How’s That Working For Ya?

Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Don’t we all do that at times? We have our way of doing things and keep doing it that way even if it’s not working.

When I began the journey to lose weight I didn’t know what was going to be involved. I took the first step of confessing to God, myself and others that I needed to lose weight and I knew the first action was to start eating less. Beyond that I didn’t have a plan.

I admitted to God that I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have the strength or willingness in myself. It was then that God put things together. He brought people and tools to me. I let all of my ideas go and accepted the wisdom of others.

It can be hard to admit that “my” way hasn’t worked. It can even be harder to have to do it someone else’s way. “I’ll do anything but that” is a common thing we tell ourselves. I think that many times God frustrates our own plans because he wants us to have to admit we need him and others to succeed.

Many times it can be like our attitude towards prayer; it’s the last thing we do when all else fails. How much better to start with humility - I can’t do it; I need help, is what God loves to hear. You may be surprised how much other people can help too.

So, how’s that working for ya?

Here is a link to posts about my weight loss journey.

Philip

You Can't Outrun Your Mouth

I lost the sack of cement

I use this cement on a regular basis, mostly for setting fence posts. I usually have to carry it to the backyard – something I dislike doing very much. Each sack weighs 50 pounds.

One day I realized that I was carrying the sack with me everywhere I went. You see, I was at least 50 pounds overweight. I had thought about that before but this day was different.

So, two things had to happen. I had to admit it to God and I had to admit it to other people. I was scared. I loved food and lots of it. Did I really want to give that up? Could I even do that? I couldn’t.

I admitted to God what was going on in my life. Food occupied a place that was way too big. I was powerless. I needed His help. I needed more than help, I needed power. I admitted the same to a group of friends and to my wife.

This all began towards the end of July. I had no plan. I would start by eating less. I didn’t want to just lose weight; I needed a life change that could last for life. I wasn’t interested in a diet.

I started small: less on the plate and I tried to eat slower. I realized that my eating was quantity over quality. I wanted to be stuffed at the end of a meal. Most of the time I didn’t even taste what I was eating; it was like a feeding frenzy. Seconds would pass and the food was gone.

God was working on my behalf. My desires began to change. I started feeling a little different about food. He brought tools across my path that would make all the difference.

This week the scale brought the good news: the cement sack was gone. I was 51 pounds lighter than last July. I felt like I had gone through a miracle transformation. I still have somewhere around 10 pounds to go before I reach an ideal weight. I know God made this possible. He did what I couldn’t do. He made the changes in my heart that no amount of self-determination or discipline could. I’m glad to admit that I am weak. I’m glad to see His strength on display.

Later I will tell you about some of the things I have learned and how they came about. There were no quick-fix diets or miracle weight loss potions or obsessive exercise routines. I am living a different life than before. I still love making and eating good food but it is different now. I am enjoying quality over quantity. Food is starting to find its right place in my life.

I can’t even begin to describe how good it feels not to be carrying that 50 pound sack around.

Here is a link to posts about my weight loss journey.

Philip

You Can't Outrun Your Mouth

Why marijuana shouldn’t be legal

Marijuana makes you lazy and stupid – at least that was my experience. I’ve seen the same effect in many other people too. Do we really want more of that?

Colorado legislators are back in session and for many, one of their goals is to further liberalize the marijuana law on the way to full legalization.

Their guise this year is tying up loose ends and fixing the law from last year. What a joke. The only fixing going on is making it easier to get marijuana or to be one of the dealers.

I know some of my friends argue that the war on drugs like marijuana is a lost cause. I think the same could be said of many other laws such as the ones forbidding underage drinking. Just because a law is hard to enforce or expensive to enforce is not a reason to give up – at least that is what I think.

It now looks like a result of the liberalizing of “medical marijuana” is an increase in adolescent usage. That is bad on many levels. Aside from my concern of what that does for their motivation, there are studies showing a detrimental effect on their developing brain. As a society we are going to suffer some serious consequences in the future.

We probably need to come up with some better ideas of what to do to deter marijuana use – especially in youth and what to do when users violate drug laws but legalization would have a far higher price than the so called war on drugs has.


Another story in the news today is of a Jefferson County high school cafeteria manager who was arrested for supplying marijuana to her daughter’s friends and other children. This “cool-mom” had a medical-marijuana license – no surprise.

Maybe this explains why so many kids were asking for seconds on the brownies. We’ll see if her defense in court was that she was trying to do her part to alleviate the pain and suffering in the world. Hopefully this high school will not be so high after her arrest.

Philip

Change?

Why is it that even though we want things to change in our life, when presented with the very tools to bring about that change, we become resistant? "That is not what I had in mind." "I want change but not in that way."

Maybe this shows our stubbornness. Even though our way hasn't worked, we bristle at another way - especially someone else's way - or maybe... God's way.