All posts by Shawn.

It’s been a while….

Hey everyone! I have let my personal blog slack. Been so busy I honestly forgot all about it. I hope to post more but life does get in the way.

If you love books, I do have a YouTube channel now, although there is not a ton of content there yet. Here is one of the videos:

Please subscribe to my channel so you will know when new content has been posted. I am also looking for recommendations on content for the channel so please feel free to comment.

I did just finish a new book that I really enjoyed. It is a Star Wars book called Shadow of the Sith.

Since the older Star Wars novels (before Disney took over the Star Wars franchise) are no longer canon, the story of Luke Skywalker after Return of the Jedi had to be rewritten. This was a good start to that. I will say that a lot of the Star Wars books that I try to read start off too slow and I never get very far. This one kept my interest the entire way. Maybe it is because I am very familiar with the characters (Luke and Lando are the main characters). New characters are sometimes hard to get into, but if the author’s writing style is decent, I can usually make it through. Anyway, if you like Star Wars and want to get some filler after Return of the Jedi and the Disney Star Wars trilogy, then grab this book. The link to buy it off Amazon is below. Have a good day!

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Shadow-Adam-Christopher/dp/0593358600

So Long 2018…

Hello friends! This is my first and last post of 2018. I know things have been quiet here. I have been busy and lacked motivation to blog about anything. I plan to change that for 2019 and blog at least weekly. A this is my personal blog, I plan to use it to post about things going on in my life, opinions about things, etc. 2018 has not been a horrible year for me. Work was busy an great this year. My wife has officially been at her job for a year. I admire her so much, working a job that requires her to be on her feet all day, pain radiating throughout her back and legs. She does it without complaining and takes care of patients all day. She is amazing! My oldest is going to school to be a certified veterinary technician. She is already working at a vet’s office as a vet tech and she just got her first raise! I am so proud of her. My youngest is a senior in high school this year and she is doing well. She wants to go to college to be an animator, a field that will be difficult but she is so good at drawing (freehand and on computer) that I know she will succeed at it. Not very many downsides to 2018 except for my Mom getting an E. Coli infection that almost took her away from us. She is still recovering from that but I am so thankful she is still here.

What does 2019 have in store? Well, if I could tell the future I would already be rich from winning the lottery! 🙂 I am hopeful that work continues to go well and that our family continues to do well. Happy New Year to you all! I hope and pray for a successful and happy 2019 to you all!

Chasing a Healthy Lifestyle

As you can see, I have stopped posting daily links only as I want my blog to be more personal.  I am hopeful that something I am going through can help others.  That being said, this post is all about chasing a healthy lifestyle.  I have never been that guy that liked to run, lift weights, eat right, etc.  I went throughout all of high school eating like crazy and never gaining a pound.  My metabolism was through the roof!  I prob weighed around 150 pounds in high school.  I am now close to 300 pounds.  That is 2 of my high school selves!  Woah!  I know that I need to work on shedding some weight and start eating better.  But it is SO hard to do it.  Walking is no big deal although I get winded when I do it since I have not been doing it on a regular basis.  I have joined the gym 3 different times over the past 4-5 years.  Only one stent did I go regularly, get cardio and lift weights and I dropped to maybe 255.  But I got the flu and never went back during that time.  Here is my issue:  I start going to the gym gung-ho, ready to get it done.  Within a few weeks, I get lazy and stop going.  Gyms love people like me.  Pay for your membership but not actually go and use the gym.  One less body taking up space!

So I am come to a crossroads.  Being as heavy as I am causes me to wake up in pain every day. I already have issues with my left hip due to an accident when I was 18.  All the weight I have on me makes that hurt as well.  I desperately need to lose weight and I know I can do it.  My problem has always been motivation.  That one time I lost good weight was when I went to the gym with my buddy Ken.  I did very well when working out with someone that kept me motivated.  My problem is the cost of the gym he goes to.  Sounds like another excuse right?

So earlier this week I went online and signed up (again) for Planet Fitness since it is a month to month deal at $10 a month and only $1 down.  Annual fees are only around $30.  All in all it is a great bargain for all the equipment they provide.  I went yesterday afternoon for my first gym visit in over a year and walked the treadmill for 30 minutes.  It is a start as I have to get my body used to this again before I really start pushing it.  I need to start lifting weights again too.

I am hoping that all of my friends will push me and motivate me through this.  I used to have a FitBit but it actually quit working and I cannot afford another one.  Maybe one day I can buy a new one.  For now I will use my iPhone with the RunKeeper app to track my walks.  My goal is to go to the gym every day (yes that includes weekends) as I have seen one of my friends do on Facebook.

As for eating better, I truly wish that healthy food items were not so expensive.  Also many of the healthy items out there just do not taste good to me.  So I am going to focus on leaner meats, more veggies and salads, those kinds of things.  Grilling more that frying will be my goal.  I also need to eat smaller portions and stop stuffing myself.  I hate leaving food on my plate but I need to get used to doing that when I begin to feel full.

I will post updates as I progress on my journey here on my blog.  Daily posts on Facebook will show my cardio workouts, etc.  If anyone has any recommendations or you just want to help motivate me, find me on Facebook!

Hope In Trials

So many things to be thankful for in my life. God took a horrible weekend and turned it into a beautiful beginning of the week. Being faithful through the trials is not easy. For me it is easy to just want to give up when things get extremely difficult in life. I would bet that is the case for most of us. But if we give up we would miss the glory that God has waiting on us on the other side of the mess. That is why we have to always praise Him through the storm and even if he does not answer prayers in the way we want Him to. He has a plan for us that we sometimes cannot even comprehend. So no matter what the trial is you are going through, lean on your Heavenly Father. He will get you through it no matter how hard it is and show you something beautiful.

I found this statement on Twitter this morning and there is great truth in it:

When you start focusing on a loving God who’s given everything & stop focusing on what seems to be going wrong, you will see breakthrough.

This is huge.  If we shift our focus off the things that go wrong and do everything we can to focus our minds, eyes, heart, our entire body on God…  WOW!  I really needed to read that!

How about this one?

When you face difficult times, know that challenges are not sent to destroy you. They’re sent to promote, increase and strengthen you.

This one is very hard too.  When we go through the dark and difficult days in our lives, we want to blame someone and just give up.  But this statement says that God is going to use these trials and tribulations to strengthen you!  That is the perspective we must take, we have to take!  If we do not then we will never be able to make it.  We live in a world of sin and evil.  God is going to allow things to happen to us.  His goal is not to destroy us but to bring us closer to Him!  Powerful words right?

I leave you today with the picture below.  I pray that God blesses you tremendously.

Picture courtesy of @BookofProverbs on Twitter.

Daily Christian Links – June 15 2017

Sometimes the biggest problem is in your head. You’ve got to believe. -Jack Nicklaus

Verse of the Day

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

The Prayer God Loves to Answer Most

“God, show me your glory.” History hangs on him answering that request. And one great evidence of his work is our feeling and expressing that longing.

Source: www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-prayer-god-loves-to-answer-most

The Bond of Peace

After I confronted my friend by email over a matter on which we had differed, she didn’t respond. Had I overstepped? I didn’t want to worsen the situation by pestering her, but neither …

Source: odb.org/2017/06/15/the-bond-of-peace/

Complacency Must Fall – Passion City Church

Source: passioncitychurch.com/gathering/complacency-must-fall/

Understanding the Christian Life

It’s easier for new believers to start off well on the Christian journey when they grasp the true meaning of salvation.

Source: www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/understanding-the-christian-life

Daily Christian Links – June 14 2017

I wanted to start this post with some things to pray for today:

Pray for those affected by the London Grenfell Tower apartment fire this morning.  Pray for the residents, firefighters and law enforcement that are working the scene.

Pray for those affected by a shooting in Washington DC at a congressional ball field.  Pray for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise & others with him who were shot.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart. – Helen Keller

Verse of the Day

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.- Matthew 5:14 (ESV)

Rhythms of Grace (Our Daily Bread devotional)

Take Up Thy Swords (Desiring God)


Image courtesy Our Daily Bread

Daily Christian Links – June 13 2017

Strong Christians are created, not by sermons and commentaries alone, but by personal encounters with Scripture. – John Piper

Verse of the Day

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.- Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Who Killed Jesus? (Solid Joys Devotional)

Tornados and Potatoes (Levi Lusko)

Consider the Clouds (Our Daily Bread Devotional)

Cross Centered Living (Wayne Meadows)

Daily Christian Links – June 12 2017

God’s promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine. -David Nicholas

Verse of the Day:

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. – 1 John 4:20 (ESV)

I Know God Loves Me, but Does He Like Me? (Ask Pastor John)


Rock and Soul Series (7 messages from Levi Lusko and Kevin Guido)

Nothing Is Useless (Our Daily Bread Devotional)

Best Sermon Ever – Choose Your Path (West Ridge Church – Paul Richardson)

Daily Christian Links – June 8 2017

A man with God is always in the majority. -John Knox

Verse of the Day:

For your ways are in full view of the Lord , and he examines all your paths. – Proverbs 5:21 (NIV)

Glorify God in Your Body

“€Worship” is the term we use to cover all the acts of the heart and mind and body that intentionally express the infinite worth of God.

Source: www.desiringgod.org/articles/glorify-god-in-your-body

Are We Living in the Last Days?

How do we square the New Testament’€s claim that Christ’€s coming is “€near”€ with the fact that here we are, two thousand years later, and he has not yet returned?

Source: www.desiringgod.org/articles/are-we-living-in-the-last-days

PSBC – HIRAM, GA : Living in the Spirit – Gal. 5:16-26

Pastor Wayne Meadows. PSBC – HIRAM, GA podcast hosting provided by PodcastPeople.com

Source: www.psbchurch.podcastpeople.com/posts/68315

PSBC – HIRAM, GA : Living in the Spirit, Part 2 – Gal. 6:1-10

Pastor Wayne Meadows. PSBC – HIRAM, GA podcast hosting provided by PodcastPeople.com

Source: www.psbchurch.podcastpeople.com/posts/68316

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