It's Not About Me...

My name is at the top of this blog; the pictures on this blog are pictures of me before, and during, my Biggest Loser journey. But I want everyone who reads my blog to understand this, above all else: this is not about me. I'm posting all this stuff to share with others the grace of God that has put me at this juncture in my life; the power of God that has enabled me to participate, and the love of God that gives me the motivation to give it my all. I am a broken, fallen man; a recovering food addict, if you will. If you look at me and my journey, and you find inspiration, motivation, or some other impetus to keep going or to try harder, I'm happy about that, and it is very satisfying to me. But understand that the power and ability to conquer a set of lifelong habits is not something that I have "dug deep inside of me" and found. It's not the desire to be successful, or a winner, or good-looking (well, doing the best I can, anyway)... it's not the desire to breathe deeply, feel better, or be more active. It's because that while I am a child of God, and a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I found myself living the first verse of the song in the video at the top of this post:

Hear the cries of the shackled from the onset of time

For the chains of defeat, there's no key;

See the tears of the broken, hear the cries of the slaves,

"Is there no one worthy to set us free?"

If you have time, play the video; listen to the words; understand that without Jesus Christ in your life, nothing has any meaning or gives any satisfaction - not fame, not money, not looks; not power, position, or prestige. You may think you are living in total freedom, and in a sense, you probably are - you are free to roam anywhere inside that cell that you want to. No matter how successful your life is, though, at the end of the day, you're still in a cell.

Nothing I have done is worthy of praise or honor. Don't heap either on me, because I'm not here to promote myself. Another lyric from one of my favorite songs, and I'm done writing for today:

I boast not of works, nor tell of good deeds,

For naught have I done to merit His grace;

All glory and praise shall rest upon Him

Who so willingly died in my place.