Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

Real Age Test Motivates Me Toward Healthier Choices

Mark Twain said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." A century and a half ago Mark Twain didn't have the benefit of RealAge.com. Today my real age is more important than my actual age. Knowing my real age and working to lower my real age requires not only my mind, but my attention and discipline as well.

According to RealAge.com, I'm seven years younger than I actually am. The amazing thing about this is that when I began my exercise and diet routine on January 17th this year, my real age was slightly above my actual age. Without any science fiction time travel I've become younger as I've aged these last ten months!

In June I wrote about the five primary things I've done this year to improve my health. In August I shared an app that has helped me tremendously. In this post I'd like to share the Real Age Test itself and why knowing your real age is so much more than knowing the number of candles on your last birthday cake.

The test itself took me about 30 minutes to complete. I was asked a series of lifestyle, genetic, and health history questions. Some of the questions were what I expected: What is my weight? What is my waist size? What is my blood pressure? However, there were a lot of questions that I didn't expect.  For example, How many relatives do I see or hear from on a regular basis each month? Does anyone rely on me to do something for them every day? What is my marriage like? How hot-tempered am I?

According to Dr. Keith Roach the new Real Age Test is based on recent scientific studies that tell us more than we've ever known before about the aging process.  "In the last 2 or 3 years, a group of big, long studies wrapped up one after the other, which changed much of our knowledge about what makes you grow old too fast -- and what makes you stay young longer."

Post Easter Break with my Brother Todd

Last week was filled with preparations for Easter.  I wrote two sermons last week - one for Good Friday and one for Easter.  I also had the privilege of writing the weekly Viewpoint article for last Saturday's News Journal.  Then there was the delivery of 100 meals to the poor and hungry on Saturday morning.  All of this was wonderful.  I love it.  It's my calling.  It's work, but it's work I love to do.  By Sunday night, however, both Mary Kay and I needed a break.

I am most fortunate to have a brother, who understands the pastor's need for breaks.  For 27 years my brother Todd pastored several churches, Nazarene and then Vineyard.  During those years our home was a safe haven for him and Amy to be able to escape the pressures of the pastorate.  We wanted our home to be a place where they could just be themselves with no expectations.  Little did either of us know that in our later life our situations would become reversed.  Now Todd is retired from the pastorate and I am fully immersed in it!  Now Todd and Amy offer the safe haven for Mary Kay and I to enjoy from time to time.

Sunday evening after the wonderful Church Requel Easter service, we hopped in the car and drove the normally 3-hour drive to Mason, Ohio.  The people of Church Requel were wonderful.  They took care of tearing down, putting everything away, and locking up the church.  In our church we need several hours to setup and at least an hour to tear down.  Normally I'm immersed in every part of it.  Sunday night Steve Thoman told me to "get out of here.  We got it covered."  It felt good to say goodbye to everyone and just drive away.

We didn't drive far, however, until we found ourselves stuck in traffic.  Before we even got 4 miles on the highway we found ourselves creeping along at 5 miles per hour.  It took us and hour and a half to drive 5 miles.  I'm sure there must have been an accident, but we never saw it.  We didn't arrive to Todd's until 1am!

Of course we couldn't just go to bed.  We all stayed up and talked for another hour.  We finally hit the water bed - Todd and Amy love their water beds! - around 2 in the morning.  My internal alarm went off at 6:30 and I stayed in bed another hour after that.  It was no good.  I couldn't get back to sleep.  I went downstairs and found Todd and Amy working on a great breakfast for us.  Scrambled eggs with all the fixings, blueberry pancakes and bacon.  Not a breakfast one could eat every morning, but it sure hit the spot on Monday.

We talked about what we wanted to do together.  We settled on a plan to split up the girls and the guys.  Amy and Mary Kay did some shopping, while Mark and Todd went to the the gym.  Todd recommended a book to me back in January: Younger Next Year.   We both have been working out every day and being a little more careful with our diets (Monday morning's breakfast notwithstanding.)  I took the picture of Todd (top right) while we were both on the elliptical machines. 

Then we went back home and worked on my recumbent bicycle.  More accurately, Todd worked on my bike while I watched.  He tore the chain down and soaked it in gasoline.  He washed down the entire bike.  Yes, we discovered it is still red!  He found one part that was ready to come apart so we went down to the local bike shop to buy a replacement.  He adjusted my gears and my brakes.  He even sewed up a rip in my seat, which happened 9 years ago when my wheels got caught in a road rut and I fell, tearing my britches and my seat (and leaving me with some serious bruises and abrasions!) 

My bike is now like new.  I can't wait to get out and ride again.  (Will this rain ever stop?)  I'm even shopping for a small pannier bag that doubles as a shoulder bag, so I can carry my computer and papers with me.  I figure that a little more than one tankful of gasoline will make up for the expense of the bag.

Bottom line:  I'm back in my office now and ready to go for the week.  I enjoyed my brief stay with Todd and Amy and got my batteries recharged.  Now it's time to get back to work.  During breakfast with Todd and Amy Monday morning, I told them that I don't love the routine of the pastorate - no one likes chores, do they? - but I love, love, love the special moments of the pastorate.  Like when I have the chance to pray with someone or encourage someone in their moment of trial or despair.  I realize that for me to be prepared for those special moments, it's important to keep my own tank full.  Thanks Todd and Amy for giving us a chance to get away for a couple days and rest.  It was much appreciated!

Take That One Small Step

I've been giving a great deal of thought to the idea of making and keeping New Year's resolutions.  It is easy to become skeptical, knowing that within a week most resolutions bite the dust.  Yet this year I remain optimistic - both for myself and for my congregation.  We are in the midst of making life changes for a better 2011.  It is easy, however, to become overly focused on the end result rather than on the small steps that will take us to our goal.  The sad thing is that the journey itself is often as exciting and enjoyable as the destination.  What small step can you take today that will take you one step closer to your goal?

 

Joe Konrath: 2006 Resolutions, 2010 Results

While we are still living out the first week of 2011, let's revisit the idea of New Year's resolutions.  During our Church Requel sermon this past weekend, we considered making spiritual resolutions.  Do making New Year's resolutions work?  By themselves, probably not.  There is, however, a positive mindset involved in making resolutions and setting goals.  Such year-ahead affirmations will not, in and of themselves, make us a success.  On the other hand, it is also true that we will not merely wander into a successful life.  In a free society, the single biggest contribution to our success or lack thereof is our mindset: our attitude and determination.

This morning I came across two different blog posts by author Joe Konrath.  Joe is a successful writer of many thriller and horror novels.  This genre is not my personal preference, but I have very much enjoyed following Joe's career.  He is also a long-time blog writer of A Newbie's Guide to Publishing.  His header begs the question, "Is it possible to make a living as a genre writer? Well, sort of..."  Joe may soon have to update his blog header based on his most recent blog post, where he discloses that he made over $24,000 in December by self-publishing.

I'm thrilled for Joe - as I would be for anyone who has made a success out of his passion and dreams.  I'm not writing this post, however, to sing the praises of Joe Konrath.  What I would like to point out in this entry is the connection between making New Year's resolutions and making a successful life.  Joe Konrath may not even remember this, but five years ago he published his own resolutions to kick off the year 2006:

1. It is inevitable, if I keep trying, that I'll succeed. A professional is an amateur who didn’t quit. Success is simply learning from failure.

2. I won't take rejection personally. Each rejection is one step closer to publication. Most rejections have nothing to do with how good the writing is. It's a numbers game. The more I try, the more I'll sell.

3. I will have faith in my work, but always remain open to suggestion and change. The day I stop listening to criticism is the day I stop growing as a writer, and growth leads to book deals.

4. I will keep writing, keep submitting, keep marketing, and never surrender. Ultimately, success in this business rests squarely on one person’s shoulders: Mine.

5. Depression, anger, resentment, envy, disappointment, jealousy, worry, and a sense of entitlement are all a big waste of time and energy better spent writing.

6. 2007 will be here in just 368 days. It will come whether I've reached my goals or not. So 2006 will be the year I reach my goals. I control my destiny, and I will succeed.

Did Joe just happen to wander into his $24,000 December?  Was he simply "lucky"?  Or has Joe been working hard - both on his writing and on his attitude, not just for the past year, but for the past five years? 

As a pastor, I would offer the additional advice of the New Testament writer James, who counsels: 

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit: - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vamishes.  Instead you out to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."  (James 4:13-15 ESV)

What could you accomplish in 2011 - (and 2015!) - if you combined hard work, a positive attitude, and submission to our Lord's will?  Make your resolutions, if you haven't already, and renew your resolve to become everything God had in mind when He created you!

Arianna Huffington: The Importance of Sleep

This four-minute video brought a smile to my face.  Arianna Huffington reminds women - though I thought it was good to remember as a man too - about the relationship between sleep and success.  Or as Arianna quips, "Sleep your way to the top."  Good info delivered in a humorous way.  Enjoy!

 

Six Weeks to One Hundred Pushups!

One of my favorite new websites is LifeHacker.com.  Kevin Purdy has done a beautiful job of putting together a blog with great advice for just about anything, from cooking to exercise and from work to play.  This morning I was reading Saturday's column: "Top 10 Tools for Sticking to Your New Year's Resolutions." 

In the middle of my reading I came across a link to another simply great website, HundredPushups.com.  Steve Spiers has put together a very simple plan for helping people be able to do 100 pushups.  In fact, Steve says that most people who follow his plan can do 100 pushups in about six weeks if they can devote 30 minutes a week to this goal!  Why pushups?

Push ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Push ups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso.

Push ups can be performed no matter where you are, and best of all, they are completely free - no expensive equipment or annual gym fees required! If you're looking to develop a great chest and shoulders, you could do much worse than follow along with the hundred push ups plan. Your core strength will also go through the roof too!

I decided this morning to give this a try.  Readers of Church Requel know that I've made a personal commitment to health and exercise since my pulminary embolisms thirteen months ago.  For the past six months (after I got my doctor's permission), I've gone to the gym about four times a week. 

So, this morning, I'm wondering how many pushups this 51-year-old body could achieve.  No better way than getting on the floor and finding out.  As I write this (my arms are still quivering a bit), I can report to you that I'm starting out at 22 pushups.  It's remarkable how the muscles of our bodies will absolutely fail at some point.  It's worth doing just to find out where you're at and to experience that failure!

According to Steve's program I should be able to start off at week 3.  But I was just barely in that category.  Therefore, I'm starting at week one and will let you know how it goes as I move along.  What about you?  Want to join me in this 6-week adventure?  Check out HundredPushups.com, then come back here and comment to let me know what you think.  It would be nice to have some company!