When We Differ

A simple life hack: Unfollow any expert who uses his knowledge and intelligence to claim that his solution to an exegetical problem is the only right solution. Having your convictions isn't the same as tearing others down. 

What Makes Us Frail

Frailty -- defined as when we lose our independence and our health -- comes not from wearing out our bodies and minds. It comes from the opposite: the lack of use. The body is life a grandfather clock. If you don't wind it up every day, it will stop working. 

Self-Feeders on God's Word

Our churches need pastors who will feed the flock with a healthy diet. But our churches also need pastors who will teach the people how to study the word of God for themselves. True maturity in Christ is not possible unless and until we take responsibility to become self-feeders. 

Did Both the KJV and the NIV Miss Something Important?

In my morning Bible time I was in James 1 and noticed something odd. In James 1:13, James is dealing with the subject of temptation. The verse emphasizes personal responsibility when we face temptation. God can never be charged as the author of temptation. The sinner therefore never has the right to transfer the guilt from himself to God. 

Now, this is largely true because (so the Greek):

Please notice the word circled in red. It seems to have been overlooked in both the NIV (an "idiomatic" translation) and the KJV (a more "literal" translation if you will):

NIV: "nor does he tempt anyone"

KJV: "neither tempteth he any man"

In my opinion, these are unhappy translations. There seems to be no reason to leave that word in red untranslated. Look at these versions:

CSB: "and he himself doesn't tempt anyone"

ESV: "and he himself tempts no one"

GNT: "And he himself tempts no one"

NASB: "and He Himself does not tempt anyone"

Again, not saying the NIV or the KJV is wrong here. It just struck me as odd. I'm not against either translation. In fact, I love the KJV. It was my first Bible. I agree 100 percent with John Miles that we should read and use it. 

Nor am I against using the NIV in our Bible study. I'm guessing you have your favored English Bible translation, and that's fine. But it might behoove us to use as many versions as we can. The discussion I hear is usually "Use this translation but not that one." And most people tend to fall either on the "I prefer idiomatic translations" or "I prefer literal translations." I can see those points. But personally, I wouldn't worry too much about that. However, if you do prefer one version over the other, it's probably still a good idea to consult other versions in your study. It can help you fine tune your research.

Just a thought!  

When You Read Your Bible, Be Sure to Set Out the Welcome Mat!

In James 1:21, James says we are to humbly receive the the word God has planted in us. I love that word "receive." It could also be rendered "welcome" (as in the ISV). For 49 years now, I've had this sign (or one just like it) on my office door. 

The message I want to convey to my students is that they are always welcome in my office. That's why my office door is never closed. It's always open unless I'm in a meeting with someone. Students are not an interruption or an inconvenience to me. They never have been. They are the reason I'm here. 

Now let's shift the setting to your daily Bible study. Think of it this way. Every time you open your Bible, you are placing a welcome mat before your heart. 

That word for "welcome" in Greek is dripping with hospitality. It's saying, "Come on in. Don't bother to knock. I invite you to look over any sin or shortcoming in my life that you see." You're saying to the Lord, "Lord, I welcome you to come into my life in any area you wish to address. I invite you to do so. I am here in your presence as an open book." 

Friend, I want to suggest that you change your habits when reading the Bible. Decide today that for the rest of your life, each time you open God's word you're not just going to go through the motions of reading the Bible. No. It's going to make a difference in the way you think, how you react, how you treat other people. The truth is now going to penetrate because you're now dissatisfied with the separation between you and what you know to be right. 

If you do this, God will very graciously begin to lead you and change you in ways you could have never imagined. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Each New Day in Hawaii

Each new day on Oahu saw me getting in a run at Kailua Beach. 

Without reservation I will say that this was one of the best experiences of my holiday in Hawaii. Yes, I love races, where hundreds or even thousands of runners gather at a single spot to celebrate their sport and each other. Just today I got a text message from a friend from Wake Forest who ran the London 10K this morning. His text read, in part, "Had a blast! Lots of people." It's at races like this that each of us becomes all of us. But sometimes I prefer the peace and solitude of the lonely jog to the bustle of modern life, lost in thought, carried forward by the unattainable grace of fluid movement. 

Such was the case every morning in the islands. For me, at times running is a solitary sport. But races are times to find the connectedness I need with those who share my hopes and dreams. Best of both worlds, I guess you could say. 

On Greatness and Teamwork

Some of you may recall that I played the trumpet from 5th grade through 12th. Being at my high school last week reminded me of our band director, Gabriel Baltazar. 

The Kailua High School band room. 

Mr. Baltazar played in the Honolulu Symphony and taught trumpet privately. Although he was a professionally trained musician, his real love was directing. His strength was in taking a bunch of ragtag young musicians and forming them into one of the finest bands on Oahu at the time. His rehearsals were more like gym workouts than musical events. We students never felt we were there to please and amuse ourselves. We did our best all day, every day. We showed up ready to give our director whatever he asked of us. 

It was in that practice room that I learned one of life's most important lessons. I learned that to be a part of something great is better than being considered great. As a band member, you never just thought about yourself. You wanted to do your best as a way of honoring the efforts of those all around you. 

That's a lot like what the Lord designed the church to be like, don't you think? 

Aging Is a Blessing

In many ways, aging is a blessing. You see every day as a gift from God. Each day becomes precious beyond words. I think I'm better served by being aware of life's fragility than going back to my 40s, 50s, or 60s. I, still unworthy, have become completely dependent on my Creator. Living has now become a matter of enjoying each moment he grants you. 

To have a death worth dying you must have lived a life worth living. 

My View Every Morning

It never got boring when I grew up there. It never gets tiring today. "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." 

Languages Are So Cool!

Here's a sign I saw in Waimānalo the other day -- the bay just south of Kailua. 

Here's a more or less literal translation of the words in all caps:

• Ke = The
• Kula = (I'll come back to this)
• Nui = Big
• O = Of
• Waimānalo = Waimānalo 

Care to guess what the word "Kula" means? If you guessed "School" you guessed right! Kula is not even a native Hawaiian word. It's a loan word from the English "school." Here's what's happening:

Hawaiian only contains the following vowels: h, k, l, m, n, p, w, and the 'okina, which is a glottal stop (as in "Oh-oh"). In addition, every syllable in Hawaiian must end in a vowel. So when we take "school," here's the result:

• The initial "s" is dropped.
• We're left with the sound "kul."
• Finally we add an "a" on the end of the word in keeping with the rule about syllable endings.

Thus we end up with kula. The sign pictured above means, of course,

Waimānalo High School

In Latin, the word for "school" is schola. This comes from the Greek word scholē, which means something like "spare time, leisure, rest, that in which leisure is employed (as in learning)." Care to compare this with other Indo-European languages?

• eskola (Basque)
• escola (Catelan)
• skole (Danish)
• school (Dutch)
• escola (Galician)
• Schule (German)
• scuola (Italian)
• skole (Norwegian)
• escola (Portugues)
• escuela (Spanish)
• skola (Swedish)

Other loanwords in Hawaiian from English include:

• elepani (elephant)
• enemi (enemy)
• hapa (half)
• hē (hay)
• kala (collar)
• kehena (Gehenna)
• kope (coffee)
• liona (lion)
• paina (pine)
• pepa (pepper)
• puke (book)
• waina (wine)

Languages are so cool! 😉

A Simple Weight Loss Hack

Exercising isn't really the hard part. Nutrition is. Exercising only requires you to be on your game for an hour or two a day. Eating right requires that you're self-disciplined for the other 22-23 hours. Many parents always talk about how they would die for their kids. But not how they want to LIVE for their kids. 

Make your goals stronger than your cravings! 

Did I Do Any Running While I Was in Hawaii?

Are there cows in Texas? 

A week ago today I did a 10K race in my hometown. 

It began at my former high school and then took us through the Enchanted Lake neighborhood of Kailua. 

As you can see, it was for a very good cause. 

In addition, one morning I decided to get in a run in Honolulu before heading to the beach. 

The 3-mile loop takes you around Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island. 

I loved this course so much I ran it twice. Ain't Diamond Head purdy? 

As I ran I remembered: Every day I get to run is not an entitlement. It's a gift. Each day that I get to spend as a part of the wonderful running community is a day I can treasure. 

And I do. 

My Swiss Accomodations

Lord willing -- and I really mean that, it's all in the Lord's hands, not mine -- in exactly 3 weeks from today I plan to fly to Geneva to begin my 2025 Alps adventure. Believe it or not, I can fly directly from Raleigh to Frankfurt, and then it's just a short hop over to Geneva. From there I'll take the train to Zermatt, my home base for the next 8 days of running, hiking, and climbing. I'll be staying at this lovely hotel near the train station (bahnhof). It's called (for obvious reasons) the Hotel Bahnhof. 

I stayed here when I climbed the Breithorn, Oberrothorn, Matterhorn, and Mammut Klettersteig (Via Ferrata) 9 years ago. On my way home I've got an early Saturday flight out of Geneva so I'll get an Airbnb there on Friday afternoon. 

It's called the Chambre au Pâquis à côté du lac." The "lac," of course, is Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). It will be so much fun to speak two of my favorite languages again on this trip -- German and French. 

Do you think I ought to visit this unique monument again while I'm in Geneva?

What I Ate on Oahu

I left for the islands weighing 202 pounds. By the grace of God, I weighed 202 on the scale this morning. I chalk this up to being so active PLUS eating two and only two (hefty) meals each day. Yes, I had the exact same things to eat during my entire stay in Hawaii, with no snacking in between. 

Breakfast was a no-brainer. The Kailua Zippy's has the best and least expensive breakfast you will find on Oahu. 

Two eggs over medium. Bacon crispy. Two scoop rice. And the coffee? Oh my -- so ono! That meal provided all the carbs and protein I would need for hours upon hours of surfing that day. Then later I would have my second meal of the day, and this too was the same thing daily. It's called Kalbi and it's my favorite Korean dish of all time. I learned to love it during my 6 trips to South Korea to teach. In fact, I kid you not when I say that Korean food is my favorite cuisine in the world. Primarily because of its great taste. But also because it's super healthy. In fact, it took me several trips to Korea before I saw my first overweight person, young or old. Korean food is big on fresh vegetables, fermented foods like kimchi, and healthy cooking techniques. The Korean diet is low in processed foods and high in fiber. Korean dishes are often prepared through low-fat cooking methods such as steaming and have a very high vegetable content. Korean cuisine also provides ample supplies of vitamins and minerals while limiting unhealthy saturated fats. 

As soon as I arrive in Hawaii I start craving the amazing flavors and mouth-watering aromas of Korean food. Korean dining is especially healthy if you are on a high protein diet like I am. It includes a variety of protein sources such as beef, chicken, tofu, and seafood. And then there are the spices. Garlic, ginger, even red pepper flakes are used generously in Korean dishes and have antiinflammatory properties. Oh, and have I mentioned how it limits the use of sugar in cooking?

My favorite Korean dish in Hawaii, as I said, was a plate of sizzling hot Kalbi. 

Note the presence of "banchan" or side dishes that are always served with the main meal and provide additional nutrients and flavors to the meal. 

If only I knew how to cook Korean I would cook it every day at home! 

Do You Gym?

Back to the Y today to do some gymming. 

Yes, "gym" is a verb now. Didn't know that? 

• I gym. 
• You gym. 
• He gyms. 

Or in German:

• Ich gym.
• Du gymmst.
• Er gymmt. 
• Ich werde gym.
• Ich habe gegymmt. 

This also works in Spanish:

• Yo gimnasio. 
• Tu gimnasias.
• Él/Ella gimnasia. 
• Yo gymnasiaré.
• He gymnasiado. 

I really missed being able to gym while I was in the islands. 

So glad I gymmed again!  

Do you gym? 

Surfing (and Bodyboarding) at Waikiki

I went to Kailua Beach every morning during my Hawaiian holiday. After all, my beach cottage was only a stone's throw away. But I spent as much time at Waikiki as I did anywhere else on the island. (I never did surf Diamond Head. The waves were blown out while I was there.) Here I am walking to Queens along Kalakaua Ave. 

You can view about a gazillion videos on YouTube of people walking along this famous sidewalk. I especially enjoyed watching all the tourists and the families with small children as they romped on the sand and enjoyed the placid waters of Waikiki. Because I park in the Honolulu Zoo parking lot, it takes me only a few minutes to get to where I'm headed. 

The waves at Queens weren't huge while I was there but they were certainly rideable, and you even saw a set or two of larger waves. 

Now, just as much fun as surfing at Queens is bodyboarding at the Waikiki Wall (also called Walls). Surfboards are strictly prohibited here. 

All you need is a boogie board and a pair of fins. 

It's a great spot and it typically has pretty mellow regulars as long as you maintain basic etiquette and say hi. Walls is not the same as anything you've ridden on the mainland (whether west or east coast). It's a reef break and the wave is also a bit thicker so it can have some punch to it. 

Coming up ... bodysurfing Sandy Beach and Makapu'u. 

The Solution to the Synoptic Problem (It's Easier Than You Think)

Now this one was really fun!

By the way, I found out that Paul also shares my view on the authorship of Hebrews. That interview will take place on August 25.

Thank you, Paul, for the joy and honor of being on your program! 

Kailua Beach: Medicine for the Soul

I admit: I have a Type A personality. I suffer from the "hurry up syndrome." Every trip to the islands shows me the error of my way. Here time doesn't exist. Traffic is, yes, a bit of a hassle, but no one honks their horn. People are much more likely to let you into their lane than cut you off. A simple "shaka" in return is all that's expected.

As you know, I just spent 8 days surfing on Oahu. I basically lived in the ocean the entire time. Surfing is a great exercise for the body. But even more it's an exercise for the soul, a time for unparalleled mental restoration. Poet William Wordsworth, who was a prodigious walker, once said that poetry was "emotion recollected in tranquility." Take, if you will, my experience at Kailua Beach, the two and a half mile stretch of pristine white sand I once called home. 

I have discovered that my tranquility develops about one second after my toes touch the sand. It takes that much time to detach myself from all my worries and my cares. I have a new awareness of myself, my world, and my God.

Carrying a surfboard into the ocean is not the only place this occurs, just the best. Monks take to their cells. Hermits to their shells. Writers withdraw to secluded spots. Grownups from Hawaii go to the beach, where motion makes time stand still. At "my" beach, I am totally and completely in the present. It's like that strange experience when you get so absorbed in reading a good book you are unaware you are reading. There are no discussions, no arguments, not even any emails to answer. You've stepped out of time into a new, reposeful now.

The union of body and mind reaches its highest height in sports such as surfing. Here there are no sophisticated debates, no squabbles about text types or "best" translations of the Bible. While surfing, the common man reaches excellence by making demands on himself. We are about the business of creating a unique self as we discover the stony strength that is there in all of us. For me, surfing has narrowed the distance between the person I am and the person I can be. When I head back to the shore after my final wave, I am twice young. True, I have little in common with the young Dave. 

He thought school was a bore. I love studying. He had no career aspirations. I have been blessed with a career that can only be described as unbelievably satisfying. He was content to be island-bound. I suffer from an incurable Wanderlust. And so it goes. Yet there remains one thing that young Dave and the not-so-young Dave have in common. Both responded to a primal call to be one with nature by getting on top of a piece of fiberglass-covered foam. Only when I look in the mirror am I aware of any change. Today I am in my body as it was and is and shall be forevermore. 

And now, in my 70s, I am convinced more than ever of the untapped potential resident in my body. Some may think that I operate at a level physically that others may consider unusual. I don't. All I know is this: If we are to outwit old age, we have to remain active, whatever it takes. For me, surfing is the secret of youth. The waves awaken the same feeling they did when I was a kid. Their grandeur and beauty have never changed. When I come out of the water, I feel larger than life. And for just a little while, I return to the glory days of my youth.

The message: Go to the beach. It's medicine for the soul. 

Aloha 'Oe

Aloha kākou ("Greetings between us"). As you know, I've been training for months for this surfing trip to Oahu. I think I'm as fit as I'm ever going to be for my latest Hawaiian adventure. I can't believe how quickly summer got here. Mahalo nui for all the support you've shown me on my weight loss journey. While in Hawaii I'll try to bring peaceful, enjoyable, beautiful pictures and videos back home for you. We're expecting a nice swell to hit the South Shore this week. I'll be thinking about y'all on July 4. Remember, freedom is not free. Despite the attacks on the holiday as a symbol of colonization of native and indigenous lands, remember that Independence Day is about how the American colonists won their independence from British tyranny. As Christians, it's also a reminder how our Lord offers an Emancipation Proclamation to every slave of sin signed with his own blood. We are free from the daily power of our old nature as we live in constant dependence upon him for our every need. As we look to him to meet those needs, we enjoy a freedom from fear and worry that would enslave us. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). What a wonderful Savior!

I leave you with this beautiful rendition of "For all the saints who from their labours rest." I dedicate it to the memory of my wife Becky. We spent our honeymoon on Oahu in 1976. In 2013, after 37 wonderful years of marriage, the Lord took her by the hand and led her from earth to heaven to be with him face to face and to enjoy his presence forever. "Until we meet again, sweetheart." 

A New Low Weight! (Haven't Seen This Number in Decades)

Every Christian on a weight loss journey has a favorite Bible verse. It's Heb. 12:1:

"Let us lay aside every weight!"

So there you have it. Weight Watchers is scriptural!

All humor aside, can I ask you a personal question? What's the "weight" that's holding you back from embarking on your own weight loss program? What's the "baggage" or the 'bulk" (so the Greek term) you need to lay aside if you're ever going to get a handle on your health?

Most of us struggle with this. Three causes come to mind:

1. Laziness (sloth). Some of us struggle with this more than others. I am the laziest person I know. After all, I grew up in a hang loose, mañana culture. I was also the youngest of four. You get the picture. But God can make even the laziest person unlazy. We're told as much in 2 Tim. 1:7:

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.

All shrinking from doing one's duty proceeds not from the Spirit of God! There's only one thing that can give you complete self-control, and that is to ask Christ to help you control yourself. Self-control is a gift of the Spirit.

2. Indifference (apathy). Our efforts are affected by altered levels of motivation and apathy. Apathy is lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Success in weight loss requires motivation to give up immediate gratification in favor of delayed gratification along with an honest confrontation of realities that are difficult to think about. The problem is that we lose the sense of WHY. We lose sight of how important these things actually are. Once our sense of commitment is gone, so are we!

3. Impatience. In 1360, poet William Langland wrote a poem called "Patience Is a Virtue." It's also a necessary component of successful weight loss. Your goal is to see the numbers go down on the scale, but this is a process that takes bucket loads of patience. Abandoning your diet should not be the response. You can't learn to play the piano with just a few lessons. Patience will be needed, along with a diligent adherence to your weight loss plan. 

My own experience bears this out. When I began my serious weight loss journey back in November, I weighed about 240 pounds. Almost immediately the pounds started melting off like a popsicle in August. Then everything began to slow to a crawl. For several weeks I plateaued at 225 pounds, then at 215 pounds, and then at 210 pounds. Mentally, I knew this would happen as my metabolism slowed down and my body needed fewer calories each day. However, I also knew that eventually, slowly, I would reach my goal of 205 pounds, but sometimes it was very hard to believe. I often asked myself, "Do I have the patience to stick to it long enough to get to my goal?" But I'm glad I did. In fact, this is what the scale said today:

Praise God!

All around me at the gym are people who are struggling. We're all involved in the same battle against sloth, apathy, and impatience. And yet, unconcerned with what others are doing, and driven by our need to do our best, we make the effort, and we make it more often.  "I am writing the best I can," said the author of a best-selling popular novel. "If I could write better, I would. This is the peak of my powers." Friend, it matters little that you cannot write any better. What matters is that you are doing it with all of your might. 

I LOVE the Land -- and Hebrew!

As I was reading 2 Chronicles 26 this morning in my devotions, I ran across these fascinating words in verse 10. Note the four Hebrew words marked in yellow. 

Here's what they sound like:

The words are describing Uzziah, king of Judah. A literal rendering might read: "For a lover of the land he was." That's good Hebrew but lousy English. Here are some attempts to put the Hebrew into English, Spanish, German, and French:

GNT: "he loved farming "

CSB: "he was a lover of the soil"

NIV: "he loved the soil"

LBLA: "amaba la tierra"

RVA: "era amigo de la agricultura"

LUTH: "er hatte Lust zum Ackerwerk"

HOF: "er liebte die Landwirtschaft"

BDS: "it aimait beaucoup la terre

LSG: "it aimait l'agriculture"

I might suggest the following translation: "He was a man who loved the soil."

I didn't always have an interest in dirt and soil. Sand, maybe, but not the earth. But God changed all that. Today we are a third-generation farm. 

Like Uzziah of old, I truly love the land and our farm. 

The smell of it. 

The wonder of feeling the dirt as it crumbles between my fingers. 

The soft earth beneath my knees. 

A carrot pulled fresh from the soil and brushed off.

It's been said that despite all of mankind's achievements, we owe our very existence to a thin 6-inch layer of soil and the fact that it rains. God created man from the dust of the ground. Soil is where we come from and where we are laid to rest. Soils are home to 60 percent of species on earth. A handful of soil contains literally billions of microbes. 

Yes, I love God's good earth. And Hebrew! 

Meade Takes Command

162 years ago today, George Gordon Meade was placed in command of the Army of the Potomac by Abraham Lincoln. Meade protested. He thought that role should have gone to John Reynolds. He also expressed his concern about being placed in charge of the army when he knew nothing about its positions or dispositions. 

Meade requested to be relieved of the order. Lincoln refused. "Well," said Meade to a friend, "I've been tried and condemned without a hearing, and I suppose I shall have to go to my execution." He wrote the president:

The order placing me in command of the army is received. As a soldier, I obey it, and to the utmost of my ability will execute it.

The transfer of command was achieved.

After this, Meade turned his attention to the scattered whereabouts of his troops, most of them on the march toward Frederick, Maryland. One Federal officer declared, "General Meade evidently felt very heavily the responsibility thus thrown on his shoulders." 

Meade was not as timid as his predecessors. He was determined to move the army as fast as possible against the enemy. The next day he wrote his wife Margaret, "I am moving at once against Lee. Pray fervently for the success of my country. Love to all." 

In those early hours of his command, Meade must have thought of the lessons he learned as a cadet at West Point. Could he force the enemy to concentrate somewhere in his front? Would the army be up to the task? 

In the North, it seemed as though few people had any confidence at all that Meade's army would, or even could, defeat Lee. But it did. And thus Meade became perhaps the greatest general of the American Civil War. 

The Time Is Now

Hey folks. Just got my steps in for the day. Before that I got in my second to the last workout before I leave for Oahu on Tuesday. 

Yes, I'm nervous. I surf Waikiki every year. But it's been decades since I've surfed Diamond Head. Will my arms be strong enough for all the paddling I have to do? Will I have the endurance required? I won't know until I get there. For now, all I can do is train. Mostly my arms and back. (Videos are from today's workout.)

I'll need these muscles for the Alps as well. 

I've been discovering a consistent theme with the elderly I've spoken to recently. If there is a goal I want to achieve, I want to start working toward it now. If there is race I want to run or a mountain I want to climb, I'm going to do it now. I want to avoid the possibility of one day looking back on my life and seeing missed opportunities. I want to grow as a person and challenge myself. And I want to do that now. I want to nurture the relationships in my life that are important to me. I want to encourage and support my kids and grandkids. And I want to do it now. It's time to jump off the proverbial cliff and soar. The time is now to live life to the fullest, and in so doing perhaps inspire others to be brave and jump. 

We are all capable of so much more than we know. Surfing Diamond Head is an opportunity to share the ocean with people who are willing to push past their limits and do something amazing. There are no cheering crowds, no external rewards, just the internal satisfaction of knowing you persevered in the midst of challenges and didn't give up.

Today's progress pic. 

Saying Goodbye to My Cardiologist

This afternoon I met with my cardiologist for my semi-annual checkup. I've really enjoyed working with him. He is an excellent doctor. By "excellent" I mean someone who doesn't try and see his patients as fast as possible, but someone who tries to treat his patients as unique individuals. An excellent cardiologist explains things in layman's terms and takes the time to try and educate his patients. Every patient is different. Some patients have significant medical problems. In such cases, a good cardiologist will provide more than medical care. He or she will provide encouragement and (in some cases) even spiritual care. With every patient interaction they have an opportunity to be compassionate, relieve anxiety, remove burdens, or simply let their patients know you hear them and they are not alone.

Today I also said goodbye to my cardiologist. He's retiring after 35 years serving our community so well and so caringly. I congratulated him and thanked him for the positive role model he's been for the younger physicians who are coming after him. He made every one of his patients feel like a VIP. By the way, he was very happy with my fitness journey, my blood pressure, my diet, and my cholesterol levels. He gave me the green light to surf and climb this summer as long as I am careful to stay hydrated and avoid heat stroke. 

As a teacher, I am glad I knew him. What makes an excellent cardiologist also makes an excellent educator. Knowing your stuff and actually caring puts you pretty high up in my estimation. 

Fat Loss Is a TOTAL Body Process

Guess what? Fat loss is not site specific. It's actually impossible to target fat loss in a certain part of your body no matter how many crunches you do. Fat loss is a total body process.

Your body pulls fat from random areas of your body. You have virtually no control over where it will occur. It's mostly a matter of your genetics. 

It's kind of like trying to drain a swimming pool. If you try to drain just one corner of the pool with a bucket, what happens? Does one section of the pool go down while everything else remains high? Nope. The overall water level goes down a tiny fraction. That's what it's like to lose body fat. You can't specifically spot reduce a certain body of your body. And that's really annoying.

But there's good news. Let's expand our analogy. Imagine a swimming pool that has a shallow end and a deep end. On my body, and due to my genes, the "shallow end" is made up of my arms, legs, face, and back. 

They get lean relatively quickly, whereas the opposite is true for my belly, which is the "deep end" of the pool. I'm going to have to lose a certain amount of fat from the rest of my body before my abs will finally stand out. 

Guys, this is true of many of us. If you don't like it, take it up with your parents, who gave you your genetics. 

The Unexamined Life

One thing I often do when I'm in Hawaii is what I call a personal reassessment. Truly, the unexamined life is not worth living. God put me here for a purpose. Have I fulfilled it? I was put here to deliver a message. Have I given it? I was to bear fruit for the kingdom. Has the harvest occurred?

The Stoics said that each day we live is a separate life. If so, the Bible emphasizes not only what was done but why. Was I a success or a failure? What were my achievements, if any? Who have I lived for -- myself or my God? In reality, no one can answer these questions except for me and my Creator. 

What matters most is not the surface of life but the inner reality. Life is the greatest sport. And as in every sport, what matters is not the statistics. What counts is how we play the game. 

Taking a Break from College?

Did any of you take a break when you were going to college? I did. It was after my third year at Biola. I was mentally exhausted. The transition from public high school to private college took a lot out of me. I think it was a combination of burnout and lack of maturity. I knew I needed to do something about it. 

Taking time off is scary. At the same time, it can really help if you do things to help yourself get out of the rut you're in. So I took a semester and a summer off. I flew home and got a job at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel -- one of Waikiki's premier resorts. Here's the view from one of its rooms. 

Six nights a week I bussed tables at this restaurant. 

It was the ideal situation. I made good money, plus I could surf every day. This pic was taking during this time. 

I returned to Biola when I felt ready and could really commit. That hiatus in Hawaii was just what the doctor ordered. Fully refreshed, I was able to complete my bachelor's, then my master's, and finally my doctorate without taking any more breaks. 

The lesson here: Taking time off from college doesn't mean you're a failure. College is extremely demanding, and not every person flies right through it. I certainly didn't. Take your time and be gentle on yourself. Everything will eventually figure itself out. Go ahead, take that break, experience life, experiment, do some fun activities, spend time with people you love and care about, find a good paying job, and save. 

For me, it was so worth it. 

The Art of Public Speaking

Every time I speak in public, I schedule two "speeches." First, there's my "left brain" speech, which is mainly factual. Secondly, there's my "right brain" speech, which is primarily inspirational. I thought about that when I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes in my morning Bible study. In Eccl. 12:10, we read: "For the Preacher was not only a wise man, but a good teacher; he not only taught what he knew but taught them in an interesting manner" (TLB). 

There is no substitute for the meeting of the two brains, and the basics of public speaking are the same today as they were in Solomon's time. A great speech not only has great content. But the speaker also captures the audience's heart. Every eye is on him or her. 

When I'm talking to a particular group of people, I change my approach to adapt to different personalities. If you don't make that adaptation, you're likely to fail. The distinction between a left brain talk and a right brain talk might be overly simplistic, but it proves to be very practical. People even write this way. Think of "N. T. Wright" (the name he uses in his academic works) and "Tom Wright" (the name he uses in his more devotional works). Or think of the difference between my purely informational beginning Greek grammar (Learn to Read New Testament Greek) and my more motivational intermediate grammar (It's Still Greek to Me). My favorite authors, while going into the ABCs, always insert just enough humor to make the facts palatable to right brainers.

Cicero (a great orator of long ago) once described the aims of public speaking as:

Ut doceat

Ut moveat

Ut delectet

In other words: 

To teach

To motivate

To entertain

Telling stories helps. This is how Jesus often taught. Anecdotes and parables are windows into the speaker's soul. Speaking without notes is also a good idea. All too often a sermon is stale because the speaker is too busy scrolling on his iPad to connect with his audience. Interestingly, your audience will know whether you've put in the work or not. They hear the pain and sacrifice in your voice. That being the case, the more motivational the talk, the more likely the outcome will be memorable.

To summarize what Eccl. 12:9-10 is saying:

1. The Preacher was a wise man.

2. The Preacher taught the people all he knew.

3. The Preacher taught them in an interesting manner.

That's great advice for those of us who profess to be public speakers. 

Don't Mellow Until You Spoil!

Too many elderly people avoid the battle for truth under the guise of a more tolerant spirit in old age. True, we need to outgrow the rashness and errors of youth. But it's just as bad to mistake mellowing with tolerance for untruths about God's word. 

Today's Waikiki Surf Report

Here are today's conditions at Waikiki. 

Canoes is breaking 4-6 feet. Publics has 4-5 foot waves. The Wall is 3-4 feet. Hope these sizes can last another week till I'm there!