Crossfit.

I am not exactly sure where the name comes from, but today I went to crossfit in Kirkland. But lets start from the beginning. This past summer I was a leader at summer camp with Northshore Baptist Church. The speaker was Scott Ross, a solid guy who used to be the youth pastor at Northshore back in the day. I noticed that he had this shirt that said crossfit and started asking questions. He had blisters on his hands from all the pull ups he was doing at crossfit and had nothing bad to say about it besides "it's hard" but this followed by "it's changed my life".

Last week I went to Men's Retreat and met a guy that looked familiar and I also happened to notice that he was in really good physical condition. The week goes by and last night I saw Loren and his wife at a get together after church and somehow we got to talking about crossfit. And again "it's really hard" and "it's one of the best things for me" came up in the same sentence. Earlier this summer I had come back from camp and checked out the website and it seemed pretty cool, so when Loren asked if I wanted to come check out a workout with him today I thought "why not".

I have to say that the workout today was one of the hardest I have ever done, but the difference between today and other grueling days of football workouts was that I feel pretty good. Let me define pretty good: my stomach has been telling me that it is about to donate everything I gave it today to the surface closest to my mouth, my legs are so tired that walking resembles that of my 1 year old niece and besides the workout, talking off my shoes was one of the hardest things I did today. Huh?

BUT there is another side to pretty good: every person I met today and have talked to in the past about crossfit has testified that it has been one of the best things that has ever happened to them...ever. These life changing workouts have been compared to coming right below the life changing experiences of surrendering to Jesus Christ and getting married. Amazing. So now that it is all over I am lying on my bed still in healthy pain and hoping that there is a way that I can find a way to make it back to crossfit. I don't understand why besides the desire to lose weight and build muscle has become more desirable than the pleasure of eating good food. Speaking of good food...I drank a bottle of water and just ate 2 cloves of broccoli and both tasted sweet after this workout. Crazy.

But there is another side of this experience that has piqued my interest, but that is for the next post.

Blessings.
http://www.kirklandcrossfit.com/

Ephesians 5:1-20

Walk in Love

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous that is, an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not become partners with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

"Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is(AL) debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Thought for today.

Why is it that music artists of all backgrounds, of all genres of music all walks of life tend to play/ perform music in the same way. Maybe some are more expressive than others, but if you were to silence the music and just observe...I don't think there would be much difference.

I write this keeping in mind the way we worship. We meaning anyone. It's like that saying that "we are always worshiping, it's just a matter of who or what.

So you tell me why band pictured is playing their music.

Words without action...

On Thursday nights I meet with a group of guys to talk about life and a chapter from the book we are reading called Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. So far the book has sparked some really good conversation and last night was no exception. The chapter was titled Husbands and Wives as Analogous to Christ and the Church we discussed the issue of obedience and our role as the church to be obedient and submissive to Christ and then asked how that is reflected in a marriage relationship. The nice part of the group is that some are married, one guy is engaged and couple of us single which gives some interesting insight from different perspectives.

It is frustrating that terms such as submission, obedience, headship and reverence all have preconceived definitions tied with them. But if we reevaluate how these are used in relationship between Jesus and the Church, they paint a beautiful picture of how God designed relationship in a relationships to work. I think domineering, abusive, power and authority are often negatively coupled with the aforementioned list. God designed male headship in a husband's household to be sacrificial. Just as Christ lived and died sacrificially for His church, in that same way God is calling man to live sacrificially for his family. If we talk about a household being submissive and respectful to the authority given to the father and husband of the household, it should be evident in all areas of life. Spiritual growth, physical needs, health, provision and as the man initiating an attitude of repentance and reconciliation in the home. The father and husband leads by example, for better or worse, the household will follow. It's all about the gospel message being lived out in the home.