Clocks' Run Out, The Time Is Now

The clocks’ run out, the time is now! –John Cena

Totally corny I know, but accurate. As 2010 comes to a close, we look to 2011 with a new resolve to see a brighter beginning. It is human nature for us to do this to ourselves when we lose a loved one, see a birth, find religion (insert your fave one here), get a debilitating illness, overcome circumstances that should have not been in our favor, we resolve to change things in our lives that we really should change anyway.

1.       Diet (To eat better)

2.       Vices (Smoking, drinking, etc.)

3.       Exercise (To do more of it)

4.       Poor decisions (Relationships, job, etc.) as in get out of them

5.       Newness (Relationship, job, etc.)

6.       Insert yours here

UGH! So many things can and do get added every time there are life-changing events. We do this to ourselves every year mostly though at this time, because of the promise of a new year because we like new things. Remember that new car you got? Be it “new/new-to-you” car? Umm, yeah… it was pristine for about a year or so then it was just another car. When it was the best ever though, most of us swore we’d get the scheduled maintenance BEFORE the due date, clean it rain, sleet, or snow, wash it weekly, and never park around other cars for fear of a ding or dent. Yup, that went out the window quickly.

                I guess my point is this, resolutions usually end up getting “unresolved” by mid-year… we are all guilty of that. Why do we all wait? There’s no time like now no matter the date. It’s crazy how we create a sense of urgency every year on December 31^st and we forget so quickly what we plan to do to change everything. Pick any day.

Every day is relevant. Every day is meaningful. Seize the day and decide to change the moment. Don’t wait for December 31^st to change your life.  It’s the day, not the date. There’s no day like today! Well, never mind the fact of date today.

                When my grandfather died many years ago (2004) at his funeral, my sister and I agreed to put our past behind us (many fights, disagreements, repressed emotions) and at the time I was dating her best friend and had been for a few years. We agreed to be better with one another, due in large part to the realization that family should be close because life is so short and we need to love one another regardless. Well, two years later I cheated on her best friend and got my ex pregnant and my ‘sister’ pretty much wished death on this unborn child because I cheated on her best friend. That unborn child now is going to be four years old in February and has a name; Mirieanah. Also, she holds a uncopied key to a special place in my heart reserved just for her as my only daughter. A change was made. When my grandfather died, a reaction to a life-changing event warranted a response. Once the newness wore off, my sister went back to reality and she was back to her normal conniving, selfish, deceitful self. Now, if my sister had really made a change for the better for herself, she would have acted accordingly. She would have not necessarily jumped for joy that I hurt her best friend, but she was gaining a niece. She should have been a little happy. No, my sister was VERY vocal about her displeasure. It has been 3 plus years since we have spoken at length beyond a look and a grunt. Oh, and her best friend and I lasted until Mimi was a little under a year...kinda. I made some 'resolutions' too that I didn't fulfill. Her friend and I weren't even a couple anymore after Mimi was born, we were just going thru the motions.

                As 2010, comes to a close, try to live each day with this thought… Can I live? Live… What does it mean to live? Silence please… Think about that. As you live in 2011, stay real and seize the day… the moments that come each day. Change is good, but there’s no need to wait til December 31^st, 2011 to do it.  Each day is a gift… it doesn’t take a whole day to recognize sunshine. Let the sunshine on your face. I subscribe to a website called Mountainwings. It's run by Pastor Nathaniel Bronner who also is a co-owner of Bronner Bros. Hair Care products. He sends out an inspirational email daily without fail, 365 days a year. Mountainwings <--- Check it out if you want. You can read through them without subscribing. I've taken this poem from an issue I received about 6 years ago.

Starting now, I want to paint my dash… read below: *

The DASH

=======

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning...to the end

He noted that first came her date of birth

And spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years

(1934-1998)

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth...

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;

The cars...The house...The cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash

So think about this long and hard...

Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left,

That can still be rearranged

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what's true and real,

And always try to understand.

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,

And more often wear a smile...

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read

With your life's actions to rehash...

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Written by Linda Ellis

*Taken from www.mountainwings.com past issue 7135

Simply Being

Good Morning,

Well it's been 13 days since I last wrote. The reason it's been so long is because I've been really busy. Much has happened since 2December. I have started to write down each of them quite a few times now but I stop each day because I don't have the exact wording down. I'm going to just write it down today. Free form. Let's begin.

• NFL Training Camp

I got NFL Training Camp for an early Christmas gift and I decided to do the 60 day training camp combine challenge. It is basically a workout regimen that calls for a  25 to 30 minute workout to be done 4x/week with 3 days to rest. The program works upper/lower body, cardio, and strength training. It is a fantastic workout and VERY specific. It day starts and ends with stretching. It measures your HR and burned calories by monitor.

Above: HR Monitor and motion detector (Placed on non-dominant arm just below elbow)

Depress button to turn on and light turns blue. Can be used for EA Active games for 2 players.

Above: Motion Detector (Placed on right leg near upper thigh)

There are many exercises that can improve endurance, stamina, and strength among other things.

If you want to know more about the game, NFL Training Camp <-Click the link

Your stats can be tracked on:

http://www.easportsactive.com/ <-Check it out

• Dr. Maddicuri's Office Visit

So I met with Dr. Madducuri recently and the EEG went well. She says that everything went "well". My "episodes" were many in the beginning, but in the end they became fewer. The migraines were still bad, but manageable. Now, I'll say this... I'm sure as anyone with migraines can tell you it sucks to have to say that migraines are manageable. Migraines always hurt. They have pain associated with them regardless of the degree. My Topamax up to 100 mg 2x/day. That should help with my migraines and the migraines are still there and the photophobia is still prevalent as well. Also, to quote Kindergarten Cop "It's not a tumor!!!" I am truly blessed to know that! However, I am still annoyed that people never get a clear picture as to why these things happen. The brain is still an unknown area and still so uncharted.

• Basketball Rec League Coaching

Above: Da'lin before Saturdays' game. 12-14 loss in OT

Well, I had my first game this past Saturday and let me tell you... these kids look VERY promising. Da'lin has improved a lot over the past year. Last year, he almost couldn't go a practice without getting visibly upset cause he couldn't make a basket. He'd shoot the ball and wouldn't even hit the backboard. He'd catch a pass and look at the basket and think about the shot at the basket. He'd overthink the shot. He'd think about how far the shot is. How impossible it is to make it. Who is around him. How often he made the shot before. If he even made the shot before. Whatever the thought process was... he was thinking entirely too much. One day, I took him to the basketball court and we shot around for about 1.5 hours. As he shot, he would hesitate for a few seconds before he shot. I asked him 'Why are you doing that? Stop thinking about it and just shoot! You know where the basket is. It isn't gonna go anywhere. One of two things is gonna happen once that ball leaves your hands. Either you're gonna make it, or you're gonna miss it and that's gonna be just about it. Stop making it a life or death situation." He really didn't get it. Then I used it as a life opportunity. Which I won't explain to you all because it was a father/son moment talking about life and the critial moments that truly are life and death... My son is a little advanced for his age. He tends to think as an adult sometimes. Lots of moments in his life are tough. His mother and I are not together and he has had to live with that. His father is a whack job (partly serious) and he must deal with that. He is in a school program that has demands on him that provide a curriculum that is grade levels above him yet, he must adjust. Da'lin is a brave individual that I greatly admire and he gives me far too much credit for I would have given up already yet he struggles on showing little fear. Anyway, after a 10 or 20 minute conversation he started getting consistent with his shots. In life, I do not believe it it never about being perfect... one must be consistent. Do the same thing everytime. Da'lin started hitting the rim every time! Then he started posting up for jumpshots, then BAM! he was nailing jumpers! Man it was a sight... I started tearing up... I really taught my son how to play a game and a life lesson... simply be... stop over thinking it and just be.

• General Thoughts And Ramblings

I've had many things happen over the past two weeks. I've watched so many movies, shows, been to board meetings, and I still have many things to say so bear with me for a sec.

Be careful what you say about people, you may eventually become one of them. When I was a kid, I went to a mostly white school. I was called a nigger for the first time when I was five years old by a freshman. Then he punched me in the head. I will never forget that day. My grandmother had to explain to me what the difference was why people were so mean to me as a child. With that said, I have friends that are heavier set people and I have some skinnier friends as well. The mother of my children is not exactly small either. many times people have ridiculed her... in front of me and in front of her as well. She has heard it all. Everything from the cow noises to the flat out "fat-a$$" comment. Let me just say, one day... karma can and does strike back.

I'm going to start a trend. I'm gonna call out all backstabbers going forward. There are people who talk about me behind my back and I know it. It is unhealthy to be two-faced. I don't mind if people don't like me cause my brazen approach isn't exactly for everybody, but why pretend to be cool with me if they were just spreading rumors and gossip about me? I plan to make whoever it was extremely uncomfortable until they come clean about it. For example, let's say someone says that I am a liar to Person A **NOTE**AS LONG AS I KNOW FOR SURE AND IT'S PROVEN AND IS FROM A REPUTABLE SOURCE** then comes to talk to me at a party while I'm conversing with another friend. I'm going to calmly say to this person "Since you feel it is okay to say that I am a liar to Person A what makes you think it's okay to talk to me as if we are friends?" and leave it. This will leave it up to that person to come clean. It is time for people to start being real with one another. Honest. Stop lying and be straight up. It's cool not to like someone, just tell them. They can handle it. If someone says something about someone else, it don't matter. Gossip is not cool and it has no place in this world. We have to stop it. A clear stance has to be made.

Another thing about personality, "back and forth flashes" as I will now call them are a pain and I dislike them. In fact, I am guilty of them myself. You can't like someone one day then dislike them the next. Stop it. Not cool. You can be mad at someone though and then move on from that anger, but really? If you don't like someone cut out the crap that's around you and just don't like that person. UGH!

Those who know me, know I am a Christian and also know I am young. Many young people have left the church for the reason that I am about to mention. If anyone of those of you reading this blog have left the church for this reason... please go back, don't feel that God will deem you unworthy. I find myself shaking my head sometimes when there is a resistance from the churches for change. Young people are being lead like cattle to follow a guide without the Holy Spirits' direction. In other words, if the direction of the church was to never change Amazing Grace would never have been put in, church would still be directed in Aramaic, all baptisms would still be in rivers or streams, oh boy could I go on. Things can and do change. Change is good. We learn that all the way through. The church can and needs change. Most will disagree. Young people, sometimes you will fall and you will fail... but as the Prodigal Son did you will come home because the Holy Spirit will lead you. The key is... will you listen? If you don't listen... then you won't go. Sometimes, when I was younger, I was made to feel like, if I fell, I'd rather not go back to the church and stay away than to have to go back and get the third degree about what I did wrong and get a lecture. If I read the Word and I interpreted something different than status quo as a teenager or a young man, I was redirected. Don't be afraid to let the Holy Spirit in a lead you in the Word. Age does not lead, for the Lord is ageless. Don't let someone who has experience tell you what each verse means for the Lord is timeless. The Bible is a living work. It breathes. Each time you read it, you learn something new. Don't let someone tell you what to think or see in Its words. It is for discussion. There are no wrong answers. The Holy Spirit is what gives you the words and the meaning.

As a Christian, I may make the difference between someones salvation or their damnation. Because of my actions it may make someone want to come to Christ and may want to make them run away from. As the Bible says. I may be the only light they see. How would it look if I say that if with my migraines and pain I'm still gonna sing His praises and as "bad" as I have it, I still will, meanwhile, someone that read this has to wear a helmet, can't drive, and has no job and wishes they were in my shoes? Now I'm not only the jerk, but I just may have put a bad taste in their mouth about God because they may ask why them? Don't get me wrong, earlier in my posts I did still sing His praises, but it's in the way you do it. We must not act like we're doing some great thing in singing His praises. We are supposed to! Either way! Good or bad! That can offend some people. We gotta act right. Don't "peacock" around and strut.

And with that... I'm done. To those that are reading. I thank you. Many people I guess are reading but aren't subscribed. Please consider subscribing. It will help my sanity. LOL. Ask questions, whatever. Oh and you young people, if you are looking for a Baptist church <- Click the link to start somewhere.

I have found a new song that I SIMPLY LOVE...

Simply Being Loved by BT

Back To The Grind

Hey, it's been a long time... I shouldn't have left you :o) I hadn't been to the gym in quite a while. Four days to be exact. I've been running around doing errands, updating Pop Warner website, getting ready for the end of season banquets (Pop Warner), basketball is getting underway... so you could say I've been really busy.

I have felt much better waking up in the morning everyday. The Topamax isn't so bad anymore. Maybe it never was. However, I am still losing weight which is FANTASTIC!!! I feel so much better with all the weight coming off. Thank God!! I have wanted all this weight off for so long. I feel much better now. No 'episodes' for quite a while.It's been a little over a week I think. Everything has been going rocky in my personal life, but there is nothing I can do about that right now but pray. No GTL like the Jersey Shore guys say, but it's PTL as my pastor says... Praise The Lord! Regardless of what happens in life, gotta do it! There is no other way. All I can do is workout, teach and learn at Bible study, attend church, spend time with friends and family, tell those I love that I do, and walk in His way (which is never easy). Never in that order or in the same order each day. I find it easier to tell people what I think of them and their actions now than I did before, which I am starting to believe is due to me realizing my own mortality. NOT due to my health issues. It is important to tell people what you really think of them and not pretend to care about them. I have people in my life who do that and I find it extremely wrong and there is no reason to disrespect anyone like that. Ever. Jesus said "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"... Is there one who can? Anyone? Nope... no one. Not even those who serve the Lord for years and years against the man who walks into the church reeking of alcohol. Nope... they are the same. Just as dirty.

Isiah 53:5 (New International Version)
...by his wounds we are healed.

Regardless of what our vices are, what sins we have committed, the pains we have endured or given... we can, and will be forgiven for them. Believe, and it can and will be forgiven by the one and true Saviour Jesus Christ.

So, I went to the gym after Bible study (which went great by the way) and I walked on the treadmill for a whole half hour! It was fantastic! Weight loss zone almost the whole time! My heart rate was around 120 to 130. I got so much cardio out of it. It was amazing! I listened to Kaskade's Coachella set the whole time... Here's a few tracks from the playlist:

Kaskade at Coachella 2010<Downloaded to my Zune from Kaskade's website long time ago... lol hour long set. Below is a couple of tracks from the set.

Dynasty by Kaskade

Don't Stop Dancing by Kaskade

Gonna go tandem watch Lebron's return to Cleveland (Go Cavs!!!!) and Eagles VS Texans... (Rooting for Eagles)


Good Night And God Bless...

Danny