Review: The Daniel Plan By Rick Warren, Daniel Amen, and Mark Hyman

Back in 2011, Saddleback Church launched a holistic wellness program called The Daniel Plan. As a church, thousands of parishioners participated in this program, and even some people remotely based participated in the program as well. I was among that group. I had tuned in to a webcast that my dad told me about, and I was pretty amazed about what I discovered with regard to diet and wellness.  Three months after starting the program, I had changed my diet pretty significantly, started an exercise program, and I had lost 25 pounds along the way.

Three years later, I was excited to see that The Daniel Plan had become a book, and was featured on The Dr. Oz Show. And, although I haven't "fully" participated in the full-fledged Daniel Plan, I highly recommend the five-fold focus of the plan. I feel like the holistic nature of it makes it pretty unique.

Faith--This component makes the program pretty unique. The plan is built on the foundation of faith, with the idea that God gives us the ability to do what we can't do on our own through the power of His Spirit.
Food--Of course any wellness plan requires a dietary change. This plan takes the focus away from any type of "fad" foods or supplements and focuses on whole foods over processed foods, and reducing sugar among other things.
Fitness--This part of the plan builds on the foundation of faith and food, and encourages simple fitness efforts like walking for 30 minutes each day with en emphasis on walking with purpose and as though late, and making the fitness efforts fun.
Focus--With the Daniel Plan there is an additional aspect of developing a habit of mental wellness, eliminating negative thought patterns and cultivating gratitude and mental wellness.
Friends--Any wellness plan becomes more likely to be successful when conducted with friends. The Daniel Plan encourages individuals to develop a community to help motivate one another toward their wellness goals.

Looking for a tool to help you pursue mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness in community? Check out The Daniel Plan. I think it is a strong guide to diet, fitness, faith, mental focus, and growth in the context of community.

A few thoughts relating to the Inauguration

So I received a link to this video yesterday--it's currently appearing on Black Entertainment Television in limited viewing areas. In my thoughts, regardless where you might stand on abortion, there's a lot to think about here. Of course, I'd like to think that there is typically a lot to think about on this blog.

Yesterday, most of America watched history in the making as we elected the first African-American President. His inauguration was probably the most attended event in the history with estimates at over 2 million people in attendance. I couldn't help but watch it myself yesterday. One of my friends actually received an invitation to the inauguration. As we watched on television one of my friends commented that it was pretty wild watching someone take an oath and become the most powerful person in the world.
But with great power comes great responsibility.

For me I was impressed with Dr. Rick Warren's prayer for our new president. I have included the video with the transcription below.

Almighty God, our Father:

Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone.

It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory.

History is your story.

The Scripture tells us, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one." And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama,

the wisdom to lead us with humility,
the courage to lead us with integrity,

the compassion to lead us with generosity.

Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans--united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you--forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone--forgive us.

When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve--forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.

And may we never forget that one day, all nations--and all people--will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, 'Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

May these few words videos and prayers spur your thoughts toward living as better citizens of the Kingdom of God and in so doing, spur you on toward being a better citizen in the place where you live.