At the beginning of this year, I discovered an app called LoseIt and decided to use it see if it could help me achieve one of the goals I had set for myself this year. My goal was to lose 17lbs and hit a weight goal of 160lbs and today I bested my goal and it feels great!

Admittedly, I might have been able to hit the goal sooner, but I tended to cheat along the way on the weekends, but that doesn’t matter, the goal was to lose a specific weight amount and I did it in just under a quarter of the year.

Not only that, but I feel great! I may have said that already, but I just want to emphasize, that it really does feel good to have accomplished a goal that not only has been difficult for me to accomplish the last year or two but also one that is combating a problem I never thought I would experience. Also, I physically feel (and to me look) great. I was telling Nat tonight that I feel like I’m more aware of my body again. I was telling her how out on the soccer field (I’ve been playing soccer as a form of exercise; It’s a lot more exciting than a gym to me), I had a better idea of where my limbs were and how I felt that I was playing better because of it. She said it was proprioception. I’ll take her word for it. All I know is I feel great.

If there’s a lesson to learn, it’s simple one that we regularly seem to forget (or maybe it’s just me?). To accomplish the things we want (and are called) to, we must make choices that will cause us to relinquish immediate pleasure for pleasure that will be more purposeful and fulfilling in the future.

I’m glad it’s paid off for me, and it was well worth the effort.

If you’re looking to lose weight or just keep better track of how and what you’re eating, I encourage you to check out LoseIt. It’s not a magic pill, you’ll get out what you put in, but it will be worth it.

Now a couple of quick photos from the event.

Here’s me performing.

Here’s a photo of Kim. Go show her some love in November.

HT to Willie L. Jackson on twitter.

YouVersion has a huge opportunity to make serious waves in the WebOS space in the month of June…with your help. Right now Palm is running a contest to see who can pull in the most downloads before June 30. It’s been running for a few months already so we’re late to the game, but I think with your help we’ll be able to bump up into the top 21 apps range. The prize money we win will go back into development of our mobile platforms to stretch the reach of the Bible to more and more people.

What You Can Do
The best thing you can do to help YouVersion rise in the ranks is to SHARE! Here are some ideas for ways to share YouVersion with your friends (Palm users and everyone else, too).

• Tweet it or post it to Facebook – Just a simple tweet like, “YouVersion’s Bible app for Palm Pre & Pixi is competing for $100,000 in Palm’s Hot Apps contest at http://palmhotapps.com/details.jsp?packageid=com.youversion.palm! Download it now to help it win!” … or something. Feel free to shorten that URL.
• Blog it – If you’re the blogging type, write a quick post telling your faithful readers how much you enjoy the YouVersion Bible app for Palm and link them directly to the app at http://palmhotapps.com/details.jsp?packageid=com.youversion.palm.
• Suggest it to friends on Facebook by sharing our YouVersion Facebook page with them – http://facebook.com/youversion
• Good ol’ email! – Send the link (http://palmhotapps.com/details.jsp?packageid=com.youversion.palm) to your friends that would be interested. Let them know that all they have to do is download the app for FREE to help support the GLOBAL distribution of FREE Bibles!
• YouTube – For you brave video-friendly folks, record a YouTube video of yourself and your YouVersion Bible app on Palm. Video is powerful and can be really compelling.

When you do any of these things (or ALL of them!) send me a link to your post or blog or tweet or video, and YouVersion will share with the rest of the YouVersion community to help spread the word. To keep up with the progress of how the YouVersion app is climbing in the ranks, go to http://palmhotapps.com/index.jsp (right now we’re ranked 171 in the free section).

So, if you or someone you know is using a webOS device (palm pre, pre plus, pixi, or pixi plus), download it now AND also let your friends know. Send them to this page to get the link: http://samuelfebres.com/blog/webosbible or give them this bit.ly link: http://bit.ly/webosbibleapp

The competition ends June 30th. Let’s go! Let’s get the most downloads possible, and win $10,000 or even $100,000 for YouVersion mobile app development!

Yesterday, as I was over at a friend’s house, a small bird flew into his sunroom and was trying desperately to get out. It kept flying into the glass windows, not knowing or understanding why it could not get through.

It was quite sad really. As we tried to round it up and get it to fly outside, the poor thing started to look exasperated and so tired. He was breathing heavier than I had ever seen a bird breathe before. Angel finally caught it, took it outside, and held out his hand outside so that it could fly away but it didn’t.

I think it was so scared and so tired, that it could no longer move. For a while it sat with its eyes closed and just heaving with its beak open.

We decided that it was probably thirsty, so I turned out a water hose and got my hands wet. I went up to the bird and allowed some water to drop into its mouth and the bird closed its beak and swallowed. This was what it needed. I gave it some more water dripped from my pinky and it kept drinking. His eyes re-opened already and his breathing seemed to grow less rapid and normal.

I decided to go inside and grab a small cup of water to make it easier to drink water and before I knew it, he had flown away.

I’m sure this bird was terrified of these humans that were coming after it, seemingly to attack it or hurt it. When we grabbed it, it was carried outside and we waited for it to fly away. We gave it water, which helped to restore it, and when it was ready, it flew away.

I think we can be like that with GOD sometimes. The very thing we need, is the very thing we are terribly frightened of and fight so hard against, doing our best to get away from it. The thing is, He doesn’t come to kill us or harm us, but to help us out of circumstance or situation we’re in, to give us water, and help us to fly. How much better would it be if we just let Him carry us to where we need to go instead of resisting Him?

Via: Online Schools

HT: Technologizer

I have a solution for you. Using the power of the twibbon, a twitter ribbon (available for Facebook as well), you can now support ALL the wonderful causes in the world with just one twibbon.

With this twibbon, you can let the world know that you truly care and support their cause, because you support ALL causes. Not only that, but you can encourage your friends to do the same. So what are you waiting for?! Support everything now!

Add a twibbon to your twitter or Facebook account.

“It’s their fault for bringing their kids into a battle.”

Despicable. I cannot think of anything else to say not only for the actions, but for the attitudes and contempt for life. I did not see a battle in this video. I saw a massacre.

The details of this one are a lot more vague but a theme seems to be developing.

In the dream I had last night I found myself in a room in a big house. This time, I was being chased by some sort of monster.  I don’t remember seeing the creature, but I knew what he looked like. He was very tall and his body was shaped like the old ‘My Pet Monster’ toys from my childhood, but he was definitely not someone you wanted to mess with. 

This time in the dream Nat wasn’t with me initially but then I found her, and after I did we both escaped from the house together.

What was interesting this time about the dream was that the monster came out of the house but not in his physical form, and I knew that. He possessed the bodies of other individuals, and it was easy for us to see who was possessed. In the dream it was older men, and in particular a Chinese man, who slowly walked forward with a blank face. I warned Nat not to touch or look at him, and we raced on. This was the end of the dream.

So a theme from dream last night  & the one before is that I’m being chased, and Natalie is involved. Weird.

Last night’s dream was definitely one of the more memorable and exciting ones I have had in a long time.

Here are the details I remember.

In the dream, something happened or something I did (I can’t remember or didn’t know) caused me to start getting chased by these guys (I think there were 3 of them) with swingable (bat-like) objects.

I was able to get away safely from them, and arrived at Peter Boulware’s house where he let me in and I met with a couple of other guys. Once I got there I discovered that the guys who were chasing me, had decided to go to my house and take Natalie hostage. They held her and a small party of people hostage in my house because they could not find me.

I was briefly able to speak with Natalie and I told her not to worry and that we would get them soon and to not tell the guys anything.

We then began plotting on how to rescue the hostages inside Peter’s house. Then I woke up.

So that was my dream.

The last movie I saw was Shutter Island(youtube trailer), because I’m sure a few of you might be thinking to ask me what I last saw. I watched it on Thursday night, 3 nights ago.

So, have you had any strange dreams lately?

For those interested, I recorded the song entirely in Logic Express using my laptop. I used my lovely guitar Betsy (who turned 11 years old this month) for all the electric guitar parts, through a small Epiphone Valve Jr. amp; Stella, my acoustic guitar joined the fun on the chorus parts of the song.

I would like to than Ryan Flemming, who helped me with the bass guitar. He adds so much awesomeness to this song with his funky fresh groove. Thanks Ryan!

Hope you like it. I’ve embedded two version of the song below because I can.

Enjoy.

Humbly I’ll Fall  by  Samuel Febres

I know a lot of folks lament turning 30. I’m not. I think it’s great. I cannot wait to see what GOD has in store for me and what new adventures and challenges await. I welcome them as best as I know how. 30 is the new 20 for me. Life is great. I have a beautiful wife who loves me. I serve an awesome GOD, and he’s blessed me with great gifts and talents, in addition to a great friends and family, from church and otherwise.

Life is exciting. I’m excited. Thank you Father GOD for another year. I hope and pray that I will make you proud.

(It’s hard to believe that I’m gone from this

and this

to this…

Wow).

Sometime this year, we taxpayers may again receive an Economic Stimulus payment. This is an exciting program. I’ll explain it using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus payment?

A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?

A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?

A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?

A. The plan is for you to use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China ?

A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely: If you spend the stimulus money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China … If you spend it on gasoline, your money will go to the Arabs. If you purchase a computer, it will go to India . If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico , Honduras and Guatemala .. and If you buy a car, it will go to Japan or Korea .

And If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan . and If you pay your credit cards off, or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.

Instead, keep the money in America by:

1- spending it at yard sales, or

2- going to ball games, or

3- spending it on hookers, or

4- beer or

5- tattoos.

(These are the only American businesses still operating in the US .)

Conclusion:

You can help America by going to a ball game and drinking beer all day with a tattooed hooker you met at a yard sale.

Melding Riffs Idea by Samuel Febres

There is nobody who does not know a Puerto Rican, or at least knows someone who knows a Puerto Rican.

Anyway, once a wise teacher said:

What is a Puerto Rican?

His response was ah, Puerto Ricans … that difficult question! Puerto Ricans are among us but not from us. Puerto Ricans drink from the same cup joy and sorrow. They make music of their sorrow and laugh about their music.

Puerto Ricans take jokes seriously and make jokes of the serious things. They do not believe in anyone but believe everything. Don’t you dare argue with them, ever!

Puerto Ricans are born with wisdom. They don’t need to read, they know everything! They don’t need to travel, they have seen everything! Puerto Ricans are like the chosen people, and they choose themselves.

Puerto Ricans are characterized individually by their charm and wit and in groups for their shouting and passion. Each carries the spark of genius and geniuses do not get along with each other, hence bringing together Puerto Ricans is easy, but creating a consensus amount them is almost impossible.

They do not talk about logic, because that involves reasoning and restraint and Puerto Ricans are hyperbolic and exaggerated. For example, if a Puerto Rican invites you to a restaurant to eat, you were invited not to the best restaurant in town, but the best restaurant in the world.

When they debate, they do not say, “I disagree with you,” but “you are absolutely wrong.”

They have cannibalistic tendencies, so then when they say to you, “He ate it.” It is an expression of admiration, and when they say to you “He ate a cable,” is an expression of a critical situation.

Puerto Ricans love contradictions so much that they called their beautiful women monsters and their scholars’ barbarians. If a health condition is afflicting you, they say, “Man, if you have told me about it, I would have taken you to a physician who is a horse.”

Puerto Ricans offer solutions before they know the problem. For them there is never a problem. They know what must be done to eradicate terrorism, prosecute Latin America, end hunger in Africa, pay the foreign debt, who should be president and how America can become a world power.

They do not understand why other people do not understand when their ideas are so simple, and why people do not want to learn to speak Spanish like them.

Ah, Puerto Ricans … We cannot live much with them, but we cannot live without them!

Dedicated with affection to the people of the best country in the World …

So, do you agree?