Attempting to lose weight

I achieved a relatively significant birthday this month. Not one with a zero at the end, but suffice to say I am one-third of the way towards being 105. (Somehow that sounds better than being half-way to 70).

This fact, along with reading John & Deirdre's blog caused me in a fit of enthusiasm (again) to decide to lose weight.

Step 1: What weight was I on that fateful day? (Helpfully it was a Monday morning, and I had not had breakfast).

15 stone 3. 15 STONE 3!!!!! Argh! I know in the grand scheme of things this may not be too terrible but it's possibly the heaviest that I've known I've been (allowing for the fact that I haven't weighed myself often in recent years). I'd just about accustomed myself to the idea that for the last few years I was hovering around about 14.5 stone, maybe a bit more.

In fact in my 'Learning and Serving Covenant' (a kind of Personal & Professional Development plan for ministers in training) I have had the goal 'Improve Fitness' sitting in the 'Personal' section for the last 2 or 3 years. Largely undisturbed, it has to be said. And as a goal it is neither Specific, Measurable, nor Timebound. As for being Achievable or Realistic... well that remains to be seen.
My supervisor this year has constantly joked and joshed with me about 'outcome number 3', often as I have taken a (second) biscuit. And biscuits are certainly one of my many areas of weakness. I could hoover through a packet in an evening given half a chance. (Though not too often, hopefully - but still it's not unusual for my better half to not have realised a packet had been open only to find that it is fairly well down). On top of that my regular consumption of chocolate, and lately a return to eating crisps and coke (other fizzy black drinks are available) are not good signs, especially having watched this week's Panorama in which John and Deirdre feature. I wish them well, and hope that they can soon rename their blog 'two tenths of a ton couple' or whatever figure relates to their target weights! (Yes I realise it's not a very snappy title...)

So, I thought to myself, I know I don't always have great willpower, and I don't like the idea of paying to join a club to lose weight. How about blogging for accountability. (Leaving aside the obvious that I haven't blogged here for over a year and am unlikely to have any readers at the moment). It's taken me 10 days just to get round to this initial blog post.... not a good sign.

So, I further thought to myself, don't try and make any radical changes straight away, just try to be a bit more sensible. And perhaps I was, maybe not eating as much junk as I might have done. Unfortunately I then went to a lunch/afternoon party my mum threw and ate masses. So much so that I felt ill and indigested, having to wait a bit before feeling able to drive home, and only really feeling better by not eating any tea, and waiting until the next day. Not a particularly good start.

I then failed to remember to weigh myself before the following Monday breakfast. However I did manage to on Tuesday morning and stepped with trepidation on to the scales...

15 stone 3! That's right, I had managed not to put on any weight despite my Saturday binge! I felt a bit pants at the time but with a couple of days retrospect I can claim that as a WIN! It doesn't get me towards my initial target of 15 stone 0 by the end of the month, but I think that is still reasonable and achievable - if only I can resist the idea that the best way to diet is to finish off all the bad foods in the house first.

Wish me luck or pray for me as you feel able...

More blogging?

I'm thinking of returning to blogging. In fact, since I am writing this post, I guess I have returned but it could easily be a one-off (again!). My thoughts are that I could start a new blog with a theme of 'worship stuff'. Yes, I know there are tons more out there on that theme. No, I probably won't be posting world-class material that will outshine everyone else. I probably won't even be very adventurous or 'alt-worship'-y.

But somehow it seems like putting worship materials (sermons, prayers, meditations etc) out here is a safe(ish) thing to do. By that, I mean that one of my reasons for stopping/pausing blogging almost a year ago was the concern that as a minister, you have to be very careful about just what you write and publish (with deep and grateful thanks to those who gave helpful insight to that discussion and thought process!) And if that applied in 'placement-land', it certainly goes double for probation.

But worship is public material anyway. I will either have delivered it or be going to deliver it in some sort of public setting. And feedback on the content (albeit text descriptions cannot do justice to something that may look very different when delivered) would be useful, to hone, prune and generally sharpen up my act!

So the new blog can be found at:
http://nodrogsworship.blogspot.com
but it's only just started so check back for updates!

BBC Anti-Progress?

OK so my post title is a bit exaggerated. I bookmarked this story a while ago but forgot to blog it until now. Still thought it was worth highlighting - it's so unusual to see anyone in mainstream media (he said, blatantly generalising) questioning the forward march of progress and especially technology - it's usually 'which gadget' not 'should we have gadgets' (I speak as a gadget fan myself...) Scroll down for some of the BBC readers' comments too - also refreshing (in some cases)>

This is part of my theory (not unique or even original, probably) that we are not postmodern entirely by a long chalk, yet - in the realms of science/technology, we are still modernist, seeking salvation from global warming, etc., by 'scientists' or by new technologies like energy-saving bulbs. (I got one. It went dud, for a while. I tried it again later, it worked, then died shortly afterwards. I know I can't base my decisions on one bulb, but it has decreased my inclination to try this method of saving the planet, at present.) TV adverts still sell on the basis of 'clinically shown to...' or just a picture of someone in a white lab-coat... I mean, what is going on? Is the appearance of authority all that's really needed? Just a stern voice ('Big Brother says come to the diary room') and we all follow because it's easier than thinking ourselves? (The oft-cited 'electric shock' experiment would be relevant here if I had a source).

Anyway, just thought I'd raise the point. Is progress always good?

Weekend Away

Ma heid's burstin', as you might say. The three of us are not long back from Lendrick Muir, where the ICC weekend away was held.

I have lots of stuff I want to blog about - and might actually get to before it drifts out of my mind like sand in your hands.

Things like - family life and the changes that marriage and children bring, ministry in the future, attitudes to money, modernism and postmodernism, journeying spiritually, visiting Africa, holidaying with a small person, authenticity in faith and life, new ways of being/doing 'church', looking for right answers vs asking the right questions, venturing out of my almost exclusively Christian enclave, sin - including some of the famous 7.

There are more topics there than I expected, and others might come up as/if I blog more!

Overall, though, it has been a weekend that has excited me. I haven't felt quite like this possibly since first year, and my encounter with lots of different ideas and topics around theology. Thinking about it, some of my module choices have avoided the subjects likely to bring new ideas into my head and have instead been about techniques (sermon preparation, music) or factual learning (history, languages) - though I recognise that even in these subjects, there are opportunities for mental expansion if you look. One thing's for sure - I am reconfirmed in my desire to get the most out of ICC, particularly if this is my second last term here.

However, 'getting the most' should not be (or not just be) taking as many modules as I can and racking up (or attempting to!) the good grades - which has often been my approach till now. I need to be seeking to find and think the 'big ideas' and new ideas, and integrate them into my practice - not just to get better at a technically good sermon that includes clever references and Greek/Hebrew words, or improving my listening skills for pastoral care. The stuff I need to do could lead me broadly in the same direction as our two weekend speakers: Brodie from Queen's Park Baptist and Stuart from Mosaic, both of whom are ICC graduates who are now in church leadership positions (see also Santa Fe Trail on the sidebar under 'ICC related blogs').

It's a scary thought - I could be a church leader, part of a church leadership team. Of course, I've been on course for that (as far as I'm aware) for nearly 5 years - but really (hopefully) a lifetime/since the world began (depending on your theological flavour of predestination) from God's perspective - but as this weekend's journeying theme has highlighted, it's one thing to be on the road to somewhere, and another to actually arrive. Not least because 'arrival' is probably a bit of an illusion until we reach the heavenly city, and is rather the start of the next stage of the journey...

So it's been a weekend away from ICC, away from routine (though we hadn't really got back into one from Christmas/New Year), and away from studying (oh, Hebrew homework for tomorrow...) but in a sense, it's been a weekend back - back to God, back to the journey instead of the apparently attractive side routes, back to a way of doing holiday with family that suits all of us (in comparison to our trip to Carberry last year - more on that story later!), back to what it is all about - integrating the gospel in our lives and presenting that gospel through our lives.