My Lifesong » Food and Drink

25 and counting

Jose — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:03:58 +0000

Well, I have hit the 25 pound mark in weight lost, and I feel good.

I am seeing improvement in my stamina, my strength, and recovery. I can actually run 2 miles or so without stopping!

My clothes fit better…well, for the most part. I have to take my dress pants in to get them altered, and my work shirts have quite a bit of volume to them now, but it's all good.

Nicole and our friends have been such an encouragement to me, and that has helped tremendously.

250 doesn't seem so daunting a goal as it was when I started.

My Jonathan

Jose — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Yesterday I sat at Starbucks for about two hours catching up with my friend Matt Mehaffey. He was in town and we were able to get together to catch up on each other’s lives.

As we sat there and talked, my mind drifted back to the time we drove down to Florida for the High School Ministry’s Spring Break. Our friendship was in its early stages, and it really blossomed that week. I had the late driving shift, so as we were making our way through Alabama on down through Panama City, Matt rode shotgun. While everyone else slept, Matt and I conversed and we really got to know each other. I’m normally a private person with parts of my life, but with Matt, I shared a lot of my past and he did as well. It was a great conversation, and the rest of the week just drew us closer.

Later on that year, Matt and Janie invited Nicole and I to be part of a new small group with them and the Fergusons. We accepted the invitation and became part of something really special. When the Bowman’s came aboard a few months later, our group was complete.

When Matt and Janie announced their call to Miami to plant a church, I was happy for them…and sad that such great friends were going to leave us. We eagerly jumped aboard with supporting the Pursuit, and that eagerness will never subside. It was a bittersweet day when we said goodbye to them when they left.

As Matt and I talked, I realized that Matt is one of my Jonathans. He is a great friend who supports me and isn’t afraid to keep me in check. We can talk about anything, and even if we go months without talking (other than Twitter), we pick up right where we left off. He is a great brother in Christ.

As we said our goodbyes, I felt that bittersweet feeling again. It didn’t last long. You see, (to borrow a line from MercyMe), “In Christ, there are no goodbyes.” It’s always “until we’re together again.”

As I drove away from Starbucks, I felt refreshed and re-energized. God has a way of doing that through family.

Losing Weight Costs Money

Jose — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:33:55 +0000

I am down 13lbs since I started my workout, and I feel good. I'm still sore, and I'm still a ways away from where I want to be, but I'm on my way. My clothes are fitting better, and I am doing better at eating healthy – although I am craving little chocolate donuts. I won't give in. I won't.

Anyways, I never realized how much difference having the proper shoes and clothes makes when you're working out. I also never thought about how much is costs to buy workout gear and clothes. I never looked at shoes and had to consider what I am using them for. Cross trainers or running shoes or basketball shoes. I used to choose based on the style and color, now I'm more concerned about how I'll feel when I am lifting or if I'm on the treadmill (although color is still a small factor).

And it's all worth it. When I think about what the results will be, what I may add to my life, what kind of temple God deserves, it's so worth it. The last one is what really motivates me. I have never been concerned with my body, and it pains me to admit that. God loves me regardless, right? My wife loves me, right? But that is a selfish way to look at it. Since they love me, I owe it to them to be the best I can be. God deserves my very best, and because He gave me Nicole as a bride, so does she since we are one. So it's worth it.

The funny thing? my Best Twitter Friend, @bennysalas, has encouraged me to work out when I haven't felt like it, and that's another God thing. Really, someone in Miami cares enough about me to encourage me. That's in addition to my friends here who help me.

So, it may cost to lose weight, but the return on the investment makes it all worthwhile.

Blast From The Past

Jose — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:17:40 +0000

Before the cop and burglar, before the dog, there was the magician.

Dinner with the Simpsons

Jose — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:00:28 +0000

We went to Buffalo Wild Wings tonight with Brooke and Darrin to watch the Hawkeyes take on the Cyclowns in basketball. I love spending time with them cause they are such a great couple. We really enjoy their company and look forward to more times like this.

Dinner with students

Jose — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:09:16 +0000

I had the pleasure of going out to dinner with a couple of students tonight. Nick and Rudi are sophomores involved in the H.S. Ministry and are a couple of great kids. Our conversation ranged all over, and I had a great time. I have to admit that they have a way of edifying me, and I hope that I do the same for them.

Fellowship on the 1st

Jose — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:43:43 +0000

We went to Arby’s to have lunch with the young adults. It was a great time, and it was great catching up with friends we haven’t been able to spend time with in a while. We got to eat with Meghan and Jeff Miller (as Janie puts it – “they are so stinkin’ sweet”) and caught up with their lives. They are awesome.

Guy’s Night Out

Jose — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:53:15 +0000

There is something to be said about going out with friends. It has a way of refreshing you. Several of the guys got together tonight and we went out for dinner and fun. It was awesome.

Monument Circle

Jose — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:25:02 +0000

We went downtown for dinner with Nicole's family tonight. We went to Harry & Izzy's and had a great meal. Afterwards we walked down to Monument Circle to check out the lights. Now we're home and getting ready for bed. We love spending time with family and we're thankful they were able to come out for a long weekend.

Children of God

Jose — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:28:59 +0000

Last night the we met up with the Barkers, Simpsons, Jordan and Bethany for dinner. We played some trivia – I won by the slimmest of margins against Jake – and had a great time. We went out afterwards but Nicole had to go home to rest since she is working this weekend. We ended up back at the Barker’s to watch Children of Men. I would love to say something profound, but really, it was just us living life in fellowship. Don’t misinterpret that. The time we spend together is amazing, and I truly feel blessed to be there with my wife and our friends…I just don’t have a verbose or profound way to put it into words other than saying it was fellowship. After all, when Jesus and the Twelve had dinner, wasn’t that fellowship? When God walked with Adam and Eve or with Noah, wasn’t that fellowship? When we spend quiet time with the Creator and hold the Hand that holds the world, isn’t that fellowship? When you send your friend a birthday card and enclose a gift card to Starbucks because you wish you could take them there in person but can’t – isn’t that fellowship in some form? Does the complexity of the act supersede the simplicity of the name? I think so.