IMPORTANT NEWS!!! Obesity Strikes Youth Minister

Okay, I admit it. I am not a thin person. In fact, I am far from it. I am rather upset with myself, as I've let myself really go.

I grew up overweight. My mom was a really good cook, and I was always "A big kid". I never knew when to put down a bag of chips, the cookie jar, or when to stop putting slices of turkey on my sandwich. When I eat spaghetti, its covering the plate, and 3 inches high. 2 pieces of pizza is a snack for me. When I was in college, it was nothing for me to drink 7 or 8 cans of Dr. Pepper a day (if not more).

When my wife and I got married, we ate out a whole lot. Living a youth minister's life and a teacher's life didn't leave us a lot of time, and we justified eating out a whole lot. That didn't help my problem any.

When I lived in Houston, I was a little bit smaller than I am now. I was told one day that I was a slob by a friend of mine I was going to church with. She said "You couldn't put down those fries right now if you wanted to," as I stuffed my face with a large sized fry from Whattaburger (which by the way, is AWESOME). I washed that last bite down with my large sized Mr. Pibb (they don't really sell Dr. Pepper that much in Texas), and I looked at her in the face and said "Sure I can. No problem." I wrapped up the rest of my double cheeseburger, fries, and threw them and my Mr. Pibb away. I went home, threw out the bags of Doritoes, the Froot Loops, and the Dr. Peppers. I replaced them with apples, grapes, baked tortilla chips, and Diet Sprites and Water. I worked out 4 times a week. Over 6 months, I dropped 55 pounds.

And now, I'm back, with a little extra. Over the past 2-3 years, I've gained it all back, because I've allowed my lifestyle to change....eating fast food for lunch, eating unhealthy portion sizes, etc. So now comes the question....WHY ARE YOU TELLING ALL OF US THIS?

Well, this time last year, my family all said we were going to lose weight. My family has a terrible history of heart disease, with just about all the older people in my family having had a heart attack some time in their life. I'm well on my way. On Saturday, I cleaned out my closet and found TEN pairs of pants I couldn't even come close to getting into. Three sports coats, several shirts...and what's sad is that now, the larger stuff I have is getting tight on me.

So my wife told me the other night that she's worried about me. I'm breathing heavier, looking worse, and she knows the history of my family. That right there, well, it hurt. It hurt in a good and positive way.

Today, I weigh in at 250 pounds. I'm 6 foot 2 inches tall, wear a size 40 pants, and largest dress shirt without going to a big and tall shop. All of my t-shirts are 2XL, and some of those look bad on me.

My goal: By the end of the year, I will be at 185 pounds. My shirts will all be donated to a charitable cause, and the ten pair of pants I own still won't fit, because they'll be too big on me. I'll be able to shave my beard, because the only reason i have it is to cover the double chin.

I'll be able to do 50 push ups without stopping. I'll be able to run 5 miles straight without resting or slowing down. I'll be able to a whole session of aerobics or taebo without breaking. My dog will get tired before I do.

I say this here, so everyone will either know that I'm successful, or a failure. Making a public announcement such as this is scary, because all eyes will now be on me to see if I can do it, and with prayers and God's help, I know I can.

Ultimately, I want to live a long and useful life in God's kingdom here on earth. I can't do that if I don't care of this holy temple He blessed me with. Hold me accountable all! I'll see you all in 65 pounds!

Showerheads

Want to know something simple yet tremendously amazing? Showerheads come in different shapes, sizes, abilities and functions. There are rain drop showerheads, super pressurized showerheads, really old non-functional showerheads...and they can range anywhere from $5.00 to $500.00.

When Kristen and I moved into our new home, we had to get a new shower head for the master bath. It was kind of old, and it was also a rain drop showerhead. We did not care for it at all. So I went to Lowes (one of my favorite stores ever) and looked at showerheads. I walked out with one that cost me $6.00. Cheap, effective, and looked good on the wall. We got it home, and we've been using it for the past few months. However, we never really cared for it...because there was no pressure.

We both wanted one that would basically knock us over when we showered. So I came across a website selling what was advertised as the Ultra Showerhead by a company called Siroflex. You can check out the showerhead which is called "The World's Greatest Showerhead" HERE or you can just look at the picture of it HERE. I must admit, this morning's shower was one of the best I've ever had. This is actually the showerhead that most of the Hampton Inn's use.

So why am I talking about showerheads? Simple. You see, when it came to our shower, we didn't feel like we were getting enough pressure. But when it comes to our Christianity, our faith, our walk with God... we don't want any pressure. We don't want people to pressure us into praying, or reading our Bibles, or singing those songs at church, or insert your own pressure you don't want.

Sometimes, I think a little pressure may be good for us. When we're at a job, sometimes the pressure helps us get things done in a better more efficient way. Other times, pressure may force us out of our comfort zone into doing something we never would have done. Pressure is not a bad thing, unless we turn it into something bad.

Here's some pressure for you: Get to church! Be involved. Don't let the rest of your life turn God and church into an afterthought. Make it a priority to be diligent in your faith, your service to God. Let God actually come first (its amazing how that will help the rest of your life as well).

Its funny, when Moses got a little pressure from God to free the Israelites from the bondage of the Egyptians...Moses said "I could never do that". Look what happened as a result of that. God placed a little more pressure on him, and Moses overcame.

Pressure: Its not always bad.

-lane

No Promises of tomorrow

If you don't like sports, you may want to skip down to the moral of the story. If you're a football fan, read on! So yesterday I get home from my life group meeting, turn on the television, and I see that the Indianapolis Colts are losing to the Steelers. The score is 21 to 10. I think to myself that there is no way the Colts can come back from this.

Peyton Manning is at the helm with about six minutes left. He throws a pass, and gets intercepted...almost. It really looked like an interception to me, but during the coach's challenge it got overturned, and Peyton proceeded to throw a few more passes down field and score in just over a minute.

The game is 21 to 16. They go for two instead of the gimme extra point. An offsides penalty pushes them back five yards. Peyton throws a pass to the corner, CAUGHT!! The receiver drags his second foot so the turf paint flies in the air so everyone can see the legitimate catch.

The Colts hold the Steelers during their next possession, because Ben Rothleisburger isn't throwing the ball at all, and Jerome Bettis gets stopped. The Steelers punt the ball. The Colts begin around the 15 yard line. They can't move the ball. Peyton gets sacked twice. After a turnover on downs, the Steelers have the ball on the 2 yard line. Jerome Bettis gets the call, runs the ball, spins around, and has the ball swiped out of his hands. FUMBLE!!! The Colts recover, and run it all the way down to around the 50 yard line.

Peyton steps out on the field. He has had 25 last minute game winning drives in his 8 year career. That's a staggering statistic! He throws three straight downs, and moves the ball up just a tiny bit. All they need is a field goal to tie. Give Vanderjagt (the Colts kicker) a little breathing room, that's all they need. They've already been given several chances to get back in the game, but they refuse to take them.

So Vanderjagt comes on. He is PERFECT at home in the post season throughout his career. He has never missed a post season kick at home. He comes out, the Steelers try to ice him by calling a time out. I'm thinking "There's no way he's going to miss it". Bill Cowher, Steelers Head Coach is thinking the same thing. Jerome Bettis, the one who put them in this predicament, is thinking the same thing. Everyone is probably getting ready for overtime.

Vanderjagt kicks the ball. Its up, wide right, and I mean WAY WIDE RIGHT, and the game is over.

So why did I write all this? Everyday in which we are blessed to have a day given to us by God, we are given that chance to make our lives new with him. We are given a day to ask forgiveness, to repent of our sins, to change our lives, to teach others, to lead others to the church....and we take this for granted. We think to ourselves that we will have tomorrow. Just as the Colts no doubt thought when they sent out their automatic kicker they would be given another chance in overtime...we think the same way. God will give us another day, so I'll worry about it then.

There is no promise of tomorrow. Second chances are always a blessing, but don't plan your life, or your eternity on them.

-lane

On Jordan's Stormy Banks

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

Oh, the transporting, rapturous scene
That rises to my sight!
Sweet fields, arrayed in living green,
And rivers of delight

When shall I reach that happy place,
And be forever blest?
When shall I see my Father's face,
And in his bosom rest?

Filled with delight, my raptured soul
Would here no longer stay;
Tho Jordan's waves around me roll,
Fearless I'd launch away

I am bound, I am bound
I am bound for the promises land

Sometimes, you need a good old gospel song to help you understand that bad days happen, but better days are ahead. I have learned some news today that should have been obvious to me before now, but due to a member that used to be in my youth group, has slapped me across the face in a drastic way. You want to know what I learned?

That I am human. Mistakes happen. Mistakes that I make directly affect others. Others, therefore, are hurt by my mistakes. I look out to see the mistakes I make, and see storms brewing in the horizons. Will we get through the storms? I suppose, but not on our own. Will we go around the storms? That's a valid option, but takes away so much of your valuable time. If I rush through the storm, I may make more mistakes that hurt even more.

The real question this song poses is this: Can I look through the storm to see what follows? Can I see that just beyond the storm is heaven, a fair and happy land? That should be our focus so we can get through the storm. So where is your focus?

When days just don't seem to go your way, weather the storm and know what lies on the other side.

-lane

A fresh coat of paint

This past weekend, my wife and I had a wonderful experience. We had received some money and gift cards for Christmas, and the sole intention for that money was to spruce up our home. We thought about what all we wanted to do -- new floors, new countertops, crown molding-- but we settled on starting out with the simplest thing to do: NEW PAINT!

My old roommate from college, Kevin, is now a painter. He works with a guy and paints houses for a living. He had promised us when we got married that whenever we bought a home, he would come and help us paint. I never thought much about how his paint job would be better than what we could do on our own. I just thought he'd be quicker, and not have to tape everything up to paint.

On Sunday morning, when everything had dried, and after four coats of paint on our living room walls, two coats on our kitchen, and white oil based paint on all the trim, my wife and I sat in amazement as to how wonderful it looked. The old walls were dingy, dirty, scratched, had cracks in them, and were overall hard to look at without noticing all the mistakes of prior paint jobs.

This paint job, however, was wonderful. I couldn't help but think there was some sort of spiritual application to all of this. I could say something like the paint covered the walls as does the blood of Jesus covers our sins, but that doesn't seem appropriate. No matter how many times we paint those walls, the dirt, the imperfections, all of it...was just covered up. Somewhere under all the paint, the puddy, the spackle...are still imperfections, covered up by imperfect people.

The blood of Christ is so much more than that. It completely takes away our imperfections. It does not just conceal the dirt and the scratches, but it takes them away. How wonderful that is! So why do we continue to go out and roll in the dirt again? Why do we start driving holes in the walls again? Why can't we let the blood of Christ decorate our lives instead of the scars of sin?

Paint covers a lot of things, but it can't cover our sin. Only the blood of our Christ can cover the sin.

-lane