Thoughts from the Jon

Skrillex

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:09:00 +0000

I like this song by Skrillex. It comes up a lot on the top lists on Spotify and it is just sort of cool if you ask me. This is a video of a baby reacting to hearing it. I laughed out loud! Enjoy

Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Last week, I posted a blog about how the most popular day to start a diet was "tomorrow" because it is so easy to put it off. You can read the full post here but the idea is that I needed to learn to make changes now. It can't wait because there will always be an excuse to not get going.

The link on Facebook actually got a number of comments, and I'm very thankful for a pretty amazing support system. I was going to go home and get my bag of Reese's Pieces and throw them away, but it was suggested by Jillian that I bring them to work and give them away. I am proud to say that I did that. They were given away to a student worker in my office who is also a GA. He gave them out to the students at his final exam. I bought a few items to make salads at home for lunch and make a pretty conscious effort towards good food choices. I still stumbled this week. It's hard. You just have to keep working towards the good choices and learn to make them more often than the bad ones. It will get easier over time.

After one week, I weighed in and managed to go down 6 pounds! The first week is always easiest though...you've probably seen the amazing results in week one at The Biggest Loser. Next week is another test for me. Will I eat the two Hostess pies that were given to me this morning (and are currently sitting on my desk), or will I give/throw them away? Will I make sure to eat more salads and not drink soda and other empty calories? The best advice I can give is that those things are not inherently bad things. Knowing my history, it would be better to plan an occasional Starbucks or trip out for ice cream with Sandra than trying to drop it all. Over time, it may not be a problem. I know myself though, and if I deny, I will gorge at the first opportunity.

It has to be a choice. I'm still making that choice every day and I hope you do too!

Today

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:01:00 +0000

I read a comic a long time ago where one person asked the other one, "Do you know what the most popular day to start a diet is? ...tomorrow!" That's the story of my life. I simply make bad choices because it is easier than making the right choice. I like to eat complete crap and have no real excuse other than the fact that I like it. The past few months, I find myself getting increasingly more...sad or maybe lonely is a good word. I put some weight back on and even when presented with opportunity to make better choices, I simply don't. I could have followed Sandra's food diet better instead of eating at Jack in the Box every day.

I am an opportunist. I eat because things are there and that is where I need to make my first stand. Last night, I went and bought a few grocery items, including some Three Musketeers bars for Sandra. Apparently getting her some chocolate meant that I needed stuff too, so I picked up some Reese's Pieces and Whoppers too. Sandra picked up some shredded cheese for a recipe and because the kids love quesadillas...apparently that means that I need to get chips and make nachos after eating a satisfying dinner.

I told Sandra at lunch that we should get through the stuff I bought and then I could focus again and work on things. It's been bothering me ever since. What is the reason that I need to eat junk food? I don't want to waste money? When will I grow up? Then I started looking over pictures from the months following the surgery. I have definitely made progress from where I started and I am not going back there. I felt good at that point. I want to keep that going.

I am going home tonight and cleaning out the cabinet. It is going in the garbage and the bag is going outside to the trash bin. Hopefully Sandra reads this in time and rescues the things she wants to hide from me because it's all going. Today has to be my tomorrow.

Pentatonix

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:54:00 +0000

Sandra and I LOVE to watch The Sing Off. Since she was a band and choir geek, it just came naturally to her that she'd want to watch a show where people rock out using only their voices. I admit that I probably enjoy watching what they do on this show more than any other singing show, including American Idol. This season my favorite group is called Pentatonix. They have an amazing ability to create massive sound from only five members on stage without instruments. It is so fun to watch them perform and they can do pretty much any type of music - making it sound like a current hit. The show is on Monday nights and is almost over, but there's still a few weeks left to check it out. Below are videos of the last few weeks performances. What do you think?

I hate Daylight Savings Time

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:49:00 +0000

I understand why they created it. If you have more hours of usable daylight, you don't need as much electricity and can spend more time outdoors. I used to LOVE it. Especially in the fall when I could get an extra hour of sleep. Then I grew up. Then I got married. Then I had kids. I could stop the post now and if you're a parent, you'd already understand. Kids don't really get the difference in a clock. When they naturally wake up at 6am every day, the clock changing to 5am isn't going to have any impact on that. It just plain sucks.

I was an early riser as a kid and I am fortunate enough to have two boys that are also early risers. There's only so much a couple small children can do on their own in a dark cold house early in the morning. They simply get bored and want a drink, want a snack, want to potty. It just seems so unnecessary. I like having more daylight hours, but can't that just be the "norm?"

Doing some reading the other day, I stumbled across a site talking about the petitions you can create on the whitehouse.gov website that are supposedly considered for action if over 25,000 people sign them. I checked it out this morning and created one. It isn't fancy, but it just states that we need to make Daylight Savings time the normal time and do away with the shifts in the clock. If you're with me, please go sign it and share the link so others can sign on. There HAS to be 25,000 parents who are tired of dealing with this!! Thanks for stopping by...here's the link.

http://wh.gov/bUv

Weight Loss Update

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:23:00 +0000

It has been too long since I posted on the blog. I've been thinking a lot lately about food since I'm trying to follow Sandra's blended food diet. If you've been around here before, you know that last year in November, I had a lap band put in. I did fantastically for the first 3-6 months and lost right at 60 pounds (my weight was about 264 at that point). Then something snapped and I learned how to cheat the band. My desire for eating lots of food that wasn't good for me grew strong and I just decided to go for it rather than continuing to pursue a healthy weight and lifestyle.

I took Sandra to California for her to have surgery on her jaw and I refused to eat food in front of her. That doesn't mean I didn't eat though. Every time I would leave to go buy new medicine or get us a redbox, I would hit up a drive through and buy a LOT of crap. I was drinking regular soda, large sizing everything and I can't tell you how many orders of Jack in the Box churros I ate. Needless to say, four months of eating whatever you feel like isn't conducive to weight loss. When we got back to Laramie, I weighed in at just over 288 pounds. That's right, I gained back about 24 pounds.

On top of that, I quit working out. I know plenty of people who are able to just get up and take walks or go for bike rides, but I've never been successful at that. I made it to the rec center pretty regularly, but we let the membership go because it didn't get enough use for how much it cost.

Now I am just frustrated. I've been following the blended diet since Sandra can't eat solid foods. We've been home two weeks and I've dropped ten pounds. I'm still frustrated though. It is like I literally don't have the strength to make wise food decisions. We bought some candy to make milkshakes with because that is something Sandra can do for calories. The candy didn't quite work right and it was hard to drink so she isn't using it. Inevitably, it is there, and I've been eating it up. The one nice thing is that we aren't eating out and it is saving a lot of money.

Yesterday, Sandra told me to take the boys out to lunch because she was going to take a nap anyway. My first though was to hit up McDonald's because I love the McRib and it is back right now. It has been almost three weeks since I ate fast food, and honestly, it made me feel so gross. It was so heavy on my stomach and didn't do much to satisfy me. Not really sure if that is a good or bad thing. I got home and threw away all the candy. I really want to make some changes.

What am I doing with my life? Fast food is not healthy and we can't afford it anyway. My kids see me and are still too young to realize that fat people aren't "normal." I don't want them to be embarrassed of me when they get older. I don't want my daughter to be walked down the aisle by someone else. I don't want my sons to have to figure out what it means to be a man by trial and error or watching people on television and in the movies. I want something more, and really feel at a loss of how to get there. It seems that I can't do it on my own.

I guess that's why I'm just dumping this out there. I just don't know what to do next. It's one thing to want something, and even to share those desires with your spouse, friends, or on a blog...it is entirely another thing to finally make those changes and start improving your life. What's the first step? I guess just take it one step at a time and try to be honest about where I'm struggling.

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Saw this video through a blog post and it really made me miss creative worship music. I feel like my musical experience has been pretty blah for a while. Hope you enjoy it! The link to the blog is below.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CollideMagazine/~3/KdXvAlwpHQ0/worship-vs-performance

Helpless

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:48:00 +0000

Today was supposed to be the day that Sandra and I got home from her surgery in California. We spent so much time planning everything out, getting travel arrangements, working out how to borrow enough money to pay the surgeons...not to mention the mental side of Sandra getting ready for the idea of having all this work done on her jaw and leaving her little babies for 17 days and coming home significantly different. It was a scary endeavor.

We had so many problems getting out there. Our flight out of Laramie was easy and we had no problems, but then our flight out of Denver got delayed...then it got cancelled. We were lucky to get the last spots on another flight leaving the same day, but then that one was delayed too. Then it was delayed again. I called the car rental agency and they weren't open at the time we were going to arrive. I booked a new one with another agency, and they ended up being closed by the time we arrived too. Thankfully the guy stayed late after I called and explained our situation.

As if the travel issues weren't enough, we finally got there and arrived at the doctor's office after 4 hours of sleep. The morning appointment is full of scans, molds and measurements. When we came back after lunch for the next round, we were told there was an abscess in her tooth and they couldn't do surgery. It was too risky that the infection would spread to the grafts they were doing. Talk about disappointment! I was basically a passenger on this ride and I was totally upset so I can't begin to know what Sandra was dealing with.

I woke up today thinking...this was the day I was supposed to be coming home. I thought about how much had happened since we came back early. It was only two weeks ago today that we came home, but it seems like such a long time. That is how long I will be away from my kids when we go back. That is a scary feeling knowing your kids are so far away and completely out of your hands. You can't just protect them.

Now we are paying for a second trip out to California. Due to some other circumstances, Sandra may not have a babysitting job anymore that was going to pay for the monthly amount we owe for surgery. We're sitting here with tens of thousands of dollars to pay off for surgery, and facing a monthly need that is $500 more each month than I bring home. It just feels so impossible. It feels like we might finally hit bottom and run out of options.

On the way out to California, I posted this update. "Flight from Denver to Santa Barbara got cancelled. God is good and we got the last spots on another direct flight tonight on Frontier. Thankfully, God is still good even if THAT flight get cancelled." I still believe that.

Several years ago, Louie Giglio from the Passion college conferences spoke at the Youth Specialties conference I attended. He talked about how the cross of Christ is an anchor for us. That when all else is lost, and it seems impossible, we can always look back to the cross and trust that Jesus knows me. He loves me. He understands what I'm going through. I'm not alone and my faith doesn't have to be shattered through this because our God is an overwhelming, powerful God and when things seem out of control, He is still.in.control.

I have tears in my eyes as I write this - just thinking about what my wife is going to go through. Thinking about being away from my kids. Thinking of how travel is going to go. Thinking of how we will pay for this. Thinking of how we will make it. I feel so helpless and I never feel this way. Faith has always been easy for me...I usually just know things will work out. I don't usually feel rattled. Right now, I feel it.

Hello Portland!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:19:00 +0000

My current job is the Scheduling Coordinator for the University of Wyoming. It is my job to schedule the classrooms for the college - I'm the guy who assigns rooms for the giant list of classes that gets published each semester. I know it sounds glamorous, but don't be fooled. It isn't always gloriously blissful. However, this week, I was sent to Portland Oregon to attend the annual CollegeNet scheduling software conference from July 24-27 along with my coworker Sally. Let me tell you, if work was like that every day, we'd be dying to show up.

These four pictures were taken from the window in my hotel room. We stayed at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower and my room was on the 21st floor which does wonders in terms of having a view. The building directly above is the building where our scheduling software company is located. They take up the 16th and 17th floor of the building, which surprisingly was slightly above my 21st floor hotel room. That first night we arrived too late for dinner at a restaurant because they were closed. We had to settle for Tartberry which is a self serve yogurt place where you pile on whatever toppings you want and pay by the ounce. Then grabbed some McDonald's after. Yes, that's right...we did dessert first.

The first day of lunch, we decided to go ahead and walk over to where some food carts were located. It took just a few minutes to find them, and much longer to decide we wanted a burrito. Let me tell you though, this burrito was amazingly fresh and burn your hands hot. I'm not kidding when I say that on the very last bite, some liquid leaked onto my hand and it hurt because it was still hot. This was my first experience with a food truck, and I am definitely willing to do it again!

The next night, we were going to hop the free train and head to Deschutes Brewery. Portland has a lot of local breweries and we'd heard this one was worth the stop. I checked the schedule for the train and we had 7 minutes so I pulled out my phone and checked it out on Google Maps - it was an 8 minute walk. The paper maps for Portland are very deceptive because everything seems so much further than in real life. The beer was really good, minus one I didn't like at all. The front row in that picture has one dark beer called Abyss which is an 11% alcohol beer. If you're ever there, skip it.

We also stopped by Powell's City of Books which claims to be the largest independent bookstore in the world. It was gigantic and by that, I mean it was ridiculously huge. The whole store is color coded so you can find sections, but to be honest, the pricing is crazy. I found Obama's Wars and the used price was $3 more than the new price on Amazon. Does that mean I am a greedy consumerist driving locally owned businesses away? Probably, but I'm cheap. Sorry.

The last night in Portland, we walked to Kells Irish Pub to eat. It was a cool place that served plenty of authentic Irish food, plus the type of food that someone like myself would actually eat. Those giant plates of appetizers were $3 each so we decided to just get those for dinner along with a very tasty IPA...then took a little walk to...

VooDoo Doughnuts! Several people told me it was a definite for places to visit and it was on Man vs Food...how could I NOT go? It was a quick walk and the line was pretty short. You can see the three I bought along with the post it note to demonstrate the size. I got the maple bacon bar, apple fritter and Captain my Captain. All three were super delicious but in no way could I ever have finished them in one sitting. One is hard enough.

Overall the trip was really a good time. We learned some cool ideas and tricks for our scheduling software, we got to meet a few cool people and had a great experience in the city. If I ever get to go back for the conference again, I think I will be taking Sandra with me. There was definitely enough free time to enjoy it together. Here are just a few more random pictures from the trip.

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven - Kevin and Alex Malarkey

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:56:00 +0000

This book is a true story about a boy named Alex Malarkey who was in a terrible car accident. According to the x-rays, he was internally decapitated and should be dead. Overcoming the odds, he not only survived but is making a surprising recovery and has amazing stories to tell about what happened after the accident and during his coma. Alex went to heaven. He was with God and the angels and was comforted and was told by God that he was going to recover.

You're probably already thinking what I thought when I first heard the description of this book. I grew up in pretty conservative church circles where people didn't literally hear from God and spiritual warfare was little more than an idea. People didn't really interact with angels literally...at least not anyone I knew. I am always pretty skeptical about stories like this. Sandra has already read it and really liked it, and I had some time so I thought I would jump in. I'm so glad I did!

I am a Christian. I believe that I live by faith - at least until I read stories of people who actually live by faith. It seemed like every page or two, I was brought to tears reading not only about the faith of this family, but the outpouring of love and support they received from other Jesus followers. I find myself inspired by a child who (at 6 years of age) seems to understand more of the nature of God than I have in my 31 years. The book is very inspiring and I don't think you could read it without desiring to make changes in your own faith journey and walk closer to the Lord.

This book is also filled with amazing stories that will just blow your mind. Alex was able to describe specific details and comments people made at the scene of the accident when there is no possible way for him to have heard or seen them. A woman praying for Alex senses God telling her that there were three angels in the room tending to Alex - while a separate woman in another city has a dream and paints a picture that same night and sends it to the family. The dream - three angels surrounding Alex and healing his neck. The next day, a surgery to fix one of his vertebrae is cancelled because it has aligned itself. God did so many amazing things through this whole experience to bring glory to Himself. There is no way this is possible without it being the work of God.

I highly recommend reading this book. It is a very quick read and is worth your time just to hear all the amazing things God did related to this boy. It's hard to justify sometimes because it is so far outside the realm of my faith experience. Hopefully it will challenge you like it has me to desire more.

There are scientific facts, and there is God's sovereignty. Surrounded by prayer warriors, I was reminded of the truth that God is not controlled by what we know. (page 59)

Can-Can

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Blended Foods...

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:02:00 +0000

In 32 days, Sandra and I will head to the airport for a flight to Santa Barbara for her to have surgery on her jaw. It is a huge endeavor and we are worried about her safety in general, the financing of all this stuff, leaving our kids for several weeks...it is scary. This past week though, we realized that Sandra is not going to be able to eat solid foods for at least 16 weeks after surgery. There is a scale the surgeons use to rate the patient, and depending on that level, you get to start eating solids at either 16, 20 or 24 weeks. That is a LONG time to go without solid food. It means lots of blending, lots of Ovaltine, and probably a lot of milkshakes.

My mom dropped by for a visit and suggested that I go through it with Sandra to show my support for her. I can take care of feeding the kids their normal (mostly) healthy diet, and learn to blend along with my wife. Having been through Lap Band surgery, I went for a long time without eating solid foods. I didn't have anything but clear liquids for two weeks. It is odd that I have the need to cheat the band now, but did so well at the start. I want to support her though. It is going to be hard for her to go through that - especially with her sweet tooth. Maybe I should. This could be a new challenge for myself.

They told her that she can expect to lose 20% of her body weight as a result of this surgery. That sounds about as effective as having a lap band put in! So what do you guys think? Is this doable? Should I try to show my support in this way? Does it make me a bad husband, or less supportive, if I eat normally during that time?

Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:00:00 +0000

38 days from today, my wife and I will board a flight to go to California so Sandra can have surgery to correct skeletal issues with her jaw. This process began about two years ago. We drove to Fort Collins to see a highly recommended orthodontist about her TMJ issues. He gave us a lot of information to think about because of the severity of her case - if you want to read about that, check out this link. Long story short, her issues went beyond normal TMJ and couldn't really be corrected without surgery. That time is finally here.

Surgery is scheduled for August 17 and we have to be in California from the 14th until the 31st. The surgery fees have been paid, the flights are booked, we're ready to roll. It's just that we are not ready to leave the kids behind. I think it finally hit us (especially Sandra) last night that we will be away from our kids for two and a half weeks. We've never been gone from them so long and the idea is hard. We are making arrangements for people to take care of them and they will be with grandparents for almost all of it, but it doesn't make it any easier.

These guys mean everything to me. I honestly have no idea if I could ever get past it if something ever happened to them. As a husband and father, where should my priorities lie? Sandra is not able to go to California alone for all of this. Do I ask someone else to go to California with my wife while she goes through a major surgery? Do I ask family and friends to take care of my kids so I can go? Do I bring the family out there with us? I think it is pretty easy to second guess a decision someone else makes. Not many people need to make choices like this.

I love my kids in ways that I never thought were even possible. No matter what kind of day I'm having, or if I am happy, angry, frustrated or sad, they have the ability to get beyond all that and melt my heart. In the end, it came down to the fact that Sandra is my wife. She is first in my life, even before my kids. I would go to the ends of the earth to love her and take care of her. I will pray constantly for my kids to not struggle or feel abandoned while we're gone. I'll pray God protects my wife physically and emotionally. I will trust that the God who has brought us through so many incredible things in the past 9 years of marriage will continue to amaze me during this time as well.

Our new whip...

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:08:00 +0000

We have owned our Ford Windstar for five years. It has been a pretty nice van to us and gotten us through a lot, but it was definitely starting to show its age. It was a 2002 and it managed to have a good size dent on the door, the power locks were going out, cruise control didn't work a lot, the check engine light has been off and on for a while (mostly on) and the stereo was coming and going. For the most part, that was cosmetic stuff - except having a stereo for kid music on long trips. It is a MUST!

I decided to hop online and look for deals and found a dealer in Greeley offering a good sale on a brand new 2011 Kia Sedona. Thankfully, they were trying to clear out the 2011 models to bring in the 2012 and this was the last 2011 I could find. It is midnight black and has a lot of pretty cool features. We wanted the stow away seating which is super convenient. I also like the fact that it has bluetooth built in and also has a USB input, so I was able to charge my cell phone with it on the ride home last night.

The kids were actually really sad about getting rid of our van, but once they jumped in an played with it for a few minutes, they were begging us to take it home. We almost didn't buy it though. If you've made it this far in my post, you'll be glad you stuck around. I drove away from the dealer to take it for a test drive. We were five or ten minutes out and warning lights starting flicking on and off. Next thing I know, we aren't getting gas and pull off to the side of the road. That's right folks, the van broke down during our test drive! I called the dealer and he came to get us.

Knowing that we drove so far with the kids, and them wanting to make the sale, they started making suggestions. The battery turned out to be faulty and when we asked for time to talk about it, they actually called in the head of the service department to fix it. They even offered to finalize a price and do paperwork - and they would deliver it to Laramie so we wouldn't have to drive down with the family again. I thought it was pretty darn good service to offer. They managed to replace the battery and get it working without issue, and gave us a good offer on our trade, so we bought it. Having a fantastic interest rate didn't hurt either. They also told us if we bring it down to Greeley for the first oil change, they would cover the cost of the change, fill our gas tank and do a detail on the car...no charge. Needless to say, I'm glad to decided to go for it. This obviously isn't the actual picture of our van, but this is the one we got. Want to go for a ride?

With Your Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Many years ago, I went to a concert that was held on a roller rink floor in Denver. The friends I went down with were going to see some great Christian ska bands - The Insyderz and Five Iron Frenzy. There was a guy who opened up for them and honestly had no business being there. I thought he was really good, but he didn't fit their style at all. His name was Justin McRoberts. There were a lot of songs he did that I thought were just incredible. Many of my favorites deal with how we view other people and how we need to look past the external. He talks about how God sees people and how Christians exclude people. It is some really good stuff. I listened to one of his albums this morning and once again his song hit me. No matter how much I try, I find myself rushing to judgment about people. I constantly struggle with it, and this song is a good reminder to stop and see where that person is at. You never know what people are going through. It is so easy to look happy on the outside but be dying inside. I couldn't find a video or anything, but if you follow this link, you can listen to the song on Grooveshark. http://goo.gl/NpVJh

If I had been far less inclined to

Rush to judgement, anger and ridicule

If I had been far more in love with you

If I had just been more able to

See your scars as what they had put you through

Rather than what keeps me from seeing you

O Lord help me to see them the way You see me

With your eyes I know I would learn to see

Beyond the fall and to the need

With your eyes I know I would learn to see

The only problem here is me

If I had looked close and recognized

It was you in that all too human disguise

I’d have asked to see you with your eyes

Maybe you won’t come packaged perfectly

You could be inside anyone I meet

To do righteousness and justice

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:26:00 +0000

I'm still plugging through my OWNit365 Bible reading plan. I'm a little behind, but not discouraged because I understand that life happens. I will catch up and complete the plan this year. Today I was reading Proverbs 20 and verse 3 really struck me. It says, "To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice."

How many Christians do you know feel that they are somehow closer to God or more holy because of the things they don't do? For years and years, I didn't drink alcohol, never swore or listened to secular music...and boy was I proud of myself. Look at what I gave up for God!

The problem is that it was all about me. Doing righteousness, doing justice...those things require me to give and act for someone or something else. It forces me to think of others and put them first. It forces me to set myself aside for a little bit. I'm definitely not saying it is a bad thing to make sacrifices for the Lord, or that people aren't drawn closer to Him by making those types of choices. I just wonder if we aren't missing what God is really calling us to do. Are we missing what He is calling us to be?

Back in the Saddle

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:05:00 +0000

If by saddle you mean the elliptical. That's right folks, I made it back to the gym for the first time in weeks! Last time I posted a weight on here, I was barely under 260 and even though I did that 30 for 30 challenge, I have managed to inch my way back to 265. It took two months for that to happen and the only reason it did is because of my eating habits. For some reason, I got it in my head that there were certain things that I "deserve" to eat. When I go out to eat and am spending good money of food, why shouldn't I be allowed to eat everything I buy? It's that mindset that got me here, and will cause my failure if I don't change it.

It is so much easier to admit online because you don't have to look anyone in the face when you say that you cheat constantly. I still have limitations and have managed to choke myself eating tortillas and stuff. Knowing how I can sip a bunch of water slowly and force food through doesn't help. When I'm celebrating a birthday and get a pint of beer and drink it while eating, I eat more food. It isn't rocket science, but it is still difficult. One of the hardest things I deal with is Sandra's sweet tooth. She's always had it and she has fantastic metabolism so it doesn't really affect her. It's just that when we're sitting there watching Dexter or something and she gets a treat, I want one too...so I do!

At some point, I need to be an adult and just make better choices for myself. I can't depend on what other people around me do when making my decisions. So last night after working out at the gym, I went to Walmart and got some sugar free Jello and pudding. If I want to give myself something, it needs to be something that won't add calories. If I am going to spend the time at the gym to burn 400 to 500 calories, I don't want to blow it all by eating a Snickers. I think tonight I might try to hit the gym again.

Something's Missing...

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Emerson turned 6 this past October. She is one of the older kids in her class and she was also one of the last to lose their first tooth. She had one up front that has been wiggling and jiggling all over the place. Pushing her tongue against it, it would pretty much lay flat at a 90 degree angle. Two nights ago, we convinced her to let us try and see if we could get it. I barely touched the thing and she couldn't take it. BUT...Mommy has actual magical powers and convinced her to give it another shot. Sandra grabbed the wrong tooth a couple times intentionally to make Emerson laugh which really eased the pressure. Then she grabbed the right one and popped that thing out!

Needless to say, Emerson was super excited almost to the point of being giddy. I think it freaked her out a little but she's a champ. She already had medicine all over her hands for bedtime, so she dictated a note to Sandra that could be left for the Tooth Fairy asking for a sweet treat in exchange for the tooth. $1 magically appeared overnight and was quickly exchanged for a ring pop. It's hard to imagine that only a few years ago, she didn't have any teeth at all and now they are starting to come out!!

30 for 30 (The Finish)

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:56:00 +0000

Well today is finally day number 30. I was out of town this past weekend celebrating my birthday with my family so I haven't had a chance to update. Saturday was day 27 and I did 30 minutes of biking - even though it actually rained/snowed on me. I hooked the boys up to my bike with the trailer and hauled them over to a fundraiser garage sale for our friend Jason. With a blanket wrapped over them, the boys did awesome and had a great time.

Day 28 was the actual day celebrating my birthday with my family. I had a really good time hanging out with them again because we don't see them nearly as often as I should. I also managed to score some cash and tons of gift cards to Starbucks. Sadly, I didn't get 30 minutes in that day. I did however get to try a Killian's Irish Red and thought that was pretty darn good.

On Day 29 (Sunday), I picked up a copy of Just Dance 2 for the Wii and danced a bunch of songs with Sandra. To say I danced is a little bit of a lie though because I have a really hard time getting my feet, legs and pelvis to sync up at all with my arms. The same arms which incidentally like to flail about as if I were having a seizure. (Did anyone else just realize that seizure doesn't follow the i before e rule?) Needless to say, I suck at that game, but it sure did make me sweat!

Day 30! It seemed so long ago that I started this. I just wanted something to try and motivate me to get a little more active and stick with it. I made sure to get out there and ride because the weather is suddenly amazing if you don't count the windy evening. I got my 30 and was planning to go to the gym as well, but as life happens, plans change. Instead, I ended up doing yard work for another half hour. Still not a bad way to pass the night and I have to say that in spite of the areas where my yard needs some love, it still looks pretty darn good. Very long lush green grass and then some areas I'm trying to nurse. It is fun to learn how it all works though.

Anyway, that wraps up the 30 for 30 challenge. For anyone counting, I managed to complete 28/30 which still translates to a 93% which is an A in my book. I'm still considering posting all the food that I eat on this site starting tomorrow. Not sure if anyone wants to read it, but the thought that people will be reading it might spark me to focus a little better and specifically to stop drinking while I eat. Totally defeats the purpose of the band. Thanks for everyone who commented, "liked," or sent messages of encouragement. I'm glad I did it, and I've really enjoyed being more active. Just because my 30 days are over doesn't mean I am going to stop getting good activity. Hopefully you won't stop either. Thanks for stopping by!!!

30 for 30 Day 26

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Sat, 28 May 2011 04:29:00 +0000

My back was killing me today. I did some stretching that I learned in physical therapy. I also sometimes have my kids sit or stand on my back because it really feels pretty good. I was not in the mood to work out, but I can't just blow it off. I pulled out the Wii Fit board and did 30 minutes of step. Just chugging along!

Did you know the state of Wyoming does a program where you take a survey, participate in three out of six "classes" and get a physical in exchange for a monthly discount on your insurance premium. I've already finished my three classes but they are fun to do so I kept going. Well, I signed up for the newest one recently, only to find out it is a 30 for 30 challenge!!! They only want you to get 20 out of 30, but still...I am just finishing mine up and now I have to start over again. Maybe we'll end up with a 60 for 60.

Secret Garden (30 for 30)

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:31:00 +0000

The juggling game on Wii Fit is starting to do bad things to my elbows. I did that for a little bit on Wednesday and the closest thing I can describe it as is how your elbow feels after playing tennis too much. I'm not going to say that I am getting tennis elbow or anything though because I was playing Nintendo. After a few attempts at juggling, I switched over to the free step.

Last night (Thursday), I finally got around to working on a little garden bed for Sandra. We really like having flowers in front of the house because it adds so much color and is just nice to look at. Maybe they would even attract some butterflies or something. Last year, we got a nice shelf that we put a number of flower pots on, but this year, I thought it would be nice to add something to the yard.

Like all projects, nothing went as easily as I expected it to. I spent over an hour out there digging out dirt, hauling it to the alley. Dig, haul, repeat. Then spend more time bent over a hole in the ground arranging flowers and adding more dirt back in. That really works wonders on the back of a person who has had back surgery by the way. In the end, I really like how it turned out. I asked Sandra to come out and snap a few pictures. She's getting so good at using the camera now. These pictures were actually taken right at dusk when there wasn't a lot of light and she didn't use a flash. I think she's getting pretty fantastic, don't you?!

My Strong Willed Softie

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Braeden is having his preschool graduation tomorrow. Although we have decided to wait one year before sending him to Kindergarten so technically he isn't really graduating. When Sandra dropped him off this morning, they asked if he was going to be there for the program. This hadn't even been a question for us. He is SO excited about the program and has been talking about it all week. He tells us how he made a special hat for it, and wants to make sure that we are going to be there. It is so special to him, even though we've told him he won't start Kindergarten in the fall and may get to "graduate" twice.

Sandra told them that he was planning to be there, and was told they had already printed the programs without his name since he wasn't really moving on. Sandra told them it wasn't a big deal, but that he would have hurt feelings if he didn't get to be a part of it, so they are going to make sure he can still participate and get a certificate too.

A couple of days ago, Braeden stayed in bed until his night light changed to a sunshine - his cue that he's allowed to get out of bed. He was very proud for waiting until the right time and came running in yelling about how his sunshine was up. My first reaction was just to quickly put my hand over his mouth so we could close the door and not wake up little brother with his shouts. It wasn't intended to be mean or anything. I just know my strong willed little boy gets excited over things and tends to get loud about it. Needless to say, it sort of surprised me when he burst into tears and cried for ten minutes telling me how it wasn't nice to put my hand on his mouth and it really hurt his feelings.

Is it possible to have a child that is both strong willed, and still a softie? Braeden is that kid. It's been nagging at me lately that maybe I'm reading his signals wrong. Not even reading them wrong, but possibly that I'm missing out on seeing other sides of him because so much attention is focused on the dominant traits. It's so easy to point out that Braeden can be tough and that he is a dominant strong willed kid. What about his softer side though? He is so tender sometimes. He absolutely loves to snuggle and have people lay in bed with him. We don't even have to talk...he just loves having some there with him. He gets excited when little babies are around and wants to look at them and hold them. We'll be shopping and he will see something that Emerson would love and wants to get it in order to surprise her. At lunch when I lay Landen down for a nap, he wants to sit on the floor next to me quietly until I finish.

He is so much more complex than I give him credit for. It is so much easier to focus on the difficult parts because they are so readily visible to the world. The world doesn't get to snuggle with him or have him tell his amazingly intricate and creative stories. They don't get to see how excited he gets over little things and the tender moments. I love my son. I think I need to give a little more credit, and a little more attention to that softer side in him. I don't want him to guard his heart and close people off like I do. I want the world to see the softer side that I'm seeing.

30 for 30 Day 23

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Welcome to walking and yard work again. I love locking up my building and the fact that I stopped being lazy and taking the elevator to walk two floors. It is really pathetic since I have no real medical issues to prevent me from walking. I think tonight is going to be a Wii Fit free step kind of night so that Sandra and I can keep watching Dexter. What a great show!

The Bible “Guarantees” It, Or Your Money Back

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:38:00 +0000

The Bible “Guarantees” It, Or Your Money Back: "
The Bible was supposed to guarantee it.

I promise I’m not talking about Harold Camping again. But he said the Bible “guarantees” that May 21st was the day of judgement. Now, those billboards all over the country stand there, making the Bible out to be a liar. If I were the Bible, I’d sue Harold Camping for defamation of character.

The good thing about this whole fiasco is it almost got everyone’s minds off of the whole heaven and hell debate…almost. I don’t think that one’s going away any time soon. In fact, I think the fight over hell is just heating up.

Judgement Day, heaven and hell, it’s all just part of a two-thousand year argument people have had about how trustworthy the Bible is (or how trustworthy are we with it). The result of that debate? Words like “inerrancy” have become like fighting words for evangelicals. Words like “allegory” are like the worst sort of curse words.

Harold Camping believed the Bible guaranteed May 21 was the day. It makes me wonder, just how can we know what the Bible guarantees…

Fifteen Minutes of Infallibility

Jesus once called Peter “Satan.” Strong words from the Son of God. Come to think of it, none of the gospels portray Peter as all that awesome or wise. He’s kind of a stumbling, bumbling boob of a disciple.

We don’t get too far into the book of Acts before Paul is getting up in Peter’s grill about circumcision, which Paul also boasts about. Peter was being a jerk, and he knew it.

Peter was never a perfect guy. Actually, he had a real propensity for being an idiot, albeit a lovable one. Which is why when we get through the gospels and Acts and get to Peter’s letters and he says something out of the blue like, “then Jesus went to hell and preached to the spirits there,” my response is always…

“Wha…?”

Why did he have to say that? No one else mentions it. And how does Peter know this? Did Jesus whisper in his ear, “Peter, you would not believe what hell is like. It’s even worse than I thought.”

I like almost everything else Peter says. But part of me wonders if Peter got that one right. I mean, he wasn’t the sharpest stick his entire life, but for fifteen minutes, he was able to get it together and write a perfectly infallible little memo, straight from the mind of God? That’s what you have to believe if you want to be an evangelical with a “perfect” Bible.

That’s our first problem with the Bible. Do we have the faith to believe that the mind of God could really come through a guy like Peter?

Lost in Interpretation

Okay, so it’s not the biggest deal in the world whether Jesus really went down to hell to have a conference call with Satan’s minions. But saying that Saturday was going to be the end of the world when it wasn’t was a big deal.

Granted, the logical leaps taken to conclude that Saturday was the day were astonishingly absurd. They took “with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years” to mean that with the Lord, a day is literally a thousand years.

The funny thing is Jesus even got mad at his disciples for taking him too literally. The King of Kings was a big fan of allusion, allegory, parables, metaphors, similes, analogies, hyperbole, and other non-literal language. Unfortunately, most of his audience didn’t take “Basic Literary Devices 101″ in college, so it was lost on them…and a lot of modern day fundamentalists.

That’s our second problem. Even if every word is straight from God’s mouth, we just miss the point. We ignore the gospel and get stuck on some silly detail, like the day of the Lord’s return.

Speak Loudly and Carry A Bigger Stick

Human history has a way of repeating itself. In the beginning, Man finds stick. Man finds stick useful. Man figures out how to hurt other man with stick. Man finds iron. Man finds iron useful. Man figures out how to hurt other man with iron.

That’s how it goes with nearly every human discovery. We harness a new resource, then figure out how to screw someone else with it. And then we found the Word of God. Man figures out how to hurt other man with Word of God. Word of God work much better than stick…

What’s become clear to me watching the church over the last ten years – the dawn of the “emergent” church, the debate over “post-modernism,” the fresh debate over heaven and hell, the not quite end of the world – is that Christians love the Bible. We find it beautiful, awe-inspiring, hopeful, gut-wrenching, redeeming. We all absolutely love the Bible…

…but we love being right more.

Being right is our idol, our god.

And that’s why we draw a line in the sand over so many things. That’s why we fight over so many things we maybe can’t know.

Okay, talk to me! How infallible is the Bible to you? Is the Bible right, and we just don’t know how to use it? Or does the way we use the Bible just prove our own depravity?

Sharing is what friends do:

"

30 for 30 - Sheesh

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Kelly) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:19:00 +0000

This is proof that I'm the worst blogger in the world. I come up with a 30 day challenge and then don't bother to update anyone on what's happening. This post would cover days 18-22. Sorry I can't keep up on this stuff!

Thursday May 19 was another fun day of the Wii. I love doing the marching band thing and someday I am going to get all perfects. I made it with only 7 ok and the rest perfect that night.

Friday, May 20, I walked. Actually, I did the building lockup myself which involves walking lots of hallways and going up and down a lot of stairs too. It actually takes 30 minutes to walk the full building and lock rooms.

Saturday, May 21, was my 31st birthday. Combine that with the fact that the world was going to end and I never got around to working out. That is the second day in the 30 for 30 that I didn't get my job done right. Last time I made up the time, but so far, I haven't felt the motivation to do that. Maybe I will before the 30 days are over.

Sunday, May 22, I set up the Wii Fit free step and did 30 minutes while watching Black Swan with Sandra. It's an interesting movie to say the least with some weird stuff in it. I made sure to point out to Sandra that she chose that movie, not me.

Today was day 22! I did 20 minutes of walking and then another 20-25 minutes of mowing and raking the yard again. I really want to get on my bike, but with Sandra doing some volunteer work that requires flexibility in my schedule, a car is a must those days. Hopefully it will happen again soon.