Wait, no blog post??

To all my faithful readers... no, I have not forgotten to post the last few days. Been trying to get the blog over to WordPress but having some issues. I will hopefully put at least one post here by later tonight.

Thank you to all my readers. Live long and prosper and be healthy!

RPG Blog post +10

The other night, out of no where, I actually had this thought come through my head: I wonder what armor class King David had.

Now, I must admit, I've never really played any Roll Playing Games (RPGs). I tried here and there but apparently sarcasm towards the DM isn't something you want to use if you want your character to stay alive (DM: "You must use the net of capturing to bind the enemy." Me: "Then what, the Sword of cutting to finish him off or the toaster of toasting to make him breakfast?" Yeah, didn't last long in high school...college didn't work either). But I did laugh my head off one day at the mall when I saw a dude wearing a shirt that read "Invisibility Shirt +10"

RPGs take us into another world. A world run by kinds and queens or with family clans fighting to stay alive or to a place where valor, honor and courage still live though still flawed. They are places of visions, of mystery, and a place of rules.

Some time back, I was helping someone look for a Bible who had never had one before. He said he was told to get the book of Luke. He was shocked when I informed him that the Bible had 66 books. After he realized they were short books put into one compilation (You know, like they do with story arcs in X-men), he wanted to know more. I told him about the New Testament which contained stories of Jesus and letters from Paul along with God's assurance of safety found in Revelation. He then asked about the Old Testament. "Well," I said smiling, "that's where all the sex and violence is at." He starred at me blankly and said "In the bible?"

Yep. Sex and violence in the Bible. You have warrior kings, you have men and women who fight hard and viciously (One lady named Jael drove a tent stake through a dude's head. They Ladies also are awesome in this book). You have men who speak in riddles and see visions. One of these men was surrounded by chariots of fire and was taken up in flames.

Now, King David, that dude was great. He was a warrior class character. High armor classification. Huge charisma rating. It was as if everything was +20 for him and he rolled it every time. Slaying a giant with a tiny stone in one turn. An amazing tactician in the battle field. But he was also flawed. And he is very real.

Now, when it comes to Jesus, there is no + anything. He didn't need anything, he was it. He was it all. I always had to roll the dice, but the DM, who knew the journey, who knew what was coming next, acted and did what was needed based upon the journey written.

In the Old Testament, we have the sex and violence and flawed humanity. In the New Testament, we have Jesus, the most powerful, strong, amazing person ever who humbly denied it all. To get to the level of Jesus, we'd have to roll +bajillion, which will never happen. No matter how you roll the dice, it'll never happen. But with him, there's no need to do so. He's taken it all upon himself. Died and is raised to life..and not as a zombie either! But more powerful like when Gandalf came back.

Strength and valor and the Journey are there. They exist. They are real. The greatest Journey you can ever go on requires no dice, no DM but Jesus. He can lead you to an amazing Journey n one could ever make up.

What is your journey?

Rediscovering

Dude. I'm rediscovering the awesomeness of an apple. Weird huh? I know. But they're all like crunchy and then sweet and portable. I mean.. dude, it's actually good. When did fruit start tasting so good? Maybe it's the fact that they're worth 0 points on Weight Watchers (For men, gotta emphasize it's the "Weight Watchers for Men" version 'cause I'm still a dude and all that). It's the weirdest thing.

Now, I'm on my own strange journey (no, not one the Grateful Dead would sing about) of doing this. I did it on my own in my own weird way and lost weight. But now, now I need to admit I need help. And help so far has been tasting good. Beef Jerky's been 3 points for an ounce of it.. which is roughly what a regular slim jim is or Jack Links. Still trying to figure out how much burgers are that I make on the grill.

One of the biggest things I've been noticing about me is that I'm constantly checking how many points something is on my phone app (by the way, squirrel and beaver are both 1 point. Caribou bone marrow is 22, go figure). Now, this is where I'm going to Jesus Juke myself. I need to spend just as much energy on my spiritual health as well. (ohhh.. that hurt just typing it).

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Joshua 1:8

Ouch.. okay.. yeah...I gotcha. If you thought counting points on Weight Watches was hard. Try to read through 1 & 2 Chronicles and Leviticus.

It's hard. It's tough to do. Then I recently read this

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8

Wonder how many points that'll be?

So much more in there to rediscover. And it'll be hard. Hard to try to rediscover good things. Hard sometimes to rediscover the sweetness of God's word. But taste and see. And don't be afraid.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

What might you rediscover?

Points to ponder

I gave up. I decided I needed help. A year ago, I was under my goal weight and was joyfully trying to figure out my new goal weight. I was under 300lbs for the first time in 10 years! Then we moved to South Dakota where the main recipe in a lot of the food here is a pinch of awesome. You want good farm cookin where the steak you're chowin down on just mooed three days ago, come to South Dakota.

Then it happened. Slowly at first. It crept up on me. First I noticed my collar was getting a bit to tight when I tied my tie. Then I noticed my pants were starting to hurt a little bit if I sat down too long (and that's at the natural waist line, none of this over/under stuff for me). I queitly one day snuck out and bought a cheap pair of jeans that were a size bigger. No one had to know. Not even me. Then I had to get a larger dress shirt and that's when it hurt.

And so, I began the ever spiral of self pitty and Pillsbury Chocolate icing. A number of stressful life factors came in as well. But still, I used the icing to smooth over the cracks of pain. I began hitting the gym more and harder. I was feeling more fit. I was feeling better. I was still hovering around 330 though. And I couldn't get it below 328.

Finally, as a birthday present, I was given a three month membership to Weight Watchers. That girly thing? Where Jennifer Hudson and others advertise how it's helped them. I'm all in but the only girlish figure I want is my wife standing next to me. No, no no, they have Weight Watchers for men. So, is this like where you can eat more meat and less veggies? Nope. But it does have a cool iPhone app.

On Sunday, we had cake. My first thought: How many points. Yeah. that's right. I didn't think of anything else. Not the fact that it was in celebration of 70 years of marriage for a couple in our church, not that, the points.

I'm also realizing I'm stingy too. I'm eating more fruits not because they're good for me. No. Because they're 0 points. ya. Nada, zippo. So, if I want to eat ice cream at night and it's 2 in the afternoon. I save my points by munching on an apple.

But at the same time it's like "but I like a ton of mayo on my burgers." Nope. 9 points for 3 tablespoons of that stuff.

So, I'm not eating exactly what i want but I know I can have some burgers and ice cream. Still figuring out these points. I also read a post this morning on Robshep.com about the same thing. So I'm not the only dude trying to figure all this out.

So, I'll ask the same questions he did: Have you ever done weight watchers? Have you lost weight? What'd you think of it?

Skadoosh

You ever been watching a show or a movie and realize "Hey! They got that idea from somewhere else!" You know, like how Shakespeare got his ideas for 12th Night, Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet from She's the Man, 10 Things I Hate About You and West Side Story? Yeah. Exactly.

I've been listening to the Bible through Youversion.com's Bible app. I've had to do some long drives lately (well, out here in South Dakota, pretty much everything's a long drive) and have been listening through Genesis the last little while.

It was then that I realized something. The story of Joseph is a lot like Kung Fu Panda!

Now, please, before you go and grab something to eat and walk away forever, bear with me (Ha! I said bear..panda, bear...moving on). They both begin with a prophecy. Actions happen to prevent the prophecy from happening and in fact are the very actions that create how the prophecy will come to fulfillment.

Po and Joseph are both gifted and also are different from everyone else. When placed in difficult circumstances, they remain who they are with integrity and also grow as a person in their gifts. In the end, both are placed in a position of importance in order to help save their families and loved ones.

Did I just blow your mind? No? Well...that's a bit awkward...moving on...

The story of Po resonates with the story of Joe for me because both these young men were placed in difficult circumstances and remained true to themselves and their beliefs. Po geeked out about Kung Fu (holla! for the geeks) and Joseph was true to his faith in God and trusting that God was faithful. They never let go of that. And in fact, it is because of who they were that they were able to do what they did. When they were in a tough situation, they used what they already knew, what they already could do in order to work through that tough situation.

Are you going through something that just down right stinks right now...worse than Po's pits? We're all going to have that moment at one time or another. If someone tells you otherwise then they're trying to sell you something.

God has given you exactly what you need to do what you need to do for him and what you need to make it through this situation you're in. Or, as the Vulcans say "Only Nixon could have gone to China."

When we're in situations that are tough, that are hard, that tax us, push us, stretch us and make us think we can't do it. Stop. You have exactly what you need to do what needs to be done. Have that confidence to know that God is at work, that in Jesus, you can do it. Don't sell yourself short!

Now I just gotta figure out that really cool pinky of death move Po used.

Skadoosh.

Pain Hurts

"Some say pain is an illusion. Others say pants are. Pain is weakness leaving the body, pants are nakedness leaving the body. " Anonymous (for a reason I think)

I heard it in football, I heard it in weight lifting--play through the pain. No Pain, no gain. In someways, I understand. Don't let a little thing get in the way. In the playoffs last year, Cutler played on a broken leg. He played through the pain. In weight lifting, the pain or burn that you feel are the muscle fibers snapping under the strain. This snapping or breaking of the muscle fibers is what causes the muscles to grow bigger. The same is true in sports and conditioning. The harder you push, the pain hits and then you're body recovers and mends so that it can withstand what you put it through. But the body has limits too.

Pain also is a message to your body to stop. Fire hurts. Stop touching it. You're elbow doesn't bend that way. Stop. Other times, it is a sign that the body is healing itself. I had dental work done yesterday and boy howdy does it hurt like a kick in the head by a mule. But a lot of work was done on that section and now the body is healing and repairing and it frakin hurts like the dickens.

Pain isn't seen it's felt. And the signs of pain can be seen on people no matter how hard we try to hide it. There's also too much pain. There's diseases such as Fibromyalgia (a very real disease) which causes constant pain and fatigue. Other times there is cancer which can cause insurmountable pain that you have a hard time dealing with it.

Pain hurts.

So does emotional and spiritual pain. And that pain almost never is seen but it is strongly felt. We don't like to admit these types of pain. It shows that we are weak. That we can't handle things. We have a hard enough time admitting our physical pain, it's even harder to admit our emotional and spiritual pain.

Yet, we have a promise for healing those as well. And it can be tough. Tough to admit to ourselves and tough to admit to God. Yet, we hear these words

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Now, I'm not promising it all will be perfect, but there is a promise that you can make it through a lot better than you might be now. Jesus can change your attitude on how you deal with the pain.

Control how you deal with the pain don't let it control you.

What pain are you dealing with now? How can Jesus change the way you deal with it?

Bow ties are cool

Or that's at least what the 11th Doctor says. You're probably thinking "Wait a second. This isn't Friday. Why're we having a Spiritual Sci-Fi Friday on a Monday?" Well, we're not. I just needed an introduction into my journey trying to tie a bow tie for the first time.

I figured I'd try something different this last Sunday while preaching. I sometimes feel like Micheal Douglas in that movie Falling Down when I wear a short sleeve shirt and a tie. The problem is, is that it's so blasted hot right now in the summer time that I pretty much need to wear a short sleeve shirt.

So, after hearing a number of times from Doctor Who that bow ties are cool, I figured I'd get one and wear it to preach in. Bow ties are also hard to tie.

I looked up on the internet a variety of different sites on how to tie a bow tie. Each one had the same answer. Each one was hard. My fingers fumbled, my neck got choked and I muttered certain words under my breath. In short, I got frustrated. And more frustrated and even more frustrated. I started yelling at the bow tie as if it was its fault that I couldn't tie the blasted thing.

And then, I tied it. I was elated. It was Saturday night and I tied the bow tie all myself. So, I tried again and got it. YES! I was ready for Sunday morning.

Come Sunday morning, my fingers couldn't remember what they had done the night before. It started getting closer to church time, I started pushing harder to get that blasted thing tied. I didn't even want to wear it anymore but God help me I was going to get it tied if it was the last thing I did.

I think I was getting too frustrated and yelling at the mirror too much because my kids ran and hid. I gave up. I put on a regular tie. Of course, in all my attempt to tie a bow tie, I completely forgot how to tie my tie. ERG!

Later that evening, after I took a nap (and I so needed one) and calmed down, I came across this Youtube video.



Simple. Straight forward. Yes! And I tied it. And I looked dorky but loved it.
Moral of the story? Well, not sure if I have one really. But what I did learn is that when I get frustrated, I get frustrated and I begin to make more mistakes. And then I get more frustrated. I think that we do this when we're exercising, when we're dealing friends, loved one, family, spouses, we get frustrated and more frustrated and then blow up. We can even do that with God.

My suggestion? God created naps. Take one. You'll feel better.

Are there times where you could probably use a nap when you get way frustrated?