P90X Baby!

Wow I know, I know, you have seen it on tv and so have I like dozens of times! And you think to yourself hmm interesting? Brutal? You name it the adjective it fits! My buddy came to me with the idea of Doing this about a month ago and I agreed to it! Little did I know what I was getting into! So I started last night right, and wow am I sore! Let me describe the start out! First you take the pictures, its how you track your progress! You take these every 30 days! I was so embarassed at what I look like now! I am, not like I am hidious looking but I just really dont like what I see in the mirror! I am determined to change it! I have gotten to the point now where I cant seem to find the motivation on my own! Not even looking in the mirror! So when my buddy talked to me about this program I was like, yeah I am in!

Last night was night one of a 90 day program! The last few times I hung out with Bo we watched some of the videos! Ha ha I was like what in the world did I agree too! Because let me tell you I have alot of lazy bones in my body! I do I'm not kidding! So this program is designed to push your body to the brink and give it your best shot! They encourage that! Dont do anything you cant do, but give it your best shot! Last night I found out that mentally I need some work as well as physically! I am going to be stretched in all areas but I know if I stick with this and give it my best, I will see results! This is testing me in all areas of my life, and I am detemined to do this and not only do it, but come out on the other side!

Practice Makes Perfect?

You know lets take a look at the phrase " practice makes perfect! " When I was a kid learning to play baseball man I would be outside throwing a tennis ball against the wall because I wanted to be a pitcher! I can still picture that same brick I always aimed for, and time after time I would throw the ball against the wall picturing myself on the mound striking out a batter! I played baseball alot when I was a kid, even played for the rec center! I played short stop and third base mostly, but I always wanted to pitch! One night I got my chance! Our pitcher got shot gunned early in the game and our second pitcher started walking people so the coach asked if anyone wanted to pitch! Well it was my chance, so I asked the coach if I could and he agreed! I was elated of course but in my mind I wasnt pitching to the catchers glove, I pictured that brick that I always practiced on! I didnt do to shabby, I pitched a few innings and eventually was added to the rotation!

Tonight I met with a friend of mine to discuss his message and while I waited on him to finish, I got to hear the Garage Band practice! The Garage Band is the youth band at Crossroads and they are really good! As Chris my friend was guiding them through some steps musically I watched as they practiced and was digging what I saw from them! I saw good effort! But it was what he said afterwards that really got my wheels turning! What is worship? He gave a brief explaination of how he came to his knowledge of what worship is! He said worship has very little to do with instruments! Worship has little to do with music? Like really? He said that as a leader you discover that worship has everything to do with lifestyle and that is so true! So what are you practicing for? To make what perfect? Worship? What is perfect? Does it mean flawless? That is one meaning of it, but what about mature? Practice makes a satisfying development? Hmmmm could be on to something there! Could practicing to love like Jesus loved, could that make a difference? Could practicing to worship God like Jesus did, think we would develop a better way of living?
I think this year I am going to practice worship more often, I think I am going to practice loving others, I am going to practice Loving God more, and maybe, just maybe something will happen, you think?

Mighty To Save!

( Psalm 59:17 (New Living Translation)
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. )

Tonight as I sit and read I youtubed my favorite worship song, Mighty To Save! I listened to countless people from Hillsongs to Chris Tomlin to some church in well I dont know where the result was the same! The lyrics draw you to a point where you find yourself at the mercy of a loving God! This song captures hope like none before it in my opinion! I have sang this song countless times and many of those it has brought me to tears! The lyrics take me as you find me, with all of my fears and failures, fill my life again! If your like me you have both! No other religion could you say this, to no other god could you come to them and say take me as you find me, with all of my fears and failures, fill my life again without paying some kind of price you cant pay, and sacrificing something that you would never have to just to recieve that, yet Jesus paid that price for me!

A real man came down from a real Heaven, to pay a real price so that when I do screw up and make a mess out of not only my life but the direction it is going, I can ask God to fill my life again! I dont know about you, maybe you havent experienced that fact, maybe you havent experienced making a mess out of life, maybe you havent experienced the love and forgiveness and the overwhelming peace that God gives as His mercy wraps itself around you like a shield and tell's you its ok! Its alright, I forgive you! Maybe you have never been weakened by your failures or crippled by your fears! I know I have! I know the creeping thoughts that keep my mind from escaping to freedom! I have also experienced the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus!

I invite you to youtube that song, listen to the words, let them soak into your heart from your ears and allow that peace that can only come from a loving God to shield you from your preconcieved ideas that you are trapped by your fears and failures and experience the compassion and love that God is and has! And give your life to follow Him, give it all! all of your fears, beliefs, ideas, dreams, failures, triumphs, tears, words, thoughts, give them to Him and let God begin a new chapter in the book that is your life!

Everything Changes tomorrow!

Today is a great day in human history! Martin Luther King Jr, a day we celebrate a true reformer! A man who despite the danger set before him brought change through love for one another! His speeches today inspire just as much if not more than the day they were said! Martin Luther King Jr's life is to be celebrated and the accomplishments he had as well! I dont care who you are, you should google the " I Have a Dream " speech and read it! What a difference 24 hours makes! I know alot of people are happy about tomorrow , alot of people see hope, alot of people see change, alot of people see fear, alot of people see prejudice, alot of people see an Obama nation, alot of people see an abomination, alot of people are happy, alot of people arent happy at all, alot of people will be in Washington, alot of people will watch on tv, alot of people will be happy they are working during the inauguration, alot of people will be upset they are working during the inauguration, alot of history will be made, alot of words will be said, alot of people are depressed, alot of people are upset, alot of people are buying guns, alot of people dont like change, alot of people dont like Obama, alot of people love Obama, alot of people dont like Bush, alot of people still like Bush, alot of people will cry tomorrow, alot of people will have a sense of pride tomorrow, alot of people tomorrow will be patriotic, alot of people will pray tomorrow, alot of people will smile tomorrow, and the one thing all people have in common, is Jesus loves all of them! Whether or not I like what happens tomorrow, as americans we are all in this together! I love this country, I am proud of my friends who serve this country with their lives! I am hurt for people who have said that because of tomorrow its the first time they are happy to be an american! This country has made alot of mistakes, yes thats true, but it has done alot of great things as well! Irreguardless of what happens I will always be proud to be an American! May God continue to bless America!