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Green Drink Commitments- March

 

“March Madness” has begun at my school. If anyone has had children in public schools under “No Child Left Behind,” then you know what I mean: STANDARDIZED TESTING! And the crunch to prepare 25 children to show what they learned throughout 8 months of a school year- on ONE test.

“No Child Left Behind”  could have also been named “No Teacher Left Behind,” because that’s how I feel today. BE-HIND…and overwhelmed.

Yesterday afternoon I realized it was time to change the month on my board today- I have a laminated “MARCH” with a smiley and rainbow coming off of it into a pot of gold- which also has a smiley face on it. I wish March made me feel smiley! I really will write about my commitments today…eventually.

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Green Drink Commitments- February

So, just in case anyone is noticing- it’s February! Where did January go??!! I feel like I just finished Green Drink Commitments 2012 series and here it is the second month of this opportunistic year!

Just in case you were wanting in on the action- it’s never too late to make a “Commitment”. In my 4th grade classroom, we make and break commitments all of the time. That’s the point. You keep it at the forefront of your day, but if you mess up (or “whoops” as I call it,) there’s tomorrow to start fresh with clarity. The KEY is to remind yourself of your commitment(s) daily so that you are convicted of stagnance or complacency.

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Green Drink Commitments 2012- A Vibrant Mind!

 

When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, one of the first questions I had was “WHY did I get this?”

As my husband and I learned more about alternative approaches to healing from cancer, we began to hypothesize its cause. There was the obvious- yes, it ran in my family, but genes weren’t an absolute in a cancer diagnosis. It was very clear after studying the anti-cancer diet, that the food I had put in my body my whole life was a major factor in my developing cancer. But what I had been feeding my MIND was equally suspicious.

This last post in our Green Drink Commitments series will get you thinking about HOW YOU THINK and WHAT YOU BELIEVE. Are your thought patterns helpful or hurtful in achieving your goals?

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Green Drink Commitments 2012- Give, Save, Live!

It was one of the most profound yet simple phrases I had ever heard:

“Give First, Save Next, Live on the Rest.”

My pastor, Andy Stanley of Buckhead Church in Atlanta said this one Sunday a few years ago and it changed me forever. It wasn’t new information. Before we were married my husband and I attended pre-marital counseling and felt strongly about getting on the same page financially. We read Dave Ramsey’s “The Total Money Makeover” and applied his philosophy of debt-free living the best we could before cancer came into our lives.

But it was the simplicity of Andy’s phrase. You could own it. It could be your motto, a phrase that defines the way you manage your finances. It didn’t just strike my mind, but my heart too.

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Green Drink Commitments 2012- Invest in People!

 

I don’t know about any of you, but I just don’t seem to have enough time for the PEOPLE I Love.

That means friends and potential friendships get put on the back burner- upstaged by work, children, and maintaining a holistic, cancer-fighting lifestyle. I have struggled with forming close friendships since graduating from the convenience of college fellowship when I lived with my closest friends.

This year is different though.

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Green Drink Commitments 2012- Be Smarticle!

This past September I asked my 4th grade students to decide on a name for our class. It’s an exercise in team-building and cooperation, but the name they chose for themselves made me proud. They named themselves “The Smarticles.” A few of the natural leaders in the class spoke up to tell me that they chose this name because no matter where they were, they would always be learning.

These 9 and 10-year-olds offer great insight to us grown-ups. We must always be seeking out new knowledge. Never be satisfied with what you know right now. You are never really an expert. With all we have access to at this time in our history, why wouldn’t we be seeking out new ways to better inform ourselves and our families?

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Green Drink Commitments 2012- Eat Veggies!

The struggle with vegetables is not foreign to me. Last week you could find me sneakily infusing my daughter’s food with juiced carrots and spinach. I have also used bribery (let’s call it a “rewards system” for now.) And as for me…just read why this blog is called “Green Drink Diaries.”

Increasing the amount of quality, nutrient-dense foods in our diets is a MUST in 2012. Your nutritional efforts matter this year. If you haven’t read my cancer story, you will see why nutrition is so important to me. What you fuel your body with matters. Don’t take your current health for granted. Start making small changes now towards optimum health and powering your body with the food intended for it.