Difficult to watch...

Today was one of those days when the good and bad come running together.

We work with alcoholics here, many of them homeless. I spent my time today split between praying for the men and women we work with, going to the city offices of social services to get support for a project we're working on related to Christmas and these men and...calling the police.

It's been while since I've this deeply felt so sorry for the men we work with. Two older gentlemen, one a real polish dziadek (grandpa) have been living in the apartment of another of the men we work with. The owner of the apartment has now gone to the hospital, blinded by cataracts and with a completely destroyed liver that has really ceased to function.

That man asked Piotr and I to get the other guys out of his apartment and change the lock. Piotr when over and changed the lock once the other guys had left, but they came back to quickly and setup shop again. Piotr called me to come help him get them out. I'm not a little guy, but I'm also not a violent one. We obviously, and for good reason, decided to let the Police handle the situation.

But that's the moment when I feel worst. Watching these older men have to be man-handled, threatened, and paraded to the police van is no fun. The Christ in them that's been there since the beginning (they look like their Dad to me), is screaming out that this is not the way a man should be. And I feel more than a little powerless to change the situation just then...as they're taken off to sober up in a holding cell.

These men have had pride in the past. They've had courage. They've done brave things. The older of the two today was actually in a special part of the army during the fight with the Germans. But you can't tell that now....now, with his pants down around his ankles, with his hat thrust on his head backwards - he looks buffoonish. And my heart breaks for him.

Pray with us for these men. We'll get a chance to sit and talk with all of them again soon. Pray that He'll work in their hearts to find change that will last all eternity.

cb

Where on the mountain?

I was thinking today about mountains. I remember hiking up one once. We camped at the very top of a completely bald mountain (picture smoky, not rocky). It was an awesome, if not frigid experience. The wind hit us from seemingly every direction. To get up in the middle of the night to take care of one's business was a real life decision. There were no trees, no bushes, just stars, darkness, wind and slopes downward into blackness. We were at the top of the mountain.

Isn't that where everyone wants to be? I mean, really - whether a missionary leading souls to salvation or a mechanic fixing cars for a living - doesn't every man want to be at the top of the mountain he lives on? Have more customers than he knows what to do with....have enough money to not think about the bills...have enough friends to never wonder who to call...have enough success in your profession to never ever have to feel shame when talking about it.

I'm not at the top of my mountain. I am torn, cause I don't know if I want to be. I want to do well for Him. He did perfectly well for me. However, I want to be satisfied.

Someone said "There are two kinds of wealth: One is to have everything we want. The other is to be satisfied with what we have." I've never been a man of ambition. But when the outcome is souls saved, shouldn't I be?

Just some thoughts to keep this blog moving...it'll get better soon - promise.

cb

Kick Start

How many times have I said that I'm coming back to blogging?  So, here's a kick-start to get me going again.  Here's to hoping the joy becomes a habit this time and that the habit will bear fruit that is good and that blesses someone out there.

I'll still be writing about my weight-loss journey - and missions life.  I'll be doing all my Life in Poland stuff here, too.

See you back here either today or tomorrow.

For now, I'll let someone else inspire you:

cb

More is less...

Might I share something truly cool with you?

I've come to absolutely enjoy this man and his show.  In this episode he brings his wit, his passion for cooking and his success at weight loss into an episode of his program Good Eats.  I know most of you in the states know this program well, but I came upon it for the first time while on furlough this year.  Now, it's a daily staple in the Booher home!

I can't make some of the stuff he does since the ingredients are so different than what we can get here.  But, some of the stuff he does is wonderfully easy, tasty, healthy and he does it with that one all-important ingredient that makes me want to watch - passion!

Off topic On target

How does she live with this for seventy five years?

Father didn't want her.
Mother didn't want her.
Her husband didn't want her.

They all wanted what the bottle had to give more than the love she had to offer.  Mom and dad would go off leaving her and her three brothers and sisters with nothing but a blanket to cover with.  No lock on the apartment door.  About sixty years ago.

We talked about rejection today - she cried - we prayed.  She's alone now.  She buried her mom, her dad, her husband...bottle took them all in the end.

We work where it matters most, I think.

'Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell,
I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell'

G'night all.

A Good Book

Weighing in today at 114.2 kilo - so more or less still 250. I'm watching calories and fat, but the start on this weight loss is slower than I thought it'd be. Walked several miles yesterday pushing the stroller with BOTH boys in it :)

Want to recommend the book Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. Of course, take it all with a grain of salt...the man is a vegetarian and puts forth a strong argument for the vegetarian way of life, or at least his take on it. I don't intend to go vegetarian for a couple reasons - first of all, my wife won't let me (more on that later).

Secondly, I just can't make that way of life mesh with Scripture. I'm sure it'd be different if God were to send me one day to a country where meat was scarce, but where He's put me now I just can't see a Biblical argument to choose not to eat meat.

Fuhrman's book, however, does give an amazing amount of detailed health and diet info, shedding a huge BATMAN-like spot light on the causes of so much of the sickness and obesity in the American diet. Great read - great info - and it's helping me.

Next post, I'll show you all my wife's favorite book on the subject. Also, she's reminded me that if this is to be a true blog on weight-loss (among other things), I should post some pics...so that's on its way as well.

No matter what your size or shape, remember that what He thinks of you doesn't depend upon outward appearances...it's about the heart. So, lose the weight, but base your self-esteem on His Word and what He thinks.

Blessings!

corey

Slightly Confused

Daily weigh-ins are confusing. I try to hit the scales after my morning...uh...business. No clothes - just me and the naked truth (cue rim shot).

Tuesday was 116 kilo (about 255 lbs.)...Wed 114 (250)...Thursday I weighed in at 113.9 kilo (about 250 still) and then Thurs night I went to the weight room for two hours. So, Friday morning, after three days of solid eating right and two hours of exercise - I weighed in this morning at 114.3!

So, where'd that extra .4 kilo come from?? I've read plenty of info, like the info posted here that says weight training together with diet is an awesome 1-2 punch for fast loss. So, I'm hoping the slight up-swing this morning has more to do with muscle gain than fat.

By the way, getting ALL the fat out of my diet seems an impossibility. I'm going down to zero pro cent almost everything...but even the wifey won't let me go totally without some fat.

Time to Lose

Hey peeps,

Long time, no post. Now, I want to take you with me as I try to lose weight and get in shape - and stay there. This won't be a diet. This is a lifestyle change. God knows it's needed and I know He's helping.

Today I weigh 250. I have a 47 waist size, I believe.

So, here we go.

I want to post pics, films, etc. I will TRY to take you with me though filming training exercises, food, etc... I'll try to post good diet plans I find or good recipes. Hopefully, it'll be fun and informative.

cb