Thursday, June 30, 2011

Two Key Words - Standing and Truth....

Let me start by clarifying an issue that came up after posting yesterday's gratefulness challenge.  It was not long after blogging that I received a few texts from friends wondering why they did not make the list (knowing my friends, I am not surprised).  One of my friends said he wondered why the dog made the list, but he did not - which I thought was a very keen observation!  I had a feeling that might happen and I just need to say that yesterday's list is by no means all-inclusive and there are many, many other people that I am thankful for in my life - yesterday's list just included the most important ones - just kidding!!!

A couple of my blogs this year have dealt with the topic of standing in your truth.  As I thought about those words, I realized the importance of the two words - standing and truth.  In order to really be our authentic selves, we must live in the truth of our situation.  So many people live with a disguise because they want to be perceived as being more successful, having more money, or even looking better than what their reality is.  We are such an image-obsessed society that we will go to great lengths to hide the truth from others.  To be authentic means to be truthful about our own lives not only to others but also to ourselves.  I really struggled with whether or not to share about losing my job.  I can say that the reason was because I did not want people to feel sorry for me, and that is partly true, but the real reason is because it is a hit to my pride and not succeeding at something is not what I like to share with people.  However, since I have been honest with others I have not been as stressed about it and have had more leads on possible jobs because others are helping me out.  When you give up the facade, it allows you to live a more open and free life.  What are you hiding from others?  What are you afraid to face and be able to live our your true self?  I am not saying that everyone needs to know everything about our lives but living in the truth helps pave the way for authenticity - and that is what we are striving for! 

The other part of the equation is to stand.  After we admit the reality of our situation, it is not helpful to wallow in our self-pity.  Being honest means that we confidently stand and own up to the negative aspects of our lives.  Yes, when life is not exactly where we want it to be, we all need a minute to vent our frustrations.  There are a few people in my life that have heard me vent - and it is not always a pretty sight!  But for me, I only give myself a minute to do so - then I face reality and start putting a plan into action.  Again, my job situation is not a bed of roses right now but I have chosen to stand, stay optimistic, and believe in the answer that is coming.  Standing means that we believe that change is coming.  Not only is it coming, but it is already here.  We do not always need to know how, we just need to believe that it will happen.  Every morning this week, when I have my focus time - I have thanked God that He is already working out the solution to my requests.  Yes, I have to put action to that and do my part, but it is counter-productive to sit around whining about things and wondering why something happened. 

For anyone who has a particular problem in their life and wants something to change (and I believe that is every one of us) I encourage you to STAND in your TRUTH.  Many times life is full of tests.  When things come at us, and we have done all we can do - continue to stand.  Ephesians 6:13 is a great reminder of this.  I would say that my life is great right now and I have so much to be thankful for - but yes, there are some things I would like to change.  I am confident that these changes are coming and believe that wholeheartedly.  This has been proven time and time again in my life and I look forward to seeing how it will answer itself in my life now!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  Motivational focus time this morning  2.  Great run today  3.  Good conversation with a friend  4.  Picture of Wylie sitting up for the first time!  5.  Free chocolate of the month from Godiva (leaving now to go get it!) 

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Gratefulness Challenge...

If you have read any of my blogs, you know that I believe in the power of a grateful spirit.  I do end each blog with five things I am grateful for.  Yes, I will admit that some days are harder than others to come up with five things but in doing so, it helps me to stay focused on the good and to bring more of that into my life.  I recently got an email with a gratefulness challenge in it and so I wanted to take on that challenge today.  It says to write down 100 things that you are grateful for in your life.  I love this because it really gets our minds thinking in the right direction.  So here goes - 100 things that I am grateful for (in no particular order):

1.  Salvation                                                                                         
2.  My health
3.  Being raised by two amazing parents
4.  My dad's life and how it continues to influence me
5.  My mom's encouragement, prayers, and love for life
6.  My two sisters and our incredibly close and rare relationship
7.  Martha Ann and Wylie - bringing such joy into my life
8.  Genuine friendships - too many to list
9.  Those who I consider my closest friends - you know who you are
10.  My relatives and how much they mean to me
11.  Owning my own home
12.  Living in the best neighborhood
13.  Each and every job I have had so far - and yes, there have been a few!
14.  Having my college degree
15.  Getting my MBA
16.  Jordan
17.  My best friend, Autumn
18.  My "wife" Natalie -
19.  My bestie - Richard
20.  The long list of names I could put here of friends
21.  My family's best friends - the Flynn's
22.  Love for music
23.  Opportunity I had to be involved in music at church
24.  Mentors in my life
25.  Getting to write The Journey, about my dad's life
26.  Working on a new book, Standing on the Edge
27.  A love and passion for writing
28.  The desire to encourage others in their own lives
29.  Oprah - of course she makes the list!
30.  My Oprah show experience
31.  The family we helped and it being one of the best days of my life
31.  Opportunity to go to Brazil 3 times and build orphanages
32.  Mission trip to Antigua - also one of the best days of my life
33.  Our family moving to Jackson when I was a child
34.  Moving to Nashville six years ago
35.  All the great TV shows
36.  Love for food
37.  Mexican food, Thai food, and Sushi
38.  Chocolate
39.  Dark chocolate
40.  Loving to laugh - I do it quite often
41.  Hilarious memories
42.  Answered prayers
43.  Being involved at Englewood Baptist Church
44.  Attending Christ Church here in Nashville for three years
45.  Cross Point Church that I attend now
46.  The love to run
47.  Finishing two marathons
48.  Being a vegetarian for a year
49.  Meatless Mondays
50.  My favorite grocery stores - Publix and Trader Joe's
51.  Taking risks in life
52.  An optimistic attitude
53.  Meaningful focus times in the mornings
54.  My bed - it's so comfortable!
55.  Knowing the importance of family
56.  Getting to be with my dad when he passed away
57.  Seeing my mom remarry and have a companion in life again
58.  Each of my sister's weddings
59.  The honor of walking each of them down the aisle
60.  Christy becoming a mom - twice!
61.  Cara pursuing her goals and getting into the PTA program
62.  This blog and how it is therapy for me and encouragement for others
63.  The promises of God
64.  Those moments when I am used to make a difference in someone's life
65.   My friend Dana and how we laugh so hard whenever we get together
66.  Axel (the dog) - even when he drives me crazy
67.  Challenging moments in life that have strengthened my character
68.  Our sibling trip to Atlanta last year
69.  Doing "Favorite Things" for Christy and Cara
70.  Making videos with Martha Ann
71.  Christmas - my favorite time of the year
72.  Fall - my favorite season of the year
73.  The Bible and how it encourages, motivates, and challenges me
74.  My great friend Justin and our super long voicemail messages
75.  Moments with Christy and Cara that are the funniest moments of my life
76.  Chocolate chip cookies and a glass of cold milk
77.  Having big dreams for my life
78.  Seeing others accomplish their dreams
79.  The daily prayers of my parents as I was growing up
80.  My own "stupid moments" that make life very interesting
81.  My favorite city, Chicago, and visiting there 5 times so far
82.  A really good glass of wine
83.  The fact that each day is truly a gift
84.  Desiring the good life
85.  Knowing that each person that has been in my life was there for a reason
86.  Driving down the road, windows down, and music turned up!
87.  All my favorite restaurants
88.  Sparkles Cupcakes
89.  Times I get to go hiking
90.  Both of my Mamaw's and how they have taught me so much about life
91.  Life experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today
92.  All the people I should have named and that are wondering why they weren't listed!
93.  Moments of worship through music at church - definite highlights of my week
94.  My relationship with God and how He really is the source for what life is meant to be
95.  Being outside on a beautiful day
96.  Learning about a child-like faith
97.  One of my new favorite treats - Nutella
98.  The last 35 years of my life and knowing that the best is yet to come
99.  Seeing the power of gratitude played out in my own life


Wow!  I did it!  I actually could have kept going - that it such a great exercise to do and now I want to challenge you to do the same.  Write out 100 things that you are grateful for in life and let me know how it turns out!  If you practice gratitude every day it won't take long before it becomes a part of who you are and I promise it will change the way you view life! 

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

My Bucket List...

I have always been a "goal-oriented" type of person.  I believe that writing out goals will give you that visual to help motivate you to accomplish the particular goal.  At the beginning of the year, I wrote out my bucket list.  A bucket list is simply a list of things you would like to do before you die.  This came about because of two things:  1.  The movie, Bucket List, with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.  Although it might not have been an Oscar - worthy movie, I still loved the concept behind it.  In the movie, the characters knew that they were dying and instead of just giving up, they decided to do all the things they wanted to do before they died.  2.  The MTV show, The Buried Life.  The show started with four college guys that wanted to get the most out of their life so they wrote out their own bucket list, filmed themselves as they did those things, and now it is a show on MTV.  What I really like about the show is that as they cross things off their list, they also help other people accomplish goals they have always wanted to do - sort of a Pay It Forward concept - which I really like!

My goal this year is to be able to cross twelve things off of my bucket list.  Right now I have 25 things written down and so I thought I would post them for a couple of reasons.  It will help me stay accountable to accomplish these goals and also someone who reads this might help me be able to cross some of these things off.  My list covers a wide variety of ideas and some might sound crazy - but there are things I want to do before I die.  And I am pretty sure I will keep adding to the list as I cross others off.  I encourage all of you to come up with your own bucket list and start crossing them off.  We never know when our time here on earth will be over - so this helps us to make the most of life!!

1.  Have a published book
2.  Go zip lining
3.  Go skydiving
4.  Ride in a hot air balloon
5.  Visit Ireland
6.  Do Pay It Forward in Nashville
7.  Be in a local play
8.  Walk the red carpet
9.  Trace my family history
10.  Be a dad
11.  Work with Oprah
12.  Have one million dollars in the bank
13.  Run through a nude beach
14.  Go to Cedar Point theme park
15.  Be on The Amazing Race
16.  Go on a cruise
17.  Have a reality show
18.  Volunteer at a shelter
19.  Have a massage shower
20.  Take my sisters on a surprise trip
21.  Go on a long distance road trip
22.  Read the Bible in a year
23.  Take an exercise class
24.  Go to the Ellen show
25.  Start a vision board

That's my bucket list so far.  I do believe that I will be able to cross twelve of these items off before the end of the year.  Actually I have done #25 so I only have eleven more to go!  As these become a reality, I will definitely let everyone know.  I also hope you will write out your bucket list and share it with others!  Tomorrow's blog is going to have a challenge for everyone dealing with gratitude - so make sure and come back for that!  Have a great day!!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  Veggie pizza and chocolate chip cookies last night  2.  A good night with fun TV shows  3.  Running 3 miles this morning  4.  Job possibilities  5.  A really cute picture I got of Martha Ann and her bff, Shepherd, hanging out with a goat!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Under Interrogation...

Hope everyone had a really good weekend!  Things were pretty good here - church on Sunday was really good of course!  Pastor Pete finished up his series on heaven and hell and now I am looking forward to a new summer series that starts next week.  Those of you who live in the Nashville area - I encourage you to come visit Cross Point sometime.  I look forward to every Sunday knowing that it will be a great time to be energized and refocused for the week.  And yes, I know there are many great churches to attend - I just wanted to suggest one of them :)

I just had a story from the weekend that I wanted to share because it was so awkward and became so frustrating for me that I kept thinking there were hidden cameras somewhere and I was being Punked!  There is a great Mexican restaurant in my neighborhood that I frequent quite often and it had been awhile since I had Mexican food (probably a couple of weeks which is a long time) so Jordan and I decided to go eat dinner there.  We sat down and before we could say what we wanted for drinks, the waiter began to tell us that he remembered us from the last time we were there and he knew that we had walked out without paying for our meal!  At first I was not sure what he was even talking about or why he was saying that to us.  He literally went on and on about how we had eaten there over a month ago and he saw us walk out and leave the bill on the table.  I said that he must be mistaken because there is no way I would walk out and just not pay.  (I could see myself getting up from the table and forgetting to grab the bill but you have to pay for your meal at the front of the restaurant so of couse I would have paid before leaving!)  However, he kept going and said the manager had told him to tell us what had happened and that the waiter had to pay for the meal and blah, blah, blah.  At this point, I was getting frustrated because I knew there was some kind of mix up or something.  Again, I kept looking around for someone I knew thinking they were playing a joke on me!  The waiter left twice and came back to tell us that it was OK, but he wanted us to know that he knew what we did!  Finally, I told him that I did not know what else to say about it.  I was sorry that someone did not pay their bill, but it was not us and it was time to move on from this conversation.  I kept thinking that if we were the kind of guys that would do that, why would we come back to the scene of the crime?  About that time, the manager came up - who I knew from going there so many times.  He said that there must have been a mix-up.  He knew me as a regular customer and it must have been two other guys that walked out without paying.  Actually he said two younger guys - to which I thanked him for getting me mixed up with a young guy!  He apologized and after about fifteen minutes of interrogation we finally continued with our meal. 

The whole experience was just so weird because of the waiter's persistent attitude that we were wrong and he was right.  And then to have the manager come over and say that it was a case of mistaken identity made it awkward too because the waiter was so sure it was us.  It was definitely the first time I have been accused of something like that and it is just another reason that I wished I had my own reality show.  I would love to have seen my reaction because I started off calm but got rather frustrated as time went on.  Of course at the end of the meal, we grabbed the bill and held it up in the air as we walked to the front and paid for it.  Although part of us wanted to just get up and run out the door - how funny would that have been?!  Just another crazy experience to add to my life story!

I am looking forward to a great, productive week and will plan once again to get five blogs by Friday.  Have a great Monday everyone and make sure you pay your meal ticket!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  A beautiful weekend  2.  Fun day on Saturday  3.  Awesome church service Sunday  4.  Much needed rain over the weekend  5.  Learning life lessons

Friday, June 24, 2011

Finally - a Week with 5 Blogs....

Well, we did it!  I actually had five blogs this week!  It has been awhile since I've done that but I did enjoy it and hope to keep it up.  For me, blogging is like my own kind of therapy as well as the opportunity to do something I love - writing!  And let's be honest - now that I am unemployed I really do not have an excuse not to blog.  (For those wondering about the unemployed part - just refer to yesterday's blog). 

Today was a good and busy day.  I was able to go for a run, which is always good.  I am a hot, sweaty mess when it's over with and I'm sure I probably scare the neighbors but running is a great stress reliever for me.  Speaking of running - my sister, Cara, has signed me and her up for a race in September.  It is called the Warrior Dash.  It is a 5k race that is basically an obstacle course that you either finish or die trying.  There are nets to climb through, bridges to cross, walls to climb over, and mud to run in.   The very end consists of a ring of fire that you have to jump over!  This should be interesting and part of me wonders if we will really get to the end without breaking something - but we are both really excited and will definitely have someone video the whole thing so that we can prove that we did it - and survived! 

I had another great focus time this morning walking Axel around the block.  I will say that some of my prayers are interrupted with me yelling at Axel but I really enjoy that time.  Once again, I was reminded that life is so good and that I must continue to believe that the answers to my problems are in the works.  I just need to keep myself aligned in the right space so that I will receive them.  There are many scriptures that I have claimed in my own life reminding me of the promises of God.  I am also a big believer in the laws of attraction.  I am only putting positive energy out into the world so that I will get the same in return.  For those of you who read my blogs - you definitely get to travel this journey with me and so I look forward to the day (and I believe it will be soon) when I have good news to share!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and I will meet you back here on Monday!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  A beautiful day today  2.  Focus time reminding me of the promises in life  3.  Running 3 miles  4.  Encouragement from friends  5.  Great weekend planned

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Standing in My Truth...

I said I was going to get five blogs in this week.  Although today's events led me to want to skip a day, I believe that I should go ahead and stand in the truth of my own situation.  I said at the beginning of the year that I wanted to be open and vulnerable in my writings so that includes those times when life is not exactly peachy. 

I woke up this morning to a phone call saying that I was being let go from my job.  Not exactly the best way to wake up for sure.  My job was in sales and anyone who works in this field knows that job security is based on performance and the ability to meet specific goals.  Although some weeks were great, some were not and long story short - I was let go.  I am not going to bad mouth the company or make excuses for it.  I will say that I gave it my best and worked hard to do well.  But the simple truth is that I was not a good fit for this particular job and am now on the search for what is next. 

The reason why I struggled with whether or not to put that in the blog was because I am not one who likes sympathy from people and yes, losing your job is a little hit to your ego as well.  However, I do think that living in my truth helps to move forward and to live up to my promise to be honest in my writings.  I do want to tell you about the rest of my day and how I have reacted to the news.  After the phone call, I was frustrated and of course thought about the financial aspect of losing my job.  Instead of freaking out, which is something I have done before in similar situations, I decided to just accept it for what it was and put a new plan into action.  I sent out some texts and emails to various friends and family and have already heard from a few people that might have possible job opportunities for me.

It has been a busy day today, which was good so that I didn't just sit around and get down about my situation.  When I took Axel for a walk earlier, I began to think about my focus times this week and instead of complaining to God about why this happened - I remembered the promises from God and just began to be grateful that the answers were there and were already working their way into my life.  Although I do not have a clear answer as to what I will do next, I do have the peace and assurance that I will be OK.  This does not mean that I will just sit around and wait for the answer to come.  Let's be honest - I have bills to pay and need to make money in order to pay those.  My job now is to find a new job and to work hard at accomplishing this new goal in my life.  But what I remembered, even minutes after the phone call, was that worry and stress never bring about good results.  I am pretty sure that I have said that many times in my blogs this year.  So I will stand in the truth of life's circumstances and let action and belief in the answer guide me to a positive result. 

As I said at the beginning, this blog is not a "woe is me" sympathy trip.  I know that many people are in situations a lot worse than mine.  I simply want to encourage all of us that when life is not exactly how we want it - we must continue to believe.  I look forward to the day when I will write about my new job and how today's bad situation turned into something even better - a blessing in disguise.  There is a great song called Blessings, by Laura Story that I hope will be an encouragement to you just as it is to me.  I included the link to You Tube just in case you have not heard it:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mmgV6mPvb0&feature=related

Today I am grateful for:  1.  Knowing that losing my job will open up a new opportunity for me  2.  A peace in knowing that things will work out  3.  Jeremiah 29:11  4.  A good day despite the circumstances  5.  Cupcakes from Sparkles - yes, that helps any day get a little better!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Let's Talk About Food Baby....

We are halfway there to having five blogs this week!  Since the last few posts have been on the more serious side, I thought I would have some fun today and talk about one of my favorite topics - FOOD!  My friends and family all know that I am a big fan of good food and it seems like some who only know me from my blogs also figured out rather quickly how happy it makes me!  Certain good meals or treats do make it into my "Five Things I am Grateful For" from time to time and believe me - they will be listed again today as well. 

Let's start with lunch yesterday.  There is a restaurant called The Pankcake Pantry here in Nashville and it is somewhat of a touristy place, but in the six years I have lived here I have never made it to this well known place.  On Saturday mornings, the line is out the door and wrapped around the corner just to get in.  Of course they are known for their big variety of pancakes and I was excited when the opportunity presented itself to eat there.  (And by opportunity I mean - the initial place Jordan and I were going to had already stopped serving lunch so we looked across the street and there it was - I say it was fate!)

The waitress was great and when she found out it was my first time there, she was very quick to make some great recommendations.  What ended up on our table was sweet potato pancakes, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and chocolate sin pancakes.  My eyes were wide like a little kid when she brought them out.  I tried the sweet potato pancakes first and OMG they were so good!  They made their own syrup to put on it and it was delicious!  The chocolate sin pancakes were filled with chocolate ganache - do I really need to say more?  I was such a happy guy!  The waitress came back to ask how we liked everything and she laughed because she could see the enthusiasm on my face!  There were lots of full plates on our table to begin with but within minutes, we had eaten every last bite of it.  I will definitely be going back and trying all of the variety of pancakes that they offer.  If you are ever in Nashville - I highly recommend it - and I will be more than happy to go with you!

Another one of my favorite foods is cupcakes.  There is a cupcake store called Sparkles Cupcakes within walking distance in my neighborhood so needless to say, Axel and I make many trips there during the week to see what flavors they have.  My favorite is the Triple Chocolate Chip.  A close second would be the Old School cupcake.  It reminds me so much of the ones my Mamaw used to make.  They have a varitey of different kinds and I really have not had a bad one yet - and believe me, I have tried most all of them.  If you have not figured it out, chocolate is a staple food in my diet and I rarely turn it down. 

Mexican food definitely makes my list, too!  It is a favorite in my family and most of us eat it multiple times a week.  Again, there is a Mexican place within walking distance to my house (yes, I live in the best neighborhood ever!) so I frequent there to get my fix.  I am also a big fan of Thai Food.  There is a great place called The Smiling Elephant here in Nashville.  It's very small, but the food is so good!  Finally, sushi is also in my top five favorite foods.  I recently got a little adventurous and tried eel and it's now a new favorite.  And yes, there is a sushi restaurant in my neighborhood, too.  I am starting to think I live in a little piece of heaven :)

So yes, food is a topic I can always talk about.  I like to observe Meatless Mondays and eat vegetarian whenever possible.  Although this blog may not sound like it, I am a conscious eater and do lean towards a more healthier diet - but also believe in all things in moderation - so we must have our treat foods, too!  I would love to hear what some of your favorite foods are and if you have any restaurant suggestions - send them my way!  (Did you notice how many times the word "favorite" was used in today's blog?!)

Have a great Wednesday and enjoy a great treat today!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  The Pancake Pantry  2.  Getting to enjoy my two favorite cupcakes last night  3.  Getting room 2 cleaned yesterday (living room)  4.  The rain - we've needed it!  5.  Another productive day

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Do Those in Heaven See Us on Earth?

Look at me - blogging two days in a row!  Really hoping to get five blogs in this week so we will see if it happens!  It is another day off from work for me and today's goal is to give the living room a "Kevin Cleaning," go for a run (and hopefully not pass out from the heat) and get some writing done on my next book.  This morning I used my morning walk with Axel (the dog) to pray and keep my life focused.  I am really enjoying doing that and it is just a different way to have my focus time and start my day off right. 

Sunday at church, our pastor continued his series entitled, Glimpse.  It is a three week series talking about heaven and hell and what he thinks the scriptures have to say about it.  The first week we watched his interview with Colton, the little boy who visited Heaven and his father wrote a book entitled, Heaven is for Real.  If you have not read it yet, I would encourage you to do so and just see what you think about it.  This past Sunday he spoke on the topic of a new earth.  He started out by saying that this is his interpretation of what he thinks the scriptures say about heaven and yes, some of it is speculation - but I have to say that I really agreed with what he said. 

OK, I just deleted what I had written here and am going to give a link to his message because I started sounding like a preacher and giving my own sermon and I think it would get too long (I tend to go on and on sometimes).  If you go to www.crosspoint.tv you can find the link for all of his sermons.  This one is week 2 of the series, Glimpse.  A couple of the main points that I did want to say were this.  The scriptures talk about a new heaven and a new earth.  Pastor Pete pointed out that if there is going to be a new heaven that will last for eternity, then the place called heaven now is sort of an in between place.  If there is going to be a new earth, then it will be the perfected version of where we live now.  This makes sense to me because of our innermost desires as human beings.  The other part that was talked about was that those in heaven now know what is happening on earth.  I have heard some say that those who have died are able to see earth and some say that they cannot.  I have actually believed both views over time, but I agree with Pastor Pete and believe that those who have died and gone to heaven are able to see and know what happens here on earth.  This is such an encouraging thought to me.  Some might wonder why those in heaven would be able to see the bad things that are going on with their loved ones here on earth.  But to me, it is a matter of perspective.  They know what is waiting for us and any pain or hurt that we go through on earth is only temporary.  I could really say a lot more about all of this, but again I do not want to turn this blog into a sermon so I strongly encourage you to watch his sermon online - you will be greatly encouraged!  Some might agree and some might disagree - the truth is, one day we will understand fully and know completely - but I believe that thinking about it now only deepens our desire for what is to come and changes our perspective of life now. 

Well, "pastor Kevin" is going to stop now but I just wanted to share those thoughts because it is something that we probably do not think about often.  It is time for me to start cleaning and then writing.  Hope everyone has a great day!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  Another great focus time this morning  2.  Thinking about heaven and what is to come  3.  Dinner at one of my favorites last night - Blue Coast Burrito  4.  A productive day yesterday  5.  Letters from the Sky - song by Civil Twilight

Monday, June 20, 2011

Just Going to Start Typing....

I have a lot to say so I am just going to start typing and see where this one leads.  It might cover a variety of topics so I will try to keep it somewhat focused and we will see how it all turns out!

I am off this week from work and my goal is to make it a very productive week.  I am taking one room in my house a day and doing a very thorough cleaning.  Today was the kitchen and it is now sparkling clean.  By the end of the week, this house will shine and we all know that it is such a great feeling to sit down and know that your house is nice and clean!  My "neat freak" characteristic does mean that my house is normally clean but it is always good to go the extra mile and do what I call a "Kevin Cleaning."  My sisters are familiar with this because I have helped clean their houses before.  The only catch is that when I clean, I tend to throw stuff away so I have been known to get rid of things that they might have wanted to keep.  So cleaning house is definitely on my "to-do" list for this week as well as working on my new book.  I have found that working on it little sections at a time seems to work better for me because I can easily get distracted.  However, I hope that at the end of the week I have made great progress on this project.

Yesterday was Father's Day and I do need to take a minute and remember my dad.  It was a good day for me and I spent it with friends.  Throughout different moments in the day, I was reminded just how blessed I am to have had such an amazing dad.  Not everyone has that in their life and it is truly a gift.  For those of you who still have your dad with you - make sure and let him know what he means to you and do not take him for granted.  I miss Dad and sometimes Father's Day is a really hard day, but I focused more on gratefulness yesterday and am very glad for the years I did have him as a part of my life. 

Church was really good yesterday and I am probably going to spend some time a different day this week talking about our pastors' message.  It was really great and it continued to help me think of Heaven and what's to come with a slightly new perspective.  There was also what I found to be a funny moment at the end of the service.  The guy doing announcements said something funny and for some reason I thought it was hilarious and continued to laugh for awhile after everyone else had stopped! 

The last thing I want to say is just a very encouraging moment I had this morning.  I took Axel for a walk and decided to go a little bit longer and use this as my focus time.  As I thought about my life and changes I want to make I really felt a peace about knowing that the answers are already there.  I have a tendency to worry sometimes and as I prayed and thought about different situations I was reminded that I do not need to worry.  Instead I should be very grateful for all the good things in my life, trust that things will get better as the answers come, and do my part to put action to my requests - positive energy gets a much better response than negative worry.  In fact, as I finished up my walk I received a text that was a good step towards answering one of my requests - yes, sometimes it happens that fast. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend and looking forward to another really good week!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  A thought-provoking message at church yesterday  2.  Trying out a new grocery store (Trader Joe's - I love it!)  3.  A great focus time during my walk this morning  4.  Getting some cleaning done  5.  Motivation to keep pursuing goals

Monday, June 13, 2011

Thinking About What's Next...

First of all, let's just say I took a week off from blogging.  I wish I had a really good reason like I was out saving the world, but I was actually in West Virginia last week for work and really got out of my routine so no posts were written.  Today begins a new week though, and so we will start fresh and get back into my routine.  I might be starting to sound old with all this "in my routine" talk. 

Yesterday at church, the pastor started a new series called, Glimpse.  He is going to spend about three weeks talking about Heaven and Hell and what's next for us after we die.  In preparation for the series, he mentioned a book entitled, Heaven Is For Real.  I had heard about this book before so while I was out of town, I bought it and read it in about two days.  It has been on the New York Times Bestseller List for over twenty weeks.  It is by Todd Burpo who is a pastor in Nebraska.  To give a brief overview of the book - when Todd's son, Colton, was three years old, he became very ill and was hospitalized.  He progressively became worse and the doctors were not sure he would even survive, but eventually Colton did get better.  In the weeks and months after Colton left the hospital, he began talking about things that happened while he was sick.  He spoke of being in Heaven, seeing Jesus, and how being healed when he almost died. Of course his parents were skeptical at first, but as Colton told more stories they were convinced that a three year old could not make any of this up.  The book goes on to tell about all the things that Colton experienced and how his story has now affected millions around the world.  I do not want to tell too much of the book because I hope that you will take the chance to read it sometime. 

Of course many people believe that this is not true and I wanted to read the book myself to see what I thought.  Our pastor actually went and interviewed both Todd and Colton and we watched the interview yesterday as part of the sermon.  I find it hard to believe that a kid so young could make all of this up and describe things in perfect detail.  One of the things I took away from the book was the power of a child-like faith.  When Colton describes Heaven, and seeing God, and meeting family members that had passed away - he does so in a very matter of fact kind of way.  He does not need to try and explain the how or the why - it just simply was.  So many times, we make things so difficult and need an explanation as to why things happen.  This need for "big word answers" distracts us from the simplicity of life and seeing it the way children see life. 

I also began to think about what happens next after we die.  Our pastor said that many times we do not think about Heaven or Hell because we do not know enough about it.  I know that many people have various beliefs and views on the afterlife.  As a Christian, I do believe that I will go to Heaven when I die and yesterday I thought a lot about what that will be like.  It will be a place of perfection, a place to fully see God and understand the depth of His love, and it will also be a time that I can see those people in my life that have made it there before me.  These thoughts do change my perspective on life here and what happens next.  Reading Heaven is For Real was an encouraging time for me.  Whether or not this story is true is not for me to say - but why couldn't it be true?  It definitely has sparked a conversation around the world about Heaven and what it is like and I think that's a good thing.  I would encourage everyone to read it for themselves and see what you think!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  A fun, productive weekend  2.  Getting to hang out with family and friends Saturday night (while eating Mexican food!)  3.  A great church service yesterday  4.  Being very encouraged about what happens after we die  5.  A day off today to hopefully be productive!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

A Moment to Review...

June 2nd - I cannot believe that we are almost half way through the year!  I thought I would take a minute and see where I am on my new year's goals.  Some I am doing very well on and some not so good.  But that is the point of a review - to see what I need to continue doing and to also see what I need to pick up the pace on - so let's get started!  If you want to look back - I posted my goals for the new year on February 21st (a little late I know, but I did write them down for myself on January 1st). 

1.  Become a published author - this is something I am still working on.  This one ties in with goal #4 and my plan is actually to get my new book published and then bring my first book back because in some ways they will go hand in hand.

2.  Start "Pay It Forward" in Nashville - I will admit that I have not done much with this goal but it is still a strong desire of mine.  I do have a plan though and it involves taking smaller steps to help accomplish the bigger goal and I do know that it will become a reality.

3.  Begin "The Kevin Buchanan Show" on YouTube - OK, so this one is actually a way for me to fulfill a huge dream I have of one day having my own talk show.  I have slacked off on this - and sorta forgot about it - but I know that it would be a lot of fun.  Let's strive for really starting this one in the fall.  That gives me the summer to really work on it and come up with some great ideas!

4.  Start working on a new book - Yay!  This is one I can say is currently in progress!  I know it is going to take awhile to finish but I do hope to have it done by the end of the year.

5.  Get control of my finances, raise my credit score, and make more money than I ever have - I was a little worried about this one but there have been some "things in the works" as far as this is concerned.  It looks like this one will be coming true as the weeks and months progress.

6.  Mark 12 items off of my bucket list - I have not done this one yet, but I still have 7 months to do it - so I am certain this one will happen.  One day I will probably blog about what is on my bucket list - someone might be able to help me make them come true!

7.  Blog everyday - Obviously this one had to be refined but I am very happy with the amount of blogs I have done this year.  It is not realistic for me to write something every day but I hope that quality over quantity is what counts!

8.  Run a 1/2 Marathon - This one will happen before the year ends - probably in the fall. 

9.  Be the healthiest and in shape I have ever been - I am feeling good about this one, especially after my extreme healthy eating last month.  I have been running more consistently.  The only thing I want to add is working out.  I used to go to the gym and really enjoyed it - so I plan to either get back or start P90X again.

10.  Live out my true authentic self - I believe this is one that I learn more and more about every day.  I continue to learn about who I am and I believe that I am living that out in my own life, in my relationship with God, and in front of others on a daily basis. 

So it looks like I am doing OK on my goals and dreams for the year.  I may not exactly be where I want to be on every one of them, but I am putting the work in for most of them and will pick up where I am slacking off on the others.  Actually writing this has motivated me to really stay focused because I know that each one of them were decided for a reason. 

What goals or dreams did you make for this year?  Are you making progress on them?  If yes, that's awesome - keep it up!  If not, don't beat yourself up - just start today making small steps in the right direction.  Goals will be accomplished and when they do, I promise that you will love how it makes you feel and how it motivates you to dream bigger!

As a side note, last night we went through 3 baskets of chips and salsa, a full Mexican meal, and 2 cupcakes from Sparkles (the neighborhood cupcake store).  I think that my stomach had shrunk some because I was completely miserable afterwards.  Oh, it was definitely delicious in the moment but I did learn that sometimes too much of a good thing is not always the best!  I need to slow down just a bit and ease back into some of these favorite foods :)

Today I am grateful for:  1.  My focus time this morning  2.  A 3-mile run  3.  Mexican food returning to my life  4.  Motivation to keep working on my goals for the year  5.  An afternoon of quietness

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Love of Chocolate and Hatred for Cicadas...

June 1, 2011 - There are a few things to talk about today!  First things first - the 31 days of extreme healthy eating came to an end at midnight last night!  I am so proud to say that I did what I set out to do and felt really good about it.  Now let me explain to you what happened at midnight last night.  Jordan did this extreme healthy eating with me and so we were counting down the minutes until the clock struck midnight - it was so exciting!  Laid out to eat were 2 chocolate truffles that my roommate had bought earlier in the month and we had put them in the freezer to save for this moment.  There were also a couple of Godiva chocolate truffles as part of the chocolate of the month club.  Finally, I made chocolate chip muffins last night to have for breakfast this morning and of course one had to be eaten at midnight as well.  We counted down the last few seconds and as soon as the clock said 12:00am we each ate the first truffle.  I cannot even begin to describe what it tasted like!  It was as if I had never had chocolate before in my life - it was perfection!  I felt my body come alive and I promise that I had a small tear coming down my face - yes, it was that good!  They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and I could not agree more.  The truffles and the muffins were eaten along with a glass of cold milk - I wanted to slap somebody it was so great!  Tonight is Mexican food and I can hardly wait - I hope the restaurant is stocked up on chips and salsa!

Next, we need to talk about these cicadas!  Part of me is fascinated by the fact that they only surface every thirteen years.  I have yet to learn what their true purpose in life is but it is kinda cool that they come out after thirteen years and do their thing.  The negative side to these creatures would be that they are extremely loud, are such a nuisance, and well.... they scare the crap out of me!  Those of you who keep up with me on facebook might have seen my post about getting into the car and one was in the floorboard and started flying around and making its noise!  Well, you have never seen two guys jumping around or screaming like girls in your life!  The other day, I was walking out of the movies and one landed on my shoulder.  Jordan just froze (helpful, huh?!) and once I realized what had happened I did the manly thing and proceeded to scream and run!  Then today, the nightmare of all nightmares happened.  I was walking outside and I passed a tree and all of the sudden what seemed like thousands of cicadas (in reality probably hundreds... OK, maybe 25) jumped off the tree at the same time and started chasing me!  I am telling the honest truth - they were chasing me down the sidewalk like I was under attack!  I was yelling and running (seems to be my normal reaction) and finally they went away.  I had just told someone the other day that it would be the absolute worst for a lot of these little monsters to start chasing me - I guess I should not have put those words out into the universe.  People, it was scary!!!  I will definitely be glad when their time here is over and we can all go back to living our lives like normal human beings.

I have started working on my new book and I really like the direction it is going in.  In fact, after I finish this blog, I plan to spend a few hours working on it and see where it takes me.  I love the process of writing because new ideas always come and you never know for sure what direction it will go in.  As I continue to write sections I might post some of them on here to get some feedback from you.  I am also considering two different titles for the book right now and will probably get opinions on that as well in the future.  It is great to be writing about a topic that I am passionate about and love to share with other people:  Truly living life to the fullest and overcoming any obstacles that get in the way of us fulfilling that goal. 

I hope everyone has a great day!  Enjoy a piece of chocolate, do something fun today, and if you see a cicada - run like crazy!

Today I am grateful for:  1.  A very productive day yesterday  2.  Having chocolate back in my life  3.  An exciting morning of possibilities and humor  4.  An afternoon off to write  5.  Mexican food for dinner tonight