I am not God . . .

Yesterday at church my pastor said this statement and it makes a lot of sense. I have so much to learn . . . if you get a chance listen to "Just Give Up" . I will blog more. Fitness, the word for 2009. Peace

Christmas Eve and 20+ inches of snow . . .

today is Christmas eve, for some on this globe it is already Christmas day. I have had a wonderful time these past few days. To start we had a snow day on last Friday. It began to snow some time in the morning. It kept snowing until there was over 10 inches. Josh and I shoveled so much snow that day. I am proud of him. He has his first job, OK besides my Dad's lawn. He is shoveling snow for a lady in our neighborhood. I helped him on the first day. We shoveled a total of three times that day. We were soar, but we had accomplished something good. So much fun and learning in snow removal. Powerful.

We spent Saturday with my family at my parents house. It was a great time of celebration and fun. Everyone is off on vacation for Christmas, so we did our family gathering then. All the kids, and grand kids and parents, and everyone. My cousin Dave and his family came as well. What a blessing.

Church was awesome, and the Christmas program was great that evening. We also gather with friends and family for dinner at our house after. Fellowship is so wonderful.

I enjoyed a day of work around the house on Monday. Then went to work at the Busch's for a few hours. After that I drove Mona Lisa down the road trying to charge the battery, but the car died on me and I had to push her the rest of the way home. Not too far, about a half a mile. It was not too bad, though it was very cold. I think it is the alternator. I am not quite sure. I am using my dads car for a few days. That will be good.

I worked yesterday for 8 hours at the Busch's. Very busy working that day, senior day, and there was also another snow storm. People in Michigan get crazy with snow. What is up with that, we get snow here. Crazy man, just crazy. Then I went with my dad for dinner at El Padio. What a nice place to eat here in the Novi area.
OK, this is a lame blog, but it is OK. Peace

What will it take ? ? ?

Last night I had the joy of working at the Busch's. When I went to work there was no snow. Some time in the first hour, it began to snow hard. Just in time for the evening rush hour. People were on edge at the store, and I understand they were in a hurry to get home. It seems when we get under stress, we tend to move quickly thinking that will help us out. What I heard from the folks in line was - many people in a hurry ended up in the ditch off the road. Or perhaps, the hurriers ended up making it home not realizing the trouble they caused running other off the road into a ditch. Isn't this just like real life. We get into some sort of storm - we get under stress and possible in a hurry by a deadline. We begin to make sour choices on the spot in the moment. Then all of a sudden, we find ourselves in a ditch. Or possible we run some around us into a ditch. Think about it. It happens to us. Okay, I can not speak for you. I know it has happened to me all too often. Just this week, i have found myself in the ditch or ditch causing mode. My kids and wonderful wife are the ones I most often ditch. When I am alone in the quiet of my own heart, this brings me great sadness. I must slow down, speak kindly and softly, and remember to move forward with caution. This is another area of FITNESS I am working on - The Relational Fitness. It is time to begin for me the resolution to be the best me. Have a wonderful day, and slow down, take a breath and be thankful. Peace

Today's her birthday . . .

Fifteen years old, and in high school - time flies. I am so proud of Nikki. She is a diligent worker, with a heart for people, especially children. I have had the privilege and the responsibility to be her dad for fifteen years. I am an incredibly blessed man . . . I can not express the love and admiration I have for my daughter in this short space. Wow, what else can I say.

I am doing good on my walking goal, just finished two miles today. I am at 32.5 of the 45 miles needed or desired before the end of the year. I did not know where to start on this weight thing, so I started by walking. The benefits of Walking have already proven to be numerous. It is easy and fun to do, and I accomplish a goal I set for myself. Walking has helped with the pain I was having in my feet from standing at Busch's as a cashier. Sleep has improved and the activity of dreams has returned, you've got to love the return of blood flow to the brain. Overall, I am a more pleasant person to be around. Again, with the goal of FITNESS for the year of 2009 at the forefront of my mind, it is pleasant to begin the journey on the backside of 2008. There is no time like the present to start a goal, you do not have to wait until January 1, 2009 to begin. I long for the discipline of daily decisions. It has to be done today for me, not just dreamt about. I love to dream and contemplate, but now is the time for me to act, especially on this weight thing.

I thank you, my friends, for your encouragement along the way. I love this thing called blog. I love to chat, express, think, contemplate and grow. I have had fun here. I wish you a wonderful Christmas. May you know the reason for the season. Peace

I am not alone . . .

Sometimes in life you get that all alone feeling. Like you are the only one that is struggling with some issue. This year has been an interesting year to say the least. I know I am where I should be, but I do not know if I like exactly where I am. I choose to leave a church as their part time youth pastor in August of 2007. I enjoyed the rest that the absence of that job created. I will not say I was burnt out, but I was smoldering. 8.5 years of excellent love and ministry in addition to a full time job as a Paraprofessional left me a bit exhausted. The freedom of living with out a second job was short lived when the bills indicated that we were not making enough money, not to mention the fact that everything in the world was costing more. The two played out into the need for me to find additional work. Enter the opportunity at Busch's . I have been a cashier there for the past 11 months. I pray for a raise in the near future. It has been a good, hard working job. The pay is about one third of what I made at the church, but still sure it was the decision I had to make. My wife also had the opportunity to pick up some tutoring that allowed us to enjoy the summer. Then it was back to the grind. We had to borrow money to make the bills, and all. We still owe money to people. We tried to continue to live like we had the old job, but were soon thrust into a situation in these past few months where the decisions have been between bills and food, and if you do not keep up with bills, then things start getting shut off. Well, I do not know how we have made it fully, but we have not died yet. I long for the day when some of the debt will be eliminated and I will know freedom financially. The toll of this struggle has put tension between my wife and I and lets just say that things can only get better. I love her completely and fully, but it has been hard on the old relationship. I am more on edge with my kids because of many issues: weight, debt, marriage, work . . . It has all been pressing in all at once. I am glad to know that even when I am alone and feel that I am the only one under these pressures, and I must admit, my pressures are lite. I do not want to be whining for nothing. I have two jobs, a house and a car, family and I am just blessed beyond belief. But at times I allow the things of life to press me in and make me feel like a looser. Like I am not where I should be, or who I should be or what I should be. I am me. I am the best me I know how to be, that is not to say that I do not want to learn and grow and become an better best me. I am always wanting to learn. Fitness it the word, and it is a multi-front attack on the things that are pressing me. One thing that I want to build on is my relationship with my kids. I have been so busy, that they have often taken a second seat to all that is going on in life. I feel regret for that, and it is motivating me to relational fitness with my children. They are growing up so fast it is not funny. Pray for me as I try to be a better me. I know that sounds funny. I am praying for you. I want to know you through this thing called blog. Send me a not or make a comment if any of this makes sense to you or you are encouraged or discouraged. Thank you for allowing me to have this place to share. Peace

(art found at: http://www.coloria.net/dig.art/kuvat/05together839x600.jpg )

How did it happen . . .

Today . . . I have a few moments to reflect on life. I am tired today, too much Busch's over the course of the past few days. I long for a job, one job that pays enough to pay the bills, wait, I long for the day that the bills will be less, and I can continue to do a job I love, that is better. Is it a money issue, or a control of the money issue? If I could tell you one thing, from all the things I have learned in life besides your need of Jesus as you savior, It would be, do not create DEBT. That is right. Do you want to be a slave to someone else, then go ahead and create debt. Debt is an anchor that holds you back from your dreams. How did I get into debt? Little by little, a thing here, a trip there, a meal over there. I did have fun, and it happened over time, but now, I am in a pit that will be hard to climb out of. I am not in despair, but I am pressed. If I could sway you in any way - deny yourself until you have the cash, do not run on credit, it will lead you into the slavery of debt. I will be debt free, it will be a long haul, but it will be worth it. I am at the very beginning of the road out of this pit, but it will be wonderful.

Did I tell you that FITNESS is my word for the year, 2009. I know, this is a little early, but I want to be FIT. ON multiple levels, Emotionally, Physically, financially, relationally, spiritually. I believe, Spiritual fitness is incorporated into all areas of fitness. All is spiritual. Every aspect of my life is a spiritual issue.


Also, I want to say, my post on the challenge to married couples may have made some of my readers blush, sorry. I am married, and I think it was an amazing challenge. I also hoped to garner some comments from another post I had done. Also, by the very fact that you are reading this post, two someones took the challenge at some point in their lives, and here you are. I know it may be something you do not want to think about, but it is where we all began. I love you all. Peace

The Greates things in life . . .

Great . . . Awesome . . . How can a price tag be placed on experiences with family and friends? It is impossible. All this stems from a wonderful evening of conversation, love and eating. Last night we spent time with family, nothing short. God, thank you for our family. You are a wonderful Father. I love to be with people. It is amazing how we grow and are encouraged when we are together with one another. Peace

Some musings on Ed Young and a sex challenge . . .

Pow, there you go, I am charged up without full information. What a wonderful way to respond. I did not and have not heard Ed Young and his wife talk about their sex challenge to the married couples in their chruch called Fellowship Church in Texas - their main campus is called the Grapevine. . . He did a sermon series called Leaving Lust Vegas . I guess in this series he challenges his married couples to have sex for seven days straight. Wow, what a novel Idea that married couple would have sex. Sorry to my non married friends. It is such a novel Idea that the chuch may actually have an opinion on issues that real men and women in the world face every day. Who ever thought that a lack of sex in marriage was something to be sought or something to be "more spiritual"?? I know this may be the oddest post to date. But it has lit a fire in my soul as well, to see the church baulk at such a notion that it has an opinion on something that God created Good, and it is best served up in the context of Marriage. The church has a powerful voice on sex outside of marriage, "DO NOT DO IT > > >" Is that the only thing the bible has to say about sex. Don't do it, or you will . . . you fill in the blank. Why as the body of Christ do we not speak to both sides of the issue? on this and many other issues? Sorry. I have to hear what this guy said. I read a great book called Sex God by Rob Bell, and he hits many of the issues square on the head.

I guess I better listen to Ed Young and see what he has to say since I have now spoken. I am a FAT man, and no I am not talking about my weight, though I am larger than I long to be . . . but I like eating. I FEEL, then ACT, and then THINK many times, this may not be the best way, but it the way I am built. It is the way I operate. It is the way I learn grow and move through this world. Everyone operates some way, they are AFT, or TFA, or FTA, or ATF and other are just F, or A, or T or some other combination. I at least know who I am and I am secure in that fact. Thank you for taking the time to read this post today . . .

PEACE

Stuck in my head . . .

Have you ever got a song stuck in your head?? Well this morning I had Rockstar stuck in my head. I just do not know why. It is so opposite of who I am and who I think I want to be. Now there is a thought. Will I ever be who I think I want to be? What is happening with that thought? What happens if I never become someone, am I still someone? What is it about being Someone that is so great? I am me. Yes, you heard it right. I am the best me there is, and without going into it for my friends sake . . . I will only say that "I AM A WINNER". I began life as a Winner, and there is no reason to see myself as anything but a winner. I am blessed and excited about today and the days to come. I hope you are as well. Peace

Live, Laugh, Love . . .

A popular saying, but one that needs to be repeated in life. I am alive today, and happily so. I am at school this morning, a little on the tired side. Students if full swing on this brisk December morning. Christmas is a few days away. Powerful thoughts stream through my mind and heart about the goodness of Grace. Here are some verses that have been coursing through my head . . .

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30

What do you think about that? I want to learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Why is it that I feel so often like I have to force my crazy self to obey and trust. I long for the freeing feeling of knowing the unforced-ness of walking with God. God is so good.

So, where are you in this living in Grace thing? I am still learning to trust and rest. My heart longs for the Rest here. The ease of living that is provided or given by Jesus as we learn life from him. He is the ultimate Live, Laugh, Love - - - Peace

(Top Photo found at: http://www.kazuya-akimoto.com/2006/2006contents/4777gallery5.htm )

(Bottom Photo found at: http://www.rounderstudio.com/images/colored_circls.jpg )