I've been hitting the gym HARD people. Been there 14 times in 24 days and I've GAINED 9 lbs. I do at least 45 mins. of cardio and then lift weights. What the heck! Are you kidding, this must be a joke from the evil, evil scale. Please someone tell me it's muscle and as Becka said today 'I should be beastie, if that's all muscle'....errr.
I admit to having a Xmas party EVERY Saturday night this month, baking WAY too many cookies, and vegging when I'm not at the gym. All that said. Nine pounds is 27,000 calories I consumed but did not burn off. I really don't see how THAT would be possible considering most of the 9 lbs has happened in the last 10 days. Please let this be a fluke, water retention, some mean trick by the Xmas Weight Grinch!
I will say this. I can't SEE the 9 lbs in the mirror. NONE of my clothes are fitting tight, in fact my shirts are fitting better. So I will got with the 'it's muscle' theory for now and continue my treadmill craziness.
Vent over now.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Shack
WOW! What a deep and powerful read. I will apologize now for spoiling it for anyone currently reading the book or intending to!
I rarely talk about my religious beliefs because I think your walk with God is personal and a somewhat solitary journey we must take. The church I was raised in was very conservative with the red carpet, carved alter, 22 stain-glassed windows, organ and beautiful oak pews. It was established in 1845 as First Protestant Church, the first church of New Braunfels for the German refugees. A church does not feel comfortable to me without the above and I've had a VERY hard time finding one that I like here in Georgia. I choose to read religious texts, fiction or non-fiction, on my own to further my beliefs and strength in God.
In that grain, I picked up 'The Shack' about a month ago and sat down for my journey. The story is premised on a man, Mack, who has lost his daughter through abduction and murder and has sworn off his relationship with God. It slowly unfolds as his journey back to forgiveness and healing.
We've ALL been angry with God at some point in our lives, not understanding the why or how. The main character, Mack, is at this stage in his life. Mack is called back to the 'shack' where his daughter's body was found and he finds God and Jesus waiting for him to call him back to their arms.
Mack's wife has always had a deep relationship with God, whom she calls 'Papa' to signify her closeness to him. This is a turnoff for Mack because he can't understand having that kind of intimacy with an 'unknown' power or being. I can only hope to have that kind of intimacy with God one day in my life. I am constantly in awe of people with such profound outspoken faiths, but just as in awe of the strong silence that is His presence.
Through all the conversations Mack has with God he learns that his denouncement has only made God's call stronger. My belief is that we either choose to hear his call or ignore it but his heart wants us to listen. Maybe this listening just comes harder for some as we question the 'whys' that we do not understand.
The most poignant part of the story for me was when Mack, got to SEE his daughter in her heaven enjoying her time, waiting for her family. As my sister, Allison left us when she was 4, the moment struck a heartstring. Mom, dad, and me have all had this EXACT journey that Mack had. A child taken too soon. A family torn and put back together through grace and strength.
One of the beliefs that has always been with me as an adult is that God will forgive you, no matter what you've done, how long you've been gone, or what you believed before. I do not believe you have to seat yourself in a pew EVERY Sunday morning to know God or for him to know your heart. I believe that some people hide behind the label 'Christian' who are not truely living for the church. Christianity is to be a listener, loving, have goodwill, and to not judge. 'The Shack' attests to all of this. That God is waiting, not judging, and when your ready so is he.
The author makes one note that I'm still pondering on. Jesus at one point says 'I am not the church, I am not Christian'...in a way that is true he is Christ, the namesake for the religion that WE made to teach HIS lessons. Jesus in the book talks about how he came to earth to teach his father's lessons of compassion, love, forgiveness, and sacrifice his soul to show us the way. So if Jesus is NOT Christianity this means he was sent for ALL the worlds' people, each culture adapting his lessons into their own belief system. If this is TRUE then Christianity is NOT the only way to God, because by this logic God is truely THE Father of ALL earth's people, not one sector of them.
Furthermore, Jesus is not pleased that wars and conflicts are started in the name of Christianity, because he certainly didn't teach violence. And he didn't teach us to PUSH beliefs onto others by submission or threat. 'The Shack' depicts him as a silent force that will over come the walls and boundaries of human souls with a strong peace of knowing him. Because we are human, we will continue to justify actions because we think OUR way is better or right, even if we are actually going against the principles behind the label of Christian.
In the end, the journey will be both incredible and unbearable, a grasping for grace and wholeness that will end the day I leave this earth. Until then I search to find my beliefs, my road, and put my soul entwined with God's. I do not question the path I have to take, for it is MINE alone and should bear no judgment from others. I only have to judge my own journey.
I rarely talk about my religious beliefs because I think your walk with God is personal and a somewhat solitary journey we must take. The church I was raised in was very conservative with the red carpet, carved alter, 22 stain-glassed windows, organ and beautiful oak pews. It was established in 1845 as First Protestant Church, the first church of New Braunfels for the German refugees. A church does not feel comfortable to me without the above and I've had a VERY hard time finding one that I like here in Georgia. I choose to read religious texts, fiction or non-fiction, on my own to further my beliefs and strength in God.
In that grain, I picked up 'The Shack' about a month ago and sat down for my journey. The story is premised on a man, Mack, who has lost his daughter through abduction and murder and has sworn off his relationship with God. It slowly unfolds as his journey back to forgiveness and healing.
We've ALL been angry with God at some point in our lives, not understanding the why or how. The main character, Mack, is at this stage in his life. Mack is called back to the 'shack' where his daughter's body was found and he finds God and Jesus waiting for him to call him back to their arms.
Mack's wife has always had a deep relationship with God, whom she calls 'Papa' to signify her closeness to him. This is a turnoff for Mack because he can't understand having that kind of intimacy with an 'unknown' power or being. I can only hope to have that kind of intimacy with God one day in my life. I am constantly in awe of people with such profound outspoken faiths, but just as in awe of the strong silence that is His presence.
Through all the conversations Mack has with God he learns that his denouncement has only made God's call stronger. My belief is that we either choose to hear his call or ignore it but his heart wants us to listen. Maybe this listening just comes harder for some as we question the 'whys' that we do not understand.
The most poignant part of the story for me was when Mack, got to SEE his daughter in her heaven enjoying her time, waiting for her family. As my sister, Allison left us when she was 4, the moment struck a heartstring. Mom, dad, and me have all had this EXACT journey that Mack had. A child taken too soon. A family torn and put back together through grace and strength.
One of the beliefs that has always been with me as an adult is that God will forgive you, no matter what you've done, how long you've been gone, or what you believed before. I do not believe you have to seat yourself in a pew EVERY Sunday morning to know God or for him to know your heart. I believe that some people hide behind the label 'Christian' who are not truely living for the church. Christianity is to be a listener, loving, have goodwill, and to not judge. 'The Shack' attests to all of this. That God is waiting, not judging, and when your ready so is he.
The author makes one note that I'm still pondering on. Jesus at one point says 'I am not the church, I am not Christian'...in a way that is true he is Christ, the namesake for the religion that WE made to teach HIS lessons. Jesus in the book talks about how he came to earth to teach his father's lessons of compassion, love, forgiveness, and sacrifice his soul to show us the way. So if Jesus is NOT Christianity this means he was sent for ALL the worlds' people, each culture adapting his lessons into their own belief system. If this is TRUE then Christianity is NOT the only way to God, because by this logic God is truely THE Father of ALL earth's people, not one sector of them.
Furthermore, Jesus is not pleased that wars and conflicts are started in the name of Christianity, because he certainly didn't teach violence. And he didn't teach us to PUSH beliefs onto others by submission or threat. 'The Shack' depicts him as a silent force that will over come the walls and boundaries of human souls with a strong peace of knowing him. Because we are human, we will continue to justify actions because we think OUR way is better or right, even if we are actually going against the principles behind the label of Christian.
In the end, the journey will be both incredible and unbearable, a grasping for grace and wholeness that will end the day I leave this earth. Until then I search to find my beliefs, my road, and put my soul entwined with God's. I do not question the path I have to take, for it is MINE alone and should bear no judgment from others. I only have to judge my own journey.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Character Depedence...
So, I really don't like 'character' items...tshirts, cups, hats, plates...you name it I just don't see the point. Rich has gotten used to me saying 'It was a cute outfit, then I spotted the stupid Pooh' It is true, Winnie the Pooh takes the brunt of my dislike, for which I cannot explain. But then again I was not raised with videos, movies, or much television.
Where is this all going you say! Observing how much toddlers are dependent on their 'characters' as friends. EVERY THING has to be about Pooh, Dora, Barbie, Spiderman, Cars...you get the point. What happened to imagination? More and more I see kiddos reliant on entertainment from their tv friends, refusing sippies that don't have the 'right' character, coloring books must be a certain cartoon.
Seriously, there are tantrums happening over these things and parents are giving in. What happened to being the adult and kids learning about disappointment. Or have we just become a nation so 'tired' from the stresses that we give in.
So I have declared war on this dependence and am trying to instill an imagination in Nora. She's only allowed 1 hr of tv per day, although there a couple days a week when that 's a little more. We color, play with blocks, do playdough, and soon I'll introduce paint!
Where is this all going you say! Observing how much toddlers are dependent on their 'characters' as friends. EVERY THING has to be about Pooh, Dora, Barbie, Spiderman, Cars...you get the point. What happened to imagination? More and more I see kiddos reliant on entertainment from their tv friends, refusing sippies that don't have the 'right' character, coloring books must be a certain cartoon.
Seriously, there are tantrums happening over these things and parents are giving in. What happened to being the adult and kids learning about disappointment. Or have we just become a nation so 'tired' from the stresses that we give in.
So I have declared war on this dependence and am trying to instill an imagination in Nora. She's only allowed 1 hr of tv per day, although there a couple days a week when that 's a little more. We color, play with blocks, do playdough, and soon I'll introduce paint!
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