I Am Living Proof

My blogosphere-yet-soon-to-meet-in-real-life friend, Cindy Beall, tagged me two weeks ago.

It is sorta fresh on my brain thanks to another blogosphere friend, Crystal Renaud, who challenged us admitting our strengths. So already, I am in the mindset on how God created me uniquely.

I won’t take the easy route of redirecting people to my testimony because that would be way too easy. If you read my testimony, you essentially know who I am. There is no secret left to be revealed.

But what makes up the day-to-day Joe? How do my friends perceived me? How do strangers perceived me?

So in that, I pick 10 things to share about me. Some facts, some personal observations about myself and from friends.

1. I am big and tall. 240lbs and standing around 6′5″.
2. I don’t eat a lot of sweets. I can always do without them. I rather have a second helping of pot roast rather than to have dessert.
3. I love food. I love all cuisines. I love to cook.
4. I have too much hair (see insert). It is getting chopped back this Saturday at 9AM CT.
5. I think I get stinky especially when it gets hot and Texas always has hot summers. My friends promise me that I am not stinky. It is not something I worry about but I definitely do ponder over it.
6. One of those same friends describe me as new like the springtime. That is one of the best compliments ever.
7. I am about to take singing lessons so I can technically sing well during worship services. Pray for my teacher. Seriously.
8. As big of a geek as I am, I never buy any technology that has just hit the streets for the first time. I just like waiting until all the bugs are out of it.
9. I am a social butterfly.
10. When I am at work, I am always barefoot. I kick my shoes and socks off almost immediately.

So tag, you’re it:

Tam

Brent

Minda

Chelsea

Ashley

Tagged by Ric Booth for a very cool conversation starter:

What is your favorite book of the Bible?

Not to over think it, I had to really ask myself, “What is my favorite book?”. If I am really honest with myself, this is different than asking:

Favorite prophet: Isaiah
Most quoted from: Jeremiah
Most identifies with: Hosea
Mark myself against: Mark
In Awe of God: John
Wraps up everything about God: 1 John
Absolute giddy about: Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation
Thinks is not boring: Numbers, Deuteronomy
Keep going back to: Acts
Currently stuck in: Psalm
Taught by: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Could spend a year on: Genesis

Even despite my constant temptation of getting Isaiah 53 tattooed on my back in Hebrew and English, my favorite book has to be Romans.

When I think of what I am placed on this earth to do, nothing but absolutely nothing is more important than sharing the gospel of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is this Epistle to the Romans that two things are established:

• Puts everybody on the same playing field when approaching the Most High God - It removes all excuses. Not only it establish how we stand with God but it challenges us into answering one very important question.  That question is not whether we can be saved but rather do we think we need to be saved. In other words, how is salvation possible if you don’t think you need to be saved.
• Despite it laying out the path to salvation in order to get to God, this letter is written out to believers - It essentially lays out the basics of Christianity: hope, faith, love, spreading the gospel, promises of His love, His holiness and righteousness, wrestling between flesh and spirit and the dismantling of religiosity by separating law and spirit. One way I have heard it put: The Gospel According to Paul. It is very good news, indeed.

Above all, Romans contains the single greatest passage in the Bible, in my opinion. We can put our faith in that when all else fails and everything is being destroyed around us, it is just God and us and nothing can separate us from His love:

Romans 8:31-39 (NKJV) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

my friend: “Are you excited about your future?”

her friend: “eh…well, it’s inevitable sooo…why not.”

Despite me not posting a single thing about the untimely death of Maria Chapman (daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman), I was still rocked by the news. It become a bit more personal when a few of the people I knew, knew the Chapmans closer than most.

I couldn’t stop thinking about my son, so close to Maria’s age. I swore, if I didn’t tell him “I love you” and hug and kiss him a hundred times a week prior to, I just increased that love twice over since then.

Now I am just finding out about Xzibit’s newborn son, Xavier, born on May 15th (two days before my birthday) only to pass away as his father gives the news this morning on his myspace blog.

Xzibit writes:

AS you all know, I shared with you the announcment of my newborn son Xavier Kingston Joiner on may 15th and also informed you that he was born prematurly. well this week was extremly difficult for him because his lungs were not strong enough to handle regular oxygen on his own. Xavier passed away this morning at 3:30am and I must tell you this, It is unatural for a parent to bury a child. I am telling you this because of the same reason I tell you when im having great times, life is too short to be fake. Hold on to your kids if you have them, protect them and show them you love them everyday you wake up and see them, dont take a second you get to hug them teach them and care for them for granted. You can have all the material wealth in the universe but it is NOTHING compared to having your family. I am thankful for all of my blessings and im not one to question God’s perfect plan, so I leave you with great love and thanks for the love that was sent earlier on my pervious blog to my son. Of course I need to take some time and handle my loss, STAY FOCUSED PEOPLE. Its not promised to any of us.

Xzibit’s words will rock me for a long, long time. What really impacted me is that in the midst of the darkness, loss and tragedy, Xzibit chooses to be satisfied in God.

That makes God beautiful. That gives glory to God and God alone.

I am not sure if I were to lose my son that I would be as strong as the words written today.

But I will not worry about tomorrow.

I will think about today.

I will think about my son.

Using more of Xzibit’s words that he wrote for his son way back in 1996 from his song “Foundation“. I can’t think of a more perfect way to describe my child:

When I look you in your eyes I can see my own
Straight love manifested in flesh and bone

Love you, Yusef. All that I have and forever. My love will not stray.

Since I am towards the tail end of my weight loss of 2.5 years, my updates will be posted less often than the other guys. -Ed.

Up to speed:

No I still don’t have a scale. I think I am going to go to a store and get a quick reading.

I am kinda cheap that way.

My 2XLT t-shirts from Calvin Klein are way too big. I am going to go try on XLT. I haven’t worn XLT shirts since high school.

I need new pants.

I need new underwear.

Other than that…

My energy drink intake has gone up so I am curbing that to 2/week. To counter, I am going to up my water intake to 1.5gal/day. That is 1/2gal more plus the current intake based on Weight/2 = water in oz per day.

For instance, I weight 250lbs. 250 divided 2 is 125. Since there are 128oz in a gallon, I just end up drinking a gallon of water of day.

I am craving milkshakes. That must be a calcium and sugar thing. So now I am on the search for good sources of calcium (greens) and sugar (carrots, fruits).

Today is the last day of my Fast Food Fast. I am not going back to fast food. Woohoo!

Today is the last day of my coffee. I am going to cut out rich coffee drinks (espresso + milk) and just stick to simple coffee with a sugar and dollop of steamed milk (called macchiato).

This time around, the lifestyle changes I have made seem to be real and very permanent. I have depend on God to help me with keeping my body healthy and shockingly enough (no, not really), He has come through. God is there to remind me with gut instincts and I am obedient.

Never forgot that God will help you with anything and everything. He knows what you are going through and His heart breaks for you. Lean on Him for it all. Watch His way be perfect.

My peeps:

James
Brent
Kristen
Buddy
Dan
Rick
Brandy
Deborah
Joel
Theressa
Steven
Love
Tawny
Kelly
Jen
Ron
Darla
Theressa
Heidi