In.Motion

Can we be honest for a minute?
I think we can agree on something. We all, for the most part, lie about our weight. We all like to pretend we are more in shape than we really are. That we’re healthier than we really are. We praise ourselves on twitter when we eat a salad for lunch, but shut up about downing most of that pizza the other night by ourselves. The bottom line is this: We want all the pretty bonuses that come with a healthy lifestyle, but don’t want to deal with the self-discipline it takes to actually be healthy.

For me, I’ve always wanted to feel good about how I look. I’ve been pacifying myself by telling little white lies that build into huge, blinding lies about myself. The most ridiculous part is who I’m trying to lie to; myself! I want to feel good about taking my shirt off, but I don’t want to lay off the big, fat steaks I love so much. I want to feel comfortable playing sports, but I don’t want to get off my lazy tail to go walk instead of watching ANOTHER episode of that show. That is the truth, and it is ugly.

I think the only way to beat these ugly lies I’ve tried to pass off on myself is come at it with it’s opposite. Honesty, or as the kids say, keepin’ it real. I need to be honest about where I am, where I want to be, and what I need to do to get there. I need to know I’ll fail, but I can get back in the saddle. If the truth is out there, I’m free of having to lie about where I’m not. I’m free of pretending to be something I’m not . . . yet.

So, what is the truth?
Do you want to know?
Do I want you to know?
Here goes.

For my height/age/body (6’0/22/thick homey) type, I should be (drumroll?) . . .

180-190 lbs.

Right now, as I start this journey towards being healthy, I am . . .

230 lbs.

Ouch. That hurts to just say. According to my BMI (Body Mass Index), I’m technically obese. Double ouch.

Every person I’ve talked to about this doesn’t believe I weigh that much. But like I said earlier, I am, indeed, a thick homey. However, this is where I’m taking my stand. This is where I decide to be healthier. This is where I leave my excuses. I want to physically feel better. Heck, I want to straight up look better.

Now, how do I expect to do this?

My buddy and I are in the middle of a work-out program consisting of the websites 100 pushups, 200 sit-ups, & 200 squats three days a week and cardio at least twice a week. Check them out, they are very free and very easy to follow. I’m also following a free, healthy meal plan provided (again, fo free!) by 50 Million Pounds, which is a great resource for learning a healthy lifestyle.

***Warning: Gut Check Ahead***

If we wanna bring Jesus into this, like we’re called to, then we can safely say that being obese is not being a good steward of your body. Plain and simple. And I’m not ok with meeting Jesus and shrugging my shoulders in regard to how I treated my body, His holy temple. I don’t think “well done, my good and faithful servant” is reserved for just our ministry service. Chew on that.

I’m gonna update you guys on how I’m doing every Saturday. How my week went, If I’m still eating well, etc. I’d like for you guys to feel free to ask me how I’m doing and if I’m staying on top of things. Challenge me. Heck, challenge each other. Check out 50 Million Pounds and see what they are all about. Obesity is a definite problem in our country, and its something we don’t like to talk about. These guys are making an effort to educate Americans and improve our health.

So, what about you? Do you feel as healthy as you should?

Think about it. Keep it real.

One.Love

cd

We’ve been over this already: Summer is great.
However, there are a few things that come with the season that are definitely “not awesome”. Here are a few off the top of my head.

Crappy Summer Television
Why is it a hard and fast rule of the major networks to use the summer as the proving grounds for some god-awful shows. Terrible “reality” shows like I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here or Age of Love (yea, I had never heard of it either). How about some bad knock-offs of American Idol like So You Think You Can Dance or America’s Got Talent? This doesn’t even include the random specials they show for any random number of reasons. Ohh, how I miss LOST, and I’d even settle for a decent episode of Heroes. I guess I’ll just watch old Law & Order: SVU until September. Ohh, September . . .

Summer Sweater Vests
We have all been subjected, unwillingly mind you, to various shapes and sizes of the “summer sweater vest”. I understand the curse that is the sweater vest more than most, but there is such a thing as grooming.
Maybe you have caught one comin on strong (who’s Aaron anyways?):

Or maybe you caught it on the way out:

Both are equally disturbing. I mean, to their benefit, it is kinda like built in sunblock . . . right? Ohh yea, and if you would like to have the effect of a sweater vest without the hard work and testosterone that comes with it, you can snag one of these.

So what are some other rough parts about summertime?

One.Love

cd

“Why do I write my blog?”
This one of many questions a blogger should ask themselves on occasion. If I’m going to invest my time and some creative energy & thought into something, I like to have a clear purpose and focus behind it. I decided to conduct something like a self-interview. So, I cooked up a few questions to guide my thoughts on the What/Who/Why of In.Motion. Here they are . . .

Q: What is this blog about?
A: I want to stay mostly within 5 main categories.
Worship: My thoughts on worship leading and worship music. My general musings on growing as a worship leader.

Faith: My thoughts and observations on how God is moving in my life. This is my attempt to be transparent and open, within reason, with the good and bad of my walk in an effort to spur others to authenticity in their own lives.

Life: My thoughts on what is happening to me, in general. This is more about the day-to-day or interesting things that are going on.

Bible: My thoughts on what I am reading and how it applies in my life. Hopefully, this will encourage others to see how the Bible applies to them as well.

Creativity: My thoughts on any cool things that I’d call creative. Taking time to notice out-of-the-box ideas can lead to creativity of your own.

Q: Who do I write my blog for?
A: I write for believers, worship leaders, and friends.

Q: Why do I write my blog?
A: I write my blog so that I can put my thoughts about worship, life, and my walk into words. Hopefully, what I write can be encouraging and helpful as well as a mean of accountability for myself. I’d like to show how God is moving in my life and how I am being shaped through my circumstances, whether good or bad.

Q: Why In.Motion?
A: In Motion is a way for me to express the fact that no matter our circumstances, no matter where we are in life, we are always in motion. More importantly, God is always moving in our lives. Let me rephrase that: No matter our circumstances, God is always in motion. This can be a source of hope for those who believe because the Bible says in Romans 8:28, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him”. God moves in the good, God works through the bad, and, undoubtably, God always redeems. That is my hope.

I think that this is going to be a good, fresh restart. I’m hoping that In.Motion can be used to glorify God, to help me grow, and, hopefully, help others grow as well. Also, let me say this: I know I’m not perfect and this is not my attempt to come across as such. I’m going to say dumb things and I might even offend people (I am a sinner). Please know that I write this blog with the intent of building others up and with some degree of foresight. I only want to share how God is working in my life and what I’m learning along the way.

I’d like to invite you along for the ride.

One.Love

cd