When You Know Enough to Know Better

 I had the awesome opportunity to explore North City a bit the other morning and photograph N. 14th st.  I love that part of town.  It reminds me of the concept of change and how God can change even the darkest parts of any city--if we make better choices.

As Luke and I continue to explore the world of parenting and disciplining Shyla, it gives me ample times to explore my own heart as I tell my daughter to "make good choices."  This feeling is magnified when your almost three year old states back "Make Good Choices, Mommy."  And the human inside of me is like "Crap, my three year old knows her own mom's bad choices."

Make good choices.  The more I tell my daughter this, the more I have started to examine the way I spend my time and money.  Am I making a good choice?  I think the real gut wrenching feeling is when I know enough to know better about the choices I make.  This has been evident in the way our family eats.  I found myself last week asking, "What would it take for our family to begin to eat grass fed meat and cleaner foods on a regular basis and what would I need to cut out to make this happen?"  I know enough of the facts to know better.  Here are some small changes I have made:

*I am starting to modify my Saturday morning workout routine to be able to go to a farmer's market in lower income neighborhoods to buy from the farmers who have dedicated their business to serving this population (that issue is an entirely different blog entry alone).
*Planning ahead and making a menu.
*Seeing these small changes as an investment in my children and understanding the concept of healthy, clean food.  I am convinced that contaminated food is my generation's version of cigarettes and smoke.  I can just see Shyla and Asher asking Luke and I how we could ever stand the taste of fructose corn syrup when they are older just as I asked my grandma how she could ever stand the taste of cigarettes.
*Blending food into my social life and community.  When more people gather together to eat clean food, it  as an investment and opportunity to discuss why grassfed, clean food is so important to this generation. It is another deposit into the heart and soul of wholehearted fitness and wholehearted living--when you know enough to know better and you can't live the rest of your life the same way.

It has taken me a long time to come to this place.  But I have come to realize that I can only turn my head for so long before it is time to make small changes.  Asking God everyday, "what choices do I need to make in order for us to eat and live well?"  It starts by making better choices.  It goes even deeper for me: who do I spend my time with: (hint:  Iron sharpens iron).  What do I spend my time doing?  Is it helping me propel my life in a forward motion?  What is the condition of my heart?  "Make good choices, Julie"