Don't Eat Me Week #2

2 weeks= 22.6 pounds

Trucking right along!!  I really didn't expect to lose this much weight this fast.  We will see if it keeps happening.  Who knows?

My new target weight is now 170.

"Nothing New Under The Sun"

As I watch " The New Knight Rider" I can't help but think how bad it is.  After 58 minutes of the show, I've realized that they've done a horrible job trying to recreate the original.

 This episode is an exact rip off of Gone in 60 seconds & Fast and The Furious all rolled into one big TV mess.

Why do companies try to do this?  Why can't people be creative, think of new thoughts, come up with new ideas?  I often hear the quote "there is nothing new under the sun".   Sometimes I feel like that's a great cop-out for people not to use their brains or be creative. That's also a misuse of the scripture in it's original context.

 I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't think you've got to recreate the wheel, and many times we should follow the lead if the leader is worth following.

 If you can't use an old idea and make it better, or you decrease it's value or reputation with your use of it, please stop.

When I see " The New Knight Rider" It reminds me of how we Christians have been ripping off  secular ideas for years and claiming them as our own.  Many times in completely embarrassing ways.

 Examples:

Abreadcrum and fish  (Abercrombie and Fitch)

Got Jesus?    (Milk Commercial)

Dance Praise Dance Pad  (Dance Dance Revolution)

Scripture Solitaire             (Solitaire)

Guitar Praise Hero/Christian Rock Band   (Guitar Hero)

Scripture Mints

Hisway- the right way  (Burger King)

Hisway-   this can also be used as the subway logo.

Jesus Christ- The Only Superhero  (superman logo with JC in the middle)

My Victory Lane Is In Heaven  (Nascar)

Jesus Inside  (Intel)

Jesus, Have you spoke to him lately  (Ford)

All Faith  (All State Insurance)

Teenage Jesus Worshiping Christians (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Faith Book  (Facebook)

I could go on for days, but will spare your time.

One day, it would be nice if we were the ones leading the industries and companies were copying us. Right now, it's completely the opposite.  It's no wonder why people make fun of us.  

Our God is creative, and we are made in his image, maybe it's time we start acting like it.

I'm just sayin'

P.S. 1. My prediction is that Knight Rider doesn't make it past the first year.

        2. Ford must be paying big money to make this show happen.

Don't Eat Me Week # 1

Week one= 191

14 pounds the first week.   A lot more than I expected !! Let's see if I can't keep it going.

They say the first week is where you lose a lot of your weight.. Because a lot of if is water weight.  The problem will be keeping it off and progressing downward.

Only 11 hard pounds to go.  maybe if I'm lucky I'll shoot for 20.

Thank you to all of you who are keeping me accountable!

J

Don't Eat Me...

So here's the deal... I've done a lot of looking in the mirror lately and I'm not the man I want to be... I'm not talking mentally or spiritually although those two things need work. But, I am talking physically. 

It all started with this sudden epiphany from God as I climbed to the top of the A & M stadium... ok well maybe it wasn't an epiphany but my own body telling me that I was way out of shape and have been for the past 3 years.

I realized after watching the latest Chase bank commercial and catching their new slogan "Chase Importance" that it hit me.. Even though that's the same message the church has been screaming for hundreds of years and even though  I've stood on stages time and time again proclaiming those exact things... I realized that I've let the unimportant things take over the important things in my life.  One of those is my health.

So here's where I need your help.  I need to lose 25 pounds or so. Right now I'm 205 lbs and for all you math majors out there, you've already discovered my target weight is 180.

Every week, I will be posting a picture of the scale.  I need you to hold me accountable.

My plan: 

1. Increased physical activity (2 miles a night, gym, and vball one or two nights a week)

2. Less caloric intake.  (no more ultimate cheeseburgers and double quarter pounders)

3. An increased amount of protein as well as water ( I hate water)

 Thus burning more calories than consumed causing my body to burn more fat at an accelerated rate, thus causing weight loss.

I need to burn 3500 additional calories a week for every one pound of fat that I want to lose.  That's 70,000 extra calories that I have to burn over the next several months, not including my standard caloric requirements at 205.

So, when you see me, ask me how I'm doing.  According to my site meter on the blog I get an approximate two hundred hits per week.  I will need all of your help.

Thanks

Concerned Sluggard

All Bark And No Bite...

I read this article today from Collide and thought it was dead on...

Today, a lot of the world tuned in as Apple announced the release of updated iPods and iTunes, but no one was really impressed.

Over the past few years, Apple has consistently astonished the world with its new products. From new operating systems, to thinner notebooks, to the new iPhone, Apple has dazzled us and created an expectation that every release to follow will do the same. But there’s no way Apple could hit a home run every time. Today, we experienced this. The release of the new iPod Nano, iPod Touch, and iTunes 8 wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. Nothing really impressive. Nothing we haven’t seen before. Just a pretty new shell. All in time for the holiday shopping season.

Apple has managed to create such hype around every product release that no other company can even match it. Who cares that Microsoft released a new Zune today or that Sony created the worlds thinnest LCD TV? Other companies release and refresh products all the time and no one cares, but when it comes to Apple, the whole world seems to look on. The problem is, when you create so much hype around your products, you must deliver. Apple failed to do that today and the world was let down. So why does this matter?

As a church/business, when you launch a new ministry/venture, event, service, or website, it is greatly important to create a lot of hype around the launch. Build it up, pass out flyer, send mailers and email blasts; whatever works, do it. But be careful. What you are promoting is even more important than the hype itself. If what you’ve built up isn’t all it’s hyped up to be, it will quickly fall flat and fail. If you create an expectation but don’t deliver, people will be disappointed and let down. The newness of something, in itself, is enough to impress for a while, but that will quickly wear off.

Learn from Apple’s mistake: If you are creating hype around a launch, you must deliver beyond the expectations.

 Here's just a few companies who have nailed it with their long term marketing strategies and name.

Kleenex

Chap Stick

Coke

Q Tips

Pampers

By the way:  I still heart Apple!!!

7 Years Later..

Last post I took a look back at what I learned as an intern 7 years ago.

 This week: Things I'm currently learning from the leaders I get to work beside everyday.

Although the list is long, I will keep it brief:

From PB (the boss)

1. Constantly push your staff to new heights, and take them places they never thought they can go. 

2. Just because you are the boss, doesn't mean you get to work less.  

(He is the hardest working, and most driven man I know)

3. Laugh at yourself

4. Work well with your team. (Even though he has the authority to make every decision, he is always asking input from our team)

5. Think Big- always look forward to what is next ahead!

(he is constantly thinking 3-5 years down the line, Rome wasn't built in one day)

6. Learn to separate and set healthy boundaries

 (everyone always wants something from him)

7. Push your leaders to be better leaders

From Steve:

1. Lead well from the second chair

(the man is a great leader, everyone comes to Steve w/all of our junk looking for advice)

2. Learn to rest

3. Persevere in the hard times

4. Invest in mentorship

5. Love people

6. It's ok not have to have all the answers right now.

From Beth:

1. Woman can be great leaders!

2. Delegate well

3. Know your strengths and weaknesses 

Things I'm learning about myself over of the past year:

1. I'm to cynical and judgmental

2. I can't say no

3. It's hard for me to relax and take a day off

4. I hate being called a techie...

Things I Learned As A 19 Year Old Punk Intern

As I was sitting at the table with the two smartest men I know today. The topic of interns came up. As we sat there and talked about it, I finally realized how much I learned as an Intern. Here's the list:

 From CCBC and It's Leadership Staff:  

1. Quit being a punk. 

2. Learn to respect authority. 

(Sorry John Mark, I was a PUNK!)

3. Just because you have an opinion doesn't mean you've got to share it all the time

From Brian:  I could go on and on here, but heres the short list from him:

3. I was a messy roommate!  (Sorry Brian)  

4. Your title and your paycheck don't reflect your importance to a ministry. 

**we could have never made it without him

5. Learn to give yourself away.  

**He bought me more bagels for breakfast than I could ever repay him for.

6. Be yourself, never change who you are just to please others.

7. Loyalty

From Randy:

8. Learn To Take Chances On People

*He took a huge one on me!

9. Invest In Peoples Lives

*It was because of his leadership as a Student Pastor that I'm in ministry today

10.  Be versatile.  

*Don't be good at just one thing! Invest and learn other avenues in ministry

 He would often give me assignments to do that Brian was much better at and could have done in half the time.  He did that to stretch me!!

11. Learn to Delegate:

* I have to admit, I'm still working on this one!!

From Jeremy:

12. Ministry is not just 8 to 5.  Get your butt to work!

*During my first week on the job, I was a little tardy everyday :)  Jeremy sent me a not so nice email explaining to me the importance of what we do, and that I needed to quit being lazy!  I thought that's what working for a church was all about.  I still know many people who think that ministry is 8 to 5. Boy are they wrong! 

13. Be A Team Player

14. Have Fun 

* It was his idea that we go through the car wash with me on top of the car for a video!!

15. Challenge Students Intellectually 

From Holly:

16. True Friendships Are Better Than Anything On This Planet

*I've never laughed so much in my life!

17. Shut Up and Listen To People, because Many times they are trying to pour out their lives to you.

18. Marble Slab Is Good!!!

From Elizabeth:

19. Just because it's not your ministry, doesn't mean it's not important

* I showed up to VBS Drama Practice without knowing my lines, she gave me the look and told me I better memorize them if I wanted to be on stage.  From that day forward, I don't step on any stage un-prepared no matter what it is!  It's my first priority as a speaker!

From Jessica:

20. Learn To Laugh & Don't Take Yourself So Seriously!

Trust Me, That's on a small portion of the list. What a great learning experience!

Thank you guys, and sorry I was a punk!!

Next blog: The things I'm learning today 7 years later!