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Showing posts from August, 2010

The Coffee Purge Reloaded: Day 9

So it's Day 9 into the Reloaded Coffee Purge! Just had breakfast at Starbucks. I'm not yet quite off caffeine yet, admittedly, but I have been off coffee since this weekend. Today's breakfast was a bagel (w/ butter) and ... chai tea. So yes, I'm still drinking caffeine, but I'm moving towards a more natural source of energy. I've been also waking up with a lot more energy. Coffee Purge Reloaded: Day 9 Consecutive Days without Coffee (including today): 4

Workout: Aug 30, 2010

So it was 11pm, and we just had a little mini-committee meeting. Afterwards, I wanted to shower, but felt like I had to earn it. So I decided to try this workout I saw on YouTube, courtesy of ICE1CUBE (I'm a big fan btw .. good workouts and relationship advice lol). Here's the link to the original workout (Click Here ). So here's the workout: - Swings (using a kettlebell, dumbbell, "ghetto-bell", or whatever ....etc) - Pushup Burpees - Squats (using the same weight as the swings) 1 Round Consists of doing each exercise for 40 sec, and resting for 20 sec. During each 40 sec interval, you aim for as many reps as you can. Tally up your reps and post your score. Post up your weight (for the swings) and your final score. Here's mine: Swings (25 lbs) 23-23-23-23-23-23-24 Burpees 11-11-11-11-11-12-12 Squats (0 lbs) 35-35-35-34-35-32-35 23x7 + 11*7 + 35*7 - 1 = 161 + 77 + 245 - 1 ______ 482 (final score) ______ ______ NOTE: My scores for the squats were very high

Avenues of Joy

The past year, I was volunteering at Sick Kids, playing with kids and having fun. I really enjoyed it, but had to stop since this upcoming year is going to be pretty busy. I really miss the kids and the people I work with. Yesterday, I was at church. After Sunday School, the prayer meeting was getting started and I was lingering reading some books. I overheard that the Children's Ministry was still in need of help. I didn't think much of it, nor did I need to sit in during the service before I decided. I picked up my feet and went downstairs to find the Children's Ministry. I found the leaders and said I'm interested in helping and can do whatever: sit-in, cleanup, help around, set-up, ... teach? sure, anything! During my time there yesterday, I had a fun time with kids, got to know a few of them, and learned some powerful lessons through Children stories and songs. Playing with kids has been one of my joys in life. Maybe it's from being an older brother. Maybe it&#

The Coffee Purge Reloaded: Day 8

So, here's a quick update: I made it through the weekend without coffee! Saturday: - met a friend at the Green Beanery and had Jasmine Green Tea - went to work later that day and had Milo Sunday: - no coffee ... did my best to fight, but really, my attempts to fight have failed so many times ... this success I 'blame' on God's grace - ah yes, I had tea (Dim Sum etc) Monday (today): - went to Starbucks this morning and picked up a multigrain bagel and my drink that I'm now drinking ... - ...Tazo Awake Black Tea =) Some people have said that my new approach is a cop-out, and perhaps they're right. To that I say, however, that my goal isn't to get off coffee through cold turkey, but to eventually get off it, period. So I'm taking one step at a time, in it for the long haul. Let's go.

Two Rings

Two rings rest on my right hand. One on my ring finger (purity ring), and one on my pinky finger (iron ring). Both of these rings are "promise" rings. The first is a promise to my family, my future wife, and my friends. A promise that I'll strive towards purity of mind, words, and action. The second is a promise to society and those I serve through my role as an engineer. That I will work with diligence and integrity. The past I cannot change. Where I have fallen short of these promises, be it in body, mind, spirit, or heart (4 dimensions). Pure of heart. Working honestly. However, I live in the present moment, learning from my past, and being moved by a vision for the future. These two rings reminds me of my two calls in life: 1. Follower of Jesus Christ (Purity Ring) 2. Transportation Engineer (Iron Ring) As I stare at my purity ring, I am reminded of the Cross. And of what He has done for me. I am reminded of the body of Christ, broken for me, and the blood of Christ,

The Coffee Purge Reloaded: Day 5

So today I had coffee. Yes. Fine okay. I had a Monster drink last night and stayed up till 4am (Thursday, i.e. Wed night). Working. Okay, life's been a bit tough the past few days, but that's okay. Today, I had a conversation with a friend about this coffee thing. We were at Seor Ak San - the best k-food place ever! And this time, two of the coffee police were there... and I didn't have much good news to report. One of the coffee police (Lorraine) mentioned how I should try to find a replacement. We were brainstorming for a bit, trying to find the root issue. But it's hard to replace coffee... It's so.... *sigh.. Then walking home, I was chatting with my brother (Jonathan). He showed me this drink called Milo . It's some malt / chocolate thing. It was quite tasty AND it's an "energy" drink. They sell it at Lucky Moose. It's also good value for money. So I'm going to give this a try. I'll let you know how long this keeps me off coffee.

The Coffee Purge Reloaded: Day 2

Yes, it's Day 2. I just got into the office and poured myself half a cup of office coffee (with a bit of half and half to offset the acidity). My goal for today is to drink no more than this one cup, drinking plenty of water, and snacking on my packed meal of oats / quinoa / chicken. I feel really good today. This morning I had my usual struggle waking up. It was a stupidly hard fight to get up and have been having a weird time breathing in the mornings the past while. Anyways, after the little wrestle, I put on some running gear and went for a run (around 7:30am). It's been a while and I was feeling quite out of shape. But the thrill of being able to run again was indescribable. With my ankle almost healed, the run was liberating. I feel I can smile again. I think I'm starting to get hooked on a new drug (moving from caffeine to endorphins). Christian Hedonist. That would pretty much describe me. In pursuit of pleasure and believing that the greatest joy, if found, comes f

The Coffee Purge Reloaded: Day 1

Day 1 starts today. I had a large Timmy's double-double today, but keep reading ;) I was having a conversation with a friend (James) and he was telling me that it's best to gradually cut your intake. When you're down to about 1/2 cup a day, you don't even need it anymore. So I'm redefining the Coffee Purge. During this coffee purge, I can drink coffee! Haha LOL! And instead of restarting the count everytime I start drinking again, the coffee purge will be a log of days that trace my journey to being coffee free. How will I know when I'm truly free from coffee? All I know is when I'm truly free, I'll know. So in my posts on coffee (mixed in with my posts on fitness and reflections on life), I'll be completely open about the caffeinated drinks I consume, how I feel, where I am and where I'm going. So join me as I start this journey afresh. Epilogue (LOL) Why today? Anything special about today, Aug 23, 2010? Nope. I was re-reading my old post on s

Steadfastness: It's time to just do it

Proverbs 19:22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love ... Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." During CCF Elections, someone asked each person what we'd like to improve upon. For me, I answered, "Steadfastness". By "steadfastness", I mean developing the character to stay fast. To have staying power. To be constant. Like a rock. This applies in all dimensions: - Body : Rock solid. Disciplined. Control over diet and fitness. - Mind : Unshakable resolve. Unswerving dedication to mastering your art - Spirit : Spiritually solid. Grounded. Rooted. - Heart : Emotionally stable. Reliable. Steadfastness and stagnant are di

Aug 17: Meals for the day

Eating healthy at a reasonable price can be a challenge. This morning, I made 3 tupperwares of food. Packed it in my lunchbox. And am good to go! Tupperware 1 & 2: - Purple Yam - Green beans - Mushroms - Orange Peppers * The vegetables were washed then lightly seared in a pan. The yam was boiled until soft Tupperware 3: - Quinoa - Chickpea salad (with diced vegetables) - Spinach - Chicken * Everything was leftovers, except quinoa, which I just boiled until it was ready ... a bit over 10 min. I definitely welcome advice on nutrition, questions on lifestyle, etc. Over time, I hope to eat out very infrequently, and ... well, drink coffee just as often ;)

Today's lunch (Aug 16)

Nutrition accounts for at least 50% of meeting your fitness goals. Whether it is to build muscle, lose fat, improve performance, the quality and quantity of what you eat plays a major role in this. You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out. And so on ... (insert cliches here). In an effort to eat out less and to eat healthier, I went home for lunch today. Here's what I had: Chickpea salad (with other vegetables - leftovers from last night) Chicken (2 drumsticks) Spinach (about a cup?) Purple Yam I'm still feeling full and happy. My general philosophy of eating is this: The food I eat should make me happy, both emotionally and physically. I shouldn't feel too bloated, nor should I be hungry shortly after. This encourages slow digesting foods, foods that are colorful (packed with nutrients), and a diet comprising mainly of vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. Food should make me smile (but not just when it is going down ... but after too!) And today's lunch did j

Epic Weekend!

This weekend was pretty awesome! At a glance, it looked something like this: Saturday - Work: went to the office to fix some errors, only to find more :P - Wedding fail: was supposed to go but plans fell through - Committee meeting: we listened to worship music, and listened to a brief message from Paul Washer on salvation (click here ), spent some time in prayer, then had a productive time with planning. - Committee baking: we then baked 3 cakes - double chocolate, blueberry swirl, and apple crumble for Kelvin's surprise farewell ;) - Committee Jam: we played worship music with a bunch of random instruments ... and it slowly transformed into a quick violin lesson .. which was so fun! I forgot how much fun it was to play and to teach. I couldn't stop smiling (: Sunday - Breakfast with Justin = awesome. We even made a trip to Tim Hortons - TCBC: service was pretty cool. A medical missionary from China came to talk about her work and open our eyes to the need and the opportunitie

Cool video links

Video 1 : Cool kicks Video 2 : History of TKD

Josh's Recipe for the Perfect Woman

1. A full measure of love for Jesus, causing her to be so lost in Him that I'd have to chase after Jesus to truly find her. 2. An overdose of smiles, and a general positive outlook on life rooted in the joy of the Cross. 3. Seasoned with a strong scent of inner beauty, with an infusion of grace and compassion, catching my heart before catching my eye. (taken from my Facebook comments in response to a friend's note on A Recipe for the Perfect Man ) What are your secret recipe for the perfect man/woman?

No Coffee Day 9: Strength

This morning I went to Starbucks with my brother (Jon) for breakfast. Quite honestly, I was very tempted to grab a coffee. In my mind, the following thoughts were running through my mind: "This couldn't hurt." "Stop being so legalistic." "You could actually use a cup today!" Then something crossed my mind. I made a resolve to not drink coffee. Yes, I know I made this multiple times, but this time, my resolve is different. And I had the following thought, which made any urge to drink evaporate: My success in not drinking coffee (or in anything) ... my willpower ... or rather, the willpower of a man, depends not on the strength of his emotions, but rather on the strength his resolve and commitment to his cause.

10+ things that make me smile

What makes you smile? Here's a list of 10 things to get things started: 1. Smiles are contagious 2. Hanging out with friends 3. My brothers and sister, especially when we joke around 4. Running (especially barefoot in sand/grass or along nice trails) 5. Colorful food 6. Freshly brewed coffee 7. Beauty (nature, art, an elegant proof :p) 8. People passionate about their dreams 9. Old couples holding hands and smiling 10. Fond memories ... Okay, how about you?

The Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, harmony; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, grant that I may no so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Crushing Pride with the Weight of His Glory

Leadership. It's cool. Or so I thought. "Hey Josh, Congrats on being Chair!" someone would say. I think to myself, a bit confused. Having barely started, I wonder where the praise comes from. A few years back, I thought it would be so very cool to be Chair of CCF. I greatly admired the past chairs and wanted to be admired myself. Pride. Yes, I was quite arrogant (and am still working on this). More recently, my perspective on this whole endeavor has changed. By signing up for this position, I'm committing to "take up my cross", to following Jesus Christ with complete dedication. It wasn't easy for Jesus to take up the cross, to bear the shame, to receive our sins and the pain, to suffer and to see his best friends betray him. It isn't easy for today's Christian leader to take up their cross, to be wrongfully accused, to face disappointment, to be open to attack, vulnerable. It's really tough. I'm not immune to pride. It's something I