Losing Steam

Why is it that I always lose steam? I'll working along at a good pace but, as the days turn into weeks, I start fading. It doesn't matter what the subject is. It could be school, reading a book, or staying on top of your Christian game. I think that is why the Apostle TBA wrote this:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  (Hebrews 12)

The Holy Scriptures breathe life into weary lungs.  What an incredible blessing we have from God!  The piece of this scripture that resonates with me is the end.  I have never resisted sin to the point of shedding blood.  But Christ, for the joy set before him, endured such pain.  For the JOY set before him.  What an amazing God we serve that sees the cross as joy for our sake. Even though we do not deserve His grace, He joyfully has secured it. 

Next Stop: Camelot

At an event for work yesterday, a colleague informed me that someone said I looked like a young Ted Kennedy. You be the judge.

Senseless

Time is, of all the things in the world, what has baffled me the most my entire life. I'm not talking about some abstract scientific principles. I'm talking about 12AM and 12PM. Lets examine this starting at midnight.

12 am
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm

Since when do we count zero as a 12? Instead of 10 am and 10 pm, should it be 112 am and 112 pm? It doesn't make any sense people!

Hi-Ho

I'm trying to not love the Gators as much as I do. That is my goal for football season. The reason for my goal is because it really should not be that important in my life. I put plenty of things on the back burner in my life and sports has never been one. I always make time to watch the game. Always. In fact, it will take up most of my Saturdays this fall. It will also take up a lot of internet hours during the week. I think I am going to try an put sports on the back burner for once. It won't be easy though.

For as long as I can remember, I loved sports. Whether it was playing or watching, I was always fully invested. When I was regenerated by Christ in high school, I began to see how unimportant a lot of things in my life were. Sports was at the top of my list. But I never gave it up (and I probably never will). Now, let me say here that there is nothing wrong with watching or playing sports. I have a ton of fun doing both and probably will for the rest of my life. But I can't serve two masters. And even though I do not think of sports as my master, I probably invest more time in sports each week than I do in scripture. I think that is wrong of me. So I have been trying to change it.

A couple of extra points:

Sports provides an awesome opportunity to hang out with my friends. It is great that we all have it in common. That is partly why I do not think there is anything wrong with sports.

It also helps you meet new people. I have made a ton of friends in Gainesville playing frisbee. It is how I met Chase Madden--who was my first male friend in Gainesville--and all of Shady Oaks.

As a former coach, sports is a great teaching tool for kids to learn about how to work as a team and how to deal with success and failure.

Finally, I am not posting this because I think everyone we know has a problem with sports. I am only posting it because I was convicted of it. James teaches us, "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." So this is me confessing to the everyone in a sense.