We all have fears, you know, the things that holds us back from jumping in with both feet. We fear failure. We fear success. We fear judgement from others. We fear being vulnerable. We fear rejection. We fear being laughed at. We fear situations that make us unsure. We fear the unknown. Fear is the reason we stay in our “safety zones”. I challenge you this year to get out of your personal safety zone and to just DO IT AFRAID! Everybody is afraid of something, however the most successful people overcome fear with courage and forge ahead.I started Healthy Living How To about nine months ago after much insistence from my husband. He sees in me what I don't always acknowledge, the heart to help others and the passion for healthy living. I hesitated for a long time to start this site due to my own insecurities and fears. And you know what, that fear is still there today. Most of the time I push the “publish” button afraid. Often times I have to tell the little voice that says, “why would anyone listen to you”, to be quiet!
As I forge ahead into 2012, and as this site continues to grow, I am challenging myself to bring more content that takes me out of my “safety zone”. Cooking and baking delicious healthy food, snapping photos and sharing the recipe is one of my passions, however, this is “safe” for me. Healthy living is more than the food we eat and the exercise we do, the nurturing of our mind and spirit are as essential to our health as the air we breathe and the water we drink. So to kick off my first post of the new year, I am sharing with you my very personal testimony of how God has worked in my life this past year.
January 2011 Baptism ~ Photo Credit Barry Howell via Eagle Brook Church
One year ago, I was at a very low point in my life. The previous few years, I let life get in the way of my relationship with Christ. My daily habit of reading the bible along with my weekly church attendance had fallen to the wayside as I ran myself ragged with work. What coincided during this time was a significant decline in my health. I was diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue and in spite of following all the therapeutic recommendations, my health was not really improving. Not only was I mentally and physically depressed, I was also spiritually depressed.I made only one resolution last year and that was to reconnect with God and to read my Bible everyday. A few weeks into the new year, on a very cold and snowy Sunday we ventured to church, the date was January 23, 2011, my 40th birthday. The message that particular Sunday was about being obedient to Christ and that the first step to obedience is baptism. I felt like the pastor was talking directly to me. Even though I was raised Catholic, baptized as an infant and a Christian my entire life, I knew I needed to be baptized on my own volition. Near the end of the service the invitation to be baptized was extended, I accepted. On January 29, 2011, along with my husband, I made the public declaration of my obedience to Christ by underwater baptism.
To say 2011, was a life changing year for me, is an understatement. In spite of the attempts I made at healing my health, it wasn't until I was baptized that I truly experienced healing, God's powerful healing. I kept my resolution of reading my bible everyday, I returned to my morning habit of spending time praying and journaling and my life has been forever changed. For someone who usually has a way with words, when I try to explain the power of Christ in my life, it is met with tears and a lump in my throat. There are just some things you just can't explain!
