Father's Day Encouragement

Happy Father's Day to all you incredible dads out there. Enjoy being spoiled today.

Having your first child is like stepping onto an unknown planet. Everything is rewritten -- your sleep, your time, your relationship dynamics. It's famously characterized by a steep learning curve. But above all, it brings a profound, unparalleled bond of love.

If you are the parents of grown children, let's remember that we serve a God who specializes in knowing what's best for our kids. When we embrace a life of faith and place our trust in a sovereign God, we say to him, "God, you know what's best for my children and I do not. I can't know the end from the beginning, but you know all that is going to work its way out." I love the story of the prodigal son. The father let the boy go. He couldn't predict what was going to happen, though he was much older and wiser than his son. He let him go because God should have his way in this.

When our children get older, they get complicated and act on their own. Sometimes we may disagree with their decisions. You're not going to change an adult child. If you try, you are going to make them bitter. I've learned something through the years and I'm going to pass it on to you at no extra charge. Are you ready? Here we go:

Anytime you offer unrequested advice you make things worse. 

If they want advice they'll ask for it. If they don't ask, don't offer it. God should have his way in their lives. And sometimes his way is very different from ours. If you follow this principle, your life will change. You will rest rather than relentlessly search for a way to work it out. You'll back away and you'll be comfortable leaving the matter with God. This morning I just sat at my desk and prayed, "Lord, burn this truth into my heart. Make me a model of the kind of follower of yours who refuses to worry when things aren't going 'my' way. Your plan is far better than mine. You should have your way in my kids' lives. You have never made your first mistake. I'll rest in you."

Again -- HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! 

P.S. Nice day for steps after church! 

A Friendly Reminder about Walking

Walking is the most underrated fat loss tool there is. What people fail to realize is that this low intensity form of exercise taps into their fat stores. And, because it doesn't wreck your recovery, you can do it every day. If you try to run every day you're going to heighten your hunger and you might find that you eat more. Of course, running is great for you. I run often. It's great for heart health, leg strength, and mental clarity. But walking is more effective if your focus is fat loss, especially if you don't enjoy running. Try to get between 8-10,000 steps every day if you can. Start out with, say, 4,000 per day (most people can do that without even trying). Then add another 1,000 steps the next week, then another 1,000 steps the next week, and so on. Timing wise, walking after a meal is best. This helps to metabolize your glucose and helps with your digestion. And you can always walk while listening to music or to a podcast!

Pleasing God More and More (1 Thess. 4:1)

Been in 1 Thessalonians of late. How rich! One of the things I love about Paul's letters is the way he regularly combines doctrine and duty, belief and behavior, exposition and exhortation. Here's an overview.

We see this beautiful transition in 4:1, don't we? 

Here Paul turns from the reception of the gospel (evangelism) to everyday Christian discipleship (edification). Moreover, he's not only concerned with personal ethics. He wants to depict in very clear terms the characterization of the new community that Jesus brought into being by his death and resurrection.

The basis of Christian ethics is clearly spelled out here. For Paul, Christian moral duty is above all pleasing God. We're not to think of our Christian duty as law but as love. Hence the Christian life is not primarily about obeying rules and regulations (though Paul does lay down quite a number of instructions in chapters 4-5). The Christian life is primarily a relationship. It's about pleasing a person. The God who made me, loves me, sent his Son to redeem me, adopted me into his family, and placed his Holy Spirit in me, is my loving Father -- and I want to please him. This is the essence of Christian holiness. Our greatest desire in life is not to please ourselves or to please others. It's to please our God. I think I can say that this is the main reason I exercise. 

Have you gotten hold of that yet? If we love God, we will please him. And we will do this more and more. You say, "How can I, at 74, continue to please God more and more? I'm too old for all that. I've maxed out my potential to grow." The result, sadly, is often complacency as we age. What a horrid thing. Beware of saying that you have arrived. Beware of saying that you don't need to grow or improve any more. Beware of downright laziness in your Christian walk. We are to please God more and more and more and more in spirit, soul, and body.

What a liberating principle by which to live! It rescues us from a kind of Christian Pharisaism that reduces ethics to a list of do's and don'ts. Our incentive is not so much to obey the law as to please the Law-Giver. 

Paul was never satisfied with the level of spirituality to which he had attained. Neither should we ever be.

P.S. Interested in studying 1 Thessalonians on your own? I've put together a guide here (scroll until you see "The Literary Structure of 1-2 Thessalonians"). 

Seek Discomfort

To get lean and look good and improve your basic health markers is going to take you 6 months or a year or maybe even 2 years or longer. Yet 99% of guys can't or won't do it. 

On paper, it's very simple. Yet most men struggle even to get started. And it's not because it's an extremely difficult task. It's not even because it takes such an immense amount of time. If I told you that you had to do something for the next 6 months or a year, even if you hated it and it was the hardest thing on earth, you could still probably end up doing it if you knew the other side was going to be as good as you hoped it would be. If you're not certain that you're going to get to the end goal and get the level of fitness you want, exercise becomes 100 times harder because there is no carrot on the stick to chase after. You will quit before you know it. And the reason is, subconsciously you have accepted it's not for you. It's not possible. You can't do it. And I'm telling you after 5 years of working out that this is your greatest roadblock. It's not the external. It's the internal. 

Here's what you need to realize. Your brain is hardwired in a way that challenge is (or should be) normal. Pushing yourself into uncomfortable positions is normal. Feeling discomfort is normal. Why? Because this is how we actually grow as human beings. This is what builds your character and identity. This is how you stay fulfilled in life. All because you're constantly putting yourself into uncomfortable situations. In 1980, I graduated with my M.Div. from Talbot. 

That fall Becky and I packed our bags and moved to Switzerland. The reason was because I wanted to do my doctorate in the theology department at the historic University of Basel. For years Becky and I had prayed about this. Should we do it? Could we do it? Could we even afford it? Would we be able to master German? Would we get hopelessly homesick? Could we adjust to Swiss culture? 

Take just the expense involved. It would have been so easy for me to stay in Southern California and pursue a doctorate in New Testament at Fuller. Pasadena was only an hour's drive from our home in La Mirada. Becky was working fulltime as a nurse. I was teaching Greek at Biola. But once we arrived in Switzerland, neither of us would be allowed to work. Furthermore, before the police in Basel could grant us residency we would have to deposit over 30 thousand dollars in a Swiss bank account. Please keep in mind that the cost of living in Switzerland at the time was 4 times higher than the cost of living in Southern California. We were already comfortably situated. Why should we put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation? Why should we push our boundaries? 

But that's exactly why we wanted to live in Basel! 

We wanted our faith stretched. We craved the challenge. We desired the rich cross-cultural experience we knew we would have if we left the comfort and familiarity of the United States behind us for 3 years. (By the way, stagnation is probably one of the worst things you can experience as a man. If I gave you 10 million dollars right now and you didn't have to work a single day for the rest of your life and never have to push past your comfort in any manner, you would be miserable regardless of how many millions were in your bank account.) Through God's financial provision (Becky worked two jobs, I worked three), we were able to save up the required funds to live in Basel. These ended up being some of the best years of our lives. We LOVED our sojourn in this beautiful city on the Rhine. 

We loved the Swiss friends we made. 

We loved working with some of the greatest scholars in the world at the time. We loved the rigor and challenge of Basel's doctoral program. We loved not being forced to take courses or write term papers or take quizzes and exams or attend seminars. They put all their eggs in one basket -- your ability to produce a high quality dissertation and have it published. Then, once it was in print, you had to deliver 125 copies of the book to the university library  -- at your expense- -- and they would grant you your degree. Challenging? Yessiree. Rewarding? Absolutely! 

If you want to get in shape, you need to do what Becky and I did. You have to set a meaningful goal that is actually going to have a tangible outcome. You must want to get in shape. You must want to lose fat. You must be willing to struggle towards it. This is what makes the goal meaningful. Everything good you want in life -- a godly marriage, a great physique, a successful career, financial freedom -- all these things take consistent years of struggle to acquire. Take the man who becomes a respected scholar in his field. Do you think he just woke up one day and got it? Everyone says they want financial freedom. Freedom is earned through struggling for decades to build a life where you don't have to worry about your finances. Likewise, a healthy physique involves years of doing the exact same thing over and over again and consistently pushing yourself. Struggle is not the exception. Struggle is the core of this framework. 

To summarize: living life means we have to have a meaningful goal with a tangible outcome. And you will need to struggle constantly to achieve it. When was the last time you actually had to put in consistent effort that was extremely difficult in order get a new reward? Probably not in a very long time. And that is precisely because your brain has lost the ability to tolerate discomfort or to even want to problem solve because there is no reason to. What I recommend to every single man out there is to face your challenges head on. Paul said, "It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22, NASB). No, I don't mean you need to David Goggins your way through life. You simply need to learn to face discomfort head on. 

So ....  

Go all in. 

Be serious about change. 

Get tough on yourself. 

Man up. 

Seek discomfort. 

Rain on the Way?

The Value of (Slow) Pull Ups

I love the pull up. It's probably the only exercise I would do if I was on a desert island and could only perform one movement. It's one of the most fundamental exercises I incorporate into my routine almost on a daily basis. Pull ups are a fantastic way to build your upper body strength, enhance your physique, and just boost your overall health. The pull up engages all the muscles in your back -- the lats, the rhombs, the upper traps, the rear delts, plus your forearms and biceps get a serious workout as well. You can do pull ups quickly or slowly. 

Lately I've been working on slowing the exercise down. It's the same weight, but you're giving the exercise twice as much time and attention. As you can see here, there's more stimulus even on the way up. 

And on the way down, you can also retard the movement. Stretch. Retract. Pull. Nice and slow going up, nice and slow going down. By using a neutral grip as I am doing here, it takes a little more stress off the shoulders and puts less emphasis on the biceps. Through the years I've done tons of chest and shoulder presses without enough pull ups, and that can round your shoulders. Doing more pull ups is helping me correct that. 

Performing pull ups is definitely the way to go for pretty much everyone out there. Unless you're a rock climber and just constantly pulling, I think doing more pull ups is great. For both conditioning and fat loss, it can change your physique in many positive ways. You're also burning more calories so you just look leaner and stronger and more athletic. And remember: There's nothing at all wrong with doing band-assisted pull ups. 

Okay, going to leave it there. Thanks for reading!

It's Not a Knowledge Gap

We all recognize that a person with low body fat and high muscle is metabolically healthy. Aesthetics is the byproduct. If you look good, that's a bonus. The body craves health. It wants that result, but psychologically we're not willing to go through the rigor of exercise because we're addicted to comfort. 

Sometimes it takes a doctor's visit to wake us up. When the doctor sees the blood markers, the visceral fat, the blood pressure, the heart rate, the blood sugar, they go, "You're in bad shape. You need to do something about it." That's what my cardiologist told me a few years ago. He told me I was obese. Obese? Me obese? But he was right. At 35% body fat, I was technically obese. I thought to myself, "I better take care of this -- now." 

Muscle is not vanity at 74. It's a longevity organ. 

This morning at the gym. 

Either you are strengthening your muscles and they are growing, or they are not growing and shrinking. Everything is always changing. And it's up to you to decide how it changes. Your skeletal muscle is going to help you for the rest of your life. The six pack, if it ever shows up, is not the target. It's the side effect of doing boring things over and over again. 

Getting in my steps today. 

Look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself, "I'm 40 (or 50, or whatever age you are). Let's take stock of how I am right now, okay? Where is all this headed? Because it's not going to get better if nothing changes." Fat loss is not a mystery. You know what to do. It means training enough to create a stimulus to create a response. It means developing a small set of habits that are going to move the needle. Simple as that. Three days a week you add progressive overload to your gym workouts, like these guys I was working out with today are doing. 

Muscle is longevity insurance. You're not going to look like a bodybuilder unless you want to take steroids. But that's not the point. 

Again, we have the knowledge. So why don't we take the action? 

You've thought about the thing. 

You've read about the thing. 

But you haven't done the thing. 

And one month, one year, one decade from now you'll be exactly where you are right now. 

It's not an information gap. 

It's an action gap. 

You need to know where you to get to where you want to go.

That's it. 

How to Get to 12% Body Fat

For a couple of years now I've been giving you guys a blueprint for how to get from 35% body fat down to 12%. Not only so that you can get your dream body. But how you can actually leverage it in the real world. 

This is exactly what happened to me. Getting to 12% body fat was not the actual end goal. The real reward is the person I'm becoming through the process, by God's grace. You see, a couple of years ago something switched inside my brain. I realized that there was something more foundational to this process than diet and nutrition, exercise and strength training, daily step count and recovery. These are important of course. But the foundation is key. If we do not have this foundation, we are building a house on sand that will eventually collapse. Your identity (the way you view yourself) is the most important thing about the whole process. If you do not truly believe it in your mind, then you will always subconsciously fail to become the person you want to be. It doesn't matter if you have the perfect diet or workout routine. You have to believe that you can get the physique you want before it is actually manifested in reality. You have to become worthy of the physique you want. 

I'm not going to lie to you. Getting down to 12% body fat for the first time is hard, especially if, like me, you have to lose 50 pounds to do it. You have to realize what you're actually capable of. This is the whole point of growth. You realize that you can change for the better. It's only after you have the confidence to actually attack the life you want that your body will ever change. The whole purpose is to completely change the way you think about yourself. You must see yourself as getting the life you want. You are no longer just someone who exercises. You are an athlete. You need to drop language that says you lack what it takes to get fit. You need to pursue a place of abundance as though you already have it. You have to do all the actions at 35% body fat that the version of you at 12% does. And you need to do it from day one throughout the whole process. You need to completely rewire your brain. And you need to build non-negotiable habits on a daily basis. Stop trying to become a guy who is trying to get into shape. You are a guy who is getting into shape, and your actions reflect how you see yourself automatically.

It's the same thing with the Christian life. Living the Christian life means bringing your everyday actions into alignment with your position in Christ. You actually live out the grace you've already been given by him. Many of us mistakenly think we have to be "good enough" to make progress in the Christian life. The gospel flips this on its head. We are accepted by God first, and then we change because we belong to him. Our growth in Christ is simply about aligning our behaviors with the identity we already possess. When this happens, disciplines like prayer, Scripture reading, and service become natural habits. In essence, you are laboring to become who you already are as you allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to transform your character. So when you're tempted to sin (to behave in a way that doesn't align with your position in Christ), you can draw on the power of the Spirit and you can actually say "no" to the flesh. Likewise, as you begin your physical transformation, the key outcome is produced by this identity shift. Your actions reflect how you see yourself automatically. When you are tempted to give up, you can say "no." If you don't do this, you are constantly pushing a boulder up a hill and making the process more difficult than it needs to be. This is all about just getting things to align with your new identity. 

Again, the physique is not the foundation. Your lifestyle is the foundation. Before you actually start accomplishing things in your life that you really want to do, you need to believe that you can do it. You can say no to sin. You can say no to your old nature. You can become who you are in Christ. And you can become fit and healthy. This is honestly going to be one of the most difficult things you do. This is where you're truly pushing yourself. You are truly testing to see if you are worthy to have the physique you want. That's what it's all about guys. The internal state that you create is the only thing that will make this transformation possible, because you want it. I truly believe that every one of us wants the same thing. We all want to take care of the temple. We all want to become all that we are capable of becoming. There is one outcome that we're all trying to get, and this is a repeatable formula that literally anyone can do. 

Make sure you start with the identity shift. This is the exact thing that happened to me. I have truly lived this. And I am not done -- either with becoming a healthier version of myself, or a more Christlike follower of the Lord Jesus. 

Have a wonderful evening! 

The Drought of '26

More than 60% of the United States is experiencing drought conditions, with more than 20% in an extreme drought. Virginia just expanded its drought warning to 94 counties. Almost the entire commonwealth is now under a drought warning, delaying planting and hurting pasture conditions. The next few weeks will determine if the "Drought of '26" becomes something we all will remember. 

Here in Mecklenburg County, we've been getting some scattered thunderstorms that have helped a little and for which we are very grateful. Ponds and streams are drying up. Rocky shorelines are getting wider and wider. According to the National Weather service, our region needs 8-12 inches of rain in a single month to resolve the drought. That would likely cause flooding even with dry soil. Drainages simply can't handle that much rain. Over 6 months, we'll need 25-30 inches. 

The forecast over the next couple of weeks tilts to higher odds for at least somewhat wetter than normal weather over parts of the state. For now, there are no indications (humanly speaking) of a long, soaking, "farmer's rain" in the next couple of weeks at least. We pray for rain but also for the wisdom and strength to endure hardship. Hope remains strong. The good work continues (here's some hay that my son raked today). 

Just as the apostle James noted the patience of a farmer waiting for the early and latter rains, so our family sees our daily labor as an act of worship to our God and a joint venture with him. 

He has never let us down and never will. We rely on God because it's all out of our hands. I love how Psalm 104:14 puts it: "You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate." 

Farmers are some of the hardest working people I know. They're also some of the most resilient. We give God thanks for sunshine, rain, and his loving provision. 

Moving Out

"The path only illuminates if you walk it."

You don't need to have everything figured out. You just need to get moving.

When I was 16, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. 

I drifted for years. 

Happy go lucky. 

But directionless. 

Then I moved to California. 

Biola completely changed me. 

It gave direction to my entire life. 

The person I wanted to become was getting closer and closer. 

Was it scary? A whole lot! I missed Hawaii terribly. Being away from the islands only made me appreciate them more. 

But in California, I no longer felt stuck. 

The whole world seemed to open up for me -- Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Austria, France, England, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Korea, India, China, Ethiopia, Mexico, Canada.

If you're sitting in your hometown feeling stuck, just know that it's possible for everyone, even a beach bum from Hawaii, to find his way. 

There's no better feeling. 

Translating Heb. 13:7

One of my favorite verses in the New Testament is Heb. 13:7. 

Here's my rendering:

"Continue to remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. As you carefully reflect on what kind of lives they lived, let their faithfulness continue to inspire and instruct you."

I love the words of Tony Merida:

"Leadership is not lordship. It's setting an example and inviting other people to follow you."

How would you render this magnificent verse? 

Weight Is Not an Unchangeable "Set Point"

If you want to have something you've never had before, you have to be willing to do something you've never done before. 

Me working out this morning.

Your weight is not an unchangeable "set point." It's a "settling point" that can be influenced through consistent lifestyle changes. You can reach a sustainable level of body fat where you look and feel athletic. Because muscle is metabolically active, increasing your muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more energy at rest and giving you more flexibility with your food intake. Through proper meal planning and disciplined training, you can gradually reset your body's "default" weight range to a lower, leaner level. 

Care to give it a try? 

Go ALL In!

Feeling great today. Gonna hit the gym hard tomorrow! 

Only 7 short weeks before I leave for Hawaii, Lord willing! 

Friends, go ALL in on your goals in life. After all, you only get ONE shot. I believe in you, and I promise that getting in shape is worth it. 

Creating a Caloric Deficit

Walking 10,000 steps in a day burns approximately 500 calories. This means that when I consume a meal with extra calories (let's say, more than 700 calories than I normally consume), I will need to walk or run at least 20,000 steps that day, which is precisely what I did today. 

I got in my steps AND I enjoyed a delicious, high-carb meal. 

I don't do this every day of course. But increasing your daily step count is a great way to create a calorie buffer that allows you to enjoy indulgences without derailing your weekly progress! 

The "Ideal" Physique?

It was the look that got everyone interested in fitness and bodybuilding. I'm talking about Brad Pitt in Fight Club, of course. 

It doesn't get much better than this. He's 5'11'', 150 pounds. Brad Pitt is living proof that sometimes less is more. You don't have to put on a ton of muscle to look good. What I admire about Brad Pitt's physique is not just his muscles but how wonderfully symmetrical he looks. Everything is just in perfect proportion. His trainers really knew how to get him into that perfect shape for the movie. He's still thin. He just naturally holds an extremely low body fat composition. He also put on a little muscle. Even in his 60s he still looks amazing. Proof that age is relative, like time. 

What's my pursuit? Well, not to become Brad Pitt. I'll never have his genetics or good looks. But here's what I can take away from his physique. He was mostly skinny. But muscular skinny. And he was healthy. That's more or less the kind of physique I'm after. It's there to be reached but always a little too far to be realized. But who doesn't love rainbows? 

Pitt had peak abdominal leanness. His abs possessed less fat on them than most men. If we didn't have a world full of sugar and were back in the hunter-gatherer days, men with abs like that would be the usual look. It's one thing to be genetically blessed. That's a pure gift from God. But it's quite another thing to take the time and make the effort to develop and maintain that gift over the years. Right now I'd say I'm about peak natty for someone at my age with average genetics. I'd love to remain active until the day I die. In particular, I'd really, really like to be able to surf for another decade if the Lord allows. To do that I'll need a body with enough strength to paddle and swim. Good muscle. Healthy amount of fat. Decent size. Sadly, with the incessant permeation of our brains by social media, physique inflation is a very real thing. Natural doesn't even look normal anymore. Fitness has become less about health and more about art. You're either shredded or have a dad bod. 

Friend, be proud of your own progress. I'll try to do the same. Be very careful of who you let influence  you. As you know if you've been reading my blog, I've decided to stop just chasing results and start building the discipline that guarantees them. I say this as someone who used to be a poster boy for laziness, hated the gym, wasn't naturally strong or athletic, and made every possible mistake in the book when it came to health and diet. But if I've learned anything through trial and error it's this: Do the habits, and the outcome takes care of itself. For example, here are today's steps. 

Tomorrow I may get in more or fewer of them, but I will strive for at least 10,000. Furthermore, I will do my running in the sun (with 70 SPF suntan lotion) and grab me some vitamin D along the way. And, while I don't idolize Brad Pitt or anyone else for that matter, I know I can learn from him. Someone has said there are two kinds of comparison -- torture, and teacher. Torture has to do with things you can't change. I have no control over my age, height, or genetics. But when you use comparison to motivate and inspire you, it becomes a teacher.  Bodybuilders look cool, but it's the more natural look (like Pitt's) that I'm aiming for. 

Taken today. 6'4". 190 pounds. 

At the end of the day, when all is said and done I'd like to become neither worryingly lean on the one hand nor unhealthily fat on the other. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be completely worth it.

Surf's Up!

Oh to be out there surfing the Ala Moana Bowl this morning!!!

Staying in the Game

Hey guys. Here are a few pics and vids from today's workout. Whether you're trying to get fit and build a healthy and fit physique, or trying to master the Greek of the New Testament, you have to be hyped, but not by the results. If you're just constantly thinking about the results, then you'll never be satisfied. You'll never be in the moment. I get rewarded every single day for being the person I want to become by executing the habits I know I need to take me to that position. I'm not even thinking about the results. I'm thinking about the present, about the joy of hard work. That's the feeling that brings me the greatest joy. People misinterpret the focus on results too much. You can't just be chasing results all the time. Results are the byproduct of the lifestyle you want to live, the person you want to be. The happiest people I see in the gym aren't those who are happy from achieving results. They're happy from the identity they have. 

Every so often I get to preach in churches pastored by my former students. Sometimes I show them my Greek New Testament and ask them to read a verse or two. By "read" I don't mean simply pronouncing the Greek words out loud. I mean translating the Greek into English. It's very seldom that a student is able to do this. Mind you, these are students who have had me for 3-4 semesters of Greek and got straight As in their classes. The problem is that they failed to stay in the game. 

Likewise in the gym. To get the physique you want starts with your mindset. Anyone you have ever seen with a  great physique has started by developing their mindset. You can have the perfect workout plan, but none of that is going to matter if you don't have the mindset or the consistent system to actually back it up. If you're only interested in having the looks without building the mindset that guarantees it, my website is not for you. We're talking about an actual life change where we change our self identity. We change our belief system. We build systems that last. Achieving what you want is less about the results that you think you need and more about the person you want to become. Because every goal that you want has a lifestyle attached to it. If you constantly live in this state where all you think about are the results, you will never keep motivated to keep pushing forward. And what this means is that you just have to crave hard work. You have to love the idea of being the person who's doing what is required. 

When I was studying Greek, I was only able to make actual change in my life and start getting results once I started being hyped not by the results but by the work. This is the only way to generate real consistency in your life. I know I can keep on giving myself a pat on the back as long as I stay in the game. There is no other skill in your life that will reward you as much as knowing how to be consistent, how to show up for yourself every single day. 

That's true whether you're reading the Bible in Greek or weight training at the gym. 

Friday Is for Fotos

Remember: your scale weight goes up and down based on hydration, sodium intake, inflammation, and carb storage. Progress photos provide an objective record that isn't swayed by daily water weight. I take progress photos every Friday. Comparing photos from months apart provides an incredible psychological boost and helps prevent discouragement during strength plateaus! 

They're Coming to America

Over a century ago, Ellis Island wasn't just a point of entry into the United States. It was a gateway to a new life. 

Over 12 million immigrants passed through its doors between 1892 and 1924, each with their own struggles and aspirations. According to the National Park Service, over 40% of Americans living today are descended from immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. 

I am one of them.

In 1917, George and Rachel Arsu left their home in Cluj, Romania, in search of a new life in America. George and Rachel were my maternal grandparents. I imagine that their arrival at Ellis Island in New York Harbor was marked by a mixture of hope and anxiety. The Statue of Liberty stares you in the face, reminding you of freedom and new opportunities. 

After facing a rigorous inspection, my grandparents, along with their 9 children, settled in the large Romanian expat community in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1918 Rachel Arsu became pregnant again. 

She gave birth to her last child, a daughter. They named her Elvera. Elvera Arsu was my mother. In 1945, she married a man from Hawaii named John Black. They had met at a USO club in Youngstown as he was being shipped off to fight the Germans in WWII. After their wedding in Youngstown they took a train to California and then boarded a ship bound for Honolulu. 

Now settled in Hawaii, they had 4 children. I was their youngest. Growing up, my mother was the only Romanian speaker I knew. 

There was little to no chance of me learning to speak Romanian at our home in Kailua -- a fact that causes me significant embarrassment whenever I visit Romania and people find out that this half-Romanian speaks not a word of their language. I can't blame my mother of course. 

That generation of immigrants were eager to assimilate into American society, language and all. But that makes me no less proud of my Romanian heritage. In his 1958 book A Nation of Immigrants, President John F. Kennedy wrote, "There are probably as many reasons for coming to America as there were people who came." I'm sure my grandparents came in large part to see that their children and grandchildren had a better life than they had. They could not have imagined that one of their grandsons would become an educator and lifelong language lover. 

If that's your background also, you'll love this version of "They're Coming to America" by Neil Diamond. 

The song is an emotional tribute to his own grandparents who escaped oppression in Eastern Europe. Like Neil, I love America despite all her flaws, not least because her identity is built by immigrants and diverse communities from across the globe. Her liberties allow individuals to forge their own paths and pursue economic liberty. Of course, I don't love her poor decisions. I don't love her fading values. But I love America. 

Let's gratefully love this, our country, America. 

Becoming, Not THE Best, But YOUR Best

Your fitness is defined by two things. That's right. Two things. The first is the goal. What do you want to accomplish? Second, the constraints. What are you willing to do or not do to get there? My goal? To be in great shape. I could care less about the aesthetic side rather than the healthy side and how I actually feel. As for the constraints, I'm actually not willing to spend endless hours in the gym or doing workouts that I hate. So my approach has to be streamlined, simple, enjoyable, and focused on health and fitness. I weigh about 190 pounds for reference and do not track my food because I really don't want to. But I do know from looking at myself and weighing myself daily that I am loosely maintaining my current body composition. Most of my diet is whole foods. Here's what I prepped for dinner tonight. 

However, I'm not a Puritan when it comes to diet, so I don't entirely eliminate processed foods. I eat breakfast at Bojangles every day for its undeniable and innumerable mental health benefits. I don't spend forever in the gym. I go three times a week for a long workout (about 75 minutes). I also maintain a non-shameful amount of activity each week. I get in a bare minimum of 10,000 steps per day, though I often exceed that. Today, when I awoke, my body said to me, "Dave, let's go for a long run today, shall we? I mean, you've still got another 32-mile ultra to do this year, and you'll need at least 3 or 4 long runs before then." I replied, "Body, sounds good, Let's do it. Shall we aim for 10 miles today?"

Today's step count. 

 "Sure," said my body, "as long as we get er done before the temps get over 98." "It's a deal," I replied.

So let me ask. 

What do you want to accomplish? 

Second, what are you willing to do or not do to get there? 

Accepting the truth that nobody can do more than 100% was a revelation to me. My best is my best. As flawed, gullible, and out of shape I had allowed myself to become, I knew that the body God gave me was the body that I was going to have to use. I couldn't trade it in for some new, improved version of myself. If I was going to get where I wanted to be, it was going to have to be through this body. That's true for you, too. It's not a matter of getting the body you want. It's a matter of doing the most with the body you have. 

Friend, you may never become the best. But you can most certainly become your best. You can find ways to improve for the rest of your life. You just have to learn how to do all these new things with your old body! 

One of the Most Important Decisions You Will Make

Exercise is a fundamental pillar for long-term health and muscle-building capacity. Better cardiovascular fitness enhances oxygen and nutrient delivery, allowing you to train harder and recover faster between sessions. The truth is, getting is shape is a very long process. Decide from this day forward that this is the way I'm going to operate on a daily basis, regardless of how I look. I will recognize myself as someone who goes to the gym consistently and trains regardless of whether I'm on vacation or work is busy. This decision alone will set you apart from 99% of guys because the great majority of people going to the gym look at it as a mere project, something they are going to do for a period of time until they get the result they want and then have no plan afterwards. The truth is that getting in shape is a very long process. It is difficult. It is tough. Unless you see yourself as someone who is committed to it, you will never actually be able to commit long enough to get the physique you want. 

This is going to be one of the most important decisions you ever make in your life. 

At the end of today's workout. 

Just Another Day of Training

Learn New Testament Greek!

John Miles would like to invite you to learn New Testament Greek. I second the motion! 

The Magic of Chicago's "Make Me Smile"

Chicago's epic song "Make Me Smile" was released as a single in March, 1970. At the time I was a senior in high school and was playing trumpet in the horn section of a rock band that performed every weekend in the various officers' clubs at the military bases on Oahu. The song was written by Chicago's talented trombonist, James Pankow. It was Chicago's first Top 10 record. It featured the singing of Terry Kath, the amazing bass lines of Peter Cetera, and Danny Seraphine's incredible drumming. Unlike the noise that's called music today, Chicago was the real deal. No auto-tune, drum triggers, or computer-enhance effects. Just real music performed by real musicians. There was no weak member of the band. Every player was phenomenal. As a 74-year old musician (yes, I still play my clavinova here at home), I am grateful I grew up in the era that I did. 

Here Rick Beato manages to open a window into this piece:

See what I mean? 

I so miss bands that play like this. They were one of the most skilled and musically advanced bands of their time. I simply can't get enough of great music like this. 

"Southern" Greek

This summer Wipf & Stock will be publishing Toward Rethinking the Future Tense in the Greek New Testament by Philip du Toit. 

I just sent the publisher (at their request) a blurb for the cover. I'm quite excited about this book. 

Speaking of the future tense, here's a use of mellō I hear all the time at Bojangles: 

Ain't that quaint? "Fixin' to" is the absolute bedrock of Southern slang when it comes to time. Of course, it has nothing to do with making repairs. It's simply a handy phrase meaning "about to." As with the Greek verb mellō, it's a vague expression. It can cover time from "right this minute" to "sometime before I die" (as in "I'm fixin to mow the lawn"). 

I'm fixin' to add such Southern expressions to my beginning grammar -- whenever I get around to it, that is. It will join "over yonder" for ekei and "might could" for the subjunctive.

Y'all be good! 

Ode to Arms (Poem)

These arms will climb the mountain peak, 

They will not falter, fail, or break. 

They paddle out to meet the wave, 

Through crashing sea and ocean cave. 

To conquer peak and heavy tide, 

A quiet strength must live inside. 

For muscle grows where currents pull -- 

Both soul and sinew powerful.

Yes, I LOVE the Living Bible

In 1971, Kenneth Taylor produced The Living Bible in an effort to help his kids understand Scripture in everyday language. I'm so glad he did! I read the Living Bible every day, along with a billion other Bible translations. I enjoy TLB for its:

• conversational tone.
• easy-to-understand English.
• fresh perspective on overly familiar passages.
• ability to supplement all the other translations I read.

Of course, the Living Bible is merely one man's paraphrase, one man's interpretation. It doesn't always reflect the original Hebrew and Greek precisely. It's always wise to compare paraphrases against translations grounded in direct engagement with the biblical languages. That said, here are a couple of absolutely unforgettable renderings from Rom. 12 that I stumbled upon today. 

In 12:1, Paul urges us to give our bodies to God. And why? "When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?" (the Living Bible).

And in 12:9, Paul tells us that our love should be sincere. "Don't just pretend to love others," writes the Living Bible. "Really love them." 

So thankful for Ken Taylor! 

Where Surfers Attend Church

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year and has just completed a major renovation. 

If we happened to be surfing in Waikiki on a Sunday morning, this is where my friends and I would attend church in our swim shorts. The service, sponsored by the Waikiki Beach Chaplaincy, was held on the sand in front of the tower. Once the service was over we paddled right back out and finished our day of wave riding. 

What happy memories. 

Giving into the Mystery

Those who know me well know that I enjoy running marathons. I say "running," but the truth is I've never actually run a marathon (I have to run/walk the last few miles). Still, for me, the marathon will always have a special place in my heart. The act of standing at the starting line 26.2 miles from the finish line is perhaps the ultimate metaphor for living the Christian life. Keep moving -- keep putting one foot in front of the other -- and you will eventually get to the end.

Some people think I'm a very disciplined person because I've run marathons or lost so much weight. That's nonsense. I'm probably the least disciplined person I know. I've always had a laid-back bent that doesn't take well to schedules and deadlines and organization. Much of what I've learned about discipline comes from my career as an educator. I entered the classroom as a teacher for the first time at the young age of 24. For the next 50 years I have never found the "secret" to discipline. I learned, however, that even the most undisciplined person can make regular improvement. Part of my improvement came from the discipline required to complete a really challenging doctoral program in Europe in a foreign language. I learned this as a writer, too. Being a disciplined author means understanding the importance of deadlines and producing quality work. I spent hours and weeks and years writing or editing books. 

I wish I hadn't waited so long to start running marathons. But I knew I lacked the discipline needed to finish the race. My impatience just about caused me to give up. It almost cost me the one activity that has given me so much joy. On the other hand, the Lord taught me patience. If you listen to your body and learn to wait patiently for the next breakthrough, your running will become a constant source of wonder and enjoyment.

It's the mystery that keeps me going in my 74th year. Giving into the mystery every day makes every run an adventure. Discipline means not giving up and not giving in. It means refusing to miss the discovery that you are capable of going beyond your wildest dreams.

Run on, my friend. 

Run on. 

At the start of the Chicago Marathon. 

It's Someone's Birthday

Well, seems like I'll complete yet another orbit around the sun tomorrow, meaning that June 9 is my birthday. Wishing you all the best, Dave. 

I suppose birthdays serve as a reminder of the years gone by and the adventures ahead. As I turn 74, I'm reminded that Christ will continue to help me face the "big three" struggles of life.

The first is my struggle with the sarx, my human nature. It's been a long, weary battle (I've been a Christian since I was 8). But when we honestly confess our defeat and ask for the fullness of Christ, he performs a continuing miracle of making us more like himself.

He will also free me from the struggle to be adequate. I realize I'm completely insufficient for the demands of life. But I also know his all-sufficiency. There is no problem he can't solve, no person he can't love, and no challenge he's not able to meet.

He will relieve me from worrying about the future. What the Lord allows to happen to us he will use for the greater growth of his fullness in us. Whatever I will face in my 74th year will be an occasion for new dimensions of his character to be formed in me.

Paul's phrase "the stewardship of God's grace given to me" (Eph. 3:8) is a great motto for an aging grandfather. Everything that happens to us is not only for our personal growth in grace but for our ministry to others. We seniors know we're meant for more than survival. We can triumph in Christ. 

For Those (Like Me) Who Struggle with Weight Loss

Did you know that, at one time, to adopt a child from South Korea you could not have a BMI of over 35? In Thailand it's the same. These agencies obviously want to reduce the risk of future health complications that could impact the parents' life expectancy and their physical ability to raise their child. In the U.S., there are no weight restrictions put on adoption applicants that I know of. 

This raises an interesting question: Does being overweight/obese to the point that it affects your health make you less of a "good" parent? I know of many extremely effective parents who are overweight/obese. Yes, it's difficult for them to do physical things with their children, and yes, one might question the kind of example being set. But they're still great parents. 

Maybe the more basic question has to do with the nature of weight gain and loss. Some insist that good health and weight loss is a choice. I don't necessarily disagree. But people do not always have full control over their weight. I see obese people at the gym all the time and have nothing but the greatest respect for them. Who am I to judge them? I do not know what it's like to be morbidly obese and so I do not know the challenges of losing an extreme amount of weight and keeping it off. For a long time I was overweight myself. I didn't take care of my body (the temple of the Holy Spirit) as I should have. But that didn't make me any less of a person or a Christian. It just doesn't help a person to lose weight by hating on themselves and beating themselves up because they are obese. 

Perhaps what it boils down to stewardship. It's really hard for me to watch people completely sabotage their health. Almost anyone can find time to exercise. And probably very few people have a genuine physiological reason for their weight. But appearance isn't everything. And, like I said the other day, just because someone is fit doesn't mean they are healthy. As you know, I recently lost 50 pounds. But unless I knew you extremely well, I would never tell you to lose weight. Talk to anyone who struggles with an eating disorder or a food addiction and they will tell you that being obese feels like a destiny to them. I find it more inspiring to see someone who has accomplished something in spite of their weaknesses and shortcomings. I've been blessed with the fact that my weight came off relatively easily. Others I know are not so blessed. But while many struggle with their weight, they don't give up. 

When I was a child I was bullied mercilessly because I was skinny. Much of it assumed I was either not aware of it or not taking care of myself. I spent hours agonizing over my appearance because of it. I found the judgment of other people to be really harmful and hurtful. Nowadays I have friends at the gym who say they are jealous of me and how fit I am. But they have no idea what a huge struggle it is for me to stay this way. I love food as much as the next person and I would eat all day long if I could. But I am gradually learning to respect my body too much to ever treat it the way I used to. Healthy eating is not easy and never has been. Thankfully, I love being active. And by the grace of God I have found a formula that works for me. Every person has to find a formula that works for them. At the end of the day, we all know what we see in the mirror. And it's largely up to us to change it if we can. 

Weight loss is a deeply personal journey. I'm so grateful to be able to share my journey with you. Are you embarking on your own journey? Be patient and celebrate every small victory. Remember that the primary goal of any weight loss program is overall health and wellbeing, not a number on the scale. 

Today's Peripatetic Ambulation (PLUS, Buying New Shoes)

Aka "Walking." 😎

You may have never thought about this, but continuing to walk in shoes that are worn out or poorly suited to your gate or walking style may be holding back your progress. The reason this matters is biomechanical. Every step we take involves a complex chain of forces moving up through the foot and ankle and knee and hip and also lower back. And each joint in that chain depends on the one below it absorbing and distributing the force correctly. 

When the cushioning in your shoe has worn down, which can happen very gradually and invisibly, that force goes directly into your joints instead. Studies have shown that worn out shoes significantly increase the stress placed on the knee joint with every single step in ways that are associated with worn down cartilage over time. All of this happens very gradually. There's no sudden pain or obvious sign. It just accumulates very gradually, step by step and walk by walk. 

Most walking shoes maintain their cushioning for around 300-500 miles, give or take. After that, the shoe is no longer doing its job. 

As you can see, in the past year I've averaged around 250 miles a month in my shoes. I have found that after 300-400 miles my shoes actually start working against me and need to replaced. This means I need to buy a new pair of shoes (I always get the Altra brand) about every 2 months. This isn't about buying really expensive shoes. But please make sure you are not "shooting yourself in the foot" by continuing to walk or run in worn out shoes. 

Have a blessed (peripatetic) day! 

The Power of Music

Once a ballerina, always a ballerina. 

This is possibly the most profoundly heartwarming video I've ever seen on Youtube. Brings tears to my eyes everytime I watch it. At 0.19 the ballerina is back. She moves like a swan. I don't see an old lady. I see a youthful spirit at the height of her career. 

What a beautiful testament to the power that music has over the human mind and body. 

Getting in Shape Means Reframing Your Mindset

You're overweight? Great! 

It's going to be a bigger story to tell about God's amazing grace! 

Exercise Is a Double-Edged Sword

This is an essay I've been wanting to write for quite some time.

You may have heard the expression "double-edged sword." This refers to a situation, action, or choice that offers both positive benefits and negative consequences at the same time. There's an undeniable benefit to what you're doing. But there's an equal, almost unavoidable risk or hidden cost as well. Examples include:

• Going viral on social media (you get instant fame but lose your privacy).
• Working from home (you can work in your PJs but it also blurs your work-life balance and makes you feel isolated).
• Winning the lottery (you have become incredibly wealthy but fake friends suddenly crawl out of the woodwork asking for money).

Did you read about the 3 men who ran the Detroit Marathon and died? One of them was only 26. Running is not necessarily an inherently risky activity. But people do die while running marathons. Sometimes the cause of death is cardiomyopathy -- an enlarged heart. These deaths are almost always due to a pre-existing heart condition. The fact is, people who rarely exercise are 50% more likely to die of a heart attack during vigorous exercise than those who exercise 5 times per week. So the odds are pretty good that running will lengthen your lifespan rather than cut it short.

For your body to get strong, you need stress and recovery. Both are vitally important. But the balance  between them is also important. Too much stress? Your body breaks down. Not enough recovery? Your body isn't ready for the next level of stress. Only when your body is continually healing itself can it become strong, fit, and healthy. Without adequate recovery, your body will not become stronger. 

For a very long time I thought, "Maybe that's true for others but not for me!" I overtrained every part of my body that I trained. I really believed I was invincible. One year I even ran two marathons on back to back weekends (Richmond and Baltimore). What I didn't realize at the time is that the only way to be prepared to do workouts with the intensity they deserve is to allow your body time to relax and recover. Instead of rushing into the process or hurrying it along, I needed to take it slow and enjoy each step along the way. What's important is that you find the frequency that gives you maximum improvement with minimum risks. 

My point is this. Exercise does not necessarily equate to good health. In fact, the harder you push yourself in your sport (whatever that is), the more damage your body can sustain. It's well known if you assess the the blood chemistry of marathon runners (I've done 20 of them) post-race that you will find evidence of heart muscle damage, skeletal muscle damage, kidney disease, and elevated markers for stress hormones. Another study showed that 44% of ultramarathon runners (I ran an ultra a month ago) had elevated creatinine levels (a byproduct of the kidneys' blood filtering process), which is high enough to indicate acute kidney damage. 

I'm reminded of how risky life can be even when you're just out doing something you love. Every time I run an ultra or climb a high mountain or go surfing when the waves are breaking over 8 feet, I suppose there is risk involved. But you have to keep on living, right? Beyond taking standard precautions (as I do), what else can you do? I'm sure there were times while surfing on the North Shore that I almost died without knowing it. I think we all have at least one memory of something we did and God somehow protected us and we didn't perish. Yes, there are sharks in Hawaii, but that doesn't keep me from going surfing every time I'm on Oahu. I had a near drowning experience when I was 16 and surfing huge waves at Pipeline. I had lost my board and had been been swimming for maybe 20 minutes when I ran out of air. Thankfully I wasn't too proud to call out "Help!" and another surfer came and let me recover while hanging onto his board. I can't tell you how many "unplanned dismounts" I had while riding my Thoroughbred Traveler cross country. By God's grace, I never even broke a single bone. My cousin Pila died while surfing at Waikiki when I was 12. 

Like anything in life, you take a risk. You find what you love to do (be it jumping out of an airplane or riding a big wave or climbing a tall mountain) and you accept the fact that you are taking chances. How are we supposed to live life to its fullest if we are consumed by every little thing that could happen to us? On the other hand, I do try and be responsible. When I climb the alps, I always hire the best mountain guide I can find (he charges $850 per day). I eat and rest well. I get regular physicals. I listen to my body. Still, there are risks. 

To go back to running, studies show that marathoners over 50 are twice as likely to have a heart attack while running than runners under 40. That said, the odds are still in our favor. Only 1 in 100,000 marathoners ever die during a race. Not to mention the fact that by running we reduce our risk of so many other conditions such as diabetes, various cancers, and heart disease. We simply can't let risk and fear stop us from doing what we love. 

Yes, I am a risk taker. Anything we do will have inherent risks, even driving to the store. Here's my take if anyone cares: the benefits far outweigh the risks.