Birthdays and Healthy Lifestyle Choices

This week is a hard week.  We have two birthdays and a holiday.  Can you say “healthy eating train wreck?” Can you say, “workout? what workout?”

Yesterday was Ben’s B-Day.  I want to thank the spousinator for letting me take a quick ride yesterday.  I need to wake up and rev up the metabolism.  The wife and I took our son and some friends to McD’s for lunch. Thank you big, faceless, golden arches corporation for your salads. Then we dragged that brood of kids over to the theater for Wall-E.  I had a soda!  Ahhhhhh!!  Worse yet half way through the movie, after the second trip to the potty, I gave in and got a refill and a small popcorn.  The Horror, the horror!!! Ok, let’s be real. Yes I over did it by having 2, but I think it has been a week or more since I sipped soda and there have been a lot of miles on the bike and a lot of minutes jumping rope between them and there will be a lot more between the next one.  After the movie though the wise and wonderful wife and I conversed.  Is Pizza the best choice for us?  No.  So while the boy wanted pizza for his birthday, she and I hatched a plan.  We get him and his sis a pizza, and we get healthier food for the adults. Thank you Grandma Barb and Papa Al  for going along with this change.  And yes, we did have cake too. Ahhhhh!!!

Today is the Wife’s date of birth.  We are on our way to Reno for a small get a way.  She wants to go to The Melting Pot for her birthday.  I would think that this would be ok, if I had a week between birthdays to recover ang “get back on the wagon.”  But I don’t have a week, it’s the next day.  So what shall I do?  Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch, drink plenty of water, and take the stairs to our room (hopefully on the 13th floor) for a good workout. 

The point is that I must look at the big picture.  Life is short and when times for celebration occur, celebrate!  The rest of life can be the even keel.  This weekend, I am hoping to have an epic bike ride with an elder from church.  Last year he rode 82 miles in a day for a fundraiser.  He’s going to take it easy on me, I hope.  As I have read over much material and my time with weight watcher’s online, the plan is to create a weekly defecit in caloric intake for weightloss.  Despite the birthdays, the good but not good food, I will remain on track for a weight loss of 1-2 pounds.  But we will only know on Monday when I remeasure…

May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.

Ben’s Birthday

Today my son is 6.  Congratulations my boy. I love you so much. I appreciate how you are musically inclined, Star Wars infatuated, power pedalling, and cuddling oriented.  I pray for you often. I pray that you will have good friends and be a good friend. I pray that you will seek God in all things and give your life to His service, especially in music.  I pray that God will guide me to guide you to a healthy, secure, and confident manhood.

You are incredible and awesome my young jedi.  Though you resist the title, you are my padawan.  (Excuse me readers, my padawan just challenged me to a lightsaber fight… gotta go.)

May You Be Covered In The Dust Of Your Rabbi

YeAh StAcY!!! My wife rocks!!! WaY tO gO GiRlIe!!!

Today is a day of celebration.  My wife, partner in life, best friend, co battler of the bulge broke the 15 lb barrier today.  It crashed like a sonic boom.  Fell like the Walls of Jericho.  I am so proud of her. 

I am also proud of her that she is starting to enjoy getting out and doing more.  A few weeks back we bought her a bike.  We went on a few rides.  She built up to it and asked to do the Devil’s Corral ride.  This is a simple, downhill (@3% grade), 6 mile ride on the Bizz Johnson Trail in Susanville.  We have been hindered by smoke of late.  The smoke from the bazillion fires in California is making it difficult to see the wonderful mountains that surround our town and hard for asthematics (like my wife) to breathe. And do you know what my awesome, bodacious babe wanted to do in celebration? Yep, Bike the Bizz Baby!!! Smoke or no smoke, we piled the bikes on the rack, dropped the van off at the parking lot, and headed for the Devil’s Corral Trailhead. (I also gotta say that my wife rocks because she let me drop the trailer and nail the single track around the tunnels. I love single track.) A lazy hour later we pulled up, loaded up and now the wife and kids are washing the trail dust from their bodies whilest I busily compose this praise packed post of my wonderful and wiley wife.

It was good to be in God’s creation.  While I hate the smoke, just like rain… God makes it to be smokey for the just and the unjust…

May You Be Covered In The Dust Of Your Rabbi

The Horrible, Ugly Truth (Monday Measurements)

AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!  Being fat sucks.  I mean it really really sucks.  All these bad habits learned over 36 years, 9 months, and some odd days.  The sweet tooth, the yearning for cheesy goodness, the intricate combination of stuff to make great tastes.  Well I am done with it… I think. 

A month ago I was turned down for insurance.  Uh Oh!!  The Doctor ordered an OGTT.  I started my march toward health then.  I cut out the sodas.  I started measuring and recording everything I ate.  I started to read what I could about nutrition.  Low Carbs, No Carbs, Balanced diet, No bad foods just bad amounts.  Ughhh! How does one make sense of it all? I started exercising.  Walking at first then High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) then my bike.  I am keeping it mixed up to keep the muscles guessing. The last month has seen me lose 15.5lbs and my clothes began fitting better.

So NOW to the real reason of this post, the horrible, ugly truth:

Weight: 310 lbs   Chest: 55.5 in   Waist: 53 in   Hips: 49.25 in

I’m entering these stats into a Fitness and Weightloss Chart for Men spreadsheet I downloaded off of microsoft templates.  The spreadsheet will calculate/estimate my body fat percentage, my lean mass, my fat mass and provide me with nifty charts.  As the weeks tick off, it is my hope to watch these numbers go down and my health go up.

I’ll be praying that God will forgive me for abusing the body he gave me.  I haven’t been that good of a steward.  Please pray with me. Pray that I am diligent in my eating habits and exercise regimen.

May You Be Covered In The Dust Of Your Rabbi

Sunday Sermon: In God We Trust pt. 2

Pastor Rick continued his sermon series “In God We Trust.”  It has been a good series.  It isn’t the typical, “give more” sermons. It is about developing a biblical attitude toward money and the other resources that God has given to us.  It has been really good.  I thought I’d share the sermon notes, my notes on them, and my answers to the growth questions.

Here we go…

1. I can be generous in my: finances, time, possessions, knowledge, strength, prayer, love, forgiveness, and joy.

2. In some areas I am and in others I am not.  It has been an issue in the past that I wouldn’t say no. I have set up some boundaries to protect myself and my family.  In doing so my generosity in some areas has diminished considerably.  I guess the wife and I will need to discuss this.  How can we hold onto some good safe boundaries and be godly generous givers?

3. God is a giver.  John 3:16.  The other verses underscore this reality.  It is very important to Him.

4. This means that you can give your tithe out of obligation rather than out of joy and security in God’s provision.  Obligation giving calculates the exact amount and probably rounds down…. to the dollar.

5. Pray.  I will pray that God will give me opportunities to be generous and the Holy Spirit prompting to be generous.

May You Be Covered In The Dust Of Your Rabbi

Saturday Summary

Here it is, Saturday, June 28, 2006 and I need to update, review, and summarize.  Sounds like a class assignment that I would give for a reading section.  What to cover?

Faith wise, I am trying to figure out how to entice uninvolved pew sitters into small groups and calling to some men to come alongside to create a men’s ministry team.  The first rule is that you can’t make anyone do anything. My answer to this is to pray. The second rule is the 80/20 rule.  Isn’t it obvious to people that when you become a christian that you are to get involved both in ministering to others and in growing in your faith.  Okay, thats enough gripping on that issue.  The point is that I’d ask you, reader, to stop now and pray with me that I can effectively serve Him in the areas of small groups and men’s ministry.

Health wise, I am seriously trying to get the weight off, the health better, and learn about nutrition and exercise.  I really hate that Emeril is right, “Fat is flavor.” Apparently so are carbohydrates!  The good news is that in the last month I’ve dropped 15, count ‘em, 15 pounds. I am officially 312lbs.  But the awesome thing is that I tried on some size 46 shorts at Wally’s and they fit.  To skinny healthy people they may be grossed out by the thought of size 46, but to me and many others who have lived in 50’s for a long time, 46 is awesome!!! ToTaLlY FrEaKiNg AwEsOmE!!  Along with this I’ve been riding my bike alot. Yesterday the wife, kids, and I rode the Bizz Johnson Trail from Devil’s Corrall to Hobo Camp. A 6 mile ride, down hill at 3% grade which is easier than flat, but ya still need to pedal to get anywhere.  With breaks for kids and water, it took us about 45 min.  But this isn’t my only exercise, I’ve been brisk walking, H.I.I.T.-ing with jump rope or sprints, and lifting weights.  Starting Monday, I’m going to be weighing in and measuring and posting it. Yep, nothing like public ridicule to get one motivated!!

Family wise, they are awesome!  Ben is a psycopathic Jedi freak.  Becca is potty trained (YEAH!). Stacy is incredible as always.  I love Ben and his sense of adventure and his love of worshipping. I love Becca and her princess posturing, as well as her affectionate hugs and kisses. I love Stacy because she is a wonderful conversationalist and an excellent encourager along my journey.

Does this by anymeans summarize life since my last post, no. But it is the important stuff. And as always,

May You Be Covered In The Dust Of Your Rabbi

Jesus washing the feet…

My Power of 4 devotional today is…

John 13:1-20

1. What do you learn about Jesus as He washes His disciples’ feet?

He expresses true humility.  The sheer power that he holds in his hands is immeasurable, yet he uses them to do menial work to bless his disciples.  He cares about the details.  I understand that foot washing was a common practice to be done to travelers, yet no one thought to do it, except Jesus.  I see also that he is looking for every opportunity to teach, to make application to effective living in the kingdom of God. 

2. What does Jesus teach you about being a servant? How are you following His example today?

He teaches me that service requires love and humility. He teaches me that service does not have to be big and flashy, it needs to be real and practical.  He said to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, take care of the sick, and house the homeless.  He said that a blessing will be bestowed for offering a cup of cold water to the saints in His name.  Look around us and see the base physical needs of others and meet them.

Am I following his example? Yes.  This last weekend I was told about a family who has had a severe ice block form in their drive way.  The husband is disabled, the wife is away at school, the kids… well, if they were my kids they would have taken care of the issue before there was an issue… any way, the ice was a danger.  Several men and I rallied to attack the ice. Over the course of an hour we shoveled, picked, and scraped away the ice. Why? because it needed to be done.  This family, the mom and dad, had faithfully served in the church until the disability and the need for employment hindered their ability to serve. It was time to bestow on them the blessing they had given to me and the rest of the Body.  Each week, I know I am doing something practical and necessary for someone.  Taking care of another’s child in an emergency, helping the college kid change his tire in the snow storm, praying with someone who is hurting and etc… Oh Lord, though I wish I did more for your glory.

May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.

Seeking to grow…

The wife and I have been talking about what we can do to spur growth in our spiritual lives.  We are challenging each other to do the Beth Moore Jesus study.  We listen to one or two sermons from  Marc Driscoll at Mars Hill Seattle.  I really like him but struggled with his sermon on predestination. 

Back to the Bible with Woodrow Kroll has a neat program. They call it the Power of 4.  The idea is to engage in scripture teaching at least 4 times a week but more if you can.  They email you the scripture and some questions for thought.  I thought that to help creat some accountability, I’m going to blog/journal my Power of 4.

Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008

Read: John 12:37-501. What do you learn from the authorities who believed in Jesus but remained silent?

I learn from the authorities that I must desire, be desparate for, the praise of God rather than the praise of men. It is a question of perspective. Do I see the BIG PICTURE? Or am I short-sighted worrying about the present? Let me explain, the praise of God will come both in blessings, which I often won’t attribute to His praising of me, and at the Great White Throne, which I do not know when that will be. The praises of men are immediate, feel good, and are addictive. I think Napoleon was quoted as saying, “a man will march a hundred miles for a little piece of ribbon.” How silly we are!

But question arise in my mind. Is the belief of the authorities saving belief? And then how does this fit into Matthew 10:32-33 where Christ says that to deny Him is to be denied before the Father or James 4:4 that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Did these men really believe? Will I meet them in Heaven? What was their role in the trial and sentencing of Jesus? We know Nicodemus and Joseph (of Arimethea) eventually put feet to their faith after Christ’s crucifixion. I don’t know the answer. I don’t want to be legalistic and say no, they denied Jesus by cowering away from pharisee leadership. But I don’t want to be loose with grace saying that they believed and they are in becuase I know the Word says we not only must believe but confess as well.

The real lesson lies in my first paragraph. Or as Jesus summed it up best, “Do not fiear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”

2. What do you learn about Jesus’ purpose? What’s the penalty for rejecting Him?

Jesus’ purpose was to show God and speak the Father’s will to mankind. He was not here to judge, rather he was here to save. Sadly, the penalty for rejecting Jesus is to face God and explain why they rejected Him. It isn’t a question if they were good or bad, did they accept or reject Jesus. That is the only sin that will send a person to hell.

So It Begins…

It’s not a resolution.  I never said, “In 2008 I resolve to…” Nope.  I’m just trying to pick up where I left off…  3 years ago.  3 years ago my wife was pregnant with our daughter.  I wanted to lose weight.  I bought the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds DVDS, signed up for Weight Watchers, and obtained a scale.  I made several other key life decisions.  The result was that I lost 40 lbs and improved my health considerably.

So I am back at it.  I haven’t signed up for WW, but they sent me a nice offer to come back… maybe I’ll take it.  I have cut back on my sodas. Now I get half and half and only one in the day.  I need to cut them out completely.  I am walking.  It is sad, I do the 1 mile walk and my thighs are burning by the end. I am out of shape. 

So it begins… I want to lose weight. I need to lose weight.  At my weight how long do I have until I develop diabetes, serious heart disease, or something else life threatening?  I would like to be looked upon not as a tubby guy, but a fit guy.  I want to teach my children good and healthy eating habits before they are cursed with a weight problem.  I look forward to being able to buy clothes at Walmart… and have them fit. 

But I have a concern.  I feel like I am doing it alone. Not that Stacy isn’t helping. No, I am having to motivate myself.  When I don’t want to workout, somehow I need to overcome that mindset and get moving.  When the goodies are calling my name like a Syren Song, I have to will myself not to answer.  So I am asking all of you out there in internet land, say a prayer for me. Perchance the Heavenly Father will give me just that touch more will power to exercise and eat right that I didn’t have a moment ago. Thank you…

May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.

Bill O’Reilly… PINHEAD! Rush and Hannity too!

Yeah! Huckabee came out at the winner of the Iowa Caucus!  But some of the conservative commentators want to devalue the victory.  Bill O’Reilly was all over the place saying, “He didn’t win, 60% of the people voted against Huckabee.” Let’s take that standard then.  That means even more people voted against Romney, Thompson, Gulliani, Paul, and the others.  So there are no winners because so many people voted against each candidate.

It just makes me mad that the conservative commentators have something against Mick Huckabee and are trying to tear him down.  What, he isn’t conservative enough for them? He may not advocate their main points as passionately as they do? Is it reverse descrimination, they just don’t want a hard core Jesus follower in the oval office?  Now they will say they aren’t against him but being able to hear their shows while at work.  I never hear them rip Romney, Thompson, or Gulliani. Their the golden children. They can do no wrong.

While I still agree with most everything they say about politics.  Bill, Sean, and Rush’s biased approaches to Gov. Huckabee makes them, in my opinion, PINHEADS!