How to reduce your risk of death

Adding minutes one step at a time

This is interesting to me.  How many studies do we see that say "Just 15 minutes of exercise a day will lower the risk of death by 22 per cent", or "Lose weight and eliminate or lower your chance of diabetes (which can lead to death).

Now, don't get me wrong.  I love all the tidbits that help keep me healthy, however, for this to be meaningful, don't we need to know exactly how much time we are playing with?  

If someone tells me, "if you leave now, you will save 15 minutes off your total commute" I know that means I will get home in 30 minutes.  Because I know how long it normally takes.

It all goes back to knowing what you start with and figuring it out from there.   I have never read an obituary that read "John Doe died at the age of 70.  Lucky for him, he earned an additional 15 years (he would have died at 55 ) but thanks to his quitting smoking when he did, 10 years were added to his life.  And then he started walking every day which also created some bonus time of an additional 5 years.  I think you are picking up what I am putting down.

time is my choice

We are like a carton of milk.  We will go bad at some point (die) but we don't have an expiration date stamped on us anywhere (that I can find).

Makes me wonder.....Are we all so busy trying not to die that we forget to live?  Or at least place value on what is important at any given time?

It is very easy for us to focus on all the things that have (or could) go wrong!  Can you imagine what a day would look like if we focused only on our blessings?

At the end of the day, I want to do everything right (or at least within moderation) for my health.  But I guess I should want to do that anyway.  But using death as a consequence seems ineffective, since we are all going to die someday, no matter what.

Key points - death - still not optional.  Timing of death - still an unknown.  Life - whatever we choose to make of it.  Timing of life - Still all about how we choose to spend it.

Bottom line - Choices win!

Until next time,
#eatlovepray

your pal,
Kari

Check your blindspot

Lord, graciously keep me this night

I love the moon.  I may  have mentioned this before but the moon was something consistent that I could point out to Madison when we were apart.  I would call her before she went to bed and tell her to look out the window at the moon and know that I was looking at the very same thing....at the very same time.  The same percentage of the Moon will be illuminated no matter where on Earth you are.  This made us feel connected. 

There are so many different phases of the moon to be appreciated (eight to be exact).

In Western culture, we divide the lunar month into four primary and four intermediate Moon phases.  The Moon phases start with the invisible New Moon, while the first visible phase is the thin sliver of a Waxing Crescent Moon. Around a week later, half of the Moon’s surface is illuminated while the other half is in darkness at First Quarter Moon.

Fourteen-fifteen days into the cycle, we enjoy a Full Moon.  Before that, the illuminated part continues to grow into a Waxing Gibbous Moon, until we see the entire face of the Moon.

It then gradually shrinks into a Waning Gibbous Moon, and when it reaches Third Quarter, the opposite half from the First Quarter is illuminated. From there, it fades into the Waning Crescent Moon before it finally disappears from view again, only to reemerge and repeat this cycle over and over.  A literal circle of life.

I was driving home the other night when I enjoyed a glimpse of the Waning Crescent Moon.  The light from the moon seemed to indicate that what I was seeing was all there was.  And then I began to ponder....

How many times in life do we question (or worse yet believe) "this is all there is".  None of us were promised a life free from strife, challenges, loss.  In this way we are all equal.  No matter how educated, wealthy, smart, likable, etc.etc., no one gets a free pass.  And at times, the darkness can be overwhelming.

Just these past few days Terry and I enjoyed the almost full moon for two nights.  We talked about which night would reveal the moon in its full glory.  Anticipation.  And then, the big night arrived.  Cloud cover.  Completely.  We missed it.

Yet, we knew it was still there.  We didn't have to see it to appreciate and believe that somewhere, someone at that very moment, was enjoying the sight of the moon (super this time).

And it resonated with me, this is what faith is all about.  The type of faith that believes without seeing.  I am so grateful
.

Until next time,
#wearenotofthisworld

your pal,
Kari

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