So I'm reading this book called 'The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie O'Martian, anyone ever read it? I liked the other book of hers I read, "The Power of a Praying Husband" so much I've read it twice already. This one is also really worth reading so check it out.

I'm also making my way through "The New Dare to Discipline" by James Dobson. It has some really good suggstions in it that are very practical.

Anyone read any good stuff how to raise children?

One of our pastor's shared in a sermon he recently gave a funny joke, it went something like this.

There was a young pastor who wrote a book before he had kids on parenting, it was called, "10 definitive principals for raising good kids". After his first child revised the book to reflect his current understanding of rasing good children and titled it "8 suggestions to raising good children" and you can see where this is going, right? Anyway, I'm still trying to raise my first so constantly looking for answers to questions (some of which I know have no answers) about how to do it the right way.

Well yesterday my wife and I decided to start watching what we eat. We aren't joining weight watchers, but we are counting points. I've also started logging in what I eat on the website Lisa told me about called fit-day. So for right now I'm logging what I eat in my personal journal and online at the Fit Day website.

Tomorrow will be a challenge as I'm going out of town and will probably have to pick up lunch on the road. Hopefully we can find a subway and eat there! It would help if I got back to the gym.

I have to confess I've not been back since the blog entry I wrote---uh how long ago was that? Yea, well anyway. Still paying for it, might as well figure out when I can use it, right? But hey, this healthy stuff, you a guy can only handle so much of it at once, right? :-)

Before I start getting serious here, does anyone know the difference between persistence and perseverance? Is there a real difference?

It seems I've been experiencing a "gut check" recently. You know when you are tested as to whether you really believe what you THINK you believe or not? It was interesting but I know I am supposed to persevere. It's amazing just when I begin to doubt about what I should be doing; an answer comes that makes sense. The answer to my question this time was I needed to remain faithful and persistant. Persistance, it is said, is the difference between someone being great and someone being average. It's not about intelligence because there are many undisciplined people who won't persevere long enough to see things through to the end. It's not about talent, because there are a lot of talented people who have never been great. Perseverance, to hold on the vision that's been given to you until you know it's time to walk away...that's the difference, I think between someone who is average and someone who is great. Even when all the people around you are telling you to give up or go in a different direction...sometimes that is simply a test of our convictions, isn't it?

That's what's been on my heart recently. What's been on yours?

Well, by for now.