Friday, June 7, 2013

Filling

Our Daily Bread
You may have seen the silly commercial: A shark approaches a swimmer lounging in a inner tube.  From the shark's point of view, the swimmer looks like a Hostess chocolate cupcake.  After he takes a big bite, he disppointedly asks "Where's the creamy filling?"  ha!

I figuratively look at what's inside me at times, like when I read the devotional this morning.  Instead of looking for a "creamy filling", I am looking for a filling of God's Word and the Holy Spirit!  A heart and life filled with these things can't help but to spill over into the way we treat people and sharing God's love! 

Lord, thank you for changing us for the better when we let you permeate our insides!

Foodie Friday
Review: Black Creek Bistro
I had a meeting at AWOL on Tuesday, so I decided to get there early so I could have an appetizer at the Black Creek Bistro.  I couldn't help myself when I saw the specials for the evening.  I had to have supper!  The chicken dish was a stuffed chicken breast atop a pool of spicy tomato sauce.  What a great taste combination!  The spicy potatoes were great.  Even the squash had a nice taste, though I wish I would have eaten that first before I had all the spices..

AND, for dessert, they had a chocolate-cayenne creme brulee!  Wow!  I will definitely go back soon!

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We are far from perfect, but despite our mistakes and our sins, we will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon us - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide

Thursday, June 6, 2013

A follower be

Our Daily Bread
Have you ever met a man or woman that you would follow any where?  I don't mean a physical attraction or romantic interest.  I am talking about a true leader that inspires you to follow their leadership.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was one of those folks.  He didn't just tell his people what to do.  He lead them by example.  What an example he was! 

Whenever you have doubts or it seems like your prayers are not being answered, remember our Lord and his life here on earth. He lead by example.

Lord Jesus, thank you for leading us into righteousness if we will just follow!

Technology Thursday
Six Ways your Technology Manners Need Improving
I admit it.  I am guilty.  I will work on it.  How about you?

 As part of this week's National Business Etiquette Week, the Protocol School of Washingtonoffers several tips for improving business etiquette around the office.

Be all in: Employees should pay attention in business settings and not place their smartphone or tablet on the table. In addition, the phone should be turned off before going into a meeting, dining room or networking event. For those expecting an important call, make sure the phone is on vibrate, alert people beforehand and then excuse yourself when you get the call.   

Don't text and talk: Texting while talking to someone says you're not interested in the other person and that can be a deal-breaker, resulting in the loss of a potential client or valued vendor.  If texting is a must, excuse yourself and find an isolated spot to work.

Email etiquette: Busy people get upward of 200 work emails a day and need time to respond. Allow 24 to 48 hours for a reply and give people the benefit of the doubt. If they don't respond, perhaps the email inadvertently went to the person's junk mail box.  It's also time-consuming to open and read unnecessary emails.  Don't hit "reply all" unless it's absolutely necessary everyone listed needs to read the reply.

Keep voice messages short: Good communicators get to the point quickly. Aim for a voice mail message that is no longer than 30 seconds. It is important to state your name clearly and confirm the phone number you prefer they call.

Choose the right communication: E-mailis the preferred method of communication because it's easily accessible, but don't be afraid to ask someone if they prefer texting.  Of course, a difficult conversation requires picking up the phone or, better yet, talking in person.

Keep private conversations private: Don't talk on the phone while in the restroom or hallway — you never know who may overhear you.  Additionally, since you never know who may be within earshot, don't talk about sensitive work issues when eating out with friends or family.
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Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in His loving arms!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

cha-cha-changes...

Our Daily Bread
Yes, some more songs came to mind when I read the devotional this morning.  Changes by David Bowie and Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson came to mind.  Wow, what a wide range of musical taste!  ha!

The lyrics to Changes don't make much sense to me except for the part where the singer talks about the need to change.  I followed this thought with the Man in the Mirror song because I see areas in my life whenever the Holy Spirit holds up its spiritual mirror to my life!  Cha-cha-cha-changes for the man in the mirror!  Not just changes in behavior that I know I need to make, but changes to my heart that will drive long-term changes to my thoughts and behavior!  Praise God!

Lord, thank you for changing us if we turn our lives over to you!  Change, for your sake, is a good thing!

Wellness Wednesday
5 Biggest Mistakes People Make With Food And Exercise
I found this article the other day because I am struggling with  my eating and exercise lifestyle right now.  Whew...  I don't make very many of these mistakes, but I learned a couple of things. How about you?  You can click on the title of the article above to read the whole thing.

Eating Too Little Fat
Despite my recommendations to include good fats at every meal, like avocado, nuts, seeds and coconut oil, some of my clients remain fat phobic, and will scale back, fearing that fat is "fattening." But the truth is, getting enough fat is a smart strategy for both sports nutrition and weight control, because fat: delays stomach emptying, so you feel fuller longer; increases satiety, to shut off hunger hormones; boosts antioxidant absorption, which in emerging research is related to leanness; and ups metabolic rate, to help you burn more calories.

Using A Sports Drink When You Really Don't Need One
If you sweat heavily, work out for more than 90 minutes, or exercise in hot, humid conditions, reaching for a sports drink rather than plain water is a smart way to keep hydrated, stay fueled and replace the electrolytes lost in sweat. But if you're exercising for less than an hour and a half, in a climate-controlled gym, plain water should be fine.  NOTE: I drink PowerAde Zero that helps replenish me, but doesn't have the carbs!

Not Eating After A Workout Because You're Afraid To "Eat Back" What You've Burned
While it's true that overcompensating for a workout by eating too much can prevent you from shrinking your fat cells, striking the right balance is key. Working out takes a toll on your body, and having the right raw materials to heal and repair the wear and tear is important for seeing results. In other words, it's not just the training itself, but the healing from the training, that mends muscles, boosts metabolism and makes you more toned and fit.  NOTE: Try to eat 30 - 45 minutes after your workout!

Only Eating Protein Post Workout
While protein is a key recovery nutrient, it's only one piece of the puzzle. In addition to a lean protein source, like a smart phone-sized portion of fish or chicken or a scoop of lentils, you should aim for plenty of produce (to replenish nutrients and supply antioxidants), a healthy fat source (which also helps muscles heal and optimizes circulation), a small serving of a whole grain, like wild rice or quinoa (to replete glycogen, the carbohydrate stored in muscle tissue, which serves as a primary fuel source during exercise) and of course fluid, preferably good old H2O (to rehydrate).

Doubling Up On Recovery Meals
For my pro athlete clients, I highly recommend eating something like an all natural bar or shake within 30 minutes of the end of a game or a tough training session whenever possible, because starting the recovery process within a half hour has been shown to help maximize healing. But employing this strategy if you're not a pro can wind up working against you.

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When your world falls apart, unapologetically collapse into the arms of God. - Howerton

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Gotta tell somebody

Our Daily Bread
Yes, another song reference from my college days!  Gotta tell somebody by Don Francisco was one of his signature songs (along with He's Alive!).  The point of today's devotional is "when will we realize that we need to get to this point in our lives as well?"  I gotta tell somebody!

The examples in the devotional are priceless.  An 80 year old man who has never been more excited to know and share Christ.  The apostle Paul who writes about knowing and sharing Christ in Philippians.  Is that the kind of relationship we have with Christ?  What are we doing to move closer to him?

Gotta tell somebody, gotta tell somebody, what Jesus did for me!

Lord, thank you for giving us so much!  Please help us tell others!

Teaching Tuesday
A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough by Wayne Muller
How much is "enough"?  That is the question and hopefully the answer in this book!  I read about a quarter of it on Sunday.  It starts by asking questions about why we do things.  About our motivations.  About being satisfied with ourselves and our lives.  It also talks about how difficult this is in our culture where more is good and more is never enough!

I will write more about it next week.  Be thinking about "enough" this week.  But not too much!  ha!

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If we’re gonna pray about it
There’s no use in worrying
If we’re gonna worry about it
Why are we praying
Just leave it in the hands of the Father
Leave it in the hands of the Healer
Leave it in the hands of Jesus
And walk away
Walk away   -- Brandon Heath & Thad Cockrell

Monday, June 3, 2013

Always pushing

Our Daily Bread
There is a silly version of the "Footprints" story where the pilgrim asked Jesus "I see the two sets of foot prints become one set.  That is where you were carrying me.  What are the other marks in the sand beside the footprints?"  Jesus said "That is where I was dragging you..."  ha!  Don't you feel that way sometimes?  Like God is just dragging you along with you kicking and screaming like a little kid in a toy store?  ha! 

I learned a new word today: goad.  I have heard it for  years, but misunderstood the word's pronunciation and meaning.  I thought folks were saying "goating".  DOH!  Goad can be a noun or a verb.  The noun means a pointy stick used for driving cattle.  The verb means to provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate some action or reaction.  Both definitions are from the Google Dictionary. 

Apparently, goading is my calling.  ha!  Friends see it on my Facebook page as I consistently encourage folks to "do something today!"  I can sometimes be more annoying than provocative, even to the point of causing relationship issues.  I ask God to help me do this in a more loving way, an encouraging and challenging way instead of annoying! 

Lord, thank you for being our loving leader.  We praise you for sometimes goading us to be more like you!

Movie Monday
I got to see two movies this week: Hangover 3 and Now you see me.

Hangover 3
If you liked the first two Hangover movies, you will probably be disappointed with this installment.  I felt it was slow and not very funny overall.  With that being said, there were a couple of scenes that I called "pee-your-pants" funny!  I don't think they were worth the price of admission even though I saw a cheap matinee!  I hope this is the last one.  I won't see any more of them...

I give this movie one bear paw for the few very funny scenes.  This would have been funnier if I had been watching it at home with lots of liquor in me.

Now you see me
I liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would!  It was cleverly written.  The ensemble cast worked quite well together.  I mainly sent to see it because Mark Ruffalo is in it!  Unfortunately, there weren't any shirtless scenes like in The Avengers.  Darn it!  I liked the twists and turns in the story line.  It was definitely worth watching!

I give this movie two bear paws.  Not a must see, but it was fun to watch.

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You cannot say you've forgiven someone if in your heart you hope they are still suffering. Howerton

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Show, don't just tell

Our Daily Bread
I love the Show and Tell stories I hear from my teacher friends.  Kids bring in the funniest things!  Adults can also do Show and Tell -- at work after a long weekend, posting pictures on Facebook, etc.

The devotional talks about "Show, don't tell" while describing how to write a story.  I write documentation at work that tells folks how to do something, like install and configure a server.  Jesus did something much more important and useful -- he taught us how to live by example!  Yes, folks wrote down his words (telling), but he also showed us how to live.  Wow!  The Great Teacher indeed!

Lord, thank you for the example of your life!  We can see how we are supposed to live by the example you gave us!

Psalm Sunday
I love the psalms!  Psalm 97 is a great example of one.  Read it out loud and praise our God!

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
    let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame,
    those who boast in idols—
    worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments, Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
    for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
    and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light shines on the righteous
    and joy on the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.
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We are far from perfect, but despite our mistakes and our sins, we will never abandon the Lord and he will never abandon us - adapted from a statement about Abraham from the EfM Training Guide

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Say it, Say it!

Our Daily Bread
Yes, I like movies.  Sometimes good movies.  Sometimes no so good movies.  The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of the no so good movies that I really like.  I enjoy seeing it along with folks acting out the parts and the audience interacting with the movie.  My favorite line is "say it, say it!".  ha!

I feel like I need audience encouragement sometimes when I speaking out for God.  "Say it, Duane, Say it!" encouragement when I have the opportunity to share Christ just might get me over the hump!  ha!  As outgoing as I am (and some of you are too), we shouldn't need that kind of encouragement!  Just say it!

Lord, thank you for gifts of all kinds.  Please help all of us share the gift of Christ with your encouragement and guidance!

Simply Saturday
Relationships
I had some relationship challenges this past week.  I finally had to admit to myself that I am the problem.  I can overreact at times.  I can speak out when I should be quiet.  I can say things that can encourage the weak or break the strong.  In short, I can have some influence over people.  I am not sure why.

What I learned is that I have to be careful, even more careful than what I ever imagined before in my life.  I will think and pray about this more and more the next few months.  I will figure it out.  I will not let it change who I am, rather let it refine my personality to be more like Christ.

Once again, I share these things to encourage you to look inside yourself.  Allow God to show you ways to be more like him.  It is worth the journey!  Praise God!

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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16