elliptical

The Continuing Adventures of Mr. Excitement Himself

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

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I had quite the fun-filled day. Ok, there were no bungee jumps or skydives or cliff dives involved. No high speed chases or death-defying stunts either. But for me, it was fun.

It started off with a bit of bowling. I have to admit I bowled two royally sucky games but I had fun. Plus, any excuse to get out my $7 Goodwill bowling ball and my $5 thrift store bowling ball bag is worth it (and it ups my cool factor by 50%).

From there, I met some of my Kairos greeter friends at Edley’s BBQ on 12th Ave. South for some good food and good comversation. Not to mention something called Brunswick Stew, also known as a little bowl of heaven. I highly recommend it.

That led to some supremely good ice cream at Jeni’s Spendid Ice Creams  just down the street. They had a flavor called goat cheese  with red cherries (which I was not brave enough to try but I will get it next time. And yes, there will be a next time very soon).

I’ll have to put in at least 48 straight hours on the elliptical to burn off all the calories I consumed, but it was worth it. Sometimes, you just have to say “To heck with it” and live a little. Not every day, but every once in a while.

I drove home under a full moon with good music playing and a sense of peace and well-being. In moments like these, I fully appreciate how completely blessed I am and how I already have everything I need.

PS I have a birthday coming up in 12 days. I accept all major credit cards, cash, check, and servitude. I also accept birthday dinners and surprise parties. Just FYI.

5 Minutes

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I’ve been trying to lose weight and get in shape. Lately, that means putting in an hour on the elliptical. For me, that’s a lot.

Some mornings, I feel there’s no way I can last that long. So I try for the first 5 minutes. After that, I try for 10. And so forth. If I break an hour down into 5-minute segments, it’s not nearly so bad.

Life is like that.

Some days, you think there’s no way you can survive for the next 24-hours. You feel completely and utterly overwhelmed. Don’t try. Just take the next 5 minutes and breathe deeply and slowly and think to yourself, “I can survive the next 5 minutes.”

Sometimes, you are held captive by your fears telling you that you’ve really messed it up this time and that friend is gone for good. It’s tempting to try and fix what really isn’t broken (which never works, by the way). Or you take the next 5 minutes and are able to start seeing the cracks in the fabric of that lie.

You can do anything for 5 minutes. You can pray or be silent or wait. You can breathe slowly and deeply. You can remember one blessing God has given you and dwell on that.

When I’m stressed out and can’t sleep, 5 minutes of meditating on the goodness of God can make all the difference. It can take me from almost falling back into my old approval-addiction, “nobody likes me” trap to remembering that I am still blessed with family and friends who surprise me all the time in unexpected ways with grace at every turn.

So set your stopwatch or your phone for 5 minutes. It may be a small start, but sometimes all Jesus needs in your life is the smallest place to start. Then He can do amazing things in your life.

I am living proof of that.