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Tim Hicks ⁽²⁸⁸⁾ Unverified Account

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God: Superhero or Friend

Posted Sunday, May 25, 2008 (1 year 167 days ago.) Viewed 75 times.

I have been asked to write an inspirational story on what God has done in my life. While trying to come up with a specific example, I got to thinking; yes, God has saved my life on several occasions; what better way to demonstrate God's love, then to write about one of those experiences. There was the time when these gang members drove by my car and fired 5 or six rounds at me. They missed. There's that time when my work supplies arrived early and I was able to get done 30 minutes sooner than usual. No big deal, right? Well, later that day, I found out that 20 minutes after I was at a specific store, a pipe bomb exploded.

There was also that time when I almost drowned in the Boise River . I was floating the river in May, not a smart thing to do, and got tangled in a deadfall. As I sank under the water, a sense of calm came over me. I knew that I was not alone. God kept me calm and allowed me to get untangled from the deadfall. These are only a few of the instances where God has shown His love and compassion and saved me for some other unknown purpose. The question remains: how many other instances are there that I don't know about?

As I mentioned, writing on any one of those experiences would be well worthwhile. However, as much as they stand out, I feel that we need to focus on the day-to-day aspects of God's love. We all know that God loves us and protects us. If you didn't, you wouldn't be reading this. We all recall the times when God has helped us get out of a sticky situation and have praised His name for it. However, do you feel that this is the only time God is with us? Do you think that He just sits back and waits for trouble and than jumps in to save the day? Unfortunately, I think that many of us have this "Superhero" image of God.

I imagine that many of us, myself included, like to put God in a box and label it: "in case of emergency, pray." In the past years, I have tried to get away from this image and have included God in my everyday life. You see, I like to talk with Him about all sorts of things. I talk to Him about the articles I need to write; fixing the dishwasher; wiring a new outlet, just about anything. Guess what, He listens and talks back to me. Before you write me off as a nut, let me explain. Have you ever had a problem that you just can't seem to find the solution to, and all of a sudden the solution pops into your head? That's God speaking to you. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with this brilliant new idea? That's God speaking to you. Have you ever felt that little mental nudge, that's God.

We need to start treating Him more as a friend and less as a Superhero. He wants to be involved in our daily lives. He wants to help us make the right decisions. He wants to help us be happy and safe. Why don't we allow Him to do this? Is it because we don't want to take the time to fall on our knees and pray? Is it because we feel that He is too busy to be able to be there?

Many may think that God doesn't want to "sweat the small stuff," but He does. He wants to be there for us, we just need to let Him. Talk to Him as you would your best friend. Ask for His advice on things; He'll answer you. You don't need to be formal; you don't even need to say it aloud. You just need to do it. Let's all get into the habit of talking to God, not just on Sundays and before meals. Let's begin to integrate Him into our lives. Let's turn God from a Superhero and into a friend.

This is an article I wrote for a fellow blogger in New Zealand. For more articles like this, please visit her site at: http://kathlaforteza.blogspot.com/

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Exercise Equipment, How to Find the Right One.

Posted Tuesday, May 06, 2008 (1 year 186 days ago.) Viewed 43 times.

Ok, you have decided to take the plunge and stick with this exercise thing, but you want to buy exercise equipment that will last past the 90 guarantee. We have all been there: you're rocking-out to your tunes and pedaling away on your stationary bike, only to see yourself flying over the top of the bike and landing on the floor with a handle in your hand. What happened? Well, it was day 91 and the screw worked itself out from the handle. Your $99.00 Stationary Bike just became a weight lifting machine for the garbage men.

Don't worry, there is a way to avoid this scene. Not all exercise machines are built the same. Once you find out HOW you want to use the equipment, it will make it easier for you to choose the right one.

Probably the first question we all have is: why do they build machines that will fall apart so fast in the first place? It is very simple: Economics. They know that a majority of the people who go out and buy exercise equipment are not going to be using it after about six weeks. By this time the newness will have worn off and more likely than not, the machine will end up spending its remaining days as a clothes hanger. They count on the fact that most people will grow tired and bored with the whole routine. They know that the consumer has already seen a significant weight loss (close to 10 pounds, most of it water with 2-4 pounds in fat), and now that their body has adjusted to the routine, the weight will come off a little slower. Discouraged, the consumer will just quit and go on to the next item on their To-Do list.

To avoid these machines you will need to do two things: Research and Research. Yes, I said it twice because it is the most important thing you can do. If you are going to spend several hundred dollars on a QUALITY exercise machine, you need to know that it will be the right machine for you. Ask yourself some questions: What do I want to do with it? Do you want a treadmill, an elliptical Bike, a stationary Bike, a Weight machine, or a combination of several? Find out what type of workout you want to do. This is the first step.

Next, after you have decided on the machine or machines you want, go to places like Amazon and read the customer reviews on the equipment. This is a very important step, because these people are actually USING the product you want to but. Learn from their experiences. Don't get focused on just one name brand. Look at them all. Chances are the best one will come out on top.

Next, after you have read customer reviews, checkout what the experts say about them. They will have the technical insight, which you will find very informative. They will give you information regarding the stability, construction, and comfort of the equipment. Look for items such as steel vs. aluminum construction. If you are searching for a treadmill, make sure that the motor is powerful enough for your intended use. A good 3.0 CHP (Continuous Horse Power, yes there is a difference) motor is a good baseline. Make sure that the deck is wide enough and long enough for you to have a comfortable stride (a good base line here is 20 inches wide by 55 inches long).

After you have read all the reviews from both consumers and experts, you should have a pretty good idea as to which piece of exercise equipment you want to purchase; However, there is one more step you should take: go to a store which sells the model you wish to purchase or a gym and try it out (again, if it is a treadmill, something else you might want to do is ask the Cardiologists in your area which type they use for stress tests). Take a look at it and actually try it out. If you like what you see and feel, then you are ready to make your purchase.

Again, we are back at the internet. Now that you know the make and model, search for the most inexpensive price. As you search, be sure to make note of the warranty information. Make sure that it is the same one from the manufacturer Also, check for shipping costs. Some companies will include the shipping cost in the price of the machine. Check those that offer it separately and compare the two. Sometimes you may be getting free shipping, but paying more in the end.

I hope that this has given you a few ideas as to where to start your search for quality exercise equipment. If you have additional questions, let me know and I will be more than happy to help you in your quest.

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The Case Against the Family Bed

Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 (1 year 192 days ago.) Viewed 293 times.

A friend of ours had their first child several years before we did. They believed in the "Family Bed" system. This is the system that has you sleep in the same bed as your children. Although this sounds good in theory, it is a recipe for disaster. When their child reached 6 years old, they moved her to her own room. I guess I should say they TRIED to move her to her own room; What followed was YEARS of tantrums.

When my wife had our first child, we lived in a 1 bedroom apartment. We had decided that we did not want our baby to sleep in the same room with us, so we set-up the crib and changing area in the dining room. We did not want to share our room, because we didn't want our child to develop a need to be with someone in order to fall asleep. If your child develops this dependency, then later down the road when you try to move them into a room of their own, you are going to have major problems. I can guarantee you will have a nightly visitor and nightly temper tantrums until you cave in, or they fall asleep from exhaustion. Unless you like to endure hours of screaming, as our friend did, then you need to give your infant their own space.

I know that this is hard, especially if this is your first child. You want to be with them all the time, but you need to give them their space AND you need to have your own space as well. You and your wife need to have time to yourselves, even if there is only a door or a wall separating you from your baby.

There will be times when your child will need to sleep with you, and that's OK. I'm not saying you should never let them sleep with you, I am saying that you should not make it a permanent thing. I remember that for the first month, I stayed-up at night and watched TV in the living room, so I could keep an eye on my daughter. This also allowed my wife to be able to get a few precious hours of sleep before having to feed her again. I didn't have to do this, since we had a baby moniter, but it gave me a sense that I was actually helping my wife.

Once we were both comfortable and our daughter fell into a type of routine, we both slept in our bedroom and our daughter slept in her crib in the dining room.

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The Six Week Exercise Program

Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (1 year 193 days ago.) Viewed 1,221 times.

We have all been there at one time or another. We get a bee in our bonnet to try and lose weight. We become fitness nuts and go out and buy equipment and become totally involved in this, our latest fad. The first few weeks are fine, we motivate ourselves to try and exercise each and every day. We are proud at the initial weight lose and the feeling of euphoria we feel at the end of the exercise session. A few more weeks and we TRY to get in at least 3 sessions a week. Finally, at the end of 6 weeks, we have become disillusioned with the slower rate of weight loss, and the next thing you know, we have a great exercise machine and no motivation to use it.

Does this sound familiar? It sure does with me. I have been down this road several times in the past and it is a depressing road indeed. Aside from the wasted money and time, it also soured me on trying an exercise regime in the future. In order to overcome this dilemma, I needed to have something to motivate me to not only begin again, but to make sure that I stuck with it for longer then six weeks. I needed to make sure that this was not another fad, but an actual lifestyle change.This was a stickler for me, as I'm sure it is for most people.

My motivation was my enormous weight and size and the fact that I was on the verge of having Type 2 Diabetes. I was 278 pounds and had a 57 inch waist. I now weigh 237 pounds and have a 43 inch waist. Yes, it is a big improvement, but I'm not finished yet. Hopefully, you can find something to motivate you besides a potential health problem.Here are some of the things that I have tried:

Set aside a specific time of day to workout. Give yourself about a 2 hour window for this.
Reward your self when you are done. A cup of coffee, a cold glass of diet soda, etc.
Concentrate on one exercise at a time. Don't look forward to the number of sets and reps you need to complete before you are done. This can be depressing. Complete each set and then move on to the next.
Vary your workout routine. Don't do the same exercises in the same order.
If you're having a tough workout, just remember that you are actually DOING something.
If you have to short yourself on some reps because you are just too sore, don't get discouraged; your muscles undoubtedly need rest. This is good.
Instead of doing your entire routine, just do some stretching exercises. The important thing is that you do some sort of physical activity during your "workout Time."
Look forward to your reward and go to your "Happy Place."
Just remember: if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Remember why you are doing this: To look better, feel better, have more energy (yes, it sounds crazy, but you actually do have more energy after a workout), and live longer.
Are you doing this for yourself only, or for your partner (or potential partner)? Think of them and how proud they are of you. They WILL NOTICE the changes in your body and in your attitude.
After 5 or 6 weeks, give yourself a break for a week. Your muscles will thank you and you will help avoid the dreaded Weight Loss Plateau (see article on this in the archives at the left).

I hope this has given you some ideas to try. It is not easy, but I know that you can make exercise a part of your lifestyle and not just a 6 week fad.

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