Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Polar Plunge

Some of you may be familiar with Lincoln's annual Polar Bear Plunge at Holmes Lake. For those of you who aren't, it's a Special Olympics benefit put on by the Lincoln Police Department and other agencies. Participants form teams who gather individual sponsors, then take a plunge into icy Holmes Lake! This year's event is set for February 24th, at about 10:30 a.m., and I have joined the 9-1-1 team an am in the process of gathering donations for the event. I would love to come through with a huge donation for them, and I would also love for all y'all to come watch the madness on the 24th! If you're interested in sending me a donation, contact me at meatloaf15@juno.com, and I'll let you know where you can send it. Thanks in advance for your consideration!!

Monday, January 29, 2007

Analytical Minds and Diets

Anyone who knows me even a little knows how much I analyze, analyze, and analyze. I don't typically take things at face-value, which can lead to some pretty in-depth discussions and fact-finding missions. I've been known to drive more than a few people crazy because I'm horrible at making decisions. I just keep analyzing until I've either driven myself nuts, or actually made an incredibly insightful and informed decision. This all well and good, until I come across some decision that just shouldn't need a bunch of analyzing, like whether to use grape jelly or strawberry jelly on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Most people's response might go something like this: "Well, I had strawberry last time so I'll go with grape today." My response: "Well, let's see. I had strawberry last week, but we might have grape with our kids tomorrow, so maybe I should have strawberry again today. But, strawberry doesn't spread quite as well. But grape is a bit messier. But strawberry has more sugar in it." And on, and on, and on. We are all familiar with those forwarded emails claiming some sort of ridiculous facts and/or figures, right? Well, rather than stopping at just enough research to prove they are false, I continue on to prove what might be the correct statement(s) in said emails.
So where am I going with all of this, anyway? Well, I have tried what seems like about a million different diets, some of which claim to be the latest miracle in weight-loss, some of which are tried and true, and some of which are just plain old-fashioned. Only one of them worked for me, but once I strayed from the plan, it was all over, and I've put a lot of the weight back on. I have often tried new and inventive ways of thinking about losing weight, but have never come up with anything worth a darn. While searching for some sort of motivation, I came across some wonderful inspiration from an old college friend, who wrote on his blog about his idea of Christmas resolutions rather than New Year's resolutions. The thought of responding to God's gift with my own healthier resolution is a fantastic and original idea, and really motivated me to find something that would work for me, that would feed my analytical personality, and that might be a long-term solution. (You can check out Jeff's blog here, and I highly recommend it. He's got some really neat, inspirational, and insightful dialogue.)
Ladies and Gents, kids of all ages, I have done it! I have found exactly the diet I needed to satisfy all of my crazy personality quirks, and believe it or not, it's actually working!!!! The book is called You On A Diet, The Owner's Manual for Waist Management. The authors and brains behind the book are Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D. It is a complete guide to changing your lifestyle and understanding of healthy eating and living. The best part? They spend about a hundred pages analyzing how food is broken down in the body, how the digestive system works, and why some foods are good and most of our food staples are horrible. I wanted to know why some diets work and some don't, and why some foods are good for me and some aren't, and now I understand it. It is by far the best diet I have ever come across, and I am following it very strictly. Thus far, I am down 15 pounds and have shed 2 inches off my waist, and I feel great! I can't say enough about this book, and I promise you will find something inside its pages that will shock you. I am so inspired by this book, that I am considering posting a weekly newsletter of sorts, that will include some sort of healthy living facts and/or recommendations.
I have always said that finding a diet which fits one's personality is a huge key to its success. If the dieter isn't doing something that he/she is comfortable and happy with, they won't stick with it. I have found my dieting niche, and I urge those of you who are battling the bulge, or just trying to live healthier, to keep searching until you find something you are comfortable and happy with. And, check out this book/website - it may not be for you, but you'll surely learn something new and exciting!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

It's All About the Love, Man

Mandi and I recently took a course offered at our church which we both greatly benefited from, and we highly recommend it. The course was based on a book by Dr. Gary Chapman called The Five Love Languages. Throughout the book, Dr. Chapman identifies and explains the five different love languages in which all of us speak, and helps us to understand our significant other's language. Mandi and I have applied his suggestions to our relationship, and the results have been truly amazing. The book ranges in price from $10-15, and is very easy to understand and read. Also, he has written an edition for kids, called The Five Love Languages of Children. It is based on the same five languages identified in the orginal book, and helps parents to determine which of the five a child speaks. We are about halfway through this one, and believe it to be another homerun by Dr. Chapman. I can't say enough about how eye-opening and interesting these books are, even if you don't have a significant other. If you're familiar with the book(s), I'd be interested in hearing your review of them. If not, check them out if you so choose, and let me know what you think! It's all about the love, but it's all about how you speak the love, man...

Sunday, January 21, 2007

See Below

I began typing a new blog last Sunday, but needed to save it as a draft as I didn't have time to finish it. It has been posted in order of the date I began writing it, so please check below the MLK post to see what else I've given you to think about!! Thanks!!!!

Monday, January 15, 2007

Happy MLK, Jr. Day!

As you know, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Most of us remember King, Jr. as a wise and couragous civil rights leader, who helped steer and guide our nation out of the bondages of oppression and slavery. If you have never taken a few minutes to read excerpts from a few of his speeches, or from some of his letters he wrote while in prison, I encourage you hop online or to check out a book from your library and spend some time getting to know this great man.

I have included one of his quotes which I came across during my service work at Wesleyan. It has always stuck with me, and I believe these words will ring true forever. There are so many areas in which we can spend time serving, and so many folks who are in dire need of our assistance. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, I urge you to call your local soup kitchen or food bank and ask what you can do to assist. Or find another way to spend a few minutes each week in service to others. It is rewarding, fulfilling, and incredibly educational. Plus, it just makes you feel darn good! I end with the following words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" to serve. You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant."- Excerpted from "The Drum Major Instinct", a sermon by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Going, going, gone

Whew! It's been an incredibly busy week, and I apologize for my little sebaticle from the blog. My intent was to write every couple of days, but maybe that was a bit ambitious. By the time I wrap up all of the days' needs, it seems I have precious little time to spend with my wife. Mandi is typically not much of a reader, but she loves to listen if I read to her. The day just doesn't seem to close quite right if we don't cap it off with a chapter or two, and that has taken priority rather than blogging. A bit of schedule restructuring might be in order. That said, I have a couple of thoughts which have presented themselves over the past week, but one in particular seems to manifest itself on a nearly daily basis. Allow me to explain:

One of the most fascinating classes I had the pleasure of taking in college was a class called Aging, Death, and Dying. Sounds a little morbid, huh? Apparently my fellow classmates and I thought so, too, as we renamed the class Going, Going, Gone in an attempt to put a lighthearted spin on an otherwise difficult topic. In short, we explored the human aging process and all of the emotions which are inevitably tied to death, and held many a discussion on our individual views of the topic. The recent passing of a close family friend has me revisiting some of these questions and closely observing some of our practiced cultural rituals. The question which plagues me revolves around our cultures overwhelming insistence on viewing death as a negative and mournful event. Even the very word "funeral" just sounds creepy and dark, and when I go to one and find the majority of those in attendance dressed in black, it seems to create an overall depressing and sad atmosphere. But why? Why are we so bent on creating and enhancing this atmosphere? I'm sure there is a fraction of folks who just follow the norm and probably don't give much thought to it, but that's why I'm here - to question such norms!

Please don't misunderstand me; I am well aware there is a very normal and expected time of mourning following the death of family and friends. I'm not discouraging that, nor would I ever think such mourning is out-of-place. Rather, I believe it to be very healthy and necessary, and the time of mourning, or how long it lasts, is different for eveyone. I reiterate that I understand all of these elements. My questions centers around a shift from the thought of a funeral to more of a memorial service, or even a celebration of life. Lots of people have memorial services these days, but the overall dress, per my observances, has still been the dark and sad theme. Can we shift to more of a celebration-of-life-type thinking?

Personally, I am excited to attend a celebration of life as I consider myself very blessed to have known the person whom I am celebrating. The only element of this life we can be absolutely sure of, is that we will die. Death may not come in the exact way we would like it to, but that's usually not our decision to make. (I know this very statement can lend itself to a huge discussion in and of itself, but I'm not trying to write a book here, so I digress.) Can we have our period of mourning, yet celebrate the life of the person we are mourning at the same time? Can we come to a place where it's appropriate to dress in a happy fashion while we observe and remember the deceased?

For the record, my wife is well aware of the bash I want thrown when my time on earth is finished. Lots of beer, lots of laughter, lots of fun! I have requested a celebration of my time here on earth, and I encourage those who attend to come ready to have a good time. Party on! As always, thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Melts in your mouth, not in your....nose?

Humor has always been the absolute best medicine for me, and I believe, quite frankly, it is the wonder-drug. When I'm feeling down, a good comedy movie or sitcom will typically pick me back up, and there's nothing like a classic stand-up routine to make the laughter tears start rolling. Even more gratifying is the sights and sounds of folks laughing after something I've said or done. It seems only fitting, then, that the initial post on this journey into the study of life might be a story of humor.
It all happened last Monday evening while we were wrapping up another round of potty-training with our two-year-old. Madilyn is rewarded for "going" on the toilet with a few mini M&M's, and this evening was no different. After all of the accolades and applause, I happily provided her with her ultimate chocolaty bliss. Now, I must mention that she has suffered from a cold for the past several days, and her nose has been running non-stop. Why must I mention this fact? Because shortly after giving her the M&M's, she came around the corner and had what appeared to be some red dye underneath her nose, right above her lip. My wife immediately and frantically questioned whether Madilyn had placed a red M&M in her nose, to which I surmised she had probably merely wiped her nose with her finger, thereby smearing the melted red dye from her hand onto her upper lip. In an effort to comfort my wife and allay her fears, I marched Madilyn into the bathroom to blow her nose just to make sure a little red M&M had not found a new home in her nose. After placing the Kleenex squarley in place, I instructed Madilyn to blow as hard as she could so as to extract any foreign objects. What happened next is not for the faint of heart, I warn you. As she took a deep breath and exhaled, I heard a rather interesting "thunk" as whatever was in her nasal passages landed safely in the Kleenex. I opened the Kleenex only to find a warm mass of gooey, chocolatey, slimy, mucousy red mess. It was all I could do to maintain my composure long enough to make Madilyn understand this was a serious situation, and that noses are not meant to house M&M's. Honestly, I think the point was lost as Mandi, Kaedyn, and I stood there laughing. For the record, even two hours after the dramatic M&M recovery operation, Madilyn's nose was still coated on the inside with red dye. Another fantastic story to add to Madilyn's baby book, and another dose of high-quality parental medication in the form of humor.
I would love to hear some of the most humorous events or stories of your life, if you would care to share. Thanks for reading!