For my man-boobs…

Posted July 12, 2008 by Michael J.
Categories: Drop the flab...

I’ve been trying to get into shape for the last couple of months… and to my shame, I’ve had little progress. My roommate Brett and I tried to start a diet in March or April that lasted maybe eleven days, and since then I’ve must have started and failed four more times. I bought a gym membership and went faithfully for two weeks, and still intend to go, but have failed to go on schedule for the last two weeks. My body just wasn’t ready for the type of schedule I was putting it through and I needed a break, which has stretched into two weeks.

One thing I noticed is that it’s very hard to get a strong body when you have weak willpower. I’m going to continue trying and keep my goals realistic: going at least four times a weak to the gym for upper/lower body training, doing core training at home (as well as at the gym), and doing at least thirty minutes of cardio everyday. Those things, in combination with cutting out fast food and what not should help me get into a semblance of good shape.

Oh, I’m also going to buy a bike here shortly (when I get the cash) and ride instead of driving. Most everywhere I go is within five miles of my house and that’s really only about a twenty-five minute ride to most locations, instead of a ten minute drive.

Yeah… well… I’ll keep you posted about my success or failure. Hopefully success. Going to play disc golf now.

Really gonna try…

Posted July 10, 2008 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

Wow… it’s been so long since I’ve written anything on my blog. I guess life has a way of distracting us from all that’s really important. <<<That’s sarcasm by the way.<<<

I have been meaning to get back to this whole life-entry thing… So, here’s the first step!

It has been going bleh for quite some time. I’m fed up with so many things… most of all me. So, for my first post in ages, I’m going to make a list!

Things I’m Fed Up With…

-Working at a job nobody wants to be at consequently making me not want to be there.
-Not keeping the house as clean as I want it (more my fault than both of my roommates combined)
-Religion and religiosity.
-My current relationship with my ex-girlfriend.
-Feeling lonely.
-The cost of everything.
-Estranged friends.
-Fast Food. It taste so gross but I just can’t stop.
-Hot weather with a non-functioning air conditioner.
-Waiting for sequels.
-Too many sequels.
-They’re not doing a sequel?
-Pens exploding in my pocket.
-Sweating.
-My life not going anywhere…

I could go on, but I need to go take a shower and get to my job. My next post will have more substance, I just wanted to preface some of them and get that list off of my chest… oh! One more thing to add to the list…

-Man-boobs.

Drifting in Depression…

Posted March 12, 2008 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

There is that point when you are swimming that you just lay back and let the water roll over your body; a liquid blanket that just barely covers you from the break into air, your face just barely making the journey from one state to the other: water to air… suffocation to life. The edges make shy flirtations into your breath, subtle threats to steal you away from the firmament. You can just lay there in limbo, only one inhalation from rising too far from the comfort of the water… only one exhalation from giving away too much air from your lungs and lowering to the depths.

That is how I feel just now, like I am just floating on the surface one breath away from two worlds–I don’t dare enter one too fully and I can’t stand the other… and I’m not merely content to float in limbo for too long. It’s depressing. I’m depressed.

12.94 miles…

Posted December 22, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

Well, I’m going on two weeks and two days at my new home. It’s pretty good! It’s been a lot of work and it’s still got a lot of work left… but I really feel like this is my home, not just a place where I live, ya’ know?

There are aspects that make a location a home… the amount of time you spend doing things other than sleeping, the effort you put into it personalizing it, and most importantly… those that you spend your time with while at home. My apartment used to feel like that, but lately it just felt empty and a shell of what a home should really feel like.

It’s strange to me that such a simple thing as moving a mere thirteen miles seems to put things into a new perspective. Roads I’ve driven down a hundred times seem somehow more familiar… or more foreign. A building that has always looked so beautiful to me from one angle, shows the flawed foundation from a hind-view.

I’m not exactly sure what I will do with my future, but I know that for right now, I am where I should be, even though it’s not exactly where I thought or wanted to be…

Lyrics to a song…

Posted December 15, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

I’m not one that typically puts the lyrics to a song on my blog… but I am listening to this song… and I just like it.

Emery
The Ponytail Parade

three sleepless nights
this isn't how it's supposed to be
but you're so good at taking your time
to give back to me

I will wait for you forever
if you would just ask me
I thought that I could change you
but you changed me

but it doesn't feel right
holding someone else's hand
together on phone lines
and living at two opposite ends

it scares me to think that you could find takers
other than me and better than me
but your head is elsewhere
and I'm talking enough for both of us
when will you see it's not so easy for me

you careless and whispered
insulting and bruising
and I thought that you said
things were improving
these laces are untied
but my feet are walking away
(I fall from your eyes. Your eyes I trusted. You said forever)

I never thought you could say these words
is this really happening
(don't say that we can still be friends)

erase my name from this page
how can you take all these days
(what is inside me, what have I done)
and throw them away,
(is this the only way that you will notice me)
as I sit here waiting for you
(dead words for closed ears, all this is sung for you)
I stay up nights
(if you are still pretending this is what's right)
until stars leave the sky
(why can you look at me can you only see)
knowing what my dreams can take away
(sides, your side, can take away)

walk away from me
this night is done

The little and big changes in life…

Posted December 12, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

Wow… I’m so not good at blogging on a regular schedule. I hope to start doing so here shortly, but only God knows the way the wind will blow tomorrow.

 There have been so many things happening in my life recently! So… here’s a list… just to keep you updated.

Little Changes:
-Got my hair cut.
-Started growing a beard (again, but I think I’ll keep this one for awhile.)
-Ate out a whole bunch in the past three weeks, but still managed to lose eleven pounds.
-Discovered that having actual cold feet is worse than the nervous kind…
-Learned that painting is horrible and that I never want to do it again.
-The type of stove that I typically cook on… and discovered that a flat-top stove has a lot of special precautions.

Big Changes:
-Moved to Ft. Wayne with my friend Brett.
-Got a new job.
-Made lots of new friends in the process of the two above mentioned changes.
-Switched to bikini-briefs.
-Taking new steps to press onward personally and connectionally with God.

 The stress of all these changes happening in just a few short weeks really takes its toll, but I truly believe that even some things are quite how I would want them to be… that God is working in my life to bring glory and honor… and other people… to Him. I plan on going into a lot more detail about all of the big subjects in upcoming blogs, but I’m simply exhausted from work and still have so much to do around the house! …like putting up door handles in the bathroom so visitors don’t have to worry about Brett and I peeking on them in the WC.

Where’s the ice…

Posted October 16, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

I’m having a stupid day. Ya know? One of those days where you just smack yourself because you’re an idiot. When I got in my car to leave for work today… I realized I had forgot to put pants on. When I was at work today… I asked a pregnant woman if her baby kicks and she said sarcastically, “No… my baby doesn’t have any legs.” My first response was, with all sincerity, “Really? Oh… uh… I’m sorry… does it punch?” My brain clicked like half a minute later when she was laughing at me… And the crown royal today was when I got into my freezer to get some ice for my lemonade and the ice tray was empty. I got really mad and yelled into the dark recesses of my ice box, “Who the heck forgot to refill the ice!” As soon as I said it… I realized I was the dumbest person alive. I live by myself and the only person that uses my ice is me. I forgot to refill it, yet I was so mad at a non-existent person. Just having a stupid day…

Direction…

Posted October 14, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: Thoughts of a man...

I am the son of a noble truck-driver. I have a built in map inside of my head that leads me the right way all of the time. I can recall on one hand the number of times I’ve been truly lost while driving… even when I’ve no idea where I am. I can almost always figure out a way (even if it’s not the best way) to get where I am going and always know how to get back to where I left from. It’s just the way I am.

But now I am lost. I mean… I know where I want to go and I know where I’m coming from, but I have no idea how to get to either. Every path that I contemplate taking leads back to being lost. I can’t seem to find the road that will lead me to where I know I am supposed to be. Everything is marked as “road closed” or “dead end” and I don’t know how much more fuel I have until I hit empty. I hate being without the right directions…

God, help me to trust in you. Help me to follow you along the right path for my life as you reveal it to me. I know that you are the map-maker of the universe and that you know every curve and turn of my journey… help me to do what I know you’ve called me to do. God, I take joy in the fact that even though I feel lost, you’ve reached out and found me. I pray that you would ease the unsure pounding of my heart until it is in harmony with you. Humble me Lord, but support me in my humility. Amen.

Crying for selfish reasons…

Posted September 14, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: Take a moment... think it over!, Thoughts of a man...

I found myself in tears one day… and the more I cried, the more horrible I felt. Not for the reason I was crying, but for the sole fact that I can’t ever recall a time when I have wept for those who don’t have a relationship with Christ (except once for my brother.) It made me… feel dirty. I mean, here I am! A man desiring to be a pastor! A man who’s passion is for the lost! But a man who’s greatest passion is for his own selfishness.

Lord help me to be a man that weeps for those that are separated from you and a man that takes action to show your love to them by deeds and words. Father, help me to realign my passions with yours and to put death my selfishness. Father, strengthen me so that I might decrease and your name will be glorified in my humility. Amen

In the Book of Luke, it tells of Jesus coming to Jerusalem, seeing the city, and knowing that His people would reject him. And… [...he wept for it.]

Why do you cry?

I win…!

Posted September 10, 2007 by Michael J.
Categories: My Almost Daily Nonsense

There seems to be a problem in my family… we spill stuff on our shirts. I know… that’s lame, but it never fails that one of us always gets something on our shirts when we go out to eat. My mother will spill some coffee on her tee-shirt. My dad will get BBQ sauce lathered on his horizontal-stripped polo. My brother will drop some lettuce on… well… whatever his wife makes him wear that day. Well… I won the other day! My mother, father, and I went to a Chinese buffet (always a problem for people that spill stuff) and they both ended up with food on their shirts, but, by the end of the meal, my shirt was still flawless. I know this sounds lame… but I noticed it when we were paying the bill and made a mental note to blog about it.