New Book - Stand By - Bad Sleep - Big Delay

So I learned a very valuable lesson yesterday about being on time. I am terrible at this and God decided it was time He teach me a lesson on this subject. Our flight was supposed to leave College Station at 9:55am yesterday and connect to another flight in Dallas at 1:20pm to fly out to Burbank, California where the CrossFit Games is. Well, my wife and I picked up Daren at 9:10am and she was going to drop us off at Easterwood to catch our 9:55am flight. I decided on the way that I really wanted to get a book - 4 Hour Work Week - at Discount Bookstore on Texas and Southwest Parkway. This stop made us miss our flight and the only option we had at that moment was to drive to Dallas and try and make our 1:20pm connecting flight. So my wife, bless her heart, drove us to Dallas and dropped us off then she had to turn around and drive back to College Station, what turned out to be a 11 hour part of her day. Daren and I arrived at DFW Airport at 1:05pm ran in rushed through the checkpoints only to get to our gate and find out that our seats were given away and we were put on stand by. The next flight leaving for Burbank was at 7:30pm and we were not gauranteed seats on that flight, we were on stand by. We were the 4th and 5th spot on the list, and sure enough, the first 3 spots went on the flight and we were stuck at DFW.

So, the next flight to Burbank was scheduled for 9:25am Friday morning, today, and we do have seats for this flight so we will be going on it. The craziest part to this story is that we decided to sleep in the airport - Terminal A19 to be exact. It was not comfortable and it was really loud and noisy from all the cleaning going on and the intercom....you can imagine.

So, we should arrive in Burbank, California at 10:30am LA time and we'll get to our hotel, get cleaned up and head to the Home Depot Center for the Games.

If you are reading my blog for the first time then I want to let you know that I try to relate my posts to scripture and hopefully the readers can learn something from reading what they have read here. Today I want to share an article that I found on the internet written by a lady named Becky Barnfather about being late. If you are a person that is always running late, like me, then hopefully it helps you....it sure did me.

Running Late?

June, 2003

by: Becky Barnfather

You know, I've been at Calvary Bible Church for about 12 years. It was here that I began in the College Ministry and became quite familiar with the phrase “Calvary time.” I guess I never thought it was very funny when I would show up on time and no one else arrived for another twenty or thirty minutes. Arriving to church on time has always been somewhat important to me. Oh, yes, there are the occasional last minute problems, traffic jams, and tie ups. But, let's be honest — that doesn't happen every time we go to church, right?

The Bible doesn't have a lot to say about being “late” or even use the word “late” with regards to being on time. But when you're late, it affects others. And the Bible does talk about considering others. If you're late, you are not considering at all how that affects others who have worked hard to be on time. According to Webster's Dictionary, to consider someone else is “to keep in mind, to be thoughtful of others.” It would be self–centered of someone to think that their time is more important than yours. (I Cor. 10:24). One verse comes to my mind, “Do nothing out of selfishness or empty conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4). By being constantly late, you are not considering that others have made an effort to be on time so that they can begin our meeting, Bible Study, or service on time without others straggling in. Imagine if you planned a dinner party at your home and everyone arrived an hour late. Wouldn't that be inconsiderate of others to make you wait an extra hour for them?

One other consideration is the kind of an example you set by being late. Again, occasionally being late for reasons unforeseen is one thing. But, if each week you know it's going to take you fifteen minutes to get to church, ten minutes to drop off your kids, another five minutes to get over to church…well, planning ahead would be both wise and thoughtful. Taking the time each night to prepare for the next day, leaving an extra fifteen minutes early, or getting up an additional fifteen minutes to half hour early are all ways that you can keep yourself from being late. Leaders and parents are especially the ones who need to set the example to others. As a leader, whether a Sunday School teacher, Bible study leader, elder, or pastor you need to be on time to set an example to others that they are important (I Pet. 5:2-4). As a parent, you set the precedent for your children in how important it is to arrive to church on time. Imagine how selfless it is of you to give your time to others by being considerate and planning ahead to arrive to your destination on time. Now, don't you think that it is pleasing to God when we make our best effort to arrive to church on time?

Motivation

What motivates you? Who motivates you? When you get excited about an exercise program or a nutrition program what triggers your mind to get completely focused?

I was thinking about this today because I am coming off of one of the most exciting "training seasons" I have ever experienced. Back in December when I decided to compete in the CrossFit Sectionals competition I began a "training season" that lasted until mid to late June. This "training season" is a period of time where I feel like my mind, body and spirit were all working together to make my workouts the most effective and intense they have ever been. This season lasted almost 6 months, that's a long time now that I think about it.

I experienced a similar "training season" in the Fall of 2009 when I did a sprint triathlon in July, an Olympic Triathlon in September, a Half Ironman in October, a marathon in November and another marathon December. Now when I look back at that "training season" I think to myself that I was nuts! But all it was is a "training season" - a period of time where my mind, body and spirit worked together and made me give 100% of my effort.

I feel like I am always following a strict diet and a consistent workout routine, but only during a "training season" do I really make progress in becoming a better athlete and a more fit individual. During the "off-training season" I am simply maintaining my fitness level and not really improving.

I only bring this up because I think anyone reading this blog can relate but you maybe never thought of it this way. When you are in a "training season" you are more focused, more excited and definitely more consistent on all levels of fitness. Some "training seasons" last one week, others one month and they could last even longer. But you will definitely know when they end. You won't feel quite as motivated, maybe you feel like your body needs to recover and maybe you just feel like taking some time off.

So what do you do in an "off-training season"? You definitely do not want to quit, or else you might really set yourself back from where you were before you lost motivation. I suggest talking to someone who you respect and look up to who can ignite that desire in you to get back in a "training season". Someone who knows you and who knows how to push your buttons, it could be a friend, a coach or even your spouse. Tell them you are lacking motivation and you need some direction on your training and your diet. You can also sign up for a race, a competition or some kind of event. There are plenty of these and if you feel like you are not ready for this you need to rethink that thought. I promise you that there is something out there you can do or train for.

I am assuming that if you are reading this then you are probably already working out, so I am telling people who are feeling like they are in a "slump" or what I am calling an "off-training season" what to do to get back into a "training season".

If you currently do not workout or eat healthy then you need to start by contacting someone who can guide you in the right direction. The "training season" and "off-training season" is what someone goes through who already works out regularly. I am just trying to get you to recognize the difference of these two seasons in order to get you back into a "training season". Does this make sense?

It is completely normal to feel this way, but it is critical not to stay in this "off-training season". Because it is in this "off-training season" that you lose sight of your accomplishments thus far and your future potential.

I am definitely in an "off-training season" right now. I just signed up for a CrossFit competition in Dallas on August 13th to get back "in season"!

2 Corinthians 8:10-11 I suggest that you finish what you started a year ago, for you were the first to propose this idea, and you were the first to begin doing something about it. Now you should carry this project through to completion just as enthusiastically as you began it.