I finished my Special K diet and in the end I ended up gaining 4 lbs. I don't know how that's possible, but I was so mad I quit the whole thing. Right after that I began a Daniel fast for something totally unrelated to this. A Daniel fast is where you withold from eating anything other than fruits, vegetables, nuts and natural things of that sort. I've been on the fast for nearly a week and have lost 10 lbs. Now I'm not fasting in order to lose weight, but I will definitely agree that the weight loss is a perk when fasting. I am also still running as much as possible- probably about 4 times a week for at least 20 minutes.
current weight: 170 lbs
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
trinity
I've been musing on Philippians 3:3 for the past few days and just cannot get past the beautiful picture of the Trinity in it.
Philippians 3:3 says: For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
What Paul is saying in this text is that those who are truly Christ followers, or truly circumcised not by the outward physical cutting, but through a true and radical internal heart transformation, will carry out the following tell-tale signs laid out in the back half of the passage. True Christ followers will worship by the Spirit of God. This can be translated into "will worship God through the Spirit". The truly circumcised person will also glory and revel in Jesus. What has just been laid out is the perfect 3-point outline for how to practically include the Triune God (three in one, and also one in three) into your daily life. We worship God the Father through God the Holy Spirit, and glory in the greatness of God in God the Son.
Perhaps my favorite part of this verse is the fact that Paul doesn't end there. He also includes a disclaimer for all true Christ followers. He says to include in your worship to God, through God, in God a complete awareness that our ability has nothing to do with this. The greatness of God is not bound by our competance and never will be.
I just thought this was a nice thought and wanted to pass it along.
Philippians 3:3 says: For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
What Paul is saying in this text is that those who are truly Christ followers, or truly circumcised not by the outward physical cutting, but through a true and radical internal heart transformation, will carry out the following tell-tale signs laid out in the back half of the passage. True Christ followers will worship by the Spirit of God. This can be translated into "will worship God through the Spirit". The truly circumcised person will also glory and revel in Jesus. What has just been laid out is the perfect 3-point outline for how to practically include the Triune God (three in one, and also one in three) into your daily life. We worship God the Father through God the Holy Spirit, and glory in the greatness of God in God the Son.
Perhaps my favorite part of this verse is the fact that Paul doesn't end there. He also includes a disclaimer for all true Christ followers. He says to include in your worship to God, through God, in God a complete awareness that our ability has nothing to do with this. The greatness of God is not bound by our competance and never will be.
I just thought this was a nice thought and wanted to pass it along.
Monday, January 11, 2010
my first diet: revisited
Yes, I am still dieting. I will say that this is going different than I imagined it. There are many reasons why this is true. For starters, I've never been much of a snacker. I've always avoided snacking out of a love for my three square meals a day. I guess it's not really fair to call them meals. They were more like feasts. Yea. I enjoyed my three square feasts a day. Now-a-days with this diet in full scale, I am always hungry, because two bowls of cereal and a sensible dinner each day doesn't constitute as a feast. Not even if you add them all together. Needless to say, I am starving a good portion of my day.
I will not lie to my readers (I do have readers don't I? Echo...echo...echo). I have cheated a few times on this diet. I'm finding it easy to cheat. Again, this is my first diet. I've done plenty of spiritual fasts, but never dieting. When you cheat on a fast, you feel terrible. The guilt you have after cheating on a fast compared to the guilt you have after cheating on a diet does not even begin to compare.
All that said I am losing weight. And then gaining it back again. And then losing it again. In fact my weight is fluxuating so much I think it's begining to mess with my equalibrium. I will step on the scale in the morning to find that I am the same weight only to step on a few hours after breakfast to witness a three pound loss. I think I weight the most in late afternoon and the least right before I go to bed. It makes no sense at all, but at least the last thing I see at night is a smaller number on that scale. That helps me feel better as I devour a midnight snack, and not quite as guilty as a awake in a bed with candy wrappers spread all over it.
current weight: 173 lbs
I will not lie to my readers (I do have readers don't I? Echo...echo...echo). I have cheated a few times on this diet. I'm finding it easy to cheat. Again, this is my first diet. I've done plenty of spiritual fasts, but never dieting. When you cheat on a fast, you feel terrible. The guilt you have after cheating on a fast compared to the guilt you have after cheating on a diet does not even begin to compare.
All that said I am losing weight. And then gaining it back again. And then losing it again. In fact my weight is fluxuating so much I think it's begining to mess with my equalibrium. I will step on the scale in the morning to find that I am the same weight only to step on a few hours after breakfast to witness a three pound loss. I think I weight the most in late afternoon and the least right before I go to bed. It makes no sense at all, but at least the last thing I see at night is a smaller number on that scale. That helps me feel better as I devour a midnight snack, and not quite as guilty as a awake in a bed with candy wrappers spread all over it.
current weight: 173 lbs
Thursday, January 7, 2010
a haunting question
This week Northplace Church has provided an intense week of prayer by opening their doors throughout the week and offering 3 blocks of time each day for prayer. As one of the pastors employed at this church, I am at these prayer sessions praying over prayer requests written by various members of our congregation. I was praying for a card requesting the spiritual maturing of our church in 2010, when God interrupted my prayer to speak to me. He asked me a question that I haven't been able to shake since He asked it. This is what He asked me:
If you made up every person of your church's congregation, would you be a healthy church?
The question stopped me dead in my tracks. Our church is made up of two levels; the bottom floor, and an over-arching balcony. I was pacing back and forth in this balcony. After the question was asked I looked down from the balcony at all the chairs on the bottom floor and imagined myself in every chair on a Sunday morning. That's when conviction started to set in.
As I was thinking about how to answer God's question, He started answering it for me.
"Well, I can tell you one thing. Your the church certainly wouldn't grow, since you never invite anyone new to church. And you don't really have any relationships outside of the church- at least not meaningful ones."
All of a sudden my stomach ached.
"And sometimes you give 100% of yourself in worship, but most of the time you don't. So I think it's safe to assume that worship would not be the priority of this church."
God went on and on with specific rebuke after specific rebuke. Needless to say, I put down the index card with the prayer request for a mature congregation and began praying for my own maturity in 2010.
The reason I post this is because I would like you to ask yourself the same question during this new decade. Sometimes we can just assume that we are right where we need to be, because of position, status, or perception. Let's be candidly honest with ourselves in 2010.
If you made up every member of the church you attend right now, would it be a healthy, vibrant, growing church?
If you made up every person of your church's congregation, would you be a healthy church?
The question stopped me dead in my tracks. Our church is made up of two levels; the bottom floor, and an over-arching balcony. I was pacing back and forth in this balcony. After the question was asked I looked down from the balcony at all the chairs on the bottom floor and imagined myself in every chair on a Sunday morning. That's when conviction started to set in.
As I was thinking about how to answer God's question, He started answering it for me.
"Well, I can tell you one thing. Your the church certainly wouldn't grow, since you never invite anyone new to church. And you don't really have any relationships outside of the church- at least not meaningful ones."
All of a sudden my stomach ached.
"And sometimes you give 100% of yourself in worship, but most of the time you don't. So I think it's safe to assume that worship would not be the priority of this church."
God went on and on with specific rebuke after specific rebuke. Needless to say, I put down the index card with the prayer request for a mature congregation and began praying for my own maturity in 2010.
The reason I post this is because I would like you to ask yourself the same question during this new decade. Sometimes we can just assume that we are right where we need to be, because of position, status, or perception. Let's be candidly honest with ourselves in 2010.
If you made up every member of the church you attend right now, would it be a healthy, vibrant, growing church?
Monday, January 4, 2010
my first diet
I'm not really much of a New Year's resolution type of guy, but this year I have made a few adieus to 2009 and will be making some changes in 2010. For starters I am changing the way I eat. I was always one of those guys that could eat whatever I wanted and not gain an ounce, but as of late that is a pony that has lost its trick. Now I must be health conscious, carb conscious, calorie conscious and too-late-to-eat conscious. I have to be honest... this is taking some getting used to, but it can and will be done. I refused to be that skinny/fat guy. You know the guy. He is skinny everywhere except for his belly. I'm turning into that guy if I don't prevent it now.
That is why I am on, and have been officially been on since January 1st, the Special K Challenge. A bowl of Special K for breakfast and then again for lunch with a healthy dinner of my choosing, is supposed to sponge away 6 lbs every 2 weeks. My goal is to get on this diet for 6 weeks and lose at least 15 lbs. I will also supplement this diet with running and muscle building throughout the week.
Current and starting weight: 177 lbs
I will post updates on how this is going.
That is why I am on, and have been officially been on since January 1st, the Special K Challenge. A bowl of Special K for breakfast and then again for lunch with a healthy dinner of my choosing, is supposed to sponge away 6 lbs every 2 weeks. My goal is to get on this diet for 6 weeks and lose at least 15 lbs. I will also supplement this diet with running and muscle building throughout the week.
Current and starting weight: 177 lbs
I will post updates on how this is going.
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