Random Thoughts

1. I'm in one more fantasy league, whoohoo, that makes 4 and I'm gonna dominate all four of them.

2. Looks like the Yankees and the Red Sox aren't going to make the playoffs. That would be crazy, but it won't bother me if the Yankees don't make the playoffs if the Red Sox miss them too.

3. In one week and one day I get to watch the Colts season opener, yeah!

4. It's raining it's pouring the old man is snoring in OKC.

5. Next month we are starting a series called Got Sex? at Epic. I'm going to speak on Why God Created Sex, Sex God's Way and Dirty Thoughts. Students bring all your friends and parents bring all your students this will be one of our best series of the year.

6. Every year I will do a sex series because I believe fornication and sexual immorality are one of Satan's biggest tools to destroy the lives of teenagers.

7. This Sunday night at 6 pm, Ignite will have it's second service. All college and twentysomethings make sure you are there. God is going to use this experience to impact college and twentysomethings all over OKC.

8. Tonight I will hit up the scale and I'm hoping to be at 225. My eating has been good this week but I haven't worked out a lot. I'll give an update on Monday.

9. I love People's Church and I'm super pumped about our future. We have a great team and lives are being changed every week. Thank you Lord for what you are doing!

Pandora Radio

Pandora radio is another discovery I have found on the internet thanks to my friend Andy Wynn. Pandora is a website where you can create your own radio station with your favorite artists. Example: If you like Frank Sinatra type his name in the "create a radio station" box and Pandora will play all Frank Sinatra music and anyone who sounds like them. Not only that but if the station plays a song you don't like you can skip it and it will never play that song again. Pandora basically learns your favorite types of music and plays it all day long. I love it! Currently I have a Israel and the New Breed station, a Rascal Flatts station, LeCrae station, Fireflight station and a Hillsong United station. It also has an application for the Iphone. It's awesome and I just created a Boys II Men station, whoohoo! Check it out at Pandora.com

YouVersion

Over the past few months I have been using YouVersion to do my devotions and I love it! I am not much of a journaler (i don't think that is a word, but you know what I mean) but have always envied those who are. I've tried a couple times to journal but never stuck to it. I think I stopped because my handwriting is so bad I can't even read it, haha. And one of the main reasons I like YouVersion is because it allows me to journal online. With YouVersion I can read the Bible and Journal online on my laptop. It's awesome! It also has a concordance, commentaries and is very user friendly. Plus I can read my typing much better then my handwriting and I won't get writers cramp. And to put the cherry on top there is an Iphone application so I even have it on my phone. The advances in technology are great and they have opened doors for me to journal during my devotional time. If you interested check it out at youversion.com. It's been a blessing for me and I hope it will be a blessing for you.

Date Night

Jamie and I love Jace a ton but it was great to have a few hours away from him. Tonight a friend watched Jace for us while we had dinner at Chili's. It was a great night of conversation, eating and we didn't have to worry about Jace getting jealous and wanting our food :). We did miss him like crazy while he was away, but it was great to have a night for me and Jamie. Jamie and I are still watching our eating so we cheated a little bit, but cheated in a way we have never done before. We started off by splitting some chips and salsa, we split a side salad and then we split a burger with NO fries. Not only that but we both couldn't finish our half of the burger. We saved some pounds and we saved some money. It was an awesome night and we were very proud of each other. I really enjoyed this time with Jamie and need to make it happen on a more consistent basis.

Slackin

I just realized I haven't blogged since Wed so here are some updates:

1. Thursday I had my first fantasy draft and it was a blast. This league is a keeper league which I have never done before and all I gotta say is the Stallions are going down in week 1! I love fantasy football and I have two , maybe three more drafts to go.

2. Team USA is in the Gold medal game and I want to watch it sooo bad, maybe I will sleep til 1 am, watch it and then go back to sleep.

3. Jace has been launching some nasty diapers lately and if you are wondering yes I gag when I change them. I hate poop diapers, I would change every pee diaper if I didn't have to change one poop diaper. I'm gagging thinking about it so I'm moving on.

4. Today I went to Incredible Pizza with our students and had a blast. Again I'm attracted to the basketball game, but today my best was only a 71. I hope to get 80 someday. As for our students they are all about getting a million tickets, which I think they did.

5. Jamie also tore it up on the basketball game scoring over 40 a few times. If you haven't met my wife she is lots of fun and definitely the life of the party.

6. Tomorrow we kick off our first Ignite experience for college and twentysomethings at 6 pm. I'm super pumped and I believe God is going to use this experience to reach college and twentysomethings all over OKC.

7. The NFL and college football seasons starts in less then two weeks. Go Buckeyes and Go Colts!!! Here is another prediction Chris "Beanie" Wells will win the Heisman Trophy this year.

8. The Yankees won today and the Red Sox got beat 11-0 and that makes me happy.

9. As for the meltdown I'm at 129 pounds and still need to lose 19 pounds. The process has been very rewarding.

10. Thanks for taking time out of your day to read my blog.

Fun at work

Today our staff took a field trip to Incredible Pizza. This is the first time we have ever done this and it was a blast. We ate, laughed, competed and had a lot of fun. We started off with the go karts and I didn't win but I was apart of a wreck and I beat Pastor Herbert so I will take that. Next we hit up the basketball hoops and Pastor Herbert pretty much dominated everyone, until I beat his high score of 68 with a 71 and then a 74. Victory was mine until he tied my high with his own 74 right before we left. I couldn't believe it. Either way I'll take the tie on the high score because he killed me many times head to head. Then I hit up the motorcycle and stunk it up. Andy dominated every race. It's awesome to be apart of a staff that has fun and enjoys life together.

A Great God and an Amazing Wife

I thank God for helping me lose weight and change my eating habits, but I also owe a huge thank you to my amazing wife. As you read in my blogs before Jamie is an awesome cook and she remains an awesome cook but she has changed her cooking habits to help my eating habits. My wife still makes amazing meals but now they are a lot more healthy. She has also been a great accountability partner and a huge encouragement. Without her I would not be seeing as much change as I have and I thank God for an amazing wife. Thanks babe and I love you!

15 pounds

As of this morning I have lost 15 pounds, this has never happened in my life and I give all the glory to God. Never in my life have I been this disciplined with my eating and that's because I have always tried to do it on my own and failed. On my own I would always cheat, justify eating something bad and give into the temptation of eating something bad. In the past I would lose five pounds and think ok I've done pretty good so I deserve to cheat and I would cheat and cheat and cheat until I gained those five pounds back and then try to lose 5 pounds again. I would continue this cycle and get no where, except for high cholesterol and feeling defeated. But now I feel convicted every time I want to cheat and have maintained my new eating habits. Matter of fact, yesterday I had some killer cravings and got a Dr. Pepper (I love Dr. Pepper), nobody would have known because it was just me and Dr. Pepper in my car. I took two sips and instantly felt convicted so I put the cap back on the Dr. Pepper and threw it away as soon as I got home. Take that Dr. Pepper and thank you Jesus and Holy Spirit for your conviction. This time I feel God's spirit helping me and giving me the strength and control over my eating. It's a pretty amazing feeling and it's all because of the Lord. And I have full confidence that God will complete this good work that he has started in me and it's going to bless me and my family. Again, thank you Jesus.

Random Thoughts

1. I'm looking forward to watching the Olympics this weekend. I'm excited for the track and field events and I can't wait to watch USA vs Spain tomorrow in basketball. Go USA!

2. I'm continuing to eat good and feel good. I've been a little slack with working out so I'm trying to step that up.

3. My Yankees are letting me down and if they don't step it up I will have to force out the words "There is always next year."

4. Tonight I rented a movie from the $1 red box, I can't believe we are now vending dvd's. So much for snickers and starbust, go to a vending machine and rent a dvd. Craziness.

5. My heart is beating like crazy because I just watched Michael Phelps win an impossible race. Unbelievable I can't believe he won he was behind to the very end. He is a BEAST!

6. Tonight I'm gonna work out and watch some more Olympics.

The Best Year Ever

Last night we had 14 students give their hearts to Christ. Praise God!!! I love seeing students give their hearts to Jesus, it's awesome. Currently we are in a series called The Best Year Ever where we are challenging students to win their schools for Christ and if they do that they will have The Best Year. It was a great night and students are getting pumped about reaching their schools for Christ. I believe with all my heart that many students who are far from God will get connected to God because of the students of Epic, which will lead to their Best Year Ever. I love the students at Epic and I'm excited about and anticipating our BEST YEAR EVER!!!

U-S-A!!!!

I'm watching the USA dominate Greece in basketball and loving it! I think I have scared Jace three times by my cheering. It's a dunkfest and the alley oop that Wade thew to Kobe as he was falling out of bounds was off the hook! If you are at work today and missed it, check it out on Sportscenter. It's great to see this team doing so good because the last couple of Olympics have been embarrassing. If they keep playing this way they should have no problem winning the gold. This year I'm into the Olympics way more then I have ever been and am really enjoying them. I think I've watched every Michael Phelps race. He is a beast. And their relay where they came back and edged out France was amazing. Jamie and I were cheering like crazy when they won. Go USA and make sure you win the medal count.

Skype

I have recently been introduced to the technology of Skype and I love it. Skype is an internet program that allows you to use your computer as a phone to call anyone who has internet. The part that I like is I can call anyone in the world, which is big for me because I have family in Belgium and France. We can now talk to them for free and if you have a webcam you can video chat for free. I'm all about the Skype and now relatives I have in Europe can talk to and see Jace all for FREE. My grandma in Connecticut that is too old to travel can now see Jace for the first time over the internet for FREE. Maybe for some Skype is old news but for me it's new and it's great. Skype is allowing us to connect with relatives we normally see once every few years. It's also very user friendly and the sound is very clear. Check it out at www.skype.com.

Six Steps

Jace just took six steps all by himself. My son is a beast and I'm so proud of him. He will definitely be walking soon. I just needed to share that with everyone.

Diet vs Changing Eating Habits

First off I would like to report that I have lost 10 pounds, whoohoo!! I have 25 more to go. With that a lot of people have asked me how my diet is going and I've come to the conclusion that my diet is going no where because I'm not on a diet. I'm changing my eating habits which is changing my lifestyle. To me a diet is short term and the changes I'm making are long term. Once I reach my weight loss goal I want to continue to eat healthy because high cholesterol and heart disease doesn't always deal with weight. I also want to work out to be in shape not because I need to make up for the junk I have eaten. Not only that but changing my eating habits has caused me to feel better physically and mentally. It's a great feeling! If I was on a diet, I would only have self control for a certain amount of time but I want to have self control with my eating for the rest of my life so I am changing my eating habits. Proverbs 23:2 (put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony) has opened my eyes and if you struggle with it too I challenge you to change your eating habits instead of going on a diet. Eat to live rather than living to eat. YOU CAN DO IT!!! For those that have been encouraging and praying for me, Thanks!!!

Random Thoughts

1. Tonight I'm chillin at home with my family and looking forward to the time I'll have with Jamie and Jace.

2. Favre in a Jets jersey is just crazy, but I'm happy for him and I hope they dethrone the Patriots.

3. I'm also excited for the Olympics. Go USA!!!

4. Tonight Jamie is making some low fat fettuccine with wheat pasta. I know it will be amazing.

5. Jamie has been on this weight loss journey with me and has been a tremendous support. We are both cutting off the pounds. It feels good to be able to make these changes with my wife and I know it will also be a blessing for Jace.

6. Preseason football has started and I'm not a huge fan of preseason but it's nice to have pro football back. One month until the season starts and I can't wait. Go Colts!!!

Puppies and Babies

Tonight I took Dungy for a walk and it was a beautiful night. As I walked him it struck me how alike him and Jace are. Here are some ways my puppy is like my baby boy. Just like Jace, Dungy likes to put everything in his mouth and I mean everything. He went after rocks, paper, plastic, bugs, and cups. Just like Jace, Dungy wants to explore the world. He has to sniff out everything just like Jace has to check out every corner of our house. Just like Jace, Dungy is a ball of energy. I'm still trying to figure out if I walked him or if he walked me. And just like Jace, Dungy loves people. It's funny my dog completely ignores other dogs but makes a bee line for every human he sees. I don't know why these things struck me tonight during my walk but they did so I thought I would share.

God is Good

Tonight we started a new series called "The Best Year Ever". It's our back to school series and I believe it's going to set the tone for a great fall. I believe God is going to use the students of Epic to reach out to students who are far from God all over the city. Even tonight we had 8 students give their hearts to Christ. There is nothing greater then seeing someone give their heart to Christ. This is why I do student ministry and I'm humbled to play a small part in someone's eternal destination being changed forever. Epic keep bringing your friends and Search Out the Lost! God is changing lives and the best is yet to come!!!

Stuck in Arkansas

I'm currently hanging out in the lobby of a Midas Auto Repair shot. This morning my battery light started to pop on and off and after we got gas to head back to OKC my car would not start. We got a quick jump and praise Jesus there was this Midas 50 feet away from the gas station. We pulled into the Midas and my car died again. The alternator is being replaced because it was only putting out 2 amps when it is supposed to put out 14. So we are loosing some time and this repair is going to put a little dent in my wallet, it's safe to say I have hit a bump in the road. Life is filled with many bumps in the road and today I hit a little bump, but I'm not going to let it ruin my day or steal my joy. At this moment I can smile and chuckle at this bump because there is nothing I can do to change it. The only thing I can control right now is how I react to this bump and it's feels much better to do it with a smile. I think too often in life we allow bumps to steal our joy and ruin our day so I encourage you to guard your joy, don't let the bumps ruin your day, roll with the punches, do it with a smile and laugh at it. Because whether I laugh or get ticked off the fact still remains that I need to replace alternator so I can get back to OKC.

Weekend Update

1. Friday I went to a pretty amazing wedding, but it had some temptation. At the reception they had milk and white chocolate fountains with cookies, marshmallow and bananas to dip in them. They also had wedding cake and lots of chocolate covered strawberries and I'm proud to say all I had was one chocolate strawberry and a lot of fruit. The fountains were calling my name but I resisted.

2. I also went to Mustang, OK for the very first time, it was pretty cool.

3. Saturday I chilled with my brother, Jace and Jamie and we watched Dr. Dolittle, that is a very funny movie.

4. Sunday we had an awesome service at People's church, it was very practical and one I believe everyone needs to hear about our finances being built on the rock, not sand. Check it out at www.peopleschurch.tv it will challenge and bless your life.

5. I also drove to Arkansas with my friend Brian Rush. I'm so glad he was with me because it would be a boring drive for someone to do by themselves. I also had an opportunity to eat a Big Ruby Tuesday burger but I resisted and got the salad bar. Thank you Lord.

6. Changing my diet has been hard, but I feel so much better about myself. This week I have eaten to live instead of living to eat and I really believe the Holy Spirit has helped me have self control and it is an amazing feeling. Thank you God for the strength to get my eating under control.

As Jace would say "Oh Yeah"

As the baseball trade deadline passed I have to say I was pretty impressed with the Yankees and pretty confident that they would make the playoffs. They made some pretty good moves, but their moves cannot compare to the Red Sox trading Manny Ramirez. As a Yankee fan I thought I would never say this "I love you Boston, thank you so much." Manny is the yankee killer, he has destroyed us and now thanks to Boston he is on the other side of the country and in another league. The Boston Red Sox just secured the Yankees playoff spot and I just wanted to say "Thank You"!!! My new prediction is not only will the Yankees make the playoffs but now I believe the Red Sox will not make the playoffs. This is gonna be a great season.