Breakfast...the most important meal of the day!

So, on our 6 hour drive home from West Tennessee at Thanksgiving, Jared and I sat down and wrote out some things that we could intentionally do to make our lives in Kentucky "happier." Now, don't get me wrong, we were not necessarily "Unhappy" in Kentucky, but we were kind of in a funk. I was still very sad about being away from my family and we had gotten into a detrimental routine of coming home from work, putting on our pajamas and watching Tivo for the evening. So, here are a couple of things we decided to do:

1. Watch only 1 show on Tivo an evening (this was made much easier by the writer's strike)
2. Get 8 hours of sleep a night--11pm-7am no matter what (we are still working on this one)
3. Exercise 3-4 times a week-This was going very well before Jared's Planter Facitis
4. Intentionally hang out with another couple/group of people at least once a week
5. Eat healthy meals
6. Eat Breakfast
7. Begin taking Vitamins

Now, all of these things are pretty typical "new year's resolutions." We just made them at Thanksgiving. And, honestly, we have done really well with all of them except for our sleeping. But, there is one thing in particular that has absolutely REVOLUTIONIZED our lives: Eating Breakfast.

In the mornings, we get up, get showers, and while I get ready, Jared makes breakfast. A typical breakfast consists of 1 egg white, 1 peice of turkey sausage, fruit and either a peice of toast or a whole grain waffle. This meal is just under 300 calories--not bad for what you're eating, right? It's amazing how much more energy we have and how much longer this ties us over than just a quick bowl of cereal. Now, I had heard that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for most of my life. But, I never was a breakfast-eater. I'd rather sleep in than eat (suprising, I know!). But, making this one change has been amazing. However, the physical benefits are not the ones that I want to write about. It's the spiritual and relational benefits that make it worth the while.

You see, Jared and I started out praying before our breakfast. Then as we ate, we got to spend a good 15-20 minutes talking about our day, the things we would do and what we were stressed about EVERY MORNING. Wow! I cannot tell you how much this has benefited our relationship! Fifteen minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but when you spend 15 minutes sharing your worry, stress and excitement with your spouse, it is truly life-changing for your relationship. In the past few weeks, Jared has started bringing a devotional book to the table. The devotions are short, but they are thought provoking and have taken our breakfast conversation to the next level--spiritual intimacy.

So, here is my challenge to you: eat breakfast. Be intentional in your time with your spouse. It will change your life!