Down Down Down

Diet update...

It seems like so long ago that I couldn't break through the 20 pound mark on my diet. It is now a distant memory as I set my sights on the 30 pound mark. As of today my weight loss stands at 28 pounds. That sounds like a lot (and it is), but honestly, I'm just getting started. I don't really have a specific goal in mind, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60 pounds seems to be about right. That goal is definitely attainable by the end of the year. I'd like to enter 2016 a thin, new man.

I have not cheated on my diet in weeks and I haven't had a "bad" snack in months. The plan really is simple. Quit eating junk. Only eat enough to satisfy my hunger. Get off my butt and get some exercise. And in the immortal words of Tami's dad, "If it tastes good, spit it out!". So far the plan has been successful.

Another method I use is called, "If it's white, get it out of my sight!". White things include sugar (of course), potatoes (and other starches), flour (breads, rolls, pastries, crackers etc...), milk (unless you drink 1% or skim). I've been eating a lot of lean meats (nothing processed), salads, vegetables, eggs and drinking more water.

Summer is a difficult time to diet. I've got free time on my hands (too easy to walk to the fridge for a snack). There are cookouts every weekend and an ice cream shop on seemingly every corner. But now that I'm rolling, nothing will stop me.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today would have been my Dad's 72nd birthday. He has been gone for almost 25 years and I still miss him a lot. When a person dies at the age of 47, it's difficult to imagine what he would have looked like or what he would be up to if he was still alive.

Today is also my brother-in-law's birthday. I have no idea how old he is, and thankfully he is still alive :-)

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Meetings!

It's summer time! I sure don't miss frequent meetings at work. Here's what meetings feel like sometimes :-)

Mondays

It's a rainy Monday in June. I've always said a rainy day at home is better than a sunny day at work.

The offense of the cross

Our society today does everything possible (and I do mean EVERYTHING) to avoid offending people. Companies bow to public pressure all the time because someone claims s/he was offended. Political correctness exists for the sole purpose of not offending anyone. We can't say someone is mentally retarded anymore (this is now called the "R" word). It simply means someone is slow. It doesn't mean they are less of a person or some kind of mutant. Calling someone retarded is now considered to be mean and hateful. Isn't that ridiculous? Native Americans are offended by the team called the Washington Redskins. They say it's racist. We as Americans have developed such thin skins. You can't say anything anymore without fear of being called a racist, bigot or hate monger. It seems America is concerned about offending anyone except Christians. Right now it's open season on followers of Christ because we are supposedly so judgmental and pious. It's not true, but it's the common viewpoint today. The truth is, people are offended by the cross, the Gospel and the Bible. It makes them very uncomfortable because they know they aren't living for the one true God. They don't understand it, they're afraid of it and they reject it. The Bible says one day every tongue will confess and every knee will bow. At that point it will be too late for many. Some of you reading this may be offended. It's what the cross does.

For the record, I am not claiming to be better than anybody. Because I'm not better than anybody. I am a sinful man, but I have the assurance of the Gospel. The penalty of my sin has been paid in full by a Savior. I didn't do anything to earn or deserve this salvation. It's impossible to do anything to "earn" your way into heaven. It's only God's grace that allows it. A smart man (Jonathan Edwards, not me) once said, "The only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin that makes it necessary".

I'm a far-from-perfect man, but the Bible assures me of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It's all I need.

Landmark Decision

In an historic, landmark decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 yesterday legalizing homosexual marriage in all 50 states.

While as a human being I am inclined to feel like the people standing on the plank in the picture below, I must remind myself that God is sovereign. In His perfect will and divine plan, this court ruling will ultimately work for good and His glory ( as referenced in Romans 8:28). We, as humans, are not meant to understand how this can be, but it's true.

However, I will still exercise my right to vote and pray that other Christians do as well. God only knows what will happen if enough of us step off the plank.

I wish that I had...

If you grew up in the 80's and the thought of a new grill gets your motor running, you'll find this amusing. If not, you will have a lukewarm response to it...

Raising Teenagers

By the grace of God we are nearly finished with the teen years for our three children. Raising teenagers is difficult. There are no two ways about it. They are often moody, disagreeable, defiant, rebellious, annoying, exasperating, indifferent, apathetic, lazy and generally oblivious to anything that doesn't directly benefit them. They think they know everything and won't listen to anything adults tell them to do. Don't get me wrong, this is the way God made them and they basically can't help it. And yes, I was once an annoying teenager too. All those hormones will whack anybody out.

I once saw these sayings and I thought they accurately described what it's like to raise teenagers.

*Raising teenagers is like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree

*Raising teenagers is like being slowly pecked to death by a chicken

*Parents of teenagers know why animals eat their young

*Adolescence is a period of rapid physical changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17 parents have been known to age as much as 20 years

And while I'm on the subject of teenagers... Why is that teenagers are never seen without their phones, never miss a call or text message from their friends, but it is impossible to reach them when they're out?

And the way they speak... sheesh!



Someone once said in jest... God gives us 12 years to love our kids before they become teenagers.

In the end, we love our kids unconditionally, just as our parents did for us (and still do).

Soli Deo Gloria!

Down from the plateau

It has happened just as I said it would. I finally broke through my weight loss plateau. After several weeks of not losing a single ounce, I have lost 4 pounds in the last 5 days. It's just crazy how this works. I diet, diet, diet and nothing happens. Then all of a sudden I shed pounds like there's no tomorrow. I am pleased that my perseverance has paid off. I was beginning to get discouraged and wanted to eat some bad stuff in the worst way. But my will power pushed me through and I didn't cheat. I didn't eat one snack or ingest one calorie that wasn't within the boundaries of my diet. I have gone from a tight 38 waist to a very loose 36 (I guess this means I was probably a 39 when I started and I'm likely a 35 now). My real goal is to lose about 20 more pounds and fit comfortably into a 32 waist. Why? I'm glad you asked. When my daughter got married five years ago, my suit had 32 pants. I haven't worn that suit since the wedding and I desperately want to fit into it again. Believe it or not, I also still have the suit I graduated college in. I won't ever wear it again, but I'd like to fit into it so I can say I am the same size as I was when I was 22 years old. For the record... I only keep that old suit because my grandparents bought it for me and it is my measuring stick for my size when I was in college.

To date I have lost 24 pounds. Next stop 30 and beyond. It's nice to be able to see my feet again (without propping them up). It's also a good feeling to be able to tie my shoes and breathe at the same time. No joke there. When you bend over to tie your shoes and you can't breathe, it's time to take action.

Thanks for reading. I'm sure you're fascinated with the progress of my diet. But as I've said many times before, this blog has always been about what's on my mind at the moment. Right now that happens to be my shrinking spare tire in my midsection.

Soli Deo Gloria!

If it's not one thing

My grandma always said, "If it's not one thing, it's two or three!". I guess this is a variation of "When it rains, it pours!".

These sayings describe my life this week. Sunday night my car was parked on the street (which it rarely ever is) and a 16 year old kid backed into it and smashed my fender. The damage cost is $1,100. I sure am glad I don't have to pay it. Then yesterday my pool pump went kaput! If you know anything about pools, you know you can't live without a pump for very long. You must keep the water circulating. Over $200 later I now have a new pump. There have been other minor life annoyances lately, but those are not worth mentioning.

I am not complaining though. My family has always been blessed and God continues to provide my family with everything we need and much more.

Soli Deo Gloria!

An Unwelcome Guest

I was out in the yard today and made an alarming discovery.

Here's a photo. Do you recognize this critter?

No? How about now?

Yup! You guessed it... it's a black widow spider. It's the first one I've ever seen in person. And I am not at all happy to see one in my own yard.

Female black widow spiders are not as dangerous as you might think (unless you happen to be a MALE black widow spider, if you know what I mean). Black widows are not aggressive and only bite if threatened (if you accidentally sit on one for example). Their venom can cause muscle aches and spasms, nausea and breathing difficulties. However, fatalities are extremely rare. I still don't want them crawling around my yard or worse, coming into my house.

Ugh! Scary!

Fathers Day

Today is Fathers Day. It's a day of mixed emotions for me. While I am thrilled to be a father and grandfather, I am also saddened as I miss my own father. Dad has been gone for almost 25 years and I still miss him terribly. I am also happy that mom was able to find a wonderful man to remarry. Cliff is a remarkable person and I am glad he is in our lives. Happy Fathers Day to all you Dads out there. We have the second hardest job in the world. Make the most of every day. Our little ones grow up so fast.

I don't know who said this, but Abby found it yesterday and I thought it was fitting...

A father is someone who carries pictures where his money used to be.

Happy Fathers Day!

Little help?

If squirrels could talk... can't you just hear him?

"Uh...guys? Little help here? Hello? Guys? Where did everybody go?"

*SIGH*

Welcome, Bill

How often do you see this in Cincinnati? The weather forecast says, "Tropical Rainstorm". Of course this is referring to the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill which is bringing us a steady downpour at the moment. I'm okay with this rain though... we have needed rain for a long time and we are finally getting a good soaking. I just thought it was funny the weather report calling this a tropical rainstorm. I guess that's what it is though.

The Plateau Effect

Exactly two weeks ago, I reported a weight loss of 16 pounds on my diet. I was really pleased with my progress for only a month or so of watching what I ate. Since that time I have lost only three pounds. You may think I eased up on the diet or cheated with my food intake. This isn't true at all. In fact, not only have I eaten very little and not snacked at all, I have even increased my physical activity (lots of walking and TINY bit of running) as well. What has happened is what I call the plateau effect. Initially I lost all my water weight very quickly, but have since leveled off on a plateau. This has happened to me many times before and the only solution is to stay the course and to be patient. I have always said a diet is a marathon, not a sprint. The slower the weight comes off, the more likely I am to keep the weight off. I must confess I am growing impatient as I struggle to reach the 20 pound mark, but I know I will break that barrier soon enough. And once the barrier is broken, it seems like the weight loss really gets on a roll after that. Until then I will continue to eat nothing but healthy foods and keep on walking (and maybe even running). I hope to be a new man this year and I never want to put the weight back on.

English

And I have to teach this stuff!

Phones

We've all seen it. People are absolutely addicted to their phones. No matter where you go, people are staring at their phones and not interacting with people around them. I think the problem will only get worse.

A Pastor I'm Not

Due to a wedding yesterday in Michigan that involved a prominent family in our church, more than half the congregation was out of town. Those people out of town included all the church Elders (including the Pastor) and all the Deacons except me. This meant I was the highest ranking church leader in the whole building (scary thought!). Because of the severe shortage of church leaders yesterday, the responsibility of running the service fell to me (another scary thought). Put in simple terms, I did everything except preach the sermon yesterday. I was charged with opening the building and getting the facilities ready, greeting the congregation to open the service, making the announcements from the pulpit, leading the hymns, leading all prayers, introducing the guest Pastor and closing the service. I was only a little nervous. I wasn't nervous because I had to speak in front of people (Public speaking is really no big deal to me), but because I felt a heavy responsibility to lead the flock and not screw anything up. Everything went pretty well. I did forget to pray in one key place and went straight to the opening hymn. Afterward I simply announced I had made a "Rookie Mistake" and combined two prayers into one. The congregation didn't seem to mind. In the end I was glad to serve and help the church out of a tight spot, but I learned I am definitely not a Pastor.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Monday

Tomorrow is Monday and I don't care! I am on vacation and for the foreseeable future, Mondays can go jump in the lake! However, my vacation will zoom by as it always does and I will be dreading Mondays once more... but just not tomorrow :-)

What a pair!

Not much to be said here...

What a pair of cool dudes.

Yellow Cars

How often do you see yellow cars on the road? Think about it. You encounter hundreds (if not thousands) of cars every day. How many of them are yellow? Not many, right? There are red cars, blue cars, green cars, silver cars, white cars, black cars, tan cars, brown cars and lots of colors in between. But where are the yellow cars? This has always been a mystery to me... until now. Mystery solved. I now know where all the yellow cars are.

Here...

Just sayin'

Just saying'...

Unfortunately gentlemen are a dying breed :-(

Freedom of Speech

The kid who shot the video of the teen girl thrown to the ground by a cop said this:

Brandon said he was unnerved to see his friend tackled and pressed to the ground.
"I think she was 'running her mouth,' and she has freedom of speech, and that was very uncalled for him to throw her to the ground," he said.

Did you catch that? She has FREEDOM OF SPEECH? This kid has no idea what the U.S. Constitution means (if he even knows what the Constitution is). Freedom of speech does not mean Americans can say whatever they want, whenever they want. It doesn't mean that at all! I have freedom of speech. Does that mean I can yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater? Certainly not! Does freedom of speech mean I can threaten the President's life? No way! If I did, the FBI and Secret Service would definitely be paying me a visit. This teenage girl having freedom of speech does not mean she can berate and verbally abuse an officer of the law. Freedom of speech? Before you open your mouth again, learn what the Constitution REALLY says, Brandon. One thing I've learned about teenagers... most of them have a lot to say and have an opinion about EVERYTHING... and they have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Case in point... young Brandon from Texas. Freedom of speech indeed!

Public Servants

There is a news story out of Texas where cops had to break up a pool party with a bunch of teenagers in attendance. One cop is shown on video throwing a teen girl to the ground and putting his knees in her back to arrest her. Was this tactic necessary? I really don't know. Was there another way he could have restrained her? Probably. But if you've ever been in a situation where a large number of kids are together, you know it doesn't take much for them to form a mob mentality. I've seen it it my own classroom. 25 twelve year olds can turn ugly really fast. It doesn't take much of a catalyst at all. My point here is we don't really know what was going on at this pool party and the subsequent effort by police to break it up. If I had to guess, I'd say there was some under age drinking going on. Liquid courage and teenage hormones are a lethal cocktail. I would also guess there wasn't a lot of cooperation from these teens. I didn't hear any "Yes sir" or "No sir" responses. I think it was probably more like herding cats or trying to contain a swarm of gnats. Today there are protests in Texas over police brutality. I haven't heard of any protests against the verbal abuse and sometimes physical abuse these public servants receive every day. These cops put their lives on the line every day. They are given limited resources and must operate with one hand tied behind their backs. They are forced to demonstrate almost super-human restraint when it comes to dealing with the general public and people want to protest because some girl who was probably running her mouth (and maybe much more) was thrown to the ground (in the grass I might add) and restrained. What we forget in all this is that these cops are human beings. Human beings with spouses and children. Human beings with emotions and feelings being pushed to their absolute limits. Where are the protests in favor of the cops? Where is the outcry against people acting like animals and then getting upset when someone tries to stop them? Where has common sense gone?

***One Note***
The cop did draw his gun on some teen boys who approached him as he had the girl on the ground. That was unnecessary and that piece of the puzzle needs to be addressed. I'm not saying cops are perfect and there aren't some who abuse their power. However, the men in blue are being treated as villains based on the actions of a few.

Doughnuts!

So Elliott got into the doughnuts. Note the tiny bites out of each one. I can laugh because he's not my son and those are not my doughnuts.

The Last One

Well. That's it. My last child graduated from high school today. It was a nice ceremony, but the gym was way too crowded and way too hot. Now it's on to the next phase of life for Abby.

Note the white and gold cords around her neck and the white National Honor Society collar. All represent high academic achievement. I am one proud Dad today!

Graduation

My baby girl graduates from high school tomorrow. I don't feel old enough to no longer have any children in school. It's going to be an emotional day. It's all so surreal!

On another note--- my niece, Emily, graduated from high school in Florida this week. So proud to be Emily's uncle today!

Here's Emily on her big day:

Who knew?

Has anyone ever wondered why a dark purple, oblong vegetable is called an eggplant? Surely I'm not the only one. And unless you have a garden and grow them, you wouldn't know what the immature vegetables look like. Until now...

Ladies and gentlemen... The Eggplant. Who knew?

Hair's Elliott!

So Elliott woke up from his nap like this. He looks like he got plenty of rest and well, his hair is a bit of an issue.

CUTE!

Weight Loss

This was never intended to be a weight loss blog... it's not and it never will be. However, it is a reflection of what is on my mind and what is going on in my life.

I've always said I know when it's time to lose weight. It's when I bend over to tie my shoes and I can't breathe. It's also when I have two choices... lose a few pounds or buy a bigger wardrobe because I can't fit into my old one anymore.

Several weeks ago I reached my breaking point for the reasons listed above. I have been on a diet and I am down 14 pounds. I am not on any particular diet (Atkins, South Beach etc...). I have simply cut down on my calories and completely cut out snacking. The concept is very simple and only a matter of discipline and will power. The advice I have given myself is, "Quit eating and get off your rear end, Stupid!". And you know what? It's working. Some fashion model once said, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". Apparently she's never had a good plate of buffalo wings or a smoky slab of BBQ ribs. But seriously, it feels so good not having to squeeze into my clothes like a sausage in its casing. I don't really have a weight loss goal in mind. I'm just going to keep going until I am satisfied with the way I look, the way I feel and I can fit into ALL my clothes comfortably.

Let's pray this doesn't happen:

Big Problem

There's not much to be said about this photo. It very much speaks for itself. It's more than just a simple spelling error. It indicates a much larger problem... the dumbing down of our nation and the general lack of knowledge where the English language is concerned. If you think this isn't a problem of epic proportions, you haven't been paying attention. This is both scary and sad (and this is just one sign of many others like it).

Touch

I'm not much on quotes, but I saw this one recently and felt the need to amend it.

The original:

Touch a stone and you touch the past
Touch a flower and you touch the present
Touch a child and you touch the future

My Version:

Touch a stone and you touch the past
Touch a flower and you touch the present
Touch a child and you go to jail

Hot Wheels

Remember playing with Hot Wheels when you were a kid? I sure do. I had dozens of 'em in every color, shape, size and style. I remember the signature orange plastic track with tongue and groove connectors. There were special pieces that made the cars do stunts. I used to play demolition derby on the kitchen floor or play with them in the dirt. Oh to be young again!

This picture reminds me of Hot Wheels for grownups. SIGN ME UP!

A cloudy start

I am not complaining, but my summer vacation started on Friday and I literally haven't seen the sun yet. And there's a good chance I won't see it before next week either. I mentioned yesterday we took the grandkids to a farm. We were there in jeans and sweatshirts instead of shorts and t-shirts.

I would love to see the sun sometime soon, but I have to remind myself... a cloudy day at home is better than a sunny day at work. Every time!

Tuckered Out

We took the grandkids to a farm today and then brought them home for a day of fun. We had a great time, but we sure are tuckered out!

Now it's on to a meeting at church tonight.

There's no rest for the wicked!

Happy June

Well... it's June 1st and the temperature is in the 50's. Not exactly summer vacation swimming weather.

There are lots of things I am looking forward to on my summer vacation. One of those things is being able to drink as much coffee as I want and being able to use the restroom whenever I want (being a teacher, I can't just run to the restroom any time I need to). It's the small things in life, y'know.