Where is the Sheep?
To modern day readers perhaps one of the most haunting texts in the Hebrew Bible is that of Genesis 22.7-8; “Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he answered, “Yes, my son.” And he said, “Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will see to the sheep for His burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.” Had Isaac known the fate that awaited him that day, his innocent curiosity would have most assuredly turned into the terror that Abraham had to have felt himself in knowing that he was about to sacrifice his own son. Human sacrifice is one of the most horrific concepts ever conceived of and yet it is sprinkled throughout the pages of the Hebrew Bible. It is also one of the most debated upon topics in the Bible and one that often overflows with speculation and assumption. Did the Israelites partake in this form of sacrifice and if so, why? What was the role of human sacrifice in the relationship the Israelites had with their God and was it in fact even a part of that relationship or just another piece of the narrative? Two sources of possible answers to these questions lie in the roots of human sacrifice itself and the text of the Hebrew Bible.
The “abhorrent” idea of human sacrifice is said to have began before recorded history of any sort and may have its origins in mythology. One understanding behind the concept was that if a big enough offering was made to a god it would then show favor for its people. Another reason for sacrifice was to appease the gods or, “keep them happy”. Two of the main areas in which child sacrifice in the Ancient Near East was said to occur most frequently were Carthage and Phoenicia. It is in Carthage, for example that many bones of babies have been found alongside those of animals during modern archaeological digs. It has been debated, however that these babies may have already been deceased, having died from natural causes before they were sacrificed to the gods. It has also been noted by some scholars that most of the surviving literature we have about the people of Carthage and Phoenicia comes from sources such as the Romans who had somewhat of an interest in making these people appear to be horrendously evil. It could be through this portrayal that such a dramatic and negative picture was painted of this ritual.
Within the text of the Hebrew Bible the most frequent god mentioned in conjunction with child sacrifice is the god Molech. Molech was apparently a big fan of burnt offerings and therefore expected the people to “send their first born sons and daughters through fire”. It has been thought by some that the reason that Molech is one of the primary gods mentioned so many times in the Hebrew Bible is because Molech was the god to worship during the time of the Canaanites. The Canaanites’ behavior was not, of course, a model that the Israelites were to follow. Walter de Gruyter makes a very interesting statement in the introduction of his book King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice about the understanding the Israelites have of the laws to which they must adhere.
The Hebrew Bible presents a religious history of a people called “Israel”. As such, much of this collection of ancient texts is concerned with people and practices, conveying to the ancient reader a simple but powerful message: who you are and what you do necessarily defines whether you are to be included within or excluded from this people called Israel”.
More understanding of the relationship that the Israelites understood themselves to be having with their God can be obtained upon consideration of this statement. In shunning the practices of the Canaanites they were separating themselves from them with clear boundaries of what their God found to be acceptable ways to live. They also, however, learned to modify the practices they had understood to be a way of life into more acceptable ways of pleasing their God. Sacrificial rituals were no exception.
It would seem then, that as with many if not most narratives in the Bible, the stories of human sacrifice have more than one meaning. It has been speculated, for example, that it was when God allowed Abraham to spare Isaac’s life that there was a shift in understanding of acceptable sacrifice to only animal sacrifice.
“And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son. Then an angel of the LORD called to him from heaven: “Abraham! Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” And he said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored son, from Me.” When Abraham looked up his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.” (Genesis 22.10-13)
This narrative not only illustrates the aforementioned shift but also seems to solidify the expectations of complete obedience to the will of God by the Israelites as well. This could perhaps have been the beginning of a new understanding of one way in which God intended to eventually separate the Israelites from the Canaanites. However, it is noteworthy that some of the pieces of the ritual of sacrifice stuck even within the change. Of much interest is the continuation of the “first born” concept. This stipulation of the ritual of sacrifice appears to be just as important to the God of Israel as to it was to Molech. Was it a sign of true devotion and obedience or was it something else? Was it perhaps insisted upon for some of the same reasons that the first born are always mentioned with a hint of favor throughout the Bible? One might speculate that to offer one’s first born might perhaps be the start of a parallel to the idea of the “first God”, and God’s insistence upon “You shall have no other gods besides Me.” (Exodus 20.3) It is made fairly clear throughout the Bible, in any case, that the God that the Israelites followed meant to be heard and obeyed as the one and only God without delay.
There are some interesting inconsistencies within the guidelines of suitable sacrifice. While there are many texts that make it very clear that the act of human sacrifice is an abhorrent practice and not to be tolerated, there are a few texts that insinuate that this rule may have on occasion slipped through the cracks. To better explain these inconsistencies it might perhaps be best to first examine a few of the laws condemning human sacrifice. One of the earliest references to the laws condemning this ritual can be found with the following statement, “Do not allow any of your offspring to be offered up to Molech, and do not profane the name of your God: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 18.21). In Deuteronomy 18:10 God is a little more specific with this order, “Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the fire…”, again indicating Molech. God seems to show true disgust for the whole idea in Deuteronomy 12.31. “You shall not act thus toward the LORD your God, for they perform for their gods every abhorrent act that the LORD detests; they even offer up their sons and daughters in fire to their gods.” If these are the only texts studied on the matter of human sacrifice the message seems to be pretty clear. With further examination of a few other passages, however, the message gets a little muddy. In Judges 11.30-31 a man by the name of Jephthah puts himself into a very awkward situation with God with a rather bold promise. “If You deliver the Ammonites into my hands, then whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me on my safe return from the Ammonites shall be the LORD’s and shall be offered by me as a burnt offering.” One can only speculate if God granted Jephthah’s safe return because of his offer or if it was granted because of God’s curiosity to see if he would follow through. In any case, it was with great horror that Jephthah greeted the person who ran out of his house. “When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him, with timbrel and dance. She was an only child; he had no other son or daughter.” Jephthah knew that he could not take back his vow. His daughter also knew how important it was that he follow through with his promise to God, and after two months of “lamenting upon the hills and bewailing her maidenhood” she returned to be sacrificed. There have been debates and arguments as to what this passage actually means, but as some, such as Martin Luther have pointed out, “People will have it that he did not offer her, but there it stands plainly in the text”. A second inconsistency can be found in another part of the Bible with this text: “Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, With myriads of streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for my sins?” (Micah 6.7) The translation given for this text in the Jewish Study Bible states the following: “This verse seems to assume that human sacrifice, at least in extreme circumstances, was thought to have been acceptable and efficacious”. It then refers the reader to Genesis 22 and the story of Abraham and Isaac. To return back to the story that the introduction of this paper notes seems somehow appropriate as Abraham surely had to have been wondering how acceptable it was that he sacrifice his son.
How is it that we are to know as modern readers what God’s intentions were, as well as what the narratives imply on the subject of human sacrifice? Most of us cannot comprehend that the God that we understand would ever demand such an action let alone find it sometimes “acceptable and efficacious”. As a result we continue to puzzle over this seemingly horrid concept in attempt to somehow at least relate it to our modern day world. These days we may feel very far removed from child and human sacrifice but some ways we are as close as ever. Some would argue that we still continue to sacrifice one another in an attempt to gain betterment for our own selves. We struggle with moral issues in our country and perhaps in other countries as well on matters such as abortion, child abuse and neglect, war, and leaving the world a better place for future generations. People continue to refer back to the Hebrew Bible for hind-site guidance on how to deal with these issues and on occasion site the text where they see fit. It is of some interest to consider the possibility that it’s not so much that we should, in our day and time, hold on to the text verbatim, as it is to hold on to the understanding of the faith that Abraham showed God when he “offered sacrifice of his one and only son.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
Who Has Bewitched You?
Here is a paper I recently wrote for my New Testament class. I have no idea what I made on this paper or if it even makes sense...so please forgive me if it is way less than perfect. :)
“Who Has Bewitched You?”
Paul’s primary intent in writing his letter to the Galatians was to define to them in crystal clear terms what he meant by being a true follower of Jesus Christ. In the passage of Galatians 3.1-9 he gave focused specifications of right from wrong, of Spirit versus law. From the depths of this short passage one can feel his urgency to stop any deviations from his message of Christ. In a nutshell, his argument can be best summed up with his question to the Galatians in verse 3.2. “Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?” In the second portion of this passage, Paul also attempts to illustrate a prime example of the definition of a true follower, by cleverly reverting back to the story of Abraham as a connection to the foundations of faith. In doing so he was perhaps attempting to show how the law was at best secondary to faith.
One might attempt to understand Paul’s argument in Galatians 3.1-9 by first delving into his relationship with the law. Paul found the law to be separate from and not indicative of righteousness. While he did in some ways still uphold parts of the law, it may have been that he felt that justification, or righteousness, does not come through the law. One such law in particular that he seems to have been most concerned with throughout Galatians was the law of circumcision. This law of circumcision was in fact at the center of Paul’s argument against the Galatians, according to Luke Timothy Johnson in The Writings of the New Testament. “Paul’s arguments should be placed in this context: the specific arguments serve the purpose of keeping the Galatian gentile Christians from circumcising.” Johnson also goes on, however, to state that Paul’s arguments were not necessarily a strike against Judaism itself. He may have even felt that once one was committed to the law it was their duty to adhere to it. Paul’s argument, it would seem, was that the law was simply not what connected a person to Jesus Christ and therefore salvation. In Galatians 5.16-25 he expounded upon this understanding by telling the Galatians to “Live by the Spirit”, and added further instructions of “do not gratify the desires of the flesh (v. 16). Paul even seemed to say in Romans 8.1-12 that as the law was fulfilled by the Spirit those who had received the Spirit had also fulfilled the law. Again, in Galatians, he goes further to say, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law” (v.18). Within the rest of this passage Paul makes clear distinctions between “the works of the flesh” and “the fruit of the Spirit”. The works of the flesh include basic human emotions such as anger and jealousy, and actions such as fornication and carousing (v. 19-21).The fruit of the Spirit is found in such emotions as love and joy, and virtues such as patience and generosity (v. 22).
The only way to connect to the Spirit, according to Paul, was through faith, which until Christ, was under the law. “Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith could be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith” (v. 3.23-24). In Romans 8.1-8 he shows how Christ gave his followers freedom from this imprisonment under the law, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (v. 8.1). In verse 8.3 he elaborates on how Jesus, having been sent by God, was able to overcome the weakness of the flesh, doing what humans could not do, “so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (v. 8.4). Paul gives examples throughout the rest of the passage of differences between one believing in the Spirit versus the adhering to the laws of the flesh. He then begins the next passage with the following, “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells within you” (v. 9), and then “But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness (v. 10). Within these verses of Romans 8.1-10, Paul seems to attempt to connect the dots of reason between how Christ took on the burden of what man could not do because of the flesh, to having Christ “dwell within”. Christ could not “dwell within”, nor could one “be in Christ” without true belief in his message.
In Paul’s view this belief in the message of Christ had to be so strong that blind faith was its only sustenance. Paul vehemently refused to see it any other way. He seems to have felt that someone was trying to convince the Galatians otherwise, according to Johnson. “Paul is not at all certain who is responsible for their “turning to another gospel” (1:6). He asks them, “Who has bewitched you?” Nonetheless, he made it very clear in Galatians 3.3 that he did not approve of any such deviation from his message. “Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?” Paul seems to have found this to be in direct opposition to the teachings he had given them. In his view merely upholding the law would not guarantee that one would experience the “indwelling” of Christ.
In verse 3.5 he poses another pointed question to the Galatians with, “Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you have heard?” In Paul’s understanding he himself was living proof that his message was of paramount importance in attaining the Spirit. This view that Paul had of himself as a true messenger of Christ can perhaps best be seen in 2 Corinthians 12:12, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works.”He also makes reference to his qualifications as an apostle in Romans 15.19. “…by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news.” It almost seems as though in Galatians 3.5 he may have been asking the Galatians, “What more proof do you need to believe what I have been telling you?”
In the second portion of Galatians 3.1-9 Paul attempted to give an example of a true follower with Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. To understand Paul’s usage of Abraham in this passage, one might further investigate a parallel passage in Romans 4.9-10. In this passage Paul points out how Abraham showed this faith before the possibility of adhering to any laws. “We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness” (v.9). “How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised” (v.10). It was due to this faith that Abraham came to be the ancestor of those who adhered to the law as well as those who received the Spirit without the law. Verse 4.11 says, “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.” It was this seal of righteousness, that according to Paul, the Galatians themselves should strive to achieve with unwavering belief in the message of Christ that he had given them. In Galatians 3.6-7 he states, “Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” so, shall you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.” Paul seemed to feel that to be considered a descendant of Abraham was no small matter, for all descendants of Abraham were to be blessed. “For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who also believed” (v. 3.9).
In closing, a final passage worthy of considering in regards to Paul’s argument of Spirit verses flesh is Philippians 3:3-4.” For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh—even though I, too have reason for confidence in the flesh.” Here Paul almost seems to suggest that the flesh and any rituals that it partakes in are in all actuality absorbed in the Spirit by “worship in the Spirit of God” and “boasting in Christ Jesus.
“Who Has Bewitched You?”
Paul’s primary intent in writing his letter to the Galatians was to define to them in crystal clear terms what he meant by being a true follower of Jesus Christ. In the passage of Galatians 3.1-9 he gave focused specifications of right from wrong, of Spirit versus law. From the depths of this short passage one can feel his urgency to stop any deviations from his message of Christ. In a nutshell, his argument can be best summed up with his question to the Galatians in verse 3.2. “Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?” In the second portion of this passage, Paul also attempts to illustrate a prime example of the definition of a true follower, by cleverly reverting back to the story of Abraham as a connection to the foundations of faith. In doing so he was perhaps attempting to show how the law was at best secondary to faith.
One might attempt to understand Paul’s argument in Galatians 3.1-9 by first delving into his relationship with the law. Paul found the law to be separate from and not indicative of righteousness. While he did in some ways still uphold parts of the law, it may have been that he felt that justification, or righteousness, does not come through the law. One such law in particular that he seems to have been most concerned with throughout Galatians was the law of circumcision. This law of circumcision was in fact at the center of Paul’s argument against the Galatians, according to Luke Timothy Johnson in The Writings of the New Testament. “Paul’s arguments should be placed in this context: the specific arguments serve the purpose of keeping the Galatian gentile Christians from circumcising.” Johnson also goes on, however, to state that Paul’s arguments were not necessarily a strike against Judaism itself. He may have even felt that once one was committed to the law it was their duty to adhere to it. Paul’s argument, it would seem, was that the law was simply not what connected a person to Jesus Christ and therefore salvation. In Galatians 5.16-25 he expounded upon this understanding by telling the Galatians to “Live by the Spirit”, and added further instructions of “do not gratify the desires of the flesh (v. 16). Paul even seemed to say in Romans 8.1-12 that as the law was fulfilled by the Spirit those who had received the Spirit had also fulfilled the law. Again, in Galatians, he goes further to say, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law” (v.18). Within the rest of this passage Paul makes clear distinctions between “the works of the flesh” and “the fruit of the Spirit”. The works of the flesh include basic human emotions such as anger and jealousy, and actions such as fornication and carousing (v. 19-21).The fruit of the Spirit is found in such emotions as love and joy, and virtues such as patience and generosity (v. 22).
The only way to connect to the Spirit, according to Paul, was through faith, which until Christ, was under the law. “Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith could be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith” (v. 3.23-24). In Romans 8.1-8 he shows how Christ gave his followers freedom from this imprisonment under the law, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (v. 8.1). In verse 8.3 he elaborates on how Jesus, having been sent by God, was able to overcome the weakness of the flesh, doing what humans could not do, “so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (v. 8.4). Paul gives examples throughout the rest of the passage of differences between one believing in the Spirit versus the adhering to the laws of the flesh. He then begins the next passage with the following, “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells within you” (v. 9), and then “But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness (v. 10). Within these verses of Romans 8.1-10, Paul seems to attempt to connect the dots of reason between how Christ took on the burden of what man could not do because of the flesh, to having Christ “dwell within”. Christ could not “dwell within”, nor could one “be in Christ” without true belief in his message.
In Paul’s view this belief in the message of Christ had to be so strong that blind faith was its only sustenance. Paul vehemently refused to see it any other way. He seems to have felt that someone was trying to convince the Galatians otherwise, according to Johnson. “Paul is not at all certain who is responsible for their “turning to another gospel” (1:6). He asks them, “Who has bewitched you?” Nonetheless, he made it very clear in Galatians 3.3 that he did not approve of any such deviation from his message. “Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?” Paul seems to have found this to be in direct opposition to the teachings he had given them. In his view merely upholding the law would not guarantee that one would experience the “indwelling” of Christ.
In verse 3.5 he poses another pointed question to the Galatians with, “Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you have heard?” In Paul’s understanding he himself was living proof that his message was of paramount importance in attaining the Spirit. This view that Paul had of himself as a true messenger of Christ can perhaps best be seen in 2 Corinthians 12:12, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works.”He also makes reference to his qualifications as an apostle in Romans 15.19. “…by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news.” It almost seems as though in Galatians 3.5 he may have been asking the Galatians, “What more proof do you need to believe what I have been telling you?”
In the second portion of Galatians 3.1-9 Paul attempted to give an example of a true follower with Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. To understand Paul’s usage of Abraham in this passage, one might further investigate a parallel passage in Romans 4.9-10. In this passage Paul points out how Abraham showed this faith before the possibility of adhering to any laws. “We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness” (v.9). “How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised” (v.10). It was due to this faith that Abraham came to be the ancestor of those who adhered to the law as well as those who received the Spirit without the law. Verse 4.11 says, “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.” It was this seal of righteousness, that according to Paul, the Galatians themselves should strive to achieve with unwavering belief in the message of Christ that he had given them. In Galatians 3.6-7 he states, “Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” so, shall you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.” Paul seemed to feel that to be considered a descendant of Abraham was no small matter, for all descendants of Abraham were to be blessed. “For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who also believed” (v. 3.9).
In closing, a final passage worthy of considering in regards to Paul’s argument of Spirit verses flesh is Philippians 3:3-4.” For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh—even though I, too have reason for confidence in the flesh.” Here Paul almost seems to suggest that the flesh and any rituals that it partakes in are in all actuality absorbed in the Spirit by “worship in the Spirit of God” and “boasting in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Fitness Journal December 23
Learn to relax. Your body is precious, as it houses your mind and spirit. Inner peace begins with a relaxed body.~Norman Vincent Peale
I was going to walk earlier...I was...but my children asked me not to...really. Then I was going to work out in my chilly basement, but drank a beer instead. Now I'm on my second beer while simultaneously beating myself up, of course. Actually, in spite of the bad news I do have good news. I haven't lost the spark, the desire to get fit. That's huge. I have been going for my walks on this blessed hill in front of my house, and I actually did four sets of crunches the other day. That's a start. Next week I plan to go do Turbo Kick with my friends Hope and Shanon. That should be a hoot. I've told them that they must not gracefully "ignore" the be-dunk-a-dunk rippling next to them but rather enjoy it as wholesome entertainment and have a good laugh with me. They have agreed and so I shall go-all embarrassment aside.
My eating has been mostly a bi-polar sort of thing. For part of the day I'll eat better than the most dedicated body builder/dieter on earth. For the second part of the day I'll eat very badly,devouring 3 or 4 cookies, a bowl of cereal and then maybe slurping a few beers to top it all off. That's alright, though. I can see the wrinkles being ironed out in my appetite. The better I eat the less I want the toxic stuff,it seems. Perhaps it's time for another go at the Master Cleanse. That was a rough and total head trip for me last winter. I did find it to be totally worth it, however, and often wish I had done it longer than the minimum requirement of ten days. I digress. We'll save that post for another day.
In the morning, which will be the morning of Christmas Eve, I plan to walk again and maybe even work out a little. I have a list for myself downstairs in the basement not far from my hand weights of what I'd like to do. I think there's something about lunges on that list. Sigh. I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it. Is there any law against wrapping last-minute presents in between sets?
Merry Christmas to all...and watch out for those calories that will be lurking behind every corner. I know I will be.
I was going to walk earlier...I was...but my children asked me not to...really. Then I was going to work out in my chilly basement, but drank a beer instead. Now I'm on my second beer while simultaneously beating myself up, of course. Actually, in spite of the bad news I do have good news. I haven't lost the spark, the desire to get fit. That's huge. I have been going for my walks on this blessed hill in front of my house, and I actually did four sets of crunches the other day. That's a start. Next week I plan to go do Turbo Kick with my friends Hope and Shanon. That should be a hoot. I've told them that they must not gracefully "ignore" the be-dunk-a-dunk rippling next to them but rather enjoy it as wholesome entertainment and have a good laugh with me. They have agreed and so I shall go-all embarrassment aside.
My eating has been mostly a bi-polar sort of thing. For part of the day I'll eat better than the most dedicated body builder/dieter on earth. For the second part of the day I'll eat very badly,devouring 3 or 4 cookies, a bowl of cereal and then maybe slurping a few beers to top it all off. That's alright, though. I can see the wrinkles being ironed out in my appetite. The better I eat the less I want the toxic stuff,it seems. Perhaps it's time for another go at the Master Cleanse. That was a rough and total head trip for me last winter. I did find it to be totally worth it, however, and often wish I had done it longer than the minimum requirement of ten days. I digress. We'll save that post for another day.
In the morning, which will be the morning of Christmas Eve, I plan to walk again and maybe even work out a little. I have a list for myself downstairs in the basement not far from my hand weights of what I'd like to do. I think there's something about lunges on that list. Sigh. I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it. Is there any law against wrapping last-minute presents in between sets?
Merry Christmas to all...and watch out for those calories that will be lurking behind every corner. I know I will be.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Fitness Journal
A year from now, you may wish you had started today- Robert Schuller
So...I shall start today...to unravel the formation of some bad health habits and to reinstate what I've long known to be good ones. If my memory serves me correctly, it was approximately 3 years ago that I joined a gym. Doing so was something that up until that point, was very uncharacteristic of me. I had always longed to be in better shape but due to various circumstances had always found some excuse or other to remain in the longing rather than the acting state. To work out for a solid year on an almost daily basis was a huge milestone for the physical side of me and it was surprising to say the least when I discovered that I actually enjoyed it as well. And so work out I did, attempting everything from yoga to body-building, sticking with a few things more than others, until a year and half into my venture with fitness I realized that above all else I had found strength...finally. No longer did I cringe at the thought of doing a lunge, and suddenly I had some pretty decent abs. I was not totally happy with my appearance, of course, as this would be breaking some sort of natural law for being a woman. Still, I felt like I was on the right track and enjoyed working out more and more. Then my gym closed. Further complications to any consistent fitness schedule I had been enjoying were the opening of a family business, and a new and intense focus on being admitted to grad school. Suddenly I had my priorities all out of wack. I did continue to work out with a good friend and personal trainer, Hope, at her newly opened home gym, and did some walking for cardio, but the tempo I had set for myself was lost, and my strength and fitness level slowly left as well. Now, I sit here today hoping to regain some of that tempo. As is customary for me I have been analyzing my situation for weeks now and have come to a few conclusions. They are as follows: I am back to where I started three years ago, I am not getting any younger, and the prospect of doing a lunge, once again makes me cringe. A few other conclusions, on a more positive note are as follows: There is no time like the present, I am eager to begin again (lunges be damned), and I am very excited to journal my progress in this blog. I hope that others may be inspired by my efforts and I vow to give frequent updates.
As for my diet...well...it's not quite a trucker's diet but it could be so much better. I haven't been watching my calories or my fat intake so much as worrying about them which does absolutely no good, as we all know. The ratio of what I burn to what I eat has been out of whack for some time now. Not a good thing, certainly.
In conclusion for this initial fitness blog I'd to list few current statistics which I find both humorous and embarrassing. I hope that you can laugh and blush with me now and give a big Woo Hoo and a high-five later. We shall see...
Current Statistics:
-My current weight is: somewhere around 130. (Our scale is a bit broke-but I think that's pretty accurate.)
-I am 5'3" tall. (Short and squat!)
-I have a rather large be-dunk-a-dunk. (As I so lovingly call my rump that I hate.)
-I wear a size 9/10 pants. (Yikes! Up from size 2, guys!)
-My body fat percentage is off the charts! (At least my charts...and I can't even bring myself to post it here.)
My Goals:
-Weight: 115 (but 115 with muscle, not fat.)
-Pant size: 2 (it can happen...it can!)
-Body fat percentage: Somewhere under 20%. (I'll get back with you on that!)
-Date to reach these goals: A year from now. (In going back to the quote.)
-Diet: Clean and healthy. (I know what to eat-we all do. I just have to stop kidding myself.)
-Strength: Last but not least I hope to regain the precious strength that I lost. (That's the best part, seriously!)
Well, here I go. I shall begin today...with a 20 minute walk on the unforgiving hill in front of my house. I would say wish me luck...but luck won't do it for me. Instead just pray that I stick with it and stay tuned for updates.
So...I shall start today...to unravel the formation of some bad health habits and to reinstate what I've long known to be good ones. If my memory serves me correctly, it was approximately 3 years ago that I joined a gym. Doing so was something that up until that point, was very uncharacteristic of me. I had always longed to be in better shape but due to various circumstances had always found some excuse or other to remain in the longing rather than the acting state. To work out for a solid year on an almost daily basis was a huge milestone for the physical side of me and it was surprising to say the least when I discovered that I actually enjoyed it as well. And so work out I did, attempting everything from yoga to body-building, sticking with a few things more than others, until a year and half into my venture with fitness I realized that above all else I had found strength...finally. No longer did I cringe at the thought of doing a lunge, and suddenly I had some pretty decent abs. I was not totally happy with my appearance, of course, as this would be breaking some sort of natural law for being a woman. Still, I felt like I was on the right track and enjoyed working out more and more. Then my gym closed. Further complications to any consistent fitness schedule I had been enjoying were the opening of a family business, and a new and intense focus on being admitted to grad school. Suddenly I had my priorities all out of wack. I did continue to work out with a good friend and personal trainer, Hope, at her newly opened home gym, and did some walking for cardio, but the tempo I had set for myself was lost, and my strength and fitness level slowly left as well. Now, I sit here today hoping to regain some of that tempo. As is customary for me I have been analyzing my situation for weeks now and have come to a few conclusions. They are as follows: I am back to where I started three years ago, I am not getting any younger, and the prospect of doing a lunge, once again makes me cringe. A few other conclusions, on a more positive note are as follows: There is no time like the present, I am eager to begin again (lunges be damned), and I am very excited to journal my progress in this blog. I hope that others may be inspired by my efforts and I vow to give frequent updates.
As for my diet...well...it's not quite a trucker's diet but it could be so much better. I haven't been watching my calories or my fat intake so much as worrying about them which does absolutely no good, as we all know. The ratio of what I burn to what I eat has been out of whack for some time now. Not a good thing, certainly.
In conclusion for this initial fitness blog I'd to list few current statistics which I find both humorous and embarrassing. I hope that you can laugh and blush with me now and give a big Woo Hoo and a high-five later. We shall see...
Current Statistics:
-My current weight is: somewhere around 130. (Our scale is a bit broke-but I think that's pretty accurate.)
-I am 5'3" tall. (Short and squat!)
-I have a rather large be-dunk-a-dunk. (As I so lovingly call my rump that I hate.)
-I wear a size 9/10 pants. (Yikes! Up from size 2, guys!)
-My body fat percentage is off the charts! (At least my charts...and I can't even bring myself to post it here.)
My Goals:
-Weight: 115 (but 115 with muscle, not fat.)
-Pant size: 2 (it can happen...it can!)
-Body fat percentage: Somewhere under 20%. (I'll get back with you on that!)
-Date to reach these goals: A year from now. (In going back to the quote.)
-Diet: Clean and healthy. (I know what to eat-we all do. I just have to stop kidding myself.)
-Strength: Last but not least I hope to regain the precious strength that I lost. (That's the best part, seriously!)
Well, here I go. I shall begin today...with a 20 minute walk on the unforgiving hill in front of my house. I would say wish me luck...but luck won't do it for me. Instead just pray that I stick with it and stay tuned for updates.
Time to Get In Motion
The ancestor of every action is a thought.~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Well, considering that I haven't posted a thing since March I figure it's time to get in motion. The only excuse I can (weakly) offer is that I've been totally absorbed with parenting, my studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and on occasion, our family's garden center. Now, as I am coming out of weeks of studying for my finals I am grasping desperately for a new focus. It was due to this desperate grasping that I remembered my long-lost blog and then I thought, "Eureka! It's time to write...finally!" The obvious question, was of course, what to write about? I have many things that I'm chomping at the bit to type out, but the things on top of my pile of topics include weight loss and one of my truest loves-consciousness and reality. I hope these topics are of interest to someone out there...so stay tuned as I prepare my next post.
Well, considering that I haven't posted a thing since March I figure it's time to get in motion. The only excuse I can (weakly) offer is that I've been totally absorbed with parenting, my studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and on occasion, our family's garden center. Now, as I am coming out of weeks of studying for my finals I am grasping desperately for a new focus. It was due to this desperate grasping that I remembered my long-lost blog and then I thought, "Eureka! It's time to write...finally!" The obvious question, was of course, what to write about? I have many things that I'm chomping at the bit to type out, but the things on top of my pile of topics include weight loss and one of my truest loves-consciousness and reality. I hope these topics are of interest to someone out there...so stay tuned as I prepare my next post.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Joy of Seeking
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
~Andre Gide
Please believe me when I tell you that while I have never grown tired of seeking the truth I have definitely yet to find it. It is as if I have been playing a lifelong game of hide and seek with the truth which always eludes me despite my warnings of "Ready or not, here I come!" There doesn't seem to be one solid, non-changing truth to be found, in fact. The second I think I have a truth cornered I hear a rustling behind some other nook in my brain and must run off to inspect that possibility. And so it is that I galavant throughout my life seeking. I seek knowledge of all things spiritual and many things scientific. I have chosen to name my blog Motion and Rest for this reason. Motion signifies areas of interest in my life that are related to change and advancements toward new scientific discoveries such as quantum mechanics. Rest, on the other hand, is more descriptive of interests dealing with inner growth and spirituality such as meditation and prayer. I intend to post blogs pertaining to these interests as often as possible. I would also like to add that much of what I post may be based more on wanderings and opinion than fact. I think I'll leave the stating of facts and statistics to someone else and continue on with my seeking.
Having explained myself thus far I'd like to end this beginning post with an interesting quote by Jesus that I love from one of my favorite books, The Gospel of Thomas With an Introduction and Notes by Marvin Meyer. Join me in pondering this one...
Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where have you come from?' say to them,'We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?' say, 'We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living father.' If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and rest.'"
~Andre Gide
Please believe me when I tell you that while I have never grown tired of seeking the truth I have definitely yet to find it. It is as if I have been playing a lifelong game of hide and seek with the truth which always eludes me despite my warnings of "Ready or not, here I come!" There doesn't seem to be one solid, non-changing truth to be found, in fact. The second I think I have a truth cornered I hear a rustling behind some other nook in my brain and must run off to inspect that possibility. And so it is that I galavant throughout my life seeking. I seek knowledge of all things spiritual and many things scientific. I have chosen to name my blog Motion and Rest for this reason. Motion signifies areas of interest in my life that are related to change and advancements toward new scientific discoveries such as quantum mechanics. Rest, on the other hand, is more descriptive of interests dealing with inner growth and spirituality such as meditation and prayer. I intend to post blogs pertaining to these interests as often as possible. I would also like to add that much of what I post may be based more on wanderings and opinion than fact. I think I'll leave the stating of facts and statistics to someone else and continue on with my seeking.
Having explained myself thus far I'd like to end this beginning post with an interesting quote by Jesus that I love from one of my favorite books, The Gospel of Thomas With an Introduction and Notes by Marvin Meyer. Join me in pondering this one...
Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where have you come from?' say to them,'We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?' say, 'We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living father.' If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and rest.'"
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