We are the body – My God, My Music, My Life

Living in a world

We don’t want to see

Too much hurt and pain

Is our reality

Turn off the news

It doesn’t go away

It’s right next door

Seems like it’s here to stay

But I put pen to paper

Write out a few words

Maybe someone will read it

And it’ll help heal the hurt

No one’s perfect, we’ve all done wrong

We’re all paying for someone else’s crime

There’s a time to grieve and a time to grow

We all only have so much time

We all know right from wrong

We all have to live with our mistakes

We all have demons fighting to live

Do you sleep sound in the bed you make?

We all have hurt and pain

We all live in the dark and the light

We all have a choice to forgive

We all can give up or we can fight

We can be bridges or steps, too many are steps

Taking from others to raise themselves up

But being a bridge requires work to connect the gaps

We need more bridges connecting others with love

I’ve never been in your shoes

You’ve never been in mine

We’re not that different

We’re all trying to get through life

A little empathy can go a long way

A simple smile can be a spark

Thoughts matter but action is a verb

A kind word can heal a broken heart

We can all use a little help

I know we’ve turned into an instant culture

But we’re not building on solid foundations

Shifting sand only causes fallen structures

The wind blows and the water rises

And our what ifs and fears turn into reality

We have to lay stones and do the work today

To build a world we may never see

Take The Lead by Jimmy Levy –

Good Day For A Good Day by Michael Franti & Spearhead –

I recently accepted the position at my church as Temple Fit Director. Amazing isn’t it, what God can do. An introvert like me now leading our church into becoming more fit physically. This is a volunteer position that I will find the time to do. I may have to blog a little less.

I have always done well no matter where I worked. I have always been promoted. I have always helped my teammates around me and had them get promoted – even though it always hurt me to lose my best people. I would go on vacation and my area would do so well without me that I would be moved into another area to get it straightened out. I attribute this all to God of course. The patience, wisdom, work ethic, and knowledge He has given me and how He has taught me to treat others.

I have always been respected and well-liked – by most. I actually have been trusted so much that when I left the company I am at now the second time they let me come in on Sundays and work by myself. My wife, who was a stay at home mom and watched other kids as well, lost a couple kids she was watching so we needed extra income. That is how much they trust me. Then they brought me back a third time and I am so glad they did.

This is the lesson boys and girls. A lesson that I learned from my parents and a lesson I have learned in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Watch what comes out of your mouth. Treat others with respect and dignity. When someone makes a mistake, walk them through what they did wrong in a calm manner and instruct them on how to do it right. Keep your promises. Be trustworthy. The only thing you have in this world is your word. Guard it with your life. No matter what else is going on around you, you control how you react and what you say. I have always given employees the opportunity to succeed, even when they didn’t want to. It’s amazing, not only at work but in life, seeing peoples faces when they do something they didn’t think they could do.

That’s also why at one job I had twelve people I trained be promoted to supervisors. The next closest person was two. My employees stayed with the company on average 10 months. The next closest average was 4 months. Don’t get me wrong, I have had some employees/employers try to take advantage of my leadership style only to find out the hard way. My last boss, 60-70 hour a week boss, couldn’t understand how I could get so many employees to do anything I asked them to do when he couldn’t. In the end he didn’t like the fact I didn’t talk – socialize- much, and that I stood up to him when no one else would so I left. He has called three times since I left asking me to come back.

I say all these things not to toot my own horn but to show you what can happen if you are a thoughtful, attentive, respectful, honest, open, trustworthy, decisive and conscientious. I can make a positive impact or a negative impact on someone. The choice is mine. I choose positive. Treat others the way God wants you to treat them, live the way God wants you to live and people will see it. Maybe not now, but it will pay off in the end.

I know that this introvert will not be able to lead an entire church of 1000 plus members to get fit without the amazing help of others. Our team already has some great ideas and will implement them and see where God takes them. I have been blessed to be able to motivate people. This however is a whole new ballgame. I know God will be with me to help others. One thing I have learned about fitness is to start small. Make small changes daily that will add up over time.

Maybe I will even get my wife to guest blog. She is in charge of our Run For God classes and running clubs. She is also a personal trainer and health coach. I will be relying on her a lot.

First step I will ask you today is quit drinking sodas and sugar drinks. Drink your water people.

How much water should I drink? Half of your weight in ounces is recommended. If you weigh 200 lbs, drink 100 oz. of water. Keep in mind you get some of this in foods you eat, especially in fruits and vegetables.