February 4, 2008

 Your Health Matters!

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that healthcare costs are on the rise. Costs that are being incurred by businesses are being passed on to a greater degree than ever before. Many companies have resorted to charging their employees a monthly fee for bad health practices such as smoking and being over weight. It results in being a fine for bad behavior or an incentive to do something different depending on whose eyes you see it through.

I choose to see it as an incentive to correct the bad behavior/bad habits that add to increased healthcare costs. Increased high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, strokes and stress related illnesses. Some of us have paid these fines for years. Every year we get upset when we realize we are being charged or stimulated to do something different. We get upset and we complain, not realizing that the charge that we are receiving does not even begin to pay for the costs that have been incurred by the office visits, medications, surgeries, medical procedures, lost work time, and extra burden placed on the co-workers, family and friends that are forced to pick up the slack for us when we are unable to do what needs to be done, all of this to combat our poor choices.

After the beginning of the year most of us won’t even think about those fines again, we just pay them silently, not changing anything, waiting to complain again next year. Our habits don’t change, and our health continues to deteriorate, still due to our bad choices.

If something does not change we are making a decision to allow our children to be raised without active parents that are able to run, jump and hang out with them, because we can barely walk without breathing heavy. Our children, spouses, grandchildren, family, friends, co-workers and the companies we work for deserve more than that. We deserve to live lives that are more productive than that. Even more God deserves better than that. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Be encouraged that no matter where you are today, you can do what is in your capability to take your health back, to take you life back, by changing some of your habits. You might have to pay the incentive this year, but you can work to ensure that you will not have to pay it next year. Will it be easy, probably not? I won’t lie to you, but I will encourage you to get some accountability people to walk with you through your life change and into your new beginning. The ability to stop smoking and stop overeating is in your control. You may have to deal with some stuff, but you can do it. Do it for you, do it for your family, do it for your co-workers, you pick a reason, just do it.

Weekly Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

We just worked out spiritually. If you have not worked out your physical temple get up and join us in the:

New Beginnings 2008 Workout Focus
10,000/steps per day or 70,000/steps per week Walking Program*

This is the fitness opportunity that New Beginnings is promoting for 2008. It is simple and easy and almost everyone can participate at whatever level of fitness they are at. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable clothing, a pedometer, and you're all set.

For further discussion contact contactus@mynewtemple.org or write to us on the message board http://mynewtemple.org/aMessages.html or the Fitness Blog http://mynewtemple.org/wordpress/.