Are you thirsty? Drink Water

The other day we went to a family get together. Actually it was a family reunion about 25 years in the making. I was fishing at the pond where it was located and I was watching Nicolas run around finding new things to do. Someone kinda chuckled at my little guy's endless energy and I said, "to Nicolas, idle time is wasted time."

I didn't quite understand the depth of what I said until later on. Idle time is wasted time... it's true. We should always be trying to "keep moving forward." (-Meet the Robinsons) I tend to relax a little too much, I try to do all that I can to clear my schedule so I can just take some time to sit. Why? What is so good about doing nothing? Now, I know we are supposed to rest, I mean that is what the whole "sabbath" thing is about in the bible, but why do nothing, when I can do something?

A few nights later I was talking with a friend about continuing to motivate myself on this whole, diet and exercise thing. I was talking about how I have been trying not to eat "bad stuff," and make good decisions. I'm not sure which one of us said it, but one of us (my friend, most likely) said, "why would we put anything in our bodies that doesn't help us?" It was like a light bulb went off in our heads, we looked at each other and realized that if it isn't helping us, then there is no purpose for it to be there. 

If you think of your body as a machine, like your car for instance... would you ever shovel mud into the gas tank? No, of course not, so why would we eat chemical laden fake foods which our bodies cannot digest? Would we let our car sit for weeks, months and even years, without as much as starting it up and taking it for a drive? Not if we want it to stay in good condition. So, why wouldn't we exercise and keep our bodies in the best shape we can? 

This mental attitude can go a long way in other facets of our lives as well, just think about your finances. If you ran a business, would you spend your money all "willy-nilly" everytime you had a little extra? No. Would you buy the newest and latest toys as soon as they come out? No. Then, why on God's green earth would you do it in your own personal financial life? Just use your money like you would your business. Run your finances like a business, because it is a business, your business. Of course you need to take the occassional vacation and of course you want to buy a toy every once in a while, but not if it affects your finances negatively in any way.

Now, we started talking about this all ties to sin. Sin is the lust of the flesh, the voice in your head that says go out to eat tonight, when truly there is food at home. Sin is the voice that says go ahead and eat that slice of cake, it's only one. Sin is anything which doesn't make you better. 

I am going to try to live a sin-less life, which as we know is impossible, it even seems impossible. However, if I try to live a life, which I base all my choices on what helps me, or makes me better, then I can at least get my mind around the idea. Of course this thinking could lead to selfish behavior, but not if you follow the spirit of the law and not the letter. 

Eat right, exercise, spend your money wisely, these are principals which are taught in the bible, and yet many of us, as christians, don't follow them. Even those who have no faith in God try to live by these thoughts because they are right and lead to a better life. So, the next time you have a decision, as small as it may be, choose based on what it is you need and how do you best fulfill it. 

Are you thirsty? Drink water. 

A fresh start... life and baseball

I am in the process of attempting a fresh start program with my life. This fresh start will contain a number of things that I want to change in my life, and I believe that with God's help I can do these things and see almost immediate results.

1.) Start Dieting - Reason: To live a healthier and longer life - I have created a new profile on Traineo and I am logging in everyday to record my diet, exercise, sleep, and other random facts about my general well being. This constant monitoring on a semi-public forum, I believe will help keep me on the straight and narrow. The trick is to log in even if I have a bad day.

2.) Read the Bible Daily - Reason: to be more spiritually grounded and to explore my faith - I am currently starting a 365 day bible reading plan, which incorporates only reading about 15-30 minutes a day, and helps me to refresh and renew my mind spiritually.

3.) Blog several times per week - Reason: to provide a public and private outlet for my thoughts - I have never had a dairy or journal of any sort in my life, and I have always felt inept at conveying my emotions and thoughts. Perhaps the constant exercise in this, via blogging, will help these skills as well as allow me to stimulate thought in general. I have read in several articles recently that those who blog often tend to be more successful as they are more in tune with their wants and needs.

4.) Exercise at least 3 times per week - Reason: to live a more active life and to live longer - I have struggled with my self-esteem and weight for years. This has been a major factor in my life for as long as I can remember. I have gone through periods of time where I exercised often and felt great about myself, and I have been the other way as well. This time, I am making exercise a constant part of my life. From walking with my family, to hitting the gym and rehabbing my back, I will exercise often and make it a part of my life style.

5.) Focus hard on completing school - Reason: to complete my degree and improve my sense of self-worth - I have been in college for over 10 years now and have often found excuses to sputter to a stop in every academic venture I have attempted, including my current one. I am reapplying myself to school and I am going to excel as I did when I began this venture a few years ago.

I have realized that like so many other people, I stand in my own way. I do it a lot. I tend to start these great adventures and attempt these wonderful changes, with no real chance of succeeding because I have never allowed myself to just do it. I am changing my mindset, as well as everything else. I spoke of passion a few days ago and how one cannot live without it. Well, my passion right now, it to improve my life, in every facet. I am going to be more responsible and a better example to those around me. Instead of finding the easy route and trying to gain the most out of every situation, I will look at what the best decision is and try to evaluate everything I do against my beliefs and morals.

I have a friend who recently got into some legal trouble, and it is more or less a break of bad luck (honestly, it is). This person is a good friend with a good heart and I know he will prevail from this struggle. The reason I mention it is because it has made me realize that any of us could get caught for doing something we're not supposed to. We're all playing a great big lottery, that we don't want to win. Life hits us with unfair situations sometimes, and life can also raise us up for no apparent reason as well. I mean when things are going good, they seem to just keep on rolling along. When life is bad, well they say "the hits just keep on coming."

Think of this in the scenerio of baseball. How many times does a team go on a winning streak and follow it with a losing streak. They always say, "He's red hot right now," or "He's in a big slump." Not many players or teams are just consistent every day. For example just after the all-star break the Yankees were on an incredible winning streak, taking their first 8 games without a sweat. It was like no matter what the other team did, the Yankees would win. Here it is just a few days later, and they cannot beat the worst team in their division, losing the last 4 out of 4. This anomoly happens all the time in sports, and it a microscosm of life. Sometimes it's easy to win games, and sometimes you cannot win them even when the winning run is 127 feet, 3 3/8 inches (the distance from second base to home) from the plate. All we can do is just keep on pitching.