Men Losing Weight

Well, here is an interesting subject. Men and “weight loss”. I was chatting with a friend today who was trying to lose weight, and another who wishes their partner should lose weight!

Men and weight loss seems to be a bit of a "taboo" subject. As someone who went to weight watches for a time (and lost weight from it) every thing appears to be so "female" biased. Perhaps us men who wish to lose weight ought to get together to create a "men only" diet club.

I do have to say I love Little Britain's "Fat Finders". Having sat through one weight watchers session, the way they have portrait the whole event is very close.

Having said all this, I too am trying to lose some weight and get a little more "toned". Let's see who this goes over the next few weeks.

I will try and keep this blog updated.

Well, its only been about 6 months since I last posted. That either means nothing interesting has happened or I'm not a consistent "blogger". I expect it has been the latter. Ruth has an outstanding work blog - http://www.digitalnarratives.blogspot.com/ which features all the stuff she has been working on.

Well what's happening:

• I've been signed off form my consultant - he is happy with the progress my knee has made over the last 9 months.
• I'm back to playing football once a week.
  I've joined a squash league
• Ruth & I go dancing (latin / ballroom) and even did a dance medal where we successfully were awarded a bronze medal for our Cha-Cha-Cha & Rumba.
• Isi has started to learn the violin and has performed in a the school assembly
• I've re-joined a gym with a personal trainer, with an aim to get down to about 12 stone (currently 13.3). I find gym work so boring - at least with a PT, there is more encouragement.
• I helped Ruth with a conference she ran on Multi Modality. I even understood some of it!
• I helped carry Ruth's bags when she went to Washington (USA not Tyne & Wear).
• My parents had their 50th wedding anniversary
• Ruth's sister (Debbie) and brother-in-law (Cam) came to visit form New Zealand with their new twins Bethany & Harrison

I'm sure there is more, so will try and increase the rate that I blog.....

Second Life

Has anyone come across this site before? I read about in the metro on the way into work this week, and thought I'd have a look.

It's a whole virtual world (when I last looked over 11,000 people logged in) where you set youself up with a virtual identity, can travel and interact with other users.

People build homes, offices, bars and even churches. Found one church with over 400 members. It offers sermons (down loaded from real churches) worship, prayer rooms.......

I have to say that I've set myself up a new persona - Tobias Flamand (sounds quite grand doesn't it!)

Anyway have a look, and let me know what you think (it's free, although you can pay something like $6 a month)

Gavin

Here's a little poem by the beautiful Isi!


My life

It’s Monday at 3.30 home time at last.
It ‘s Tuesday doesn’t time go fast.
It’s Wednesday the middle of the week I’m to tired to speak.
It’s Thursday nearly the end of the week.
Friday see how busy my life is.

By Isi.G.Page

Peace By Inches

Inch by Inch

Here's a clip from a film called "Any given Sunday". It's very motivational. Sometimes we forget to tackle things in small chucks, and prefer to try and change things in big ways.

Just to let you know, there are a couple of swear words within the clip.

Father's Heart

Here's a great video that we used one Fathers Day's.

The Race

Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye.

"There’s no sense running anymore- three strikes, I’m out – why try?”
The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away.

So far behind, so error prone, close all the way.
“I’ve lost, so what’s the use,” he thought. “I’ll live with disgrace.”

But then he thought of about his dad who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “Get up and take your place. You were not meant for failure here, so get up and win the race.”

With borrowed will, “get up,” it said “you haven’t lost at all, for winning is not more than this – to rise each time you fall.”

So up he rose to win once more, and with new commit, he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.

So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been, still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again. Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner as he crossed, first place, head high and proud and happy; no falling, no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place, the crowd gave him the greatest cheer for finishing the race.

And even though he came in last, with head bowed low, unproud; You’d have thought he won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said “I didn’t do so well.” “To me, you won” his father said. “you rose each time you fell”

And now when things seem dark and hard and difficult to face, the memory of that little boy helps me in my race.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.

And all you have to do to win – is to rise each time you fall.

“Quit! Give up, you’re beaten,” they still shout in my face.

But another voice within me says “get up and win that race!”

Friday is Shabbat time.. I love our friday shabbat time. It marks the end of the week for us as a family, and the beginning of the weekend.

What do we do?

Well, it starts of with Ruth making the Challah ( a breah made with honey) first thing in the morning. As she is making this, she is praying for those people who are going to be sharing Shabbat with us.

The meal starts with Ruth lighting a couple of candles to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world, and that we want his light spread throughout our home.

Next we wash our hands - as the Psalmist says "who can ascend the hill of the Lord...." As we wash our handed we say " I dedicate my hands to the Messiah, the hope of glory to serve him only"

Next I serve the wine, ( or whatever is being drunk at the meal time). In Jewish times, wine represents Joy, so the way we incorporate this into our meal, is by reminding us that as Jesus died on the Cross, he is no longer there, he is alive with us now. We also, then take it in turns to thank God for something good that has happend during the previous week. It's great to hear Isi & Toby joining in thanking God for things that have gone on in the the previous week.

Finally we come to the Challah, which has been sitting on the table covered by a cloth. The challah is a link to when the Jews wandered in the wilderness and God provided the Manna for them to eat. He provided a double portion so that they did not have to collect any on the sabbath.

As such, we have two loaves of challah - we use this as a reminder that Jesus is the bread of life, Jehovah Jirah, the God who provides. He provides for all of our needs.

This is one of the best "new" traditions that we have put in place for "the pages".

Thanks to the Sharmans for introducing it to us.

Let's go fly a kite............................

Whilst down at Whitstable, saw these kite surfers out on the water. Gives a new meaning to flying kites!!!!