BarryDean 4 Christ

Super Bowl 46; Where is David Tyree?

barrydean — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:32:34 +0000

This will just be a brief post, or a reflection of sorts on a past Super Bowl. The game was Super Bowl 42. This was the last time the Patriots and the Giants met to decide the professional football champion. The game will forever be know as the one with the “helmet catch”. The player who made the amazing acrobatic catch is no longer playing professional football. David Tyree never recovered from a 2008 knee injury during the 2008 training camp. In 2010 the Giants offered David Tyree a one day contract so he could retire as a Giant. That is class in my book.

Below is the blog posting with the link to the NFL video I submitted four years ago, right after Super Bowl 42 and the “helmet catch”.

Best Play From Super Bowl 42

I will once again be pulling for the Giants to win Super Bowl 46. I hope there is an opportunity to see David Tyree at this game as well. Maybe a camera shot during the game. Maybe this will be the year of the “Cruz catch”.

Go Giants!!

A Year of Change

barrydean — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:08:26 +0000

Yes, 2012 is definitely beginning as a year of change. My body and health continues to improve daily with a new commitment to my diet and regular exercise. I am now down 54 lbs. Every day I feel the best I’ve felt in years.

My bride and I just recently became members of the local church in our town. We are really excited about what God has in store for us there.

Our son Sean and his fiance’ Jessica informed us this past weekend that they are pregnant and will be moving close to home after she graduates from college. With all of this exciting change you would think BarryDean would have had enough. Oh but it isn’t enough.

Yesterday I accepted an offer from a company I am very excited to be a part of. Even as I write this blog posting my excitement continues to bubble up. The job opportunity is to me, a dream job. It will give me an opportunity to develop programs in an environment I have been longing to get into full time. It is an opportunity to really effect direction within a growing company. The new job will also allow me to get some training learn some new skills which is always exciting. It would not be appropriate to publicly divulge the name of the company right now but I will be hinting up and until my start date, which will be January 30th.

All for God’s glory!

Soli Deo Gloria!!

Something smells fishy here

barrydean — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:36:42 +0000

Usually the above idiom has a negative connotation. This is not the case here. I am referring to the introduction of lean proteins in my new eating lifestyle. The past couple of weeks I have been transitioning into Phase 2 of the weight management program I’ve been involved with since October of 2011. During this transitional period I get to reacquaint myself with lean proteins that are outside of the HMR shakes and entrees I’ve been consuming since that autumn date. HMR does not currently produce an entree with any form of fish in it. I have heard that it is to hard to process a fish entree with any kind of shelf life. So, I have missed seafood and fresh water fish for several months.

The first week of Phase 2 I was able to eat a serving of lean white turkey breast along with my family for Christmas Eve dinner. The following week we could have two servings of lean protein. I found some white fish called Swai at the grocery store. I hadn’t heard of it before. I lightly breaded it, added some spice, Parmesan cheese and baked up a couple of pieces for my bride and I. It was delicious, and so great to once again savor the taste of good fish. For my other weekly allowable serving I had a meal laced with a can of albacore tuna. Yummy!

This week I can have three servings of lean protein. Woo Hoo! I have found a recipe for smoked Tilapia that looks very good. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to smoke. I miss using my smoker and the delectable products it produces. (sniff..sniff) So, while it is still fairly warm in Nebraska, I am going to fire up the smoker for some fish. It should be great. For the rest of the week I am not sure what else to have, but I have so many resources at my disposal. One of them is you, the reader? Any ideas?

Weight loss wise, I am once again back on track. At my last weigh-in this past Wednesday I was down 6.2 lbs for the week. That figure puts down what I had gained over the Christmas break plus another couple of lbs lost. I have adopted those Sprint 8′s and do those on every other cardio exercise day. I am finally feeling stronger in my weight lifting, thanks to my additional protein intake. Sore muscle means muscle growth.

As always,

Soli Deo Gloria!

Update: The smoked Tilapia was excellent. See FB posting with comments link below.

Smoked Tilapia

Discovering my variable to the eternal equation of the gospel

barrydean — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:14:25 +0000

Happy New Year everyone!! It is my prayer that the gospel impacts your life and the lives of your friends and family this year. Now for the equation mentioned in the title.

Late last year I began reading the Tullian Tchividjian book “Jesus + Nothing = Everything“. I am almost done with it, and I can tell you, without question, it is ranks among the top books that have greatly impacted my life. Pastor Tullian begins by taking the equation and working it backward. By the time you get to the “Nothing” part of the equation Tullian has asked the reader twice to consider what that variable “Nothing” is for you. Here is a quote from the book:

So let me ask you once more, as you get quiet and still: Deep within you, where is that restlessness, that agitation, that impatience, that anxiety? Why is it there? What is it you’re missing, and you’re trying to fill the gap? (Jesus + Nothing = Everything (p. 44). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition)

Taking the authors advice, I prayerfully considered the “Nothing”. According to Tullian, Jesus wants us to make the connection of the “Nothingness” with idolatry. What am I trying to add to this eternal equation?

After much prayerful consideration I believe God has lead me to the answer of my nothing variable. In my life I have put way to much focus on the acknowledgement from those friends and family members around me. It didn’t take me long to uncover the source of what consistently causes me restlessness, agitation, impatience, and anxiety. Desiring acknowledgement is definitely a human trait. Most of us wish to be acknowledged. It hurts when you put yourself out there by taking the initiative to vocalize, or author (blogging?) an opinion, statement, or truth. When you don’t receive the acknowledgement you have built some expectations over, it is painful. But, I believe, when it becomes like the things described by Pastor Tullian, especially to the extent of it becoming that variable to the equation like mine:

Jesus + Acknowledement from men = Everything

This is idolatry.

Idolatry is trying to build our identity on something besides God. An idol is anything that’s usurping the proper place of God in our lives. An idol is anything or anyone that you conclude, in your heart, you must have in order for your life to be meaningful, valuable, secure, exciting, or free. (Jesus + Nothing = Everything (p. 40). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition)

So as I continue to read this influential book with this eye opening revelation, I can read with with full knowledge of this sin in an effort with the Holy Spirit to take it head-on in the trenches. With the strength provided (Phil. 2:13) I will be able to knock this sin back for a 25 yard loss. (Sorry, it’s College Bowl Game Day) Lord willing it can get knocked out of the game completely.

More to come.

Soli Deo Gloria!!

Praying for Renewed Strength

barrydean — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:34:55 +0000

True story. I blew it on Christmas Eve. It was a disaster. I knew I shouldn’t have made my famous peanut butter fudge. The sampling of it was all it took to get me “out of the box” (HMR weight management term). We had all of our adult children over for Christmas Eve, and quite a few delicious foods were being served. It was pretty overwhelming. I gave into the temptation to eat outside of the newly created diet box for the first time in over 13 weeks. Looking back this morning I have figured out what went wrong. We were so busy preparing for the arrival of everyone that I didn’t consider to plan for my meals so by the time the foods were being prepared I was pretty hungry, and gave into eating naughty things. Next time, Lord willing, I plan on being prepared.

My bride had to work on Christmas day so it was a little easier to eat the foods I should be eating. Today I have been praying for renewed strength and self-control, and the Lord has been faithful. I have the day off and got on the treadmill for 35 minutes first thing this morning. After a hot cereal with banana and some cleaning, I made a double protein shake with PB2 and took it and a bottle of water up to the exercise room and worked out my shoulders and triceps for another 30 minutes. I am feeling re-vitalized and strengthened. The Lord is good. Always!

Soli Deo Gloria!!

The Blood Tells It All

barrydean — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:36:52 +0000

My lab work is in! Before I give the details let me, tell about my blood draw experiences. The first blood draw as part of my weight management program for me was about 3 months ago. The nurse had a difficult time finding a good vein and had to stick me a couple of times before the blood would flow into her vial. When she went to draw my blood a few days ago she had no difficulty finding a good vein to stick. She said this was due to my weight loss and my healthy water consumption. Just another benefit of getting healthier. Now for the lab results.

Lab results from program start on 9/21/2011:

Test	Value	Units	Ref. Range
Cholesterol	215	mg/dL	120-200
Triglyceride I	251	mg/dL	<=149
HDL I	49	mg/dL	40-60
VLDL Calc	50	mg/dL	<=30
LDL Calc I	116	mg/dL	<=99
Chol/HDL Ratio I	4.4	Ratio	<=5.0
LDL/HDL Ratio I	2.4	Ratio	<=3.6
Non-HDL Chol. I	166	mg/dL

Lab results at end of Phase I on 12.14.2011:

Test	Value	Units	Ref. Range
Cholesterol	122	mg/dL	120-200
Triglyceride I	81	mg/dL	<=149
HDL I	55	mg/dL	40-60
VLDL Calc	16	mg/dL	<=30
LDL Calc I	51	mg/dL	<=99
Chol/HDL Ratio I	2.2	Ratio	<=5.0
LDL/HDL Ratio I	.9	Ratio	<=3.6
Non-HDL Chol. I	67	mg/dL

LDL/HDL Ratio legend for risk of developing coronary heart disease for Men:

Up to 1.0	Low Risk
1.1 to 3.6	Average Risk
3.7 to 6.3	Above Avg Risk
6.4 to 8.0	High Risk

Last night I weighed in at 248.7 lbs. which is down 3.9 lbs. from the previous week, and means a total loss from beginning of 46 lbs. I had set a personal goal to break the 250 lb. barrier before Christmas. Goal achieved!!

All to the glory of God!

Soli Deo Gloria!!

Christmas Is All In The Heart

barrydean — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:49:13 +0000

As Christmas approaches I am voluntarily listening to more and more of my favorite Christmas songs and carols. Some of my favorite traditional carols are “Joy To The World”, I can almost hear the angels proclaiming it when it is sung, “Silent Night”, I especially love the story behind the origin of the song found here, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, and “The First Noel”. Some my favorite non-traditional Christmas music of late is from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Just pick any of their Christmas themed albums. Growing up I fell in love with the Snoopy Christmas songs from The Royal Guardsmen. Songs like “Snoopy’s Christmas“, and the follow up “The Return of the Red Barron”. Speaking of Snoopy, who doesn’t love the Vince Guaraldi Trio and their “Christmastime Is Here“, and the classic “Linus and Lucy“. But one of my favorite non-traditional Christmas songs was written by one of my favorite Christian artists, Steven Curtis Chapman, or as I like to refer to him .. SC² from the retro DCtalk days. The song is from SC²‘s 1995 album “The Music of Christmas“. Below is the wonderful video from the song. Enjoy!

Moving on to Phase 2

barrydean — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:57:15 +0000

I have been a bit lax in my weight management updates lately. So in order to remedy that I am going to write about my end to Phase 1 of the program and what I might expect in Phase 2, which begins in less than two weeks.

This past Wednesday I did the follow up nurse visit for the weight management program I have been on for the past 12 weeks. The results of this visit are very encouraging for a loser like me. Here is the list:

I have lost 43 lbs.
I have lost a total of 8 inches around my trunk.
I have lost 2 inches in my neck.
I have dropped 36 lbs of body fat.
My BMI has dropped 6 points.
I have dropped 7% body fat.

I will update the results of my lab work in a following post.

Since I have also been doing resistance training with free weights and resistance bands, my lean body mass has remained mostly intact.

I am looking forward to Phase 2 of the program as I will be able to introduce additional foods from the grocery store. The very first week I will be able to select one serving of lean meat protein. Woo Hoo! During the transition into Phase 2 I will be slowly introducing more and more grocery purchased proteins and more servings each week. Phase 2 is not near as structured as Phase 1, hence it is a bit more risky in nature. I will once again be learning to plan for eating the right foods. I have found that planning is the key. We live in a fast paced culture where food and meals are not given nearly the thought and consideration they should be given. We tend to grab whatever is most convenient. This way of thinking usually has a devastating effect on our bodies.

My prayer request would be this:

Please pray that God will continue to do the work in me that He has begun in this, and that I will not lose sight of Him and His sovereignty over my life. I give Him all the glory for what has been accomplished so far, and for any and all future happenings in my life.

Soli Deo Gloria!!

Infinite and an Infant

barrydean — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:12:16 +0000

I found this eloquent quote from Charles H. Spurgeon related to the birth of Christ.

Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.

Hats Off To The Bull – Chevelle

barrydean — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:13:21 +0000

This is an album I have been looking forward to since their live album release hit the stores. Chevelle is a Chicago based band. I have been listening to them since their first release, “Point #1″. My fondness was cemented the day I read they named the band for their dad’s favorite automobile. I am also a Chevy fan. Chevelle was first introduced to the market under Squint Entertainment, a Christian record label which created quite a controversy for them. They may have finally moved beyond the label of Christian band to a band who is serious about their faith. I am not sure what that means specifically but on to the album review. A couple of aspects of the band that attracted me to Chevelle are; they write their own music, and they are a three piece band. They have been compared to other bands like Tool, and Helmet, but I got into Chevelle long before I heard any music from those other bands. In my estimation there is only a slight resemblance in sound and style. Some music critics have described Chevelle in such terms as “a kind of controlled chaos, a beautiful darkness, a gentle rampage of aural velocity”. I will agree with that description. In my own experience of listening to their music and seeing them live I would describe their music as melodic restrained chaos. This pattern holds in their latest project titled “" target="_blank">Hats Off To The Bull“.

The album begins with “Face To The Floor”. A heavy melodic groove that starts the Chevelle motor just fine. This track was first leaked to radio back in September of this year and is getting some nice airplay on rock and college radio stations. In an interview earlier this year, drummer Sam Loeffler, stated that the song is about the Ponzi scheme stuff going on in some corporations today. Next up is “Same Old Trip”. The song is typical Chevelle and yet not with some cool backing vocals mixed in during the chorus. “Ruse” is up next, and it reminds me of some of the pieces from their “" target="_blank">Wonder What’s Next” album, one of my favorite Chevelle albums. The “Meddler” has many layers to it. It has some very cool guitar vibrato which makes the song almost atmospheric. “Pinata” is a quick paced song reminiscent of “Mia” from their “Point #1″ album, and yet contains an almost clean rock sound mixed in, and some rare lead guitar work.

The whole album has some features very reminiscent of some of their earlier and heavier albums, and yet several of them have a blend of layers not heard from the Chevelle boys at all. Some my favorite tracks include “Face To The Floor”, “The Meddler”, love the guitar riff in “Pinata”, the title track “Hats Off To The Bull”. “Hats Off” is the heaviest song on the album. This description was taken from my bride when asked to listen to this, my favorite song. To quote “that is really heavy!!”. The song has a great driving rhythm from the drums and bass throughout, but when Pete’s distorted guitar charges in, synced with his soaring vocals, the song is totally elevated to an unmatched crescendo. This climax occurs at the chorus. “Arise” is an excellent “do it your own way” in the typical Chevelle form, and “Clones” is a wonderful Chevelle styled rock blast replete with clean guitar moving to distorted guitar that is a Chevelle trademark. The same individualistic theme can be seen in the lyrics in this song as well.

You’re just a clone of them.
Have you no way to set a fire.
You’re just a clone of them.
The Devil’s in the ways we live.

“Hats Off” is going to be one of my favorite Chevelle albums, and might one day dethrone “Wonder What’s Next” from it’s lofty Chevelle perch on my Marshall stack. After having cycled through the album three times now, the “Bull” is definitely making it’s charge.

And on my return to music reviews I give this new Chevelle album 5 Flying V guitars out of 5. Go figure, right?

Check out this “Face To The Floor” performance from Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Rawk On!!!!!