You know, I have kept this blog stewing for over a year and my oldest daughter, Shacora, is begging me to become more regular on blogging here so I am going to hold my word and do that. (Oh by the way, please check out Shacora's blog @ http://sbmaige.blogspot.com/ She has a wonderful insight, one that will inspire you as well. I am so proud of her and I love her very much. Now back to the program.) I have had a lot of thoughts going through my head and heart, it has left me really scatterbrained as such. I will try to systematically go through them with different posts. And if I seem scatterbrained then ok...
This Sunday I am going to concentrate on my brothers a bit. How in God's name can anyone take us seriously when we look like we have been stuck in time. We look, act and talk like we are in the 1990's. Our country has elected a black man as President and here we are looking like a crew from the Clinton era. I will admit that I am has hood as they come but there is a time where we have to see things from the eyes of a man. I have been blessed to have grown up in the shadow of good, hard working, family loving, God fearing men. These brothers enjoyed the fellowship of other brothers but not at the expense of their households. Making sure that their house was protected, wives were cherished, kids were raised right, house in order and first and foremost, being led by God, was the mission for these men. They might not have been perfect, but they gave it their best. Truly, are we (my generation and younger) giving it our best? We have fools running around thinking and trying to be thugs, fools running around thinking and trying to be women, fools running around confused, fools running around forgetting that they are husbands, it is amazing and a tribute to God's grace on us that we are still here. My God we can do better, be better and ordained to be better than what we are. We are playing ourselves to be fools, clowns, comedy acts, bottom line, jabronis. I am tired of watching our sisters suffer through the foolish actions of us men. We are so much better that what we are and it is time to bring up our game. Enough fussing, just my .02 cents though.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
I Am Really Sick and Tired of How Our Country is Operating
It has been awhile since I have placed a rant here on Facebook. I have been in sponge mode for the past few months and the political rhetoric and the lack of action in Washington has left mentally and spiritually tired. My emotions have run the gambit and I would say that it is probably not wise for me to even write due to the fact that I may come off in a jumbled diatribe. I will start with the straw that broke my back, the Tom Tancredo statements at the Tea Party Convention.
This joker made a case for 'literacy tests' for voters of 'foreign' descent; 'literacy tests' for those who can't speak english. I shouldn't be surprised but in laymens terms, this guy is arguing to re-establishment of Jim Crow and voting rules pre-Civil Rights Bill of 1964. Is this the country that the Tea Party claims that they want back??? What is conservative about this??? How does 'literacy tests' keep our taxes and the deficit down??? All the blood that was spilled by people of color and women, just for the fair chance to vote and here comes this clown arguing the re-establishment of 'literacy tests'? Our citizens SHOULD know this history and yet they sit there and cheer and clap in approval. Oh, lets bring back lynching and separate but equal while we at it...This is the country that so many people want back. That is THEIR AMERICA....Nice.
Then there is our government not getting anything done. One of my fears in the election of President Obama was that he would not get anyone to work with him on any issue. Really, his own party has helped he become a first term, lame-duck President. The Democrats are such punks, they won't exercise any leadership at all. Get something done!!!! At this rate, I do feel like my vote was wasted, these are the things that I will remember when I go back to the voting booth. Also, at this point, I don't want to hear what the Republicans have to say because everything they say is for political expediency. It is all about scoring points instead of coming up with solutions with our country's issues. This goes into my main point of this...
I am really done with the way our politics are going. Our country is steeped with some many issues; issues that should be worked through by the best and brightest. I do believe that difference of opinion and variety is good, God love variety as well; look at creation itself. Both parties are doing the political boxing match, just throwing insults and jabs back and forth, while the working men and women of this country are getting reamed for every dollar they have. The news channels just keep showing the day to day barbs and we are at or over 10% unemployment. (Even higher for communities of color) Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, companies are pocketing money instead of hiring, the IRS still wants their cut, a college education is becoming more out of reach for average folks, people are hungry and all our elected leaders can do is go to conferences (pep rallys) throw barbs or just quit the fight all together. We don't have the best and the brightest in office right now. Both parties are loaded down with rich idiots, and it is showing. The change of our country is going to have to come from the grassroots. Not through political parties, but through people caring about others, like God loves and cares about us. Maybe I have been a fool, but Caesar and his cronies can have it...(I think political TV and radio coverage will go on my Lent list.)
This joker made a case for 'literacy tests' for voters of 'foreign' descent; 'literacy tests' for those who can't speak english. I shouldn't be surprised but in laymens terms, this guy is arguing to re-establishment of Jim Crow and voting rules pre-Civil Rights Bill of 1964. Is this the country that the Tea Party claims that they want back??? What is conservative about this??? How does 'literacy tests' keep our taxes and the deficit down??? All the blood that was spilled by people of color and women, just for the fair chance to vote and here comes this clown arguing the re-establishment of 'literacy tests'? Our citizens SHOULD know this history and yet they sit there and cheer and clap in approval. Oh, lets bring back lynching and separate but equal while we at it...This is the country that so many people want back. That is THEIR AMERICA....Nice.
Then there is our government not getting anything done. One of my fears in the election of President Obama was that he would not get anyone to work with him on any issue. Really, his own party has helped he become a first term, lame-duck President. The Democrats are such punks, they won't exercise any leadership at all. Get something done!!!! At this rate, I do feel like my vote was wasted, these are the things that I will remember when I go back to the voting booth. Also, at this point, I don't want to hear what the Republicans have to say because everything they say is for political expediency. It is all about scoring points instead of coming up with solutions with our country's issues. This goes into my main point of this...
I am really done with the way our politics are going. Our country is steeped with some many issues; issues that should be worked through by the best and brightest. I do believe that difference of opinion and variety is good, God love variety as well; look at creation itself. Both parties are doing the political boxing match, just throwing insults and jabs back and forth, while the working men and women of this country are getting reamed for every dollar they have. The news channels just keep showing the day to day barbs and we are at or over 10% unemployment. (Even higher for communities of color) Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, companies are pocketing money instead of hiring, the IRS still wants their cut, a college education is becoming more out of reach for average folks, people are hungry and all our elected leaders can do is go to conferences (pep rallys) throw barbs or just quit the fight all together. We don't have the best and the brightest in office right now. Both parties are loaded down with rich idiots, and it is showing. The change of our country is going to have to come from the grassroots. Not through political parties, but through people caring about others, like God loves and cares about us. Maybe I have been a fool, but Caesar and his cronies can have it...(I think political TV and radio coverage will go on my Lent list.)
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Battle Update-03 February 2010
Well folks, I had another weigh in on yesterday and for this week I have not lost any weight. I am still at 413, no worries though. I am weighing in every week at my doctor's office. (Dr. Callie Hollenshead-Methodist Health Systems in downtown Dallas.) Her nurse, Elvia, has been tracking my weight in my file and this has caught the eye of Dr. Hollenshead and she wanted to know what I was doing. I told her my lifestyle adjustments and she was extremely encouraging. Dr. Hollenshead said that this is the way weight loss should be done and that still at my current weight, 12 lbs a month is aggressive, but yet feasible. She was very excited that I have taken on this, plus getting my blood sugar A1C numbers under control. With the early success, there is more work to do.
Highlights:
1) My dumbbell method seems to be working well. It keeps me from having to rely on a spotter and I am able to do multiple movements without spreading myself all over the gym.
2) I am having fun working out with the 5AM crew of folks. These older brothers and sisters are keeping me in check.
3) I am really being encouraged by Caretha's cardio workout. That thing is sick and I will admit I am scared of it. She is a beast!!!!
4) Speaking of cardio, I am running sprints in the gym. Ugly, slow sprints but sprints nonetheless.
Improvements:
1) Not to let this cold derail me. Every time I have started a workout program, I get sick. Cold, flu, monkey pox, something comes up. I will drive through this.
2) More intensity in the gym.
3) Stay true to 2500 calories and NO EATING AFTER 8:30PM.
4) STAY IN PRAYER!!!!
Much love and prayers to everyone.
Highlights:
1) My dumbbell method seems to be working well. It keeps me from having to rely on a spotter and I am able to do multiple movements without spreading myself all over the gym.
2) I am having fun working out with the 5AM crew of folks. These older brothers and sisters are keeping me in check.
3) I am really being encouraged by Caretha's cardio workout. That thing is sick and I will admit I am scared of it. She is a beast!!!!
4) Speaking of cardio, I am running sprints in the gym. Ugly, slow sprints but sprints nonetheless.
Improvements:
1) Not to let this cold derail me. Every time I have started a workout program, I get sick. Cold, flu, monkey pox, something comes up. I will drive through this.
2) More intensity in the gym.
3) Stay true to 2500 calories and NO EATING AFTER 8:30PM.
4) STAY IN PRAYER!!!!
Much love and prayers to everyone.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Battle Update-26 January 2010
Once again everyone, I have to ask for forgiveness for not being timely on my updates. I admit, I have been trifling. Please forgive me y'all!!
Thank God that I am seeing progress. I stepped on the scale today at the doctor's office and 414 lbs. was recorded!!!! We are -13 lbs already and I have made my monthly goal already!!!!! God is truly good.
The Good: 1) I am doing well with portion size and time of eating.
2) I am being very consistent with my water intake.
3) I have kept the junk to a minimum.
4) I am starting to get into a groove with my workouts. More on that in a minute.
Need to Keep Working On: 1) My workouts and bringing more intensity to the table. My workouts have been really cool as of late and I thank God for bring in the 5AM crew at the gym in my life. This group of folk, which I am the youngest of the bunch, really push and encourage me as I workout. It is really cool. I have started to play basketball with these guys and I have found my shooting stroke. Now I have to find my stamina. I am going to take the advice of one of the group members and concentrate my running to basketball. (I do want to play pick up again.) Now I just have to keep bringing it. Also, I am adding more movements in my weight work.
2) Continue to watch what I eat, but I need to EAT as well. I am finding that being on this journey as a diabetic is not easy because my body is expecting something that it has been getting for so long and now it is not. I guess I am a food junkie that is going through withdrawals. Thing of it is, it sometimes throw my body in a tailspin. So I have to concentrate on keeping nutrients in me; whether it is fruit, a salad, something. Right now, eating is not my life, I am eating to live.
3) Keep check on calories. Stay true to my 2500 calorie a day limit.
4) Keep water intake up. I had a diet coke on Sunday and it was horrible. I may never go back to sodas. I think I am done.
Well, that is enough from me. Please keep praying for me and I will improve on my updates. Much love to everyone.
Thank God that I am seeing progress. I stepped on the scale today at the doctor's office and 414 lbs. was recorded!!!! We are -13 lbs already and I have made my monthly goal already!!!!! God is truly good.
Observations:
The Good: 1) I am doing well with portion size and time of eating.
2) I am being very consistent with my water intake.
3) I have kept the junk to a minimum.
4) I am starting to get into a groove with my workouts. More on that in a minute.
Need to Keep Working On: 1) My workouts and bringing more intensity to the table. My workouts have been really cool as of late and I thank God for bring in the 5AM crew at the gym in my life. This group of folk, which I am the youngest of the bunch, really push and encourage me as I workout. It is really cool. I have started to play basketball with these guys and I have found my shooting stroke. Now I have to find my stamina. I am going to take the advice of one of the group members and concentrate my running to basketball. (I do want to play pick up again.) Now I just have to keep bringing it. Also, I am adding more movements in my weight work.
2) Continue to watch what I eat, but I need to EAT as well. I am finding that being on this journey as a diabetic is not easy because my body is expecting something that it has been getting for so long and now it is not. I guess I am a food junkie that is going through withdrawals. Thing of it is, it sometimes throw my body in a tailspin. So I have to concentrate on keeping nutrients in me; whether it is fruit, a salad, something. Right now, eating is not my life, I am eating to live.
3) Keep check on calories. Stay true to my 2500 calorie a day limit.
4) Keep water intake up. I had a diet coke on Sunday and it was horrible. I may never go back to sodas. I think I am done.
Well, that is enough from me. Please keep praying for me and I will improve on my updates. Much love to everyone.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Battle Update and Other Thoughts-15 Jan 2010
Please forgive me in the frequency of my postings. I will work harder on getting the Battle Update out everyday.
It has been a few days since I have made (in my eyes) some pretty drastic adjustments in my dietary lifestyle. What I have done is this:
1) Eliminate ALL sodas. Diet included.
2) Drinking 96oz of water a day (need more)
3) Eliminate eating heavy meals after 8PM. (I eat fruit or drink water for snacks)
4) Up fiber content by a factor of 2. (This has had dramatic consequences to say the least.)
I will say that these adjustments alone, I have been feeling a bit different. I don't feel as lethargic in the mornings. Hmmm, I am wondering if my late night eating was covering some things up. As I relearn my body in this new mode, I will put my observations here.
So far, I really need to improve on:
1) More intensity in the gym
2) Further improvement on my eating. (spreading calories through the day)
I got to keep working. Please keep praying for me.
Now on my other thoughts. The situation in Haiti is one of truly dire proportions. The recovery effort will be and now is an effort that our country will own. It is very important that the US is fully engaged in Haiti because:
1) This country didn't have but especially now has NO GOVERNMENT. The prime minister of Haiti is out on the street just like everyone else there. The ruling government in Haiti has always have been corrupt and tack on the centuries of poverty and neglect, now we have a humanitarian crisis of Biblical size. This point goes into:
2) Who fills the void??? I am no fan of regime change, but this earthquake may have done it for the Haitian government. Some where in the process, there will be civil unrest. Chance are, when the people begin to get their feet underneath them, they will take the advantage of forcing changes in Haiti. Who do we want to fill the VOID??? Al Queda??? Castro??? Chavez??? Which brings me to:
3) Haiti is an 90 minute flight from Miami. Nuff said here.
I will comment on Rush and Pat Robertson later...Time for a nap...
It has been a few days since I have made (in my eyes) some pretty drastic adjustments in my dietary lifestyle. What I have done is this:
1) Eliminate ALL sodas. Diet included.
2) Drinking 96oz of water a day (need more)
3) Eliminate eating heavy meals after 8PM. (I eat fruit or drink water for snacks)
4) Up fiber content by a factor of 2. (This has had dramatic consequences to say the least.)
I will say that these adjustments alone, I have been feeling a bit different. I don't feel as lethargic in the mornings. Hmmm, I am wondering if my late night eating was covering some things up. As I relearn my body in this new mode, I will put my observations here.
So far, I really need to improve on:
1) More intensity in the gym
2) Further improvement on my eating. (spreading calories through the day)
I got to keep working. Please keep praying for me.
Now on my other thoughts. The situation in Haiti is one of truly dire proportions. The recovery effort will be and now is an effort that our country will own. It is very important that the US is fully engaged in Haiti because:
1) This country didn't have but especially now has NO GOVERNMENT. The prime minister of Haiti is out on the street just like everyone else there. The ruling government in Haiti has always have been corrupt and tack on the centuries of poverty and neglect, now we have a humanitarian crisis of Biblical size. This point goes into:
2) Who fills the void??? I am no fan of regime change, but this earthquake may have done it for the Haitian government. Some where in the process, there will be civil unrest. Chance are, when the people begin to get their feet underneath them, they will take the advantage of forcing changes in Haiti. Who do we want to fill the VOID??? Al Queda??? Castro??? Chavez??? Which brings me to:
3) Haiti is an 90 minute flight from Miami. Nuff said here.
I will comment on Rush and Pat Robertson later...Time for a nap...
Monday, January 11, 2010
Battle Update-11 January 2010
First off, I have to thank God for everything!!! I thank God for His blessings and His challenges. God has thrown His punk card on me and I have chosen to pick it up. (I just love the way the Lord presses my buttons. Well, He did design me.) I will say that since I have place my blog post here at my blog The Underground 88, (http://theunderground88.blogspot.com/) also being 'simulcasted' on Facebook, the love that my Facebook family has shown to me has been so overwhelming. I truly want to thank everyone who has commented and those that are praying and watching. You guys are truly gifts from the Lord and it only makes me stronger. I also announced this journey to my church family at HHUMC and I want to thank them for the love and support that the are giving me as well. I am so blessed to be at such a loving church and thank Dr. Sheron Patterson for allowing me to share. (She is a breast cancer survivor and my senior pastor. Check her out at www.drsheron.com and join her on the Patterson Pledge.)
I would like to take this paragraph to thank and address my family. I thank God for the love and support that my family has given me with the start of all of this. My blog post with my pic, truly stunned my wife and understandably so. Even being stunned, she has been my biggest cheerleader and biggest foot in my tail. She wields a mean size 9 and with our youngest has her attack dog, they make a mean team. I love you Sweetness!!!
Now with all of that out of the way, now to business. Today has been a great day. I spoke with my doctor about my mission and she was ALL for it. So now we have a standing date, every Monday morning for weigh in. She is tracking my weight and blood sugar counts. I checking in at 421.0 lbs. DOWN 6 lbs. Thanks be to God!!!! I jetted over to Central Market and picked up some fruit and spent the rest of the day handling other personal business. I took a mile walk through the neighborhood early this afternoon to get some cardio in just in case i wouldn't make it to the gym. (I WILL BE IN THERE TOMORROW.)
I used a BMI calculator to attain what would be the caloric intake that I need to maintain my weight. You can find a BMI calculator on the web using Google of course. I plugged in my weight, height, age and activity level and to maintain my weight I have to eat 4,050 calories a day. WTH??? I looked at those numbers and it frightened me because I have had to have averaged WAY over that to get to where I am now. 4,050 calories???? For the love of Jesus. My attack plan is simply this. I am a scientist by nature and the attack is in the numbers. If I can get myself in the 2,000-2,500 calorie a day limit and increase my activity level by a factor of 2, this weight we go away. Portion control and clean eating, the diet part will take care of itself. (Oh, I am going to a diabetic nutritionist on 15 February.) What I ate today:
Brunch: 7 chicken wings, orange and 32 oz of water
Afternoon snack: Fuji apple
Dinner: Jumbalaya and baked potato
I have drank 96 oz of water today and I need to up that. I need to find a calorie guide so I can nail down numbers there. The planning and journaling mealsis going to take some adjustment and perfecting but I will get the hang of it. Keep praying for me guys...This journey is going to be fun. See y'all tomorrow....
I would like to take this paragraph to thank and address my family. I thank God for the love and support that my family has given me with the start of all of this. My blog post with my pic, truly stunned my wife and understandably so. Even being stunned, she has been my biggest cheerleader and biggest foot in my tail. She wields a mean size 9 and with our youngest has her attack dog, they make a mean team. I love you Sweetness!!!
Now with all of that out of the way, now to business. Today has been a great day. I spoke with my doctor about my mission and she was ALL for it. So now we have a standing date, every Monday morning for weigh in. She is tracking my weight and blood sugar counts. I checking in at 421.0 lbs. DOWN 6 lbs. Thanks be to God!!!! I jetted over to Central Market and picked up some fruit and spent the rest of the day handling other personal business. I took a mile walk through the neighborhood early this afternoon to get some cardio in just in case i wouldn't make it to the gym. (I WILL BE IN THERE TOMORROW.)
I used a BMI calculator to attain what would be the caloric intake that I need to maintain my weight. You can find a BMI calculator on the web using Google of course. I plugged in my weight, height, age and activity level and to maintain my weight I have to eat 4,050 calories a day. WTH??? I looked at those numbers and it frightened me because I have had to have averaged WAY over that to get to where I am now. 4,050 calories???? For the love of Jesus. My attack plan is simply this. I am a scientist by nature and the attack is in the numbers. If I can get myself in the 2,000-2,500 calorie a day limit and increase my activity level by a factor of 2, this weight we go away. Portion control and clean eating, the diet part will take care of itself. (Oh, I am going to a diabetic nutritionist on 15 February.) What I ate today:
Brunch: 7 chicken wings, orange and 32 oz of water
Afternoon snack: Fuji apple
Dinner: Jumbalaya and baked potato
I have drank 96 oz of water today and I need to up that. I need to find a calorie guide so I can nail down numbers there. The planning and journaling mealsis going to take some adjustment and perfecting but I will get the hang of it. Keep praying for me guys...This journey is going to be fun. See y'all tomorrow....
Friday, January 08, 2010
The Beginning of the Battle for My Life
Well, here I am in all of my glory. This is where I start the quest that the Lord has placed me on. What you are looking at is me. This is the result of years of neglect, years of poor maintenance, years of bad stewardship. The Scriptures state that our bodies are a temple of the Lord. Well this temple right here folks is not what God had in mind.
I am right now at 427 lbs. I have never been this heavy in my entire life. I am a diabetic. My back is not of the best shape. Knees are sore and I have flat feet. That is a simple description of the outside. What you see here doesn't compare to what is going on in the inside. Yet, they go hand in hand.
I have realized is that what you see in the picture has closed many doors for me. What I have realized that what you see in the picture has caused God to deem me as not being ready to take the next steps in my life and in the ministry He has called me to do. What I have realized is that what you see in the picture is a life of sin. Plain and simple.
The picture above has caused my to be really isolated from friends, family and even myself. I have become so stale because I don't want to really do anything. I press forward of course, but the hunger and drive has been so far extinguished because of what you see. I would be a fool not understand that my kids are probably ashamed of me because of this. I would be a fool not to understand that my wife may not look at me the same way as she did when we first met. I was no where close to being this big 12 years ago. I feel really empty on the inside because the temple is too big!!!!!
So here I am, at 427 lbs. When I went home last month, the Lord really worked on my spirit. More accurately, the Lord has been working on me for awhile now. God has shown me that He loves me right now at 427. God is wanting me to do what I have been designed to do and that is to be INCREDIBLE. (INCREDIBLE meaning the ability, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to do extraordinary things.) The picture above is the one battle that I have been scared to fight. Well no more...
This is where I will start. The direction and goal is to lose 100 lbs in 8 months. There is a whole lot of cleaning and changing that I will have to undergo. This is no diet plan, this is a God plan. I have to change from the inside of the temple, the renovations of the temple start from within. So as I embark on this mission, I will chart my journey here. I will post all of my weigh-ins here, my daily food intake as well and my workout. I will also track my life here in this journey. Maybe we all can learn from this.
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