Sometimes, we don't need excuses. We just need action.
Bodybuilding Dessert Recipe
3 hours ago
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Unbreakable....
Not necessarily a "religious" type post. I found this in association with www.bigroncoleman.com and the affiliated "Unbreakable" wear site. For those who aren't familiar, Ronnie Coleman is an 8-time Mr. Olympia in bodybuilding and the "Unbreakable Gear" site is affiliated with his website, referenced previously.
The message is simple - and when you break it down, it can be applied to whatever fascet of life you would want to. How much commitment do you have to that which you are called? Are you unbreakable?
I AM UNBREAKABLE
By: Lucas G. Irwin
Most people don’t understand, but you’re ok with that. For you, training is not a hobby or a social activity; it is a way of life. Those around you say that you are obsessed, taking it too far and possibly insane. They can’t understand why you won’t eat birthday cake, why you bring Tupperware full of chicken to a party or why you go to sleep early on a Friday to rest up for a Saturday training session. But you don’t care. Their accusatory tones, sarcastic remarks and insults are merely cotton bullets firing at a titanium wall of perseverance known as YOU.
You know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that any negativity that surrounds you is fueled purely by jealousy. Jealous that you are capable of unconditionally committing to something that most cannot stick to for more than a few weeks as part of their yearly resolution. Jealous that you gladly embrace a level of pain, discomfort and fatigue that others cringe at the idea of suffering a fraction of. Jealous that you take time to count carbs, protein, fats and calories while they count their chicken nuggets to make damn sure their 10 piece isn’t a 9 piece. In short, they’re Jealous of YOU.
Ironically, all the comments, nagging and questioning that is meant to break you down a little, does just the opposite. Every negative word reminds you of how special and uncommon your mechanical allegiance to training really is, in turn, pushing you harder. So bring it on! Let them call you obsessed, crazy or insane and watch you get stronger with every word. The only one who can slow you down is yourself. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you are both an immovable object and an unstoppable force……
YOU ARE UNBREAKABLE.
The message is simple - and when you break it down, it can be applied to whatever fascet of life you would want to. How much commitment do you have to that which you are called? Are you unbreakable?
I AM UNBREAKABLE
By: Lucas G. Irwin
Most people don’t understand, but you’re ok with that. For you, training is not a hobby or a social activity; it is a way of life. Those around you say that you are obsessed, taking it too far and possibly insane. They can’t understand why you won’t eat birthday cake, why you bring Tupperware full of chicken to a party or why you go to sleep early on a Friday to rest up for a Saturday training session. But you don’t care. Their accusatory tones, sarcastic remarks and insults are merely cotton bullets firing at a titanium wall of perseverance known as YOU.
You know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that any negativity that surrounds you is fueled purely by jealousy. Jealous that you are capable of unconditionally committing to something that most cannot stick to for more than a few weeks as part of their yearly resolution. Jealous that you gladly embrace a level of pain, discomfort and fatigue that others cringe at the idea of suffering a fraction of. Jealous that you take time to count carbs, protein, fats and calories while they count their chicken nuggets to make damn sure their 10 piece isn’t a 9 piece. In short, they’re Jealous of YOU.
Ironically, all the comments, nagging and questioning that is meant to break you down a little, does just the opposite. Every negative word reminds you of how special and uncommon your mechanical allegiance to training really is, in turn, pushing you harder. So bring it on! Let them call you obsessed, crazy or insane and watch you get stronger with every word. The only one who can slow you down is yourself. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you are both an immovable object and an unstoppable force……
YOU ARE UNBREAKABLE.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
The Independence this country really needs
This has been heard a million times probably, but now more than ever it bears repeating. I like to believe there's a tie-in to what I'll be talking about this coming week on the blog also.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
For "Bob"...1942 - 2008
It's been a year since you so abruptly left us. I still remember the phone call that told me so. Just past 10 in the morning when the call came in to my office. Needless to say - it was a sick feeling and I was shocked to hear that news.
You and I didn't know each other for all that long, really, but I'd like to think we became friends and though I never got to express it, you will always hold a tremendous amount of respect from me. It was a tremendous honor for me to be able to play "Amazing Grace", as elementary as it may have ended up sounding, as a part of your funeral service. We shared a commonality in our line of work - me as the engineer who put the numbers all together for you, the draftsman. You were a master at your craft - quite honestly one of the best I ever saw put lines on paper. I think I should propose to bring my young draftsmen up by drawing on paper first - the way the 'old guys' did it before there ever were computers - so that they have a better grasp on how to be truly a draftsman rather than punch buttons on a computer and have something pop out on paper.
Maybe not to every single detail - but I'll remember the stories, your passionate dislike of the Ford Motor Company (although I'll never quit driving my Ford Trucks...), Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and German motorcars (namely Audis and Porsches). And I know somewhere up there you're with my dad, both of you looking at some of the things I've done since your departure and just shaking your head wondering "What in the...?"
You're missed, Bob. Rest in Peace.
You and I didn't know each other for all that long, really, but I'd like to think we became friends and though I never got to express it, you will always hold a tremendous amount of respect from me. It was a tremendous honor for me to be able to play "Amazing Grace", as elementary as it may have ended up sounding, as a part of your funeral service. We shared a commonality in our line of work - me as the engineer who put the numbers all together for you, the draftsman. You were a master at your craft - quite honestly one of the best I ever saw put lines on paper. I think I should propose to bring my young draftsmen up by drawing on paper first - the way the 'old guys' did it before there ever were computers - so that they have a better grasp on how to be truly a draftsman rather than punch buttons on a computer and have something pop out on paper.
Maybe not to every single detail - but I'll remember the stories, your passionate dislike of the Ford Motor Company (although I'll never quit driving my Ford Trucks...), Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and German motorcars (namely Audis and Porsches). And I know somewhere up there you're with my dad, both of you looking at some of the things I've done since your departure and just shaking your head wondering "What in the...?"
You're missed, Bob. Rest in Peace.
(Lack of) Commitment
We live in a day where commitment is not much more than lip service.
Just look at the pro sports world. Pick a team, pick a league. A player signs a six-year contract with the team...then along comes year four and all of the sudden he's a holdout from camp because the team won't renegotiate with him. Why? Well, two or three other players at his position, with similar statistics, have gotten bigger contracts. Without the increase in his contract, he can't give his best effort. I don't know why...I mean, he was only making $750,000 a year. *eyeroll*
His contract, and ultimately level of commitment, was only personally convenient. Because others like him are being paid more than he is, the contract is no longer "convenient". And until something that IS personally convenient is tendered to him, he will not stay with the commitment he is still under by the original contract.
This is the spirit of our age though. Name the field - be it business, sports, politics, even marriage - commitments are honored as long as they are convenient. Once they are no longer convenient, the commitment is shipped out the door with the trash. Burton Hillis said something once that made sense: "There's a mighty big difference between good, sound reasons, and reasons that sound good." And looking around at the landscape right now, there is one ringing commitment that truly sounds good to society: "The right to be happy..."
Am I saying that we all should be walking around miserable? Not at all. But what I am saying is that every time we make a commitment, we should fulfill it. 1 Corinthians 4:2 admonishes that "those given a trust must prove faithful." What good is it to break those trusts, no matter the field, at a whim? Consider the advantage a boy who is raised in a home where father and mother are committed to the marriage relationship. That boy will see firsthand that it's not about a right to be happy, but the demonstration of a willingness to be responsible. Even when it crowds out personal happiness, or isn't convenient.
Just look at the pro sports world. Pick a team, pick a league. A player signs a six-year contract with the team...then along comes year four and all of the sudden he's a holdout from camp because the team won't renegotiate with him. Why? Well, two or three other players at his position, with similar statistics, have gotten bigger contracts. Without the increase in his contract, he can't give his best effort. I don't know why...I mean, he was only making $750,000 a year. *eyeroll*
His contract, and ultimately level of commitment, was only personally convenient. Because others like him are being paid more than he is, the contract is no longer "convenient". And until something that IS personally convenient is tendered to him, he will not stay with the commitment he is still under by the original contract.
This is the spirit of our age though. Name the field - be it business, sports, politics, even marriage - commitments are honored as long as they are convenient. Once they are no longer convenient, the commitment is shipped out the door with the trash. Burton Hillis said something once that made sense: "There's a mighty big difference between good, sound reasons, and reasons that sound good." And looking around at the landscape right now, there is one ringing commitment that truly sounds good to society: "The right to be happy..."
Am I saying that we all should be walking around miserable? Not at all. But what I am saying is that every time we make a commitment, we should fulfill it. 1 Corinthians 4:2 admonishes that "those given a trust must prove faithful." What good is it to break those trusts, no matter the field, at a whim? Consider the advantage a boy who is raised in a home where father and mother are committed to the marriage relationship. That boy will see firsthand that it's not about a right to be happy, but the demonstration of a willingness to be responsible. Even when it crowds out personal happiness, or isn't convenient.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Endangered Species...
Proverbs 3:5-6 is familiar to all of us... "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.". The other thing that may be familiar to many of us these days are the little dashboard-mounted gadgets referred to as GPS units. Tom-Tom, Magellan, and Garmin all make them and they're allegedly pretty handy. I, the consumate techno-geek, do not own one of these just yet, but I will.
When we travel - those of us that do have these units are putting our trust in the gadgetry of an electronic device, reading off of satellites thousands of miles up in space, to get us from point A to point B on our journey. Plug in a destination, and let the little voice inside do the rest. Turn left, turn right, take this exit, etc. Those who have these devices that I've ridden with don't drive like they normally do. A little more cautious....a little hesitant.
Bill Hybels tells a story in the "Men's Devotional Bible" about a childhood game they played, where one would be blindfolded and they'd go charging through the woods, listening for the directions of a friend nearby. Some kids just shuffled along slowly despite the directions of their friend telling them they had a wide open path. Others trotted along, and yet others flew like gangbusters. All the while, they had to fight the urge to rip off the blindfold so they could see where they were going for themselves.
Whether it's a GPS device or the shouted instructions of a friend, it takes a great deal of courage to follow someone else's lead.
As Christians, we might feel like those blindfolded kids sometimes. The Apostle Paul tells us that we live by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We're not alone though in the woods, or on the road. God is with us and will direct our path. But to follow Jesus demands an enormous amount of courage. Think about it - the leadings don't always make sense, they go against the grain, and are sometimes downright irrational. Sometimes, those leadings challenge us so strongly that all we want to do is crawl back in our shell and play it safe...shuffle along slowly in the woods no matter how much we trust the Giver of the instructions. Then a voice comes from within - "where's your courage? You can trust God. Come on, walk."
Cowards don't generally last long on the spiritual pilgrimage - they tend to wither up and blow away. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to repent and become a believer. It takes courage to follow God's calling for your life. Some of those callings push us to the brink, and take us to the limit. Some of the callings take every bit of the best that we can summon up. And a few might even bring fear, and doubt. But - you can trust God. Spiritual courage has definately become an endangered species.
When we travel - those of us that do have these units are putting our trust in the gadgetry of an electronic device, reading off of satellites thousands of miles up in space, to get us from point A to point B on our journey. Plug in a destination, and let the little voice inside do the rest. Turn left, turn right, take this exit, etc. Those who have these devices that I've ridden with don't drive like they normally do. A little more cautious....a little hesitant.
Bill Hybels tells a story in the "Men's Devotional Bible" about a childhood game they played, where one would be blindfolded and they'd go charging through the woods, listening for the directions of a friend nearby. Some kids just shuffled along slowly despite the directions of their friend telling them they had a wide open path. Others trotted along, and yet others flew like gangbusters. All the while, they had to fight the urge to rip off the blindfold so they could see where they were going for themselves.
Whether it's a GPS device or the shouted instructions of a friend, it takes a great deal of courage to follow someone else's lead.
As Christians, we might feel like those blindfolded kids sometimes. The Apostle Paul tells us that we live by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We're not alone though in the woods, or on the road. God is with us and will direct our path. But to follow Jesus demands an enormous amount of courage. Think about it - the leadings don't always make sense, they go against the grain, and are sometimes downright irrational. Sometimes, those leadings challenge us so strongly that all we want to do is crawl back in our shell and play it safe...shuffle along slowly in the woods no matter how much we trust the Giver of the instructions. Then a voice comes from within - "where's your courage? You can trust God. Come on, walk."
Cowards don't generally last long on the spiritual pilgrimage - they tend to wither up and blow away. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to repent and become a believer. It takes courage to follow God's calling for your life. Some of those callings push us to the brink, and take us to the limit. Some of the callings take every bit of the best that we can summon up. And a few might even bring fear, and doubt. But - you can trust God. Spiritual courage has definately become an endangered species.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Influence...
Every time you move from one house to the next, you always find yourself cleaning out stuff. Ask me - I know...done it way too many times to count now. One one of those cleaning out missions, I came across a bunch of old artifacts from my younger years. One was an old photo that I almost didn't recognize at first. Staring back at me was an image of my dad - the day my sister got married.
Cigarette in hand, a rather large, imposing man. I believe it was taken either before or after the event...not sure which. One of the very few times since Mom had passed in the 80's that I recall seeing him smile. He wasn't even 60 years old at that time...and it's hard to believe sitting here as I type this tonight that it's now been 18 years since his passing (he'd have been 77 this year). But all of that's true.
None the less - seeing the picture invokes memories. Learning how to drive, going back and forth to band practices, football games, other school functions. All the lessons he taught me, whether by his words or by his examples. He's long gone, but I still have the memories and his advice for the journey we all call life.
In Numbers 6:22-23, we see where the Israelites were again put on the move. Once they were delivered out of bondage in Egypt, it seems that moving was all they got done doing. Pitch a tent here, pick it up and move on to settle down another place, only to move again. Rinse, and repeat for 40 years. But they were never alone on the trip. God had given them His word, a promise, a blessing. Remember, this is the same God who struck down Egyptians with plagues, parted the Red Sea on their escape from Pharaoh, covered the ground with manna in the mornings and filled the skies with quail at night to supply their needs. God gave the Israelites His word, and wrote those blessings across the sands of the desert - promising to be with them and bring them to their home...the Promised Land.
Just like them, no matter where we roam, God's blessings for us cover all the highways, byways, and driveways today too. He is the Lord of all journeys. God sent Jesus - His only Son - to lead us to our home. The road went straight to hell and back to forgive your sin and mine and to claim each of us as His own. In Jesus, He promises to watch over us, rescue us when we get in those sticky situations, bringing us back on track that leads to home. And He is not slack in that promise...it will come to pass.
Cigarette in hand, a rather large, imposing man. I believe it was taken either before or after the event...not sure which. One of the very few times since Mom had passed in the 80's that I recall seeing him smile. He wasn't even 60 years old at that time...and it's hard to believe sitting here as I type this tonight that it's now been 18 years since his passing (he'd have been 77 this year). But all of that's true.
None the less - seeing the picture invokes memories. Learning how to drive, going back and forth to band practices, football games, other school functions. All the lessons he taught me, whether by his words or by his examples. He's long gone, but I still have the memories and his advice for the journey we all call life.
In Numbers 6:22-23, we see where the Israelites were again put on the move. Once they were delivered out of bondage in Egypt, it seems that moving was all they got done doing. Pitch a tent here, pick it up and move on to settle down another place, only to move again. Rinse, and repeat for 40 years. But they were never alone on the trip. God had given them His word, a promise, a blessing. Remember, this is the same God who struck down Egyptians with plagues, parted the Red Sea on their escape from Pharaoh, covered the ground with manna in the mornings and filled the skies with quail at night to supply their needs. God gave the Israelites His word, and wrote those blessings across the sands of the desert - promising to be with them and bring them to their home...the Promised Land.
Just like them, no matter where we roam, God's blessings for us cover all the highways, byways, and driveways today too. He is the Lord of all journeys. God sent Jesus - His only Son - to lead us to our home. The road went straight to hell and back to forgive your sin and mine and to claim each of us as His own. In Jesus, He promises to watch over us, rescue us when we get in those sticky situations, bringing us back on track that leads to home. And He is not slack in that promise...it will come to pass.
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