jernigan speak on this topic about a month ago. I was even further blessed to have my husband and thirteen-year-old sitting right beside me for this message.
Here is the replay to that message if you want to watch it in its entirety. It is short (35 min). I highly recommend doing so, especially if you are devoid of hope and find yourself apathetic right now with the current state of affairs.
It is a powerful message for those in the church and those who frankly can't stand religion. Cal speaks to you wherever you are.
Here are my notes from Cal's message: (black are my comments)
Everything is now politicized.
Politika: "affairs of the city."
Polis: "city"
"Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." (Jeremiah 29:7)
We are called to invest ourselves in the affairs of the city.
Exile meaning the Jews were living in a foreign land when Jeremiah delivered this message.
How different would our cities look if we had peace and prosperity right now?
Instead of peace what we see all around us is contempt--utter disgust--for those with views that oppose ours.
In his book Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, Harvard professor Arthur Brooks says that the level of contempt we have for each other has exceeded that of the level of contempt the Jews and Palestinians have for one other.
Last night's presidential debate was only further evidence of that.
In a recent survey, 15-20% of both Republicans and Democrats polled said the country would be better off if the other side just died.
C.S. Lewis: We all need second friends. The ones you respect, but they disagree with you.
Listen and learn from them.
Politicians won't even have lunch or converse with others from the opposite party.
An example of this would be George Bush and Ellen DeGeneres randomly sitting next to each other at a football game. The footage went viral. They both paid dearly for being friendly and harmonious at that football game.
This is our world. This is the world our children are growing up in.
Be ready!: "Let your conversation be gracious & effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." (Colossians 4:6)
Be very careful not to enter into contempt!
Was Jesus a Republican or a Democrat?
Both parties are claiming that Jesus is for their agenda and courting the Church like never before.
The division is always the surest path to destruction.
Any kingdom at war with itself is doomed. Every household divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12:25)
See the words of the Pledge of Allegiance. Is it still true?
Are we still indivisible?
That's what hangs in the balance in 2020: not a pandemic, an election, or the economy. It's our unity that is at stake. Our ability to come together and advance the affairs of the city.
Our kids are watching.
Our grandparents and our parents who have gone before. They are watching too.
The ones who wore uniforms shed blood and spent years away from their families to set captives free. These captives spoke different languages and were of different faiths too.
Will we redeem everything they fought for?
Or watch it go up in flames and dump more gasoline on it while it burns?
If I were Satan, how would I divide a nation and church?
Divide from within.
1. What if we took a higher road?
Zoom out on our thoughts about this pivotal time. Set your sights on things above. Things that bind us together as human beings.
2. What if we celebrated our heavenly citizenship?
I have dual citizenship both here and in the kingdom of heaven.
My vision board has a photograph of what my room looks like in heaven. Its a room with cobalt lacquer walls, a pink velvet couch, a library of books, and a window that overlooks the garden.
On the really dark days, I stand in front of that board and dream about the peace I will feel in that room.
There's a room for you there too! Draw a picture of it. Clip a photograph that resembles that. Spend time dreaming about it.
We have pictures on our vision boards of cars, homes, clothes, trips we want to take...
What if we zoomed out on the earthly things and began to envision our heavenly home above all else?
"But Jacey, I don't know what my heavenly home will look like."
I suggest starting with this book. It's more of a textbook because it gets that specific on Heaven,
Let me just say--you won't be wearing a robe and singing all day.
It's way better than any Sunday School teacher ever let on.
3. What if we took our role as Ambassadors for peace as our most noble assignment?
I don't want to lose my chance to influence people for the greater good.
Mother Theresa said it this way: "If you judge someone, you have no time left to love them."
4. What if we took preserving the unity of the Church as seriously as God does?
God never blesses division.
He's not on this throne right now clapping his hands at the way we are tearing each other apart!
5. What if we made our church a politically neutral zone?
We don't get in a fistfight over our football teams. That's the frame of mind we need with our loyalties to things other than our faith.
God doesn't need any political party or candidate. He never has!
He's still on his throne. He's not surprised; he's sovereign. His sovereignty will reign no matter who wins on Nov. 3
Need a shred of proof?
There's nowhere on planet Earth where God is showing up more than in Iran right now! Why? Perhaps there are captives in Iran.
God blessed me with a friend from Iran late last year. I would consider her a 2nd friend:
someone who doesn't look like me
someone whose parents don't talk like me
someone who grew up eating foods I have never eaten or even heard of
someone who is kind, calls me "sweetie" and has enriched my life in ways I am thankful for.
Go make a 2nd friend today and start rebuilding the unity of this nation.
If you don't know how to do that ask your kids. They know how!
Jacey
