Body, Mind, Heart and Soul

What do you think of when you hear all of these words?

Body, physical structure that forms a person.

Mind, the element of a person that enables them to be aware of their world, to think, experience and feel.

Heart, organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system.

Soul, the spiritual part of a human being regarded as immortal.

Recently we went to the beach with friends, sat in horrible traffic coming home, and then watched the weather to see if Dorian was going to destroy the pier and island I’ve come to love. Fortunately that did not happen.

When I have been able to get out and ride since returning, I have been thankful that the weather was cooperative. At times the air even felt cool on my arms in some spots along the routes which was a welcome feeling. It seems like it’s been such a long time since that’s happened. As I’ve reflected on the past week and a half in my travels, I’ve been pondering all of the videos, pictures, and stories/comments I’ve been seeing and reading, especially in regards to the hurricane. It always amazes me how we can see the same thing with our eyes, yet we all have different interpretations of it. Some seem to always see the worst in situations while others tend to look for and see the positives, no matter how small.

Why is that?

I’m sure you’ve heard, and maybe even said yourself, that someone has a “good heart” or is a “good soul.” What does that mean to you?

We all have our own opinions about what makes a person’s body attractive and their heart or soul good. The fact remains that it really all boils down to one thing, our mind or brain. That is the one thing that sets us all apart. How our brains are “wired” determines everything. What we think and feel are all about the things we’ve seen, experienced, and learned up to this point. The brain is one organ that cannot be replaced. You can receive an organ transplant for a kidney, liver, lung, and even a heart from someone else. A brain transplant has not been done. It’s the one unique organ that is completely our own. It’s where all of our memories are stored, good and bad, and noone can take those from us. There may be some we wish we could forget, others we want to hold onto forever, and memories we have yet to make.

The more I reflected on this while I’ve been riding and also today while washing my bike once it cooled down after a much needed ride, I have realized something more and more. In order to have a healthy body heart and soul, we need to pay closer attention to what we feed our minds as well as those of our children, grandchildren, and everyone we come in contact with. What we listen to and watch plays a major role in our thinking day to day. When I was growing up much more time was spent outside exploring our surroundings than most experience today. I believe that’s part of why I love riding so much.

We didn’t watch TV for hours and what we watched was not at all like what’s on TV today. We didn’t have the internet and computer games and social media or cell phones. Things were so much simpler and so much more pure, at least where I grew up. We experienced life for ourselves and we learned from that. I cannot wait for cooler weather to arrive so I can start enjoying even more time outside and to start helping my granddaughters to also experience things like camping out in a tent, taking a walk in the woods or watching the lake for geese and ducks, to watch the sun setting, to listen for and enjoy all of the sounds of nature. There’s something special about hearing an owl hooting, the crickets chirping, and the frogs croaking. Sometimes at night my hubby will just stand outside listening to those sounds, so thankful he enjoys it too and he “gets it.”

We truly need to get back to the basics again and to a time when people weren’t trying to tear each other down or acting like they were so much better than others. We need to appreciate and enjoy the beauty around us, provided by the most amazing artist of all. We again need to treasure our family and friends for who they are. We need to honor and respect our maker, stand up for Him, and be thankful He sent His son to save us from ourselves.

4Him has a song called, The Basics of Life, these are the lyrics and they are so true!

Job 12:7-10

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image: in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Psalm 139:14 I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.

Colossians 2:6-7
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.