Vitamin D in a Winter World
I have a confession to make: I NEED more vitamin D. They told me at the Cooper Clinic almost 6 years ago and I have been taking vitamin D supplements ever since. Some call it the happiness vitamin because it affects your “affect.” That’s why winter often brings “Seasonal Affect Disorder” as the exposure to sunshine is reduced by longer nights and shorter, cloudy days. Those who suffer from it experience a loss of energy, a struggle to be positive, and larger hunger for sleep. I know. I have a mild case of it every winter.
Most of us don’t suffer a shortage of this vitamin during summer months because we are exposed to so much sunshine every day. Our climate includes relatively few overcast days in summer time, and as Texans, we’re outdoors a lot. It’s completely different in winter when we go to work in the dark and drive home in the dark. My other confession? I hate that. I know the seasons reset nature and they’re necessary, but I really dread winter and have to work to get the vitamin D into my system. So, when I started dealing with this, I discovered lots of foods that carry high concentrations of vitamin D. But whether you prefer it through nutrition, vitamins, or sunlight, one thing is absolutely essential: You must EXPOSE that vitamin to your body (eat it, swallow it, or sit in the sunshine).
We’ve been doing this 90-Day Challenge for almost 4 weeks now, reading through the New Testament. And every week I get new questions, new comments, new and exciting discoveries that are being shared by those who are participating. Some of us are discovering the power of the Word for the first time. Some are experiencing conviction about what they are doing. Others are finding great relief as they discover Jesus in the Gospels. Others are saying, “I never read that before!” And like skin before the sun, the exposure of our hearts to the Scripture is affecting our thinking, our praying, our choices, and our attitudes. Our experience is proving something God said about His word centuries ago in Isaiah 55:11-12–
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
If you’re seeing the effect, I hope it will make you even more hungry to know God’s opinion and instructions. If you haven’t started yet, join us for the 90-Day Challenge and see what God does in you!
