#65 - The Sunday Special

Dear friend,
Today, I’d like to begin a new feature of this blog, “The Sunday Special.” As you know, my postings during the week tend to be geared toward helping you understand the issues of the day more fully so that you can be more fully informed as a citizen of this republic. I also know how the subjects covered can be “heavy” and often hard to absorb.
Obviously, during each week, there are other things I observe or learn that are not as “heavy” that you might also enjoy reading. Maybe enjoy more, though I hope you will take the time, if even on the weekends, to read over the postings I’ve made for the past week. (Once in awhile, I may just post one of my “Letters to the Churches” that will be on the “heavy” side but which I hope you will be sure to read.)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new feature I hope to make available every Sunday. (It should be posted by the time you sit down for Sunday dinner, wherever you are.)
As always, I would enjoy if you would post on the blog site your comments and feedback.
Thanks, Stan


#1 - HAVE YOU HAD EVER HAD PROBLEMS BEING MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT? The other day, I was reading the book “The Obama Diaries.” (I’ve possibly read every book about our President since he was inaugurated, which is at least a dozen books. Many are very technical as they analyze his political philosophy and actions. While they are informative, they are sometimes dull reading that can be overwhelming. This book stands out as doing the same analyzing without getting too “heavy.” Unless you refuse to consider any analysis other than what the mainstream (liberal) press feeds you constantly, I encourage you to borrow this book from your public library. It’s a great, and sometimes even a fun read.)

ANYWAY, at the end of a chapter that talks about Mrs. Obama’s anti-obesity campaign, the author, Laura Ingram, talks about the importance of physical fitness. I started to just glance over that section as it seemed to say the usual stuff about eating right and exercising. (Heard it, tried it!). What surprised me was that the author talked about it in the context of trying to shovel snow from her driveway in order to get to work one winter. She describes her getting winded and wondering if she would be able to carry her children to the nearest hospital if there was an emergency and she couldn’t otherwise get them there.

The author makes the point that we need to see our need for physical fitness not just in a selfish way, merely as to how it would be good for us. But instead, as citizens, we need to consider whether, in any emergency situation, if we are able to help not just those we know but also strangers who are in need of help. For the first time, its occurred to me that, while I may not care whether or not I’m just another “fat slob,” I need to think of my being physically fit in a truly selfless way (Of course, there’s every reason to also think of it in a “selfish” way.)

Just as there once were (still are?) official volunteer firemen, we each need to be ready at a moment’s call to help others in an emergency. I think of the guy who was at his child’s school and suddenly saw a parent lose control of their car and drive into a retention pong. That guy was fit enough to immediately dive into that pond and pull out the children who would have otherwise drowned. I don’t know about you, but this perspective has given me a new motivation to get into and stay in shape. [Isn’t it amazing how you can get motivated about something when reading it in the context of something entirely different, in this case motivated about losing weight and being physically fit while reading a book on political analysis?]

#2 - Doctors Have Health Problems? I just got an email from a long time friend whose a doctor. In it he tells me that he is praying for my sleep problems and asks for prayer for himself as he is also struggling with sleep problems. It just occurred to me that I can't remember when I heard a doctor share that he had some kind of medical problem. I've always just assumed that doctors are always feeling well - ie, have no health problems - because they are "in the business" of helping others with THEIR health problems. Here's a thought: The next time you visit your (a?) doctor, take a moment at the end to ask HIM OR HER how they are feeling. You might expect a "fine" but then, you might get a different answer. Either way, it would be a great opportunity to ask that doctor if you could just take a moment to pray with them for them. An opening to share the gospel? You never know!!!