Books at the Beach

Today, is my 43rd birthday. I don't feel old until I really start to think about it. A wise pastor once told me, "Steven, you never 'feel' old. In your mind you always feel young. It's just that when you're old your body won't let you do what you used to do. You'll feel the effects of aging." Wow, was he ever correct. I never paid attention to the messages my body sent until I reached 40. Then, things started creaking and popping. Not quite the melody of a snap-crackle-pop commercial. In spite of the cacophony, I still feel young. My dad sent me a box of stuff for my birthday. He always sends interesting gifts as I have come to realize that he puts a lot of thought into the purchases.  I try to not take them for granted. For instance, my dad sent me another commemorative knife collection as part of my birthday this year. My dad knows I love knives. It made me think of an adventure I had when I was a young minister. When I lived in San Jose,...

It's funny how things in life change. When I was 16, I thought I was going to die while waiting for an opportunity to get my driver's license. When that fateful day came - I failed my driving test. Perhaps it was nerves - in good old Kentucky, you have a State Trooper sitting in the car with you. Nervous is possibly a gross understatement. When I graduated from high school, my family drove from Kentucky to Florida. The trip was to see my grandmother and served as a type of celebration since I would be joining the U.S. Army a few weeks later. My dad knew I loved to drive and before we piled into the panel van he rented, he tossed me the keys and said, "Here ya go, driver." Man, was I thrilled. The trip would be a little over 700 miles, take about 13 hours, and would be all highway driving. At the 12th hour, I realized I did not like driving that much. In fact, I never wanted to drive again after that trip. Needless to say, I didn't bother my dad any more with t...

I used to tell everyone that there were only two people I could not stand: a liar and a thief. I have decided to append to that list - I cannot stand selfish people. Most recently this has arisen in a discussion I had with someone about mailing a few items. A relative had left the items at her place and since they were not very expensive - her answer to the owner was to replace them. That strikes a discordant note within me. I am just not "wired" that way. In my mind, there is nothing more important than family. So, if my son were visiting and left his hat - I would feel obliged to mail it to him as soon as I could. Apparently there are many who do not feel such obligation. Isn't it ironic that those who feel the least sense of obligation feel the greatest sense of entitlement? I think not. Laziness and selfishness are two sides of the same coin. Please do more for others than you do for yourself. 'Nuff said.

This morning, as I was yawning and trying to remove sleep matter from my eyes, I dutifully drove the three or so miles to my local gym. Sadly, there was a long line at the door of other fitness hopefuls and I quickened my pace to "ensure" I would snag an elliptical trainer. My plan was simple: do 30 minutes on an elliptical and then do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on a treadmill for an additional 30. Usually, this combination helps me to burn about 1000 calories. This morning...1030. Yay me! The elliptical trainers at the gym are pretty cool with embedded television consoles - as if we "need" more time in front of a TV. But, if you're pumping along and burning sufficient calories, why not? Sadly, there isn't much available to watch at 5:30AM. I settled to watch infomercials on the Discovery Channel. I watched one that I have watched again and again. The P90X infomercial. "Do our program for 90 days, change your diet habits, and you'll hav...