Practive

Okay so tonight I have basketball practice. Right now I'm on my lunch and I have half of it left. I should be stretching and getting ready for tonight. Instead I'm sitting my in chair. Being lazy. Shame on me. I guess the important thing to focus on now is long term benefits vs. short term. If I stretch now I will greatly reduce my chance of injury, improve my mobility and speed and therefore my "game", and I will feel better throught the day. Short term benefits include...........

Anatomy

I don't understand a whole lot of anatomy, but I do know some basics. For instance, liquid waste is supposed to come out one side while solid waste comes out the other. Thankfully I've never had solid waste come out the wrong side (ie kidney stones) but today my body got things backwards with the liquid waste. I was told its important to stay hydrated so drink lots of water. Well, that is a good idea, too bad it only stays in for about 10 or 20 mins. Just thought you all needed to hear about it.

C-League

Saturday was my first city league basketball practice.
I am still hurting. A lot.
I think what is most sore is my ribs. I took a lot of deep breaths. It really stretched me, which is what I wanted, but man does it hurt. For practice we basically just played four on four with one man out. After the first game my chest hurt oh so very badly and I was seeing colors. I drank water and went outside to get some fresh air. I almost puked. I have never puked due to physical exertion, but I was realy close Now the insides of my thighs hurt and my abdomen is killing me. Thankfully I was expecting this. Its what happens when a guy is ridiculously out of shape and he trys to keep up with people who work out regularly. I am not one of those guys who is content to just do what I can do. I'm always pushing. Always attempting to further my boundaries. Even when I do get in shape, I'll still be pushing. Why? Beats me.

My Rant

Excuse me if I'm being rantish, but I need to rant. I was just on a rant board that I can't reply too because of my special internet at work.

I am sick of preachers preaching something other than the gospel
I am sick of denominations
I am sick of hearing the negative opinions americans have about "christians" because some well meaning person tried to preach truth into their lives without giving them any reason to believe. They might say "The reason for believing is so you won't go to hell". Yeah well why don't I just become a muslim, off myself for the cause, escape this whole frustration in a can we call life and spend eternity not in hell, but in virgin heaven? There has got to be something more than words. There has got to be something tangible. People need an encounter with God. There is nothing we can do to convince people, not these days. The only we we can show people the truth is by SHOWING them something. Don't get me wrong, I know faith matters. I know there comes a point when people have to make a choice to believe in a physically invisible God, but how much more willing to listen to someone talk about Him would they be if they had encountered Him? What do I mean by encounter? My headache suddenly went away, I was crippled and now I walk, my bills got paid this month and I don't know how, my long lost brother called me just to talk. There are a million billion ways God can encounter someone and it would be a million billion times more meaningful than being told they are going to hell if they don't shape up.

Another way for people to encounter God is through true love. The bible says that "God is love". That is way deeper than "God loves you" or "God is loving". It says He is love. That means every time you show somebody love, you are letting them experience God whether you meant to or not. Now imagine if somebody were shown love, and I don't mean your grandma that raised you and is the best in the whole world, I am talking about the unlovely. Your boss that is a jerk, that smelly guy on the corner who makes 10 times as much money as you do just by being lazy and asking for it, that driver that cut you off, in essence, the unlovely, just imagine if you showed them a courtesy beyond politeness. What if you consistently showed somebody love (this is not to say you won't have bad days, we all do) who is not used to receiving it? That is the sort of behavior that gets people asking questions like "whats up with you?" and that is when you get to tell them that its not your love at all, but the love already given to you by Jesus. Wouldn't that make more of an impact than a bumper sticker that the jerk tailgating you reads that says "Smile, God loves you"?

Please don't read this like I think I'm a know it all. I am talking to myself for most of this. I just wish that people, all people, could experience the love of Jesus rather than be told about it by A. well meaning people who have never experienced it themselves or B. by people doing to look good and that is all they care about.

I will stop writing now or else this could go on for days

4:30 a.m.

Why oh why do I get up at 4:30 in the morning when I don't have to be at work until 7? I'll tell you. Its my second job.....of sorts. I am working 4 hours a week at a local gym to earn a free membership. Its a really nice gym, they have tennis courts, indoor and outdoor basketball, sand volley ball, a gyro, a saltwater pool, therapy pool and hot tub. So I get there at 5 in the morning Monday thru Thursday and clean something. Today I did a little vacuuming, dusted a chain link fence and all the stretching machines, then I was done. My schedule at work changes in November, but until then, I am lucky to have some time after cleaning to work out. Today I ran a mile on the treadmill. I hadn't warmed up and I didn't want to hurt myself so I started out walking. Then I went between jogging and something between jogging and power walking as the machine saw fit. After nine minutes I bumped up the speed to 10 mph so I could finish the mile in 10 minutes. I finished in 10:01. Good enough. I burned 180 calories, but it seemed like a lot more. Especially since I hadn't eaten breakfast. Not enough time.

Its worth it to get in shape and feel good. But man am I sleepy.

Praise God

So, my lovely car, which is described below, was taken to the shop. Not generally a good thing since, lets face it, mechanics don't exactly have the best reputaion. Thankfully, I was connected with a guy who is honest. Hard to believe, but true none the less. He found several things wrong with my car but the end bill came out to only 130.40. Now my car runs like a champ. Yeah!

The cascade
The colors
The pumpkin
The earth
The piling
The eventual rot
The coming decay
The disintegration
The consumption
The life giving
The new growth
The cascade



Okay, what do you think it is?

Me Coche

Blue Faded Peeling Chipping
Rust Primer Chrome Trim
Dented Scratched Creaking Groaning



What is dependency?
Come and lend me your ear
I'll tell you 'bout a car
That to my heart is dear

You'll never find another
So dependable and true
What were you thinking?
Messing with paint that's blue

Well blue, and white, and rust
And some colors I can't describe
I think when GM is designing
On spirits they must imbibe

Paint based on water?
What the crap is that?
That is the worst idea ever
And that my friend, is a fact

But at least I know I can count on the engine
To stall at every stop in town
It sputters and it coughs
Though the gas pedal, I push down

But hey, at least it runs
And it's clean on the inside too
I inspect the ceiling every day
because it hangs down and obscures my view

So while I'm driving
Trying to keep the engine running
Holding up the roof carpet with my head
I'm exercising my cunning

For it takes a lot of brain power
To operate my car
But once I get going
You can bet I'll go far

I sit back, relax
Listen to my music
Too bad every time I hit a bump
It fuzzes and I lose it

No worries though
It always clears up
Just like teenage acne
And a foggy glass beer cup

But even with all its quirks
My car is still great
It even drives itself
Though I think its from another state

It always wants to go faster
It gets bored at sixty-five
When the cruise control is on
The accelerator comes alive

All in all
Its not so bad
It gets me where I'm going
Even though it makes me MAD

I thank God for it every day
Theres not a rig I like better
'Cause fancy and new is boring
Anyday I'll take a car with character