Gluten Free World... Is A Starving World

So my adventures in being Gluten free have begun. I started last Friday and am going for a complete week. Here are my thoughts so far:

1. I'm a cheater. Not because I've given in and had gluten, but because I don't eat all that much. But with that in mind it is still a hard task! There are so many things that have gluten in them.

2. Caleb and I made a gluten free pizza on Friday night (and by Caleb and I, I mean Caleb). It was interesting. It was really grainy and such. Definitely tasted different.

3. Corn chips are my crutch. Pretzels, noodles, bread, crackers, etc. are out. What a bummer.

4. This stuff is in everything!!! Some lunch meat! Beer! Soups! Goodness!

It's been fun and interesting so far, and I still have a ways to go, but I definitely appreciate my lack of dietary restrictions. Caleb... I feel for you bro.

On Time Theory and Eternal Moments

The older you get the faster time moves. It all has to do with frame of reference. The best example I can give is this: When you are four years old, to be eight years old is to double your life. Your frame of reference for the next four years is immense. Whereas to a 28 year old, 32 is not that far around the corner. Your perception of time changes, and as it changes it begins to move faster. Have you noticed days go by quicker? Years fly by?

I asked my dad once, "Hey dad, you know how the older you get the faster time moves?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I need to figure out a way to stop that."

"Well you have to change your perception. Stop thinking about the future and the past, and the way you perceive time will change."

So I have been on this journey to discover what it means to live in a single moment, if you have read past posts. To stop looking so far ahead that I miss half of my life. What I have discovered is that when I successfully pull this off, time moves slower. When I succeed I realize that my ability to gauge how much time has gone by, is completely wrong. My life moves slower. I like that. I like it a lot.

There are so many beautiful things to living in a moment. When you are driving towards looming black clouds that are dropping water from the sky... When those same clouds are generating electricity that heats the air up to five times the heat of the sun, which creates a sonic boom of thunder... When you are on a sphere traveling 66,000 miles an hour, around a burning ball of fire... Getting stopped at a red light, really doesn't seem like that big a deal. That person who cuts you off isn't really worth the attention. Each day becomes far from ordinary, and moments... moments become eternal.

Live in the moment. The future will take care of itself.

Banana Gone Bad

Banana Gone Bad Link

And It's Alright

"When Jobs life is about to be taken away from him, he can say one of two things. He can curse God, as he does for a moment, and say, God, why not fifty-one years? Or he can surrender to love and grace and say, God, why fifty years? Why did I deserve anything? When we take on that attitude, weve made a decision for grace. Naked I came into the world, and naked I will leave (Job 1:21). What do I have, brothers and sisters, that has not been given to me? All is grace. All is given. Who gave me this hand? Who wiggles these fingers? Who created this eye that I cannot explain or understand? I cannot even make this hair grow. It is all gift. From beginning to end, everything is grace, everything is given. There is nothing that we deserve. We have no real rights. There is nothing we have to have. When you lose your friend, your lover, your life-giver, you and curse God and say, Why was he taken? Why was she taken? Or you can say, Why was she given at all? You can say, Why is that love gone? Or you can say, Why did I even deserve a moment of love? Why did I even deserve a second of this life? God is creator and I am creature. God created me out of nothing and some years back I did not exist at all. Yahweh gives and Yahweh takes away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh (Job 1:21)." - Richard Rohr

For The Sake of Blood Pressure, Everywhere

What the heck IS stress anyway? I'm constantly amazed at my ability to get worked up. A whole day can be consumed about something I have to get planned, or ready for the night. Instead of living in the moment, finding something to enjoy about what I'm currently doing, I just sit there and stress out.

Now don't confuse stress with worry. I believe they are two completely different things, although they are probably tied together. I don't sit there and worry about what is coming next, I just let the tension of what it asks of me get in my head.

See here is the tricky thing. My stress doesn't make anything better. It never wins a situation for me. So why then? Is it a habbit? Is it genetic? It's ridiculous. I've often heard the saying 'you are what you practice.' Well if that is true I am going to practice not being stressed out. I'm going to be present in the moment, I'm going to do what situations ask of me, and I'm going to effing enjoy it. That's my goal. Watch me go.

Treacherous Endeavors

So last night when I was driving home at about 11:00 PM I decided that I desperately needed something. So I pulled off at King Soopers and purchased a half gallon of milk and oreos. I walked back to my car, and was baffled at the fact that my key wouldn't work.

Off in the distance I heard, "HEY! What are you doing to my car?" I looked at the car, I looked at him. I realized it wasn't my car. I looked at my car. I reacted.

"We have the same car! I swear to God we have the same car!" He didn't say anything but I was pretty sure he was going to kill me. "Look! Look! My car is the exact same car as yours."

He looked, looked unimpressed, and then finally caved (probably in response to my irresistible charm), "Okay.."

"I swear look!" For some reason I still felt the desire to convince him. "I'm sorry bro I thought it was my car." At this point you're probably thinking to yourself, Sean is overreacting. Not in the least bit. His initial question was really a death threat in disguise. His next statement proves my point.

"You know it only takes (some obscure number) hours to get your CWL in Colorado."

"I don't even know what that means."

"Your concealed weapon license..."

"Do you have yours?" I asked him... when really I wanted to say, 'Now why in the world did you need to say that?'

"Yes."

At this point I was unimpressed, but I played his game. "Well I'm glad you didn't start shooting at me. You scared the crap out of me." This is when the third party member revealed himself. A man with long sideburns, tattoos, and an otherwise rugged appearance, peeked his head up over his car and stated, "Yeah you scared me too." He then timidly walked into the grocery store.

Let this be a lesson to all of you... The kid with the milk and cookies... yeah he plays dangerous games. And he is still at large.

Get It Goin'

'Leavin - Jesse McCartney' Who ever knew the starting the car noise could be so sexy?

'Lazy Bones - Robin Thicke' I shoot airballs from the freethrow line all the time!!!!

Listen.

Stop Running Away

It is horribly disgusting when I sit back and realize how present I am in each and every situation. Not at all. I'm surprised I even know what happens to me throughout the day, because I always have my mind fixed on getting somewhere else, what happens next, or something completely random. My Summer Resolution is to live presently in each and every moment. I want to learn how to find things to hold on to in the moment I am in.
I think the future is so appealing because we are still in control of the future. Whereas in this very moment, you have to go along with where life is taking you. I want to let go and enjoy that ride. So if you want one thing to hold me accountable to, pray for me for, or just do along side of me, being present is a top priority.