OK - I'm putting it out there! I need to do something about my weight! I just jumped on the scale and tipped it at 265! Yes, you can officially call me "fat boy", "tubby", or "the great one". Now to be fair I did pig out A LOT over the last few days with Christmas and New Years festivities so the it might be more like 260 (that's so much better isn't it?)
I even went onto one of those sites that calculates your ideal body weight. When I put in the numbers the computer crashed! Just kidding - but here is what it told me - Ideal weight range 170-187 lbs (77.3-85 kg.). It even did the math for me telling me I was overweight by 73 lbs (33 kg.) And then it even suggested that I may wish to consult with my physician for medical help!
Add to this that recently my Doctor put me on some cholesterol meds and seemed concerned about my "sugar" levels - he was not amused when I just informed him that I'm a sweet kind of guy.
So here's the plan - I get on and stay on a low carb regimen. This will help lose the weight and have the added benefit of being in line with a diabetic diet. (I don't have diabetes yet - but am heading there fast). Should help lower the cholesterol too. It has in the past.
And I need accountability. That's where the blog comes in. I am going to post the numbers every time I post a blog. They will be in this format: weight / total loss / loss or gain since last post. It will look like this (265 / 0 / 0). If I had lost 2 pounds since the last post it would look like this (263 / 2 / 2).
I may even post some other related things - like how long I hit the treadmill, etc.
You don't need to reply to any of this, but you are welcome to. I just need to know there are folks out there I'm "reporting too".
You can pray with me about this too.
This is not just a health issue - it is also an issue of honoring God. I have clearly not been doing this when it comes to my own body.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Cor 6:19-20 NIV)
#1 - Perry Ryan and Charles Penn will both get hair plugs but only one of them will be successful - you'll have to wait and see which one.
#2 - Nell Anne will dye her hair jet black and get an eye brow pierced so she can reach out to the "raver" crowd.
#3 - Dan Waits will only work 75 hours a week instead of his usual 86.
#4 - Melody Scott will finally have enough of my stories about her and I will preach one weekend with a black eye!
#5 - Valerie will take in more stray cats and be labeled the "cat lady" in her neighborhood.
#6 - Andrew Gill will find Jesus and abandon the Louisville Cardinals.
#7 - Robert Smith will publish his first book - The Power of the Pause.
#8 - Tina King will invent a new thing that will revolutionize the church cleaning world - the 8 day week and the 30 hour day!
#9 - Sandi Froelich will confess that she has been secretly using peachtree again instead of quick books.
#10 - Justin Boyd and Miranda will find out they are pregnant with triplets... doing their part for church growth... hey isn't that what a "grow pastor" is supposed to do?
Hey all - thanks to a neighbor of my in laws with unsecured wireless I can check my e-mail and post a blog. Thanks Jeffrey (whoever you are).... :)
This has been one awesome Christmas season for us. Busy as usual but great.
On Christmas eve I picked up my brother Mark and we headed to church for the Christmas Eve service. He was actually doing pretty well. Most of you know he has paranoid schizophrenia. So you never know what you're going to get. Thankfully we had a good time. He still suffers terribly but seemed to be a little bit more of "himself" than I have seen in a while. The service was awesome - lots of folks hung around afterward for coffee, hot chocolate and "goodies".
On Christmas Day I got up early and started cooking - YES I DID MOST OF THE COOKING! I fixed dressing with mushrooms, pecans, onions and of course I used broth from the giblets. I pealed and cooked potatoes and made home made mashed potatoes, I cooked the green beans and deep fried the turkey. Other folks brought some other goodies - but hey this is my blog so it's about me. Suffice it to say we had a feast.
Then we opened gifts... (actually we opened some before everyone got there) - I think everyone was pleased with what they received I know I was... the biggies for me were a new set of gouges for my lathe and a new drill press - Melody is the BOMB! Jon was pleased with his new guitar strap (a really nice hand made one that should last him for years, and a couple of gift cards to guitar center - he wants a new pedal). Nina was thrilled with her new Lee Middleton doll and an ipod. And everyone seemed to enjoy the new wii game system - it's a blast! And of course I did not get Melody anything with a cord... but I did get here some things that were shiney and smelly!
But after dinner the fun began! The princess (our grand daughter) was in the house! Man, a three year old can make things fun. She was saying things like, "I love it" and "I've always wanted one of these". And then she got on the wii. She was playing the bowling game - what a thrill to watch.
Well the next day we hit the road - we drove some nine hours to NW Illinois to visit with Melody's folks. In so many ways they are more than in-laws to me. Much more like parents. I have been so blessed with them for 30 years now. Not sure how many more years we will have them - but we know we will have them for eternity, if not here.
We did go see the movie Seven Pounds... A MUST SEE! But be warned - bring some tissues - lots of them.
We will be heading back home tomorrow and I can't wait. I love coming up here - but I love where I live. I can't wait to go pick up my drill press at Sears and try out my new "toys". I also can't wait to see Jon, Beth, Dale and Abigail. They all stayed in KY this year. It's hard to believe that the days are gone when all the kids make this trip with us. But Nina is a joy and someday she will not make the trip either - so we're just enjoying the time we have.
I hope you all had as great a Christmas as I have had. God bless you all.
I had a ton of people come up to me or e-mail me and tell me how much they appreciate my transparency. I thought I'd write about it. I have tried to be transparent for a long time and I think I generally am. I guess I have pretty much been a "here I am, take it or leave it" kind of guy most of my life", but then I got into "the ministry".
I was just amazed at how many people have tried to force me into some "preacher model". You know - the guy who stands up front and looks like he is closer to God than anyone else in the room. The guy who doesn't get real - he just gets religious! I could tell you horror stories of people trying to make me change. But I was blessed by some incredible models and some pivotal things in my earlier years.
#1 - I grew up poor. Not always, but there were times when we had it pretty rough. I can remember a local church bringing us "Christmas" one year. I guess we were somebody's "share the joy project". Although I was pretty young - I still remember the hot wheel track I played with for hours.
#2 - I remember having to use food stamps. Melody and I were the proud parents of a baby girl (Beth) and the economy of the early 80's was in the tank. We got food stamps for 3 months. I can remember going to the next town to shop so I would not run into anyone I knew.
#3 - I worked in the public sector at a Carpet Mill in Dalton Ga for about three years. I know 1st hand what most people have to face every day. I have not forgotten what it's like in the real world.
#4 - I have failed miserably a number of times. And while I was blessed to learn from them - I have also never tried to cover them up. I really am a huge monument to God's grace.
#5 - I literally get sick when I see men and women of God who I know good and well have "issues" just like me and everyone else, who publicly act like they have it all together.
#6 - I read God's word and see it filled with the stories of great men and women of God who had real struggles, real failures, real hurts, and real forgiveness.
I want to live my life helping people see God's grace - what better way can I do this than show them the grace I myself have found. And in my thinking this only happens when we are transparent.
So, thanks for the kudos - but I'm just doing what I was encouraged to do years ago. I'm just preaching what I know. I don't know much - but I do know this. Where sin abounds - God's grace abounds more.
Thank you Jesus for loving me. I'm still amazed every day that I get to share what you have done for me with others. Lord, help me not blow it!
A big thanks to Andrew for giving me a quick "heads up". Evidently some meathead posted a comment that was a link to some porn site... (I took his word for it and just deleted it).
I also set it up so you have to do the "word verification" thing - sorry about that.
Oh well, such is life.
Have a great day and SPAMMERS - STAY OFF MY BLOG!!!!!
OK - I'm putting it out there! I need to do something about my weight! I just jumped on the scale and tipped it at 265! Yes, you can officially call me "fat boy", "tubby", or "the great one". Now to be fair I did pig out A LOT over the last few days with Christmas and New Years festivities so the it might be more like 260 (that's so much better isn't it?)
