Financially Fit or Fat?

What in the heck does finances have to do with faith life? Really? Well the Scriptures are full of references to money... and more than "you cannot serve 2 masters" quote. Which many people use as a cop out for not maximizing their financial potential.
So, are you financially fit or are you fat with debt. Did you know that debt can be an emotional drain on your life. Debt affects you on an emotional level. If you don't beleive me then run max out every single credit card you have and then borrow some more. Or if you want a positive experience, then work like the dickens and payoff all your debt including your house... then tell me how you feel. Either way you will experience something emotionally.
The Book of Proverbs seems to know understand this when it tell us that "the borrower is SLAVE to the lender." Now I don't know about you but being a slave would have a negative emotional impact on me.
So one step to Holyistic living is to make sure that you are financially strong (read: no debt, live within your means). Get your finances in order this year, and feel the difference in your Holyistic life.

Blessed are the Flexible...

For they shall never be bent out of shape. (Not my original quote).

I have been known to upset some people within our Church. Of course this is not on purpose, but rather a gift of mine I guess. Spritual flexibility allows us to bend and be molded by God. It allows us to flow with the circumstances where God places us in certain times of our lives. However, I am not talking about flexibility in morality or subjective Theology. I am talking about flexibility WITHIN the laws given to us by God. NO, this is not being close minded, rather it is being open to the way God created us Humans to be and live.
On the fitness level compare this to being in a Yoga class and the instructor asks you to stretch your bones. Well, any idiot knows that bones are not created to be stretched, rather that is the job of the muscles. Working within the laws that God gave us. Now, there are many Catholics and Christians who are metaphorically saying that if we don't stretch the bones we are not being "open minded." How stupid is that? Of course our society is thinking the same way: Abortion, promiscuity, "same sex marriage (whatever that is) etc etc.
NO! This is not being flexible or open minded!
So what is?
The open mindedness of which I speak is looking at your life and how Jesus is working within it. Asking yourself, am i being as loving as I can be? If not, how can I do more for the Lord?
Open mindedness is not getting your theological panties wadded up when I mention that Jesus might have had toe jam. And there we go with the True God, True man discussion. Are you flexible enough to look at Jesus as BOTH true God, and True man?
Are you flexibile enough to struggle with the teachings of the faith and look at themn from many different angles. When you can do that you will be on your way to a
Holyistic Life!

The Esoteric Myth

What is the sound of One Hand Clapping?
I love the information age. I love the fact that we have at the push of a button almost all the information we can stand. With that being said, I also chuckle at guru's who claim to hold esoteric teachings from long ago. In the kung fu world there are lots of "teachers" who hold "sacred teachings" and "profound knowledge." I wouldn't even keep it to the martial art world. There are "spiritual" teachers who hold the belief that they are sharing some recovered lost teachings that have either been lost or covered up. However, I challenge you to really look at the teachings of the Catholic Church. Look at the Theology behind that teachings... Now that is esoteric or more like profound. I mean if you can actually grasp the depths of St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica... well you should be a guru. Grasp the Church Father writings... deep stuff. Sometimes it seems that in the pursuit personal integration, one can overlook some of the deepest profound thoughts of some of the greatest thinkers in history.

Toe Jam Jesus -True God and True Man

I was giving a talk about reconciliation at a local Church. The bible story was about the lady of illrepute, who basically cried on Jesus' feet and then dried them with her hair and anointed them with oil. This being popular story I decided to get into the scripture just a bit. Well I mentioned that this woman may have been a hooker, which is maybe a less professional term than prostitute. Needless to say I mentioned that this lady was cleaning Jesus' feet. Then I thought out loud that maybe Jesus had some toe jam: Toe Jam Jesus. Which is quite possible that he did because his feet were dirty from all that walking on dirt roads. I found out later people objected to the notion that Jesus may have had Toe Jam than using the word "hooker."
This was suprising and then I realized that I may have gotten some people's spiritual panties all wadded up. But I was merely just focusing on the Theological aspect of Jesus dual nature in one being. True God and True Man. Sometimes I think we have more of an issue with Jesus' humanity than with his Divinity. So if Toe Jam Jesus is offensive, check our True God and True Man. I'm not saying that this is proclaimed Church teaching. I'm not even saying scientifically that Jesus did have toe jam. But if I was a bettin' man, I sure would put money on it that he did.

Speak my Language

The Christmas Season is all about celebrating the fact that God became a human being.
On that note I do want to thank the Good Lord for being considerate enough to speak my language. Imagine if he came as some angel or a platypus. Really? Who speaks platypus? I mean how could we really relate. In God's infinite widsom, He became one of me. Became one of me so that I/we could see how we were made to be. So that we could appreciate the Pslamist when he wrote: Psalm 139:14 Look it up!
Going back to Psalm 139:14... we lose vision of our wonderfully and fearfully madeness. We get caught up in the crap of the everyday life and buy into messages that we aren't good enough or that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. (Why a handbasket I'll never know. I think someone had it out for handbaskets). But when we really ponder. Not just "yeah yeah I know" the idea. But ponder and mull over the idea that YOU are wonderfully made. That is a life changing moment.

Psalms 139:14

Have you ever sat and just marveled at you! Having the opportunity to explore the human being from different angles (philosophical, muscular-skeletal, psychological, Theological) I can appreciate the Psalmists' words. We are often buried in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We give into the demands from the day without a thought. But that is not how God designed us. We were designed with intention to be intentional. That intentionality given to us from the Creator (God) so that we can be intentional in all aspects of our life. As we kick off this New Year, What are you intentional about? We call these resolutions, or goals or what ever. But I challenge you to think about what is it that you are going to intentionally be, do or have in 2011. When you look back at 2011 what can you say that you intended and brought about in your life?

Success of the Past Year

My biggest success came in the physical change that I was able to undergo.
I managed to love 13 lbs. of fat and I gained some lbs of muscle in the process.
Although my weight was the same as it was two years earlier, my physique changed.
This was all part of my plan for complete fitness.

How did this happen?

Stay tuned...

Incredible New Year's Eve Party