Our Vegetarian Deliberation

As I've expressed a couple of times in past posts, Brad and I recently became vegetarians (it's actually been about 4 months now, wow).  It is a very personal decision, and for us it really ties into our natural, healthy, eco-friendly quest in life.  Thus I thought it would be a good topic for discussion here.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits to read the post 3 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian. Thanks!

Walk In Her Shoes

Today's post is going to be a little different.  Though it doesn't technically have anything to do with natural remedies or being environmentally friendly, the purpose is similar.  The reason I love to pursue a natural, healthy, eco-friendly life is because I am trying to live the best way I can for myself and for our world.  For this same reason, I am going to be participating in CARE Canada's Walk In Her Shoes challenge.  I know the post is long, but I think it's worth the read.  At the very least please check out my fundraising page through this link:

I'm walking in her shoes

Helping those less fortunate than myself is something that I feel God has been laying on my heart a lot lately. I saw a commercial for CARE on TV, and looked up them online.  Once arriving on their website, this challenge stuck out to me. I was excited to see that the timing was perfect and decided to participate.

In the poorest communities around the world, women and girls are often the ones tasked to collect water, firewood or other basic necessities of life. They walk on average 6 kilometres a day while carrying the equivalent of a suitcase. This leaves little time to attend school, access health services or earn money to support their families.

Yet when women and girls are empowered to tackle these issues, whole families and communities directly benefit.

To help break the cycle of poverty and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day I’ve decided to join CARE Canada’s Walk in Her Shoes challenge. I will make a difference for women, girls and whole communities living in poverty around the world.

I will be walking 6 kilometres every day from March 2nd, finishing on March 8th (International Women’s Day) to raise funds to help fight global poverty. I need your support to reach my fundraising goal!

Please support my walk in her shoes challenge by making a donation today!

All donations will go to CARE Canada to empower women, girls and whole communities to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. Together we can make a difference!

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Food for Thought

I came across this passage yesterday while reading Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren.  I found it gave me a lot to think about, and thus I wanted to share it.  I know it's lengthy, but I think it's worth the read.

        If [we are told] that we humans are godlike beings with godlike privileges - intelligent and virtuous creatures outside a limited environment of time and space, without potentially fatal flaws - we will have no reason to acknowledge or live within limits, whether moral or ecological.  Similarly, if [we are told] that the purpose of life is for individuals or nations to accumulate an abundance of possessions and to experience the maximum amount of pleasure during the maximum number of minutes in our short lives, then we will have little reason to manage our consumption.  If [we are told] that we are in life-and-death competition with each other, that only the fittest will survive, that each species and group is in a violent struggle to outcompete and gain independence and safety from or dominance over all others, then we will have little reason to seek reconciliation and collaboration and nonviolent resolutions to our conflicts.  If [we are told] that we are simply masses of atoms in a complex and ultimately meaningless fermentation and decay process, that there is no ultimate purpose to existence, no higher value to the story, then we will have little reason to seek transcendence.
        But if [we are told] that we are free and responsible creatures in a creation made by a good, wise, and loving God, and that our Creator wants us to pursue virtue, collaboration, peace, and mutual care for one another and all living creatures, and that our lives can have profound meaning if we align ourselves with God's wisdom, character, and dreams for us... then our society will take a radically different direction, and our world will become a very different place.
        . . . [F]or now we can safely conclude that our societal systems are perfectly designed to yield the results we are now getting.

 Hmmm...