I am Brad Kelly and I am unofficially on the LDS Border Patrol.
We are a "Missionary Church" and so new people constantly come on Sunday to "investigate" the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to see if it's for them. We are one of only 2 churches on the Earth that claims to be "THE" Church. It's us and the Catholics who claim apostolic descent from different points in history.
But, being on the border means that I also see people leave. Up until recently, I've seen this only from the distance. But in the last year or so it's become pretty personal. I have had 6 people I really care about decide not to come back to Church or call themselves LDS anymore. This doesn't include the people I've known over the years who have left.
As a convert myself, and someone who choose to become a Latter-day Saint, I am making it my mission in life to find out why folks are leaving and what I can do personally to do a better job making people feel like a welcomed part of my church family.
Everyone I know personally that has "left the Church" has been born into it. They have all been raised LDS and have decided to leave a various points in their adult life.
It makes a lot of sense that most of the people that are leaving are "born into the Church". They didn't choose it and in varying degrees were "forced" into being a member. I suppose you can say that when they realized "it wasn't for them", they simply left and went elsewhere.
But, what I have found is that most of these folks didn't leave and go find the church that was right for them...they have left religion all together. It's not that they said this church isn't right for me, they said that organized religion isn't right for me. I don't have all the answers right now, but I'd sure like to.
I am an analytical guy. One of my favorite things is to say that "Numbers don't lie, people do." For me, the exercise of selecting a church was done over a process of attending many over a period of 5 years, lots of data, and plenty of testing. In the end, I'm really a religious pluralist. I may be a Latter-day Saint, but I attend religious services of other denominations every year. I regularly subscribe to beliefs held by the Eastern Religious Traditions and we treat nearly everything in my family we can with holistic, non-western medicine. I keep as close to a Kosher diet as I can. I side with atheists on all sorts of critiques of G_d and Religion in general. But for me, I took Gordon B. Hinkley seriously when he said: "Bring what you have and see if we can add to it." His statement was in reference to people of other faiths coming to investigate the Church to see if anything could be added to their existing religious beliefs.
Somehow, for many others, more and more people I know, the math isn't adding up. Instead of adding, they are choosing to leave everything behind and live their life without religion. For everyone reading this post, if you have ever joined or left a religion, I'd like to know why you did.
I am not out to convince anyone of anything. It's certainly a personal decision when it comes to matters of faith. Consider me a social scientist collecting data if you will. Consider me a concerned friend. It's clear that the American Church in general is failing it's people. There is a new movement to add a business to the Church in an effort to get people in the doors and then hopefully be able to provide them more than a school or a coffee shop.
At the end of the day, I'd like to think what you believe would be the determining factor for choosing a religion. But, I'm only one man, with a very peculiar way of doing things.
I'd really like to hear your story. Please respond to the post if you don't mind sharing or email me at NeonDion34@gmail.com. Please indicate if it's OK that I ask you follow-up questions or not. I'd really like to be able to push back a little...to poke or prod to uncover a few things. But, I will be grateful for your story either way.
Please do tell.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
12 Years of Bliss
I just had my 12 year wedding anniversary.
You know what I realized yesterday as I thought about where I am at in my life right now?
I am different. Really different.
I listen to things like Trap & Bass, Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Folktronica, Synthpop, Folk Rock, Indie Folk, Jazz, Indie Rock, Space Rock, Electronic Rock, Industrial Metal, Trance, and Dubstep.
I own 4 pairs of jeans. To put that into context, prior to our trip to NYC, I had purchased one pair of Sean Jean jeans in the past 15 years. That's what I owned, 1 pair of jeans.
I now prefer a pile of vegetables to a pile of cheese (probably the hardest thing in my life to avoid).
I eat more vegetables than I knew existed 20 years ago.
I eat green leafs like Kale & Arugula.
The other day when I checked out at the grocery store, I had to teach my cashier what 5 of the vegetables even were so that she could ring me up.
I no longer to into "attack mode" when I ask questions.
I "reserve the right to be wrong" rather than insist that "I am always right".
I ask questions first and form opinions later.
I cook, do laundry, and grocery shop for our family on a very regular basis.
I buy nearly 100% of the clothes Rachel owns.
I watch a sports game maybe once a month.
We have family home evening every week.
I give Rachel weekly massages (more often when time allows).
I speak all 5 Love Languages to Rachel.
Rachel has forced me to answer questions about the Universe that I frankly didn't care about before.
Rachel has helped me sort out social issues, gender issues, and I posses a metaphysics that would shame my "former self" who I thought "had it together".
I am at least 158% of the man I used to be. I immensely proud of the man I am today. I am proud of the marriage Rachel and I have together. It is the most amazing thing on this Earth.
I owe the man I am today to the refining fire of marriage. Rachel has stuck by me, taught me patiently, and answered my questions on how to improve even more patiently. I am grateful for the opportunity I have each year to reflect on it each anniversary. There will be many more of them and I can't wait to see where I am as a person when we get there.
You know what I realized yesterday as I thought about where I am at in my life right now?
I am different. Really different.
I listen to things like Trap & Bass, Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Folktronica, Synthpop, Folk Rock, Indie Folk, Jazz, Indie Rock, Space Rock, Electronic Rock, Industrial Metal, Trance, and Dubstep.
I own 4 pairs of jeans. To put that into context, prior to our trip to NYC, I had purchased one pair of Sean Jean jeans in the past 15 years. That's what I owned, 1 pair of jeans.
I now prefer a pile of vegetables to a pile of cheese (probably the hardest thing in my life to avoid).
I eat more vegetables than I knew existed 20 years ago.
I eat green leafs like Kale & Arugula.
The other day when I checked out at the grocery store, I had to teach my cashier what 5 of the vegetables even were so that she could ring me up.
I no longer to into "attack mode" when I ask questions.
I "reserve the right to be wrong" rather than insist that "I am always right".
I ask questions first and form opinions later.
I cook, do laundry, and grocery shop for our family on a very regular basis.
I buy nearly 100% of the clothes Rachel owns.
I watch a sports game maybe once a month.
We have family home evening every week.
I give Rachel weekly massages (more often when time allows).
I speak all 5 Love Languages to Rachel.
Rachel has forced me to answer questions about the Universe that I frankly didn't care about before.
Rachel has helped me sort out social issues, gender issues, and I posses a metaphysics that would shame my "former self" who I thought "had it together".
I am at least 158% of the man I used to be. I immensely proud of the man I am today. I am proud of the marriage Rachel and I have together. It is the most amazing thing on this Earth.
I owe the man I am today to the refining fire of marriage. Rachel has stuck by me, taught me patiently, and answered my questions on how to improve even more patiently. I am grateful for the opportunity I have each year to reflect on it each anniversary. There will be many more of them and I can't wait to see where I am as a person when we get there.
My Wife Will Rip My Clothes Off...soon!
"It's Just 25 Minutes a Day." "Just do the best that you can do." "It's just...a inch." "You need to FOCUS." Those are just a few of the fun catch phrases from our new project we have going on over here in our home. Rachel and I are working out. We have done it a few times in the past. We had one magical year back in California, right before the stock market blew up and sent our life into a tailspin, in which we made over $100,000 and we had the time to go to the gym every day once I was done for the day. Our monthly fee (which was subsidized by the company I worked for) provided childcare for SUPER cheap. I mean like $15 a month for 1.5 hours every day.
Thank heavens for the "at home gym revolution" in which programs like P90X, T25, and TurboFire made it so that you could pay one fee and then workout from home for as long you want. Without having to a gym, childcare wasn't necessary. Now that I type it out, programs like T25 actually save people a ton of money.
Why all the focus on working out and meals lately? (I'm sure you've seen my Facebook Page.)
It started last summer. I was trying to figure out how to improve. I usually grill Rachel with several questions about what I am doing well, poorly, too much, or not at all. Then I figure out the next thing I can work on to be better.
This time, I didn't have to ask any questions. I watch a lot of movies. That's probably an understatement even for me. I am in the phase of entering thousands of new parts into our system at work and the process is quite tedious. It's the same things over and over: description, cost, sale price, inventory level, reorder point, and preferred vendor...and repeat...and repeat...and repeat.
So, in order to stay up long nights and keep motivated, I watch movies so that my brain has something to process while my fingers are typing. It's a function of my ADHD.
One common theme in these movies is the scene where the couple falls in love, and they want to get physical. The woman thinks the man is so hot, that she rips, yanks, pulls, and tears (in extreme cases) his clothes off until they are naked and can proceed to do what married people do (have great sex).
I had to be honest with myself: Rachel has never ripped my clothes off...or wanted to. I don't blame her. This isn't one of those: "Your wife should like you more man, it's not you, it's her." This isn't something Rachel lacks. It's not her, it IS me. I have never given her a body worth ripping my clothes off to get to. Even after 4 years of college football I wasn't in "rip my clothes off shape".
I don't believe in being a victim. If I don't have something in my life, then I work on it until I have it. That isn't to say that no one ever gets taken advantage of. There are real victims. But I have found that most marriages aren't what people want them to be because they play the victim, rather than talk to their spouse about how and what they want to be different.
I started asking Rachel questions about her not really ever wanting to rip my clothes off and figured out there just wasn't much under the clothes worth getting to.
That doesn't mean we haven't had a fulfilling sex life. We have sex on a regular basis and it's come a long way from where we started. We do things we've added to it that we didn't do 12 years ago when we were married. We are more comfortable with each other than we ever were in the 1st 10 years of our marriage.
For you married folks out there that really do want to improve, I highly recommend going to a couples massage sometime when you can schedule some time. Then, once you both have a good idea of what a great massage looks and feels like, you can have couples massage weekly! Rachel and I have made it a priority every Sunday night, for at least a year, to give a great massage. She gets one every single Sunday and I get one when I really want one. I used to whine and complain about giving a massage. Turns out I was trying to play the victim: "My hands hurt if I do it for too long." "I never get a massage." "I never know what to do."
Blah, blah, blah. I had excuse after excuse. The bottom line: I wasn't committed to giving Rachel the experience she deserved, and so I didn't. When I "grew up" and got over it, the intimate portion of our marriage has grown and developed by leaps and bounds in the last 2 years. Who knew that when she was happy and fulfilled, I would be too.
Something to consider for married couples who have "lost the spark". That's the line I hear repeatedly in movies when one spouse decides to either cheat on or leave the other. Don't let it happen to you. Is that like saying: "If my spouse cheats on me, it's my fault." Yeah, it kind of is. And I'm willing to say that.
Like I said, there are real victims. People who do everything in their power and their spouse is either unfaithful, emotionally neglecting, etc. But if you have an amazing marriage, why on earth would they look elsewhere?
Make today the day you decide to have an amazing marriage. It might mean that you have to ask some questions you don't want to hear the answer to...but hey, that's how you are going to get where you want to go.
I promise you it's worth it. A few hours or days of uncomfortable conversation will get you amazing results. I guarantee it.
The other night, when we were having dinner, Rachel asked if I could eat dinner with my shirt off when I have rock hard abs. I said "sure". "I may even let you rip it off yourself." I might not have much to look at under my shirt now...but I will. And Rachel will want to rip my shirt off to get to it!
Thank heavens for the "at home gym revolution" in which programs like P90X, T25, and TurboFire made it so that you could pay one fee and then workout from home for as long you want. Without having to a gym, childcare wasn't necessary. Now that I type it out, programs like T25 actually save people a ton of money.
Why all the focus on working out and meals lately? (I'm sure you've seen my Facebook Page.)
It started last summer. I was trying to figure out how to improve. I usually grill Rachel with several questions about what I am doing well, poorly, too much, or not at all. Then I figure out the next thing I can work on to be better.
This time, I didn't have to ask any questions. I watch a lot of movies. That's probably an understatement even for me. I am in the phase of entering thousands of new parts into our system at work and the process is quite tedious. It's the same things over and over: description, cost, sale price, inventory level, reorder point, and preferred vendor...and repeat...and repeat...and repeat.
So, in order to stay up long nights and keep motivated, I watch movies so that my brain has something to process while my fingers are typing. It's a function of my ADHD.
One common theme in these movies is the scene where the couple falls in love, and they want to get physical. The woman thinks the man is so hot, that she rips, yanks, pulls, and tears (in extreme cases) his clothes off until they are naked and can proceed to do what married people do (have great sex).
I had to be honest with myself: Rachel has never ripped my clothes off...or wanted to. I don't blame her. This isn't one of those: "Your wife should like you more man, it's not you, it's her." This isn't something Rachel lacks. It's not her, it IS me. I have never given her a body worth ripping my clothes off to get to. Even after 4 years of college football I wasn't in "rip my clothes off shape".
I don't believe in being a victim. If I don't have something in my life, then I work on it until I have it. That isn't to say that no one ever gets taken advantage of. There are real victims. But I have found that most marriages aren't what people want them to be because they play the victim, rather than talk to their spouse about how and what they want to be different.
I started asking Rachel questions about her not really ever wanting to rip my clothes off and figured out there just wasn't much under the clothes worth getting to.
That doesn't mean we haven't had a fulfilling sex life. We have sex on a regular basis and it's come a long way from where we started. We do things we've added to it that we didn't do 12 years ago when we were married. We are more comfortable with each other than we ever were in the 1st 10 years of our marriage.
For you married folks out there that really do want to improve, I highly recommend going to a couples massage sometime when you can schedule some time. Then, once you both have a good idea of what a great massage looks and feels like, you can have couples massage weekly! Rachel and I have made it a priority every Sunday night, for at least a year, to give a great massage. She gets one every single Sunday and I get one when I really want one. I used to whine and complain about giving a massage. Turns out I was trying to play the victim: "My hands hurt if I do it for too long." "I never get a massage." "I never know what to do."
Blah, blah, blah. I had excuse after excuse. The bottom line: I wasn't committed to giving Rachel the experience she deserved, and so I didn't. When I "grew up" and got over it, the intimate portion of our marriage has grown and developed by leaps and bounds in the last 2 years. Who knew that when she was happy and fulfilled, I would be too.
Something to consider for married couples who have "lost the spark". That's the line I hear repeatedly in movies when one spouse decides to either cheat on or leave the other. Don't let it happen to you. Is that like saying: "If my spouse cheats on me, it's my fault." Yeah, it kind of is. And I'm willing to say that.
Like I said, there are real victims. People who do everything in their power and their spouse is either unfaithful, emotionally neglecting, etc. But if you have an amazing marriage, why on earth would they look elsewhere?
Make today the day you decide to have an amazing marriage. It might mean that you have to ask some questions you don't want to hear the answer to...but hey, that's how you are going to get where you want to go.
I promise you it's worth it. A few hours or days of uncomfortable conversation will get you amazing results. I guarantee it.
The other night, when we were having dinner, Rachel asked if I could eat dinner with my shirt off when I have rock hard abs. I said "sure". "I may even let you rip it off yourself." I might not have much to look at under my shirt now...but I will. And Rachel will want to rip my shirt off to get to it!
How my ADHD Works.
So, in order to stay up long nights and keep motivated, I watch
movies so that my brain has something to process while my fingers are
typing. I realize my experience is unique (not completely and
totally...but pretty rare) due to my ADHD. I actually heard that they
"officially" dropped the "H" from ADHD and now you are either ADD or
not. How dumb. The "H" for hyperactivity along with the "attention
deficit" is what gives me my superpower. They say that ADD means you
can't focus on anyone thing because your brain processes too much
outside stimulus all at once. It's like turning on 10 televisions at
once and asking you to focus on the one in front of you. Most "normal"
people can't do that anyway...but if you have ADD, your whole life is
like that: 10 televisions on all the time.
You know what I discovered? My "H" (hyperactivity) allowed me to have the energy to FOCUS ON ALL 10 TELEVISIONS AT THE SAME TIME! That's right, while you can only watch 1 or 2, my brain can "monitor" what is going on with all 10 televisions at the same time and bring the most relevant information to the "front" of my mind for processing. I work through things quickly, completing the easiest tasks first so that I can save more complex tasks for later. It allows me to then focus on the 2 or 3 remaining televisions that are on once I've completed the 5 or 6 easy things quickly (remember the hyperactivity).
Eventually, when all other stimuli have been removed (the "televisions" get turned off as I complete each task) I am able to focus on large/long complex tasks without being distracted by all the other little things that "need to be done"...since they are all complete.
That's the big problem with "treating" ADHD. Doctors want to focus on using drugs to "eliminate stimulus artificially". If the person with ADD/ADHD improved the processes and procedures by which they completed tasks, they could eliminate their own distracting stimulus by completing those tasks one by one until they only have large complex tasks left. THAT is how you treat ADHD: teach the person how to get and stay organized. No drugs are required.
I learned this about myself around 16/17 and now I have perfected the process. Every now and then there is simply too much to do and it's necessary to go to bed and then wake up when your mind is fresh and clear. That makes it easier to prioritize, when you are able to add things to your plate in the order you'd like to complete them.
Sometimes you have to just take a night off even when you don't want to because having fun will relax you and then rejuvenate your body so that you can "get back into it" the next day.
You know what I discovered? My "H" (hyperactivity) allowed me to have the energy to FOCUS ON ALL 10 TELEVISIONS AT THE SAME TIME! That's right, while you can only watch 1 or 2, my brain can "monitor" what is going on with all 10 televisions at the same time and bring the most relevant information to the "front" of my mind for processing. I work through things quickly, completing the easiest tasks first so that I can save more complex tasks for later. It allows me to then focus on the 2 or 3 remaining televisions that are on once I've completed the 5 or 6 easy things quickly (remember the hyperactivity).
Eventually, when all other stimuli have been removed (the "televisions" get turned off as I complete each task) I am able to focus on large/long complex tasks without being distracted by all the other little things that "need to be done"...since they are all complete.
That's the big problem with "treating" ADHD. Doctors want to focus on using drugs to "eliminate stimulus artificially". If the person with ADD/ADHD improved the processes and procedures by which they completed tasks, they could eliminate their own distracting stimulus by completing those tasks one by one until they only have large complex tasks left. THAT is how you treat ADHD: teach the person how to get and stay organized. No drugs are required.
I learned this about myself around 16/17 and now I have perfected the process. Every now and then there is simply too much to do and it's necessary to go to bed and then wake up when your mind is fresh and clear. That makes it easier to prioritize, when you are able to add things to your plate in the order you'd like to complete them.
Sometimes you have to just take a night off even when you don't want to because having fun will relax you and then rejuvenate your body so that you can "get back into it" the next day.
Damn I look good...and you can thank my wife for it!
145. YUUUUUUP! I just stepped off the scale and that's what it said before I sat down to write. I probably haven't weighed this little since I was in high school. It certainly wasn't on purpose that I lost 20 lbs, not entirely on purpose.
Last year, I promised Rachel that I'd give her a husband with rock hard abs for Christmas. It gave me a year to deliver on the promise and I started to work. Well, not immediately...since I had no idea how to get there and no proven method to do it. I can't even remember how I learned about T25, the Shaun T workout videos that were now only 25 minutes a day instead of the 90 minutes from P90X.
I work a lot. In your head, think about what working a lot is...and then double it. Rachel and I are educated. I mean really educated. I mean more student loans than you think is possible for someone who didn't go to Law School or Medical School educated. And since we obtained all this glorious education, we've been finding ways to pay for the education. The longer we've been out of school, the more the delayed, deferred, and graduated payments have kicked in. So, I am still doing every business venture I've done up to this point AND I have a full time job in the Bakken building a 2nd parts business for what we hope will be the largest non-branded Dealership for On-Highway Trucks and then later Heavy Equipment. Out of a possible 168 hours in a week, I only sleep 36 of those (instead of the usual 56 a person would sleep to get a "full night's sleep"). So, in a given week I work about 120-125 hours a week. Without T25, my goal simply wouldn't be possible. I just don't have the time to do anything more right now.
My Mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I directed her to my friend who is a BeachBody Coach, Tom Wolfe. We have all known Tom ever since the days when I racked up my 1st real batch of student loans with my Master's of Divinity at the Claremont School of Theology. The Wolfe's own the market (Wolfe's Market) across the street from the school and went to Church with us. We have eaten dinner at their house numerous times, hung out, played racquetball, been in Church callings together, stored my motorcycle/scooter in his boat storage unit over the last 10 years. Honestly, almost as long as I have been married to Rachel we have known the Wolfes. My Mom got with Tom and ordered me up T25, and it was there, under the tree, for Christmas.
The box sat idle for some time. It was Christmas, I was working my 120 hours, we were trying to get the print copy of Rachel's book (Colorworld) out and published. Her second book (Teleworld) still had to be finished and I was doing marketing for her books at night: asking for review requests, choosing where to advertise, contacting family and friends to read and review. We had a TON going on with Rachel's writing career finally making it to light after working for so many years without anyone really even knowing she was a writer.
In January, things kind of blew up at my old work. I had helped a friend build exactly what I said above and we were firing on all cylinders. It was amazing and we had a great thing going. Then, out of the blue, it got weird. I really don't know what happened...probably because I never really asked. I got some end of the year numbers and I sent back all my concerns: hours for this job or that were billed to parts instead of service, making it look worse than it was. All of the labor for our mobile hose unit should have gone to parts instead of service. Jobs my guys did that we got billed wages but didn't get credited for the revenue...blah, blah blah. Before you knew it, I fired myself. Not my favorite day of my life.
I was sick at the time, so I took a few days to sleep in and not work over 80 hours that week. I was nervous...probably a little scared if I'm honest with myself. Once I got over the sickness, I opened the T25 box out and started with the 1st video. I was almost really dumb. I seriously thought that because I thought I was in decent shape, I should probably just skip Alpha and go straight to Beta so that I can get rock hard abs faster. That would have ranked up there in my Top 10 Failures in life had I gone that route, by the way. Lucky, for me, I started on day 1 with video 1.
I haven't done T25 every single day. I have NEVER done the 2 workouts on Friday it calls for. Plenty of weeks I have worked out 6 days a week instead of 5 though. I have no idea if that makes up for it. Out of the 3 months I've done T25, I've only done the stretch video 3 or 4 times.
But, DANG! It didn't even occur to me I'd lose weight. I honestly have only had 1 expectation from the beginning: I will have rock hard abs for my wife for Christmas Day, 2014.
I've talked with Tom on and off regarding how I get there. I am done with Alpha and Beta and I don't have rock hard abs, so I wanted to make sure I was on track with only 8 months left to get my abs, so I got on the phone with Tom. He told me I'm going to HAVE to do the 5 meals a day and then space my water out. I drink water 30 minutes before I eat and wait until an hour after I eat to drink water again. I drink 100-125 oz of water a day to keep things flowing.
I look amazing. The other day Rachel sent me a text message to let me know she thought my hard work was paying off and that I looked great. :-)
Last night, after we did a T25 Beta workout together, we sat down to have our 12th Wedding Anniversary Dinner together and she asked me if I could eat with my shirt off when I have rock hard abs. I love it. I identified something I couldn't offer Rachel and got determined...hell bent, on fixing it. I'm close, and now it's starting to occur to Rachel that I might just get there.
I sure hope I do. That woman, my wife, is the most amazing woman in the world. And I promised her rock hard abs on her husband for Christmas. And she's going to get them.
Last year, I promised Rachel that I'd give her a husband with rock hard abs for Christmas. It gave me a year to deliver on the promise and I started to work. Well, not immediately...since I had no idea how to get there and no proven method to do it. I can't even remember how I learned about T25, the Shaun T workout videos that were now only 25 minutes a day instead of the 90 minutes from P90X.
I work a lot. In your head, think about what working a lot is...and then double it. Rachel and I are educated. I mean really educated. I mean more student loans than you think is possible for someone who didn't go to Law School or Medical School educated. And since we obtained all this glorious education, we've been finding ways to pay for the education. The longer we've been out of school, the more the delayed, deferred, and graduated payments have kicked in. So, I am still doing every business venture I've done up to this point AND I have a full time job in the Bakken building a 2nd parts business for what we hope will be the largest non-branded Dealership for On-Highway Trucks and then later Heavy Equipment. Out of a possible 168 hours in a week, I only sleep 36 of those (instead of the usual 56 a person would sleep to get a "full night's sleep"). So, in a given week I work about 120-125 hours a week. Without T25, my goal simply wouldn't be possible. I just don't have the time to do anything more right now.
My Mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I directed her to my friend who is a BeachBody Coach, Tom Wolfe. We have all known Tom ever since the days when I racked up my 1st real batch of student loans with my Master's of Divinity at the Claremont School of Theology. The Wolfe's own the market (Wolfe's Market) across the street from the school and went to Church with us. We have eaten dinner at their house numerous times, hung out, played racquetball, been in Church callings together, stored my motorcycle/scooter in his boat storage unit over the last 10 years. Honestly, almost as long as I have been married to Rachel we have known the Wolfes. My Mom got with Tom and ordered me up T25, and it was there, under the tree, for Christmas.
The box sat idle for some time. It was Christmas, I was working my 120 hours, we were trying to get the print copy of Rachel's book (Colorworld) out and published. Her second book (Teleworld) still had to be finished and I was doing marketing for her books at night: asking for review requests, choosing where to advertise, contacting family and friends to read and review. We had a TON going on with Rachel's writing career finally making it to light after working for so many years without anyone really even knowing she was a writer.
In January, things kind of blew up at my old work. I had helped a friend build exactly what I said above and we were firing on all cylinders. It was amazing and we had a great thing going. Then, out of the blue, it got weird. I really don't know what happened...probably because I never really asked. I got some end of the year numbers and I sent back all my concerns: hours for this job or that were billed to parts instead of service, making it look worse than it was. All of the labor for our mobile hose unit should have gone to parts instead of service. Jobs my guys did that we got billed wages but didn't get credited for the revenue...blah, blah blah. Before you knew it, I fired myself. Not my favorite day of my life.
I was sick at the time, so I took a few days to sleep in and not work over 80 hours that week. I was nervous...probably a little scared if I'm honest with myself. Once I got over the sickness, I opened the T25 box out and started with the 1st video. I was almost really dumb. I seriously thought that because I thought I was in decent shape, I should probably just skip Alpha and go straight to Beta so that I can get rock hard abs faster. That would have ranked up there in my Top 10 Failures in life had I gone that route, by the way. Lucky, for me, I started on day 1 with video 1.
I haven't done T25 every single day. I have NEVER done the 2 workouts on Friday it calls for. Plenty of weeks I have worked out 6 days a week instead of 5 though. I have no idea if that makes up for it. Out of the 3 months I've done T25, I've only done the stretch video 3 or 4 times.
But, DANG! It didn't even occur to me I'd lose weight. I honestly have only had 1 expectation from the beginning: I will have rock hard abs for my wife for Christmas Day, 2014.
I've talked with Tom on and off regarding how I get there. I am done with Alpha and Beta and I don't have rock hard abs, so I wanted to make sure I was on track with only 8 months left to get my abs, so I got on the phone with Tom. He told me I'm going to HAVE to do the 5 meals a day and then space my water out. I drink water 30 minutes before I eat and wait until an hour after I eat to drink water again. I drink 100-125 oz of water a day to keep things flowing.
I look amazing. The other day Rachel sent me a text message to let me know she thought my hard work was paying off and that I looked great. :-)
Last night, after we did a T25 Beta workout together, we sat down to have our 12th Wedding Anniversary Dinner together and she asked me if I could eat with my shirt off when I have rock hard abs. I love it. I identified something I couldn't offer Rachel and got determined...hell bent, on fixing it. I'm close, and now it's starting to occur to Rachel that I might just get there.
I sure hope I do. That woman, my wife, is the most amazing woman in the world. And I promised her rock hard abs on her husband for Christmas. And she's going to get them.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Jesus Laid Hands on Many During His Lifetime
In the New Testament we read frequently that Jesus has laid his hands on another in order to heal them:
Mark 5:23
In this scene, a man in charge of the synagogue begs the Savior to come with him and heal his daughter. He asks specifically that He lay hands on her so that He can heal her so she may live.
Luke 4:40
Jesus traveled to Simon's house, to see his sick mother. He rebuked the fever and it left her. But, while He was there, those who were sick came to be healed. He laid his hands on each and everyone one of them, giving them a healing blessing.
Luke: 13:12-13
Here Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath day who had been afflicted her whole life with a spine condition. Maybe muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. He lays his hands on her and pronounces a blessing upon her and then has to contend with person who runs the synagogue.
Mark 5:23
In this scene, a man in charge of the synagogue begs the Savior to come with him and heal his daughter. He asks specifically that He lay hands on her so that He can heal her so she may live.
Luke 4:40
Jesus traveled to Simon's house, to see his sick mother. He rebuked the fever and it left her. But, while He was there, those who were sick came to be healed. He laid his hands on each and everyone one of them, giving them a healing blessing.
Luke: 13:12-13
Here Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath day who had been afflicted her whole life with a spine condition. Maybe muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. He lays his hands on her and pronounces a blessing upon her and then has to contend with person who runs the synagogue.
Moses Blesses each of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Priesthood blessings have been important as far back and can be found throughout recorded history. In Deuteronomy 33, Moses blesses each of the 12 Tribes of Israel:
Reuben (vs. 6)
Judah (vs. 7)
Levi (vs. 8)
Jacob/Israel (vs. 10)
Benjamin (vs. 12)
Joseph (vs. 13)
Ephraim/Manasseh (vs. 17)
Zebulun (vs. 18)
Gad (vs. 20)
Dan (vs. 22)
Naphtali (23)
Asher (24)
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