Author Archive for John

My New Title

Published
by
John
on September 4, 2008
in General
. 0 Comments

So, I’ve decided I’m going to pursue a new title in life. I’d like to be know as - 

John C. Massie | Lion Chaser

Now, I’m sure you’re sitting there scratching your head going, “Did he really just write ‘lion chaser’?” What on earth is he thinking?

I guess I should let you know I’m reading an awesome book that was given to me by my friend Brad called, “In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day” by Mark Batterson. I’m so happy that he gave me this book because it has began to answer questions I had the day I talked with him about some personal things in life and some feelings that I had.

I only recently met Brad so it wasn’t like I spilled my entire deepest feelings about some things going on in life but it was funny how he seemed to see beyond my facade. After getting to know him more I look back and wonder why I didn’t spill everything to him since we seem to becoming great friends… but like they say, hindsight is always 20/20. It is amazing that this book is answering questions about the where and why and when I have in life and what I should do. It’s helping me deal with my feelings of closure and helping me learn to embrace all situations, good and bad. Obviously God had His hand in the gift of this book.

I don’t want to do a full review on the book until I’m finished which I’m going to presume will be this weekend because I cannot put this book down for one minute. I’m reading and reading like I’ve never done before.

So, that’s all. A little snippet of an upcoming book review (wow, a first for JohnMassie.com) and I hopefully won’t disappoint. Be on the lookout!

Later,
- JM 

Welcome to September

Published
by
John
on September 1, 2008
in General
. 0 Comments

Well, it’s September… already. I am starting to believe what people used to tell me,

“Time may feel like it is slow now but just wait until you get older, it flies by.”

Yeah, I am starting to see that this statement is very true. It seems like yesterday I was pulling out my shorts and putting away my sweaters. Now we enter into another fall season. The pool closed today (boo…) thankfully I have a gym with an indoor pool so there will be swimming all fall/winter long (yay!).

This weekend has been awesome. I got some stuff accomplished and will be doing a lot more this week. There are a bunch of random things that I’ve not updated about so I figured I’ll just post them in a list here for those interested to read…

  • Blackberry, Verizon and 614-406-4472 are HISTORY.
    I decided that it was time for a change. About a month ago I dumped Verizon, My BlackBerry 8803 Pearl, and my phone number of 614-406-4472 (call it… it’s disconnected). I have a new number on AT&T Wireless with an iPhone 3G 16GB in Black. I’ve had this phone for a month and it blows my BlackBerry and Verizon out of the water. 3G is so freaking fast and it’s an iPhone. No more trying to find movie times and it taking me twenty minutes to navigate the site on my BlackBerry.
  • I FOUND A CHURCH HOME!
    After much searching, I found a church home. Not that I’m at all ashamed of where I go but to keep the stalker fact down I won’t reveal where it is. Lets just say I found home and Lord willing I’ll be there for a while. I’m also back in ministry at church! Double bonus.
  • I AM STILL GOING TO THE GYM
    So, I dropped the 31 Days series with everything else going on but all is well. I fell off the healthy eating wagon but still managed to continue to lose. I’m almost up to 10 pounds from my starting weight! I guess when you start eating breakfast and exercising on a schedule you find your metabolism is actually there. More on this later as I’m refining my eating and training this month.
  • I AM THINKING ABOUT MOVING
    There, I said it… cat’s out of the bag. I share everything else with the world… why not that? Working this month on selling things on CraigsList and ebay that are no longer needed/wanted or that I don’t want to move and trying to reduce the clutter that I’ve collected across the (almost) three years I’ve lived here. Now, it’s not like I have a for sale sign in the front yard and I’m showing the house but I’m preparing for all that. Doing some repairs and fixing things here and there to get the house ready to sell.

    Where am I moving to? Good question. I’m going to just take this step by step and get my affairs in order, get the house sold and then decide where to live. Then once I figure out that question I can address if I want to build or buy existing. Thankfully being young and without a family I can do the whole “homeless” thing while I get a house built so currently I’m leaning to that because I really would enjoy moving into a house that I know no one has lived in and where I chose the major things so I don’t spend the first six months replacing light fixtures, cabinets, flooring and painting.

    We shall see where I end up. I’ll keep everyone posted as time goes on. Want to buy something I have for sale? Never fear… I’ll post the links once I am done listing.

That’s about it right now. A lot is going on and I’m excited for the changes. As always I will keep people posted on what’s going on as time passes.
Later,
- JM

He Speaks When We’re Not Listening

Published
by
John
on August 19, 2008
in General
. 2 Comments

Have you ever had something happen to you when you were least expecting it and label the event a “coincidence”. Maybe you were feeling down and someone called to ask how you were doing? You’re struggling financially and that bonus or gift shows up unannounced. You feel down on your luck and then suddenly something happens to turn your luck around. Many people call these things coincidences. Things that happen merely by chance. Have you ever thought that it could be God just saying, “Hello.” I am a firm believer that everything, good and bad, happens for a reason. I think my life is living proof of that. Some of the worst situations and events in my life have enabled me to sit here today and be the person I am. Thankfully God gave me an optimistic attitude to help me along the way.

Recently as I’ve been writing “Fitness, Finance and Faith” I’ve been touching on some personal issues in my life. I’ve decided to discontinue “31 Days” as I liked to call it until further notice. A much larger story is playing out in my life right now and I think I’d like to return to my blogging of what is on my heart and mind. If it is fitness, then so be it; finance, great… Right now I have a lot swirling around me spiritually and I’d like to capture some of that and share it with you, my readers (what few are out there). I guess in a sense to return to my “roots of blogging”; to blog about what is going on in life and nothing more. Sure I’m not going to increase readership by the hundreds daily when talking about the personal aspects in life but maybe something I have to share can help someone else along or inspire someone. So, never fear, I’m still keeping up and will do a 31 day summary at the end of the month to let everyone know how I came out and what my thoughts were.

I’ll pickup where I left off in the faith section from 31 days. I did meet with my pastor on Friday. I was late and got to Starbucks and ran inside to find that he just showed up as well (so I didn’t feel terrible). After me being taken back that my pastor rides a Harley Davidson we ordered and sat on the sidewalk in Old Dublin to talk. Now, keep in mind, I’m sitting here thinking that I have no clue what I wanted to ask or say. I asked to meet with him a while back and due to schedules we just couldn’t meet up for two weeks. I seemed to forget my “agenda” I had for the meeting from the day I wrote the letter to actually meeting with Brad, my pastor. I completely believe that was in God’s plan. I was forced to speak from my heart and not mind so we talked.

I noticed that Brad had no agenda either. He simply wanted to talk and see where the conversation lead. After the years of hurt in the church I’ve found it hard to trust pastors. It’s really sad that I feel that way but it is one of those things that after repetitious hurt you form an apprehension when speaking to someone like those from your past. Sitting there I found myself at ease. I easily poured my life out on the table. Sharing everything from my church history to school, family and my life. I listened to Brad as he spoke and he didn’t come across as holier than thou, religious snot, or any other stereotype that you can think of when it comes to “Christians” or “Church-Goers”. Brad came off to me as, human. Human with a heart for people. He actually showed concern and cared about what I had to say. He gave me no “text book” responses but spoke from the heart. Our talk helped me a lot and I continue to relive the moments to think about what was said and continue to pray that God directs me.

From there I spent the weekend helping a friend move. Friday night learned to play the game cornhole. Interjection of humor - I just found out there is an American Cornhole Association - http://www.playcornhole.org/. Please, everyone, take a moment to laugh. Back to the story, so I had a good time and Saturday was a lazy day filled with me coding at home and hanging out with the amazing Katy and doing laundry. Sunday was church and spending time with my family. I found myself going back to church that night to go to the BBQ that the church was having. Now, I’ve only been at the church a few weeks and really don’t know anyone so I figured I’d try this to see if I’d either feel like an outsider or get to know people. Well, everyone will be happy to know that I got to know some of the people from church. I guess most of them attend the early service (9:30 AM) but still it was cool to get to meet them. Talked with my friend Chris and got to hear about some things that God is doing in his life, which I think is awesome.

I still found myself Sunday evening trying to figure out what I’m doing and where I’m going. I think I have a connection at my church and life is changing but I just don’t know where I’m going. It’s one of those, I’m going to walk blind by faith and pray that God leads me where I’m to go. As I continue to toy with this idea in my mind I go to lunch alone today. I couldn’t decide where to go so I figured I’d go to my all time favorite Chinese restaurant on Sawmill, Pei Wei. I get my usual, Honey Chicken with White Rice and a Diet Coke and sit down at my table. I eat my lunch in peace and think about life and what I’m going to do. Lately I think I’ve been chattering too much to hear God. I’m learning how to practice the art of listening to God but it’s a work in progress. I opened my fortune cookie wondering what it would say. When I least expect it I get these small messages… “You do not have to know where you are going to be headed in the right direction.” Only twice this has happened and both times I find myself amazed to find something like this.

Now, I’m not trying to say that God lives in a fortune cookie or makes it His business to speak to His children via Chinese after dinner snacks. I just think that it goes to show that God can speak to us even when we’re not listening. Be it through a song, sermon, Bible, poetry, nature, art or even a fortune cookie… He’s there and He can do it. I’m still learning to let go of the “what direction” and focus on the “next step in front of me” but it takes time. So, for my readers, keep me in your prayers and stick around for the journey. Like my subtitle, I’m looking for life beyond the edge and I think that I’m on the road to find it.

Later,
- JM

31 Days - Update 4

Published
by
John
on August 12, 2008
in 31 Days, General and Series
. 0 Comments

Well, maybe I should just reduce the other two to updating once a week because I keep forgetting to ask them for their update. I promise the next one will be good! So tonight you’re stuck with me.

Fitness

I’m currently training in a 3 x 3 schedule. 3 days of cardio with 3 days of weight training. So far so good. I’m still trying to figure out all the machines, how much weight I can handle and how many reps/sets. It’s not too bad… I think that eventually I’ll get it figured out and on my way.

Question is, it’s been a week and do I feel different? Well, I know I’ve lost weight because I can wear clothes I couldn’t two weeks ago, I am not as winded when going up three stories of steps and find my workouts not being quite as challenging as day one.

Tomorrow is cardio (yay) one thing I do know how to do and do it well. I’m currently doing interval cardio for about 30 minutes. Then I’ll cool down for about 5 minutes and stretch for another 5. All in all about 45 minutes on the floor.

Finance

Well, I’m going to keep this one simple. Here is a website everyone should use:

http://www.mint.com

It is an awesome website, think of it as Quicken for the web except free (and easy to use for beginners). Just create a Mint account and add all your bank accounts and BAM it monitors your balances, notifies you of changes in your accounts and can show you where your money goes. Check it out!

Faith

I wonder is God trying to get my attention? After my last post I’ve been praying and seeking out this whole “closure” feeling I have. Haven’t nailed it down yet. My meeting with my pastor was moved to Friday. I have been praying about that so I’m going to assume it is one of those “God timing” things. I found myself this week in a bit of isolation and having more time to complete some things and to be with my thoughts. I’m going to trust God that He knows what’s going on and that He’ll lead me as He sees fit. Tonight as I went to go meet a friend at BestBuy to do some (for me at least) window shopping and to give me a break from coding I heard the song, “One Life to Love” on XM Radio (Station 32). It’s by a group called 33Miles (ironic, they’re from Franklin, TN… and we all know my love for TN). I was about to change the station when the title/group name looked interesting and decided to listen.

After listening to the first few lines I had captured the info and couldn’t wait to go home and download (via iTunes… it’s all legal folks) and listen to the song. I did just that and the lyrics simply amaze me and just jumped right out at me. Here is the section I felt the most drawn to:

“You only get just one time around.
You only get one shot at this.
One chance to find out the one thing that you don’t want to miss.
One day when it’s all said done I hope you see it was enough this, 
One life, one ride, one life to love.”

Check them out at www.33milesonline.com

This has very much been an on going theme with me in the last few months that I only have “one life to love” and I want to make the most of it. We’ll see how it goes in the next few weeks as I begin to discover what God has for me. That’s about it. As always you can reach me at 31days <at> johnmassie.com.

 

God Bless,
-JM

31 Days - Update 3

Published
by
John
on August 9, 2008
in 31 Days and Series
. 0 Comments

Well, it’s update 3 and here I am actually sitting down to write this on an early Saturday evening. I’m impressed that I’ve kept up with the posting. Hopefully you all have been catching the updates, if not, look at the Category 31 Days to read the posts.

Today is just my personal update. I forgot to let Toni and Katy know that I’m updating every three days. I think to save space (and my fingers) I’ll have them post every other update, so be on the lookout next Tuesday for their progress.

Fitness

Well, after taking a short hiatus from training I got back on the ball Friday morning. Due to some things going on at work I was woke up around 4:00 AM on Friday. I decided that instead of going back to bed I would eat breakfast and go to the gym. I did just that and was very proud of myself. I spent about 15 minutes on the treadmill warming up and then switched to 30 minutes of HIIT on an elliptical machine. So, being at the gym extra early I finished and it wasn’t even near time for me to hit the showers so… I decided I’d go look at some of the resistance training equipment/area of the gym.

Now, let me be the first to state that I’m “resistance training stupid”. So I often have a fear of looking stupid while trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully all the weight machines have instructions and are laid out according to the body area you wish to work out so navigating the equipment wasn’t as hard as I thought. Now, coming up with a training plan is a whole other story (more on that later). I hesitantly sat down at the back extension machine to give it a try first. I was kind of nervous because again, I wanted to keep from looking like the gym newbie or making a fool of myself. Then I remembered an article I read the other day about training that said that the first thing you should do at the gym is… chuck your pride at the door. I’ve learned to do that and I’ve also learned that no one cares what you do. Did I feel like an idiot as I did triceps extensions with only 20lbs of resistance? Yep. Did any of the 15 or so people who paraded by me notice or care… not so much. I did about twenty minutes of resistance training when I decided that was enough and it was time for work.

I headed to work and found myself energized and confident to start the day. I have noticed so much more energy throughout the day and I have slept so much better at night. Now granted there have been a few evenings that I’ve taken a nap but I think that’s my body getting adjusted to the fact I went from zero physical activity to 45 - 60 minutes per day now (with a rest on Sunday). It’s getting better, I only took an hour nap today but I did go to the gym for an hour and half (and did resistance training for an hour… can you believe that?) then came home and washed the car in the blazing sun then forgot to eat and ate “lunch” at 3:30… I think that kind of pushed me over the edge. 

Did I mention that I drink water like crazy now? I’ll have a diet drink maybe once or twice in a week… that’s it. I’ve noticed a lot of benefits of the water drinking. I’ve always had dry skin and that has slowly began to clear up without me changing anything besides the increase of water intake. I also agree that drinking water helps you not eat as much. I drink water all day long at work and don’t find myself as hungry as I once was and then eat less at each meal.

I have some tasks this week to do in relation to 31 days and thought I’d share them with you:

 

  1. Create a new eating plan.
    Currently I’m doing what I would call “clean eating” or “making healthier choices”. I cut out fast food, fried food, and all the other things we think of when someone says “bad food for you”. I’ve increased to eating six small meals a day with a good snack before bed (like cottage cheese) and not eating dinner real late. 
  2. Create a formal resistance training plan.
  3. Increase interval cardio to 45 minutes and change the intervals
As always, if you have any input or suggestions, please leave a comment or e-mail me at 31days <at> johnmassie.com.

Finance

I thought today for finance I’d go “behind the scenes” and share with you some of the blogs that I read to get some of my inspiration and ideas that I use in my very own life. I’ll let them speak for themselves but please check them out!
  1. The Simple Dollar
  2. Get Rich Slowly
  3. ZenHabits
  4. LifeRemix (just discovered, but 100% awesome)
  5. LifeHacker (not all finance but normally has some great money saving ideas from time to time)

Faith

I have been struggling with this section as I knew it was going to be posted today. All day in the back of my mind was the thought, “What am I going to put in the faith section?” I felt that I should just maybe share my heart and where I’m at right now in life. I’m at a point in my life where I’m searching. I have a meeting with my pastor this week to discuss this thought of searching. I am at a transitional point in life where I see God opening doors as he begins to close others. I am watching Him move things around and setting up my life for change much like He did almost three years ago when I moved out from home and started a new journey in life. To speak metaphorically, I feel that I’m writing the final pages of this time of my life. This time instead of being a “chapter” it’s more of the end of a book. God’s putting the final touches on the last chapter and soon I’ll put it on the “shelf of life” and take down a new blank book and begin writing about the next part of my life. What this “new part” entails is completely unknown to me and that’s what I’m currently working on seeking is God’s will. That’s all I desire to follow and that’s truly all I want. Not really much of a “self help” section this time but more of me being transparent.
Well, there’s today’s update. As always, if you have comments, questions or just want to contact me you can do so by leaving a comment or e-mailing 31days <at> johnmassie.com.
Until next time,
- JM 

31 Days - Update 2

Published
by
John
on August 7, 2008
in 31 Days, General and Series
. 0 Comments

Fitness

John

Well, a week later and here we are. No one has fallen off the bandwagon yet. I’ve got down the gym thing now I am working on increasing my knowledge of how to do resistance training and core exercises. If anyone reading this blog would like to chime in with some suggestions or websites I would be much obliged.

I’ve been sick with some allergy/sinus issues this week so Wednesday/Thursday I had no gym time. I start back up with some vigorous cardio tomorrow to get back into the routine. Currently my training schedule is M, W, F - Cardio; T, Th, S - Resistance; Sunday - Rest. With the Cardio I’m doing HIIT on an elliptical machine. I do some warm-up on a treadmill as it works a different set of muscles but just isn’t good for the interval training because it’s hard to burst to high speeds then suddenly go to a slow pace.

The food thing is still taking some time to get used to. I have been great for the most part. I have had a few meals where maybe the greatest decision wasn’t made but overall every meal has been healthy and proportionate. I also have been drinking water like it is no body’s business. I rarely drink anything but water anymore which seems weird to me because I used to be the person who hated water.

I find myself having more energy and overall I just feel better (even with the whole sick thing). I sleep so much better now that I’m exercising and I’m starting to notice that things that were once challenging me at the gym are now becoming easier.

Toni (The person former known as “co-worker”) written by Toni

It’s now day 4 of my ‘diet’ and it’s been a slow start.  Going Cold Turkey while dieting is too much of a shock for me. I have not changed my breakfast habits yet….still eating on the go.  I make a quick sandwich on rye of either peanut butter and jelly, turkey or chicken and eat in the car with my Diet Coke.
Lunch is currently my most successful meal of the day: salad.  I know I am still consuming too many carbs so I wil work on that each day.  I have done better than I thought I would although I still fall back into old habits when I encounter stressful situations. Yesterday at work, I fell off the wagon and ate 3 (yes 3!) single Reese’s cups. 
Dinnertime has not been too much of a problem and I am happy with my success at least for this last meal of the day.   I am eating about half of what I would usually eat……eating the same types of food, just half the amount.
I have not weighed myself yet..so I still need to do that …..once I do weigh myself, I will keep a chart in my bathroom and record my weight either daily or every other day.  This method works for me and will  keep me on track. I can say that after day 3, I do have more energy when I get home from work. 

Katy written by John

Katy just received her Wii Fit and she’s found herself working out at least 30 minutes a day on it. Already she’s noticed a difference in energy level and is starting to feel the effects of the workout. She is enjoying it and made the comment that after doing several rounds of the “hula hoop” exercise that she felt it in her abs. Due to her just getting the Wii Fit this week this update will be a little short :-). More next time…

Finance

One thing that I do when shopping is use coupons. Many people think I’m wasting my time with it but in all reality I spend $20.00 on a Sunday newspaper subscription and maybe an hour before each shopping trip gathering coupons. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars in shopping trips and pretty much one trip to the store with coupons pays for my subscription.

Here are my person top 5 tips with coupons:
1. DO NOT USE THEM THE SAME WEEK YOU GET THEM.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people do is get their coupons on Sunday and turn around and use them on Monday. Somehow in the coupon world stores seem to know what products will have coupons in the paper and don’t put those items on sale. Now, there is an exception to this rule - if it is a no brainer like $1.00 off an item that is going for $0.89 that week or it is something that you absolutely need and have a coupon for it (example - toilet paper). Instead, wait about 3-4 weeks and watch the weekly ads closely because you can normally match up a sale item with a coupon and get a lot more money off (or some free items!)
2. DON’T BUY SOMETHING BECAUE YOU HAVE A COUPON
Another temptation is to go to the store and walk down the isle with all your coupons and see an awesome chocolate brownie mix that is calling your name. You know in your mind that you don’t need the mix so you stand there and figure out a way to justify it to yourself. You go digging through your coupons and see that you can buy it with a $1.00 off… well why not then? Yeah, you nor your body needs that mix so put it down and move on. If you’re really bad at this, only take the coupons that you know you really really need. This way we eliminate temptation to buy everything in the store that you have a coupon for. Again, the exception here is with free items. I’ve picked up several free or $0.10 toothbrushes, band-aids, medicine, etc…
3. TALK TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW WHO SHOP AND TRADE
Many people out there are coupon shoppers; you just might not know it. Many people who meet me are surprised to find out that I use coupons. Once you find some people who use coupons then offer to trade them coupons you don’t use or want. Don’t have pets but have kids? Trade someone all your dog food coupons for diaper coupons. Most stores will allow you up to xx amount of items and you are able to use one coupon per item. I’ve got a lot of good coupons this way and also have found deals by talking to other people who may have caught something in the add that you didn’t.
4. GET AN ORGANIZER
Yeah, I tried the whole, “I’m going to be manly and hold my 300 cut coupons in my hand or paper envelope” because I thought the plastic coupon holder wasn’t the exact sign of masculinity. I found out that doesn’t work so well. I finally sucked it up, went to an office supply store and got a coupon holder. Also, don’t skimp and get one with three or so pockets. The more the better. I typically seperate all mine out by the layout of the store and then have a pocket in the back for miscellaneous and one at the front for “used coupons” that I move there once I have the item(s) in my cart.
5. LOOK FOR A “TWO-FOR” OFFER
Sometimes, depending on the store, you can get away with the following. You have two coupons. One that says, “Free Razor with Purchase of Blade Refills Instantly!”. The second one says, “$2.00 off Blade Refills”. You can use both. The trick is to not put the two coupons together. The $2.00 off coupon is going to be what I call an “Automatic Coupon” where it will verify the UPC against what the coupon is calling for. So have that scanned near the beginning then have the “Free” coupon near the end. The cashier has to manually make sure you purchased both items, refills and razor. They’ll look the receipt over and find both items then giving you the discount. I’ve yet to been stopped for this because technically you aren’t getting money “off” the refills just the razor itself. So keep this in mind that in this siutation the “one coupon per item” technically seems to not apply. However, don’t go to the store and try this, get turned down and then tell them that JohnMassie.com told you so that you could do this because I’m sure that will get you NO WHERE with the cashier or manager.

Faith

Life is hard. That was the thought when I came to the faith section. I’m sure you’re reading this going, NO DUH; thank you captain obvious. I think that we need to remember that though life is hard that God is bigger than this life. I was talking with my mom about this very subject that as we grow older as adults we forget that God is bigger. Like a song I like to sing…
“God is bigger than the air I breathe, the world we’ll leave. God will save the day and all will say, my glorious. And all you ever do is change the old to new.”
I think we need to remember that very first part especially. GOD IS BIGGER THAN THE AIR I BREATHE. Whatever you’re going through, God’s bigger than that. The first part is realizing that fact. The much harder part is leaving it in God’s hands for Him to actually be bigger than the problem or trial you face. You have to trust Him to do what He says He will do. I struggle with this from time to time but recently God has put me in this spot and each day I surrender my life and will to God and I get out of bed knowing that He is bigger than anything I may face. Hopefully you can find some encouragement in this as well.
Well, there’s update 2. Be on the lookout for the next segment in the series. Questions and comments are welcome. If you’d like to contact anyone in the post or myself please e-mail 31days <at> johnmassie.com!
God Bless,
- JM

31 Days of Fitness, Finance and Faith

Published
by
John
on August 3, 2008
in 31 Days and Series
. 4 Comments

Back in the day when I was young and very into blogging I used to write in series. It’s been quite some time since I’ve done this and decided that August would be the perfect month to do this. I wanted to do something that was informative yet personal. What better than three important things in my life - Fitness, Finance and Faith.

In talking with people within my circle of friends it seems that I’ve inspired a few to join me on this journey, at least in the fitness aspect. I have two people joining me and we thought it would be cool to bring you the progress of three different people and their 31 days of fitness.

Well, first, you have me. A twenty-something, male, with no previous gym experience and/or resistance training. According to my recent fitness assessment I have a goal of 50+ pounds to lose. I also personally am working on building core and upper body strength at the same time.

Then we have my friend Katy, she’s a twenty-something female who is going to focus on increasing physical activity using the Wii Fit. She’ll be joining us later in the posting as she’s waiting for her new Wii Fit to ship to her.

Finally we have a co-woker of mine who due to the fact that I forgot to ask her if I could use her name, we’ll leave it at co-worker for now. She is recovering from knee surgery and has limited mobility when it comes to exercise. She was excited to take this challenge and wanted to share some of her point of view as to what she is doing to accomplish her goals.

Technically we began on August 1, 2008 but since this wasn’t formally planned I’m going to say the first weekend was transition. Since I’ve not been able to meet with the other two I’ll share five things I’m doing for the 31 days:

  1. I joined a gym. I work out 5-6 times a week alternating between weight training and cardio. I tested it out last week and find that I prefer to work out before work because it seems to give me energy for the day.
  2. I committed (for the most part) to a regular sleeping schedule. I’m not quite getting 8 hours, but very close. I am now getting up at 4:30 AM and going to bed at 9:00 PM. Tonight being the exception because I had a small allergy issue this weekend and the meds I was on caused me to sleep… A LOT. So I’m wide awake right now but soon will head off to bed.
  3. I stopped eating out. I get one meal per week that is not from home (typically on Friday, lunch and whatever I want). Again, tomorrow being the exception for lunch because I was so busy this weekend I couldn’t get to the store. What I do eat will be on my eating plan.
  4. I’ve developed and committed to an eating plan. Based of Men’s Health “The Abs Diet” and all around healthy eating I’ve decided to eat much better. I wouldn’t call it a “diet” per se, it is a new way for me to eat. I’ll be sharing more about this in the coming days.
  5. I’m “reassessing” all my bills and reducing where I can. Finding ways to save money and/or easily make extra money.
You may ask, “Why post this on your blog for the world to see?” It’s like having an invisible workout partner through this whole thing. You know that people out there read this and it makes you feel that you have some form of commitment you have to keep up. I also think that it might be helpful for people who may be like me or similar who are looking for advice or for someone’s story as they write about what they’re doing. I surely can’t be the only weight loss / muscle gain / gym newbie.
My last piece that will be a challenge for me is that I will not weigh myself again until September 1, 2008. Then we will find out the results of my hard work. I will post on average every three days and just give an update on progress and what’s going on.
So enough about fitness, what about the finance and faith? I’m wanting to share some financial tips and tricks every three days to share some things I’ve learned and some blogs/websites that I like to frequent.
Then faith, here is where I’ll share from the other side of my heart. Maybe it is some lyrics, quote, thought or scripture verse. It will just be something that I’ll share as I felt led to. Hopefully in the process bringing encouragement to my readers.
Well, that’s the introduction… Now for the hard part, actually getting it done. I’m extremely busy but promise that no matter what I’ll fit in time to keep this going. For people who I’m sure will inevitably end up here via other blogs, e-mail or search engines feel free to comment or if you have some tips/advice you’d like to send directly to me feel free to e-mail 31days <at> johnmassie.com.
Night,
-JM

Inspiration for the Journey

Published
by
John
on July 22, 2008
in General
. 1 Comment

So, I mentioned in past posts about closing out a chapter of my life. It’s amazing how for the first time in life that I quickly closed a chapter and I never even saw it coming. I’ve been one to have methodical and drawn out closure but this time things were different. It seemed like most of the things in my life ended abruptly and change began to happen in me and around me. It was also the first time I “closed a chapter” and never looked back.

So after this happened I was presented with the question of, “Where do I go now?” So, I did what I do best, prayed. Thankfully God had a plan for me. I ended up at Marysville Vineyard this Sunday to hear my dear friend Kelly speak. Now, I haven’t heard Kelly speak since camp which was years ago so I was excited.

From the moment I walked in I was met with happy faces and love abounded. Thought I’m not a “regular” many people in the church are getting to recognize me and will say hello and talk to me… which is nice. As worship began I just had a small voice let me know that God had me there for a reason. So I intently began to enter into a time of worship.

The music began and it wasn’t a song I knew but I’m quick with lyrics so I began to sing. The song was so moving and I began to listen to what I was singing and found so much inspiration and comfort that I knew that as long as I turned over my life to God, everything would be ok.

Then after a moving worship service my friend Kelly got up to speak. Her message was much like how I write, based on her personal life. She shared from the heart and I was moved. She related with a lot of what I was feeling and gave me hope that everything was going to be just fine. As we entered a time of prayer we sang yet another song I love and I knew God had met me there that day.

I came home to a less than pleasant situation but as I do with everything that I view as “bad” in life I began to look for what God wanted me to learn from the situation. I learned to displace my anger and see past the issue to what God wanted me to see. I think it served as a great reminder that I do only have a few people in life who understand who I am, what I’m about and where I’m going in life and most of all… believe in me.

I have a few that pretend like they meet that criteria and I have many who classify me as a “Grade A Failure” but I’m living out a much bigger plan that is completely out of my hands. Sure, I might be unconventinal in my methods but then again wasn’t Jesus considered a radical of His time? God never promised that if His children followed the will He set before them that they would look normal in the world’s eye and that is something I have to remember each day.

I also give thanks to God for all that I do have in this life and His many blessings He so graciously gives me. I praise Him for the good, bad and ugly when it comes my way. I know that no matter what I’m never a failure in God’s eye and His plan is never considered a failure. God ordained the events that played out that night because He wanted to remind me of the way the world sees me from now until the day I die and light a fire within me to go on and conquer the path set before me with passion and faith - to show that God’s plan is never a failure.

So all in all, I found my inspiration for the journey. As my new time in life unfolds I’ve taken it as fast as God can give it to me and reach out to those that I need to and have been met with only love and support. To my family and friends who are there for me, thank you. 

Well, it is getting to be my bedtime and I’m tired. I’ll post the lyrics to that new song I learned at Vineyard for you all to read and I’ve highlighted what stood out to me.

Night,
- JM

 

Mighty to Save
Hillsong

Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King…Jesus

The Wonder Years

Published
by
John
on July 20, 2008
in General
. 0 Comments

So I thought I should blog this morning before heading out to church, to kill time if nothing else.

As I got ready for church I began to think about life and what has been going on. Sometimes you wonder if you made the right decision. It is always nice to get some affirmation from God that you’re going down the right path and He did just that for me.

As I began to ponder this subject more while staring at this blank box to write in, the song, “With a Little Help From My Friend by Joe Cocker” (aka “The Wonder Years” theme song from the 80s-90s sitcom I used to watch as a kid) came to mind, ironically. I found it in my iTunes library and decided to listen to it while I write and it made me think of this weekend and all that has gone on.

I thankfully do have friends that will help me get by. As I closed a long chapter in my life it was like suddenly, a new one began. In the last few days I’ve help friends pack, run a yard sale with friends, go to a party (yes, I did write party) with another then was invited to the movies twice and to a party today and a concert, twice. Suddenly it’s like people remembered I was here, and they’re all here for me; which is nice.

So today I’m going to visit some friends at church, go to a cookout then go to a concert in the evening. Then home to get ready for Monday, joy! I’m not sure what else is going on yet this week. I’ll keep you all posted.

Later,
- JM

Spots

Published
by
John
on July 14, 2008
in General
. 0 Comments

There is a saying that goes, “A leopard can’t change its spots.”

I never really stopped to think about the phrase and haven’t used it for quite some time. The other day, as always, as I was doing something that was completely unrelated to blogging, a post began to form in my mind.

We all associate this phrase with a negative connotation that, bluntly, people can’t/don’t change. Then I began to think about those people in my life who I’m glad to find they never changed. As the sea of life drifts us together and then apart again it is always reassuring when we drift back together that those familiar faces are still the same familiar people you remember.

Then you have the other people. The people in your life that you keep around and they’re consistently in your life. Being one who gives everyone the “benefit of the doubt” and multiple chances to be in my life I tend to forget the phrase, “a leopard cannot change its spots.” Then something happens with said people and I’m shaken back to a reality that they were that person they “used to be” all along and yet each time I’m shocked at their behavior and cannot figure out why they are that way.

Then I coincidentally came home and found this song. In going along with the theme I wonder if it is much of a coincidence or if it was a message to me about those people; something for my readers to ponder. So as I used to do many years ago when I began blogging… “I leave you with the lyrics”.

Goodbye
Secondhand Serenade

It’s a shame that it had to be this way
It’s not enough to say I’m sorry
It’s not enough to say I’m sorry

 

Maybe I’m to blame
Or maybe we’re the same
But either way I can’t breathe
Either way I can’t breathe

 

All I had to say is goodbye
We’re better off this way
We’re better off this way

 

I’m alive but I’m losing all my drive
Cause everything were been through
And everything about you
Seemed to be a lie
A guiltless twisted lie
It made me learn to hate you
Or hate myself for letting it pass by

 

All I had to say is goodbye
Were better off this way
Were better off this way
All I had to say is goodbye
Were better off this way
Were better off this way

 

And every, everything isn’t only
What it seemed so hold these
Words that you never told me
Its time to say goodbye
Its time to say goodbye
Its time to say goodbye
Goodbye

 

Bye

 

Night,
-JM