Who would have thought I would ever be able to get back in my 20's? After all, I'm 32 years old. No, I don't mean age, I'm talking about my 220's. I've been setting small goals as a part of my big goal to lose weight. It helps to keep me encouraged working toward these smaller goals. Today I took what I believe is my biggest step so far, I got below the 230 mark into my 220's. The reason this holds a great significance for me is because the last time I worked out with a goal of losing weight was back in the summer of 2002 or 2003, I don't quite remember. Anyways, I remember getting down to like 224 or 225. That was the last time I saw those numbers, so for me to get back in that range was a huge accomplishment. Another reason is that we are headed back to Montgomery this weekend and I wanted to get under 230 for my return trip there.
I got to my goal weight by running 3 miles today for the first time probably ever. That's running without stopping. I'd been running 2 miles everyday, but had only worked up to that about a week ago. So I really pushed myself today to run the 3 miles. It felt good when I finished, but boy did it hurt while I was trying to get it done.
So we will be in Montgomery this weekend and next week for the lectures. We get to see some old friends, take in some lessons from God's word and get recharged. I'm excited about it and I know Tammy is as well. Hopefully my next post after we get back next week I'll have some pictures to post from our trip. Maybe some video as well.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Some Things I've Learned About Weight Loss...
I have learned a lot about losing weight over the past month and a half. For one, it's not easy, but it's very doable if you are committed to it. Commitment and patience are the keys in losing weight. You can't expect to eat bad for 10 years and then look like you did in college again in a few weeks. It is, however, very rewarding if you can grind it out and keep that goal in the front of your mind.
I've learned that I lose most of my weight at the beginning of the week. Why? Well because I eat better when I'm at work. I drink lots of water and take my lunch everyday. At home, it's easy to go to the fridge or the pantry to get something to snack on when you get bored. Not at work. I'm constantly busy (keeping my mind off of food) and I have nothing else to eat except for what I brought for lunch. Case in point, I weighed 240 on 2/2. I weighed 237 on 2/4. I weighed 239 on 2/9. That's down 3 at the beginning of the week and then up 2 at the end. Today I am 235. That's down 4 at the beginning of the week. So my challenge is to put together a full week every week.
I've also learned that fried foods and sweets are the enemy (for me anyways). Anytime I "cheat" and eat something fried, it always comes back to bite me on the scale. Sweet Tea and desserts also get me too. I will only drink it once a week now if at all. Even when I drink it once a week it hurts me. So I'm pretty much all water all the time.
I guess I'm learning my body and what puts weight on and what helps take it off. I'm down 30 pounds in almost 6 & 1/2 weeks. Hopefully in another 6 or 7 I'll be down 30 or 35 more!
I've learned that I lose most of my weight at the beginning of the week. Why? Well because I eat better when I'm at work. I drink lots of water and take my lunch everyday. At home, it's easy to go to the fridge or the pantry to get something to snack on when you get bored. Not at work. I'm constantly busy (keeping my mind off of food) and I have nothing else to eat except for what I brought for lunch. Case in point, I weighed 240 on 2/2. I weighed 237 on 2/4. I weighed 239 on 2/9. That's down 3 at the beginning of the week and then up 2 at the end. Today I am 235. That's down 4 at the beginning of the week. So my challenge is to put together a full week every week.
I've also learned that fried foods and sweets are the enemy (for me anyways). Anytime I "cheat" and eat something fried, it always comes back to bite me on the scale. Sweet Tea and desserts also get me too. I will only drink it once a week now if at all. Even when I drink it once a week it hurts me. So I'm pretty much all water all the time.
I guess I'm learning my body and what puts weight on and what helps take it off. I'm down 30 pounds in almost 6 & 1/2 weeks. Hopefully in another 6 or 7 I'll be down 30 or 35 more!
Monday, February 02, 2009
1 Month Down
Well the month of January has come and gone and I am 25 pounds lighter than I was at the end of last year! When I think back it's kind of hard to believe. Sometimes I think to myself, "If I had just been doing this all along, I could already be where I wanted to be by now!" Oh well, better late than never. I feel like 25 pounds in 5 weeks is pretty good. If I can keep it up I should be where I want to be weight wise by late March, early April.
I think the toughest part of all of this is dealing with the weather. I want to be outside running and walking, but the cold weather has kept me inside. So I've been doing a lot of cardio stuff I can do in my living room. It stinks because I hate cardio. I would rather be outside running.
I've been showing people my driver's license picture that was taken in August of 2008. It's really the only picture I have of my face where you can tell a big difference between then and now. It makes it all worthwhile to be able to see the progress like that. When you look at yourself everyday in the mirror you just don't see it as clearly.
I think later in the week I might post a blog about my favorite tunes to listen to while working out. I'll let you (if anyone even reads this anymore) post your favorite songs to get you motivated.
I think the toughest part of all of this is dealing with the weather. I want to be outside running and walking, but the cold weather has kept me inside. So I've been doing a lot of cardio stuff I can do in my living room. It stinks because I hate cardio. I would rather be outside running.
I've been showing people my driver's license picture that was taken in August of 2008. It's really the only picture I have of my face where you can tell a big difference between then and now. It makes it all worthwhile to be able to see the progress like that. When you look at yourself everyday in the mirror you just don't see it as clearly.
I think later in the week I might post a blog about my favorite tunes to listen to while working out. I'll let you (if anyone even reads this anymore) post your favorite songs to get you motivated.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Mid Week Update
So I didn't post on Monday for a few reasons, but I guess the biggest is that I was disappointed because I had actually gained almost a pound since the previous Monday. I made a vow to myself that I would work harder this week and come back with even more resolve. Well, it's only Wednesday (2 days in) and I've already dropped 6 lbs this week. Not starving myself, but working out and drinking water like it's going out of style. I'm hoping to be in the 230's by Monday. I'd really like to be at around 235, but I'll take 238 or so.
Also, another encouraging sign in all of this is that I had mentioned my blood pressure being high. I think I remember it being around 151 over 80. Well, last night I checked it and it was 114 over 74. BIG improvement, as now I am back down into safe levels.
The kids are both sick this week and my wife is being a trooper taking care of them while I'm at work. I just hope we don't get it. Will is on the up and up and Kenzie hopefully will be getting better by tomorrow if not today. I'll post again Monday with my new weight!
Also, another encouraging sign in all of this is that I had mentioned my blood pressure being high. I think I remember it being around 151 over 80. Well, last night I checked it and it was 114 over 74. BIG improvement, as now I am back down into safe levels.
The kids are both sick this week and my wife is being a trooper taking care of them while I'm at work. I just hope we don't get it. Will is on the up and up and Kenzie hopefully will be getting better by tomorrow if not today. I'll post again Monday with my new weight!
Monday, January 19, 2009
3 Weeks In
So I'm now 3 weeks into my weight loss mission and had another weigh in today. I'm using Monday's as my weigh in day. I was at 245 this morning and I'm pretty happy with that number. First, because it was a loss (4 pounds for the week). Second, because I didn't exercise as hard as the week before. Third, because last weekend I had plateaued a little. Fourth, because the weekends are usually my downfall. This gets my weight loss so far at an unofficial 20 pounds. The reason I say unofficial is because we didn't have a scale when I first started, so I estimated.
What changes have I seen so far? Well, my wife says she can tell that I've lost by looking at me, although I can't necessarily tell. My pants are fitting a bit better (at least the ones that had gotten a bit tight). I definitely feel better too. My back problems haven't been bothering me near as much lately. I also think (or would like to think) that my weight loss has been encouraging others at church as well. I guess they think, "if this fatty can do it, why can't I?"
Other than that we had a very busy week/weekend. I spoke at a youth rally in St. Mary's, GA on Saturday and we were able to hear Cornerstone from Faulkner sing. They did a great job and I encourage you to get their CD because it is well worth the $15. We also had a bunch of people from church over last night for dinner and some fun. Kenzie is crawling all over the place now. It's funny watching her because she is a pretty fast little buger. Well, that's all for now. I'll try to blog more later this week.
What changes have I seen so far? Well, my wife says she can tell that I've lost by looking at me, although I can't necessarily tell. My pants are fitting a bit better (at least the ones that had gotten a bit tight). I definitely feel better too. My back problems haven't been bothering me near as much lately. I also think (or would like to think) that my weight loss has been encouraging others at church as well. I guess they think, "if this fatty can do it, why can't I?"
Other than that we had a very busy week/weekend. I spoke at a youth rally in St. Mary's, GA on Saturday and we were able to hear Cornerstone from Faulkner sing. They did a great job and I encourage you to get their CD because it is well worth the $15. We also had a bunch of people from church over last night for dinner and some fun. Kenzie is crawling all over the place now. It's funny watching her because she is a pretty fast little buger. Well, that's all for now. I'll try to blog more later this week.
Monday, January 12, 2009
New Year's Resolution (I Want To Be A Loser!)
So that's right. We all make New Year's Resolutions and then about mid-February we have totally forgotten about them and abandoned them. I do this pretty routinely. However, this year is a little bit different. I don't know what it is, but there is just something about my excitement/commitment level that is different. Can't put my finger on it, but it just feels different. So what are my New Year's Resolutions?
Well, for one, reading and studying my Bible more/better is one. Cutting down my t.v. watching is another. Also, cutting down on my computer time at home. I've done well with all of these so far and feel like I will stick with them pretty well this year. However, my biggest resolution this year is that for the first time in my life I WANT TO BE A LOSER! That's right, a loser. In fact, I want to be the biggest loser that I have ever known.
Some of you have caught the hint here. I'm speaking of losing weight. Now, I'm not colossal by any stretch, but I ain't no slim jim either. In fact, I've weighed way more than I ever have in my life. I'm tired of looking at myself in pictures and videos and thinking, wow, I look terrible. This is not to offend anyone who struggles with weight issues, but understand I have been a toothpick for a majority of my life. I remember when I was 17 one of my personal goals was to weigh 195 pounds (I'm 6'3"). 15 years later, that's still my goal, however, I'm on the other side of that (way on the other side). I need to lose weight for several reasons:
1. I hate the way I look (no I'm not obsessed like a teenage girl).
2. I noticed lately I have been having back issues/problems due to my huge gut.
3. I want to be able to have the energy to run/play with my kids.
4. My wife deserves better.
5. I want to have more self discipline when it comes to eating/drinking.
6. I need to take care of my body because it is God's temple.
7. I want to set a positive example for others in this area.
8. My blood pressure has been high lately and it needs to come down.
9. I never want my weight/health to be an issue when I'm doing God's work.
10. I want to go hiking with my friends and not feel like I'm going to die in the process.
These are just a few reasons why I need to do this. So I began on December 29 and have done pretty well so far. I thought it might help me to blog about it so that I can look back and see my progress, plus get tips/encouragement from others (that always helps). Here is my progress so far.
I started at about 260 pounds (actually I was at 264 or 265 probably). I am now down to 249. So I have lost around 11-15 pounds. I am running in the morning along with jump rope, push-ups and sit-ups. I walk every evening after dinner with my family. I am completely off of caffeine. No Cokes or DP's in over 2 weeks, although I do have sweet tea about 3 or 4 times a week (not bad). I am drinking so much more water and eating better. I eat Fiber One cereal for breakfast and usually a sandwich topped with spinach leaves for lunch. Maybe some pretzels if it's not enough. I'm eating more veggies for dinner too. I'm cutting out the snacking, especially the unhealthy stuff. No potato chips, sweet stuff, etc. I'm still not eating exactly like I should, but I am doing way better than I was before. I have cheated a couple of times, but nothing too bad. I'm pretty conscience about what I eat and usually try to work it off if I eat too bad.
So, any advice/encouragement would be much appreciated at this point. I just don't want to get discouraged and quit. I think it takes about 6 weeks to make a new habit, and I want to make the way I am eating a habit and not just a "diet".
Well, for one, reading and studying my Bible more/better is one. Cutting down my t.v. watching is another. Also, cutting down on my computer time at home. I've done well with all of these so far and feel like I will stick with them pretty well this year. However, my biggest resolution this year is that for the first time in my life I WANT TO BE A LOSER! That's right, a loser. In fact, I want to be the biggest loser that I have ever known.
Some of you have caught the hint here. I'm speaking of losing weight. Now, I'm not colossal by any stretch, but I ain't no slim jim either. In fact, I've weighed way more than I ever have in my life. I'm tired of looking at myself in pictures and videos and thinking, wow, I look terrible. This is not to offend anyone who struggles with weight issues, but understand I have been a toothpick for a majority of my life. I remember when I was 17 one of my personal goals was to weigh 195 pounds (I'm 6'3"). 15 years later, that's still my goal, however, I'm on the other side of that (way on the other side). I need to lose weight for several reasons:
1. I hate the way I look (no I'm not obsessed like a teenage girl).
2. I noticed lately I have been having back issues/problems due to my huge gut.
3. I want to be able to have the energy to run/play with my kids.
4. My wife deserves better.
5. I want to have more self discipline when it comes to eating/drinking.
6. I need to take care of my body because it is God's temple.
7. I want to set a positive example for others in this area.
8. My blood pressure has been high lately and it needs to come down.
9. I never want my weight/health to be an issue when I'm doing God's work.
10. I want to go hiking with my friends and not feel like I'm going to die in the process.
These are just a few reasons why I need to do this. So I began on December 29 and have done pretty well so far. I thought it might help me to blog about it so that I can look back and see my progress, plus get tips/encouragement from others (that always helps). Here is my progress so far.
I started at about 260 pounds (actually I was at 264 or 265 probably). I am now down to 249. So I have lost around 11-15 pounds. I am running in the morning along with jump rope, push-ups and sit-ups. I walk every evening after dinner with my family. I am completely off of caffeine. No Cokes or DP's in over 2 weeks, although I do have sweet tea about 3 or 4 times a week (not bad). I am drinking so much more water and eating better. I eat Fiber One cereal for breakfast and usually a sandwich topped with spinach leaves for lunch. Maybe some pretzels if it's not enough. I'm eating more veggies for dinner too. I'm cutting out the snacking, especially the unhealthy stuff. No potato chips, sweet stuff, etc. I'm still not eating exactly like I should, but I am doing way better than I was before. I have cheated a couple of times, but nothing too bad. I'm pretty conscience about what I eat and usually try to work it off if I eat too bad.
So, any advice/encouragement would be much appreciated at this point. I just don't want to get discouraged and quit. I think it takes about 6 weeks to make a new habit, and I want to make the way I am eating a habit and not just a "diet".
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
October Is Here/Help Us Decide!!
I've decided that October is my favorite month of the year. Why? Well because fall is my favorite time of year, and October is the month that it usually begins to cool down and feel like fall. Now that we are in Florida, fall is just not quite the same. In fact, today, the last day of September, it got up to about 88 degrees. That's just not right. So I'm looking forward to some cooler days ahead.
The kids are doing great. Kenzie and Will are really starting to interact with each other. She loves it when he talks to her and plays with her. She giggles and makes all kinds of noises. Today he even started to sing a little song to her that mom and dad sang to him and also sing to her. When he does she is just totally mesmerized and looks at him the entire time without making a noise. I think they will probably play pretty well together.
This past Sunday night we went to McDonalds with a few other young couples from church and Will got to sit at a booth with his buddy Aidan. They sat across from each other and ate their dinner and then they shared an Oreo McFlurry. They had a great time. After we got home Will said he wanted Aidan to come over the next day. He loves his buddies from church.
I also booked our reservation for our anniversary next year. Tammy has never been to Disney, so we will be spending a week there next September. We haven't decided if we want to bring the kids yet or not. Kenzie will be about 16 months so she will be plenty big enough to leave with someone. We just have to decide if it will be too much of a hassle to take her and Will, or if they will enjoy it enough to make it worthwhile. I'm sure Will will enjoy it, just not sure about her. Oh well, we have about a year to figure it out. Maybe some friends like Jamison can tell us what their experience was like taking their little ones. I've posted a poll on the right hand side of the blog where you can vote on whether or not we should leave our 4 year old and 16 month old at home or take them with us. By the way, that's the ages they will be when we go, not how hold they are now.
Hope the weather is beautiful where you are, wherever you are. Enjoy the fall!
The kids are doing great. Kenzie and Will are really starting to interact with each other. She loves it when he talks to her and plays with her. She giggles and makes all kinds of noises. Today he even started to sing a little song to her that mom and dad sang to him and also sing to her. When he does she is just totally mesmerized and looks at him the entire time without making a noise. I think they will probably play pretty well together.
This past Sunday night we went to McDonalds with a few other young couples from church and Will got to sit at a booth with his buddy Aidan. They sat across from each other and ate their dinner and then they shared an Oreo McFlurry. They had a great time. After we got home Will said he wanted Aidan to come over the next day. He loves his buddies from church.
I also booked our reservation for our anniversary next year. Tammy has never been to Disney, so we will be spending a week there next September. We haven't decided if we want to bring the kids yet or not. Kenzie will be about 16 months so she will be plenty big enough to leave with someone. We just have to decide if it will be too much of a hassle to take her and Will, or if they will enjoy it enough to make it worthwhile. I'm sure Will will enjoy it, just not sure about her. Oh well, we have about a year to figure it out. Maybe some friends like Jamison can tell us what their experience was like taking their little ones. I've posted a poll on the right hand side of the blog where you can vote on whether or not we should leave our 4 year old and 16 month old at home or take them with us. By the way, that's the ages they will be when we go, not how hold they are now.
Hope the weather is beautiful where you are, wherever you are. Enjoy the fall!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Another busy week...
We had another busy week in our house. Last Friday night Will and I went to the Ed White HS Football game to help Josh up in the press box. I kept stats for him and helped him see who was doing what on the field so he could call out the names of the players on the field. It was a lot of fun, plus when the monsoon came right before halftime, we were inside the press box and stayed dry.
Saturday was a fun day that included watching Miami beat up on Texas A&M. Sundays are always busy. Not to mention we had 3 members that had surgery last week. It usually works like that. No one will be in the hospital for a while and then all of the sudden several of them are there at once. They all seem to be doing much better though and are all now home.
We are all doing well here. The weather is finally cooling off. One thing I really miss about living a little farther north is the cool fall weather. Tomorrow the high here is only supposed to be around 79. Too bad I'll be inside working all day.
I'm working on getting pictures off my camera, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures on here soon of Will and Kenzie. Here's one of my favorites from her short life here so far...
Saturday was a fun day that included watching Miami beat up on Texas A&M. Sundays are always busy. Not to mention we had 3 members that had surgery last week. It usually works like that. No one will be in the hospital for a while and then all of the sudden several of them are there at once. They all seem to be doing much better though and are all now home.
We are all doing well here. The weather is finally cooling off. One thing I really miss about living a little farther north is the cool fall weather. Tomorrow the high here is only supposed to be around 79. Too bad I'll be inside working all day.
I'm working on getting pictures off my camera, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures on here soon of Will and Kenzie. Here's one of my favorites from her short life here so far...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Bad Blogger
Ok, so this happens to me every once in a while. I just don't blog for a time and then I come back with a vengeance. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to do 100 times better, but at least some better. It just seems that with 2 kids now, it's a lot tougher to find time to get on here and blog.
The family is doing well. Will just celebrated his 3rd birthday and is a big boy! Kenzie is just a sweetie and always gives her daddy a smile when I talk to her. Tammy is just good to put up with me, so she gets a lot of credit. The church work is going well. We have been growing this year. We have had a few families to come from elsewhere and place membership, but also have had some baptisms as well. I really enjoy working there and am surrounded by great leadership and great people at church. I feel very blessed.
I look forward to the fall weather. That's the downfall of living so far south, it stays hotter longer. I love the fall season and of course college football. So, this is a start, I'll try to update more as I go.
The family is doing well. Will just celebrated his 3rd birthday and is a big boy! Kenzie is just a sweetie and always gives her daddy a smile when I talk to her. Tammy is just good to put up with me, so she gets a lot of credit. The church work is going well. We have been growing this year. We have had a few families to come from elsewhere and place membership, but also have had some baptisms as well. I really enjoy working there and am surrounded by great leadership and great people at church. I feel very blessed.
I look forward to the fall weather. That's the downfall of living so far south, it stays hotter longer. I love the fall season and of course college football. So, this is a start, I'll try to update more as I go.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Kenzie's Smile
I know it's been a while, but we have simply had no time to spend on the computer with a newborn and a 2 year old that both need our attention. Well, I shot this video about a week or two ago because Kenzie got to where she would smile when I would start talking to her. It takes a bit, but the smile at about :30 seconds is worth it. Enjoy!
Friday, May 16, 2008
She's Here...
Mackenzie Joyce arrived yesterday morning at 9:44 a.m. Kenzie (as we will call her) weighed 7 lbs and 10 oz (exactly the same as Will) and was 20 in. long. She has lots of hair is is a healthy happy baby. Tammy did great and is doing so well since yesterday morning. Not sure how we got through the day yesterday because neither of us got sleep the night before. I counted before we went to bed last night and we had been up for 40 straight hours. Anyways, I'm in a hurry, I just wanted to post a few pics and then go back up to the hospital. Here they are...
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Almost There...UPDATED (At Bottom)
So the "busy" week is almost over. In fact, technically it is over since Friday and Saturday are my off days. I was able to get everything done, save some work on my Sunday night sermon which I will try and finish up tomorrow. Tomorrow will be just as busy around here, even though I'm off. I look forward to a peaceful and restful Saturday.
Of course, since I'm writing this, the baby has still not come. Part of our day tomorrow includes Tammy's 9:30 am doctors appt. Basically, from what we were told last time, they will be scheduling us tomorrow for a day to induce next week. I will try and post tomorrow an update on what day we will be going in the hospital. I also have to cut grass and finish cleaning house tomorrow. We have had to really keep up with the housework since we don't know when she might come and our families will be staying here when it happens. We also have a party tomorrow night for a girl at church who just graduated from Jacksonville University. Congrats Jayme! I really think of her like a sister because I like picking on her and annoying her so much. That's what I was best at as a brother growing up. Don't believe me? Just ask one of my 2 sisters.
God is good. What else can I say? I am blessed. I'm glad I can write for the few and far between that stumble their way on here from time to time. I enjoy reading everyone's blog, even if I don't always comment. It's a great way to keep up with old friends that we don't get to see much anymore.
I'm excited about preaching this Sunday. Of course it's Mother's Day, so I'm preaching my Mother's Day sermon. The title is, "Don't You Talk About My Momma!" If nothing else, it's peaked everyone's interest. I'll post a summary about it on Monday.
One more thing. The funeral that I mentioned this past Monday. Well, funerals are actually a good thing to attend. Solomon said in Ecc. 7:2, "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart." In other words, we can learn from a funeral because we tend to reflect on our lives and it makes us really think about things and put them in perspective. Well, this gentleman had been married to his wife, who passed, for 64 years. 64 YEARS! That's a long time to be with someone. I watched him during the funeral and he was either in a daze (I don't blame him) or he was fixed on her in the casket. He and the family were the last ones out (I was still in there at this point) and I watched as he got up, went to the casket, and leaned over and kissed her one last time. That broke my heart. I teared up big time when I saw that. There is nothing more wonderful than to spend your life with someone you love. I'm very lucky to have a wonderful wife that loves me and I love her so that as Prov. 31:11 says, "The heart of her husband safely trusts her". I hope that I can one day say that I was with my wife for that many years! (Of course, I would be 92 years old)
**UPDATE**
So we went to the doctor this morning and we saw a different one today who seemed a lot more "with it" than the one last week. Neither last weeks or this weeks doc was her regular doctor. Anyways, she said she is really not much closer and that they don't really schedule to induce until she is at least a week late. Therefore, we wait another week and go back to the doctor next Friday and do this all over again. Oh well, at least that means I can get in a round of golf this week!
Of course, since I'm writing this, the baby has still not come. Part of our day tomorrow includes Tammy's 9:30 am doctors appt. Basically, from what we were told last time, they will be scheduling us tomorrow for a day to induce next week. I will try and post tomorrow an update on what day we will be going in the hospital. I also have to cut grass and finish cleaning house tomorrow. We have had to really keep up with the housework since we don't know when she might come and our families will be staying here when it happens. We also have a party tomorrow night for a girl at church who just graduated from Jacksonville University. Congrats Jayme! I really think of her like a sister because I like picking on her and annoying her so much. That's what I was best at as a brother growing up. Don't believe me? Just ask one of my 2 sisters.
God is good. What else can I say? I am blessed. I'm glad I can write for the few and far between that stumble their way on here from time to time. I enjoy reading everyone's blog, even if I don't always comment. It's a great way to keep up with old friends that we don't get to see much anymore.
I'm excited about preaching this Sunday. Of course it's Mother's Day, so I'm preaching my Mother's Day sermon. The title is, "Don't You Talk About My Momma!" If nothing else, it's peaked everyone's interest. I'll post a summary about it on Monday.
One more thing. The funeral that I mentioned this past Monday. Well, funerals are actually a good thing to attend. Solomon said in Ecc. 7:2, "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart." In other words, we can learn from a funeral because we tend to reflect on our lives and it makes us really think about things and put them in perspective. Well, this gentleman had been married to his wife, who passed, for 64 years. 64 YEARS! That's a long time to be with someone. I watched him during the funeral and he was either in a daze (I don't blame him) or he was fixed on her in the casket. He and the family were the last ones out (I was still in there at this point) and I watched as he got up, went to the casket, and leaned over and kissed her one last time. That broke my heart. I teared up big time when I saw that. There is nothing more wonderful than to spend your life with someone you love. I'm very lucky to have a wonderful wife that loves me and I love her so that as Prov. 31:11 says, "The heart of her husband safely trusts her". I hope that I can one day say that I was with my wife for that many years! (Of course, I would be 92 years old)
**UPDATE**
So we went to the doctor this morning and we saw a different one today who seemed a lot more "with it" than the one last week. Neither last weeks or this weeks doc was her regular doctor. Anyways, she said she is really not much closer and that they don't really schedule to induce until she is at least a week late. Therefore, we wait another week and go back to the doctor next Friday and do this all over again. Oh well, at least that means I can get in a round of golf this week!
Monday, May 05, 2008
What A Week!!
Well, as I'm sure all of you know, my wife is now 39 weeks along. Basically that means that she could go at any time. However, I have already told her that if she can wait until next week (I know it's not up to her) that would be great! This is just one of those weeks where it seems like I have so much to do. It started today with a funeral being held at our church. The family received friends at 10 am at the building, and then the funeral was at 11 am. Thankfully, I only played a small part in it, since the lady was older. Our associate minister (who is also one of our elders) has been there for many years and knew the lady much better than I did, so he did it. After the burial and feeding the family my day was just about over.
Tomorrow I will be at the hospital all day. One of our members is having neck surgery, so I will be there with the family. On Wednesday, our associate minister teaches the Ladies Bible Class at 10 am. However, he is going out of town tomorrow, so I will teach that class for him, along with my normal class on Wednesday night. Throw in Sunday morning Bible class and 2 sermons, and I am not sure I'm going to make it to Sunday. If Kenzie decides she wants to come this week, I may be preaching someone else's sermon on Sunday (which I don't like doing). I'd rather them be my own, although I do like to get ideas and snippets from other sermons.
Of course, the way things are going, I'm not going to be surprised if Tammy is late and we end up inducing next week sometime. I can handle that. I'm the kind of guy that would rather be in control and schedule this thing so I can have everything in order.
Also, I thought I might start posting a summary of my lessons each Monday after I've preached them on Sunday. I'd rather do this after the fact than before, so my members won't know my sermon before I preach it. I read many blogs of fellow preachers and it seems like most of them only post about religious things. I certainly don't mind doing that, although I like posting things about my family and life in general. The only downside is that those preachers open themselves up to the negative comments of people constantly looking to find fault in others. I get very annoyed with the whole bickering thing, although I will never fail to stand for the truth.
Anyways, to quickly sum up my 2 sermons, my A.M. sermon was on our theme for this year, A.W.A.R.E. (Always Watching for Anyone who Requires Edification) In other words, being aware of the needs of others. I preached on the aspect of being aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Although we should love everyone (Matt. 22:39), the Bible does place emphasis on how we treat the brethren (Gal. 6:10). There are times when our brothers and sisters need our help, they need encouragement, a kind word, a willing listener. My text came from I John 3:16-18 and my points from the 3 verses in succession were:
1. Willingness - We must be willing to help others, otherwise we will never see their needs. Verse 16 speaks of sacrifice. Are we willing to sacrifice for our brothers and sisters? The first century church was (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-37).
2. Awareness - We need to train our senses (Heb. 5:14) to be aware of the needs of others. Verse 17 speaks of seeing (being aware) a brother in need.
3. Business - This is the action part. Verse 18 says that we shouldn't love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth. Anyone can say "I Love You", but not everyone backs it up with action. Jesus talked about fulfilling the needs of others in Matt. 25 and said that even when we do it to the very least, we do it to Him.
Sunday night I preached on sin making us lose our senses. In the story of the Prodigal Son, we see that in Luke 15:17 the Bible says that he came to his senses. In other words, sin had desensitized him. He was able to get his senses back when he ran out of money and couldn't support his sin anymore. He found himself separated from that sin and then he came to himself. Also, David became desensitized in II Sam. 11 & 12 in his sin with Bathsheba. He knew it was wrong, but lost his senses. He had Nathan who basically called him out and made him come back to his senses and realize that he was in sin. II Tim. 2:25-26 also speaks of coming to our senses. It's downright scary when we see what Satan can do to even the most godly men through sin.
Tomorrow I will be at the hospital all day. One of our members is having neck surgery, so I will be there with the family. On Wednesday, our associate minister teaches the Ladies Bible Class at 10 am. However, he is going out of town tomorrow, so I will teach that class for him, along with my normal class on Wednesday night. Throw in Sunday morning Bible class and 2 sermons, and I am not sure I'm going to make it to Sunday. If Kenzie decides she wants to come this week, I may be preaching someone else's sermon on Sunday (which I don't like doing). I'd rather them be my own, although I do like to get ideas and snippets from other sermons.
Of course, the way things are going, I'm not going to be surprised if Tammy is late and we end up inducing next week sometime. I can handle that. I'm the kind of guy that would rather be in control and schedule this thing so I can have everything in order.
Also, I thought I might start posting a summary of my lessons each Monday after I've preached them on Sunday. I'd rather do this after the fact than before, so my members won't know my sermon before I preach it. I read many blogs of fellow preachers and it seems like most of them only post about religious things. I certainly don't mind doing that, although I like posting things about my family and life in general. The only downside is that those preachers open themselves up to the negative comments of people constantly looking to find fault in others. I get very annoyed with the whole bickering thing, although I will never fail to stand for the truth.
Anyways, to quickly sum up my 2 sermons, my A.M. sermon was on our theme for this year, A.W.A.R.E. (Always Watching for Anyone who Requires Edification) In other words, being aware of the needs of others. I preached on the aspect of being aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Although we should love everyone (Matt. 22:39), the Bible does place emphasis on how we treat the brethren (Gal. 6:10). There are times when our brothers and sisters need our help, they need encouragement, a kind word, a willing listener. My text came from I John 3:16-18 and my points from the 3 verses in succession were:
1. Willingness - We must be willing to help others, otherwise we will never see their needs. Verse 16 speaks of sacrifice. Are we willing to sacrifice for our brothers and sisters? The first century church was (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-37).
2. Awareness - We need to train our senses (Heb. 5:14) to be aware of the needs of others. Verse 17 speaks of seeing (being aware) a brother in need.
3. Business - This is the action part. Verse 18 says that we shouldn't love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth. Anyone can say "I Love You", but not everyone backs it up with action. Jesus talked about fulfilling the needs of others in Matt. 25 and said that even when we do it to the very least, we do it to Him.
Sunday night I preached on sin making us lose our senses. In the story of the Prodigal Son, we see that in Luke 15:17 the Bible says that he came to his senses. In other words, sin had desensitized him. He was able to get his senses back when he ran out of money and couldn't support his sin anymore. He found himself separated from that sin and then he came to himself. Also, David became desensitized in II Sam. 11 & 12 in his sin with Bathsheba. He knew it was wrong, but lost his senses. He had Nathan who basically called him out and made him come back to his senses and realize that he was in sin. II Tim. 2:25-26 also speaks of coming to our senses. It's downright scary when we see what Satan can do to even the most godly men through sin.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Look Out Tiger, Here Comes Will!
My son is a sports fanatic at a young age. He loves any and every sport you can think of. He loves to play it, but surprisingly he will watch most sports as well. He's even gotten to where he will watch golf on tv. What's really funny is that he picks up on everything. After watching some basketball games with me, I found him one night watching a basketball game and I heard him saying, "Come on ref!" I about lost it when I heard that. Funny kid.
Anyways, he has a basketball goal in his room he shoots on, a baseball tee, ball and bat, footballs galore, a soccer goal (as you can see in the video below), and a golf club set. Lately, he has been taking his golf club and plastic balls outside to hit some balls around the yard. THE KID IS GOOD! Now, keep in mind he is only 2. So he doesn't make contact everytime. But, when he does, look out. Here are some picture with a video at the end. Notice for a 2 year old he has pretty good form. Much better than dad (that's not saying much).
I know, our yard needs a little work. We just moved in to this house, so we are working on it. Now, the video. Sorry for the tree limb that appears a little more than halfway through. I am a self proclaimed amatuer.
Anyways, he has a basketball goal in his room he shoots on, a baseball tee, ball and bat, footballs galore, a soccer goal (as you can see in the video below), and a golf club set. Lately, he has been taking his golf club and plastic balls outside to hit some balls around the yard. THE KID IS GOOD! Now, keep in mind he is only 2. So he doesn't make contact everytime. But, when he does, look out. Here are some picture with a video at the end. Notice for a 2 year old he has pretty good form. Much better than dad (that's not saying much).
I know, our yard needs a little work. We just moved in to this house, so we are working on it. Now, the video. Sorry for the tree limb that appears a little more than halfway through. I am a self proclaimed amatuer.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Goal!
This is Will's video soccer debut. You thought it was big news when Beckham came to the USA to play? Not even close to when William Garrett made his debut in Jacksonville Florida on his new ESPN soccer goal. We kept saying "Score!", but the guy is actually saying, "Goal!" It's sometimes hard to understand the ESPN Deportes announcers.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Old But New
I have a couple of videos that I just put up on youtube the other day. We have had so much going on that I finally found the time to sit down and convert them and upload them to the internet. One is from right before Christmas, and the other is from the week of Thanksgiving.
The first video below is from the week of Thanksgiving. One of the ladies at church had asked if I would come to her school and read to some elementary classes. I was supposed to wear my pajamas as part of it because it was "Pajama Day" at school. I decided to dress the part and to bring Will along with me. This is a clip of early that morning, so that is why I sound funny.
This next video is of Will the night we got our first real live Christmas Tree. He was so excited about it because we had been talking it up. Enjoy!
The first video below is from the week of Thanksgiving. One of the ladies at church had asked if I would come to her school and read to some elementary classes. I was supposed to wear my pajamas as part of it because it was "Pajama Day" at school. I decided to dress the part and to bring Will along with me. This is a clip of early that morning, so that is why I sound funny.
This next video is of Will the night we got our first real live Christmas Tree. He was so excited about it because we had been talking it up. Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Starting Him Early
This past weekend was the Lads to Leaders Convention. Thousands of kids, K-College, gathered to lead a song, read scripture, say a speech, perform a puppet show, compete in Bible Bowl, and many other things. Will is only 2, so he is not eligible, but that doesn't mean he isn't starting early. This is him leading Jesus Loves Me in front of his podium at home, and then saying a prayer.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Finally...
We move! So the closing is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 am. We have been busy all day packing boxes and doing some shopping. We are so excited to finally be moving out of the apartment and into our new home. I will try and post some pictures next week of the new house with some furnishings.
Let me just say also how good God is. He has taught us some patience in all of this, and also that he will answer our prayers, just not necessarily on our time. We were thrown a huge curve a few weeks ago when we found out that closing cost were going to be about $4000 more than what we had expected. This was very tough for us because it took the money we were going to use to fix up the house. We decided to just deal with it because what else could we do? Well, today, when I called to find out the exact amount I needed to bring to closing, it was $3,000 less than what she had told us when she told us of the $4000 increase. Needless to say we were elated, and now we can loosen our belts and breathe a little easier knowing that we are now $3000 richer.
Please continue to pray for us as Tammy is now 30 weeks along and has to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy. She is doing good with it though and I love her muchly!
Let me just say also how good God is. He has taught us some patience in all of this, and also that he will answer our prayers, just not necessarily on our time. We were thrown a huge curve a few weeks ago when we found out that closing cost were going to be about $4000 more than what we had expected. This was very tough for us because it took the money we were going to use to fix up the house. We decided to just deal with it because what else could we do? Well, today, when I called to find out the exact amount I needed to bring to closing, it was $3,000 less than what she had told us when she told us of the $4000 increase. Needless to say we were elated, and now we can loosen our belts and breathe a little easier knowing that we are now $3000 richer.
Please continue to pray for us as Tammy is now 30 weeks along and has to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy. She is doing good with it though and I love her muchly!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Funniest Commercial Ever
I ran across this commercial again. I remember seeing it when it first came out and I laughed hysterically! It's still funny to me years later. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
