Wellness Ministry

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

God called us at creation to care for the earth. Genesis 2:15 (New Living Translation) The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

Here are five things you can do at home that are simple and can make a difference for the earth we were created to care for.

1. Use the cold water wash option whenever possible, and you'll save 85% of the money and energy consumed by a hot water load. Use laundry detergents made from natural, biodegradable ingredients. Conventional detergents are made from petroleum and other harmful pollutants. If every US household replaced one bottle of 50oz. detergent with a plant-based product we could save enough oil to heat and cool 13,400 homes for a year.

2. These are the top ten most contaminated foods in order of "dirtiest." Buy these organic when you can! (foodnews.org) Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes (imported) and pears. On the bright side frozen peas, corn, onions and mangos are very "clean" so don't spend the extra money on those.

3. Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs chemicals and releases them into your blood stream causing many nasty effects, like hormone imbalance and cancer. Avoid products that are made with phthalates and "fragrance."

4. Shopping bags. Buy some and use them. Pledge to yourself today to stop using plastic or paper. You can get them for $1 each at most grocery stores now.

5. If you are going to be parked for longer than 30 seconds switch off your engine. Contrary to popular belief it takes more energy to idle your car for long periods than to restart it.

Website resources: ewg.org, seventhgeneration.com, earthlab.com

Please take a moment to say a prayer for God's creation and take action to care for it.

The purpose of Wellspring's Wellness Ministry is to help each other honor God's gift of our bodies through healthy eating, movement and prayer so that we may be an example of God's light and love to others.

Wellness activities include culinary seminars, recipe renovations, healthy cooking/eating workshops, and physical activity such as yoga and group bike rides. All events are free of charge.

For more information contact Brandie Werner.