What I Learned By Weighing Myself Daily

I weigh myself every day. It didn’t used to be that way. I had always been taught that you should only weigh yourself once a week. Then I joined a program called Omada. Omada is an online health system that provides a coach, lessons, a group of peers, suggested food choices, exercise motivation, and a scale that automatically transmits data. It’s a proven program that decreases diabetes risk and increases the potential for greater weight loss and a more healthy lifestyle. Now I’m weighing myself every day. It’s what Omada tells me to do.

Weighing myself every day has been a game changer. I have completely transformed my diet. Exercise is the first thing I do at least five days of the week. And I’ve lost fourteen pounds in twelve weeks. I can honestly say I feel so much better. But I believe one of the keys has been that daily weigh-in. Here’s what I’ve learned by doing it:

  1. Knowledge is power. When you weigh yourself daily you know exactly where you stand. If your weight goes up you can reflect on the previous day and the (poor) choices you made. It helps you make improvements moving forward. If your weight goes down you can pat yourself on the back and continue making the same good choices. It’s true in every aspect of life: the more you know the better choices you make.
  2. Trends are helpful. As I weigh myself every day I can look back at the chart of my weigh-ins. The trend has been very helpful to me as I see my weight decreasing. The daily weigh-in gives me daily knowledge. But the trend gives me an overall picture. It feels so good to look back and see from where I came. It’s true in every aspect of life: Take a look at trends and see from where you came. You might be surprised.
  3. Motivation comes more naturally. I actually look forward to weighing myself every morning. Sometimes I’m not happy, and I scream (!). Just ask my wife. She hears it. Other times I look at the scale and it starts my day off brilliantly. It’s amazing how a simple number can make an entire day better. When I’m getting ready to eat a cookie I remember that I have to weigh myself in the morning. When I’m eating a salad with grilled chicken and everyone else is eating enchiladas I remember that I have to weigh myself in the morning. It’s a powerful, powerful motivator. And it has worked. It’s true in every aspect of life: accountability works. Why not set up some kind of accountability today?

Knowledge, trends, and accountability are powerful tools. They don’t only work when you’re trying to lose weight. They can help you in almost any area of life. When you use them you will be surprised by the goals you will accomplish.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

What to Do When You’re Up Next

Do you know the name Brett Hundley? If you don’t know by now Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, broke his collar bone in a game against the Minnesota Vikings. You’re about to hear Brett Hundley’s name a great deal more. He’s the back up for Aaron Rodgers. He will now be the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He is the so-called “next man up.”

I’ve always lived under the mantra that no one is indispensable. There is someone who can do your job, take your place, or bring something different to your current position. That thought isn’t meant to depress or discourage you. It simply means that there is always a way through a difficult time, even if it means another person having to step up. You may even be asked to be the one who steps up and takes the place of another person thought to be irreplaceable. It’s a difficult position. But the next person up may be just the key to a new level or a big breakthrough.

We have yet to see if Brett Hundley will in any way be able to fill Aaron Rodgers Hall of Fame shoes. But the games will go on. They still have to be played. And the Green Bay Packers need a quarterback. So Brett Hundley is the next man up.

Here’s what we can learn from Brett Hundley about being the next person in line:

  1. Show your respect. The first thing Hundley did when Rodgers got hurt was go over to him and say, “I love you, man. I’m gonna do my best.” He respects the person’s whose shoes he’s about to fill. That respect goes a long way with the fans and with his teammates. It shows he knows his place. But it also shows he’s ready to step up.
  2. Do the job. Hundley went out and had a good game. Not a great game, but under the circumstances a good game. He was feeling his way through a difficult situation. He did what he could to keep the team in the game. In the end the Packers lost. But Hundley learned some things he will take into the next games. When you find yourself in a “next person up” situation just go in with a good attitude and do the job.
  3. Be confident. Hundley had nothing to lose. He went into the game with confidence. But more than that, in the post-game interview he expressed confidence that he’d be able to confidently lead the team in the coming games. Confidence will fill the gaps of his inexperience. Be confident but not cocky. It will help you, too.
  4. Keep learning. Now Hundley will be practicing with the starting team. He will have the opportunity to learn even more In the post-game press conference he said, “I’ll prepare and I’ll be ready.” Life is a never-ending classroom. Never stop learning. It will do you will at the perfect time.
  5. Stay humble. The one thing that really stood out to me was that Hundley was humble. He knows he’s got his work cut out for him. He’s confident because he’s a professional. But he knows that if he gets cocky he may not only lose his edge, but his teammates as well. Humility is a great quality. It helps you keep perspective while maintaining confidence.

When will it be your opportunity to be the next person up? You never know. But when it is, here’s the encouragement to do it with respect, confidence, and humility.

Sadness in Search of Hope and Answers

I’m sad. This has not been a good day for our country or, for that matter, people anywhere. I woke up to the news that almost 60 people were gunned down by a madman with an assault rifle, and hundreds more are wounded. Some are still fighting for their lives. This should have been a good day (and part of it really was) because I got to spend the morning with our daughter and grandson. But sadness overcame the day.

Thankfully, (for now) little nine-month-old Crosby is oblivious to what is going on in the world around him. Since he has been born he has lived through a few hurricanes (one of which hit his own city as he slept), deep division in our country, and now our nation’s worst mass shooting. I’m concerned for him and all that he will face as he grows.

But in a way it’s nothing new. There have always been trials, challenges, and tragedies in the world. It just seems that recently so many of them have been bunching together. I suppose that has something to do with the ubiquitous media and social media. We are more aware of tragedy than we ever have been before.

As we are more aware we search for more answers in the face of evil sadness. I completely understand those who solidly support the Second Amendment, but I do question the need for assault rifles and devices that can make them automatic or “machine guns.” And yet my questions go deeper than that. I marvel at the total depravity of evil. I wonder how people can be so callous toward others. And mostly I wonder why our world has fallen so far away from the only thing — the only One — who can help in any real way. The most real way. The eternal way.

When sadness searches for hope and answers they will only be found in one Person: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. His perfect life and substitutionary death means forgiveness for the sins of every person. His resurrection means real life — eternal life — for all who believe in Him. It’s something no evil, no callousness, and no gunman can ever take away.

Though I’m sad today I hold onto the promise of the Psalms that “joy comes in the morning.” I look forward to the joy the morrow will bring. And I will do my best to share that joy with others.

How about you?

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Determination as a Key to Learning New Things

The other day our eight-month-old grandson, Crosby, came over to our house. We’re with him enough to know how active he is. But when he came over to our place it became even more evident. The boy never stops moving. He explores. He’s curious. Crosby can’t help himself from discovering new things. He climbs. His little legs crawl from one place to another. The magnets on the refrigerator and the steps that go upstairs are far too tempting for a little boy. Watching him is a glorious display of determination.

Our son-in-law posted a picture of Crosby online with this quote:

Determined. The one word [Ashlyn] and I keep going back to when describing Crosby lately. To him, everything is possible. Especially when he always has a toy by his side…or mouth.

Watching Crosby reminds me, on the one hand, that as I grow older I sometimes lose my curiosity. My determination sometimes wanes. Energy that I once had degrades.

But on the other hand I am also reminded to look at the world through Crosby’s eyes. I want to think, like Crosby, that everything is possible. I want to see everything as though it were new. I want to discover the way things work. I desire new energy for old things.

So here’s a challenge for today: Look at everything like an eight-month-old.

  • Find new determination
  • Consider anything possible
  • Look at something like you’ve never seen it before
  • Discover the way something works
  • Summon the energy for creativity
  • Move your eyes left, right, up, and down
  • Climb up or dig down

There’s creative power in thinking, acting, and being determined like an infant.

What does determination look like to you?

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It Doesn’t Have to Take a Birthday to Do Something Special

Sometimes those human interest stories at the end of newscasts really get to me. It happened tonight. The story told about a teacher who asked one of her students about her birthday party. The little girl told her she had never had a birthday party, or even a slice of her own birthday cake. The teacher said when she heard those words her breath was taken away. It moved her so much that she quit her job and started her own non-profit organization. Now she raises money so that low income, underprivileged, and homeless children can have their very own birthday party, gifts and all.

Now this woman buys the gifts, dresses up in costumes, and brings the cakes to the parties. Professional baseball teams have gotten involved. Volunteers help out. And the smiles on the children’s faces beam like the sun. The story brought a lump to my throat.

You don’t have to start a non-profit or even throw a birthday party to bring joy or uplift. The same can be done even in the most mundane situations. Walter Wangerin, Jr. reminds us of this when he writes:

Every time you meet another human being you have the opportunity. It’s a chance at holiness. For you will do one of two things. Either you will build him up or you will tear him down. There are no useless, minor meetings. There are no dead-end jobs. There are no pointless lives. Swallow your sorrows; forget your grievances and all the hurt your poor life has sustained. Turn your face truly to the human before you and let her, for one pure moment, shine. Think her important, and then she will suspect that she is fashioned of God.

So do something special today. Go with your compassionate idea. Throw a birthday party. Sit face to face with someone. Make the visit you promised you would. You might even come up with an idea that leads to a non-profit organization.

What will you do to make someone smile today?

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When a Little Wave Makes a Big Difference

It’s the end of the first quarter at the Iowa Hawkeyes’ football game. Suddenly the entire crowd turns in one direction. Smiles cover the faces. The fans look up beyond the wall of the stadium. And they begin to wave.

It’s a tradition that just began this year. A new children’s hospital was built with windows overlooking the field. A fan floated the idea of waving to the kids in those windows. People thought it was a great idea so the word spread. The next thing you know every time there’s a football game a little bit of joy is injected into the lives of kids who are sick enough to be hospitalized. And all it takes is a wave multiplied thousands of times.

Isn’t it amazing what a little gesture can do? I love it when I take my morning bike ride and a motorist is friendly enough to gesture me across the street and follow it with a friendly wave. Our grandson is on the verge of learning how to wave. Don’t you love it when little babies do that? Waves can be emotional, too. I vividly remember waving to both of our kids when we dropped them off at their respective colleges and made our way home. If I’m being honest, more than a few tears accompanied those waves.

Sometimes a wave is not so much physical as it is emotional. Here in Florida we have felt the nation “waving” to us by sending financial support, their linemen and women, and their prayers. It’s almost as though the rest of the nation is turning their collective faces toward us like the fans at an Iowa football game. And we feel the warmth and love. It brings a smile to our faces.

Why not make it your goal to wave to someone today? Even if it may feel a little uncomfortable, give it a try. Especially if you don’t normally do it, wave to a fellow motorist, neighbor, or pedestrian today. You might just make their day. And your day will be better as well.

To whom will you wave today?

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What It’s Like to Live Through a Hurricane

It was the most massive hurricane to ever power through the Atlantic Ocean. And for days we knew it was more than likely coming our way. I wrote here about the uncertainty of all that. Living through a hurricane is a unique experience. The closest thing to which I can compare it is a snow storm that dumps two feet of snow…but with much more force and destruction.

Going through a hurricane is a process. There are things you experience before the storm, during it, and then as it breaks up into a tropical storm and goes away.

Before:

  • Hype: If you live anywhere in the country you certainly heard about Hurricane Irma. But If you live in Florida it was on TV, the radio, newspapers, social media, and overheard in every conversation out and about. Yes, this was a strong storm. Yes, it was important to prepare. But the hype was more than over the top.
  • Uncertainty: First Irma was supposed to come straight up the east side of the state. Then she was supposed to come straight up the middle. Next she was supposed to come up the east side of the state. Then straight up the middle. The famous “cone of uncertainty” that they show on every broadcast was so big it was maddening. Finally, Irma came up the east coast then straight up the middle of the state. So I suppose they were sort of right.
  • Purchases: You should have seen the stores. You’re supposed to get your hurricane preparedness supplies well in advance of the season. But of course people don’t. So there was a run on bread, water, batteries, and canned goods. Now that the storm is over we have two cases of bottled water we never touched and a whole bunch of canned goods that will probably end up at our local food pantry. We also have a battery powered transistor radio that we didn’t even use, and probably won’t use again until the next hurricane (God forbid).
  • Preparation: You have to prepare your house. Some people boarded up their windows. We didn’t…and were a little nervous about that. All of our porch furniture and plants came into our house. There were towels in every window. Everything got unplugged. I turned off the air conditioning breaker. The garage doors were locked and we backed our cars into the garage doors so that they wouldn’t flex and blow off the house. We even put our pictures in garbage bags and important papers in the trunk of my car. Our really important papers came with us. In addition, we also have photos of just about every item in our house in case we needed to make an insurance claim.
  • (Lack of) Sleep: It’s very difficult to sleep in the days leading up to a hurricane. All the things you have to do to prepare are running through your mind. Worst case scenarios are running through your mind. All the uncertainties are running through your mind. No sleep.

During:

  • TV: During a hurricane the TV, as long as you can have it, is your lifeline. You watch the cone of uncertainty narrow down to become nearly certain. Then you watch the bands of the storm get closer. It keeps you awake while every last little bit of wind and rain squall is analyzed. (Why is it that the worst part of a hurricane always seems to hit in the middle of the night?)
  • Snacks: Now’s the time to break out the snacks you bought. Most of them can be eaten right out of the bag or box since you’ve been anticipating a power outage for weeks. Everyone sits around nervously eating stuff they usually wouldn’t be.
  • Fear: See TV above. The media will do whatever they can to scare you to death so that you keep watching their station and they can sell more advertising. Yes, a hurricane is very serious and shouldn’t be messed with. But let’s have a little bit of balanced reporting.
  • Family: In the midst of a potentially life-altering storm, along with your faith, this becomes the most important thing. We were thankful to be able to ride the storm out with our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. It was very real, very good, quality time. The bonus was the meals our son-in-law cooked us while we waited for “the worst.”
  • (Lack of) Sleep: How can you sleep when a hurricane is blowing through your town?

After:

  • Water: Now, let’s see. What do we do with all the water the media told us to buy before the hurricane? I’m sure we’ll eventually use it.
  • Restaurants: If you own a restaurant, and have willing employees, open your restaurant as soon as humanly possible after the storm blows through. Since we were downtown we were able to walk to a pizza joint that opened at 4 in the evening the day after the hurricane. We got there before 4:00 and it was already packed. The entire time we were there a line of people was waiting outside the door. And as we walked home with leftover pizza in the box no less than three cars stopped in the middle of the road to ask us where we got it.
  • Assessing (damage): Since we were not in our own home for the storm, we were worried about what we would find when we got home. All in all, we were fortunate to have only some interior damage to our window sills from seeping water. Others fared far worse. Insurance companies, power companies, home improvement stores, gas stations, and grocery stores are working overtime to help people with all the issues that have arisen from Irma.
  • Waiting (for power): I’m here to tell you that having no power is no fun. Especially when you live in hot and humid Florida. My heart goes out to those who are still (four days later) living without power. We were without electricity for about a day-and-a-half, and that was bad enough. Linemen who bring our power back are true heroes.
  • Sleep: One of the best nights of sleep I have ever had was the night after our power was restored and the storm was all over. I can’t remember the time I slept that well. Must have needed it.

What have you learned from living through some kind of natural disaster?

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The Pathway Out of Uncertainty

We’ve been living with uncertainty for over a week now. Throughout hurricane season our local meteorologists keep an “eye on the tropics.” Already at the end of August they said we’d better watch Invest 93L because it could form into a major storm. Sure enough. Here we are making preparations for Hurricane Irma to hit the state of Florida. The projections have been going back and forth for days. The uncertainty is maddening.

Leading up to a hurricane uncertainty is all around. When you’re at the store buying the mandatory bread, water, and wine you hear people talking about how they’re going to evacuate if it comes this way. On social media you see reminder after reminder and myth after myth about what’s going to happen (or not going to). The weather channel incessantly shows the path’s track and the “cone of uncertainty.”

This is all really just a metaphor for life. As the old saying goes: “Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes.” Everything else is uncertain. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It could be good or bad. There might be failures or successes.

So how do we deal with uncertainty about a hurricane…or anything else? What is a pathway out of it? Here are three things I learned in the uncertainty of a potential hurricane:

  1. Don’t believe the best or the worst. In any kind of conjecture there will be those looking at it with rose colored glasses and those who always default to the worst case scenario. As far as the hurricane goes we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Seems like a good philosophy for any uncertain time.
  2. Seek advice from experienced people. We are relatively new Floridians who have only experienced one other hurricane. So we look to those who have had much more experience with this kind of thing. We ask them questions, seek their advice, and listen to them.
  3. Place faith in the One who never changes. In an email to our congregation this week I wrote: “Please join me in praying to the God of creation for safety and protection. In His sovereignty, which is high above ours, He has allowed this storm to form and He has His purposes for it. But He is also the one who with only His words calms the wind and the waves. Let’s pray that if it would be His will He would do just that.”

What is your pathway out of uncertainty?

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5 Things Guaranteed to Encourage Someone

The more I watch network news the more I think this world needs more encouragement. Recent events have shown that we are at each others throats both literally and figuratively. Everything from Berkeley to Charlottesville have revealed our country at its worst. I guess I should probably stop watching the network news. But then I saw the demonstrations of compassion and humanity after Hurricane Harvey. It was a joy to see people encourage Houston from all over the country.

But it all starts with one person taking the initiative to encourage another. Here are five ideas to help you do just that:

  1. Send a handwritten note. A couple of weeks ago in our Bible class at church we decided that we were each going to send a handwritten note to someone. The idea was to provide some encouragement. Though it wasn’t my intention, I received a couple of those notes. They made my day. I truly felt encouraged.
  2. Say something. If you’re thinking something nice about someone, say it. It does no good if you keep it to yourself. A few kind words go a long, long way. In fact, it just might completely improve someone’s day.
  3. Pay a public compliment. In this day and age it’s so easy to do. Use your social media channels to tout a friend or family member’s gifts or talents. Create a post about their work, business, or artistic ability and draw attention to it.
  4. Pick up the phone and make a call. I know, I know. A telephone call is such a throwback, such an inconvenient thing to do in this day and age of texts and emails. But a real phone call for “no reason” is just special enough to provide a proper amount of encouragement on any given day.
  5. Pay attention. When someone in your office or home mentions something they like or use, make note of it. When you have the opportunity, purchase it as a gift and give it on a day other than a birthday or holiday.

Do you agree that we could all use a little more encouragement? 

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What is the Essence of True Bravery?

Lately there’s been a great deal of bravery reported in the media. Over the course of Hurricane Harvey we saw photo after photo, video after video, and post after post of people risking life and limb to help and save others. A mother lost her life saving her infant child. People with boats came from hundreds of miles away to search and rescue. Even Chick-fil-a got in on the action sending workers to rescue an elderly pair of regular customers. But there’s been another kind of bravery that’s a little more subtle.

You have to look for it, but it’s there. You’ll find it in the middle of a culture that caters to the least common denominator. In our day it seems as though anything goes as long is you enjoy it, “love” is involved, and you don’t hurt anyone else.

You can easily find pastors and religious leaders who are called “brave.” They’re described with that adjective because they support the continuing decline of culture. People will praise them on social media, stand up and applaud, and heap accolades upon them. This all happens even though what they support is contrary to the clear word of Scripture.

But they’re not the brave ones. It’s really the easy path to follow right along with overarching culture.

Instead, bravery is the title that ought to be bestowed on another group of people. The truly brave ones are those who stand up against the moral decline in our society. They hold fast to God’s clear Word even though it’s not popular. It puts them in the path of name-calling, they are criticized, and they seemingly stand alone when it feels like the whole world is calling them out and condemning them.

They are the brave ones. The essence of true bravery is standing on the clear Word of God when it’s not popular, when it’s not easy, and when it seems as though one is standing in the minority. True bravery sometimes has to go in a direction very few others will dare to go.

Where have you seen bravery exhibited?

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