Why getting fit is a spiritual issue - CFN Newsletter Week 138

CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 138

> Susannah Pilkington's tips on fitness
> News:
> Charity warning on internet child abuse
> Britons getting more neighbourly says survey
> 'Largest ever' UK Christian counselling directory launch
> Sites:
> Tsunami appeal
> Big campaigns for 2005
> Marriage MOT: For richer, for poorer
> You've got to laugh: The visitor
> Members' Zone latest

> OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS WEEK

www.libertybooks.co.uk - An extensive selection of second-hand, new and out-of-print Christian books available to purchase securely on-line.  Reasonable Prices, quality books and modest postal rates. Mail neillcooper@christianmedia.org.uk to advertise here

> FROM THE EDITOR

As we return to work and school, make resolutions and fresh starts this New Year, our thoughts continually go to those bereaved by the tsunami in the Far East, and all those working to get help to the injured, orphaned and homeless.

Once we've done all we can to help - and Tsunami Appeal website address is below - we're reminded again to count the blessings God has given us and appreciate and nurture our families afresh.

We hope you've enjoyed the latest copy of Families Together magazine - we're already starting on the next one, which will be out just before Easter.

May God bless you and yours in 2005

Russ Bravo
Christian Family Network
info@cfnetwork.co.uk
http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk

PS Christian Family Network is here to direct you to the best in parenting, marriage and family resources; to link you up with other Christian families up and down the UK; and to help you make the most of life as a follower of Christ - at home, at work, at school and college, at play and online.

Your feedback, positive and negative, enables us to develop CFN in the way that is most useful for you - so please tell us if we're off the rails or on the button!

And don't forget - if we can pass on material (sample copies of Families Together, leaflets) which will help you tell your friends and your church about CFN, just mail Lyn Bedford at marketing@christianmedia.org.uk and she'll be glad to help you out.

ALL ROUND FITNESS

• It’s not just our bodies that need exercise, says SUSANNAH PILKINGTON

January is the traditional time for people to take stock, look over the previous year and make their resolutions. On many a list will be the goal to get fit or lose weight. Health clubs are pleased because it inevitably means a boost to their membership lists (though the numbers drop off during the following months as resolve ebbs away!).

But thoughts about how we can be healthier are no longer just for January. Increasingly we hear about the rise in levels of obesity in Britain. Worryingly, the biggest gains are in our children as they exercise less. The knock-on effects include the expectation of an explosion in Type II diabetes (also known as adult onset diabetes) as our bodies simply can’t keep up with all the processed high sugar and high fat foods we force into them. This form of diabetes is now being diagnosed in children.

Projections for the future include medical costs for caring for diabetes-related illness soaring above the whole of the current NHS budget. With these statistics looming we are now being given information and help from a number of different sources, one of those with the highest profile being the BBC’s two-year Fat Nation campaign.

However, if we want to be truly fit, will what we eat and exercise alone do the trick?  We are not just a body but also have a mind and spirit, so surely real fitness must therefore require us to have health in all three of these areas. 

The link between body and mind has long been established. When patients are stressed, depressed or lethargic, doctors will often recommend changes in diet along with an increase in exercise. More recently people have begun to also realise the importance of being spiritually fit. Boots were so interested in what made for our ‘wellbeing’ that they commissioned some research. One of the factors identified as “crucial” for this was having some form of spirituality. 

When Fat Nation was launched, I was interviewed by a number of local BBC radio stations to comment on the contribution of spirituality to fitness. I was able to say that many health clubs include a range of alternative therapies to help people’s health and wellbeing but that Jesus said he had come to give life in all its fullness. Fit Lives goes into the clubs to try to share this with people – if they want real wholeness they need Jesus!

However, this isn’t to say that physical fitness isn’t important. The Bible tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that we should honour God with our bodies. But it goes on to say we should “… exercise daily in God – no spiritual flabbiness please!  Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever” (1 Timothy 4:8 The Message).

As we think about getting truly fit, we need to not only think about what we eat and how we exercise, but also about what we are doing for souls. ‘Spirituality’ is big business. One look at the magazine racks reveals numerous articles on crystals, mediums, healing, witchcraft, meditation, tarot, psychics etc. But surprisingly, people seem not to realise that Christianity has anything to say about spirituality. Real spirituality is to be found in Jesus. “You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realise the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything”  (Colossians 2:8 The Message).

• Check out some practical tips from Susannah in our Advice section - www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/advice.asp

> THIS WEEK'S NEWS

> Charity warning on internet child abuse

Leading children's charity NCH's internet expert John Carr has warned an international conference in Morocco that there needs to be much closer co-operation between police forces to halt the sale of child pornography on the internet.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

Britons getting more neigbourly, says survey

The vast majority of people in England and Wales trust their neighbours according to the main findings from the 2003 Home Office Citizenship Survey, published last week.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

'Largest ever' UK Christian counselling directory launched

Knowing where to turn for help continues to be a major problem for people in need of counselling  and, when the midwinter blues hit, there is a need for someone to turn to for support.

Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story

> MARRIAGE MOT

For richer, for poorer

A recent survey highlighted that debt was seen as one of the main pressures on marriage these days. Have you ever faced financial uncertainty, redundancy, unemployment, careless spending? How did you feel at the time? Insecure, ashamed, angry, fearful, stressed?

One of the hardest things at such times is to stand back from blame, to forgive, to accept your loved one's struggles and to act lovingly through it all. Or perhaps one of you is not earning as much as you would like – do you have a sense of failure and disappointment?

We’re surrounded by messages that tell us that money buys happiness. Does it? I don’t see many happy satisfied movie stars despite their millions.

Here’s a topic for a relaxed discussion over a drink or a quiet meal. How important is money in our lives compared to our relationship, our health, or our family? If I could save one possession from our burning house, what would it be? When does the pursuit of money or possessions become more important to me than you?

> Check out our archived marriage tips in the Members' Zone, plus stacks more marriage resources at http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk

> EVENTS

> YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH ...

An elderly woman walked into the local country church.
The friendly sidesman greeted her at the door.
“Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely.
“The front row, please,” she answered.
“You really don't want to do that,” the usher said. “The vicar is really boring.”
“Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired.
“No,” he said.
“I'm the vicar's mother,” she replied indignantly.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
“Good,” he answered and walked away.

(Grove Books newsletter)

> CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK THIS WEEK
(MEMBERS' ZONE) - http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/default.asp

> Advice

> Kate's Marriage advice - for richer, for poorer
> Eric Spellmann on the wonders of Usenet
> Getting fit this New Year? Why it's a spiritual issue
> Elaine Storkey on why we must get beyond good intentions

> Resources

> Moments for Mums with Elisabeth Corcoran
> Exercises you won't want to do this New Year
> New event for head teachers
> TV channel's 10 Commandments survey

> News

> Charity warning on internet child abuse
> Britons getting more neighbourly says survey
> 'Largest ever' UK Christian counselling directory launch

> Sites:

> Tsunami appeal and aftermath, plus campaigns for 2005

> Events: What's on near you

> Webwatch index: more than 700 sites categorised at your fingertips

> Site Search Engine: the easy way to trawl our 1,000-page plus archives

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