Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

How does that saying go? The only way to kill a zombie is to blow off its...head, right? Okay, so why zombies? Well, honestly, the majority of people find my blog by searching for zombies. Seriously. I get hits on my blog with search words like: zombies, pics of zombies, zombie Jesus (yes, seriously, say it with me: Zombie. Jesus.), zombie apocalypse, etc. And they all stem from one post (which you can read here). I wrote it sometime back for a Spiritual Sci-Fi Friday. (Which, by the way, this isn't, just to let you know).

So why Zombies? Well, they're in popular culture right now I guess. Real big too. Now, with Zombies, you have rules. You can find these rules at Zombielandrules.com. And rule number one: Cardio. Yes, that's right. Cardio. (Of course, Rule 21 is stay away from strip clubs, but if you ask me, that should be a no brainer if zombies are attacking, that's like the last place you wanna go to tell the truth.)

And now here's the kicker, recently from a tweet from Think Geek.com, I saw this video and fell in love. Check it.


Honestly, I just gotta say wow! Now that's a way to put a passion, pop culture and exercise to a great fusion together.

Now, of course, I'm not going to make any Zombie Jesus jokes (again, say it with me: Zombie. Jesus.) Jesus, of course, isn't a zombie. That's a whole 'nother raising from the dead thing that deals with the power of the Holy Spirit and is probably a Spiritual Sci-Fi Friday someday.

But right now, what I like about this video is that there's some fun and play in getting encouragement to run. I'm not a runner and I'd probably be that idiot who some how survives. But what I do like is that encouragement that's given.

And honestly, getting over this blasted walking pneumonia (my Megatron right now if you will) I need all the encouragement I can get. I'm looking forward to the all clear to start lifting again and hitting the heavy bag. Getting ready to maybe not be the idiot that survives or the idiot that survives by punching zombies. I'm not sure.

What about you, how do you get encouragement in working out?

Get your dent on

Weight is something I've struggled with all my life. Since I was a kid I've been called fat, overweight and, well, some very nasty words as well. I wore size husky in everything. Looking back on those pictures of me as a kid, I wasn't fat at all. I was big. I was tall and big for my age. People thought I was two or three years older than I really was. One teacher thought I was lying to her when I said I was never held back a grade or three.

For as long as I can remember, I've always been trying to put a dent in my weight. In high school, I looked at going into the Navy. No offense to the Navy or the rest of our armed services, but not the best for one's sense of self worth when you're told the only way you'll ever be accepted in life is to be thinner.

In college, I dropped down to my healthiest weight yet. But according to all the charts, I was still considered obese. Of course, according to the charts, to be what they want me to be I'd have to be skin and bones.

In Seminary, I struggled with a lot of school work, etc and gained way too much weight. In 2004, I started to put a dent into it. By 2010, I'd lost 100lbs (or more. When I was at my heaviest, no one had a scale that would weigh me outside of a zoo.) In December of 2010, I was up 15 pounds. In February, I was up 20. In May, I was up 30 and rising.

I decided it was time to put a dent in it again. Step by step. Minute by minute. And today, I've lost 5lbs since I started.

One of the things that's been helpful for me has been encouragement from friends and family. It's also been coming back to listening to or reading God's word. I know, I know, so cliche, but honestly, this blog is called Spiritual Musclehead (or as I like to say, come for the zombies, stay for Jesus).

We're so fearfully and wonderfully made. Our physical health affects our emotional/mental and spiritual health. Our emotional/mental health affects our spiritual and physical health and our spiritual health does the same.

And so I trudge on. Sometimes I really don't want to eat that apple. But with zero points for an apple vs a candy bar, well, I'm gonna be stingy and go for that. I don't always want to take that time to read or to pray but I know it's needed for my own health and journey. Other times, I so look forward to it all. I so look forward to eating something good and healthy (I know, scary , huh?).

It's amazing what God can truly do.

What are you doing to keep healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually?

Zombies and Mayans and the Rapture! Oh My!

The zombies are coming! The zombies are coming!...well, maybe not. According to a recent CDC blog, if you prepare for a zombie apocalypse then you'll be prepared for real emergencies too. There's been a number of Zombie jokes as of late (please no Zombie Jesus jokes). Which is interesting because there's also the news of the end of the world as we know it (insert REM song here). Apparently there is a church in California stating that the Rapture will be happening on May 21, which, by the way, is tomorrow.

According to this particular lay pastor, the rapture will happen tomorrow sometime and all those who've been Christians before 1988 will be raptured and taken up to heaven. So, in essence, I'm out of luck because I became a Christian in 1992.

What I find really funny is that there are many now melding the two together in some twistedly sarcastic synchronistic fashion. The believers before 1988 will be raptured and everyone else who is left over (apparently including yours truly)will face a zombiepocalypse and will have to follow the CDC rules of preparedness. I've never seen the movie Zombieland, but now I'm starting to think I probably should.

What gets me, is the fact that I thought just months ago, people were all worried about the Mayan calendar and the year 2012. There was even a movie about it. And it starred John Cusack...say it with me: John Cusack

So, what does this all mean? Well, to tell the truth, Jesus gives us a very definitive answer on this

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." Mark 13:32 NLT

“The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know." Acts 1:7 NLT

So, in others words, them guys out in California can't say for certain that it is tomorrow. Nope. Sorry. And the zombiepocalypse? That's a great way to get a point across. And the Mayan Calendar and 2012...didn't see the movie actually.

But, we do know this: be prepared. Be very prepared.

Jesus is coming back, we just don't know when. Neither do they in California. But Jesus does say this to us

"And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!" Mark 13:33

Even Jesus told us to watch out for things like the people in California (the church, not the whole state). Test it. Does it match with the Bible? Nope. Does it glorify God? Not really. Does it strengthen the church? I think it does the opposite.

So, what should we take from this?

Trust in God. Keep your eyes on Jesus. And keeping moving forward, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit. When he comes, he comes. Until then, serve and live for Christ.