Paleo

These are some great links to visit about Paleo, food for Paleo, and Paleo as part of our life. Enjoy!

http://thepaleodiet.com/

http://robbwolf.com/faq/

http://whole9life.com/

http://everydaypaleo.com/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/paleo-diet-research/

http://www.stevesoriginal.com/store

http://www.nativemeats.com/index.php

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cheese-unhealthy/

http://www.paleofood.com/

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-diet-recipes/

Cheap Tips Say Alot

I remember my time in college and all the odd jobs I did to earn money. One of my first jobs was as a waiter at a pizza parlor. One of things I use to dread was working on a Sunday after church. The restaurant would be packed, which was great for pizza sales, however the tips were terrible! One could argue it was my service, doubtful since I rocked it as a waiter, but instead it was something much more dreadful...cheap people. On this point I have a couple thoughts.

1. If you can't afford to dine at a restaurant where a tip is required then don't go! That's what fast food places are for.

2. As I said before I dreaded working on Sunday's. Quite honestly the Sunday afternoon crowd was terrible at tipping and often creative in how they tipped. For instance, I remember having a family leave me a "track" instead of a tip. I've heard of recent events where a "track" which looks like money is left. Really? Not to long ago I was at a pizza place with my family and witnessed a table of 10 people with lots and lots of food. The tip left...$2.00. From what I saw the waitress worked her tail off. As far as testimony goes it's a sad one left for the waiter/waitress and often a turn off toward Christianity.

Be mindful, and tip according to service, but most importantly remember that these servers are hard working folks who deserve your respect and a well earned tip.

Every Man's Battle...

In the golden ages of time men would prove their manhood by sparring in friendly competitions of strength and endurance. Knights would joust in order to resolve issues the king wished no part of or perhaps it was the boredom of having nothing to do all day which caused to men to look at their joust and horses and say "why not?" Either way men knew how to draw a line in the sand and with a look say "come get some". In this 21st century jousting is no more instead, the battle field has been drawn in a different way....lawn maintenance. Yes, Saturday mornings are the equivalent to the knights taking to the king's festival and showing their wares to the king and his lovely bride. A testament to manhood and their abilities to conquer and humiliate the competition. And just like the knights of old we wake up on Saturday morning and put on our lawn clothing (armor), fill up the lawn mower (feed the horse), walk up and down the lawn (jousting), weed wack (swinging our blade), and look to the deck for our wifes approval. I often tell my wife about the tales of my life as a knight. Fighting off bugs and waving off a passing neighbor who tries to distract me in conversation. My goal is simple, to win the heart of the queen and to let the other knights in my neighborhood know that MY lawn is better. Yes, the battle cries from taking care of my lawn are laced with sweat and tears. Sadly I cannot type anymore for I must take my leave for it is time to winterize my lawn....

The Hispanic Crusader

Words From a Wise 7 Year Old....

Time is the enemy I fight against on a constant basis. i try to maintain a balance between the many things in my life and the balance is not easy to maintain. A few week ago Connor, my 7 year old, went down to the backyard to have some mommy time on the hammock. While they were both relaxing he told her how he missed hanging out with me. The discussion lead to my son crying and pouring out his unhappiness with my schedule. I knew something had to change. Connor is such an easy going child that he's easy to forget about. He does what he's told and puts himself to bed. After his talk with my wife we sat down with him and I promised him I would never let this happen again and for the past few weeks we've been having a blast. Connor and I have always enjoyed playing "tough guy" and for the past few weeks that's what we do before bed time.

For the past few weeks I've been trying to change a great deal in my life. Though I have a great deal of obligations my family needs me the most. I take so much joy when one of the children steps away from the dinner table to entertain the rest of the family with singing or dancing. I continue to pray for a better balance despite my oligations.

I'll finish with a quote from Connor. I asked him what he enjoyed the most out of our play time together. He said, "Im learning." I replied back "learning what?" He replied back, "I'm learning how to be a great dad...what else?"

....In the End....

If you're reading this and you haven't seen the last part of Lost please don't read any further. The last episode of Lost has echoed in my mind since it went off the air. In particular the last moments of the show. This post isn't about the rights/wrongs of Losts interpretation of theology or philosophy but in particular the last scene of the show. By this time Jack finds out that he has died and is on his way to meet all of his friends who have since past and are congregating in the church to "move on" together. I guess it was the visual..the visual of friends and family ready to meet you as your prepare to enter the the gates of heaven. It was a beautiful scene. And even if you haven't seen the show...I can't help but think how touching this moment would be for you as well. I think of past family and friends who I know were passionate Christ followers and much like this short scene I look forward to seeing them again.

Living Out A Crazy Love Kinda Life....

A few weeks ago I had the chance to read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. During my quiet time I started to wonder if I was leading a crazy love kind of life. The conviction this book brought about in my life was enough to change the way I approach my life and the lives of everyone around me. During the past few weeks I started to ask myself...."Am I truly crazy in love with God? Am I doing enough to reflect the goodness he has to offer? It was during this down time that Elaine (my wife) and I started to talk about "Crazy Love". She gave me some much needed encouragement. She reminded me that I'm a husband, father, son, employee, elder, and youth pastor. She encouraged me that not only was I leading a crazy love kind life but i was nuts to do it :) This is a journey we're taking in my small group. And while talking about crazy love we're also touching on another great book called "Jesus Freaks" by DC Talk. If you havent read them please...give it a read..if you have...please post what your thoughts were on the books.

Bill Avila