Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Biggest Loser



"What have you done today to make you feel proud?"- Biggest Loser Theme Song


I'm not sure if you have ever watched this show but I hadn't until this Season which started earlier this Fall. I had never tuned in, but had always heard it was an inspring show. I watched this season because my friend Mandy said that a woman that she knew from her hometown (who lost her husband, daughter, and son in a car accident two years ago) was going to be on the show. I decided I would watch because I remembered this story from then. I never knew that a simple show could inspire me and change so many perspectives on health and working out than this show did over the course of this Fall. This season was called, "Second Chances", as most contestants had big things happen in their life, like Abby's story above, Rudy lost his best friend/sister at the age of 14, Allen a firefighter who felt that he was useless at his job, Amanda a 19 year old who America picked to be on the show at the season finale of season 7, and the winner Danny who had struggled with weight all his life. The stories go on and on, but many people who have watched in the past all agree that this has been the best season yet! The trainers, Bob and Jillian, never let any of them quit when it's all they wanted to do in the beginning. The transformations that happened over the course of seven months for these people is unimaginable. Unless you struggle with weight, you will never know what it's like to be overweight. My wake up call came this summer when I woke up as a 25 year old who did not feel good. Since then I have changed my life, my eating habits, and from working out once every few months to six times a week. I'm on a journey to a new me, and this show has been a huge
huge motivator.

For all results check the shows website: http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/

Season Nine starts on January 5th. wanna get inspired? Watch it!

I'm going to share a few pics so you can see what they accomplished:

My personal favorite: AMANDA!
Started at 250 lbs!
And is now at a healthy 163 lbs!











The at home winner was Rebecca who started at 279 and finished at 140 lbs!














The winner Danny started at 430 pounds:
And is now: 191 Pounds!
The dude lost 55% of his body!

Monday, December 7, 2009

My current thoughts on College Football ...

In my previous post I talked about the fact that I loved UT football. I need to clarify after feeling really convicted earlier today in "loving" something to that sort of depth other that the Lord. Shocking to hear this die hard UT fan say. I like UT football a lot. Earlier today there was a lot of trash talking going on about how TCU deserves to play and we do not, etc. etc. I put in my own two cents, and was quickly deleted by a friend who I have know for over 10 years. It was sad to say the least.

As I was at the gym tonight riding on the elliptical I felt the Lord really speaking to me about how much my heart stirs for college football, but not for the souls of people. Sometimes we (I) care more about a glass football, than we do about the soul of a human being that will spend an eternity apart from Christ if they do not know Him. Why doesn't that stir my heart?

Human trafficking is going on all around the world, with an estimated revenue of 32 BILLION dollars a year. (http://love146.org/slavery)

And yet we argue about college football.

Two children are sold in human slavery every minute.

And yet we argue about who deserves to be in a National Championship Game.

At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day (http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats)

And yet we argue about being "screwed" by the BCS. TCU this year, and Texas last year.

More than 2 million Sudanese refugee ORPHANS live in Egypt with little to no hope for a future. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudanese_refugees_in_Egypt)

And yet we care more about a glass football to display in a trophy case.

THIS (http://haitirescuecenter.wordpress.com/) is going on in Haiti.

And yet we argue about college football.

Friends that I know live in the Dominican Republic and give their time, energy, and patience everyday for the sake of the gospel: (http://makariosinternational.org/)

And we are more stirred to cry over a football game than a child in poverty.

My friend Constance (http://congraced.blogspot.com/) lives in Thailand to educate girls, so that they can change the world and realize they don't have to go into prostitution to LIVE. (http://elfthai.blogspot.com/)

And still we are more concerned with college football than the world around us.

My friend Rebecca (http://rebeccainphilly.blogspot.com/) chooses to live in Philadelphia to teach, and to provide a glimpse of hope to her students in one of the poorest cities in America.

And we argue about college football...

We are free to pursue Christianity, and in Saudi Arabia this is what Christians face: "Besides foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, the percentage of Saudi citizens as Christians tends towards zero, as Saudi Arabia forbids religious conversion from Islam. Some Saudi conversions to Christianity are known only through their being killed by a near relative for the crime of apostasy."

Why don't we care? When did we become so numb to the world around us? When did I become so pathetic?

Lord, I repent of this sin. I repent that often my heart is stirred toward football and not the injustice that is going on in the world. May you detach my hands from the things of this world, and attach myself to you. You are the only thing that is truly Good.