Shoutlouder

finishing what you started

// September 24th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // General, Self-Development

I started this year with a whole bunch of goals and stuff I wanted to finally nail this year. Just personal growth markers that I really wanted to move forward in – stuff I knew wouldn’t be easy but would take some will power and discipline to sort out.

One of those areas was my weight. For the past decade it seems like I’ve added a couple of pounds a month as I’ve slowly risen from about 13stone when I met Gosia to over 18stone… Most people say I don’t look overweight cause I “carry it well..” but I really hate that thought. I don’t want to be carrying anything!

Anyhow – after seeing a couple of friends lose huge amounts of weight on the Cambridge Diet I’ve decided to put myself through it. Basically it consists of a selection of Soups / Shakes and Porridge that provide all your RDA nutrients and vitamins and some carbohydrate and protein – but effectively you only get 550 calories a day and before long your body starts to eat up the reserves. Plus on top of it all you need to drink 2.5 litres of water a day.

Well this is Day 2 of however many I need to do it for… (probably 2 months)… and it’s certainly a case for some serious will power! Especially when my office is a couple of doors away from the Conferencing Kitchen at the Sheffield Megacentre… with its trays of Conference Buffet food and… the smell… oh the smell…

The thing is it’ all about determination – I’ve determined to lose weight and now this is the final act. When I stood on the weighing scales with my ‘diet counsellor’ (oh yes – I have a diet counsellor) and I saw it flash up 18 Stone 11 Pounds… I thought flip! I really need to do this. Discipline is the fruit of determination. If discipline is bashed into you then you’re likely to rebel from it at some point. But if YOU can determine to do something then you will most likely accomplish it.

If you’re waiting for someone to show you how, sort you out, make you do what is needed etc. etc. then you’re likely to be sitting around doing nothing for quite some time. Even a personal trainer at the Gym will only help you when you DETERMINE to turn up for the sessions on a regular basis.

So I’ve determined to lose weight and that’s what’s stopping me right now from raiding the fridge and snaffling some crisps.

It’s certainly going to be an interesting few weeks – but hopefully you should see me shrink before your very eyes!

return to normal

// September 11th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // General, Self-Development

The last few weeks seem to have been absolutely rammed with work so huge apologises for not blogging. I am just about getting back into the swing of things as deadline after deadline begins to pass by – having been finally accomplished. This is indeed the life of a Pastor / Graphic Designer!

My youth pastor asked me the other day “how on earth do I manage everything?” after I’d made some comment about being run off my feet but still going. It’s an interesting thought – but I guess the answer is I don’t really think about it. Thinking about it would lead to such dead end cul-de-sacs of stupid questions (or whinges) such as “am I really coping?” – “should so much be expected of me?” – “my senior pastor doesn’t care enough for me and my family?” – “I don’t think I’m being paid enough to work so hard…?” – etc. after stupid etc.

The real answer I’ve found is to stop asking questions and get on with what you’ve been called to do! My passion is to build God’s church and so that will require me to do whatever it takes. The great thing is I have a God who cares about my family, who cares about my health, who cares about how I am doing and who cares about how much I get back from what I do… so why not leave those things in His very capable hands. That doesn’t mean I leave my brain at the door when planning my time… but it does mean that I know that for everything there is a season. Right now we’re in that pioneering and launching season till you drop… and my wife appreciates it and releases me to it – but October will soon swing round and we’ll start riding the wave of momentum that we created during the last season!

So – if you’re wondering how to cope with everything – stop wondering, stop wasting thinking time on it and just get on with it!

(If you’re married – pop into the Co-op on the way home, buy your wife some flowers, have dinner and then make sure you switch the channel to a good chick flick before you make your excuses and disappear into your office for a late night!)

Anyhow – back to work… I can’t spend all night blogging… (not just yet anyhow!)