Can You Slow Down the Aging Process?

Despite serious ridicule from some people who think my ideas about slowing down the biological time clock, I'm doubling down on my experiments.  This time adding other people who are willing to change their ways.  I already know what to expect by going down the same path that has been trodden for the last generation.  It really doesn't look good as far as the status quo goes.

There is good reason to be hesitant.  My ideas are unproven.  I'm certainly not an expert on the topic of longevity.  What I do have going for me happens to be the extraordinary results from my current food experiments.  If you haven't read "Live Long and Prosper" because you're too busy, I have good news.  The audio version will be out any day now.  I'm waiting for the people in charge of distribution to approve my release  You can listen to my journey of transformation in a little over two hours.  I include my daily stack which, in my opinion, is slowing down the hands of time.  Stay tuned.  It's getting exciting.  Have a great day. 

Is Jesus Real?

 Today's message is a response to someone close to me who struggles with the relationship between science and faith.  I have a feeling this struggle is common throughout the world.  As I reflect on my life I believe my faith has helped me to endure in situations where failure seemed eminent.  Is Jesus real?  If so, is he God?  What evidence is there that Jesus is who he says he is?

Before I get too deep today, I would like to pose a question for those reading today's story.  Does evil exist?  If the answer is yes, where do you think evil comes from?  Is it possible that evil exists beyond our own realm?  In my opinion, it may be easier to persuade nonbelievers about the existence of Jesus by first offering examples of evil that we cannot see with our own eyes yet we can accept when the evidence is scrutinized.

How can it be that people who appear to be under the influence of evil can suddenly speak in ancient tongues when they've never been exposed to these languages?  How can a person who appears to be possessed toss a 300 pound human across the room with one arm?  Can science explain this?  Perhaps a worthy explanation comes from stories in the Bible about demons who roam the planet in search of souls they wish to possess.

If the modern day stories about demons are verifiable, perhaps someone searching for the source of these demons could go back in time by reading passages in the Bible about demons who paid a great deal of attention to Jesus.  Why did these demons care about influencing Jesus?  How did these demons know who Jesus is?

If I were in a court of law attempting to prove the existence of Jesus, I would offer witness testimony from the very demons who are attacking us.  How can these demons defy the laws of nature?  Perhaps there is something about them that gives us a glimpse of their enemy – Jesus.  If they are real, maybe Jesus is real.  The leap of faith is easier to make when one considers the actions of the demons who are in our world today.  

For those who deny the Bible because they find think it goes against science, I offer my two cents.  Science is an attempt to understand what we do not know.  We don't know everything.  Science has its own gaps.  If Jesus is real and everything he says is true, it's easy to see how science is merely a tool for explaining who God is.  I don't have all the answers here.  I do have faith.  This is a gift.  It's all I have to offer for those who aren't sure if Jesus is real.  Have a great day.

How Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

 Imagine the date is 11/18/29.  You are five years older.  Like it or not, this day is going to be here before you know it.  The way you imagine yourself five years from today could actually serve as an inspiration to prepare for that date.

This date is significant for me because it puts me approximately seven months ahead of my retirement from my day job.  I consider these next five years as a time of preparation.  The more steps I can take now the better prepared I will be when it's time to begin the next phase of my life.

Ask yourself who you see around you five years from today as you prepare for Thanksgiving.  Who is with you?  What are you doing?  How is your health?  Are you happy?  What's missing?  Once you see yourself in the future, what steps can you take in the next five years to make that future vision of yourself the best it can be?  Have a great day.

Men's 4.0 Tennis Team Clinches 40+ League Title

Team captain, Jim Sichterman, sent out the message yesterday that our team win clinched a league title.  I would like to thank him for spending time with me one-on-one to correct a deficiency in my backhand which changed my game dramatically.  It also helps to be surrounded by like-minded teammates who pursue excellence on a daily basis.  My doubles partner, Wahyu, and I were the lag match in Clinton, Iowa yesterday which gave us a birds eye view of the first four matches of the afternoon from the upper level of the indoor facility.  My teammates stuck around to watch us win the final match of the day.  I would also like to thank Wahyu for keeping me calm during the match.  There is much work to be done in the pursuit of lofty goals.  All I can say is thank you to my teammates for never giving up on me during my transition from a one-handed wimpy backhand to a double-fisted weapon.  We will need every player to be at his best when we prepare ourselves for post-season play.  Congratulations to the team on a 4-1 victory yesterday.  Have a great day. 

Audiobook Cover Needs Attention

 The final review of my first audiobook is nearly complete.  I got word that the front cover art was not up to standards for release so I'm making the appropriate adjustments for final submission.  The good news is that everything else passed inspection.  That's what happens when you have a professional narrator on your team.  I'm working on the cover art this morning before joining my tennis team in Clinton located in northeast Iowa for an afternoon match.  I'm thankful my boss granted time off to participate today.  Have a great day.

Lessons from Proverbs

 I had an interesting conversation yesterday sparked when a stranger commented on my wrist bracelet.  "That's my favorite Bible verse," my new friend said, referencing "I can do all through Christ who strengthens me."  Later in the conversation she told me I appeared to be a "proverbs kind of guy."  I took this as a huge compliment because the Book of Proverbs contains all that I am seeking on my journey.  The first part is about a father teaching his son he should listen to wisdom and cultivate the fear of the Lord.  The message is about learning how to live in a way that honors God and others.

I have a long way to go in my journey.  Proverbs is a great place to learn about how to interact in a world filled with great tension.  Take a moment and immerse yourself in the Book of Proverbs.  Have a great day.

Why You Should Pursue Outlandish Ideas

 The best way I know to silence your critics is to tell them you are going to do something that borders on the impossible and then do it.  The pursuit of seemingly outlandish ideas gets you off the couch and into your dream life.  I still remember the look on my friends faces when I told them I was going to move to a state where I didn't know a soul outside of my wife's family and buy a house with no money, no credit and no job.  My friends were attempting to bring me back to earth.  Instead, I moved away and bought a house with no money, no credit, and no job.  Sure, 97 people out of one hundred hung up on me.  Most people don't believe in outlandish ideas.  The people who do will encourage you to keep moving forward, like the realtor who represented me in the buying process when I was at a low point in my life.

Do you know what else is outlandish?  A person like me who has no formal training as a writer who writes every morning before sunrise.  I write about things that are seemingly outlandish to the casual observer.  I do things that most people consider impossible.  For me, outlandish is when you believe everything the people in power tell you is the truth, like food pyramids that have been fed to us ever since we entered school.  

Here is something else outlandish:  believing you have the potential to live to be 120 and not be sitting in a wheelchair.  Sadly, those who disagree with me won't live long enough to see the proof.  All I can say about my own health is that I can play tennis for four hours without even having the desire to sit down between games.  That is simply outlandish according to my opponents.  

Take a moment today and dream about something you may consider outlandish.  You may want to consider keeping the idea to yourself to avoid the dream killers who may try to bring you back to earth.  Have a great day.