JUST FOR TODAY -- One Day at a Time .... Daily commitment thread for 2019

nlmackey98 wrote: »

I'll just say now that I was working some things out based on a question I was asked at church. You might want to skip the long diatribe at the end.

nlmackey98 wrote: »

I didn't post today's goals last night and it's now 1PM today.

JFT Wednesday
- 8:30 Dentist No cavities!
- 10:00 vacuum out the Acadia This NEEDED to happen
- 10:30 meet with financial planner Quick visit to sign some papers
- Talk doc appointment fewer tears than last visit. I really like and trust Mike.
- Back to work by 12:30 grabbed some fruit at Sheetz for lunch
- Gotta get the VN test working and verify that the VDA test is accurate... I did it, but nothing worked like I'd hoped
- Skipping VBS tonight, gotta work late worked until 8:00 to make up for coming in at 12:30
- Home around 9:00 Home a little early because I just couldn't handle another hour at work
- Gratitude journal before I'm half asleep Got really down and totally forgot
- Lay out clothes for the gym they were still there from the previous night (they are still there today also )
- Bed by 10:30 Had a few drinks to try to relax after getting down and stayed up too late. These were bad choices.

JFT Thursday

- Up at 7:00, work by 8:00 Up at 7:45, work by 8:30
- Breakfast <300 cal Yes, but it was an unhealthy snack cake. Out of protein bars in my office, but I was really hungry.
- Check in with MFP before 9:00 Got here before 9:00 just now posting.
- Tear down and repair piece of equipment that I had really hoped would startup and run first try. At least I think I know how to fix it assuming I have parts.
- Lunch <300 cal
- Run VDA checks according to manufacturer method rather than DuPont Global Method.
- Home by 4:00 - 4:30 to shower and get ready for the last night of VBS.
- Pet store to buy special diet dog food for my furry beasts before VBS.
- Walmart after VBS to get a few things that I can eat so I don't have to stop for fast food (again).
- Gratitude journal
- Bed by 10:30
Going on to the first part of tomorrow...
- Up at 4:00 to go to the gym
- Work by 7:30

Positive Thought: My strength comes from the Lord.

Today will either be quick and easy at work, or it will be kind of awful. It all depends on how long it takes me to get my equipment running well. I've been so bad diet wise lately and just can't figure out why. I'm going to state today that I am going to do better. Hopefully, putting that out there will help.

It's the last night of VBS, and my character Diana the Greek Council Woman is not scheduled to appear. She was not in the act yesterday either and the kids kept asking about her, so we are reprising her role and working her in this evening. It makes me feel good that they connected with her a bit. She was a doubter, she believed in gods, but didn't see why Paul's God was any better than the Greek gods.

I don't think that is so different from many of us before we learn to believe in and trust the Lord to have our backs. Our other Gods tend to be Money, Science and Popularity/Fame. These things can all bring us happiness in the moment, but they aren't permanent. It is a pretty hard concept to grasp, there is one all powerful being responsible for everything that is good in this world, but still allows bad things to happen. What is so great about that? Well, He knows what is best for us and answers our prayers in His time according to His plan. He does not give us the bad things that happens in this world, those come from human sin. What He does, is gives us hope and teaches us through the bad so that we might flourish and help others in His name. At least that is my take on it after years of trying to figure it out. I'm a scientist and many of my colleagues think I am addle minded or gullible for believing. Without knowing how and why and without having proof, how can I believe the "stories" in the Bible. Well first they aren't stories, they are accounts. Secondly, I don't need proof because I have faith. I'll admit that it does sound like a cop out answer to the nonbeliever.

They say the Bible isn't supported by science, well I think it is in a way. What about the Big Bang, or evolution, or carbon dating of fossils? Big Bang is really just another theory that can't be proven, but it does give us many scientific learnings we use to advance our society. Evolution dates back to a time before recorded history and is truly just a theory used to explain things that can't be understood without faith. There is nothing to say that God didn't create animals/humans the way they are Genesis 1:25 says "And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." "After their kinds" gives a very wide birth to how many "Cow-like" creatures there could be. Nobody, well almost nobody, disputes adaptation which we can clearly see in many species. Why aren't modern creatures seen in the fossil layers? How can carbon dating be wrong if science has proven half lives are real? Without the fossils, where would our fossil fuels come from? These were all sticking points for me, and it is really hard to have a secular argument when your answer if faith.

Even after I was saved these questions haunted me and stifled my walk with Jesus. The answer I've come to is that God made the world with everything we would need to develop and grow. He gave us minds to process and conquer the worlds problems, He gave us fossils and the theory of evolution to teach us, fuel to advance our civilizations, etc. There is a purpose for all that God created. Unfortunately, our purpose in life is not just to be happy. Our purpose is to do all things to His glory and to spread the words, works and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are meant to experience hardships and to grow in faith through them. Because of Jesus there is hope and eternal life. Some hardships seem like they would be too hard for me to handle. I know people whose lives would break me, but they thank God for their strength. They have hope because they know in the end they will be in heaven and that life will be perfect. People who worship money or science or popularity, don't have hope given by the knowledge of eternal life. I often take these things for granted and writing this has brought my focus back.

I hope I didn't offend anyone, I just needed to work through something one of my teens asked me. I was not prepared for the question of my faith that day. Teens are rough.

6/21 Review:

No wine or beer (it impedes weight loss)
I had a Shock Top lemon shandy in the evening.

Exercise at least 30 minutes at the Y or outdoors on this beautiful summer solstice
Done: 30 minutes on the treadmill and around 6,000 steps overall.

Drink at least 64 ounces of water (5 15-ounce Swell bottles)
I barely drank two bottles but had liquid in other forms, like bone broth.

Follow pre-tracked meals, and if adjustments are made, track them
Finally back on track with this one!