Week 10: Is it Well with your Soul? Walk to the Beach Fitness Challenge

Is it well with your soul? Walk to the Beach Fitness Challenge Week 10

Healthy Soul: Is it well with your soul?

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in health; I know that it is well with your soul.

3 John 1:2

Whenever I see this verse, I immediately think of the beloved hymn, "It is Well with My Soul." Horatio Spafford wrote this enduring hymn after numerous tragedies struck his family, leaving him and his wife to mourn the deaths of their son who died in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and four daughters who died at sea. As Mr. Spafford traveled by boat to join Anna, his wife, after learning via telegram of the tragedy that took their daughters, he wrote the lyrics of this hymn's healing words. After having three more children, their son died of scarlet fever at age three and their church decided the family was experiencing divine punishment.

The remaining family members eventually moved to Jerusalem and formed a group called The American Colony. This group gained trust among people of varied religious faiths as they provided support for many suffering people through charitable ventures such as soup kitchens, orphanages, and hospitals. Tough times tend to make us bitter or better. This hymnist demonstrated amazing resilience despite incredible loss and serves as an inspiration to those who mourn and suffer.

Healthy Mind: Laurinburg

Laurinburg, located in Scotland County in North Carolina, is home to about 16,000 people. The city is located near the NC/SC border where the southern border of North Carolina takes a sharp southeast turn toward the Atlantic Ocean. St. Andrews University and Laurinburg Institute are located in this city nestled in the Sandhills region of southern NC. Laurinburg offers a storytelling and arts center featuring a monthly bluegrass jam, heritage projects, and more.

Numerous places in Laurinburg are on the National Register of Historic Places, such as John Blue House, Dr. Evan Alexander Erwin House, Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, and Villa Nova. Numerous sports figures, including Lorinza Harrington, Hilee Taylor, Franklin Stubbs, and Terrell Manning have called Laurinburg home. A few other notable people from the city include Terry Sanford, politician; Bucky Covington, American Idol contestant; Woody Shaw, blues musician; and Harriet McBryde Johnson, activist for those who are disabled.

Healthy Body: Good and Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream by carriers made of fat and protein. Our bodies make cholesterol and we also get cholesterol through our diets. "Bad" cholesterol, or LDL, tends to build up inside of arteries similar to the way plumbing pipes can get clogged. A clot can form and become stuck in a clogged artery, which may lead to a heart attack, stroke, or decreased blood flow to the legs. "Good" cholesterol, or HDL, helps to remove bad cholesterol from the arteries.

If you have high cholesterol levels, follow your healthcare provider's recommendations. The following healthy lifestyle habits may help us enjoy higher levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of bad cholesterol without medication:

• Exercise regularly, every day if possible - Woodleaf UMC offers a variety of free exercise classes.
• Choose olive, peanut, and canola oils rather than saturated fats and trans fats.
• Substitute whole grains such as oatmeal and whole-wheat pasta instead of more highly processed grains.
• Try adding walnuts, almonds, and brazil nuts to your diet.

We offer free cholesterol checks at our annual health fair, which is scheduled for October 15 this year, 2016. Contact nurseforwoodleafumc@gmail.com or call 704-278-1888 for more info about our health ministry programs. We hope to help people find ways to enjoy being well with mind, body, and soul. The American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic have good articles with basic information about cholesterol if you would like to read more.