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!

What Would Jesus Twitter?

I have found myself lately becoming an "evangelist" for Twitter.  The more I research the company, the more I become intrigued by who actually twitters.   

Presidential Candidates, fire stations reporting on the latest fire, airline companies posting huge discounts, CNN, MTV, Whole Foods, Day Cares, Churches, twitter from Kenya, twitter from Hong Kong, twitter from the moon, twitter from mars.  You name it and it's being twittered by and about.

I've began to wonder, why has twitter become so popular?  The same reason, that Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, Loopt, Hictu and Pownce have.

There all based on one simple fact: People need community, they have a need to feel connected, they were created to live, move and breathe with others.  It's started from the very beginning. It was part of the plan.. the divine plan. God has created you and I to do life together, to share, laugh, cry, play and work together. People need community.  Twitter is just another part of that connection.

 

I've slowly seen Twitter and Facebook change the way we communicate as a staff and that as a Church.  It will soon take president in the way we promote series, events and cast vision.

 So would Jesus Twitter? What would he say? Can you even tell a parable in less than 2 sentences? How would he use his 140 characters to change lives?  Maybe since he's Jesus aka God he gets more twitter space? ...I don't know.. I"m just asking

Here's what Twitter constantly reminds me of..  LIFE IS BRIEF!!

You get 140 characters to set the intro, plot, climax and conclusion..  You've got to use those characters wisely to tell your story.

Life is brief, connect with the people around you and Use your 140 characters wisely...

I Live in the Mouse's House

That's right, there is a mouse in my house, and I've named him Walter.  To be honest, Walter although looks very cute kinda scares me. (Not surprising I know)  I mean the little dude crawled right out in the middle my floor and tried to eat my pizza. (Yes I had a plate of pizza on the floor) 

He also tried to hide out in my shoe, so I did what any sensible man would do, I threw pennies at him.  Walter didn't respond well to the pennies, and apparently that's no way to catch a mouse.

Since then I've devised a plan with good ol' peanut butter. We'll see if it works.

As I was thinking about how Walter has taken control of my house, I realize the same thing is true about some of the junk in our lives.  Although it can seem cute & harmless at times, it causes us to live in a way that God doesn't intend for us to live and robs us of our purpose and joy.

What are the things in our lives that no one knows about, and that hide out in the deep cabinets of our soul? What are the things that cause us to miss our purpose and joy? 

What is our plan to rid ourselves away from it?

Just something to think about...

 In other local news:  I'm back on the teaching block this week, thankful to be back because I've missed it deeply.

Just some thoughts about a mouse...