Lessons Learned From My 60 Day Juice Fast

November 2011 ------------------------------------ March 2012

I recently concluded a 60 day juice fast, and wanted to share briefly, a few lessons I learned during my journey. I originally set out to do 30 days, but during that time watched the documentary, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," by Joe Cross, on Netflix and was inspired to extend it to 60.

What I learned:

• God's design for the human body is incredibly resilient. (Your body knows how to take care of itself if given the chance to.)
• You don't NEED food to live on, you NEED nutrients. 
• When allowed to repair itself, your body's an amazing physician. (Your body will burn fat, repair cells, detoxify itself, and slim down evenly through the process.)
• Years of neglect can be undone in a short matter of time.
• Juicing fruits and vegetables is fun, and can be a family endeavor. 
• Getting healthy is contagious. (During my fast, I put out a "10 for 10" challenge on this blog, and got about 12 people who took me up on it. As well, three of my children also fasted, my 9 year old son and 15 year old daughter fasted for 3 days, and my 19 year old daughter fasted for 10 days. As well, my wife also fasted several meals during that time!)
• The Lord will give you strength to accomplish what you don't think you can do.
• Food should be appreciated, not taken for granted.
• There's an entire community of people out there fasting and trying to get healthy. (The fan page for the movie has over 113,000 fans!
• Complete strangers will get behind you and encourage you toward your goal.
• Everywhere I went smelled like food. 
• Your body will respond to your mind's decision.
• It's totally worth it.
• God is good!

It was quite an adventure, and took me down many roads. I spent several outings with my wife and friends in restaurants and diners, and really wasn't tempted much. For those interested in the numbers, here they are:

• Total weight loss - about 65 pounds. 
• Waist - from size 48 to 42/44. 
• Abdomen - lost about 8-9 inches around.

My goal now is to keep the weight off by eating much healthier. I will continue to juice in the mornings for my essential green needs, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Am I going completely green, or vegan, no I'm not. But I won't be eating meat like I used to either.

I look at it this way; if most of my meals are healthy, then on Sundays, when my church has their delicious potlucks of meat and desserts, or when my wife and I go out for lunch or dinners, I'll have the freedom to indulge a bit without feeling guilty. I plan to make plenty of my own salads for lunch and will begin a good exercise program as well. And oh yeah, I will fast again. I'm even thinking about the next 60 day fast---seriously. You with me on this one???

So here's to good health my friends. Take care of yourselves out there, and If I can help in any way, please contact me and I would consider it an honor to offer my input!

Living in the Good of the Gospel

From the movie, "Passion of the Christ"

This past Sunday, March 4, 2012, I had the honor of preaching at New Hope Christian Fellowship, a church I'm helping to plant in Northwest Indiana, and I preached from John 8. The story is well known among Christians, and was powerfully portrayed in Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ."

My message was titled, "Living in the Good of the Gospel," and I encouraged everyone to always remember a few things that would help them do this. Among them are:

• Never take your salvation for granted. (We all deserved death, but received life.)
• Remember who we were without Christ, and rejoice in who we are with Him!
• Like the woman in John 8, when rightfully condemned, we were allowed to walk away clean, redeemed, and forgiven.
• All have sinned in some fashion. (Romans 3)
• All sin is deserving of death. (Romans 6)
• We received mercy, grace, and salvation so others may do the same. 

My hope and prayer for you as well, is that you'll take some time today to reflect on the goodness of the gospel, and how undeserving anyone is to receive God's mercy, but have. God wants His children to know they've been redeemed and set free. He wants us to know as well, that when we sin, He's prescribed how it should be handled in 1 John 1, namely-- confession.

If you've stared death in the face, and have lived to tell about it, thank the Good Lord above for His amazing grace. Living in the Good of the Gospel is a state of mind and an attitude of the heart. How you doing with it?

Christian Tatoo Artists

(From the Archives of The Coloseum)

This is Seattle tattoo artist and shop owner Damon Conklin. Scary dude, right? Think again.
He's an evangelical Christian who uses tattoos as a form of religious expression.

Christian tattoo shops are gaining a lot momentum these days. Some of the artwork being done is fantastic. But not all would agree that tattoos on Christians is OK, right?

So I'm asking what you think.

Should Christians get tattoos?

Is any scripture violated by getting them?

What message is sent by Christians who get them or have them?

To read the full article on the tattoo artist above click here! I could be wrong, but I believe he goes to Mars Hill.

Apostolic Gifts...Alive or Dead?

   

Do you believe the Apostolic Gifts ceased with the Apostles, or might they still be alive and well in today's world? Are the gifts of Miracles, Healing, Tongues, etc., still flowing to and through Christians today? Just curious about what you believe....

Man's Role in Marital Communication

I think we'll all agree that communication in marriage is a main ingredient for a successful marriage, but guys, have you ever stopped and thought about how easy our part is? I mean seriously, it struck me the other day while out on a lunch date with my lovely wife. She spoke and I listened. I listened to her share her thoughts and ideas, her concerns and questions, and her excitement about the future while she works on some new eBook ideas. And what did I do --I listened. Oh yeah, I inserted the occasional, well timed, "uh huh," and "oh really." I also threw in a few, "that's great," and one that most men do well, the big ol "Wow."

So there it is. After 20 years of marriage, I finally got the communication thing down pretty well. Our lunch date ended with my wife feeling happy she got to share everything on her mind for a few hours, and I got to listen to her share. Most guys can do this with some effort, and it isn't too far from grunting, so you don't feel feminine doing it either. So give it a shot, guys, insert a few strategically placed words during a lengthy conversation your wife is having.......with you, and watch how happy she'll be knowing that you love her.

Happy communicating!