Every Positive Has a Negative

What's this? Twice in February? Two posts? Call the news.....Albert's posting twice in the same month.....even in the same week!! This puts me on track for three posts in March. Watch out. No, I made a commitment, and I intend to keep it. I've also committed to something else.....running! I've run three times now and it's wonderful. I ran my third run last night. The weather was perfect.....cool and clear. The music was blarin'. It felt great......I could've run 10 miles I think. But I chose 2. I'm going to play it smart and very gradually get back into it. I'll do 2 all this week and even take a day or two off. Don't want to overdo the foot. But for now, it's feeling ok. I love these inserts.....they are called "Powerstep" FYI and I think they are working wonders. I love the support I can feel all day. I also love that I'm not having to do the elliptical this week which is freeing up my mornings to focus on God more. Needless to say, this week has gotten off to a great start. Now if I can just figure out the television thing.....

What now? So here's the deal. We got rid of cable this weekend. Huge step. Didn't think we'd ever do it, but it was time. It's too stinkin' expensive! Cable TV is robbery, hands down! Comcast should be ashamed of themselves. They are robbing poor people....like 6th grade teachers named Albert. So we cut them off. Actually my wife did. She made the call.....and no, I didn't make her. She volunteered to do it. The guy on the other end was upset. He asked why. He said if it's price, we can try to lower your bill. No thanks. Too late. We had made the decision. We weren't really watching that much of it anyways. We were paying close to $100 to watch a couple of shows on cable a week, if that. Not worth it for us. So we're going local only. Still haven't done that. Gotta get an antenna I guess. We also decided to give Netflix a try. We got on their site and did some reading....sounded like a great deal. $8 a month to watch so many great movies and TV shows streamed live to our computers, Ipad, and TV through the Wii. What a great deal!! They even had a free month trial. We signed up almost immediately.....on Saturday. Then we started planning what we were going to watch that night. Would it be old Brady Bunch episodes? Old game shows? A new release movie we had been wanting to watch? We started typing them in. The first one came up and said "not available for Live Streaming." Hmmmm, that's strange. Oh well, let's try another. Same message. After about 10 tries, we were starting to see the catch. Isn't there always a catch? So apparently with Netflix, there are a VERY limited number of shows available to stream live. You have to instead pay more and order DVD's in the mail. Arrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh! Why can't it just be easy? Yes, it's still a lot cheaper and yes the DVD's are easy to send and receive, but the negative was discovered. There's always a negative. You know the old saying.....when something looks too good to be true......So now we aren't sure what we'll do. We ordered one DVD. It's still free during this first month. Not sure if we'll keep the streaming, keep the DVD, keep both??? I guess time will tell. But it got me thinking. Every positive does indeed seem to have a negative. I guess it's called balance. But think about it. Is there anything on this Earth that's always positive? Everything that brings you joy will at some point let you down whether it's your job, sports, your hobbies, even your family. I love my boys and that wife lady more than anything in this world, but they let me down sometime....and I know I do them as well. Another thing that brings me joy and happiness.....Food! I love food. I love to eat, but what's the negative? I can only eat a certain amount. I have to stop. I don't want to. But I know if I don't, I'll be unhealthy and my face will get rounder. Every positive has a negative. It's just a fact. Get used to it. I'm trying to. There will always be a negative coming along at some point. Well, not always.....I can think of one thing that will have no negatives.........

In Matthew 19, a man came to Jesus asking about Heaven. Jesus said, "If you want to be PERFECT, go and sell everything so you will have treasures in Heaven."

Psalm 16:11 talks of "eternal pleasure" in Heaven.

Matthew 5:48 says that we should be perfect just like God is perfect.

If God is perfect, Heaven must be as well. We are all on the road to Perfect. There will be no disappointments. There will be no sadness. There will be no grief. No mourning. No worries. No fears. NO NEGATIVES. Cable will be free in Heaven. There will be live streaming of everything. Free. No catches. No hidden fees. No stress or worrying about what to pay for and what not to pay for. It won't even matter because we'll be "live streaming" God, His Son, and praises to Him all day long.

I can't wait for the day when every positive has NO negatives. It's coming. Stay on that narrow path and meet me there.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

We All Need a Fresh Start

I ran! It's been over 4 months, but I ran today. It felt so good. We'll see how my foot feels when I wake up in the morning but I'm cautiously optimistic. I heard about some great shoe inserts from someone else who had suffered from Plantar Fasciatis so I decided last weekend to go get some of them and just to get some new running shoes while I was at it. It had been a while anyways. The guy at Fleet Feet (still love that place) was awesome....so helpful and informative. He recommended I break the inserts in a few days but then try a run toward the end of this week. So today was the day. I ran 2 miles. It hurt a little, mainly in my lungs with the breathing, but I loved running again. I have missed it so much. And I like it so much better than that stinkin' Elliptical. I've been faithful on that thing for four months, maybe longer. And it's ok, but I'd rather be moving somewhere. I'd rather be on the road. I'm hoping this is a new beginning for me. Please pray for continued healing in my foot.

Speaking of new beginnings......I've been in a funk lately.....if that's still a word. Even if it isn't, I'm in one. I've been a little blah. Not sure why. But I haven't been motivated to do some important things.....like this blog for one. And I've even gotten lazy in my Bible study. Since it's been so cold, I was doing my Bible study in my car in the morning. But the heater, the darkness, the reclinable seat.....it was too easy just to close my eyes and wait for the gym to open instead. I chose rest over study for several mornings and it's just not working out for me. I need a new plan and a new start. I think Bible study and a personal relationship with God can get blah and stale in life just like anything else. For me at least, it's something that I have to work really hard at. I have to be creative and look for ways to make it fresh and new and motivating. So I'm working on that. I'm hoping this warm weather is here to stay because I'd like to get back outside for my daily time with God. That's helpful for me. And if I can start running again, that would actually help me as well because it would free up my mornings which is when I like to spend time with Him. But I'm here confessing laziness and pledging to do better. I'm making this new week a new start and I'm excited about it. I also plan to keep up this blog better. I know, I know....I've said that before and I could use the busy excuse one more time, but it comes down to laziness too. And one post in January and what will probably be one in February isn't much. But I really do plan to do better. I received a very encouraging email about the blog recently and it made me want to get back into it regularly. So it's part of my new plan as well.

There are times in life where we all just need a fresh start. Any time is a good time. I typically sign off this blog with a verse....Philippians 3:14. The verse before it states that we forget what is behind and push on to what's ahead. I could sit here and dwell on my laziness and feel sorry for myself for my lack of motivation. I could sit here and spout out numerous excuses for why I've gotten so lax in my personal relationship with God. But I think instead that I'll forget that and press on. I think instead that I'll make a fresh start and get back on track. I think I'll look to the future and focus on what my future holds. That's more fun to think about anyways.

Do you need a fresh start like I do? It's never too late. God is always waiting for us to turn back to Him.....

Deut. 31:6 ........⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert