A lot has been going on recently in my personal life and to be honest it has been very trying. The only place I know to turn to is up above to my Lord and Savior. I feel unworthy of His love and comfort knowing that I placed Him on the backburner over the last couple of years. I need to lean on God not only in the difficult times, but also in the glorious times. However, I have learned over the past week, thanks to wonderful friends, that God loves us no matter what and that He calls on us to reach out to Him especially in times of trouble. None of us are worthy of His love, but he freely rains love down on us because we were made in His image. We are broken souls searching for a place in this corrupt world, yet God knows our true hearts. We don't have to remain broken if we place our trust and faith in Christ. Regardless of how I feel the only thing I can do is to continue pressing on--persevere! I opened a book that I have shelved for too long. It is "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I happened to open the book and came across this devotional.
Perseverance means more than endurance--more than simply holding on until the end. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says, "I can't take any more." Yet God pays no attention; he goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and then He lets the arrow fly. Entrust yourself to God's hands. Is there something in your life for which you need perseverance right now? Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Proclaim as Job did, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).
Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life--throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God
God ventured His all in Jesus Christ to save us, and now He wants us to venture our all with total abandoned confidence in Him. There are areas in our lives where that faith has not worked in us as yet--places still untouched by the life of God. There were none of those places in Jesus Christ's life, and there are to be none in ours. Jesus prayed, "This is eternal life, that they may know You..." (John 17:3). The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. if we will take this view, life will become one great romance--a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Fight for Love
Would you fight for love in the face of adversity? Is knowing what true love is worth the risk of falling flat on your face? Is the pain that will come going to make you stronger or crush your will to seek true love?
Being a fighter doesn't mean being the strongest. Being a fighter doesn't mean being without fear. In fact fear is highly prevalent in a fight...especially one that means so much. Courage is all we need to give it our all and let the chips fall where they may!
I have fought a few battles in my day. I've been bloodied and bruised and my heart has been crushed. I am weary and not sure I can go on like this, but I know I survived and became even stronger as a man and steadfast in my belief in true love.
Believe me when I say the fight is worth it. You may get knocked down many times just as I have, but you must keep getting up and moving forward no matter how battered, bruised, and defeated you become.
True love is worth it.
Being a fighter doesn't mean being the strongest. Being a fighter doesn't mean being without fear. In fact fear is highly prevalent in a fight...especially one that means so much. Courage is all we need to give it our all and let the chips fall where they may!
I have fought a few battles in my day. I've been bloodied and bruised and my heart has been crushed. I am weary and not sure I can go on like this, but I know I survived and became even stronger as a man and steadfast in my belief in true love.
Believe me when I say the fight is worth it. You may get knocked down many times just as I have, but you must keep getting up and moving forward no matter how battered, bruised, and defeated you become.
True love is worth it.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Cleaning Up
So today Tammy and I spent much of the afternoon in Nashville doing some shopping in the Green Hills area. Tammy got to experience the wonderful Trader Joe's for the first time. We had a great time looking and shopping for healthy, organic food selections. I hope that Murfreesboro gets a Trader Joe's one day. The selections are great and the prices are more affordable than one might think. Much better than the prices of our next stop...Whole Foods Market.
This is the first time we've been to the one in Green Hills. It is very swanky with all that crunchy, granola feel you typically get at a Whole Foods. Despite the prices and the swankiness we journeyed through the store and found some really good options for the Eat Clean direction I am taking my everyday diet. The best buy and something I have really wanted to try for a long time was Bison meat.
After a long day of shopping we came home and grilled up the Bison steak along with some veggies. The meal was excellent. Bison is the same texture as beef just with a richer flavor and much leaner and cleaner as Bison is grass-fed and most commercial beef is not. Even though I've only recently taken on the Eat Clean philosophy, I find myself feeling much better and not nearly as hungry during the day. I continue to make the small steps, but as long as the foods I get to eat are like the Bison I had tonight then I believe the Eat Clean way of life will the easiest change I've ever made.
This is the first time we've been to the one in Green Hills. It is very swanky with all that crunchy, granola feel you typically get at a Whole Foods. Despite the prices and the swankiness we journeyed through the store and found some really good options for the Eat Clean direction I am taking my everyday diet. The best buy and something I have really wanted to try for a long time was Bison meat.After a long day of shopping we came home and grilled up the Bison steak along with some veggies. The meal was excellent. Bison is the same texture as beef just with a richer flavor and much leaner and cleaner as Bison is grass-fed and most commercial beef is not. Even though I've only recently taken on the Eat Clean philosophy, I find myself feeling much better and not nearly as hungry during the day. I continue to make the small steps, but as long as the foods I get to eat are like the Bison I had tonight then I believe the Eat Clean way of life will the easiest change I've ever made.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Rewarding Journey
As mentioned in the previous post, I am developing a rewards system as I lose weight. I got this tremendous idea from a friend named Heather. Tammy had read a blog posting Heather wrote detailing a system of fun rewards for every 10 pounds lost to keep her motivated. When Tammy asked me to read the blog I instantly knew that was for me. I mean come on! Who doesn't like getting gifts for doing a good job?
So my brain went to stormin' to figure out what gifts would I like for each ten pounds lost. After a while I still had nothing. I found that major milestones were easy to develop gifts. Obviously the ultimate goal is a trip to an island. The halfway point will be a weekend getaway. So as it stands I have two trips as rewards and not much else. This is definitely a work in progress and I am happy to take any ideas from anyone who may read this.
Below is a breakdown of the rewards for pounds lost:
5-Book
10-
20-
30-
40-Weekend getaway
50-
60-
70-
80-Hawaii or some other tropically island!!
Thinking of gifts I would want is not easy!!
So my brain went to stormin' to figure out what gifts would I like for each ten pounds lost. After a while I still had nothing. I found that major milestones were easy to develop gifts. Obviously the ultimate goal is a trip to an island. The halfway point will be a weekend getaway. So as it stands I have two trips as rewards and not much else. This is definitely a work in progress and I am happy to take any ideas from anyone who may read this.
Below is a breakdown of the rewards for pounds lost:
5-Book
10-
20-
30-
40-Weekend getaway
50-
60-
70-
80-Hawaii or some other tropically island!!
Thinking of gifts I would want is not easy!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Some Changes
Change is hardly ever easy, but often times it is absolutely necessary. That is where I find myself, particularly my health...or the lack of it. I am drastically overweight, constantly getting headaches, out of breath just going upstairs, and staring a family history of Diabetes in the eye. So it is here on this blog that I will chronicle the changes I will be making to not only create accountability, but hopefully set an example for someone else going through a similar situation.
I've actually made one change already and it was to this blog. The name of the blog has changed (former name was "A Little About a Lot"). The blog was started two years ago as a way to just have fun and hone some writing skills that have served me well in my Masters degree program at University of Tennessee. But as you may see from the last posting date I have not been on here in quite a while thanks to school, laziness, and forgetfulness...the last two reasons I look to change in my life as well.
The new name is inspirational in nature for me. I am in the process of developing a reward system as I lose weight with the ultimate reward being a vacation for Tammy and me to Hawaii or some other island vacation. I have a tall order as that means I have to reach 80 pounds lost, but I know I can do it!
I started at the New Year eating better and less, but I had a difficult time developing a plan of action. After losing five pounds I got my first reward...a book on eating clean. I've had to be honest with myself and accept that my eating habits are killing me. This is the key change for me. I have friends who are eating clean and the results are amazing. Add some exercise in there and there is no reason I cannot reach my ultimate goal of losing 80 pounds.
The steps along my path have begun! Here's to change!!
I've actually made one change already and it was to this blog. The name of the blog has changed (former name was "A Little About a Lot"). The blog was started two years ago as a way to just have fun and hone some writing skills that have served me well in my Masters degree program at University of Tennessee. But as you may see from the last posting date I have not been on here in quite a while thanks to school, laziness, and forgetfulness...the last two reasons I look to change in my life as well.
The new name is inspirational in nature for me. I am in the process of developing a reward system as I lose weight with the ultimate reward being a vacation for Tammy and me to Hawaii or some other island vacation. I have a tall order as that means I have to reach 80 pounds lost, but I know I can do it!
I started at the New Year eating better and less, but I had a difficult time developing a plan of action. After losing five pounds I got my first reward...a book on eating clean. I've had to be honest with myself and accept that my eating habits are killing me. This is the key change for me. I have friends who are eating clean and the results are amazing. Add some exercise in there and there is no reason I cannot reach my ultimate goal of losing 80 pounds.
The steps along my path have begun! Here's to change!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Permanence
After a bit of a hiatus and some sincere badgering by my lovely wife Tammy, I return to the blogging world. It has been too long I admit, but it is much more tough to write when you have a job...not that I am complaining after being unemployed for 4 months, but I have missed writing.
So let's see! A lot has happened since my last post. The swine flu is still making itself around the world, celebrities are dropping like flies, and my beloved Cubs suck, but lucky for them though the rest of their division does too, so they still have a chance for the playoffs.
From a personal standpoint a lot has happened as well. The summer has been chock-full of activities. (Sidenote: Using 'chock-full' in a sentence was number 999 on my list of 1001 things to do before I die! Check! ;). My gardening has been a wonderful way to stay outdoors. My tomatoes have really done well and they taste amazing. Our friends Jon and Kelsey stayed with us for about 5 weeks and that was great to have housemates! We were happy to open our house to them as they returned from Jerusalem. Also I started a new job after being unemployed for a time. It isn't necessarily what I wanted, but I feel blessed to have a job and to be able to bring an income into the house. Regardless of how long I am at Lowe's, God has me there to learn something that will be valuable down the road.
With the busyness of the summer and now a new job I definitely have had my moments of being stretched thin. That always brings vulnerability in my emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. June was a tough month. Tammy and I barely saw each other due to work schedules. I was adjusting to the new job plus trying to deal with the fact that it was a major paycut. I felt so isolated even from God. Prayer didn't seem to matter. Needless to say my mind was assaulted with negative thoughts that were pulling me away from the Grace of God. I was even letting it affect my marriage. The turning point came when I began to wrestle and get angry with God for allowing these demons to creep into my life. There is nothing like trying to fight with someone you can never defeat that will bring you to your knees and humble you like a little child. It wasn't God letting this happen at all. It was because of my lack of focus on Heavenly matters that I found myself apart from God. My worries, my insecurities, and my pride had begun to corrupt me.
The good news is that like always God showed up!! The permanency of God is a gift that should never be overlooked. When we find ourselves apart from God we can be sure that it was us, not God that moved. God shows up in a variety of ways...through the Holy Spirit, through friends and family, circumstances, and prayer. He wants the best for His children and like a good Father he corrects our mistakes and embraces us when we need Him most.
In a world that can be turned upside down by pandemic fears, deaths of people we respect and grew up with, and economic turmoil, just remember the permanency of God in your life!! It will never fail you!
So let's see! A lot has happened since my last post. The swine flu is still making itself around the world, celebrities are dropping like flies, and my beloved Cubs suck, but lucky for them though the rest of their division does too, so they still have a chance for the playoffs.
From a personal standpoint a lot has happened as well. The summer has been chock-full of activities. (Sidenote: Using 'chock-full' in a sentence was number 999 on my list of 1001 things to do before I die! Check! ;). My gardening has been a wonderful way to stay outdoors. My tomatoes have really done well and they taste amazing. Our friends Jon and Kelsey stayed with us for about 5 weeks and that was great to have housemates! We were happy to open our house to them as they returned from Jerusalem. Also I started a new job after being unemployed for a time. It isn't necessarily what I wanted, but I feel blessed to have a job and to be able to bring an income into the house. Regardless of how long I am at Lowe's, God has me there to learn something that will be valuable down the road.
With the busyness of the summer and now a new job I definitely have had my moments of being stretched thin. That always brings vulnerability in my emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. June was a tough month. Tammy and I barely saw each other due to work schedules. I was adjusting to the new job plus trying to deal with the fact that it was a major paycut. I felt so isolated even from God. Prayer didn't seem to matter. Needless to say my mind was assaulted with negative thoughts that were pulling me away from the Grace of God. I was even letting it affect my marriage. The turning point came when I began to wrestle and get angry with God for allowing these demons to creep into my life. There is nothing like trying to fight with someone you can never defeat that will bring you to your knees and humble you like a little child. It wasn't God letting this happen at all. It was because of my lack of focus on Heavenly matters that I found myself apart from God. My worries, my insecurities, and my pride had begun to corrupt me.
The good news is that like always God showed up!! The permanency of God is a gift that should never be overlooked. When we find ourselves apart from God we can be sure that it was us, not God that moved. God shows up in a variety of ways...through the Holy Spirit, through friends and family, circumstances, and prayer. He wants the best for His children and like a good Father he corrects our mistakes and embraces us when we need Him most.
In a world that can be turned upside down by pandemic fears, deaths of people we respect and grew up with, and economic turmoil, just remember the permanency of God in your life!! It will never fail you!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Pig Suey
It seems that the good ol' pig just can't catch a break. First it was the Jews and their Kosher laws that forbid eating pork. Then the Muslims came along with their Halal laws that also forbid eating pork. Now the WHO (World Health Organization) is calling out the pigs by labeling the newest influenza strain "Swine Flu."
**Sidenote: Christians might want to take a hard look at the whole pork-eating debate. Jews and Muslims don't agree on much of anything, so when they agree on anything it is worth an investigation. I don't know how many Jews and Muslims die of heart disease, but Americans, who are predominantly Christian, are dropping like flies because of it. Looks like another reason to pick on the pig to me. I'm just saying!!
Technically this new strain is actually called the "H1N1 Virus"...for whatever that means to my scientifically inept mind. It is a combination of the human flu, bird flu, and swine flu, yet it was the pigs that took the full blame. Poor pigs!
According to the WHO, a worldwide pandemic is imminent. I haven't decided yet whether to go all "Michael Jackson" and buy some surgical masks or whether I'll take my chances. Lucky for me I have a wife who is a nurse and knows what to do in these situations. Plus she can always sneak a few surgical masks out of the ER at her hospital for me. Being unemployed I am always looking to save a few pennies!
What is so ludicrous to me about this whole mess, as well as, all the other "imminent pandemics" (i.e. SARS, Bird Flu, et al.) is that the media takes on the role of "Chicken Little" and creates mass hysteria. We never see anyone come on the news and rationally inform the public as to why the "Swine Flu" is any worse than the "Common Flu." According to the WHO website, between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world die from influenza each year. The elderly are the most susceptible to death by influenza. I am not sure what the definition of pandemic is, but 250,000-500,000 people seems a lot to me. Is the "Swine Flu" going to kill more than this? Are we talking millions of people? Hospitals are being overrun by hypochondriacs believing that eating pork results in the "Swine Flu." Without intelligent reporting and educational information, the public is left to fend for itself. I used to have a lot of confidence in people in general, but that has changed over the past few years. In truth I believe the vast majority of the public will believe anything and everything that is spewed from the mouths of the newscasters. If the government and these health agencies can't give us the truth about "Swine Flu," how can we be sure we are getting the truth when it comes to terrorism, economic meltdowns, and anything else that impacts our lives so deeply??
All this ranting has made me hungry. I think I'll get off my soapbox and eat some leftover pulled-pork BBQ...then off to the ER to get tested!!
**Sidenote: Christians might want to take a hard look at the whole pork-eating debate. Jews and Muslims don't agree on much of anything, so when they agree on anything it is worth an investigation. I don't know how many Jews and Muslims die of heart disease, but Americans, who are predominantly Christian, are dropping like flies because of it. Looks like another reason to pick on the pig to me. I'm just saying!!
Technically this new strain is actually called the "H1N1 Virus"...for whatever that means to my scientifically inept mind. It is a combination of the human flu, bird flu, and swine flu, yet it was the pigs that took the full blame. Poor pigs!
According to the WHO, a worldwide pandemic is imminent. I haven't decided yet whether to go all "Michael Jackson" and buy some surgical masks or whether I'll take my chances. Lucky for me I have a wife who is a nurse and knows what to do in these situations. Plus she can always sneak a few surgical masks out of the ER at her hospital for me. Being unemployed I am always looking to save a few pennies!
What is so ludicrous to me about this whole mess, as well as, all the other "imminent pandemics" (i.e. SARS, Bird Flu, et al.) is that the media takes on the role of "Chicken Little" and creates mass hysteria. We never see anyone come on the news and rationally inform the public as to why the "Swine Flu" is any worse than the "Common Flu." According to the WHO website, between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world die from influenza each year. The elderly are the most susceptible to death by influenza. I am not sure what the definition of pandemic is, but 250,000-500,000 people seems a lot to me. Is the "Swine Flu" going to kill more than this? Are we talking millions of people? Hospitals are being overrun by hypochondriacs believing that eating pork results in the "Swine Flu." Without intelligent reporting and educational information, the public is left to fend for itself. I used to have a lot of confidence in people in general, but that has changed over the past few years. In truth I believe the vast majority of the public will believe anything and everything that is spewed from the mouths of the newscasters. If the government and these health agencies can't give us the truth about "Swine Flu," how can we be sure we are getting the truth when it comes to terrorism, economic meltdowns, and anything else that impacts our lives so deeply??
All this ranting has made me hungry. I think I'll get off my soapbox and eat some leftover pulled-pork BBQ...then off to the ER to get tested!!
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