Anyday You Can Reboot! JUST DON'T REGRET!

Reaching a goal is typically only achieved after making the choice to do something difficult day after day because you know it's best.

When we commit to achieving something we must resist the temptation to return to our "normal" way of living and remain focused on over coming the battle we are facing.

No matter what your up against know this...EVERYDAY IS A BATTLE! 

You can over come!
You can win!

Commit everyday and you will succeed! Whatever you do...DO NOT GIVE UP!

Maybe you've failed in the past or maybe you've even failed today...now what do you do?
Reboot and RESTART...Re-commit...Re-do...Re-go...ANY OF THESE RE WORDS WORK, JUST DON'T REGRET

Whatever you do...DO NOT GIVE UP!  

No, in all things we are more than conquers through him who loved us. Roman 8:37

Habits that Build Our LIfe

 I believe our lives are built through our habits.

If your anything like me, most of what you do during the day is done with little thought Hahahaha…no seriously, most of what I do throughout my day is done out of habits.  Little thought is given to the routines we follow in life.  

Sometimes this is good...sometimes this is bad! It just depends on if it is a healthy habit or an unhealthy habit.

Everything from how we spend our time, to how we spend our money is largely decided by our habits.  Even our thoughts are created through habits...have you ever met someone who was positive about EVERYTHING? How about someone who was negative about EVERYTHING? These are habits...sometimes we fall into a habit of fear instead of faith.  When this happens we live a life full of anxiety and worry!

So if you say to me you want to change something in your life?  You want to succeed in an area your currently failing or doing really poorly in?  I would tell you the answer is simple, CHANGE YOUR HABITS!

Do you...

Want to grow spiritually? Are you reading the Word of God?

Want to shrink physically? Are you eating well?

Want a great family life? Are you investing the time into your family they deserve?

Simply put, I believe our habits are the building block of our lives…so WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON?

Off the Radar - 5 yr Plan?

5 years and 4 months ago my life was a mess…I was 321+ pounds but that wasn’t all that was wrong! I wanted…no I needed a redo in life.  I was tired, sick, obese, & burned out.  Every morning felt like a nightmare.  Don’t get me wrong I was blessed with an unconditionally loving wife, beautiful healthy kids, a job, a church, and WONDERFUL friends…but I was done!

When God spoke to me about my lack of self-control & discipline it was a very painful reality.  When He whispered into my soul that I needed to change it cut to my soul!

The moment He spoke to me, EVERYTHING changed.  If you would have asked me in that moment 5 years ago what my goals were because of this encounter I would have said to lose some weight and get healthier.  To be able to finish a day without feeling like I was going to die.  To be able to wake up and praise the Lord instead of feeling like the night had never come.

Even in that moment I would never have dreamed that I was on my weigh to losing 131lbs, running 5 marathons, 6 half marathons, 2 Ironman 70.3'S, a runstreak of 1,274 days and earning the title Dr. Ben Emmons (ABD).  In fact NO OF THAT was on my radar!

This is probably because God’s radar, His plans are much better than our own!

What I am trying to do here is to encourage you to listen for God…when you do He enables you to accomplish far beyond anything you could hope for or dream of.  If you told me 5 years ago I would become a conference speaker to equip, and coach other pastors on how to live healthy holistic lives, I would have laughed at you.  Now it is whom God has called, equipped, and formed me to be.

Take time today to listen for God.  It may be a painful experience…it may cause you to be put in a place where you need to take a step of faith.  In fact I am sure it will do both.  I can’t tell you what God will say to you, But I do know He will not let you down!

Now when people ask about my 5 year plan I laugh, but only BECAUSE I PERSONALLY KNOW GOD CAN ACCOMPLISH SOOOO MUCH IN 5 YEARS!

Your Nutrtion Matters to God!

I can’t believe how many years I heard these verses quoted Almost EXCLUSIVELY to defend peoples stance against tattoos.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I am not writing this to argue viewpoints on tattoos, rather to say nutrition matters to God!  What we choose to put in our bodies often determines how we feel, our energy levels, it enables or disenables our body’s immune systems…How can God not be concerned with such things?

God wants you to be healthy…are you doing your part?

God wants you to live long…are you doing your part?

God wants you to have energy…are you doing your part?

When we simply eat garbage out of convenience or because “it tastes good” are we taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit?  Are we dying to our flesh?  This is one area of discipline the Bible speaks much about that is largely ignored...I know this doesn't make me popular, or cause you to have happy feelings towards me, but I cannot ignore it any longer, GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR NUTRITION!

Jesus thank you for the Cross where there is mercy and forgiveness for our sins.  Thank you for loving us so much you’d die so we could one day live forever in heaven with you!  Lord please forgive us for abusing the temple of the Holy Spirit.  God help us, encourage us, enable us through the Holy Spirit to live disciplined lives.  God give us a new measure of self-control…help us live fully devoted lives to you.  In Jesus name we pray Amen!

The Growth Equation

When I need to Grow I intuitively KNOW it will require sacrifice!

Ways to Develop:

-Reading

-Seminars or conferences

-Examine leaders or organizations that do what I NEED or desire to be able to do

-Podcasts, Digital resources, etc.

With technology & social media today, its my opinion that growth has never been easier, but it still requires sacrifice.

My high school guidance counselors once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Wait, that was Confucius who also said, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

In other words we can grow by

1.     Examination and reflection on how we can grow (AKA Transformation)

2.     Copy what someone else is doing (Most common, also usually doesn’t work)

3.     Learning from our mistakes (The hard way)

You want to grow right?

So you can continue to learn from your mistakes, or try to copy someone else (not fun also not what you were designed to do), or by examining how you NEED to or desire to grow and INVESTING the time it takes to follow through with the plan!

What areas do you want to grow in?

How are you ensuring this growth takes place?

What have your found encourages growth the best for you personally?

Double Dogged Dared!

Has anyone ever said something to you that just kept echoing in your head? Something simple, and honest, but it just keeps replaying over and over in your head?

Last night Kaylee my nine year old daughter, who has been by my side as through a lifestyle transformation that started when she was turning four said something that I shrugged off with a laugh and quickly dismissed…or did I?

Her words were very simple, very straight forward, almost a dare from a kids point of view…but it spoke volumes to me her dad.  What was this double dog dare?

As she looked at two cakes my wife had baked for the kids at church she simply said, “I’d love to see you eat a WHOLE cupcake!”

She didn’t question me about not eating sweets, or junk food.  She knows I love cupcakes, and she’s seen me take my fair share of nibbles (usually hijacked from her plate).  She specifically said a WHOLE CUPCAKE…can you say portion control?

I love that I have what I’d now consider a healthy relationship with food…one that I hope and pray I can pass onto my children!

I hope they learn from me that when you practice self control and discipline at the dinner table, that the sweets you have as a treat are that much sweeter!  

So here is my dare to you...join me with NO JUNK FOOD JUNE!  Your July will thank you...ok, ok, I double dog dare ya!