So to catch you up on what's going on in my life, I am attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in the Fall. My application and acceptance to the seminary are answered prayers. In fact, they are a dream come true.
You see, 6 years ago I laid face down in the sand one night by the ocean and asked God what I should do with my life. It was the summer before my senior year in college and I was living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as part of a Christian summer program. I was at a real crossroads since I was facing graduation and didn't know what the future held. The one thing I did know was that I wanted Jesus to be the leader of my life. Too many times I had done what I wanted to do in life and then just hoped God would bless it. That summer I prayed many times for God to give me direction in life. I don't know how or when He spoke to me. I didn't hear an audible voice or anything like that but by the end of the summer I definitely knew He wanted me to be a pastor.
Since then, there have been many wonderful things and trying events in my life. Of the good things that have happened, I think of marrying my wife, and having a baby. Of the difficult things, I think about the death of my father, and the growing up I have had to do. Who would have known that the daily grind and responsibilities that come with being an adult would be so testing of your character and emotions? But I am thankful for both the trials and blessings that have shaped me thus far.
I have had several jobs since graduating college and although each of them were good in their own way, I didn't really see how they brought me closer to being a pastor. So I asked the Lord again what I should do. I planned to be a pastor when I retired someday but there wasn't any certain plan that I could make that transition since I haven't been saving for retirement and my future income would probably be modest as well.
Then I realized (or God opened my eyes) that "if I know the Lord wants me to be a pastor then what am I waiting for?" There is no guarantee that I will live to be retirement age.
So going to seminary seemed like a good idea. I know that God can grow me in the character I need to be a pastor but I also need knowledge and application, such as how to study the Bible for all it's worth, how to preach faithfully from the Bible, how to disciple others and apply the Bible to our lives, etc. Going to seminary seems like it would give a good foundation for me to preach for the rest of my life which is what I want to do and how God has shaped me.
So I decided to step out in faith and apply to a seminary. If I was accepted, it would involve moving, selling my house, taking a pay cut, and working and studying hard for 3 years. But I trusted God with the details and applied anyway.
Now, as you already know, I have been accepted to SWBTS and I am so excited! Indeed, this blog will probably become a series of updates on what's happening with me and Karen while I am studying in seminary.
Well, there is so much more I could say but attention spans of readers are only so long. So I will say that God is good. He knows what He is doing. Already our house has sold for our asking price, after only being on the market for 2 days, and we get to stay in it until the end of the summer until we transition to Fort Worth. I didn't know how the situation with our house was going to work out but we prayed and BAM! God answered our prayers. Wow.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
My Last Name
Tonight I was reading the Bible and I happened to be in the little book of 1 Peter which is tucked in the back of the New Testament. Now, I am not surprised when I see the word "bishop" in the Bible, since there were leaders in the early church that filled that role. Since, my last name is "Bishop" I also happened to know that the word in the Bible is sometimes translated as "overseer". I was surprised to read in the following verse that the word can refer to God himself.
FURTHER INFO FOR POCKET-PROTECTOR TYPES
[Middle English, from Old English bisceope, from Vulgar Latin *ebiscopus, from Late Latin episcopus, from Late Greek episkopos, from Greek, overseer : epi-, epi- + skopos, watcher.]
The etymology of the word bishop comes from the Greek word episkopos (επισκοπος), which can be generally translated as bishop, overseer, superintendent, supervisor, or foreman. From the word episkopos are derived the English words episcopacy, episcopate and episcopal.
How do you like that? That sort of blows away the modern image of guys in robes in the Anglican and Roman Catholic church!1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
FURTHER INFO FOR POCKET-PROTECTOR TYPES
[Middle English, from Old English bisceope, from Vulgar Latin *ebiscopus, from Late Latin episcopus, from Late Greek episkopos, from Greek, overseer : epi-, epi- + skopos, watcher.]
The etymology of the word bishop comes from the Greek word episkopos (επισκοπος), which can be generally translated as bishop, overseer, superintendent, supervisor, or foreman. From the word episkopos are derived the English words episcopacy, episcopate and episcopal.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Dis and Dat
I wonder if all blogs devolve into a hodge-podge of personal thoughts, recipes, links, photos, and who-knows-what-else? I say this because my goal for this blog was to share anecdotes from me (a hick) but I find that it has become just random stuff. So tonight, I thought I would talk about theology.
As a Christian I am very concerned with what the Bible says because I believe it's the truth and I want to live my life accordingly. However, from time to time the question comes up whether or not Christians like me follow all of the commands of the Bible. For example, the vast majority of Christians do not follow the dietary laws or Sabbath laws found in the first five books of the Bible. I have thought about this for many years and additionally it's a common question that people ask me. Especially troubling is a verse from Matthew 5:17 and following:
Since I bounced this question off of Karen she emailed Probe ministries a few years ago and got a response from a guy named Michael Gleghorn. Of course the only real authority on this matter is the Bible, but I thought Gleghorn addressed the question very well from the Bible. So below is a link to an interesting article followed by the email he sent to Karen. Both of them deal with this question.
What is the Value of the Old Testament for New Testament Christians?
Hello Karen,
Thank you for writing Probe Ministries. You ask a very good question about a controversial and emotionally charged issue. Here's my own view:
1. The Mosaic Law of the Old Covenant (Old Testament) is obsolete. Indeed, the writer to the Hebrews says this very thing (see Heb. 8:7-13). Today, it is the New Covenant which is in effect, not the Old. This does not mean that believers are without rules, or moral principles, to live by. It's very important to understand this. But whatever principles we are to conform ourselves to are given under the terms of the New Covenant in the New Testament. For example, nine of the original Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. The only one that's not repeated is the Sabbath commandment (see Rom. 14 and Colossians 2, etc.) Additionally, New Covenant believers have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help them fulfill God's righteous requirements (Rom. 8, 2 Cor. 3, Galatians 5, etc.). Indeed, in many of his epistles (e.g. Romans and Galatians in particular), Paul is concerned to drive this home repeatedly. It seems to me that Paul discouraged believers from putting themselves under the law of Moses (carefully read Rom. 7; Gal. 3; etc.). Besides all this, the law was never given to Gentiles in the first place. It was given only to Israel, and it was only in effect for a limited time. Finally, we must consider the purpose of the Law. Paul writes very clearly about this in Gal. 3:19-25 (as well as other places). In verses 24-25 he concludes that "the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."
2. Some good verses to share with your friend include those mentioned above. I would especially encourage him to read passages like Rom. 7, Galatians 3, Colossians 2 and Hebrews 8. However, reading these entire books carefully would be even better.
3. Matthew 5:17-20 = I take it that Jesus did fulfill the requirements of the Law through perfect obedience to it. Through His perfect obedience to it, substitutionary atonement and resurrection, He has provided a way for sinners who trust in Him to be made just before God (Rom. 3:21-26). This ties in with what Paul says in Galatians 3:19-25. The Law reveals our sin, but is powerless to make righteous. By revealing to us our sin, however, it performs a valuable service. It helps us understand God's holy standards and the fact that we fall short of these standards. Thus, by making us aware of our sin and helplessness to please God through our works, the Law should cause us to turn to Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, our relationship with God is no longer governed by law; it is governed by grace (John 1:17; Romans 6:14; etc.). As the New Covenant believer faithfully relies on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, he will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, but will manifest the fruit of God's Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25). In this way, "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4).
Shalom,
Michael Gleghorn
Probe Ministries
As a Christian I am very concerned with what the Bible says because I believe it's the truth and I want to live my life accordingly. However, from time to time the question comes up whether or not Christians like me follow all of the commands of the Bible. For example, the vast majority of Christians do not follow the dietary laws or Sabbath laws found in the first five books of the Bible. I have thought about this for many years and additionally it's a common question that people ask me. Especially troubling is a verse from Matthew 5:17 and following:
"Do not think that I [Jesus] have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven..."
Since I bounced this question off of Karen she emailed Probe ministries a few years ago and got a response from a guy named Michael Gleghorn. Of course the only real authority on this matter is the Bible, but I thought Gleghorn addressed the question very well from the Bible. So below is a link to an interesting article followed by the email he sent to Karen. Both of them deal with this question.
What is the Value of the Old Testament for New Testament Christians?
Hello Karen,
Thank you for writing Probe Ministries. You ask a very good question about a controversial and emotionally charged issue. Here's my own view:
1. The Mosaic Law of the Old Covenant (Old Testament) is obsolete. Indeed, the writer to the Hebrews says this very thing (see Heb. 8:7-13). Today, it is the New Covenant which is in effect, not the Old. This does not mean that believers are without rules, or moral principles, to live by. It's very important to understand this. But whatever principles we are to conform ourselves to are given under the terms of the New Covenant in the New Testament. For example, nine of the original Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. The only one that's not repeated is the Sabbath commandment (see Rom. 14 and Colossians 2, etc.) Additionally, New Covenant believers have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help them fulfill God's righteous requirements (Rom. 8, 2 Cor. 3, Galatians 5, etc.). Indeed, in many of his epistles (e.g. Romans and Galatians in particular), Paul is concerned to drive this home repeatedly. It seems to me that Paul discouraged believers from putting themselves under the law of Moses (carefully read Rom. 7; Gal. 3; etc.). Besides all this, the law was never given to Gentiles in the first place. It was given only to Israel, and it was only in effect for a limited time. Finally, we must consider the purpose of the Law. Paul writes very clearly about this in Gal. 3:19-25 (as well as other places). In verses 24-25 he concludes that "the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."
2. Some good verses to share with your friend include those mentioned above. I would especially encourage him to read passages like Rom. 7, Galatians 3, Colossians 2 and Hebrews 8. However, reading these entire books carefully would be even better.
3. Matthew 5:17-20 = I take it that Jesus did fulfill the requirements of the Law through perfect obedience to it. Through His perfect obedience to it, substitutionary atonement and resurrection, He has provided a way for sinners who trust in Him to be made just before God (Rom. 3:21-26). This ties in with what Paul says in Galatians 3:19-25. The Law reveals our sin, but is powerless to make righteous. By revealing to us our sin, however, it performs a valuable service. It helps us understand God's holy standards and the fact that we fall short of these standards. Thus, by making us aware of our sin and helplessness to please God through our works, the Law should cause us to turn to Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, our relationship with God is no longer governed by law; it is governed by grace (John 1:17; Romans 6:14; etc.). As the New Covenant believer faithfully relies on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, he will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, but will manifest the fruit of God's Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25). In this way, "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4).
Shalom,
Michael Gleghorn
Probe Ministries
Friday, April 07, 2006
Remember the Alamo
Here's our little Texan, reflecting on the men who gave their lives to make this the best state! 
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
New Year, New Apologies
A lot has happened since I last posted to this blog. The year changed on the calendar, Christmas, my Dad died, and I fell off the wagon on my diet. I guess a lot things happen between postings when you only update your blog on a semi-annual basis. So like the title says I would like to apologize to all the people who checked daily for the last 2 months for a word from me.
2006
I don't have much to say about a new calendar year. I never planned to live this long. I am only 27 but somehow when I was growing up I couldn't imagine beyond the year 2000 (which of course, I pictured would have flying cars like the end of Back to the Future.) So now I feel like I am out in no-man's land in the middle of this decade. Will I live to see 2020? I don't know. Will Jesus come back soon? Well, we are certainly closer than we have ever been before to the end of the world (and tomorrow we will be even closer and the day after that...)
CHRISTMAS
This Christmas was the first year with our baby. Technically, Karen was pregnant with our daughter, Abigail, last Christmas but she was probably the size of a pear at the time and really only cared about hanging out in the womb. Now that she is 7 months old, Abigail is cuter than ever. Everybody fawned over her and bought her a truckload of presents. Abigail enjoyed playing with the paper and bows though and she also seemed to enjoy tipping a bowl of fruit.
MY DAD (Dec. 14, 1946--Dec. 14, 2005)
One of my worst fears came true. One morning the phone rang and I answered it. "Barry..." my mom said in a voice that I could hardly understand. "Yes?" I said urgently.
"Your dad... is dead."
"NO!" I cried in a voice that didn't sound like mine, "NO!" and I sobbed uncontrollable.
"I found him in bed... just now, " my Mom managed to say.
"Are you sure?" I asked, but I knew it was true if she was calling me. At that point my mom couldn't continue the conversation she was so broken up and she tried to hand the phone to my uncle (her brother) but he just hung up on me.
Sometime between 5 and 7 am on his 59th birthday my Dad, who had already gotten up and made some tea and turned off the alarm, laid back down and died.
Dad had had heart trouble 5 years ago and had a quadruple bypass and nearly died then. But then he made an amazing recovery and a year later his Dr. told him that the x-ray of his heart didn't even look like that same heart from a year before. The last 5 years have been worry free for him. So his passing away was a complete shock. I think it even surprised Dad who had a look of serenity on his face when my mom found him.
There is so much I could write about my Dad: that he was spontaneous, funny, fun, kind, humble, a good Samaritan--but most important of all, he was a Christian. He had a simple faith in Jesus Christ to save him from his sins and he let Jesus lead his life while he lived. The only thing that has given me comfort during this time is to know what the Bible says about death and it's antidote. And I know that my dad is alive and with Jesus now and one day I will join him.
DIET
With my father's death, I have once again realized that I should eat healthier so I can avoid things I am probably predisposed to like heart disease and diabetes. However, I pigged out on chocolate over Christmas which is something I had given up. Well, I guess the New Year is a good time to get back on a diet. Now where did I put that bag of chocolate? What? you're still here? I am going to give this bag away...
2006
I don't have much to say about a new calendar year. I never planned to live this long. I am only 27 but somehow when I was growing up I couldn't imagine beyond the year 2000 (which of course, I pictured would have flying cars like the end of Back to the Future.) So now I feel like I am out in no-man's land in the middle of this decade. Will I live to see 2020? I don't know. Will Jesus come back soon? Well, we are certainly closer than we have ever been before to the end of the world (and tomorrow we will be even closer and the day after that...)
CHRISTMAS
This Christmas was the first year with our baby. Technically, Karen was pregnant with our daughter, Abigail, last Christmas but she was probably the size of a pear at the time and really only cared about hanging out in the womb. Now that she is 7 months old, Abigail is cuter than ever. Everybody fawned over her and bought her a truckload of presents. Abigail enjoyed playing with the paper and bows though and she also seemed to enjoy tipping a bowl of fruit.
MY DAD (Dec. 14, 1946--Dec. 14, 2005)
One of my worst fears came true. One morning the phone rang and I answered it. "Barry..." my mom said in a voice that I could hardly understand. "Yes?" I said urgently.
"Your dad... is dead."
"NO!" I cried in a voice that didn't sound like mine, "NO!" and I sobbed uncontrollable.
"I found him in bed... just now, " my Mom managed to say.
"Are you sure?" I asked, but I knew it was true if she was calling me. At that point my mom couldn't continue the conversation she was so broken up and she tried to hand the phone to my uncle (her brother) but he just hung up on me.
Sometime between 5 and 7 am on his 59th birthday my Dad, who had already gotten up and made some tea and turned off the alarm, laid back down and died.
Dad had had heart trouble 5 years ago and had a quadruple bypass and nearly died then. But then he made an amazing recovery and a year later his Dr. told him that the x-ray of his heart didn't even look like that same heart from a year before. The last 5 years have been worry free for him. So his passing away was a complete shock. I think it even surprised Dad who had a look of serenity on his face when my mom found him.
There is so much I could write about my Dad: that he was spontaneous, funny, fun, kind, humble, a good Samaritan--but most important of all, he was a Christian. He had a simple faith in Jesus Christ to save him from his sins and he let Jesus lead his life while he lived. The only thing that has given me comfort during this time is to know what the Bible says about death and it's antidote. And I know that my dad is alive and with Jesus now and one day I will join him.
DIET
With my father's death, I have once again realized that I should eat healthier so I can avoid things I am probably predisposed to like heart disease and diabetes. However, I pigged out on chocolate over Christmas which is something I had given up. Well, I guess the New Year is a good time to get back on a diet. Now where did I put that bag of chocolate? What? you're still here? I am going to give this bag away...
Friday, November 04, 2005
Why I Lie
I've got to be honest--I've done a lot of lying in my life!
Even after years of being a Christian and a follower of the one who said "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life." I find that many times I have more in common with the one who is called "The Father of lies". Sometimes I don't mean to lie. Like when I said a few days ago that I would start updating my blog more frequently. I really meant it, but did it happen? NooOOoo.
Why is it so easy to lie? I am sure there are many theological reasons about sin, the falliness of man, etc. that explain this but I can easily speculate why it is easy for ME to. I want to make a disclaimer though, that I am not proud of lying and in fact I am ashamed and want to change.
LAZINESS
First off, I have a problem of just telling people what they want to hear because it would take more work to confront them with the truth or something I perceive as a problem. In fact, I may not even be doing nothing more than just nodding in a conversation and keeping silent. But this often leads to problems because if I don't raise any objections when someone is talking then they may be led to believe that I am in agreement with them when I, in fact, am not. Then the next time they bring up the subject they start where they left off and assume I am in agreement. So how far do I let this go before I say something? Or do I just hedge my responses to be ambiguous? Sometimes I have just given in and lied.
FEAR
My laziness is also mixed with fear. What will the other person think of me if I disagree with them? What if I have to tell somebody something they don't want to hear (even if it is the right thing to do)? Sadly, I have let fear goad me into lying many times.
I remember when I was in 6th grade and as part of an English class, I was supposed to keep a daily journal. I didn't care for homework and I thought the journal was stupid so I didn't do it. My English teacher noticed that I had done poorly on the journal the first time around and mentioned something to my Mom who was also a teacher. So for the next semester, my Mom would frequently ask me if I was doing my journal for English class. I told her, "YES" but in reality I was not doing it at all. I justified telling her I was doing it because I PLANNED to do it, but I just hadn't done it yet. My plan was to stay up the night before it was due and write a bunch of entries using different pens, etc. and back-date it. However, the day came when it was due and I hadn't finished it, so I turned it in mostly incomplete. When my Mom found out that I hadn't done the journal she was incensed! In fact, there is not a word to describe how mad she was at me.
"What's the big deal?" I said to her, "I still have an A/B average in the class."
"Because you LIED to me!" she said. She could care less about the grade but she was hurt that she didn't know if she could trust me or anything I said anymore.
It was then that I began to realize the extent of hurt you can cause by lying and breaking someone's trust.
So why should you believe me now that I have told you this? Well, I use this blog as a tool to vent my honest thoughts and once they're public then I can be held accountable by my friends. So the next time you're talking with me you can ask me about my weight and how my diet is going or if you notice me nodding a lot and giving ambiguous responses you can say to me, "Tell me honestly what you really think, Barry."
Even after years of being a Christian and a follower of the one who said "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life." I find that many times I have more in common with the one who is called "The Father of lies". Sometimes I don't mean to lie. Like when I said a few days ago that I would start updating my blog more frequently. I really meant it, but did it happen? NooOOoo.
Why is it so easy to lie? I am sure there are many theological reasons about sin, the falliness of man, etc. that explain this but I can easily speculate why it is easy for ME to. I want to make a disclaimer though, that I am not proud of lying and in fact I am ashamed and want to change.
LAZINESS
First off, I have a problem of just telling people what they want to hear because it would take more work to confront them with the truth or something I perceive as a problem. In fact, I may not even be doing nothing more than just nodding in a conversation and keeping silent. But this often leads to problems because if I don't raise any objections when someone is talking then they may be led to believe that I am in agreement with them when I, in fact, am not. Then the next time they bring up the subject they start where they left off and assume I am in agreement. So how far do I let this go before I say something? Or do I just hedge my responses to be ambiguous? Sometimes I have just given in and lied.
FEAR
My laziness is also mixed with fear. What will the other person think of me if I disagree with them? What if I have to tell somebody something they don't want to hear (even if it is the right thing to do)? Sadly, I have let fear goad me into lying many times.
I remember when I was in 6th grade and as part of an English class, I was supposed to keep a daily journal. I didn't care for homework and I thought the journal was stupid so I didn't do it. My English teacher noticed that I had done poorly on the journal the first time around and mentioned something to my Mom who was also a teacher. So for the next semester, my Mom would frequently ask me if I was doing my journal for English class. I told her, "YES" but in reality I was not doing it at all. I justified telling her I was doing it because I PLANNED to do it, but I just hadn't done it yet. My plan was to stay up the night before it was due and write a bunch of entries using different pens, etc. and back-date it. However, the day came when it was due and I hadn't finished it, so I turned it in mostly incomplete. When my Mom found out that I hadn't done the journal she was incensed! In fact, there is not a word to describe how mad she was at me.
"What's the big deal?" I said to her, "I still have an A/B average in the class."
"Because you LIED to me!" she said. She could care less about the grade but she was hurt that she didn't know if she could trust me or anything I said anymore.
It was then that I began to realize the extent of hurt you can cause by lying and breaking someone's trust.
So why should you believe me now that I have told you this? Well, I use this blog as a tool to vent my honest thoughts and once they're public then I can be held accountable by my friends. So the next time you're talking with me you can ask me about my weight and how my diet is going or if you notice me nodding a lot and giving ambiguous responses you can say to me, "Tell me honestly what you really think, Barry."
Monday, October 31, 2005
Weight Update
Those of you who faithfully read every entry of this blog until I dropped off the face of the earth and stopped posting will remember that I mentioned that I was going on a diet and I predicted I would lose 5-7 lbs. by Halloween. Well today is October 31st and when I stepped on the scale this morning I weighed 156 lb.--the exact same amount as a month ago when I started my diet. That's ok, though, I am glad that I didn't GAIN any weight. Besides my diet was pretty minimal anyway. I simply cut out drinking soft drinks since they are basically liquid sugar and I don't want to wake up one day in a diabetic coma (or maybe I wouldn't wake up).
I can't tell you how difficult even this is. I love the delicious refreshing taste of a Dr. Pepper or Coke followed by another one. And then later another one. And then later I wonder why they make the cans so small. So you see why it was a good idea to cut-back/eliminate it from my diet.
So how did I do this month? Well, I mentioned that my weight stayed the same. I did drink a few soft drinks like Diet caffeine-free Coke, and Diet A&W Rootbeer but these taste so crappy (I don't like Diet) it wasn't really worth it. The only exercise I did was 25 push-ups to impress my wife.
So my goals for this month are to continue to not drink ANY soft drinks, to avoid caffeine, and additionally not have ANY chocolate--starting tomorrow. Today, after all, is Halloween and I plan to gorge myself on mounds of chocolate.
You may ask why I would want to avoid caffeine. The explanation of this gets kind of personal but, what the heck, that's what blogs are for. Caffeine is bad for my digestion. I have a really sensitive stomach and time and time again I have discovered that caffeine will give me really horrible stomach aches the following day after gorging on sodas. Of course, you would think that I would have given up drinking sodas a long time ago but that's not the case. I have had this monkey on my back for as long as I can remember. People who smoke know that it is bad for them but that's not enough to make them stop, usually.
With God's help, I going to start eating healthier, and taking better care of my body because it's the right thing to do. That reminds me of a joke. I'll share it and sign off for the day. Don't be a stranger, now. I'll start posting again so come back and see me.
JOKE
Dave got down on his knees one day and prayed to God. "God," said Dave, "Please let me win the lottery!"
Well, they drew the numbers for the lottery that week and Dave didn't win and he got pretty mad. He hopped down on his knees and said, "God, I'm begging you! Please let me win the lottery. I won't ask for anything else."
Again, they drew the numbers and Dave didn't win that week.
This time when Dave prayed he said, "God, I am mad at you. Why won't you let me win the lottery?"
Then God replied and said, "Dave, meet me halfway--buy a lottery ticket!"
I can't tell you how difficult even this is. I love the delicious refreshing taste of a Dr. Pepper or Coke followed by another one. And then later another one. And then later I wonder why they make the cans so small. So you see why it was a good idea to cut-back/eliminate it from my diet.
So how did I do this month? Well, I mentioned that my weight stayed the same. I did drink a few soft drinks like Diet caffeine-free Coke, and Diet A&W Rootbeer but these taste so crappy (I don't like Diet) it wasn't really worth it. The only exercise I did was 25 push-ups to impress my wife.
So my goals for this month are to continue to not drink ANY soft drinks, to avoid caffeine, and additionally not have ANY chocolate--starting tomorrow. Today, after all, is Halloween and I plan to gorge myself on mounds of chocolate.
You may ask why I would want to avoid caffeine. The explanation of this gets kind of personal but, what the heck, that's what blogs are for. Caffeine is bad for my digestion. I have a really sensitive stomach and time and time again I have discovered that caffeine will give me really horrible stomach aches the following day after gorging on sodas. Of course, you would think that I would have given up drinking sodas a long time ago but that's not the case. I have had this monkey on my back for as long as I can remember. People who smoke know that it is bad for them but that's not enough to make them stop, usually.
With God's help, I going to start eating healthier, and taking better care of my body because it's the right thing to do. That reminds me of a joke. I'll share it and sign off for the day. Don't be a stranger, now. I'll start posting again so come back and see me.
JOKE
Dave got down on his knees one day and prayed to God. "God," said Dave, "Please let me win the lottery!"
Well, they drew the numbers for the lottery that week and Dave didn't win and he got pretty mad. He hopped down on his knees and said, "God, I'm begging you! Please let me win the lottery. I won't ask for anything else."
Again, they drew the numbers and Dave didn't win that week.
This time when Dave prayed he said, "God, I am mad at you. Why won't you let me win the lottery?"
Then God replied and said, "Dave, meet me halfway--buy a lottery ticket!"
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Fairy Tale
I just finished reading a book called "God of the Fairy Tale" by Jim Ware. I really enjoyed it because it would tell well-known fairy tales in a delightful way and then use them to point to some truth about life. As I was drifting to sleep last night I made up my own. I guess this is only appropriate since my first and middle name rhyme with fairy tale (Barry Dale). Anyways, for your bedtime enjoyment here is the story of...
JACK, THE GIANT, AND THE DRAGON
Once there lived in a small hut, in a small village, a small boy named Jack. He was very skinny and did not eat much. Jack loved to eat tasty morsels like any other boy but there was nothing to eat except a few small potatoes from a meager garden by the hut. At dinner his step-father would eat most of the potatoes and even the bread. Then Step-father would leave the rest on his plate for Jack's mother. "Here," he said rudely, "I am finished with this tasteless slop". Jack's mother would take the scraps and try to secretly hand them to Jack.
"No, Mother!" said Jack. "You must eat."
"Nonsense," said Mother. "I ate yesterday. And besides you are growing. You need to eat to grow tall like your father."
Ah, Father. Father had been dead for two winters but Jack still remembered his smiling face and tickly beard. Father was a tall, skinny woodcutter who worked long days to make sure Jack and his mother had wood to keep the fire going during the cold winter. Father sold extra wood to feed the family and there was always plenty to eat. Then one night as Father was cutting, a tall tree fell on him and pressed him against the ground. Father was then attacked by wolves and he never came home.
Jack remembered seeing his mother cry and saying "With your father gone I do not know what we will eat." But then Thomas came to the door and said to Mother "I need a wife to cook and clean. I have a hut and food, but only enough food for you and me, not that little runt!" he said scowling at Jack. Then Mother told Jack they would have a new home and she would share food with him. Jack was scared of Thomas and only said, "Yes, Step-father." when Thomas addressed him.
"What are you whispering about?" thundered Step-father. "Runt, leave your mother's food alone and go to bed!"
"Yes, Step-father." said Jack. As Jack walked toward his bed Step-father slapped him on the back of the head. "If you do not go to sleep soon I will knock you out myself!"
Little Jack cried quietly and fell asleep.
The next morning when Jack awoke there were loud booming sounds outside and people talking excitedly. Jack rubbed his eyes and looked around. "What is happening, Mother?" Jack said.
"Do not go outside, Jack, it is too dangerous!" said Mother. "Your step-father has gone to grab food from burning houses."
"Burning houses!" cried Jack and he jumped up and ran outside. Then Jack saw a giant--a large, huge man who was taller than any of the village huts. The giant had dark eyes and blood running from the corner of his mouth.
Jack could not believe his eyes for he also saw a dragon. A huge green, dragon with a long curved neck and fire coming out of his mouth. The giant punched the dragon with his big hand and the dragon bit the giant's arm.
The giant yelled, "Go away dragon! This is MY village. I am going to eat these people."
The dragon hissed back, "Stupid giant, I will eat these people and then eat YOU!"
Jack had heard about the giant and the dragon before from travelers who came to town. The giant would go from village to village scooping up people and eating them. The dragon also roamed the countryside killing people with his fire and eating their hearts out. Both of them would turn the earth brown and kill crops with their evil magic. Now both of them had come to Jack's village and were fighting.
All the villagers watched as the dragon and the giant fought. "Oh well," said Sam the Butcher "they will kill each other." Then Sam walked back to his hut. "Perhaps we should go to another village." said a farmer calmly. "I will pretend I did not see this." said John the Baker.
"Wait," cried little Jack, "someone must stop the giant and dragon!" But no one listened. All the people muttered to themselves and walked off. Glenda the old maid grabbed Jack by the wrist and said, "If you have any sense you will go hide yourself or they will find you. If you do not you will die. The taylor's family has already been burned alive in their hut."
Jack rubbed his wrist and walked toward the giant and dragon who were still fighting. He walked past the blackened, smoking taylor's hut. He saw a burned body on the ground outside the hut. It was Step-father. He had a large hole in his chest where the dragon had eaten his heart.
Jack shuddered and almost burst into tears. "Someone must stop the giant and dragon!" he thought. Jack pictured his mother frightened inside their hut waiting to be burned and eaten. Jack pictured his father pinned helplessly beneath a tree and being attacked by wolves.
Jack ran toward the giant and dragon. He got so close he could feel the wind from the giants' punches and feel the heat from the dragon's fire.
Jack squeaked with all his might, "Go AWAY you wicked beasts! LEAVE!"
Jack trembled as the giant and dragon turned to look at him and Jack braced himself to be eaten.
"ANT!" thundered the giant "I will crush you."
"How DARE you speak to me, boy!" hissed the dragon "I will turn you to ashes."
Jack sobbed and fell to his knees.
Suddenly, the elf-king on his large white stallion appeared. His crown was shining gold, his beard was the darkest red and he carried a lance so long and straight it looked like the trunk of the tallest tree. Without a word, the elf-king charged his horse at the dragon with blinding speed. The magical lance sunk deep into the body of the dragon burning away all flesh it touched and turning the tough hide to smoke. The dragon wriggled and collasped into burning ash.
Then giant seeing that the dragon was dead smiled with a wicked grin and swung his huge fist at the elf-king. From his hip the elf-king drew a sword that shone like the sun and in a flash cut the giant's fist off in mid-swing.
The giant howled in pain and raised his bloody arm which now had no hand. "I have killed a thousand lesser men than you, Elf, and you will die too!" cried the giant.
Then the giant lept at the elf-king with all his weight and with a loud crack landed belly first on the ground trying to crush the elf-king with his giant form. But the elf king atop his stallion was quicker than the wind and was not under the giant when he landed. Instead, the elf-king appeared by the giant's head.
Leaping from the saddle the elf-king again struck with the brilliant sword like a woodcutter splitting wood. The giant's enormous head rolled off like the wheel of a cart and rested near Jack who stared into the whites of the giants rolled-back eyes.
Jack dared not rise from his knees in the prescense of one so great as the elf-king but suddenly the elf-king stood in front of him and raised his tiny chin with his strong hand. "Jack, you may be small, but you spoke the truth. Well done."
Then the elf-king smiled and leaped upon his stallion. As he rode, the ground beneath the horses hooves turned lush green.
Jack ran home to his hut. He could not believe his eyes. Their meager garden was now a beautiful orchard with full fruit trees. In fact, everywhere Jack looked, there was beautiful flowers and greenery. The land was healed. The door opened and Jack's mother ran to him and kissed him and hugged him.
"Oh, Jack," she said while crying with joy, "you are alive."
"I AM alive, Mother." said Jack. "And we will never have to worry about food again."
THE END
copyright © Barry Bishop 2005
JACK, THE GIANT, AND THE DRAGON
Once there lived in a small hut, in a small village, a small boy named Jack. He was very skinny and did not eat much. Jack loved to eat tasty morsels like any other boy but there was nothing to eat except a few small potatoes from a meager garden by the hut. At dinner his step-father would eat most of the potatoes and even the bread. Then Step-father would leave the rest on his plate for Jack's mother. "Here," he said rudely, "I am finished with this tasteless slop". Jack's mother would take the scraps and try to secretly hand them to Jack.
"No, Mother!" said Jack. "You must eat."
"Nonsense," said Mother. "I ate yesterday. And besides you are growing. You need to eat to grow tall like your father."
Ah, Father. Father had been dead for two winters but Jack still remembered his smiling face and tickly beard. Father was a tall, skinny woodcutter who worked long days to make sure Jack and his mother had wood to keep the fire going during the cold winter. Father sold extra wood to feed the family and there was always plenty to eat. Then one night as Father was cutting, a tall tree fell on him and pressed him against the ground. Father was then attacked by wolves and he never came home.
Jack remembered seeing his mother cry and saying "With your father gone I do not know what we will eat." But then Thomas came to the door and said to Mother "I need a wife to cook and clean. I have a hut and food, but only enough food for you and me, not that little runt!" he said scowling at Jack. Then Mother told Jack they would have a new home and she would share food with him. Jack was scared of Thomas and only said, "Yes, Step-father." when Thomas addressed him.
"What are you whispering about?" thundered Step-father. "Runt, leave your mother's food alone and go to bed!"
"Yes, Step-father." said Jack. As Jack walked toward his bed Step-father slapped him on the back of the head. "If you do not go to sleep soon I will knock you out myself!"
Little Jack cried quietly and fell asleep.
The next morning when Jack awoke there were loud booming sounds outside and people talking excitedly. Jack rubbed his eyes and looked around. "What is happening, Mother?" Jack said.
"Do not go outside, Jack, it is too dangerous!" said Mother. "Your step-father has gone to grab food from burning houses."
"Burning houses!" cried Jack and he jumped up and ran outside. Then Jack saw a giant--a large, huge man who was taller than any of the village huts. The giant had dark eyes and blood running from the corner of his mouth.
Jack could not believe his eyes for he also saw a dragon. A huge green, dragon with a long curved neck and fire coming out of his mouth. The giant punched the dragon with his big hand and the dragon bit the giant's arm.
The giant yelled, "Go away dragon! This is MY village. I am going to eat these people."
The dragon hissed back, "Stupid giant, I will eat these people and then eat YOU!"
Jack had heard about the giant and the dragon before from travelers who came to town. The giant would go from village to village scooping up people and eating them. The dragon also roamed the countryside killing people with his fire and eating their hearts out. Both of them would turn the earth brown and kill crops with their evil magic. Now both of them had come to Jack's village and were fighting.
All the villagers watched as the dragon and the giant fought. "Oh well," said Sam the Butcher "they will kill each other." Then Sam walked back to his hut. "Perhaps we should go to another village." said a farmer calmly. "I will pretend I did not see this." said John the Baker.
"Wait," cried little Jack, "someone must stop the giant and dragon!" But no one listened. All the people muttered to themselves and walked off. Glenda the old maid grabbed Jack by the wrist and said, "If you have any sense you will go hide yourself or they will find you. If you do not you will die. The taylor's family has already been burned alive in their hut."
Jack rubbed his wrist and walked toward the giant and dragon who were still fighting. He walked past the blackened, smoking taylor's hut. He saw a burned body on the ground outside the hut. It was Step-father. He had a large hole in his chest where the dragon had eaten his heart.
Jack shuddered and almost burst into tears. "Someone must stop the giant and dragon!" he thought. Jack pictured his mother frightened inside their hut waiting to be burned and eaten. Jack pictured his father pinned helplessly beneath a tree and being attacked by wolves.
Jack ran toward the giant and dragon. He got so close he could feel the wind from the giants' punches and feel the heat from the dragon's fire.
Jack squeaked with all his might, "Go AWAY you wicked beasts! LEAVE!"
Jack trembled as the giant and dragon turned to look at him and Jack braced himself to be eaten.
"ANT!" thundered the giant "I will crush you."
"How DARE you speak to me, boy!" hissed the dragon "I will turn you to ashes."
Jack sobbed and fell to his knees.
Suddenly, the elf-king on his large white stallion appeared. His crown was shining gold, his beard was the darkest red and he carried a lance so long and straight it looked like the trunk of the tallest tree. Without a word, the elf-king charged his horse at the dragon with blinding speed. The magical lance sunk deep into the body of the dragon burning away all flesh it touched and turning the tough hide to smoke. The dragon wriggled and collasped into burning ash.
Then giant seeing that the dragon was dead smiled with a wicked grin and swung his huge fist at the elf-king. From his hip the elf-king drew a sword that shone like the sun and in a flash cut the giant's fist off in mid-swing.
The giant howled in pain and raised his bloody arm which now had no hand. "I have killed a thousand lesser men than you, Elf, and you will die too!" cried the giant.
Then the giant lept at the elf-king with all his weight and with a loud crack landed belly first on the ground trying to crush the elf-king with his giant form. But the elf king atop his stallion was quicker than the wind and was not under the giant when he landed. Instead, the elf-king appeared by the giant's head.
Leaping from the saddle the elf-king again struck with the brilliant sword like a woodcutter splitting wood. The giant's enormous head rolled off like the wheel of a cart and rested near Jack who stared into the whites of the giants rolled-back eyes.
Jack dared not rise from his knees in the prescense of one so great as the elf-king but suddenly the elf-king stood in front of him and raised his tiny chin with his strong hand. "Jack, you may be small, but you spoke the truth. Well done."
Then the elf-king smiled and leaped upon his stallion. As he rode, the ground beneath the horses hooves turned lush green.
Jack ran home to his hut. He could not believe his eyes. Their meager garden was now a beautiful orchard with full fruit trees. In fact, everywhere Jack looked, there was beautiful flowers and greenery. The land was healed. The door opened and Jack's mother ran to him and kissed him and hugged him.
"Oh, Jack," she said while crying with joy, "you are alive."
"I AM alive, Mother." said Jack. "And we will never have to worry about food again."
THE END
copyright © Barry Bishop 2005
Sunday, October 02, 2005
My weight
So I mentioned before that I was 130 lbs in highschool. Even though I am only 5'7" that was still pretty slim. Since then the years have been good to me and now I find that my pants are getting tighter and tighter. For instance, I used to wear jeans that were 29" in the waist but now I'm up to 32"--a snug 32".
Part of the problem is that I love to eat and by "eat" I mean junk food. You ought to see my trash can at work. It's pretty embarrassing how the bags of chips and cans of coke and such piles up in it so fast. To be honest though, I have always eaten a lot of junk food. My age [and inactivity] are catching up on me, though. For years, I have lived in ignorance by avoiding scales. Three days ago I bought a scale hoping to change my gluttonous ways.
So to see what the damage was I stepped on the scale first thing in the morning while I was in my underwear. 156 lbs.
Hey, not bad! Especially since I had weighed the day before and it said 166. Believe it or not, my boots, wallet, jeans, car keys, cell phone, pocket knife, space pen, and shirt weigh about 10 pounds. This is a really great way to start a diet--lose 10 pounds by disrobing. I have a feeling that the rest of the pounds won't come off as easy.
So what is my diet? Well, I don't want to push myself too hard so I am cutting out all sodas from my diet and trying to eat a little less junk and if I feel like it do a few push ups and situps. That's it. My goal is that by Halloween I will have lost 5-7 lbs by simply doing this.
So far the progress has been the wrong way. The second day I weighed I was 158. This was probably due to the fact that I hit a Chinese buffet the night before and ate about a million California rolls.
I am confident that I can lose weight over the long haul if I just follow this diet for the rest of my life. The hardest part is giving up sodas. I really love sodas! Even typing this makes me wish I had a cold Dr. Pepper to sting my throat or a Coke to eat the lining of my stomach. I know I'm a sick puppy--that's why I'm trying to change.
Honestly, if I had drank beer like I do sodas I would be considered an out-of-control alcoholic.
Alright, I'll update you on my weight from time to time and you can guess at how much I'll lose or gain. Or if I'll fall off the wagon.
Part of the problem is that I love to eat and by "eat" I mean junk food. You ought to see my trash can at work. It's pretty embarrassing how the bags of chips and cans of coke and such piles up in it so fast. To be honest though, I have always eaten a lot of junk food. My age [and inactivity] are catching up on me, though. For years, I have lived in ignorance by avoiding scales. Three days ago I bought a scale hoping to change my gluttonous ways.
So to see what the damage was I stepped on the scale first thing in the morning while I was in my underwear. 156 lbs.
Hey, not bad! Especially since I had weighed the day before and it said 166. Believe it or not, my boots, wallet, jeans, car keys, cell phone, pocket knife, space pen, and shirt weigh about 10 pounds. This is a really great way to start a diet--lose 10 pounds by disrobing. I have a feeling that the rest of the pounds won't come off as easy.
So what is my diet? Well, I don't want to push myself too hard so I am cutting out all sodas from my diet and trying to eat a little less junk and if I feel like it do a few push ups and situps. That's it. My goal is that by Halloween I will have lost 5-7 lbs by simply doing this.
So far the progress has been the wrong way. The second day I weighed I was 158. This was probably due to the fact that I hit a Chinese buffet the night before and ate about a million California rolls.
I am confident that I can lose weight over the long haul if I just follow this diet for the rest of my life. The hardest part is giving up sodas. I really love sodas! Even typing this makes me wish I had a cold Dr. Pepper to sting my throat or a Coke to eat the lining of my stomach. I know I'm a sick puppy--that's why I'm trying to change.
Honestly, if I had drank beer like I do sodas I would be considered an out-of-control alcoholic.
Alright, I'll update you on my weight from time to time and you can guess at how much I'll lose or gain. Or if I'll fall off the wagon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)