Worm experiment ends badly, but lessons still learned

     I am a worm killer.
     I say this half jokingly, but I also feel horrible!
     The 1,500 or so little guys were doing so well in the worm bin in my garage. Temps in my garage remain in the very low 80s, which is an acceptable -- even desirable -- temperature. They were munching so happily on corn shucks, broccoli, strawberries, and all of our organic kitchen scraps. I was even considering harvesting some of the worms and putting them in plastic containers to sell for fishing bait (which, ironically, would have led to their same fate).
    But a week ago, after a stretch of 100 degree days in North Texas, the garage started to smell. I thought it was just the casings that needed cleaned out.
    Uh-uh. It was a worm massacre.
    Did I learn some things about the foods I eat, and our family's waste stream? Absolutely. There is so much we simply do not need to throw out. These little guys can tear apart not only soft food scraps, but paper towels, broccoli stems ... I even threw in part of a cotton sock to see what would happen.
     They are incredibly hard workers. Lord only knows what type of business they take care of underground.
     I did not save the planet through this project ... didn't even come close. But it was fun! I just wish it didn't have to end so horribly on the part of the worms.
     I think vermi-composting is one step above my skill level. My next venture into composting, I think, will be one of those composting tumbler things.
    I am excited to start the final project for my doctor of ministry project in late August. I have about eight families who will be designing their own projects (like vermi-composting) that can help them to think about how to live more faithfully in a consumer culture.

Closing in on the Goal

     I am finally getting closer to my goal weight of 230 pounds.
     I had rocketed to as high as 267 pounds since moving to North Texas two years ago, and at last I am closing in my goal. I weighed in at 241 today ... just 11 more pounds to go!
     There are several things that have contributed to my last two months of successful calorie-counting. We now live in our own house, Kim has finally found the right job, and the Lord has given me a new desire to "go for it."
     It's funny, but I suddenly love the iPhone app, "Lose It!" I hated this app when my desire was not to lose weight, probably because I could not stay under my calorie count. But now for some reason, it has been life-giving to have control over the amount of calories I put into my body, and this app is a great way to log the foods that I eat.
     I also have discovered that physical exercise -- even moderate exercise -- has to go hand-in-hand with calorie counting. It's not about getting in tip-top shape as much as it is kick-starting my metabolism, so that it makes efficient use of the calories I do put into my body.
     I'm no dietician, but this is what I have learned from personal experience.
     Anyhow, I am motivated to stay the course. In about a month I should reach my goal, and then comes the work of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I probably will always have to log calories, even after reaching the goal.

An Afternoon Run With Mr. Negative

I realize somebody may refer me to medication for the following, but here is the kind of crazy conversations I have in my head when it is time for an afternoon run. In keeping with Paul, I am encouraged to "take every thought captive." If I don't replace the negative, unhelpful thoughts with positive, encouraging ones, I go nowhere fast.

This applies to running, parenting, church work, or whatever I do.

Mr. N: "It's too hot for a jog. This is your day off!"

Response: Just because I am "off" doesn't mean I have to sit around in the air-conditioning all day. If I drink enough water, it's a great time for a run. If it is too hot, I'll run in the morning or in the evening.

Mr. N: "There is work to do. You don't have time for a run."

Response: If I do not exercise my body and clear my mind and spirit, I am not nearly as productive or cheery at home or at the church. I can't work without it.

Mr. N: "This incline is too much. Stop and walk the rest of the way."

Response: Make it to the top of the hill and then walk. Push through the hard times and then slow it down. Your heart rate is still going strong, even when you walk.

Mr. N: "Wow. You didn't reach your goal today. Your run was a failure."

Response: Every stride is a glory to God. I do have goals, but every time I make it out of my house and move my body, it is a reason to celebrate.

Mr. N: "There is no way you will ever get back to running 6-8 miles. Your best years are behind you."

Response: I ran 8.5 miles non-stop once in my life. Nobody can take the Dallas Turkey Trot away from me, and it happened only three years ago. With God's blessing, it will happen again.

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Prayer: "God, thank you for this day. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Approaching Creation Care with Caution

     This week I wrap up a three-week Sunday school module on "The Christian Response." We are asking the question, "Jesus is risen, so now what?"
    My response to this question has always been pretty simple. We respond to God's grace in our lives by witnessing to others and sharing our personal testimonies with those whom God places in our lives. In other words, we respond to Easter by living a joyful, Christian life, and trying to convince others to know the new life that we know.
    I'm still down with all these things, by the way.
    However, there are other ways to respond, ways that are not mutually exclusive of each other. One is the Micah 6:8 response, "to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God." By caring for the widow, the orphan, the poor, the immigrant, and other vulnerable groups in society, we testify to the Good News.
    I'm pretty sure I don't do enough of this.
    Another option, one I have never placed too much stock in before, has to do with creation care.
    Books like "For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian vision for Creation Care," by Steven Bouma-Prediger, have helped me to at least consider "stewardship of creation" as a legitimate Christian response.
    Bouma-Prediger offers a God-centered vision, rather than many of the other approaches that fall under the umbrella of "environmentalism." In other words, it's more about God than it is Al Gore.
    If God has created all things, and allowed us to have dominion over all things, then we should "rule" over creation with a loving, wise, God-like rule. If all creation is groaning in labor pains, as Paul says it is in Romans 8, then perhaps God has a redemptive purpose for all creation.
    It is something to think about. It has inspired me to at least consider creation care as a valid response to the Gospel, and not simply a cultural trend.
    There is something to it, for sure. But I continue to approach with caution.

The Worms Have Arrived

     The shipment of 2,000 red wiggler worms has arrived. The little squirmers are happily (I hope) in their new home, munching on some broccoli and watermelon rinds we had earlier this week. I also threw in some coffee grounds and banana peels. In 2-3 months, I have read, I will be ready to harvest the first batch of compost.
     Why am I messing around with vermi-composting?
     I was first inspired by a guy named Harland, the previous senior pastor I served with in Beaumont. He and his wife have had a worm-composting bin in their living room for several years now, to feed the thousand or so day lilies in their back yard.
     I am personally not an uber-green kind of guy. I am also not a major gardener or anything. I am trying my hand at composting with worms so that I can think more about the foods I eat. In short, I believe I can lead a healthier life if I eat less of the things that the worms can't eat (meats, cheeses, processed foods) and more of the things that they can eat (raw vegetables and fruits).
     If I accomplish only this goal, then it has been worth it.
     I also want to develop some type of deeper connection to creation. I have a dog and cat at home, and also a pet fish. We have a few plants, and hopefully some day will have a garden and some nice landscaping. But other than that, there is a whole lot of concrete ...
    Hopefully this whole composting thing will move me toward this deeper connection to the dirt.
    Lastly, I am working on helping families to cultivate new disciplines that can help them to think differently about living in a consumer culture. It could be composting, it could be recycling, it could be sponsoring a child through groups like World Vision. This is the focus of my final project for my doctor of ministry degree.
    So there you have it. I have 2,000 worms out in the garage hopefully doing there work. Away we go...
 

Easter reflections

     Holy Week and Easter Sunday have come and gone, and I am drained.

     We had an incredible week of worship, with a Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday Tenebrae service, overnight prayer vigil (that started with a prayer service on Saturday night), and of course the full slate of Easter Sunday services (including the sunrise service).

     It is a lot, but as I reflect on it, it was worth it.

     The Tenebrae service is always powerful, as we move from light to darkness and leave the sanctuary singing the refrain, "Jesus, Remember Me, When you come into your Kingdom." The highlight for me this year, though, was the Saturday night prayer vigil.

     About 10 of us gathered in the narthex at 7:30 Saturday night and prayed for each person who had signed up for a 30-minute slot for our overnight prayer vigil. People who signed up could pray in their homes, and we had at least two people committed to pray during every shift.

     I took the 2:30-3 AM shift, and I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if I could get myself up. But sure enough, when the 2:28 alarm went off in my iPhone, I headed out to the living room, sat Indian-style, and the prayers just flowed (with intermittent nods of sleep). 

     I prayed for our worship services the following morning, and the hundreds of people who would come walking through our doors. I prayed for people in our church. I prayed for my family. And yes, I prayed for myself.

     It was by far the most powerful 30 minutes of the Lenten and Easter season.

     It was so quiet in the house. The world seemed to be asleep. Jesus was still "in the tomb."

     I claim no credit for waking up, or for the prayers that rolled off my tongue over the course of 30 minutes. It was a Spirit-thing, through-and-through. In fact, next year, I am going to be quicker about signing up so I can find a time slot that is more agreeable to my sleep schedule!

     But for this year, I rejoice at these 30 minutes spent in prayer in the dead of night. I attribute it to the prayers of the 10 folks (perhaps more) who "prayed for the pray-ers" on Saturday night.

     I hope the other 25 people who joined in vigil had a similar experience.

     It is now Monday morning. I am caught up on my sleep. Christ is risen. A new year begins.

Insights from Week 2 on the Fitness Trail

     OK. Two weeks strong on the fitness trail, and I have a few insights to share.
     The last time around, which was about 1 1/2 years ago, it was all about the numbers on the scale. There was a lot of looking in the mirror to measure results. Nothing too atypical about that approach to fitness, but it ended with a thud, just about the time I moved from Beaumont to North Texas.
     Insight No. 1 -- This time around, there is a spiritual component to my working out. I have two wonderful people who "pray over me" each week at church. Through our prayer time, we have confirmed that my workout time is my time alone with God. When I go to the gym or hit the road for a run, I go to meet God. I go to pray. I go to relieve stress and "hand it over" to God.
     It is a markedly different mindset. Not that I won't peak at the scale now and then or strike a pose in the mirror, but the motivation is quite different.
     By God's grace, the Spirit will sustain what the flesh could not.
     Insight No. 2 -- I do need accountability. No sooner did I post the previous post than someone sent me this important reminder. There is something to be said for getting myself out of bed this morning and kicking myself in the pants. Nobody can do it but me. But I need other pants-kickers in my life. I need encouragement from others.
     Many thanks for this reminder.
     Insight No. 3 -- It's got to be daily. I can no longer get by with a Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday workout routine. I need to work out every single day of the week (excluding a Sabbath rest). I've got to do it.
    I am not there yet, but I thank God for gains made so far. I am not sure how much weight I have lost, and for now, it's truly not the most important thing.