Monday, November 28, 2011

Learning things...

As I have started to run, two questions are coming to my mind...
1.) Do you quit when you're tired?
You see as I have run, and as my goal is 5km a couple of things are becoming clear....in order to get to a poiint where I can run the full 5km, I cannot quit running when I am tired. I have to push my body beyond tired and see where the limit is. Now if I take that example and push the limits...where else should I push past 'tired' work? marriage? faith?

2.) Do you stop when you're content?
No one puts on weight by skipping meals. One of the tragedies of North Americal culture is that we don't stop when we are content. I could eat a perfect meal, and feel content....but have more. I am learning, or maybe it is better to say remembering to stop when I'm content? Paul says in the Bible that "he has learned to be content" I am remembering how to be content.

That's all for now!

J

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I am not a runner...

I have been considering the writing of this post for a good while now, and to be honest I think it will come out much differently today than it woould have 6 months, or a year ago. You see likely back then, I might have titled it 'I am NOT a runner'

My wife, Krista is a runner, a fast runner, and we are very proud of her running. I used to seperate runners from joggers by one simple criteria....technical fabrics. No self-respecting runner would try a tempo, or do repeats or set out for a long run wearing cotton. A jogger on the other hand, is highly likely to grab an old T-shirt, some sweats and starting puonding the pavement.

As a former volleyball player, I have countless cotton t-shirts....but I also own technical fabrics. I should have likely started out by saying that tonight I completed my 5th run this week...it has been 6 days since day 1 but there was hockey last night and if I'm going to skate, I'm not also going to run. When I run I wear technical fabrics...sweat wicking shirts and pants. I even tried a pair of the tall socks! BUT clearly my definition of a runner has changed because I still do not consider myself a runner.

I decided to train for a 5km run on January 1st, and I needed to train for that, and sad to say...(to borrow a line from Norm Peterson from Cheers ) I'm inching closer to my ideal weight, IF I WAS 11 FEET TALL!!!! So....I am running.

I don't hate it, it does not appear to hate me. I am finding it less difficult to get suited up after work on day 6 than day 1....so I run, but I am not a runner....approaching jogger maybe.

Hopefully in 6ish weeks I will cross the finish line of my first 5km and ideally be a few pounds closer to my goal to dump 40...then we'll see

Friday, June 10, 2011

It's my job...

Prov 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

We have 3 kids...2 boys and 1 girl. It is a great reality each and every day that it is my job (or our job if we speak about K and I) to train our kids in the WAY they should go.

What should this cover though??? I was watching TV this week while I was travelling and I saw a brief excerpt from a US news show about 'prom'. I would not have cared but the bit I caught when I turned to that channel was a mother expressing her concern that her daughter would appear spoiled. So I watched further...you see Princess got $300 of hair and nails, was going to wear a $1600 dress, and mommy and daddy had arranged a party bus for her and 40 of her closest friends. SPOILED.......NO!

It is my job to ensure that my kids have a healthy respect for finances, for money. It is also my job to teach them to work, to study, to learn. Let's not stop there...Who will teach my boys to respect women, to be good winners, and good losers? Who will teach my daughter how she deserves to be treated?

It is not my job to always make my kids happy, or to give them everything that they think they want. It is to LOVE them, to love their mother. It is to discipline, coach, guide, shape, and form them to the best of my ability.

Simply...It is MY job!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

We don't talk about that...

There are things in church that we talk about...things we don't...so much.

MONEY seems to be one of those things that makes us VERY uncomfortable in church. We are far too familiar with stories of financial abuses in churches and these are terrible stories but the Bible I read talks a lot about money. Money fights and money problems are a leading cause of divorce in North America, this breaks my heart. We are raising kids in homes that exist on Credit...where we are teaching our kids that stuff is more important than time, and people....this also breaks my heart.

Christians should tithe...and a tithe by definition is a tenth. 10% Our churches should NOT have issues with money if they are using it responsibly, and if their membership is obedient.

We should also teach our kids about money...how to handle it, how to save it, how to spend it, how to give it.

Are these cases where we 'don't talk about that?'

We should

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Baby #3 on the way!!!

Well today is +1 day past the due date of our 3rd child. The van's sit ready for the infant bucket to latch in. Last week we started our 3rd FPU class and this time we are partnering with Pleasant Valley Church for our class. It is so exciting for me to see other family's starting their journey to financial peace. We talked tonight about relating with money....the importance of uniting with your spouse about values, about money. Also the huge need to teach children about money...as we wait for our newest family member the weight of that responsibility (to teach, and to train) becomes all the more real.

God Bless

:J

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Outstanding Service!!!!

As Krista and I have continued to progress down the path to total financial PEACE we've been MUCH more conscious of how we spend our money. We spend less, that is for sure, but we also spend a lot more wisely. We have had our cars serviced at Disher's Service Station here in Brantford for a few years now, but let me tell you why they will have our business for a long time...and why I don't seek alternate quotes for auto repair. Dave has ALWAYS given us excellent service, he helped us sell our Nissan Pathfinder and has never 'upsold' me on any repair. Over the Christmas Holidays I blew a fuse in our van and stopped by Disher's to ask Dave about making my radio work again!! 10 minutes later I was on my way, van in working order. Thanks Dave. I will continue to bring my vehicles to Disher's and I recommend this business to any car owner.