January 23, 2012 - Let Go of the Old

The last few days of winter get so long for me. The last hour of a trip nearly turns me around. The last leg of a 24 trip to another country and back seems unbearable. But the end of one journey is usually the beginning of another. Right? And the way we embrace the end can really influence how we begin the next chapter. I see this all the time in people's lives. And while the past DOES HAVE ITS PLACE, there is a time for the old leaves to be swept away by the winds of change and new life to begin. That is the pattern established by God and we see that played out over and over before our eyes. As we approach the month of chocolate, I mean the month of LOVE, the real draw for us is to look back to the patterns of our past and "allow that cheat" for a special event. There were certain times where it was legal to cheat - it just was. It was the accepted cheat. Right? I know this sounds almost laughable, but I think if we "allow a cheat here" and a "cheat there" the word cheat becomes familiar and could easily become the excuse. Can I propose something different? How about we teach our children to cut flowers from fruit and create baskets of homemade, healthy yummies for their friends and teachers for Valentine's Day? Maybe some kids would laugh, but you'd be surprised. Could we consider sending our spouse an editable arrangement of their favorite fruits? Could Valentine's chocolate be the Smucker's Peanut Butter and Sugar Free Fudge and six beautiful apples? YES! Let's allow the end of our sugar-filled holidays to cause us to embrace a NEW WAY - a new journey. Let's teach our kids to be trendsetters with no fear of the backlash. Somebody has to...... I don't know about you, but my mom still wants to buy me candy every Valentine's day as she did when I was 8. (which is why I was in Weight Watchers in grade school - LOL) Breaking the cycle of Valentine's chocolates will take some effort, could be a LONG process, might cause some frustration as you re-purpose (or re-gift) every box of chocolate you receive. But, once the old tradition has passed away and the new embraced, the next season will be easier. Our kids will grow up realizing that great health is NOT just a seasonal task that comes and goes and embraces the word "cheat," but great health is a life style of choosing those things we WANT to eat and enjoy because we know we CAN. Now that's a NEW concept........and new is good. :) Have a great Wednesday and choose well, PK