My Story his glory

Thank you, very much for taking the time to read my professional and interwoven personal story on why I founded Healthy Tweaks.  

In truth, my story is not my own; rather, my story is part of God's magnificent story of creation and covenant, restoration, and faithfulness. The Healthy Tweaks Story is only a small fraction of the amazing goodness, struggles, kindness, perseverance, and confidence I've experienced through God's love.

My whole life, I grew up knowing that God created all humans equal, in His image. However, only later in life, through my experiences as a mother, environmental consultant, working with schools, and being a mentor, did I realize that not all children have equitable access to nature, healthcare, and education. More importantly, many children do not know the love of Jesus, our Healer.  

I appreciate your interest in learning of the working vision God has led me to share.  Enjoy, and please share your thoughts (rebecca@healthytweaks.com). I would love for us to join together in His grand adventure, implementing this vision.

Vision.  Help all children know Jesus Christ as their Savior, by connecting them to His creations where they are, instilling health and HOPE only Christ can provide.

Why.

• Many children grow up spiritually, mentally, and physically unhealthy, inequitably educated, unhappy, without hope, and lacking critical tools to prepare them for the future. Even young children these days are attempting suicide, and there are not enough licensed mental health providers needed to combat the ever-growing problem. Teaching children to know Jesus Christ as their Savior is the HOPE they need for their future here on earth and life eternal.

What.

• Equitably connecting all of God’s children to all of God’s creations by providing nature where they are…in their school, health clinic, churches, homeless shelters, etc...will provide an amazing canvas for children to be immersed in God’s love.  God knew exactly what He was doing when he created nature to be an amazing "health clinic," "gym," "grocery store" and "teaching tool" (and so much more!)…in short, HE gave us everything we need. Extensive research clearly indicates that allowing children to freely play outdoors in nature makes them happier, healthier (mentally, physically, emotionally), and smarter; better problem solvers, and more inclined to make healthy choices and protect the earth (all God’s creations!) as adults.  Many organizations provide incredible research and fabulous examples of connecting children to nature, including the Center for Health & Nature, Children in Nature Network, Natural Learning Initiative, and OLE! Texas, primarily in secular settings, although, individual Christian organizations understand and are applying the knowledge of growing in Christ, learning and playing in nature (See St. Luke’s UMC Day School (Houston), Grace Garden Pre-School).  Providing the spiritual integration of nature…helping children to have a Christ-centered connection to His creations…will facilitate the HOPE (health and healing) all children need.

How.

• Scale up building and implementing the use of Christ-centered outdoor learning/playing nature settings everywhere needed, particularly in areas that need it most. 
  • Do not start at ground zero…identify and work with whatever groups are already doing this type of work to share ideas and resources. 
  • Fund the planning, project management, resource database development, teaching, and outreach through existing cross-sectional programs such as Center for Health and Nature, UMC’s All God’s Children, and/or Public Health and Faith Community Partnerships—any partnerships who are looking to collaborate for a collective impact.
  • Develop and make available general blueprints, knowledge, training and support to interested groups, growing the “train-the-trainer” model, and continuously improving all aspects of the project based on best practices and lessons learned.
  • Engage volunteers and spaces at Christian schools, health clinics, homeless shelters, and church playgrounds…anywhere a child can safely have the opportunity to explore real nature, allowing children to experience all of God’s creations…to facilitate the building, operation, and maintenance of the nature settings.
  • Engage nature professionals, master naturalists, and non-profits groups experienced in building specific portions of structures to help with the design and operations.  Where appropriate, help find funding to support the professionals and non-profit orgs through payment and donations. 
  • Don’t wait until everything is perfectly in place…start the work, watch it grow, and improve it over time.
  • Record successes, learn from mistakes, teach others, and continuously grow and update resource data base, to reflect organizational changes.
• Added benefits:  Scaling nature across the greater Houston area will help promote urban pollution prevention, prevent flooding, reduce heat island impact, and promote resiliency.  God truly provided what we needed when he created the universe!  

An abundance of research already exists proving the value of nature for our children’s health, education, and happiness (and its value for earth, our shared home!), and the Greater Houston area is teaming with amazing resources to support the use of nature as for its multiple solutions.  

Our God is the God of possible! Can YOU envision all of God's children, learning, playing, and staying healthy immersed in magnificent beauty of His creations?

Let all that you do be done in LOVE. - 1 Corinthians 16:14