What I’m Listening To: "Fallin’ For You" by Colbie Caillat
Accomplishment of the Week: Hmmm, this week wasn’t very goal-oriented. I cleaned the family room and the bedroom, also ordered new floor mats for the car. Yep, it was such a big week! Ha ha!
Where I’m At With My Weight Loss: I weighed in this morning at 202.7. I won’t get really excited until I’m under 200 pounds. I wish it was nicer out this week, didn’t get a chance to go on the Monon, but went to the neighborhood fitness center for a little cardio.
What I’m Looking Forward To: I normally look forward to the Fourth of July, but it looks like this year is going to be low-key. Most of my friends will be out of town, my Dad is working, and Kreig doesn’t have the kids for this Fourth of July.
I’m thinking about going to the National Museum of the United States Air Force tomorrow in Dayton, OH. I’ll also be working the Carmel Police booth on Saturday night at CarmelFest, so feel free to stop by and say "hi!"
Quote of the Day: “A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” – Oscar Wilde
As I’ve told some of you over the past couple weeks, I’ve placed myself on a diet. At first it was really easy to say "no" to tasty foods. But lately, I’ve been working out a lot more and staying below my calorie count and I’m really tempted to say, "I’ve been so good! One cookie won’t hurt." So I went to Paradise Bakery & Cafe for lunch and they gave me a scrumptous cookie with my meal. Oh you tempter you!! Why do you tempt me with your ooey-gooey goodness?!
And then I realized something, this is where self-control comes in. Even before I started my diet, I’ve had to practice self-control in other areas of my life. As of late I’ve had ask myself, "is there something more productive I could be doing right now? Instead of saying no to this person, could I make time for them? I know this takes effort, but is it really that difficult?"
It’s been a challenge for a person like me who would be content sitting on the couch watching TV or reading a book. I have realized that I’m a lists equals reward person. Which means that in order for me to feel like I’ve accomplished anything, I have to have a written list to look at. It’s like the me from the past saying, "Hey man, do you see all this stuff you said you were going to do? How much of those have you actually done?" At that point, I stick it to my past self and say, "you know what? Maybe I’ll do some of those things… CHECK!"
I’ve come to learn that in life, I need to have some goals to reach. It gives me a reason to wake up each morning, to have something to look forward to, a challenge to accomplish. This is one of the main reasons I created "My To-Do List for 2009." It’s given me a tangible list of goals to work on and I’ve been doing so good so far!
I’ve been feeling really content with myself lately, as I feel that I’ve had these attainable goals to reach for. And as for that chocolate chip cookie from Paradise? I gave it to one of the baristas at Starbucks and grabbed a drink with 1/3 the calories of that cookie.
What to do the rest of the day? Well, work of course. But what about after work? I’m really tempted to just veg out on the couch, but perhaps I’ll go ride on the Monon for the third straight day in a row. Ahh self-control, am I starting to master thee?
What I’m Listening To: "February Song" by Josh Groban
Accomplishment of the Week: So many accomplishments this week! Have been doing some major planning for the new Grace web site, have managed to workout almost every day, paid off my furniture… Yep, it’s been a good week.
Where I’m At With My Weight Loss: I have managed to lose five pounds over the past week and a half. I’ve had to really watch my calories and be intentional about working out, but I’m seeing some results. Maybe I’ll see the left-side of 200 soon (first milestone is 190, second milestone is 180).
What I’m Looking Forward To: Still looking forward to Field Day this weekend with my ham radio buddies. I’m also hoping to get some cleaning done around the apartment and getting a chance to relax!
What I’m Thankful For: God’s provision in my life and realizing that with God, nothing is impossible.
My Top 10 Favorite Michael Jackson Songs: Well, since Michael Jackson has passed away, I feel it only appropriate to share my ten favorite songs.
10. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
9. Jam
8. Rock With You
7. Black or White
6. The Way You Make Me Feel
5. Beat It
4. Bad
3. Billie Jean
2. The Man In the Mirror
1. Thriller
Quote of the Day: "Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.” – David Searls
What I’m Listening To: Listening to my "MusicNOW" playlist which includes: You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift; Closer to Love – Mat Kearney; Gives You Hell – All American Rejects; Hey, Hey – The Elms.
Accomplishment of the Week: I officially started my diet a week ago and have managed to lose a few pounds, which is always nice. I’ve been tracking my calories through "The Daily Plate" at LiveStrong.com… it’s very helpful to track what I’m eating so that I don’t over-eat. It’s also really helpful that my apartment complex opened up a little fitness center for us to use.
What I’m Looking Forward To: That’s kind of hard to pinpoint. I guess that I’m excited about Amateur Radio Field Day this weekend. All over the country, amateur radio operators set-up camp sites that include towers and radio equipment trying to contact as many amateur radio operators in a 24-hour period. It’s kind of hard to explain to someone who’s not in the hobby… maybe I’ll take pictures this weekend and give ya’ll a more in-depth look.
Quote of the Day: “You won’t realize the distance you’ve walked until you take a look around and realize how far you’ve been.”
I can be pretty passive about things, yes, it’s true. I’ve been attending Grace Community Church since 2002 and in all the years we’ve done Bag Hunger, I haven’t contributed once. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I’d even take a yellow bag home with me convinced that I’d finally get around to donating food! But alas, my procrastination got the better of me.
That changed when I started to volunteer at Shepherd Community Center on Tuesday nights. As part of our volunteer orientation, I was given a tour of the facility and was shown where all the donated food was stored. More importantly, when I started working with the kids, I realized that the food we were collecting at Grace was going to help feed those kids.
It’s sad to think that 8 out of 10 kids on the eastside of Indianapolis will get two meals a day when they’re in school, instead of the recommended three meals per day. Who knows if they’re provided with two meals a day during the summer, which is why our Bag Hunger program at Grace has begun stirring my heart. And you know what? It wasn’t as expensive as I thought! I worked at Marsh for over eight years and was familiar with the foods that parents bought with WIC vouchers (Women, Infants, and Children) and food stamps, so my shopping trip was pretty easy.
And the cost? I was able to fill one of our yellow bags for under $15… especially when buying generic. Furthermore, I considered it not as charity, but as part of my offering. To those of you who attend Grace, I can’t emphasize enough that Shepherd Community is one of our awesome partners in what God is doing. And if you’re able to, consider taking a yellow bag with you when you go grocery shopping. It’s a great way to remind you that there are people out there who could use our help in feeding their families and it will only take a little bit of effort on your part.
If you don’t go to Grace, you can still participate! Just stop by during the week (or during weekend services) and pick up a yellow bag by the main entrances, fill it up with food, and drop it off at the collection containers near the main entrances. It’s a great way to contribute to the community. For more information about Bag Hunger, visit http://gracecc.org/baghunger.
