Joshua Wang

My New Year's Resolution can be summed up by three words: to be boring . I want to be boring ... ... on my facebook / instagram activity ... in what I eat ... in my workout schedule ... in my morning routine ... in what I read By developing habits, my efforts will be more focused. And I will actually get things done. While eating the same breakfast / lunch sounds boring, it will be easier to dial in my body for peak performance. We are all different. For some, it is easier to develop a plan and stick to it. Others like to "go with the flow". I fall in the latter category to a fault. It is easy for me to keep changing things, but much harder to stick with one thing long enough to carry it to fruition. For that, I need clarity of vision and the discipline to patiently continue. To not stray from the right nor the left, but to walk in the way.

Financial Daily track expenses Weekly financial check-up and savings evaluation (Friday) Diet "Paleo" --> CKD/IF - Avoid: rice, noodles, bread, processed sugar, etc. - Include: meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds - Exceptions allowed: lentils / legumes, post-workout whey, 1 cheat day (Saturday) Alcohol - No beer; no more than 1 glass of scotch or wine per week Caffeine - No more than 1 cup of coffee per day Meal planning for the week - Sunday afternoon Physical fitness At least 2 rest days per week (Thurs, Sun) Be more effective in the gym (be ready to work hard, idle less) Social network Limit Facebook to twice / day (<10 div="div" mins="mins" total="total"> Personal e-mail to twice / day (<10 div="div" mins="mins" total="total"> Morning routine Exercise + shower Bible reading & prayer Audio Bible Evening routine Family devotions Read bo

Goals to achieve by May 2013 (current)                                Josh                       Jireh Deadlift 10 x 405 lbs (1 x 405 lbs) 1 x 450 lbs (1 x 365 lbs) Back squat 1 x 315 lbs (1 x 285 lbs) 1 x 405 lbs (1 x 375 lbs) Front squat 1 x 250 lbs (1 x 225 lbs) 1 x 315 lbs (1 x 295 lbs) Shoulder Press 1 x 175 lbs (1 x 145 lbs) 1 x 200 lbs (1 x 175 lbs) Bench Press 5 x 185 lbs (5 x 155 lbs) 1 x 225 lbs (1 x 205 lbs) Clean 1 x 225 lbs (1 x 205 lbs) 1 x 300 lbs (1 x 265 lbs) Snatch 1 x 185 lbs (1 x 155 lbs) 1 x 200 lbs (1 x 180 lbs) Jerk 1 x 225 lbs (1 x 195 lbs) 1 x 275 lbs (1 x 225 lbs) Pull-ups (kipping) 50 (21) 40 (21) Fran sub 4:30 (5:45) sub 3:30 (4:34) 2 k row sub 7:00 (7:18) -

Revisiting the Parable of the Sower I'm in Luke now (audio Bible) and got the chance to hear Jesus tell the parable of the sower through Luke's account. Luke 8:14 stuck out to me, where Jesus explains about the seed that falls among thorns. And as for what fell among thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature . At times, it hits me I haven't matured much in some areas. Still the same, or settling for much less. Not willing to take responsibility nor leadership. Not wanting to commit nor bear burdens. One of the causes is a lack of focus. I'm "choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life". I get distracted too easily and do not remain. What's the cure? Jesus explains in the next verse. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience . Wow

Good soil In the opening of Mark 4, Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd. In his explanation to his disciples later, Jesus explains: The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground : the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away . And others are the ones sown among thorns . They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful . But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” --Mark 4:14-20 I w

Jesus at Gethsemane "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray.' And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.' And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, 'So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ' Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, 'My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.' And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving t

Awesome Verse(s) of the Day But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins .” --Matthew 1:20-21 Workout(s) of the Day Today was my first competition! It was a fundraiser for a friend going to Uganda with Raising the Village . While my brother came first and beat me in both workouts, I had a lot of fun and felt good about each workout. Here's what went down today. WOD 1 3 Rounds for Time 9 Shoulder to overhead (135 lbs) 12 KB swings (55 lbs) 15 Wall ball shots (20 lbs / 10 ft) Time: 7:21 WOD 2 30 DU (double unders) 25 Box jumps (30") 30 DU 20 Pull-ups 30 DU 15 Front squats 30 DU 10 Wall climbs (these were nasty ) 30 DU 5 Handstand push-ups Time: ... forgot :p After the compe

The Centurion Today I started the New Testament on my audio Bible. I'm so excited~! Check out this passage from Matthew 8:5-13. Super cool! When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons

Deezed At the gym today, I saw Psalm 56:4 tattooed on a friend's shoulder. Here's what it says: "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" Deezed. Reminds me of a picture I saw on tumblr . Repentance On the drive home, a passage from Joel 2 stuck out: "'Yet even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments .' Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.  Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?" --Joel 2:12-14 WOD Today's workout looked something like this: Push Press 5 x 95 lbs, 5 x 135 lbs, 4 x 155 lbs, 1 x 175 lbs (lost grip) 5 x 95 lbs, 3 x 125 lbs, 3 x

Steadfastness "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." --James 1:2-4 WOD Warm-up 2 rounds (with 45# bar) 8 snatch balance 8 Sotts press Clean and Jerk 1 x 95 lbs, 1 x 145 lbs, 1 x 175 lbs, 1 x 195 lbs (PR!) 1 x 205 lbs (fail*), 1 x 205 lbs (fail**), 1 x 205 lbs (fail**), 1 x 205 lbs (fail**) *failed the clean **failed the jerk (i.e. clean PR!) Skill work Kipping HSPU (deficit) Butterfly pull-ups 4 x 500 m run (not for time) 7 mins max burpees (106 reps)

Rest day Today is a rest day, and what an awesome rest day it has been! My caffeine today came only from green tea (no coffee for the first time in a while). I also resisted multiple urges to workout. My body needs the rest. Accidental sin At church today, we heard about how Adam and Eve sinned. One of the things that struck me was the progression of sin. For Eve, she saw, she wanted, and she took (in simple terms). James 1:14-15 says, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." In my own life, I find I don't so much "fall" into sin as I "walk" into sin. In sin, there are no accidents. Accidental holiness In the same way, there are no accidents in our pursuit of holiness. We don't just "stumble" into holiness. We need to toil and strive to be better each day. And to be never satisfied, since

"What If" by Nichole Nordeman ( YouTube ). A powerful song. Team Workout at Harvest Bible Chapel ( team blog ). Quads sore. Those frog jumps. Haven't felt like this in a while. Holy discontentment . Philippians 3:12-15. Pressing on to obtain the prize. Toiling and striving. Never satisfied. Comparing my life with the holiness of Christ. Falling short. Always. 

Spiritual WOD: Abide - John 15 v2 "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." Getting "pruned" isn't always fun, but I definitely need it so that I can bear more fruit. v5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Abide. I need to be in Christ and let Him rule in me. The fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23) -- is something I cannot produce of my own strength. I truly need Him. I am deficient, he is sufficient . v7 "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." "...and my words abide in you". Treasuring (and memorizing) His Word, which is of indescribable value. I long to long for more. P