Lighter and Starting to Feel It

An update on my weight loss. I have lost 30 pounds now. I am 10 pounds from my goal of 160 pounds. When I get to 160 then I will evaluate if I need to lose anymore. I have had to buy a new belt, and new pants. I am now in a size 34 waist, at least for now. I noticed one the pair jeans is fitting kind of loose. I can also feel the difference in weight as I exercise. I walk everyday now, and have workout routine I do 4 times week. The weight loss has not been very hard, if fact it's been fairly easy. I think because is a part of this process. He is preparing me for something I just don't know what. Well, we'll see. I don't know the future but He does.

Changes Come Slowly

I haven't seen this for awhile. Since the first of the year I have lost 24 pounds. I have gone from a 38 inch waist to my surprise this week a 34 waist. Now I haven't reached my goal yet. I still need and want to lose 20 more pounds.

How did I do this? I don't really have plan I am following. I am making it up as I go from the things I have learned and read about. I quit eating any sweets. I eat portions. My big meal of the day is at lunch. Supper is something really light or maybe a piece of fruit. I walk everyday and have a hard workout routine I do every other day. Hunger hasn't really been an issue.

I guess the other factor is a silly bet. One f my friends and I bet a moonpie and RC cola. Loser buys the moonpies and RC cola. The deadline for weight loss- April 5. Why then? It seems like a good date. I the accountibility and support has been important for both of us.

Bottom line, I believe more anything else it is God's way of answering my prayer for a renewed passion. It's not me but God. Sounds weird- maybe. But God can do anything he wants, after all he is God.

Just a Few Words

I do not know if it is the result of this prayer I have begun praying or not but a few things are going on. How do I explain them, I don't and really can't because they are not clear to me yet.

One, I have lost 21 since the first of the year. I knew all along I needed to lose some weight. I just kind of fell into watching my diet and exercising. No real plan, just cutting by and trying to some wise decisions. Plus, I 've got a bet with someone to see who loses the most by April. The loser buys the winner a RC Cola and moon pie. What a deal. I really want to try to lose 19 mores, who knows we'll see.

Two, I picked up my guitar again. Now I play occasionally. We have several good guitarist for our praise team, so there really isn't a need there. I am playing and worshiping once again during my quiet time with God. I even have a song or two that he has given me that I might write down and introduce in worship at some point.

Three, our Easter production is in full swing with stage and sets being built and put into place. I have about 70 people I am giving instruction and directing for this years production. Long hours and lots of work.

Lastly, I am just trying to be open and sensitive to whatever God is trying to say to me. I don't know where I am going, but doesn't matter, it's a journey.

Renewed Passion

I know most of the time when I blog, I share some kind of funny thing that has happened or talk about whatever strikes my fancy. Well, a couple of events have happened recently to me that have caused me to take a backward forward look. So as you read this understand I haven’t lost my mind, and I have no plans to jump off a cliff anytime soon. I may ramble for awhile so hang on.

“Backward forward”, I don’t what caused that to pop out of my head. It’s just that lately I have been looking at my life, doing a self examination, where I have been and where I am right now, and what the direction is for the future. Thus the term- Backward forward.

I know part of this as risen up out of my personal time alone with God. The result is me taking the step to pray this decidedly challenging prayer-

Lord, renew my passion, give me a fresh wind, a fresh fire.

It’s very simple, yet very powerful. I have this scrap of a tune floating around in my head ever since I started praying this prayer. I am not a great song writer, but I have written a couple of songs for our church, that we use on a regular basis, nothing great, just simple songs that have come out of my heart. This scrap of a song and tune speaks of lost dreams. Since it is unfinished the thoughts are incomplete. However one verse says this:

"Dreams piece by piece have been chipped away, in my life. A passion that was once there, is gone. It has drifted away on the wind. Where did the dreams go? Lord, please take the hurt of my lost dreams. Renew the passion I once had for you."

Wow, it seems like such a downer and depressing thought. But I think it is part of the answer God is trying give me as a result of this prayer I dared to pray. It really hit me when I heard the news that one our senior adults passed away recently. Mac and Mary were so devoted to each other. I can still see them holding hands while walking down the hall at church together. They shared with me stories of how they met, and fell in love. It was a love that genuine and real. Mac’s example of a husband’s love really struck a chord with me. Would I have that same passion when I get to be 80? It made me think about my passion for Christ and for my wife and kids. Long relationships seem so rare these days.

Passion- I thought about what has been missing in my life, (if I am really honest with myself it’s been missing the last few years) it’s been passion, fearlessness, boldness, adventure, following God no matter who said what or when, or even when others are telling me no, and me just doing it anyway because God said so. Where is the guy that would drive all night, to be a part of a medical mission project on the border, stay up all night to get back home, and get back in time to do church? Where the guy who took off with 10 other brave souls into the Northern Mexico desert for week, with no water, no electricity, in the middle of the summer heat, only to meet with the Mexican army at a military check point after they had a running battle with drug dealers, to see bodies lined up by road, (remember that nara visa cowboy), their guns trained us, as the missionary and I, others talked our through the checkpoint, and never even thought of turning back?
Where is the guy who went back to school at 31, with no money, as he and his family lived on rice and beans, and yet saw God move so many times during those years?

I am beginning to understand just how beat up I was when I came to Port Lavaca. I came from a church in Oklahoma that I lead through what I call the worship war – leading a church change it worship styles. I already beat up coming from the strain of holding a church together in Colorado, and being told by that pastor I needed to leave. No job, no nothing. God provided. But I felt like walking away from this church stuff all together. I remember instances of church traditions that must be rigidly followed no matter God might be saying when I was up in the Texas panhandle.

To those reading this I am not on some kind of pity party or depressed. It just that ministry is hard, your dreams of serving God get chipped away little by little. It is so tempting just to set back, and do church. Doing church is easy, it will run itself But I am not ready to do church.

If you are reading this, you are one the chosen ones- those loved ones God has placed in my life. You are my friends, and we share the common bond of Christ. You have guided me at times, shared you wisdom with me, and put up with me.

What am I seeking from you? Prayer, prayer for renewed passion in my life and in yours. I can tell you, I know God is in the process of answering this simple powerful prayer of a renewed passion, and a renewed spirit in my life. I sense a new excitement. I don’t know what is around the next corner, but I don’t want to know. I just want the faith and the passion to once again say, “it time to saddle up boys and girls,” and if no one is willing to saddle up with me, to still be bold enough to take off across this desert place we call life.

I have reached the big middle of my life. The first half was filled with this raw adventure called being a follower of Christ. I desire for the second half to be even more. I closing I’ve got God, and, He gave me moon pies and RC cola, and after all, what else does one really need?

Job 11:15-19

Wnter Blues

I haven't updated in awhile. Becky and I both have had the flu. This is not good stuff to get. It has taken me about two weeks to get well and I am still not over it. Becky is still really weak and has missed a week of work.

Ok, I have a question, I got to looking at Facebook, and I am trying determine the differences between what I do here, and what Facebook has to offer. So, I am sure someone out there could share with me their observations of both. Maybe, I just might throw a link from here to there or vice versa. I don't know, food for thought. Always good to try to keep up with what's going on around me. Here's a couple pictures of the eclectic things I found around this part of the country.

February's This and That

Item One:
I got a phone call from the Nara Visa Cowboy Sunday. He called to say they were having moonpies and RC colas with some friends of theirs. I can't help but get a grin on my face thinking about grown ups. in the mountains of New Mexico, setting around the fireplace( if there is a fireplace, it embellishes my story) eating moonpies like a bunch of kids. I love it. I hope I never get to old to be kid, and enjoy the simple things of life.

Item Two:
Becky and I took a trip to Seadrift, about 15 miles, from us, Saturday. The wind was blowing out of the north at about 30 miles per hour. It blew a lot of water out of the bay, especially at low tide. Check out the picture of the sailboat, high and dry, and how far the water is from the shoreline.

Item Three:
The reason we went to Seadrift was because I was looking for some pieces of mahogany for a project I need to get started on for my son, Josh. He wants me to build him a media center out of solid wood, not this fake stuff found in most furniture stores. I am finding that mahogany is hard to find. I found one piece, not enough for what I need. I'll have to keep looking. I think I am going to go with oak or poplar and give it a dark stain. While driving around we came across a house on the waterfront that had a genuine glitter fish on the front of it. Check it out! If I ever build, that will probably be on my list of things I want.(if I can convince Becky)

Sneak Snack Snuck

In my last post I did not know for sure if "snuck" was a real word. Well, I got to thinking, of course it's real, I use it, therefore it is real. (My logic has been known to out there just a little bit.) My friend, Nara Visa Cowboy, confirmed it with his response, and to borrow a phrase from him- Now you know!

Now, in my way of warped thinking the verb tense progression of Sneak, Snack, Snuck, makes perfect sense to me. You see, our language, and it's rules can be very confusing, and it can be hard to keep all the various rules in ones head. Take for instance the word- Lot. I get confused when to use the word "alot" or when to use the phrase- "a lot." Speaking of which, why do we call a small piece of land a lot? A 50 ft x 100 ft piece of ground is not a lot. Why can't we call it a "'Little"? After all, 500 acres would be a lot, wouldn't it? As an aside, (how's that for a phrase) did you know that LOT is also the name of the Polish Airline? Go figure.

Since I am on this why kick this morning, ( maybe it's the four cups of coffee), why do they call it a gaggle of gesse when they are on the ground, but a skein, when they are in flight? In Canadian English, a gaggle is an adjective describing a largely disorganized group of Jildos (another colloquial adjective describing a woman that tends to be annoying and lacking in her own individual opinions) putting forth discontent among all related fellows. So are we really insulting the geese by saying they are disorganized and have no opinion? What would Mother Goose say, and is there some sort of hidden message in those Mother Goose stories that has brain washed us?

Okay, I think the caffeine has kicked in just a little too much. I'll summarize this way. I have posted a picture of a sea gull that I was able to sneak up on while he or she was snacking
on alot, or is it a lot, of leftover food. I snuck up on a gaggle of gulls right before the took flight and joined a skein of geese, who could not decide which way to fly, because they had no opinion.