My dad left for the Amazon today. He was invited by a friend to go to the Amazon to fish for peacock bass. I guess they are really special fish. My dad is soooo not an outdoorsy person. He likes sports and being outside but he's not into "roughing it". They are staying at a lodge but it's still the amazon. It will take them like a day and a half just to get where they are going. At first he tried to decline stating that he was not really a fisherman and had only been flyfishing once in his life. His friend assured him that it didn't matter and that he needed to go because it would be such an amazing experience where he would see all kinds of things he could never see anywhere else. So he cautiously agreed. Soon after, he got the paperwork (ie. release of liability forms) and he started having second thoughts.
The first thing that raised his eyebrows was the statement, "The client understands that fishing is a dangerous sport." Fishing a dangerous sport? Bungy jumping, dangerous, skydiving, dangerous...but fishing? The second thing was the statement, "The client understands that his/her stay at the Royal Amazon Lodge could result in serious injury or death." His STAY at the lodge could cause serious injury or death? I mean, I realize there are all kinds of dangerous animals and such out there in the Amazon but his actual stay at the lodge is dangerous? What could this possibly mean? Finally the real kicker, "The client must always be mindful that everything in the amazon is either eating or being eaten." WHAT!!!???!!! I'm saying a little prayer that my dad will stay on the eating side of the equation rather than being eaten.
Finally, I can say with great relief that he will decline the nighttime crocodile lassoing where a guy recently lost one of his arms. I'm totally serious.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Moment of Truth - Part 2
I've been thinking some more about lying. I remember years ago getting into a discussion with some coworkers about how many lies would make a person a liar? Was it 10? 100? Or was it maybe just 1? I later asked my dad what he thought the answer was. He quickly said, "None." Huh? I was confused. If you never told a lie, how could you be a liar? He explained...we are liars in our hearts. We lie to ourselves every day. Again, he hit home the point that sin is a heart issue. Jeremiah 17:9 says The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? In Philippians 3 Paul claims that with regard to legalistic righteousness, he was flawless. Outwardly, he appeared to be living right but he knew it was what was in his heart that matters. What are the lies you tell yourself? May I make some suggestions from my own heart?
I'm fine.
I would never do THAT.
I deserve more.
I know it's wrong but it's not that big a deal, everybody's doing it.
It's not my fault.
I can't help it.
I'll start exercising tomorrow. :)
Can you identify? Honestly? When looking at our own depravity we need to acknowledge the truth. Only then can we really understand grace. My dad always says, "Cheer up, it's worse than you think." On the flip side, God's grace is even greater than we know. He is the God of truth. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth..." at least 78 times in the gospels. Ephesians 6 reminds us to put on the belt of truth every day. So what is the truth?
I'm a mess.
I would do THAT.
I deserve hell.
It's wrong, it's a big deal, and not everybody is doing it.
I knew exactly what I was doing and I did it anyway.
If I exercise tomorrow, it will be a miracle.
And the greatest truth for those whose only hope is in Christ? John 19:30 It is finished.
I'm fine.
I would never do THAT.
I deserve more.
I know it's wrong but it's not that big a deal, everybody's doing it.
It's not my fault.
I can't help it.
I'll start exercising tomorrow. :)
Can you identify? Honestly? When looking at our own depravity we need to acknowledge the truth. Only then can we really understand grace. My dad always says, "Cheer up, it's worse than you think." On the flip side, God's grace is even greater than we know. He is the God of truth. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth..." at least 78 times in the gospels. Ephesians 6 reminds us to put on the belt of truth every day. So what is the truth?
I'm a mess.
I would do THAT.
I deserve hell.
It's wrong, it's a big deal, and not everybody is doing it.
I knew exactly what I was doing and I did it anyway.
If I exercise tomorrow, it will be a miracle.
And the greatest truth for those whose only hope is in Christ? John 19:30 It is finished.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Moment of Truth
I had never seen it before. It just looks...hard to watch. I can't fathom why someone would go on that show and answer the most personal, embarrasing questions for money. My dad was telling me about a particular episode so I had to go to http://www.fox.com/ and see it for myself. You know it's not going to be good when the host is shown alone in the studio making a disclaimer at the beginning. He said that if it had been up to him, he would not have aired the show and that it was the most uncomfortable he's ever been on television. He warned the viewers that it was "difficult to watch". So of course, anyone who heard that...watched.
You may have seen the preview. It made the claim that a woman would put her marriage on the line and the questions seemed very personal. Apparantly, the game keeps going as long as you agree to hear the next question. Once you agree, you have to answer and if you lie, you lose ALL the money. It's not like Millionaire where you go back to $25,000 or whatever. You can say, "no more questions" and take the money you have, or you can accept the question and you have to answer it.
So, here's the rundown. I can only guess that this woman was planning to leave her husband and figured she could make some money in the process. She answered the following questions:
Question: Do you believe you may have been in love with an exboyfriend on your wedding day?
Answer: Yes - true
Question: (Asked by exboyfriend) Do you think you should be married to me?
Answer: Yes - true
Question: Have you had sexual relations with someone other than your husband since you have been married?
Answer: Yes - true
Each time was really drawn out and it was obviously very uncomfortable for her husband and family. Her parents and a sister were there too. The husband gets angrier and the answers really seem to take him by suprise. The more it goes on, the more clear it becomes that her marriage is over. The host encourages her time and again to stop and take the $100,000 she already has. He keeps asking if it's really worth it. At one point the husband ends up telling her that she might as well go for it because he doesn't think it can get much worse. The host assures him that it will. Each time she says she wants to go on. Anyway, here's the fascinating part. The next question.
Question: Do you think you are a good person?
Interesting isn't it? I mean, we've got questions of infidelity, exboyfriends, etc. and then for the big money they ask, "Do you think you are a good person?" All she has to do is tell the truth and her money amount jumps way up. What happens next is unbelievable.
Answer: Honestly, yes, I think I am a good person.
And what do the lie detectors say? FALSE She's shocked. The host says something like, "What this shows is that somewhere deep down you don't think you're a good person at all." Isn't that sort of profound?
A machine was able to pick up on what we all know deep down...we deserve hell. We may not be cheating or dreaming of an ex. We may not steal or kill. But we may have suppressed the truth of our own hearts. If we really look, if we really understand how HOLY God's holiness is and how SINFUL our sinfulness is, we always answer that question with a no. Paul says in Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. And in 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? What do we do? The good news is found in v. 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! It just makes it all the more amazing that we have such an awesome God that he would condescend to save a bunch of liars like us. And that's the truth.
You may have seen the preview. It made the claim that a woman would put her marriage on the line and the questions seemed very personal. Apparantly, the game keeps going as long as you agree to hear the next question. Once you agree, you have to answer and if you lie, you lose ALL the money. It's not like Millionaire where you go back to $25,000 or whatever. You can say, "no more questions" and take the money you have, or you can accept the question and you have to answer it.
So, here's the rundown. I can only guess that this woman was planning to leave her husband and figured she could make some money in the process. She answered the following questions:
Question: Do you believe you may have been in love with an exboyfriend on your wedding day?
Answer: Yes - true
Question: (Asked by exboyfriend) Do you think you should be married to me?
Answer: Yes - true
Question: Have you had sexual relations with someone other than your husband since you have been married?
Answer: Yes - true
Each time was really drawn out and it was obviously very uncomfortable for her husband and family. Her parents and a sister were there too. The husband gets angrier and the answers really seem to take him by suprise. The more it goes on, the more clear it becomes that her marriage is over. The host encourages her time and again to stop and take the $100,000 she already has. He keeps asking if it's really worth it. At one point the husband ends up telling her that she might as well go for it because he doesn't think it can get much worse. The host assures him that it will. Each time she says she wants to go on. Anyway, here's the fascinating part. The next question.
Question: Do you think you are a good person?
Interesting isn't it? I mean, we've got questions of infidelity, exboyfriends, etc. and then for the big money they ask, "Do you think you are a good person?" All she has to do is tell the truth and her money amount jumps way up. What happens next is unbelievable.
Answer: Honestly, yes, I think I am a good person.
And what do the lie detectors say? FALSE She's shocked. The host says something like, "What this shows is that somewhere deep down you don't think you're a good person at all." Isn't that sort of profound?
A machine was able to pick up on what we all know deep down...we deserve hell. We may not be cheating or dreaming of an ex. We may not steal or kill. But we may have suppressed the truth of our own hearts. If we really look, if we really understand how HOLY God's holiness is and how SINFUL our sinfulness is, we always answer that question with a no. Paul says in Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. And in 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? What do we do? The good news is found in v. 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! It just makes it all the more amazing that we have such an awesome God that he would condescend to save a bunch of liars like us. And that's the truth.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Ultimate Accountability
A while back, maybe a year or so ago I saw an episode of PRIMETIME on ABC. They were doing some experiments regarding something called "game theory". I don't really understand game theory but what they did was fascinating. First they dropped off several pairs of strangers all over New York City. They gave them only one instruction. Find another pair. Sounds crazy right? None of the people knew each other, none of them knew their partners but they had the challenge of finding another pair somewhere in the city. Guess how many of the pairs found another pair...are you ready for this?...ALL OF THEM. Can you believe that? They all found other pairs. Basically, they all had similar strategies:
What is a major meeting place in NYC ?(1/2 picked the Empire State Building, 1/2 picked Times Square)
What is a good meeting time? (several decided on noon)
How do we stand out and help someone find us? (Many went and bought supplies and made signs)
Anyway, I thought this was crazy. They all ended up going to either the Empire State Building or Times Square with signs and whistles and things and waited for another pair to show. By noon, all pairs had completed the task and they had started from all over the place. The whole thing was done so that people could study game theory and strategies by observing what the participants did. What does this have to do with accountability?
The second part of the show was about weight loss. They took about 20 people who wanted to lose at least 25 pounds. They took pictures of them (blurred of course) in spandex. They gave them no diet or exercise plan. They simply told them, lose 25 pounds in 60 days or we will show your spandex photo on national television. These people knew what they were getting into and they all signed up. Guess how many lost the weight? ALL BUT ONE! Crazy! The one who didn't had gotten really sick at some point. But really, this is the most effective diet plan ever. It had a 96% success rate. Do you know any other diet plan with that kind of success rate? The idea with game theory here was that people will react to a "credible threat". The key to success is that they have to believe that the consequences WILL happen. We see this with our children. We will get obedience if our threats are credible. If my child believes that I will really take away her favorite toy if she throws it again, she will stop. Of course, children always test your credibility from time to time. Once they find out the threat is credible, it becomes effective. Consequently reward works almost the same way. Boy, could I go down a rabbit trail about discipline here but anyway...back to weight loss.
Last year I thought about this alot and asked Jeff, "How can we create a credible threat so that I will actually exercise and lose weight?" He came up with an idea. If I didn't lose 15 pounds (because I wanted to ladies, not at his request) by spring break, he would tell all my friends that I...ha, ha, like I'm going to tell you, just imagine something really stupid I did. It was something he thought was funny and I thought was embarrasing and I knew he would follow through. So we agreed. I weighed and the challenge of avoiding embarrassment began. I DID IT. I lost the weight! Next on the agenda was keeping it off. We renegotiated. Okay, I had to keep it off until our trip to Destin in June or same thing, he would tell my friends that I...still not going to tell you. I DID IT AGAIN. I kept the weight off! But...
...then summer went on, we were out of town a lot and the threat was gone. We took several vacations and all involved great dining. There's a joke in our family that if someone is eating a lot you ask, "What, are you on vacation?" Needless to say, the weight (+5) is all back. (See post on Gluttony) What to do?
I'm thinking of photographing myself in spandex (I'm trying not to gag) and entrusting it to a friend who will post it if I don't take it off and keep it off. It was the ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY before. It worked. What do you think? Anyone want to trade spandex shots?
What is a major meeting place in NYC ?(1/2 picked the Empire State Building, 1/2 picked Times Square)
What is a good meeting time? (several decided on noon)
How do we stand out and help someone find us? (Many went and bought supplies and made signs)
Anyway, I thought this was crazy. They all ended up going to either the Empire State Building or Times Square with signs and whistles and things and waited for another pair to show. By noon, all pairs had completed the task and they had started from all over the place. The whole thing was done so that people could study game theory and strategies by observing what the participants did. What does this have to do with accountability?
The second part of the show was about weight loss. They took about 20 people who wanted to lose at least 25 pounds. They took pictures of them (blurred of course) in spandex. They gave them no diet or exercise plan. They simply told them, lose 25 pounds in 60 days or we will show your spandex photo on national television. These people knew what they were getting into and they all signed up. Guess how many lost the weight? ALL BUT ONE! Crazy! The one who didn't had gotten really sick at some point. But really, this is the most effective diet plan ever. It had a 96% success rate. Do you know any other diet plan with that kind of success rate? The idea with game theory here was that people will react to a "credible threat". The key to success is that they have to believe that the consequences WILL happen. We see this with our children. We will get obedience if our threats are credible. If my child believes that I will really take away her favorite toy if she throws it again, she will stop. Of course, children always test your credibility from time to time. Once they find out the threat is credible, it becomes effective. Consequently reward works almost the same way. Boy, could I go down a rabbit trail about discipline here but anyway...back to weight loss.
Last year I thought about this alot and asked Jeff, "How can we create a credible threat so that I will actually exercise and lose weight?" He came up with an idea. If I didn't lose 15 pounds (because I wanted to ladies, not at his request) by spring break, he would tell all my friends that I...ha, ha, like I'm going to tell you, just imagine something really stupid I did. It was something he thought was funny and I thought was embarrasing and I knew he would follow through. So we agreed. I weighed and the challenge of avoiding embarrassment began. I DID IT. I lost the weight! Next on the agenda was keeping it off. We renegotiated. Okay, I had to keep it off until our trip to Destin in June or same thing, he would tell my friends that I...still not going to tell you. I DID IT AGAIN. I kept the weight off! But...
...then summer went on, we were out of town a lot and the threat was gone. We took several vacations and all involved great dining. There's a joke in our family that if someone is eating a lot you ask, "What, are you on vacation?" Needless to say, the weight (+5) is all back. (See post on Gluttony) What to do?
I'm thinking of photographing myself in spandex (I'm trying not to gag) and entrusting it to a friend who will post it if I don't take it off and keep it off. It was the ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY before. It worked. What do you think? Anyone want to trade spandex shots?
Coke Zero
Okay, I totally didn't get the commercials when they first came out. They are the ones where they meet with a lawyer about suing themselves because Coke Zero tastes just like Coca Cola Classic. Now I get it. Have you tried it? Am I just the last one to know? I figured it was just another marketing thing like Diet Coke with Splenda. Another diet coke that just tasted the same. But NOOOOOO friends. This is different. If you love regular coke but only drink diet because of the calories, this is the soft drink for you. I swear, I feel guilty every time I drink one. It's that good. No, I am not being paid to say this. I just want to share the love. From now on, it's Coke Zero for me. Now if only the restaurants would get on board. So far the only place I've seen it is Chuck-E-Cheese and...well...need I say more?
P.S. To all you addiction-free-superhealthy-water-only drinkers...I love you and I'm sorry.
P.S. To all you addiction-free-superhealthy-water-only drinkers...I love you and I'm sorry.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Don't Forget the Lyrics
Okay, this is dumb but I just find it so funny. Yesterday, Annie wanted to drink some juice out of a "big girl" cup. No top, no straw, just wide open, ready to spill at any second kind of cup. So she's giving me all kinds of instructions about it and she decides she wants ice too. She says, "I want two icebergs...no more, no mess." I couldn't help but laugh. Icebergs? How does she know the word icebergs? Where did she hear "no more, no less?" It's not hard to figure out how she turned "no less" into "no mess" since I was so concerned about spillage. Anyway, it got me thinking about all those times I was sure I was singing (loudly) the right lyrics to a song only to find out years later, much to my humiliation, that I was completely wrong. I would be horrible at that TV show Don't Forget the Lyrics. I'd think I remembered them and still sing the wrong words. Loudly.
Roam - B52's
Actual: Roam if you want to, roam around the world.
Me: Roll misty waters, all around the world.
I know, I know. My sister had an even better one.
George Michael - Faith
Actual: Well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body.
Holly: Well I wish I had a knife, so I could cut your body.
She really wasn't that weird, I swear. So, share your funny mixed up lyrics. Don't forget to include the actual words because chances are, I don't know them.
P.S. There's probably some spiritual application here but I haven't had enough coffee.
Roam - B52's
Actual: Roam if you want to, roam around the world.
Me: Roll misty waters, all around the world.
I know, I know. My sister had an even better one.
George Michael - Faith
Actual: Well I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body.
Holly: Well I wish I had a knife, so I could cut your body.
She really wasn't that weird, I swear. So, share your funny mixed up lyrics. Don't forget to include the actual words because chances are, I don't know them.
P.S. There's probably some spiritual application here but I haven't had enough coffee.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Being Mary in a Martha World
I was recently listening to one of my dad's sermons on my iPod. I wish it were still online and I would link you to it but it was on Luke 10:38-42.
So who can relate to Martha? We understand her irritation. Let's face it. We live in a Martha world. Whoever is the busiest is the best. What do you think of when you think of the SUPERMOM? Honestly. I'll tell you what I think of. She has a spotless house, always serves home cooked meals, all the clothes are washed and ironed, lunches are prepared the night before, she exercises every day, pays the bills the instant they arrive, changes the oil after every 3000 miles, volunteers at church, school, and at least one charity, and all with a smile on her face.
She makes me tired.
She makes me feel inadequate.
But is this who my role model should be?
Martha was busy making preparations and fussed to Jesus that Mary wasn't helping her. Ever done that? Ever fussed to Jesus that you couldn't get any help? :) And how does Jesus reply? "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things..." She's not just working hard, she's "worried and upset about many things". Interesting. Is SUPERMOM worried and upset and I just didn't know it? She makes it look easy after all.
But here's the real point. It's not that Martha did all the work and Mary did none. It's that Mary knew when to stop and sit at the feet of the Savior. The truth is, preparations had probably been going on all day. Mary had been working hard as well, but when Jesus showed up, she stopped, she sat at his feet, she listened to his teaching. Read verses 41 and 42 again.
*The character SUPERMOM in this blog is fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. :)
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a
woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by
all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord,
don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to
help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and
upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
So who can relate to Martha? We understand her irritation. Let's face it. We live in a Martha world. Whoever is the busiest is the best. What do you think of when you think of the SUPERMOM? Honestly. I'll tell you what I think of. She has a spotless house, always serves home cooked meals, all the clothes are washed and ironed, lunches are prepared the night before, she exercises every day, pays the bills the instant they arrive, changes the oil after every 3000 miles, volunteers at church, school, and at least one charity, and all with a smile on her face.
She makes me tired.
She makes me feel inadequate.
But is this who my role model should be?
Martha was busy making preparations and fussed to Jesus that Mary wasn't helping her. Ever done that? Ever fussed to Jesus that you couldn't get any help? :) And how does Jesus reply? "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things..." She's not just working hard, she's "worried and upset about many things". Interesting. Is SUPERMOM worried and upset and I just didn't know it? She makes it look easy after all.
But here's the real point. It's not that Martha did all the work and Mary did none. It's that Mary knew when to stop and sit at the feet of the Savior. The truth is, preparations had probably been going on all day. Mary had been working hard as well, but when Jesus showed up, she stopped, she sat at his feet, she listened to his teaching. Read verses 41 and 42 again.
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about manyWe have a choice. Are you a SUPERMOM? Are you missing the one thing that is needed? There is work to do, there are preparations to be made, yes. But at some point do we choose what is better? Sit now and then dear sister at his feet and listen.
things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it
will not be taken away from her."
*The character SUPERMOM in this blog is fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. :)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
7 Things About Me
Okay, Angela tagged me (at least I think it's me) to tell 7 things about myself so I'm going to try and think of the weirdest, funniest, or most suprising.
1. I love cheesy teenie bopper movies. Yep, High School Musical, A Cinderella Story, Princess Diaries. The latest? Enchanted. It's great!
2. I am a HUGE fan of UFC. Yes, that's Ultimate Fighting...in the Octagon. My favorite fighter is George St. Pierre. I like Matt Hughes too. He is a committed Christian. If I had been a man, this is what I would do. I'm dying to get my first Affliction T-shirt but it's hard to find one without a skull. I'm totally serious. Amy L. can vouch for me.
3. When it comes to my kids I can handle anything. Poop, throwup, whatever, it doesn't bother me. What gives me the heebie jeebies and gets my gag reflex going? Boogers. Even my own make me gag.
4. I LOVE super spicy food. Whenever I get Chinese food I always ask for the spiciest dish and ask for it EXTRA spicy. I love wasabi, jalepenos, all of it!
5. I was almost named Wendy. Can you picture me as Wendy?
6. In sixth grade I had the starring role in our school play...Alice in Wonderland. Yep, a brunette Alice. It was very confusing to the elementary population I think. I had to sing a solo and my voice cracked and everyone laughed. I'm still embarrased to this day.
Okay, that's seven. Amy L. and Leslie, I'm still waiting to read yours!
American Idol
Okay, I told you all in my first post I'm a TV fanatic. I love American Idol. Even though I can't sing like that, I can hear. And I, like everyone else who watches, have my opinions. I thought the guys as a group were a lot better than the girls. I think I could pick the top 6 right now. In the interest of time, I'll keep it to the top 4.
David Archuleta
Michael Johns
-This guy looks like he could front a band tomorrow. His "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Hollywood week was my favorite performance. Again, confident without seeming cocky.
Jason Castro
Garrett Haley
Amanda Overmyer
Syesha Mercado
Alexandrea Lushington
Amy Davis
David Archuleta-I LOVE this kid! He is so humble and goofy and sweet and sincere. And he sings like an angel. He is confident without being cocky and seems to be having a great time. He is a favorite for sure.
Michael Johns-This guy looks like he could front a band tomorrow. His "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Hollywood week was my favorite performance. Again, confident without seeming cocky.
Jason Castro-A true original. He was the only one who played an instrument. We didn't see him at all during Hollywood week but he definitely won't be forgotten now. He's a little...weird maybe? But there's something about him.
There are others of course but I thought these were the top 3. Who should go home tonight? They pick two but I'll name just one.
Garrett Haley-Not good. He was on vacation in San Diego when they had tryouts and decided to go for fun. I don't know how he made it and Josiah didn't. Random.
As for the ladies, I didn't always agree with the judges and I was a little disappointed overall but here's my top 3.
Amanda Overmyer-There's no other girl like her in the competition. I think she's the first real "rocker" girl AI has ever had. She's so calm, cool, and collected. I can't wait to see what she does with the different themes.
Syesha Mercado-Powerful voice. Great performer. I think she's the most beautiful girl in the bunch. She's super talented but there's something about her personality that seems a little...fake. I loved "Tobacco Road".
Alexandrea Lushington-I didn't agree with Simon on her. I usually agree with Simon (although I think he's too mean about it). But I loved her. I thought she was one of the best for sure. She's original and confident and when she sings it seems effortless. She makes it look so easy. I like her.
There were a lot of girls who fell in the middle for me. I wonder if I'll ever keep all the blondes straight. There was one who I thought fell at the bottom of the bunch.
Amy Davis-Who? Unfortunately for her, we didn't see her during Hollywood week and no one will remember her after last night either. I thought she sounded off quite a bit and her performance was boring.
Feel free to agree or disagree, these are just my opinions. I have been known to change my mind. We'll see.
Weight Loss
Today I happened to catch something on Martha Stewart I thought might be worth sharing. It was a weight loss chart and instructions. The chart figures out how many calories you must consume each day to stay at your current weight and then how many calories per day to maintain your goal weight. Here's the thing, it's not that big a difference! Now, if you want to lose weight, you consume less calories per day than the amount needed to maintain your current weight. This is the hard part...getting to the goal weight in the first place. The only way I have ever effectively lost weight is by counting calories with exercise. Weight loss is all about math after all. 3500 calories is equal to one pound. When you've eliminated this many calories over the course of time, you eliminate a pound. Consequently, if you eat more than the amount needed to maintain your current weight, you will gain a pound with each 3500 extra calories. If you're not following me, here's an example:
Let's say you weigh 150 lbs. It takes about 1650 calories per day to maintain that weight. If you eat 350 more calories than that per day (2000 calories) and don't exercise, in 10 days you will gain another pound (10 x 350 =3500= 1 pound) If you cut 350 calories a day and only consume 1300 calories, in 10 days you will lose one pound. Get it? Exercise and burn calories and you can cut 3500 calories even faster. Want to know how many calories you're burning for different kinds of exercise? Click here. If the 150 lb. person runs at a pace of 12 minute miles for 30 minutes, they will burn 273 calories. Add this to the calories you cut from your food and you will get to 3500 you need to cut a pound in about 5 or 6 days.
I hope this isn't too confusing. If you want more info, let me know and I will try to clarify.
Let's say you weigh 150 lbs. It takes about 1650 calories per day to maintain that weight. If you eat 350 more calories than that per day (2000 calories) and don't exercise, in 10 days you will gain another pound (10 x 350 =3500= 1 pound) If you cut 350 calories a day and only consume 1300 calories, in 10 days you will lose one pound. Get it? Exercise and burn calories and you can cut 3500 calories even faster. Want to know how many calories you're burning for different kinds of exercise? Click here. If the 150 lb. person runs at a pace of 12 minute miles for 30 minutes, they will burn 273 calories. Add this to the calories you cut from your food and you will get to 3500 you need to cut a pound in about 5 or 6 days.
I hope this isn't too confusing. If you want more info, let me know and I will try to clarify.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Gluttony
Well, since there are now officially only two pairs of pants in my closet that fit, I'm forced to face the sin I (and much of America) so often ignore. GLUTTONY Eewww. Don't even want to go there but instead of just disgusted right now I'm...convicted. It's always bothered me that the church seems to ignore this sin but I guess it didn't bother me so much that I did.
But I had great justification for my gluttony. I can think of two huge excuses.
1. I don't want to be wasteful. I should eat all the leftovers before they go bad and I have to throw them out, right? If Annie only eats three bites of her cheeseburger from her happy meal and five fries, I should eat the rest, right? If Annie ruins all the cupcakes but they are still edible I should eat them, not throw them away, right? Is it worse to be wasteful or gluttonous?
2. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. After all, if someone goes to the trouble to make a bunch of food for me, I should eat it. If two members of my family send me Cheryl & Co. cookies for Valentine's Day, I should eat them. If my mom sends chocolates, I should eat them. I don't want to seem ungrateful after all.
Gluttony used to be tied to pride. It was a sign of wealth to be fat. I guess that's what poor countries with little food think when they see us. Even the poorest of us is wealthy by comparison. Gluttony is often linked with drunkeness in the Bible but we don't have to drink. We do have to eat. It's not like we can avoid gluttony by just not eating at all. And the temptation is EVERYWHERE. We talk about stumbling blocks and then lay out all kinds of gluttonous pleasures with no regard for the fact that more people struggle with food issues that alcohol. I have a great affection for good food. I love to eat out. I love to cook. And I know we'll be feasting in heaven. Why do I have self-control in other areas and I blow this one off? I've been pondering and learning and reading a lot lately about truly living by the Spirit. Why haven't I thought about it in this area? Romans 8:5 says, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." So I've decided to "set my mind on what the Spirit desires." Don't know what this is going to look like yet in this area. There's nothing in me that wants to deal with it so it will have to be God who does it. It's something God's been teaching me in so many areas in the past few months. Even Sunday morning at connect group I was reminded again that our bodies are temples. For some reason I got a real clear picture this time.
Anyway, it's not really about diet and weight, it's about sin. And I'm guilty as charged. Let me know what you think about the subject. And here's the other thing I'm going to have to look at...I don't think gluttony is just about food.
But I had great justification for my gluttony. I can think of two huge excuses.
1. I don't want to be wasteful. I should eat all the leftovers before they go bad and I have to throw them out, right? If Annie only eats three bites of her cheeseburger from her happy meal and five fries, I should eat the rest, right? If Annie ruins all the cupcakes but they are still edible I should eat them, not throw them away, right? Is it worse to be wasteful or gluttonous?
2. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. After all, if someone goes to the trouble to make a bunch of food for me, I should eat it. If two members of my family send me Cheryl & Co. cookies for Valentine's Day, I should eat them. If my mom sends chocolates, I should eat them. I don't want to seem ungrateful after all.
Gluttony used to be tied to pride. It was a sign of wealth to be fat. I guess that's what poor countries with little food think when they see us. Even the poorest of us is wealthy by comparison. Gluttony is often linked with drunkeness in the Bible but we don't have to drink. We do have to eat. It's not like we can avoid gluttony by just not eating at all. And the temptation is EVERYWHERE. We talk about stumbling blocks and then lay out all kinds of gluttonous pleasures with no regard for the fact that more people struggle with food issues that alcohol. I have a great affection for good food. I love to eat out. I love to cook. And I know we'll be feasting in heaven. Why do I have self-control in other areas and I blow this one off? I've been pondering and learning and reading a lot lately about truly living by the Spirit. Why haven't I thought about it in this area? Romans 8:5 says, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." So I've decided to "set my mind on what the Spirit desires." Don't know what this is going to look like yet in this area. There's nothing in me that wants to deal with it so it will have to be God who does it. It's something God's been teaching me in so many areas in the past few months. Even Sunday morning at connect group I was reminded again that our bodies are temples. For some reason I got a real clear picture this time.
Anyway, it's not really about diet and weight, it's about sin. And I'm guilty as charged. Let me know what you think about the subject. And here's the other thing I'm going to have to look at...I don't think gluttony is just about food.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Idle Words
So we were all riding in the van the other day. I was talking to Jeff and telling what was surely a long story. I try not to even say, "To make a long story short..." because my family just rolls their eyes. I don't think I've ever told a short story in my life. I do try to shorthen now and then with, "blah, blah, blah". You know what I mean. It looks something like this:
"So then the doctor said to keep giving her fluids, blah, blah, blah, and if she felt better in the morning..."
Anyway, we're riding down the street and I don't even know what I was talking about but as a filler I said, "dat da dat da dah." Annie interupts (I didn't even know she was listening) and says, "No Mom, you mean "blah, blah, blah." Seriously. Jeff and I busted out laughing but I had a bit of a twinge. How often am I saying meaningless things? How much of what I say is just idle words? I remember years ago a friend describing someone and she said, "You know, she never speaks an idle word." Wow! Can you imagine if that was said of you? The dictionary says this about idle words:
i·dle /ˈaɪdl/ adjective, i·dler, i·dlest, verb i·dled, i·dling, noun
–adjective
1. not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: idle workers.
2. not spent or filled with activity: idle hours.
3. not in use or operation; not kept busy: idle machinery.
4. habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.
5. of no real worth, importance, or significance: idle talk.
6. having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless: idle fears.
7. frivolous; vain: idle pleasures.
8. meaningless; senseless: idle threats.
9. futile; unavailing: idle rage.
What if I tried to never say another idle word? What would that look like? The Bible says so much about the tongue. I may not be saying something mean or vulgar but is it idle talk? Does it matter? Your tongue certainly reveals what's in you. I saw my dad do a demonstration for a group of students once. He had a large cup of water in his hand and he shook it. Of course when he shook it, water came out. He asked the students, "Why did water come out of the cup?" "Because you shook it," they answered. "No," he said, "water came out of the cup because there was water in the cup." When you get shaken, what comes out? Matthew 12:34 says, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." It's what's in your heart that counts. Sin is a heart issue. It's how a man can commit adultery just by looking at a woman lustfully (Mt. 5:28)So what does it mean if I am full of idle words? Words of no real worth, importance, or significance? I feel the need to be quiet now. I'll leave you with that lest I start to sound like blah, blah, blah...
"So then the doctor said to keep giving her fluids, blah, blah, blah, and if she felt better in the morning..."
Anyway, we're riding down the street and I don't even know what I was talking about but as a filler I said, "dat da dat da dah." Annie interupts (I didn't even know she was listening) and says, "No Mom, you mean "blah, blah, blah." Seriously. Jeff and I busted out laughing but I had a bit of a twinge. How often am I saying meaningless things? How much of what I say is just idle words? I remember years ago a friend describing someone and she said, "You know, she never speaks an idle word." Wow! Can you imagine if that was said of you? The dictionary says this about idle words:
i·dle /ˈaɪdl/ adjective, i·dler, i·dlest, verb i·dled, i·dling, noun
–adjective
1. not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: idle workers.
2. not spent or filled with activity: idle hours.
3. not in use or operation; not kept busy: idle machinery.
4. habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.
5. of no real worth, importance, or significance: idle talk.
6. having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless: idle fears.
7. frivolous; vain: idle pleasures.
8. meaningless; senseless: idle threats.
9. futile; unavailing: idle rage.
What if I tried to never say another idle word? What would that look like? The Bible says so much about the tongue. I may not be saying something mean or vulgar but is it idle talk? Does it matter? Your tongue certainly reveals what's in you. I saw my dad do a demonstration for a group of students once. He had a large cup of water in his hand and he shook it. Of course when he shook it, water came out. He asked the students, "Why did water come out of the cup?" "Because you shook it," they answered. "No," he said, "water came out of the cup because there was water in the cup." When you get shaken, what comes out? Matthew 12:34 says, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." It's what's in your heart that counts. Sin is a heart issue. It's how a man can commit adultery just by looking at a woman lustfully (Mt. 5:28)So what does it mean if I am full of idle words? Words of no real worth, importance, or significance? I feel the need to be quiet now. I'll leave you with that lest I start to sound like blah, blah, blah...
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
First Post
I’m not sure this is a good idea. Me…blogging. I only recently even figured out what blogging is. I have seen blogs before when I’ve done a search for something and had one come up on google. Typically they seem to contain helpful information to my search. I’ve looked at our pastor’s blog and seen how other people comment. But I had no idea this blogging was something regular people did.
A friend sent me an email with a link to another friend’s blog to look at a comment about a book we’d been reading. Again, this was something I’d seen before when looking for reviews of this particular book. I had no idea someone I knew was doing this kind of thing. And it got me curious. The blog had links to other blogs and before I knew it I’d spent a ridiculous amount of time bouncing around and reading. I’m a reality TV addict and it was a little like that for me. Looking into your lives, what you think about, who you’re connected too, what’s happening in your world. Maybe it lacked some of the nail-biting suspense and competitive fervor. Maybe it wasn’t sexy or surprising. But it was definitely funny and much more real. Like my new friend Ashley says at the top of her blog, it’s like having those adult conversations I miss during the day because I’m raising two dynamic little girls.
It wasn’t long after discovering these windows into your lives that someone asked, “Do you blog?” I definitely wanted in on the “conversation”. There’s just one little problem. 1 Timothy 1:15,16. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example of those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. So that’s me. It’s one of the first verses I ever memorized on my own time because it resonated so much with me. Hopefully I’m someone you can relate to. I hope you can handle the sarcasm, lack of good grammar and punctuation, blunt thoughts and opinions, screw ups, bad habits and such. And if you should comment that I’m wrong, rude, blunt, weird, uncouth, unrefined…you might be right. See 1 Timothy 1:15,16.
A friend sent me an email with a link to another friend’s blog to look at a comment about a book we’d been reading. Again, this was something I’d seen before when looking for reviews of this particular book. I had no idea someone I knew was doing this kind of thing. And it got me curious. The blog had links to other blogs and before I knew it I’d spent a ridiculous amount of time bouncing around and reading. I’m a reality TV addict and it was a little like that for me. Looking into your lives, what you think about, who you’re connected too, what’s happening in your world. Maybe it lacked some of the nail-biting suspense and competitive fervor. Maybe it wasn’t sexy or surprising. But it was definitely funny and much more real. Like my new friend Ashley says at the top of her blog, it’s like having those adult conversations I miss during the day because I’m raising two dynamic little girls.
It wasn’t long after discovering these windows into your lives that someone asked, “Do you blog?” I definitely wanted in on the “conversation”. There’s just one little problem. 1 Timothy 1:15,16. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example of those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. So that’s me. It’s one of the first verses I ever memorized on my own time because it resonated so much with me. Hopefully I’m someone you can relate to. I hope you can handle the sarcasm, lack of good grammar and punctuation, blunt thoughts and opinions, screw ups, bad habits and such. And if you should comment that I’m wrong, rude, blunt, weird, uncouth, unrefined…you might be right. See 1 Timothy 1:15,16.
Are Cupcakes a Vegetable?
Okay, no school today, which means no MOPS, which means I’ve eaten cupcakes for breakfast and lunch. Okay, so “no school” isn’t really the reason I’m eating cupcakes. I have a better one.
I didn’t even have to make cupcakes for Annie’s class party, I just thought it would be something fun to do. If you can read between the lines, actually I had a sweet tooth and craving for white cake with buttercream icing. Gosh, I hope I’m not pregnant. Basically I let my four year old Annie pour and sift and stir. Once the cupcakes and icing were made I actually got out a pastry bag and tip (I know, Martha Stewart look out) and iced the cupcakes. I gave Annie some decorative sprinkles and colored sugars and let her have at it. I figure this means I’m a good mom because I’m not too proud to send my kid to her MOPS valentine party with imperfect cupcakes. I started doing some other things around the house (watching Oprah), and after a few minutes looked over to find my child with a spreader, “spreading” the icing. Okay, maybe I’m not that laid back. She was ruining my beautiful piping after all and I didn’t want anyone to think I did that! So only about five were damaged and she went back to the sprinkling. After several more minutes I looked over to discover she’s licking the spreader. I thought she was being sneaky and spreading again and asked her to stop. She looked sheepish and said with a grin, “Sorry Mom.” A couple hours later I decided I should put the cupcakes away and only then did I notice that she had scooped the center of each cupcake with her spreader and licked the icing off, effectively removing the beautiful rosette from each center and contaminating each cupcake. See one victim and the weapon of mass destruction below. (Notice the one-sided decorating)
So, needless to say, no one outside this house can eat the cupcakes and I can’t let her eat them all and I can’t (gasp!) throw them away! So again, I’ve eaten cupcakes for breakfast and lunch. For dinner I’m thinking, I don’t know…something pink?
I didn’t even have to make cupcakes for Annie’s class party, I just thought it would be something fun to do. If you can read between the lines, actually I had a sweet tooth and craving for white cake with buttercream icing. Gosh, I hope I’m not pregnant. Basically I let my four year old Annie pour and sift and stir. Once the cupcakes and icing were made I actually got out a pastry bag and tip (I know, Martha Stewart look out) and iced the cupcakes. I gave Annie some decorative sprinkles and colored sugars and let her have at it. I figure this means I’m a good mom because I’m not too proud to send my kid to her MOPS valentine party with imperfect cupcakes. I started doing some other things around the house (watching Oprah), and after a few minutes looked over to find my child with a spreader, “spreading” the icing. Okay, maybe I’m not that laid back. She was ruining my beautiful piping after all and I didn’t want anyone to think I did that! So only about five were damaged and she went back to the sprinkling. After several more minutes I looked over to discover she’s licking the spreader. I thought she was being sneaky and spreading again and asked her to stop. She looked sheepish and said with a grin, “Sorry Mom.” A couple hours later I decided I should put the cupcakes away and only then did I notice that she had scooped the center of each cupcake with her spreader and licked the icing off, effectively removing the beautiful rosette from each center and contaminating each cupcake. See one victim and the weapon of mass destruction below. (Notice the one-sided decorating)
So, needless to say, no one outside this house can eat the cupcakes and I can’t let her eat them all and I can’t (gasp!) throw them away! So again, I’ve eaten cupcakes for breakfast and lunch. For dinner I’m thinking, I don’t know…something pink?
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