Orange Juice and The Point is Love

This past weekend I finally used the Champion Juicer that Val had so kindly given to me and that been going unused in her home (thanks again Val!).  I made orange juice!  I bought a whole bag of them with this exact intention.  I'm so glad I did!  If you have a juicer, I highly recommend juicing your own oranges instead of buying the premade stuff.  It's better for you because it's literally and completely natural and oh so very fresh.  I used three (on the small side) oranges to make 8 oz. of orange juice.

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This next part is written by my friend Laura.  She is a beautiful writer and I have loved reading her thoughts over the years.  You'll see that she definitely has a way with words.  I couldn't resist sharing her thoughts on my blog as I see it as very applicable to the journey that I am on.  I hope her writing tugs at your heart as well.

I had a recent conversation that has been on my mind. I met a man who is a personal trainer and we were discussing health and nutrition. Since the summer I have been gradually changing the way I am eating to a more organic and whole food lifestyle. I have mostly given up wheat, sugar, caffeine and dairy. Along with that I have been learning to tell myself “no” and be more disciplined. I used to make a weekly exception for my decaf, extra-hot, non-fat, no whip, vanilla mocha, but then a dear friend encouraged me to step things up a notch. Now it is decaf americanos, which are fabulous by the way!

As I was talking with this man he explained the way he teaches his clients about nutrition. He asked if I like dogs. He explained that if I were to get a dog I would research, or talk to people and find out what the best food was to feed the dog. The dog does not care. It would happily eat bacon fat all day long but you love your dog and you give it the best food you can because that is what it needs in order to be healthy and live a long life with you. Then he said you should at least love yourself as much as you love your dog. It is not about discipline, it is about love. You do not restrict the dog from eating bacon fat because you are trying to discipline the dog for doing something wrong, or because you want to punish the dog. You don’t give the dog pans of bacon fat because you love the dog and it would cause harm. Likewise, I need to feed my body healthy food because it is what is best for my body, not because I am being disciplined or restrictive. I should avoid bad food because it causes me harm and shortens my life, not because I am being punished. The different perspective was mind blowing.

I then thought about the love of God. He does not ask me to live a restrictive life, He asks me to live a life that will be good for me. He loves me and does not desire to see me harmed. Left to my own devices I am quite content to sit down on the floor with my pan of bacon fat and eat away at it until my arteries are plugged because it tastes good. Why should I stop? I need direction to help me know that I am hurting myself by eating the wrong things. That is why God provides instruction. It is not about a list of things that I cannot do, it is about things that will break my heart, shorten my life, cause financial ruin and chain me down in addiction. It is out of love for myself and my God that I should enjoy the bounty he has provided me rather than indulging in things that might taste good but would be unloving to pursue because they will make my life worse. Be it nutrition, exercise, relationships, recreational activities, everything, it is not about disciplining myself but rather about loving myself. It is not restriction but enjoyment of things that make my life better. The point is Love.