Nobody likes to hear the words, “Reduction in force.”  But that is exactly what I heard yesterday afternoon.  So I didn’t have to go into the office today or login remotely.  I tried to sleep in but my kids were early birds.  I didn’t have to pick out clothes or pack a lunch.  In fact, it has been kind of a weird day adjusting to the unemployment life.  I always feel like I should be doing something, but I am not sure what.

I have been laid off before, so this is not unfamiliar territory.  It is really different this time though because last time I felt like I was knocked down from my pedestal.  I wasn’t being very smart with my money when I was first laid off.  For some reason this time it feels like a breathe of fresh air.  I will receive 6 weeks severance pay, so I have a little time to make things happen.  Right now it looks like a long vacation to me, only I won’t be traveling or spending a lot of money.  I hope to get a lot of projects done around here that I haven’t had time to do while working.  So I will be plenty busy for sure.

I will be looking for new work of course, but I see this as an opportunity to do a job that I really want to do.  With CompuCom, I had been moved around from job to job and just never felt like I was on any kind of career path.  I have often thought about working for a local church, but wasn’t sure how to go about switching jobs.  Now I have that opportunity.  I will most definitely be looking at churches or para-church organizations.  I want to be working on something that has more meaning than how quickly I can work to make money for the company.  I want to work somewhere that has vision.  I have done computer work my whole life it seems, but I have also been a director of youth ministry in the past as well.  I feel that I have a good range of skills that would benefit a local church.  If you have any ideas for me, let me know.  I really need to stay in the Cincinnati area so that Faith can finish school, but I am not opposed to looking at relocating or commuting.  I will be working on resume stuff soon and will probably post info here to promote my job search.

I know many of you will be praying and I appreciate that.  I am looking forward to a little break and will enjoy sharing the adventure with all of you.

In Acts 1:4 Jesus tells the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”

I feel like this is where I am at. Waiting. Not for the Holy Spirit exactly as I have experienced that moment already, but I feel like I am standing in the sandals of the disciples at this moment. I am waiting on God to do something great. It has been a common theme in my life. I always seem to be waiting for something. I am always looking for what is next. But often in life, I was unsure if what I was waiting for would actually happen. Would I meet the special woman who I was to marry and grow old with? That finally happened. Would I come right out of college and land the dream job that I enjoyed and paid me a lot of money? That one didn’t happen. There are no guarantees for these things. Nobody can promise me that they will happen.

Right now, I feel that God is getting ready to move and do something great. I am hanging onto God’s faithfulness as I prepare for whatever He has planned for me.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.

Psalm 33:4

Last Week’s Weight – 266.8 lbs.

This Week’s Weight – 264.6 lbs.

Total Weight Loss Since Jan 1st – 14.8 lbs.

That was a bigger jump than I expected this week.  I was up a little bit earlier in the week and was just hoping to be down close to a pound for today, but it turned out a lot better.  I don’t expect to drop much from today to next week because 2 pounds is more than I want to drop per week, but I am not complaining too much.  Here is a cool fact.  I weigh less than my driver’s license says now.  At this rate I should be getting close to what I weighed in high school by the end of the year.

I feel like I am living this right now.  I can’t find the whole song anywhere online to listen to, but you can find a clip at Amazon
where you can download the 6 track album for less than $5.  Here are the lyrics I am feeling so well right now.

CHORUS: [x2]
You Gotta Hold On
Help Is Coming
You Gotta Hold On
You Going To Make It Through The Rain

Through The Rain Through The Pain
Through The Fire And Flame
The Same Name I Cling To
The Same Name That Remains Forever
The Name Above All Names
Above Death And The Grave
The Name That Cures Cancer
And Gives Strength To The Lame
The Same Name That Came And Shattered My Chains
The Same Name That Will Come And Do The Same Again For You
He’s Going To Come Through
Yes It’s True
Jesus The Only Name That Will Pull You Through

CHORUS [x2]

‘Cause He Said He’ll Never Leave Us
Nor Forsake Us Man And That’s The Only
Word You Need To Hold To
And You’ll Never Be Lonely Homie
I Know I Ain’t The Only Person Out There Hurting
Who’s Flirted With Thought Of Ending It All
But Been Averted And I Know So Many Out There Who Have Had It Much Harder
They Got No Food In Their Bellies
Got No Mothers Or Fathers
So Many Questions Out There That Need Answers To But Even If It Comes Down To The Final Hour
Man He’ll Still Come Through

CHORUS [x3]

If You’re Waiting For A Miracle
You Gotta Hold On
You Gotta Make It Through The Rain

CHORUS [x2]

Bridge: [x2]
Through The Rain
Through The Flame
You Are The Name Above Every Name

Through The Rain
Through The Flame
Jesus The Name Above All Names

I wanted to share some good news today.  I had to draw labs again over the weekend before my doctors appointment yesterday so that we could see how I am doing on the cholesterol and the fats.

We had very good results.  My cholesterol is down 20 points and my fats(triglycerides) are down 100 points.  Everything is looking great.  So no changes in the get healthy plan.  What I am doing is working.  Now I don’t have to go back to the doctor for 6 months.

The doctor said it is quite amazing what I am doing because 98% of people don’t make the necessary lifestyle changes and never see positive results.  They spend their lives medicating it and eventually things get worse.  So I want to encourage you, if you need to make some changes to better your health, you really can make a difference.  I made some small changes and got big results.

Last Week’s Weight – 272 lbs.

This Week’s Weight – 266.8 lbs.

Total Weight Loss Since Jan 1st – 12.6 lbs. (FYI: I lost weight from Jan to March, but was back up in mid March.  This 12.6 lbs. has come off since March, but I have been tracking since Jan 1st.)

We are back on track once again.  Ok, the numbers above look a little crazy.  I was at 272 for most of the week after Memorial Day weekend and I was a little discouraged that I was up so much and it wasn’t coming back off.  I had always been able to let a little loose from time to time and get right back to where I was at.  I thought I had really messed myself up, but in the days following my weigh in last week, it all came off.  I must have been retaining something serious.  So, in one week it looks like I am down about 5 pounds.  That would not be very healthy.  If you look at my weigh in from 2 weeks ago, I am only down a pound.  So don’t let the crazy numbers scare you.  I have reached another new record low as of today and I don’t have any crazy traveling weekends planned where I will be eating out a lot for a while.  That 250 mark is really starting to look very attainable.  I am the lightest I have been in several years and looking to keep it that way.

The Israelites found themselves outnumbered by the Philistines and slowly began retreating in fear. King Saul refused to retreat as he waited for Samuel to arrive and consult God on the war before them. Saul grew impatient and decided to resolve the matter on his own.

So Saul took charge: “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” He went ahead and sacrificed the burnt offering. No sooner had he done it than Samuel showed up! Saul greeted him.

Samuel said, “What on earth are you doing?”
Saul answered, “When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn’t come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, I said, ‘The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t yet come before God asking for his help.’ So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering.” “That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. “If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded, by now God would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with God!”  1 Samuel 13: 9-14 (MSG)

I often find myself trying to do the same thing as Saul. When I grow tired of waiting for things to happen, I try to make them happen on my own. I am not always good at being patient and I am reminded of this constantly when I encounter situations where I want immediate results. It is much like the game of basketball. I love to play basketball. I mean real basketball. The March Madness kind of basketball where traveling is still a violation of the rules and players actually listen to their coaches and play as a team. If you want to have a successful basketball team, you must have patience. You have to move the ball around and protect it, looking for that perfect opportunity to make a move. If you try to force a pass or a shot that isn’t there, you are setting yourself up to fail and risk turning the ball over to your opponent.

When I try to force something to happen when it comes to my family, ministry, or career, I often find trouble. I admit that I often forget that I can consult with the Creator of the Universe about everything that I do. When I start to believe that the story is all about me and I try to be the hero, I begin to want the glory for myself. I suddenly forget about the greater story that God has written. The story that I have a privilege to play a small part. And then I often find disappointment when failure reminds me that I cannot do anything alone. My disappointment soon turns to joy when I realize that I don’t have to do anything alone.

These can be painful reminders with consequences. I have found that these can mostly be avoided if I find a good team with a good coach and work together. When I start trying to force things, a good friend can point that out to me and encourage me to be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity. I can pass the ball and think about the team instead of trying to pad my personal stats sheet.

Are you tired of waiting?

Went out to play in our yard today and found a nest of baby bunnies.  Here are some pics I managed to snap.

Last Week’s Weight – 267.6 lbs.

This Week’s Weight – 272 lbs.

Total Weight Loss Since Jan 1st – 7.4 lbs.

Ok, I am not happy with this number, but this is what happens when you don’t have the best options for eating right for an extended period of time.  Last weekend we traveled for my brother-in-law’s wedding, so we ate out more than I needed to.  I am really hoping that this comes off pretty quickly, but I haven’t had much luck with it this week.  It is way easier to gain weight than it is to lose for some crazy reason.  So I hope to have better results for you next week.

I find that I write about being busy often.  I sometimes have issues with over committing to things or I manage my time poorly causing my life to feel busy and stressful.

I have had a plan in the works to help with all of this, but it is turning into a long term project.  If you ever find  your life spinning out of control with events and responsibilities, how do you manage to right the ship?