Right now life is so good: getting married in a few weeks, got a baby girl on the way, been spending lots of time with family, kids are doing well. There are a lot of things to be happy about and it's hard to not just want to get on here and write about the latest thing. (Like for example the gorgeous diamond ring that finally came in this weekend that's sitting on my left ring finger! Or even my first "the baby was kicking me here" story that I thought I'd only ever get to listen to rather than actually get to share! For the record, it was my bladder at the end of a 3 hour car ride which I'd already stopped to go mid-way as it was...just when I was thinking, "I can make it to the restaurant", she found a new play thing!! Thank God I made it!)

Today though, I've got something bigger on my mind...something that looks beyond what's happening right now and into our future. Eric and I have been watching tons of documentaries lately. Actually, that accounts for probably about 70-80% of what we watch as it is (not counting kid TV!) but in this whole living simply focus, we've really been paying attention to what types of food we're putting into our bodies. Partially a weight loss effort, partially an effort in getting the best nutrition to the baby but also a big focus on paying attention to what exactly it is that we're so readily eating that sometimes doesn't even seem to qualify as food.

What we're learning is that there's a LOT of bad stuff out there. It's hard to find quality food and when you do, get ready to pay for it. We've started out slowly by adding in a lot more fruits and veggies, trying to buy organic when possible (canNOT wait for the summer farmer's markets to start up so we can add 'buy local' to that list too!). We've also been trying to minimize the canned or packaged items where we can. The first several grocery bills were so high but in retrospect, the eating-out bills went WAY down...I didn't do all the math but I'd venture to say they at least came out even. We're learning as we go and keeping lists of the things we like and the things we don't and trying to put that level of variety we're accustomed to into this new plan but in some ways, it's not easy. It takes a lot of planning and some days for me, the baby just takes over and convenience wins out over the new plan. I am finding though that the old fast-food standbys are not as appealing anymore. The one time I gave into McD's, I ended up eating only half of it and regretting the first half. So even when convenience wins out, I find myself wanting the healthier options anyway...they just may not be as healthy as the organic produce in my fridge.

So food has been a huge focus but there are other things that I want to learn more about how to do something about it: the overuse of oil, the way corporate greed can and does win out over the welfare of humans, the detriment of plastics on the planet, especially because of bottled water...that's the latest one we watched. The documentary is called "Tapped" and it had me making a mental note of the last time I drank bottled water. Not only is the water not any better for you, but because of the plastic that it's bottled in, it's far worse. Municipal water is tested 300-400 times per month; bottled water has very little to no regulation over it at all. It has known carcinogens in it yet it's marketed as "pure". We again are suckers for the media spin and have bought into a huge lie.

It's all a lot to think about. I told Eric last night, "I feel like I need a big chart that shows all the things I want to research more and then to start systematically trying to do so..." because at this point, it just feels like too much to even try to figure out what my social responsibility is. But we have kids. And they're going to grow up in the world that we leave for them. And I'm a Christian. I believe whole-heartedly that God created this planet for us and it saddens me to see how we're destroying it. Plus, I think that the level of convenience and greed that has gotten us to this place to begin with is so far fetched from where God wants his people. There is more to life than the lifestyle we've come to call the American Dream. What is the saying, "all things are good in moderation"? But many Americans don't know the meaning of the word. And our mindset is infiltrating the rest of the world. And I think that it makes God sad to see us so engrossed in ourselves.

So where does that leave things? What is my social responsibility? What is my responsibility as a Christian? Right now, I think it comes back to a post I wrote earlier about living a simple life. Getting away from the greed of the last decade and embracing a new form of life. One that starts with making family & close friends a priority over soccer practice, dance lessons, church committees, and any other social committment that puts a priority over feeling important because of an overbooked schedule rather than in developing healthy relationships with those in your life. It's okay to make time for your passions but if there isn't a passion for it, it should be heavily scrutinized why it's on the calendar to begin with. Same with kids stuff: are they signed up for this b/c the child really cares about it or b/c I need to feel like super-mom? And no, they won't die b/c you made them choose between soccer and dance.

Making health a priority over convenience. I've heard the word "cancer" too many times and the more I research it, the more it becomes clear that it's not a phenomenon that it's more prevalent. The foods we eat, the packaging it comes in, the bottles we drink from, the pans we cook in...so much of it contributes to what is happening to our bodies. We need to stop listening to the mass media that tells us the convenience is good for us. The biggest scam that comes to mind immediately are the McD's commercials that tote a happy meal as being a good, healthy choice. Just because it's 100% all white chicken (yeah, right...maybe chicken-product but for the sake of argument...), doesn't take away the fact that it's FRIED. Wake up people!

Stop listening to mass media. Money is the root of all evil and media's main focus is money. Whoever has the most money are the ones with the best media, not those with the best products or information. We do not have cable in our house and honestly, I prefer it to stay that way. We do have Netflix but it does not come with commercials and the impact has been great. I know there is no way to keep my kids from all advertisement but the more that I can do my part, the better. Nearly any article you read about something having a negative effect on children or teens (obesity, bullying, video games, etc), mass media is somehow involved. The more a kid is exposed to commercials targeted at them, the more they are influenced. And no, the makers of that super sugary cereal or the latest & greatest piece of plastic crap don't care about the long term effects on your child. And finally (for now)...

Education, education, education. Learn more about what "healthy" means. Learn more about what God wants my role to be in all of this. Learn more about what my social responsibility is with this. The more I educate myself and learn how to care for myself and my family, the more I'm investing in their futures. It's not about a college fund anymore. In some ways, it's about survival. I can't keep them from every harm but I can make an impact in my own home. And hopefully that will carry over to my community and beyond. :)

Photo credit: http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/archives/2010/Nov/