Organic Half & Half

Is anyone out there? I’m now blogging on Wordpress at…www.organichalfandhalf.com.

On Day 28, I started a 36 day fast. It was the most difficult one yet. I started after dinner on Day 28 and then ate again for breakfast on Day 30. I’ve been asked the same question by several people: What did you learn? I don’t think I’ve truly processed it yet and maybe I won’t. Maybe a part of the lesson continues on the remaining two fasts I have in this cleanse, which will be 42 hours and then 48 hours. I think first, I saw how food consumes our lives. We are just a society of consuming. It becomes our obsession to simply consume. Now I don’t know where the line is between enjoying food and being obsessed with consuming. It’s probably a fine line. Maybe it starts in the condition of our heart. Are we truly grateful for the food on our table? While my friends and wife were enjoying Roasted Hatch Green Chile Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Flank Steak, I had a tiny bit of comfort knowing I would break my fast with Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel 4:9 Toast with 6 strips of bacon. I knew there would be an end to my hunger. Most people in the world don’t know when that day will come. It was in that brief moment of hunger that my paradigm shifted on how to be thankful for the food God has given me. It is simply a gift to be born in this country. A gift I did nothing to earn. I also learned that SB with no food in the tummy can become very moody. Amazing how it affects our minds and the way we respond to people. Thankful I have an amazing wife that would encourage me through this entire process but food has an interesting power. The abundance and the lack of it can have overwhelming effects. Even if it’s for one meal, I encourage everyone to try fasting. I am just beginning to learn how this can deeply impact my journey to discover Jesus more…and as I learn, that I will be eager to share.

I texted back and forth with one of my closest buddies who is up at Princeton and he was telling me about a fast he will be doing because of the hunger situation all over the world. He said he might give up meat for awhile or do various things. As I heard this while on my 36 hour fast it inspired me to change things up for this next week. For 3 days next week I will eat only 4 things. Raw milk, lentils, brown rice, and carrots. It’s a small way to maybe teach myself what it’s like when the majority of the world doesn’t get to eat like me. And once again it’s more for humility than change of lifestyle. It’s to know that what I have is by grace ALONE. Could it change certain aspects of my life? I hope so. What those will be I don’t know.

My buddies and I got up early yesterday and hit the road at 7am for our very first MILK RUN! It was like I was in college again. Minus the Mountain Dew with “Sonic” ice, Chili Cheese Fritos, and King Sized Twix bar. And I wonder why I weighed 250+ ☺ We were driving 50 miles southwest of Dallas to a small country town called Kemp. As we turned on to the farm road you could smell the complexities of city life drift away. Windows rolled down in the VW Rabbit and country air blowing in my face…I couldn’t help but smile and laugh at how simple things like a country road drive early on a Saturday can make my heart beat faster. When we pulled into the farm you could see the dairy cows grazing off in the distance and to the right were 125 chickens just footloose and fancy-free. I was shocked at how small their farmhouse was, considering they raised 9 children in it! It couldn’t have been more than 1500 sq. ft. They had a tiny little “Farm Store” and that’s where we went to pick up our delicious goods. We had all of the raw milk and cheese we were getting but one thing was missing. The eggs. A farmer down the road was bringing his eggs because the 125 chickens were just not ready to lay eggs yet. So it was fun to just chat with the lady and talk about buttermilk biscuits and how to make butter. Oh, and here was the best part. She told us they just planted the Winter Rye so the cows would have grass all winter. She explained how the butter we would be making at home would start to turn almost orange and the flavors would be super rich. And then she uttered (pardon the pun) these words, “And wait until you drink the milk, it will be incredible.” I felt my knees go week. “How is this possible?” I thought to myself. I have had almost euphoric experiences with how creamy and tasty the milk already is. And supposedly as the weather cools the flavors in my mouth will only get better?! I almost shed a tear. Inside I was doing the “Elaine dance,” and outside I said, “Tell me more of this goodness you talk about.” We left with a deeper appreciation for food that gives us life. And even though today I can’t live a life like those Mennonites I pray I can learn little things that I can apply here in the Big D.

This morning, I have read some Corinthians, blogged, and now I must eat. This morning’s menu:
*Hot Enfusia
*Tall glass of ice-cold nectar of the gods…I mean raw milk.
*Farm Fresh Eggs – over medium
*Brisket left over from dinner
*Sprouted Corn Tortillas
*Ezekiel 4:9 cinnamon raisin toast with raw cream cheese (I made some the other day and mixed in berries)

I’ll take that over cereal and toaster strudel any day of the week.

SB

“I can show you the world. Shining shimmering splendid…A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view…”

Aladdin said it best and last night I think I got a glimpse of what Jasmine experienced on that magic carpet ride. I crossed over into what many think is a scary, forbidden place. But this morning I write to you from my kitchen table with a huge smile on my face and a tall glass of ice cold raw milk in my hand. We tried it for the first time last night as many gathered for the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. There was an excitement in the air and at the same time a bit of nervousness. If you could have seen us, we were treating the jug of milk as if it was vodka or some aged bottle of scotch. We waited until the Peanut Butter Banana Cake came out of the oven and with a clink of the glass we toasted to new beginnings.

Smooth. Rich. Full of flavor. Honestly it was the best glass of milk I have ever had. I didn’t know what to expect and if I had to describe it, I would simply say it was an amazing glass of whole milk. I guarantee you if I was serving it to someone who didn’t know it was raw they would have no clue. But what makes it special is not in the taste, but all the magical things going on behind the scenes. So the big question: Why is raw milk so good for us? That’s easy…

When I refer to raw milk, what I’m talking about is milk that is straight from the cow. No processing, heating, or damaging of any kind. Simple milk. Below is a breakdown of some of the many amazing things this food has.

Proteins: Amino Acids are crucial for a lot of the functions in our body. They help build proteins to help create hormones that our body needs like serotonin. Raw milk has all 20 amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids. The essentials are the ones our body cannot make and we need to get them from outside sources.

Enzymes: These bad boys help the whole process along. They are great for digestion, absorbing all the good stuff like calcium from the milk. God put these guys in here to make everything work. If we want to enjoy all the benefits of milk, we need enzymes to make it possible.

Vitamins and Minerals: Well, milk is full of all the great vitamins we all love to put in our body. Calcium is one of our favorites. But instead of listing them all out you guys can do your own research.

The list goes on…beneficial bacteria to good saturated fat. It has all the basic things our bodies need to feel great and amazing. Well, the next logical question is, “What is the difference between raw milk and the stuff I get at the store? Is there a big difference?” Here’s what the FDA and the milk companies are not telling you…

Pasteurization: this is when they heat milk to high temperatures. As a matter of fact, so high that they kill of all the enzymes and destroy some proteins and vitamins. Why is this a problem? Well, remember what I said about enzymes? Yep. So if there are no enzymes in your store-bought milk, then guess what? You can’t absorb calcium, its hard to digest, and many more complications. So sorry guys, milk does NOT do a body good. And if you’re scared about salmonella…all the outbreaks over the last several decades are from pasteurized milk including the big one in Illinois that slam dunked over 10,000 people. But you never hear about those stories. Bottom line is, when you heat milk, you lose all the wonderful things. Oh, and you know they add things to your milk so it doesn’t smell bad when you open it. When I opened this jug of raw milk it was fresh and clean-smelling.

I can go on about homogenization but no need. When we get our hands on things, we tend to screw it up. I say keep it simple and eat as God wanted us to. Last but not least, listen to you body. Even though raw milk is great for you, some people still can’t do dairy. The majority of people who have a problem with dairy have a problem because of pasteurization. But there are still some who can’t do it raw. Listen to your body. When you eat a piece of chicken your body likes it. When you eat ice cream your body hates it. Just listen.

SB

Yesterday I finished my 30 hour fast at 1pm. I broke it with sprouted brown rice mixed with butter and spicy ground pork. About an hour and a half later I started to get a headache and not feel good. I had to even lie down and sleep a bit. I’m not sure if it’s because I was coming off the fast or because I ate too much. Did I not drink enough water? Maybe it’s the pork? Even though it’s free range and hormone-free there is a huge divide on how people feel about pork. God didn’t like it back in the day and there is plenty of scientific nutrition research that points to why we should stay away from it. But I’m on the fence. As I figure it out in my own life I’ll let you know! The next time I come off a fast, I plan to eat something super light like a salad with chicken. But I feel good today and I’m learning from a spiritual perspective that a cleanse is not just for my body but my mind and heart. It has a lot to do with resting. And I hope to learn more as I practice this spiritual discipline.

Today my Country Boy friend went back home to Athens, TX. On the way he stopped at a farm in Kemp, TX called Full Quiver Farm. Why the stop at this little farm? Raw Milk. He picked us up 3 gallons and tomorrow evening I will be having my first glass of ice cold raw milk. I have had plenty of raw cheese and it’s amazing. But I’m looking forward to what this delicious stuff will be like. Probably rich and creamy! I’ll try and post tomorrow about why pasteurized dairy is bad but raw milk is amazing for you.

He told me the farm is owned by a Mennonite family that truly lives the simple life. The lady said the only thing they go to the grocery store for is salt, pepper, and oatmeal! How amazing is that?! A person asked her one time, “Don’t you miss having cereal for breakfast?” Her response was, “I have fresh eggs, fresh bacon, hot biscuits, and a tall glass of cold milk every morning. Now which breakfast would you rather have?” Eat that, General Mills! They grow their own fruits and veggies, make their own clothes, and even build the furniture in the house. And as I try and imagine what that life is like I can’t help but wonder, what aspects of God do they know that I never will? Their life is simple. Not tainted with consumption of as many things as possible. I look around Dallas every day and can’t escape the overwhelming feeling of materialism. Time has been traded for more money and more money is needed to buy more stuff. We rarely sit all afternoon on the porch and just enjoy each other. When’s the last time you spent an entire weekend with life being quiet and the TV turned off? No buying stuff or places to be? No task to get done or work to finish? No worries? Just rest and quiet? From Friday at 6pm to Monday at 8am…just people. Friendships. Books. Sun. Quiet. Rest. Sleep. Fruit. Iced Tea. Walks. Discussions. When was the last time we didn’t rush to fill our time with things that don’t amount to jack squat?

I can’t help but wonder how much the complexity of my life makes me miss out on knowing God more deeply. The more stuff, work, spending, junk, consuming, and tasks I cram into my life, it’s inevitable that I push God away. Even if I fill my life with wonderful Christian things like Bible Studies, Sunday school, and ministries…it can quickly take over and make life complex. As I drink my milk tomorrow night I hope to get a taste of what a simple life can be. And hopefully as I continue on this cleanse I’ll discover how I can reduce in my life those things that keep me from seeing God in simple ways.

SB

Today I feel different. Almost like everything clicked and it’s all starting to fall into place. I have more energy than I ever have before. I attribute that to Enfusia, no sugar, Real Food Supplements, exercise, and solid sleep. I’m actually for the first time in my life truly not craving food what is bad for me. I look forward to my little 25 min workouts. And shockingly less TV has been a blessing. What’s been interesting is all the things I’ve realized today. One thing I’ve realized is that good things don’t come fast. We live in a society that wants it now and does not desire to wait for anything. I want my food NOW. My computer needs to work NOW. I want to talk with someone NOW. I want to lose weight NOW. I think this mentality is so a part of our culture that we don’t realize any more how devastating it is. It really hasn’t been until Day 21 where I’ve really seen results. I’m not tired throughout the day, I feel stronger, my stomach has gotten lean, and I’m always satisfied after a meal. I’m learning that when we give our bodies real food and real movement, we get back real life. Things are just more enjoyable. Now granted, the 21 days have not been easy. But I feel things are getting easier. So halfway through this 40 day cleanse and fast I’ve discovered that sometimes you have to just push through. We all have something we want to achieve. More time with the Lord, lose 20 pounds, be able to run 3 miles, spend more time with our spouse…the list goes on. The question you have to ask yourself is will you push to YOUR “Day 21″. It’s not easy. But sometimes you just have to stick to a plan and wait to see the fruits come later.

New Workout Goal: Better My Tummy Muscles
I by no stretch of the imagination desire a six-pack. But the bean bag I hang over my belt has got to go. If for no other reason than heart disease, I need to do something. If your belly is where you are carrying a lot of fat that is a not-so-fun sign of problems with insulin in your body. It’s a big indicator that you have a problem with the S-U-G-A-R. And its not always Cokes and Cookies. Sometimes it’s dairy and bread. So my plan is to get stronger in the core area. So here’s what I’m doing. Simple, easy, and everyone can apply it to any workout goal.

Exercise – lay on the ground, flat on my back, legs stretched, and arms above my head. Then in one motion, with my back not coming off the ground, I bring my legs up and my arms up making a V. Then I slowly bring myself back down. The end goal is that I can hold a soccer ball in between my feet, bring the ball up with my feet and grab the ball with my hands…and then stretch all the way out. Then back into the V putting the ball back into my feet. Make sense? So starting today I’m going to do 3 sets every other day. And today I did 3 sets of 4. On Saturday I will do 3 sets of 5. And every other day I will increase it by 1. In 2 weeks from today I should be able to do 3 sets of 10 WITH the ball. Right now I’m going no soccer ball. So it will be fun to see what works. If I stick to the plan I should see an increase in my tummy strength. If I choose to not do my work then it’s my own fault.

Food: Raw Milk
Stay tuned because we found another local farm about 50 miles away where we can get raw milk. If I can get my hands on it I will talk this weekend about how it tastes and why it’s so good for us.

Fast: 30 hours
So today is my 3rd fast and I’m going for 30 hours this time. It’s been since college with my best friend (who I call Cowboy) that I did a fast this long. The thing I’ve learned today is that food and eating consume our lives. We eat way too much food and we revolve our lives around it. My hope is that the next thing I learn is how to balance that out. Especially since I consider myself a Foodie and love to cook, eat, and enjoy food.

I hope this encourages someone out there to take a small step forward. To make a choice to change. And to know that it’s not impossible as long as you have goal and people you love encouraging you forward.

SB

Last night my buddy and I did something I had not done since I lived in Waco, TX. I went to Wal-Mart at midnight. Back in college we enjoyed strolling through the aisles in the wee hours of the morning looking for nutritious treats like Chili Cheese Fritos, Fudge Covered Oreos, and Totinos Pizza Rolls. I remember how I could spend $94 and some change and it would not only fill an entire shopping cart but also last me 6 weeks! We would drink Black Cherry IBC out of the bottle and chow down on KC Masterpiece Lays enjoying only a moment of delight. Because after the sugar and processed chemicals wore off I would feel yuck! What amazed me then still amazes me now. Why, if we know the food will make us feel horrible, do we still gravitate towards the things that are ridiculously unhealthy for us?

Fast forward to this morning. I was happy to see it wasn’t going to be 105 today. I took a stroll through my garden noticing the changes going on. It’s the end of August and all of the tomato plants are finished but the basil seems to be in full swing. There is a wonderful sense of pride as you clip fresh basil for the breakfast you are about to eat. But it is mornings like today that remind me that eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. It also is very rewarding. Look how simple it can be:

As the water was heating up in the kettle I scooped Enfusia into the IngenuiTea we got from Adagio. I then took out slices of bacon and lay them in a pan in the toaster oven at 400. By then the kettle was whistling and I poured hot (not boiling) water over the raw herbs excited about my first cup of energy for the day. I took out pinto beans from last night and heated them in a pot while I scrambled some eggs. As the pan heated with olive oil I took the basil and tomato and chopped it up. Eggs into the pan with the basil and tomato and just let it go untouched. Flipped the bacon, took my first sip of Enfusia, and shredded the raw pepper jack cheese that was delivered by our friendly folks at Burgundy Farms. See, even though it seems like a lot is going on there is a rhythm to it all. The key is to enjoy every part of it. The smell of bacon cooking and the hint of basil left over on your fingers. Most people want life to flash by, only to hurry to the next moment that will also be rushed through. I see life to be enjoyed one bite at a time. Sometimes the simplest things in life can bring true Sabbath. Mornings like today can allow me to take really deep breaths and rest, knowing I should be thankful for about 1000 things. The bacon is a perfect crispy and I replace them in the toaster with Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel English Muffins. I sprinkle cheese over the frittata-like eggs and fill up my second mug of organic bliss. After a meal like that, I feel awesome. I can’t imagine why I would go back to food that makes me feel so blah. Reality is, even after this 40 days is over I’ll occasionally have my pizza and bag of Salt & Pepper Kettle Chips. But today was one of those days that reminded me that maybe those “cheats” can be few and far between. Feeling great today and being healthy 30 years from now is a lot more important than what I “think” will be great tasting food.

Oh and my workout today. I’m extending the fence line to create a little dog run. 15 bags of 60 lb concrete. And so my buddy and I raced to take them from the bed of his truck to the shed. The fun part was pressing them over our heads with our elbows locked. It was fun, we broke a sweat, and I enjoyed moving. Now that’s a workout!

SB

Last night for dinner I finished my fast with a hearty meal. Big bowl layered with simple yet delicious foods. Here’s how it went…

Layer 1 – Grass-Fed Pot Roast. This was leftover from the day before. It was tender and fall-apart. Seasoned to perfection. Reason #73 that I love slow cooked beef…it’s easy. Stick it in the crock pot before work, come home to a scrumptious surprise.
Layer 2 – Organic Refried Black Beans. Out of a can from Whole Foods. L-O-V-E it.
Layer 3 – Diced sweet potatoes. We have gotten sweet potatoes in our Co-Op for the last couple of times and our favorite way is to simply bake them. Toss it with extra virgin olive oil and melted butter that has been seasoned with garlic powder and then spread it on a pan. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper, bake at 425, and it’s a delightful treat.
Layer 4 – Free Range Eggs. Cooked in coconut oil to a perfect over-medium. Cooked white part, whole and runny yolk.
Layer 5 – Pork Belly. From our local farm we can get bacon that hasn’t been smoked or cured. That’s bacon at its purist form. Bacon is pork belly. This just hasn’t been touched in any way. They just slice it for you like bacon. I first slice them into bite size pieces and then I cook it in the pan until crispy. Then as it cools off on a paper towel I sprinkle some magic dust on it. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a touch of cayenne.

Now that was a good dinner. If you can tell it was full of fat. Good fat. People are scared of fat. Probably one of the biggest food myths out there is EATING MORE FAT EQUALS BECOMING MORE FAT. Don’t believe it! God created coconuts, olives, cows, eggs, avocados, nuts, and many more things FULL of fat. If He wanted us to eat just the egg whites, then a chicken would pop out yokeless eggs. When He made the cow He wanted us to eat everything that cow had to offer with every cut of meat including the ones that have a lot of fat. This notion of low fat has only been around since the 50’s. There no conclusive research proving that good saturated fat causes heart disease. And since the 50’s our country has soared in every statistic for heart disease and obesity. Folks, our society is not getting healthier by eating processed grains, drinking pasteurized milk, and staying away from fats. Look at history, and every society had great sources of fats and consumed them on a regular basis.

I could post 100 articles and research on this but the best thing I can personally share is that I eat butter, coconut oil, peanut butter, beef, bacon, and every other good source of saturated fat out there and my body LOVES me because of it. My cholesterol is amazing and I’ve lost more weight than I ever have. I am sustained after I eat and don’t have to eat as much. Without good fats and cholesterol our bodies simply don’t function at tip-top condition. Why? Because these 2 things are crucial in our body to help with everything from producing hormones to making sure calcium is used properly in our bones.

So here’s to good fat. I thank God every day for it!

SB

So it’s Wednesday, and when I woke up today I realized I never checked the traps I set up in my attic on Saturday for Ratatouille and his friends. When I got to the top of the ladder I was shocked to see it was more like a Jurassic Park character than a Disney film. Well, the monsters in the attic love Whole Foods brand Peanut Butter which I have to say is not only a great bang for your buck, but also the most delicious PB out there. Now I’ll be the first to admit I’m a city boy. Yes, I use hair product and yes, I also take baths while listening to Norah Jones by candle light. But these freaks of nature were just too much for me. I called my Country Boy buddy and he just laughed at me. I asked why this situation was so funny to him and he just continued to giggle like a junior high girl. I reminded him the next time he has problems with his new Mac Book that I would be unavailable. I managed to get both vermin into a paper bag and yes, I used a plastic bag as a glove. And yes, I screamed when I noticed one of the little punks was covered in maggots. Vomit. I have the heebies thinking about it again…so I shall change the subject.

Tomorrow is Day 14 so I’ll be fasting again. This time it’s for 24 hours, and I’m starting tonight. I’ve not really lost any weight but have really started to lean up. I just feel strong today. Of course I mean muscle-wise. The whole screaming with the rats thing was just…well, let’s just not discuss that any more. I am also coming to the conclusion that eating out is just super tough. If you are trying to really eat clean than it’s nearly impossible. And if your goal is to lose weight…you’d better hope there are some healthy restaurants around. Surprisingly, Mexican food can be the most unhealthy thing to eat and at the same time the easiest place to get something good for you…as long as you can stay away from the chips. Last night we ate at Mi Cocina, and I caught myself drooling over the chips and salsa. At one point I think I had stuffed a bowl of chips under my shirt and in my pants and had no clue I was doing it. I have what they call a weakness. And chips are my Kryptonite. But I got some Huevos con Chorizo. That’s eggs with sausage for your non-Spanish speakers. Fajitas without the tortillas and double beans instead of the rice can be a great option for you guys out there trying to stay healthy. And stay away from the cheese!

I was talking with someone yesterday who was explaining to me that they had “Fallen Off the Wagon”. They wanted to get back to working out and asked what was the best thing they could do. We have a saying in our studio…”The best workout is the one you will actually do.” So many people get caught up with a certain program or having to go to a gym. I say just MOVE! Walk, garden, ride a bike…do something. This morning I screamed, bagged some rabbits with long tails, ran down the attic stairs, turned the corner hard in my house, ran across the back yard, into the alley, and then chunked the brown bag into a garbage can. Was I out of breath? Yes. But what matters is I got that heart rate up and moved a little. Take a 5 minute swim or do 50 push ups from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Just do a little something every day and you’ll be amazed at how great you’ll feel.

Until tomorrow,
SB

I’m feeling awesome. Maybe it’s because I have Olympic fever right now. After watching a spectacular display during the Opening Ceremonies I got up this morning motivated to work out doing Tabatas 2 days in a row. What is a Tabata you ask? It is an intense workout of your choice at full strength and speed. 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest. For 4 straight minutes full speed ahead. Take a look at my last 2 days.

Yesterday
Tabata 1 – Body Weight Squats: Using my own body I would squat down as fast as I could for 20 seconds. Then rest for 10. Then back to it. 8 sets! And boy does it burn.
Tabata 2 – Spin Bike: Got on the spin bike and set it up for full sprint.
Tabata 3 – Skiers with Medicine Ball: Lay a jump rope down on the ground and jump over it left to right with my feet together. Holding an 8 lb medicine ball in both hands as I jump, I raise my arms over my head and end my jump with the ball out to my side making sure I keep my arms outstretched. During this Tabata I also did high knees. Just running in place bringing my knee up high. Lets say that towards the end my knees were less than impressive.

Today
Tabata 1 – Sledge Hammer: With a 12 lb sledge hammer all of us motivated men got up at 8am to pound a huge wood stump. You know the scene in Meet the Parents where Ben Stiller says you will have to pry it from my Kung Foo grip? Well, after 4 minutes of pounding a wood stump, my fingers wouldn’t extend for a solid 2 minutes. And yet I felt great!
Rest of Workout – Stair hops, deep push ups, curl presses with a kettle bell and snatches with the kettle bell.

Get someone to work out with you and bring a good stopwatch. You can do 3 Tabatas and have an amazing workout done in 20 min. Try sit-ups. Jump rope. Or hopping on stairs. Hear the Olympic music. Have a medals ceremonies. Whatever you need to get motivated to move and feel healthy.

SB

On Day 7 for lunch, I realized that a light lunch is just fine for my body. Here’s what I had…

*Organic Whole Foods 365 Coconut Milk
*Organic Strawberries
*Organic Bananas
*Ezekiel Sprouted Cereal
*NutriHarmony’s Whey Protein

I started off with a can of coconut milk that I had put in the fridge so it would be really thick. Dumped that into a container, and sliced up berries and ‘nanners to fill it up. Then I mixed it and stuck it in the freezer for several hours to let it get really solid and cold. Dumped a bunch of sprouted cereal and a scoop of Whey…VIOLA! Oh baby I loved how easy it was, the taste, and I felt amazing all afternoon. What I love is 1. The protein is raw and pure. 2. The fruit is local and organic. And 3. the total cost of my lunch was probably under 5 bucks. Can’t beat that, huh?

Every 7 days we are on a fast and so that started last night at 8pm and it will carry for 18 hours until today at 2pm. From a physical perspective, a fast is great because like all things, our body needs a rest. I hope to enjoy the spiritual perspective of time in prayer in those moments I am thinking about chowing something down. Maybe as the 40 days go on I will increase the time. We’ll see.

On Day 8 I feel like I’ve gotten past the detox and feel like a million bucks. My body feels light and my tummy feels more tucked in than ever! AH YEAH! I woke up today with ease and feel like I have sustained energy throughout the day.

One last thought. Try Kombucha. It’s an organic raw tea that is full of enzymes and probiotics. Simply put, it’s a delicious drink full of all the good bacteria we need in our body that we kill daily because of the “poo poo caca” we feed ourselves. It has helped me with digestion for sure in the last couple of days. Make sure you get one that does not contain sugar, and I can make one small bottle last me 3 or 4 days. A swig here and a couple swigs there, and life is grand. It’s kept cold in your health food store and comes in all kinds of flavors.

More later,
SB

It’s the morning of the 7th day and I’m waiting for the kettle to whistle so I can have my morning cup of delicious Enfusia. Energy in a cup, baby. One thing this tea does that has surprised me is suppress my appetite. I just don’t eat as much. So as I wait, I shall recap Day 6 because I failed to post last night.

I had lunch with a guy about my 40-day holistic cleanse/fast, and we got to talking about the perception of what is considered “healthy” in America. His comment was, “If it’s not Coke, people think it’s healthy.” He makes a great point. I know when I first walked into a Whole Foods I thought I found the lost treasure of Atlantis. It was as if I had walked into Wonka’s factory and I could pick anything off the shelf, eat it, and be in health heaven. But let’s be honest, a “healthy” cookie is not healthy. It’s just the lesser of 2 evils. This became even more evident to me yesterday because I had lunch at Whole Foods with my beautiful wife and one of my closest friends. But as I checked ingredients, I kept reading Canola oil, sugar, or some form of dairy. What a whip. I ended up with the salad bar and some deli turkey. My lesson learned on Day 7 is: yes, it is difficult to eat clean and right for your body. It does take some thought, and if I am rushing through life in a hurry, then there is a good chance that quick, easy, and available overrides what’s best for my body.

But as I continue to learn a lot about myself during these 40 days, I want to encourage everyone to find a balance. It’s not realistic to eat perfectly all the time. But we have to learn what is right for our body and learn to find a balance. I read this last night…

“No matter what people own in life or what their positions are, if their health is not good, they will not enjoy anything. Good health is one of the greatest treasures we have; it is a gift from God.”
-Joyce Meyer,

In Pursuit of Peace

This is a book that is talking about anxiety, fear, and discontentment in our busy hurried lives. Hmmm, so there must be something vital about how we deal with stress and the craziness of life, and how we take care of our bodies.

More later today. Tonight we start our fast.

SB

Today was all about leftovers. Everything I ate today was made yesterday or the day before. I like that. There is something about the anticipation of getting to enjoy again a meal I’ve already tasted. And I seem to get a simple joy when it’s even more delicious the 2nd time around.

I had my hard workout today. It was supposed to be full force for 30 min. I survived 15 minutes. I’m not sure exactly what happened. Maybe it was 5 flippin’ days without coffee. Is my body going through a severe detox? I’m not sure exactly what it was, but I finished half of my workout and felt the room spinning around me.

Here was the 1st part of my workout that I was supposed to finish in 15 minutes:
50 – Push-Ups
50 – Squats with overhead press holding 30 lb medicine ball
50 – Squat Thrusts

Has anyone out there ever done a squat thrust? It’s what they make you do in hell in between each move. You squat down and put your hands on the floor. Then you kick both legs back until you are in the push-up position. After that, you pull your legs back in so you are back in squat position and then you stand back up. Brutal. I finished my last squat thrust with the seconds ticking down, and I then proceeded to fall over. I did the math as I lay in my own pool of sweat panting like an overheated Bull Dog. Just a week ago, I did a workout with 300 reps in it with all kinds of crazy stuff. I was fine. I could have smoked a cigarette during that workout. So I blame it on detox. My body must be hating me right now, and it serves me right for putting it through hell. Sprouting grains, sans coffee, and no cheats. I deserve to only make it through half of my workout. That’s right…I only made it through half. I will end with this. I drank a cup of Whey with water, and in about 2 minutes, I starting feeling a lot better.

Tonight I can proudly admit I have not watched a re-run of Seinfeld or anything else on the Dish. TV is such a wonderful thing, but like anything in life, it can become too much. So I read, walked the Dobe 2 miles, and am saying good night to all of you faithful OH&H readers. All 4 of you.

SB

So I missed Day 3 on the blog posts so I’ll give you a quick recap. Did 30 pushups, some sit-ups, and walked the Doberman about a mile in 105 degree weather. We ran the last 100 meters and I thought I was going to throw up. I love hot weather but this is kind of ridiculous. Yesterday I made black beans with grass-fed stew meat. And then I made an amazing mushroom barley soup. Here’s what I did…

I took a stock pot and heated up extra virgin olive oil and butter. Then I sweated out some chopped onion, celery, and carrots or as some chefs call it, the “Holy Trinity”. I added all kinds of wonderful herbs from my organic garden like basil, oregano, and thyme. Then I splashed in some white wine and chopped up baby bella mushrooms. The smell was rockin. I then added barley that I had sprouted for 2 days. That simply means I soaked them in water and rinsed them a couple times a day. Sprouting grains produces more vitamins through the germination and it creates all kinds of enzymes that make it easier to digest and to utilize all the good things in our system. Added chicken broth and then some sea salt and cracked pepper to taste. Sweet Francis, it was awesome.

So being on Day 4, I have come to the realization that trying to eat perfectly, sleep on schedule, and make sure you are resting is hard for one reason and one reason only. As Americans, we hate thinking, and we love things fast and now. And eating what’s right for your body simply takes a little thought. If I don’t plan out my day or think ahead, I find myself getting hungry, and all I can think of is 3 stacks of hot buttermilk pancakes from Cracker Barrel slathered with real butter and dripping in pure maple syrup. So thinking through what you are going to eat over the next day and making sure you have prepared food for on-the-go can be tricky. It’s possible. We just have to make it a priority. We must truly believe that getting rest, reducing stress, and eating right is not just for our girlish figure but it’s crucial to living life to the fullest. Our laziness and “I want it now” attitude has reduced our culture to such a selfish mindset where our goals simply become making money or getting the next best item. When it comes to eating, I have learned to take 5 quiet minutes to think about what I’m making and how thankful I am for it. Here was my breakfast this morning…

1 tall glass filled halfway with sliced bananas and strawberries. Then I poured coconut milk halfway up the glass to cover the fruit. Then I took a wooden spoon and mashed everything together. 1 scoop of Whey Protein, 1 tbs natural peanut butter, and the rest of the glass full of ice-cold Enfusia. It was refreshing, fruity, full of amazing protein, and enough antioxidant power to make my hair stand up! It was so good I licked the inside rim of my glass like I hadn’t eaten in 3 days. Everyone should try it and you can even put it in the fridge for awhile and it will become a yogurt consistency. That’s real eatin’, folks.

No caffeine headaches and I’m convinced that’s because of the Enfusia. Yerba Mate is the main ingredient in that energy drink and I thank Jesus for making the rain forests so that wonderful herb can grow on our planet. My stomach has tucked in just a tad. I’ve seen the amount I eat reduce a smidgen which has been surprising. I look forward to getting plenty of rest tonight because tomorrow is my hard workout.

SB

I woke up this morning at 7:30 and found myself gravitating towards my Bodum coffee maker. I could smell the aroma of 963 Coffee brewing already. My body felt good but mentally I simply wanted to enjoy a hot cup of java as I strolled through my garden. So I quickly brewed a cup of Enfusia and I’m proud to say that I’m sitting outside and feel great. But I sure would love to still have my Cup of Joe.

I finished off last night with a lovely dinner of grilled skirt steak and pinto & black beans. A scoop of guac with a little bit of lettuce and tomato. This was at the amazing Salvadorian restaurant called Gloria’s. Ironically when you want to eat badly, Mexican-style food is the worst because of all the chips and tortillas, but if you stay away from those it can honestly be the easiest place to eat healthy.

I have done 30 push-ups so far and some sit-ups. My plan is to maybe take a walk if the 105 degree temp doesn’t bake me and by the time I snooze tonight get in 70 more push-ups and another chunk of sit-ups.

Breakfast: Hormone-free, antibiotic free ground pork with Italian seasoning from Burgundy Farms. They are 50 miles away and deliver directly to your door for 5 bucks. When the doorbell rang at 9am, on time as usual, I was giddy about my new shipment of goods. I highly encourage everyone out there to find a local farmer (mine is Wendy) and start a relationship. Look for grass-fed and free-range protein because more than likely you will save a bit of greens and can chow down confidently knowing where your meat is coming from. I also had scrambled local free-range eggs with goat cheese. And then finished it off with a nice big organic carrot from our organic co-op. Everything took 10 min to prep and cook and it was super easy.

Lunch: Made a hodge-podge bowl of leftover peas, corn off the cob, ground turkey, and sweet potatoes fries that were baked in butter and olive oil. I’m trying to eat slowly. Enjoy my food. And not overeat. It helps to either do something else while I eat like this blog or think about every bite I take and think of everything that happened before it made it to my bowl.

Real Food Supplements: taking my NutriHarmony religiously now, and I’ve never felt better. My morning regimen now looks like this…

Before I eat:
*4 Life Code
*2 Fat Loss
After my first bite:
*2 Lean Max
*2 Multi Vitamins
*1 Scoop of Whey Protein

Mid Day regimen:
*1 Fat Loss before I eat
*1 Lean Max with my meal
*1 Multi Vitamin with my meal

I’m doing a little research on the best pre-natal vitamins to take. No, not because my wife’s got a bun in the oven but because I’ve heard a lot of talk about it recently and I’m realizing how much horrible information is out there. I will add another post hopefully today to address what soon-to-be-mommy’s should take and what I have found to be a great NutriHarmony solution that is Real Food and wonderful for the body.

SB

Last night I wanted to go out with a huge bang. I sat down knowing I would not touch sugar to my lips for 40 days which caused me to consume Newman O’s, Almond Milk, and Vanilla Macaroon Granola…all in the same tall clear glass. Oh happy day.

Fast-forward to this morning. I woke up at 6:30am and my stomach was pissed at me. I think mentally I was already not doing well since I decided to eliminate coffee during the next 40 days. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking when I made that decision but it’s mid-morning and I’m surviving.

Breakfast: Scoop of Whey Protein in 12 oz of unfiltered water and a local Texas Peach. About 2 hours later I needed more so I had 1 free-range egg and chopped up grass-fed brisket.

Lunch: Scoop of Whey Protein in 12 oz of unfiltered water.

Supplements: I took 4 Garden and the Greens today because I knew I could use the boost without my beloved coffee being in my life. 4 Life Code, 2 Fat Loss Maximizers before I ate. And then 2 Multi Vitamins, 1 Lean Maximizer, and 2 Fibers.

Drink: I have only had about 20 oz of water so far. But I’ve brewed Enfusia and I’m rockin! Feel awesome right now. Drinking hot Enfusia, full strength, with nothing in it. I like that earthy, strong herbal tea flavor.

My prayer this morning: Lord, I desire that during the next 40 days I experience Jesus in a new and fresh way. Not because of something I knew from Vacation Bible School or some book that I picked up off the shelf at the cool Christian bookstore. Not because someone famous preached about a new cleaver way to be a better me or sacrifice my life for the Kingdom. Lord, I want to find you because I came closer to you. And I ask that it transforms my heart, mind, and body over the next 40 days.

Workout: Have not had my hard workout today but I will in about 2 hours. And then I’m helping a couple in our community group move to the ‘hood. Or the O.C. as some of us would call it. Have I ever mentioned that in hell that’s what they make you do? Move.

Hell: “Welcome to hell. Here are the keys to a 5000 square foot beautiful home that is only 5 blocks away. Just pack up everything you see in boxes, load them all up in the truck, and unload all this heavy furniture and all the small delicate items into your new amazing home.” And just when the last piece of newspaper is unwrapped from the very last plate you put in your cabinet…DING DONG! “Welcome to hell. Here are the keys to a 5000 square foot beautiful home that is only 5 blocks away. Just pack up everything you see…” Now that is my personal hell.

As the days count down to Aug 1 and the start of this 40 Day Holistic Fast approaches I am excited and yet dreading it all at the same time. One of the things I know will help me during this time is taking the right supplements and at our studio we have discovered probably the best sourced and manufactured supplements on the planet. It’s called NutriHarmony and during the 40 days I’ll be utilizing the Whey Protein, Enfusia, and Fat Loss Maximizer more than I have already been. What we love about all of these and what sets them apart from anything else people have taken and heard about is that it’s all 100% Real Food. Organic, Non GMO, and un-denatured. It’s the equivalent to harvesting out of the Garden of Eden. And lets face it, I’ll need all the help I can get during these 40 days.

Whey Protein
Protein is something everyone needs more of in their diet. Protein has amino acids which help with balancing our body’s hormones. Protein helps with those crazy sugar cravings and helps sustain us longer between meals. In America we are very carb heavy. And the protein we do consume is the most disgusting stuff you can imagine. The easiest way to get protein into my diet will be through whey. So my plan is 1 to 3 scoops a day. I’ll have a smoothie in the morning that is 1 cup Coconut Milk, 1 cup fresh organic fruit, and 1 scoop of whey. Blend that with some ice and it should be fantastic. I’ll most likely finish my day with 1 scoop in some water. If I slam it at the end of the day then it will help with the production of growth hormones (70% of which are created during sleep) and help my body recover for my next day. And then I’ll try and have some after a workout to help rebuild my muscles that I just tore down. Along with enhancing my immune system and increasing glutathione levels, this stuff is amazing.

Why I love NutriHarmony’s Whey – Its over 98% un-denatured, meaning its almost perfect. It hasn’t really been taken out of its NATURAL form. Getting raw protein is impossible. A scoop of this will be better than the finest, Prime, grass-fed, organic piece of steak. It hasn’t been heated and treated with any type of chemical. Nothing truly comes close to it and I’m looking forward to seeing what it will do to my body during these 40 days.

Enfusia
Everyone is looking for the greatest energy drink. We live in a fast-paced world where we work 60 hours a week, and 7 cups of coffee with an iced latte is just not cutting it any more. I’ll be the first to admit that organic fair wage coffee is served at the gates of Heaven, but coming across Enfusia has blown me away. It’s a blend of herbs from deep in the rainforest of South America. The main ingredient in this powerhouse tea is Yerba Mate, the drink seen in the hands of anyone walking around the streets of South America. Because the tea is not heated above 100 degrees, it’s raw and full of antioxidant power. If you know about ORAC scores then you know a glass of Enfusia packing over 70,000 ORAC is unheard of. There is nothing that comes close to touching that. What does that mean for me during this 40 days? Detoxification baby. I’m going to get all those yucky nasty toxins that have been building up in my body out! Not to mention Enfusia will help suppress my appetite and be a fighting army for my digestion.

Why I love Enfusia – It has Mateins instead of Caffeine, and that is so wonderful because the energy I get will sustain me throughout the day. I will feel balanced and alive. I hate the crash I get from other stuff so I can avoid it altogether. My favorite new way of drinking it is iced with pieces of fruit cut up in it and some drops of Stevia. If I’m feeling frisky I pick some mint from my garden and top it off. Ah yeah.

Fat Loss Maximizer
Its not my goal to lose a bunch of weight during this time but I have always wondered what it’s like to not have any additional parts of my body hanging over my belt. So if I’m going to knock out those final pounds I thought this would be a perfect time. In a nutshell, the way Fat Loss works is that it slows down the absorption of carbs in my body. Now I can’t go eat cookies every day and hope this performs a miracles. Its just Real Food, not some chemical junk. So I’ll take it 10 minutes before my meals, and it will help me absorb my carbs more slowly, which will help me with my insulin levels. Bottom line is if I’m taking care of myself, moving a lot, and eating right, this stuff will help me drop those pounds I need help with.

Why I love Fat Loss – I’m horrible with the insulin. I know this because the final bit that I need to lose is in my belly. That gut is a big sign of insulin imbalance, so knowing Fat Loss will help with that is perfect. My plan is to try and take some pinches or measurements and after 40 days I should be able to report some pretty cool results.

So that’s it for Real Food Supplements. Next post will be about my schedule.

SB

Lets just say its going to take a lot of mental preparation to do this 40 day fast. And its not going to be exactly the traditional fast of going without food. Lets say its my own take on a 40 day fast. I have never gone 40 days of being perfect at eating, working out, sleeping, and several other things. Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to post about the specifics of the 40 days. But here is a rough draft.

Eating – I’m going to try and eat as perfect to my metabolic type as possible. I will not eat refined sugars, chips, dairy unless its raw, and will stay away from almost all grains. I’ve never gone this long without cheating so everyone start praying. But I want to see if its possible so I’m going to need a good plan and schedule. As for drinks I’m only allowing myself 1 cup of a coffee a day, spring water, and Enfusia tea. I will post more about the tea later.

Sleep –I’m shooting for 8-9 hours of sleep a night. At 10pm every night I will stop every thing that I’m doing and get ready for bed ending the night with journaling and reading. The killer will be no tv after 10p. I’m also going to limit my tv watching to X amount per day and week but I haven’t come up with the number yet.

Meditation – This will be a tough one but I plan on starting with 5 min a day and see how much I can increase it by the end of 40 days. Contemplative prayer and meditation is something I’ve started to do and really enjoy. I am learning things about myself and God that I never knew I would. I look forward to really working on this discipline.

Working out – What a journey I have been on in the last 10+ years of my life when it comes to losing weight and being fit. I’m currently around the 195 mark and that is a +/- 5 pounds depending on if I had a weekend of chips & salsa with some yummy desserts. I’m planning on weighing myself and taking measurements. Not with the goal of actually losing more weight but simply to see what happens. I will workout hard 3-4 times a week and do at least 30 min of some sort of physical activity every day. That could be gardening or going for a walk with my beautiful Doberman.

Supplements – I’m going to be taking a regiment of Real Food Supplements to help with various things. I’ll be posting about each one to explain the purpose of them all.

I have no idea what to expect after the 40 days is over. I dread yet look forward to how much I will grow and discover not only about myself but also about the body and mind. Until then I will keep posting more details, continue to plan, and eat some more Kettle Krinkle Salt & Pepper Chips!

SB

Where do I even begin. I have gone through many life changing things and I don’t know what to talk about first. Job change, living healthy, trying to simplify life, find peace and rest in a hectic world, and my first successful organic garden. With so much to talk about I thought I would put a small post out there to share some fun things that will be coming in the months to follow.

I’m eager to share about all I’ve learned in my 3rd official growing season. That will probably be my first post.

But something I’m even more scarred, uh, excited about is my own version of a 40 day fast. My plan is a post every day during that time. Now since I’ve not said a word in 12 months the crowds out there can scoff and laugh. And with perfect justification. So I will need to put my money where my mouth is and just let the posts speak for themselves. I will post in the next couple weeks about what it will all involve and then I think my target date is end of July.

Its exciting to write again. To share my thoughts out loud and get back to what I’ve loved so much. I hope as I process my life that it would challenge us all to do the same.

SB

There is this special feeling that happens in the beginning of a relationship that comes from the newness of it all. Its that giddy anticipation one gets when they find themselves checking their email for the 77th time of the day hoping for one extra slice of information. I’ve been married to the most beautiful woman on earth for over 2 years and every moment continues to get richer and full of life. But the “out of this world” euphoria I am speaking of happens only in the beginning. Sure, I get glimpses of it today but not like in the beginning.

The heart makes you do stupid things. I would stay up every night until 3am on the phone. That is dumb. That is 5 hours past my bedtime. I need my sleep. I would write emails so long I had to put page numbers at the bottom. That is dumb. I have a busy job. I need my job. I started wearing tighter close BEFORE I lost all my weight. That is dumb. I had a very large belly that hung over my belt. I need my belly room. The beauty of love is found in the stupid. Because the silly ridiculous things we do are a tiny reflection of our heart truly wanting to sacrifice for another. The problem comes when we screw things up with fear, selfishness, and worry. And I’ve talked to plenty love birds out there lately who are caught up in the Game.

The Game. Oh the glorious Game. Many have been hurt by the Game and that’s why you see so many folks today walking around with The Great Wall of China around their heart and mind. It started off with “date as many people as you can at the same time and then pick the one that is right.” Then the pendulum swung hard right and we began to “Kiss Dating Goodbye”. This was one of my favorites. It’s just like those Christians to try and put a cute little bow on something to prevent us from getting hurt. All it truly did was create “Friendationships”. I’d like to take a break from our regular program to thank TLC for that wonderful word and how it’s helping to change lives all over the world. So now what you have are boys who “don’t date”. That is dumb. I’m so glad as an American Christian culture we’re proud of putting out sissy boys that are scared to man up. The radical Gospel calls for William Wallace type men, and we seem to be satisfied by someone more like Clay Aiken. All the while girls who are already crazy enough continue to get more crazy. Why? Because now there are thinking about 50,000 things instead of just 25,000. They hope and dream to be pursued and loved by a man and when it doesn’t come because of wimpy Jesus boy then they go and do something like picking the fruit from the tree. Girls try and take control and do what is not supposed to be done. That is dumb. It didn’t work for Eve and it won’t work for any girl out there. So follow the chain: Fear and selfishness make us want to take control and find a formula that works. Formulas create the Game. The Game is designed to create manipulation. Manipulation between 2 people brings frustration. Frustration leads to confusion and confusion makes us dumb. It makes us do what we aren’t supposed to do. Girls begin to pursue and boys walk around scared of their own shadows.

Rule #1. There are no formulas. If someone tells you, “As long as you do God’s will it will all work out,” then at that moment pick up your Kissed Dating Goodbye book and swing it as hard as you can towards their head. Everything about relationships deals with irrational. When you have irrational you can’t have formulas. But embrace this because the irrational stupid crazy things in love are what make it so beautiful. Sure it’s what also makes it scary. So stop looking for the easy. There is no formula to prevent you from getting hurt and there is not one to help you find love.

Rule #2. Manipulation is a wrong horrible thing. And we all do it. EVERYONE. I’ve spent nearly 3 decades mastering this skill set and could teach it at University as a 3 hour elective. Trust me when I say manipulation is everywhere. And the root of it is simple. In the wise words of Terrell Owens, “I love me some me.” Selfishness is what drives manipulation. Don’t ask yourself, “Do I manipulate in my relationships?” That is a stupid question. Ask yourself, “How and where do I manipulate?” And then write a list 100 long. You can’t control the other person but you can control what you do. And be prepared because if you’ll allow yourself to get honest you will scare yourself with how you manipulate. When you start to get disgusted by the way you manipulate then you know you’re on track and you will begin an incredible honest journey that will reveal to you how powerful and nasty pride truly is.

Rule #3. Allow yourself to feel. Enjoy the giddy moments. Soak those up. Sit and be still so you can enjoy the feeling that your heart may jump out of your chest. It’s in moments like these we get a glimpse of passion and real love. Guarding your heart has become a phrase people use so they don’t have to feel. Because sometimes feeling again sucks. We often think of guarding our hearts as a force field. It’s protecting us from everything on the outside so we won’t get hurt. But it should look more like an actual guard. Someone who stands at the gate and lets the Good come through and the Bad is not allowed. But that is the key. Letting things come and go. Sometimes we have been hurt so bad nothing is allowed in not even the Good.

I got up this morning and just had to write. I know it’s been awhile and I’ve told myself I hope to start writing once a week. I could probably write more right now but I’m wanting coffee. So I’m just going to stop. How do you like that abrupt ending. I never said I was a fancy writer. But I did throw some of my thoughts out there because I’m currently watching several starts to a relationship happen right now. My hopes are they enjoy it and not start playing the Game. We’ll see. So this goes out to all those out there looking for love. Girls: boys can suck. If they are being like Clay Aiken, then just laugh and walk away. Boys: be men. You do the pursuing. Be honest and up front. You have the ability in the relationship to prevent the Game from ever happening. Be the leader and take charge. If you want it to move slow, then make it move slow. But the man determines that.

Off to a wonderful cup of Fair Wage coffee…

SB

You know what else I love about the rain? It slows people down. Today it has poured once again and not only does it force people to drive slower but there is less activity outside. That was the case for me today as I lounged all day in tshirts and shorts, sipping on coffee, and fading in and out of a deep afternoon slumber. One of my top 50 things I love to do…sleep while its raining outside. As my world slowed down today I was forced to spend some time thinking. Thinking about the craziness of life right now and why I’ve been so worked up and stressed. In the midst of looking for answers a small little book spoke a lifetime of wisdom to my soul. The book is called The Best Question Ever by Andy Stanley and I heard about it through one of my lovely friends that I cherish in East Texas. She told me it was powerful, and only 50 pages into the red book, I knew she was right.

As I listened to the constant drum of the rain I couldn’t help but have many emotions fill my heart as I tried to process The Best Question Ever. Hurt and pain flooded fast as I recalled horrible decisions I have made. Frustration set in as I wish I had known about this many many years ago. And hope laid thick as I longed that I would learn to live by this truth from this day forward. All my life I have asked myself, “Is this right or wrong? Should I go this way or that way?” Rationalizing has become my expertise and digging myself out of hurt and pain has become a skill. This one simple question is better than all I’ve asked and if I truly allow myself to process it in every aspect of my life it could save me from all the regrets of where I’ve come from.

There is one thing we’ve all got in common. In small ways and in many gigantic ones we’ve screwed things up. I could write for 4 days, single space, in 8 point font on the many decisions I’ve made in my life that were idiotic and destroyed my heart, mind, emotions, and soul, and we’d arrive at my 17th birthday. We’d then have to spend another week as I typed into the wee hours of the night sharing gut wrenching stories of the people I’ve hurt with my words and actions during my adulthood. I share this because I pray for you the same thing I pray for myself. That I would find freedom from the many things that have destroyed me. My hope is that you’d go pick up this very short book and learn with me a way to look at our lives in a new fresh way. To ask ourselves a question that if processed right could bring us to a place of sweet renewal.

Now my only question is, will I be honest when I ask this question?

It has been the perfect summer weekend. We had our grand opening of the Bellagio A La Granny Bugs. Our group has called our spot at a sweet 88 year old lady’s home and we will chill with her all summer as we enjoy long dips in the pool and naps in the Costa Rican hammock. My buddy and I worked on the yard which I’ve come to enjoy more and more. There is something sweet about working the earth with your own bare hands and envisioning how big your tomatoes will soon be. As we ended our day drenched in sweat we sat in silence as the cool breeze came through the yard. I looked over my shoulder to see in the drive way my memory box on 4 wheels. My Camry just turned 10 with almost 200,000 miles and as I stared at my car and tried to remember who stole my Toyota emblem, a flood of memories rushed into my head…

I was a spoiled, 18 year old graduating senior when my parents told me I could pick out any car I wanted. I still remember how great my dad was, taking me around the car lots and test-driving all the cars with me. I special ordered a black V-6 brand new Camry with leather seats and wood grained interior. I still to this day have not thanked my parents enough for such an incredible gift. I drove it off the lot with 11 miles on it and hand washed it every 5 days. It now has been all over America and the closest I get to a wash is when I throw some liquid Joy on it before a heavy rain.

I35 from Waco to Dallas. I can’t tell you how many times I drove that route during college. The countless road trips all over Texas. It was our Freshman year when my friend K Day and I were driving back from Dallas to Waco at 9 at night and wanted some Waffle House. Our disappointment came when we realized Waco did not have a Waffle House. Our extreme disappointment came when Austin (110 miles south of Waco) didn’t either. IHOP in Austin just didn’t cut it and the drive back was miserable…but that is what memories are made of. Out of all my college road trips in the Camry driving back and forth from Dallas to Munford, TN (north of Memphis) has to be top on my list. It was the summer of 1999 that I ventured to small town Tennessee to make friends. And what resulted was a new family that I will cherish forever. Sweet tea, amazing bbq, homemade biscuits, and special conversations around the small kitchen table are just a few of my favorite memories. But better than the butter beans were the lessons I learned from Bobby O and Sweet Pam on how you love family. These are the places I’m thankful my Camry has taken me to.

During college is also when a group of us went to One Day in 2000 to worship in a field with 10s of thousands of people. That was the same year that Keas and I jumped in my black beauty to go see his sister in Chicago. Highlights of that trip were: wearing a karate outfit to a high end steak house, trying on dresses, and taking a picture of Keas naked in a corn field…don’t worry, I was amazing at my framing and positioning of the corn stalks

Big Sis and I were “big pimpin’ in NYC” as we cruised in the Big Apple a month before 9/11. I have a photo of the Twin Towers and can still remember saying, “See those buildings? It’s the center of Capitalism in the world today.” It was the first time I saw Broadway and from that moment forward NYC became my favorite city in the world. Most say the driving there is insane. I say, drive in Romania for a summer and Manhattan is a cake walk.

It’s crazy when I start to look back in my life. I can easily get gloomy about all the mistakes I’ve made or the “I wish I would have” moments in my life. But today I celebrate. I look back at 10 years of big smiles my Camry has given me. We have been to the mountains of Colorado and the countryside of North Carolina. The hill country of Texas, inner city of Philadelphia, Washington DC and even a cross into the border of Mexico. She’s got many gray hairs but I think she’s got 5 more years in her. My plan is to drive her until she goes dead and then park it in our drive way and let it collect dust like the neighbors do.

SB

It’s been raining a lot lately. So much in fact I’ve decided to get a Home Depot credit card to buy all the supplies I need to build an arc. Right now they have this superb offer of 0 payments and 0 interest for 12 months. Flood or not that is a damn good offer. And so I return to writing. Don’t call it a come back but it has been awhile since I’ve added any of my measly little thoughts for the world to dissect. I’m looking out of the window on a very wet and rainy day and the last 6 months of my life speak to me in very clear terms. Life is not about waiting for the rain to stop…it’s about giving your umbrella the bird.

It seems lately that I’ve been coming out of a hazy whirlwind only to realize it is Thursday afternoon. No time for feelings or stopping to enjoy moments…simply full throttle and all systems go. There have been those mornings I’ve woken up and the first thought on my mind is the next project to accomplish and something inside of me tells me there is something off. I tuck those thoughts away as I drink my 2nd cup of amazing fair wage coffee and I pick up my sword as I storm off to battle the day ahead. It becomes Thursday afternoon again, I wonder where the week went and I eagerly get excited about a restful weekend that will involve no rest at all. So today I sit and wonder. Why do we do it? Why is it that we wait until something tragic happens in our lives before we come out of the haze and begin to dream of a simpler life with more relationships and true meaning. It seems to me only in those moments of disappoint, heartbreak, or death do we question what the hell it is we’re doing with our life. We then let 6 weeks go by before we begin our plan to acquire the HDTV that we so desperate need in our lives to survive. Anyone who has seen Planet Earth in HD knows this is no joking matter. And so the “rat race” continues. The marathon of people desperately trying to find meaning in work, people, and stuff. Do we continue the cycle of insanity because we do not know the answer or is it that we’ll never figure it out in the first place.

Funny how rain can ruin a day yet some of my greatest memories come from being in the rain. Like the time I was in high school and we played a 5 on 5 death match of mud football. I love how playing in a foot and a half of water makes the fastest of guys slow and the slowest of guys fast. We were drenched as our white shirts were a light coffee color and we still laugh today about how fun it was. Or the time I worshipped in Memphis with 80,000 people. Rain is suppose to ruin a day of white American Christians trying to get their Jesus on so thankfully I am only half and enjoyed the feeling of truly letting go. My senior road trip with 4 of my closest friends had a stop in Ashville, NC. I can still hear the sound of rain falling on the canopy of trees above as we hiked down to a boulder the size of a house. We stood on that rock and sang. We got wet and sang. Kisses in the rain, shampooing my hair in the cold Tennessee rain, sliding down the muddy mountains of the Na Pali coast in Kauai, throwing clumps of sludge, and smiling so big my mouth hurt as it monsooned on my wedding day. We never wish for it to rain on the days we’re hoping for sunny skies but when we choose to embrace it we find ourselves in a special place of making memories that only get sweeter as the years go on.

So as I’ve gotten 6 months older I’ve learned to give the umbrella the bird. Because it will always rain. And I can choose to tip toe through life and hope my hair doesn’t get wet or I can dance and laugh while I lather, rinse, and repeat. There is a weird peace in knowing that when I am stressed out about life that it’s just 1 more of 10,000 more that I will have. Hopefully this time I can make a memory I’ll be sharing 5 years from now. Truth sinks in today and my eyes are opened to the reality that rain is essential to growth. Chew on that awhile until its easier to swallow.

SB

I have a top 10 favorite things to eat list. On that list is guacamole. If you can perfect the art of the Guac you are a crowd favorite at every party. I’ve been meaning to write my recipe down because to tell you the truth I just go by taste so the next time I make it I will work on an actual recipe. But for those of you who have experienced an incredible guac than you know what I am talking about. The meating avacado that comes to life as the salt and cilantro dance with chopped up cilantro. It’s heavenly.

Well, I just came across this recent report and OH&H had to share. Take a look:

Kraft Foods Inc. is being sued for misleading consumers about a chemical concoction questionably labeled as “guacamole” dip. Although guacamole has been made for hundreds of years out of avocado, Kraft’s chemical dip features yummy stuff like hydrogenated oils, starch, food coloring, and other synthetics–with less than 2% of the dip composed of avocado. According to Claire Regan, vice president of Kraft Foods corporate affairs, “We think consumers understand that [the guacamole] isn’t made from avocado.”

I honestly don’t even want to make any comments. I am just amazed that our food industry is spiraling out of control. So on to more fun things like a successful cleanse Everyone has been asking and even wanting to know how they can get their hands on the same wonderful stuff I just used. Sorry for the delay so be looking for a post tomorrow about all the details. I’ll leave this tease: I feel great, my tummy has sucked in a bit, lost the Turkey Day pounds, and it’s safe to say all things that were dark and wrong inside my belly are no more.

SB

Well what an adventure already! The “movements” have already started and it is great. I guess it’s not great that I’m running to the Loo 3 times a day but it’s great to know we are “cleaning the pipes” right now. Some have asked does it hurt, do you feel sick, and many other fun questions. So here are some not so fun details…stop reading now if you don’t want to hear about the bowel movements of SB.

During the pre-cleanse I take a pill that is full of magnesium. The purpose, to “oxygenate” and loosen harden fecal matter down in the rusty pipes. So for 3 nights I’d take this pill on an empty stomach and then go to bed. Without fail, every morning I’d wake up, drink a big glass of water…and then in about 5-10 min I would have to run to the bathroom. What came out was very pudding like. Sorry for the imagery but that is the best way to describe it.

Yesterday was the offical start date of the 10 day cleanse. 1 hour before or after breakfast and lunch I have to mix this awful powder into 8 ounces of water. Not going to lie…yuck O. And then you chase it with another glass of water and an Aloe Vera Pill. The aloe is to sooth the havac you are putting on your system. At night you repeat the oxygen pills.

This morning was day 2 and it was my first “solid movement”…and then after the solid was more of the other stuff. This is a cleanse at its best! To take this thing up another notch I have gone with an Anti-Fungal diet. The below is a list of what not to eat. Essentially trying to take out all things fungus LOVES to eat on. Take those out and you kill the bad guys. I honestly feel so good…this shall become a yearly Post-Thanksgiving endeavor.

NO processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meat, etc)
NO beans
NO fruits except for berries, green apples, & grapefruit
NO sauces
NO sugars
NO dairy except whipping cream and butter
NO peanuts or pistachios
NO nut butters
NO oils besides olive oil & coconut oil
NO sweeteners besides Stevia

The tough parts have been to be off my beloved coffee for this past week. Caffeine headaches truly blow. And oh yeah, the whole taking sugars out…S-U-C-K. But I feel amazing. Clear head, more energy, and my stomach is starting to shrink a tad, lose some weight, and the gunk is leaving thy system.

Stay tuned for more of SB’s joyful Christmas stories!
SB

If you are like me then you probably have at least 3 email accounts. For awhile there I used hotmail for junk, yahoo for personal/newsletters, and then had 2 different work email accounts. On top of that I have one email account for OH&H that tells me when someone posts a comment and to top things off I have a gmail account for only personal emails and ZERO junk comes to it. I like that. So I have finally dumped the hotmail and formed a junk gmail account. It’s good to have a junk email so every time you have to sign up for something then all your spam and stupid emails will go to one place.

Some people have tried gmail and hate it. I personally love it. Yes it is different but I love change so maybe that is why I enjoy it. I like that all your emails are in one place and you never have to delete. If any of you out there are wanting an invite (gmail is by invite only) then just email me at sb@organichalfandhalf.com and I’ll shoot you an invite.

The reason for this post wasn’t really to start a word of mouth campaign for Google but to tell you a cool little trick I learned on gmail. Lets say my gmail account was: sb@gmail.com. Well, if you put a plus sign (+) right after sb then you can put any word you want after the sb and it will still come to your gmail account. For example: sb+organic@gmail.com. I could give that email address out to anyone emailing me about OH&H. or I could do sb+junk@gmail.com and only hand that out when I have to sign up for something. If I want an email just for newsletters or weekly updates maybe I could have sb+news@gmail.com. either way once in gmail I can set up LABELS for each particular email address that I have sent out. And when an email comes into to lets say sb+news@gmail.com then it will automatically get LABELED into the Newsletter part of your gmail. Just an easy way to keep track of all things in gmail.

It’s also great if you want to know who is selling your email address. Because if the only time you gave out sb+clothes@gmail.com is when you signed up at Urban Outfitters and then all of a sudden you get a Viagra email to sb+clothes@gmail.com…well then…you can go set fire to UO with confidence.

Happy Googleing,
SB

So not sure how many of you out there experienced the Freshman 15. There are probably some ashamed they put on the Freshman 30 . I was reminded of my college days of eating KC Masterpiece and Velveeta Shells and Cheese as I might have gained a ridiculous amount of weight during this past week of Turkey and Sweets. Why is it that we do that to ourselves? I’m once again convinced that sugar is a drug…addictive and oh so lovely. And like all things bad for you the fun only lasts for a moment before the substance wears off and nothing is left but a fat body curled up on the couch watching football.

There is nothing like a good cleanse when you feel super dirty. Like a washing your hair after 3 days of camping. I just feel yuck after eating crud for a week, so in honor of the Holiday 20 I just put on I will be starting an All Natural Cleanse this week put out by Aerobic Life. It is 10 days and to be honest it scares me. Why? Well because I’ve heard the stories.

“I did a cleanse for the first time and corn came out. I haven’t eaten corn in 6 months.”

To learn of the grotesque things that come out of our body not only frighten me but enlighten me to why we are so unhealthy. Did you know that 95% of diseases come from the colon? A cleanse literally cleans out harden fecal matter that has been stuck for years. Years! Ok, so I really don’t want to go into too much detail of how disgusting it all is but I am doing the cleanse. Why? So I can have many stories to tell you and then to have proof it works. To then encourage everyone out there reading to get healthy as well.

So stay tuned for the next 10 days as I take a journey like none other. Here’s to good pooping.

SB

If you are like 95% of the world and use a PC stop reading now. Mac users unite and listen. Here is a website if you want to download some great free stuff for OS X. The best web browsers like Fire Fox, FTP loaders, HTML editors and more. Enjoy and please share any other cool information you have.

http://www.opensourcemac.org/

SB

The day has finally come. I have a huge announcement to make. I am the proud parent…of 2 baby…TREES! That is right, a Bradford Pear and scrawny Red Oak. This past weekend I got my hands dirty and wore myself out digging huge pits to put these beautiful trees in. This morning I found myself drinking coffee on the front porch staring at these beauties of God’s creation and wondering: how much should I water them, those stakes are not working well, wonder if the roots are ok, and I need to destory all the weeds covering the front yard.

When I was growing up we had a Chinese family that lived next door and they were always out in the front yard pulling weeds. No spraying of poison, they just did it the good ol’ natural way. And so did I. I found myself enjoying the process of grabbing the weed at the base and doing the wiggle pull until out popped the entire root system. There was this sense of satisfaction as I rid my territory of all these pests. The worst was pulling only to rip the top off. Blast! The sudden horror of knowing that weed will rear it’s ugly head soon was irritating.

There is something special about owning a home. You get this sense of pride in taking care of things and making sure all is in order. It’s my home. I care about weeds and scratches and trees. It’s as if the 50 X 150 plot of land I now own is a reflection of me. I got to thinking of this new world I have just entered into and I sat and thought about how God views things. He cares about those little weeds in our life that aren’t really destorying our lives…they just make things look ugly. So I guess that is where I am this week. Searching my heart and life for the “weeds” that have slowly taken over. I seemed to always look for the things that are destructive and want to make sure they are out of my life. But what about the “weeds”. I find myself having my own agenda all the time, which then causes me to be selfish, which causes me to not be kind, which then makes me forget about real grace, which then becomes a “weed”. I hope to find “weeds” that have slowly taken over my life…and grab them by the root…and do the wiggle pull.

SB

Yes I know this is my only post since my last Lost post so please forgive me all who read this and have never seen Lost. Just go to another fun website like Woot.com and enjoy the deal of the day. But get ready because for all you Lost fanatics this post is going to be fun!

I’m going to talk about last nights episode first and then we’ll dive into more crazy theories so buckle up. I know everybody knows by now that the Numbers are everywhere so I will not point out the many different times it was used last night but trust me the Numbers where everywhere. My thought about the Numbers is there has to be something the Numbers actually spell out. Maybe through some code, 4-8-15-16-23-42, is a word that means something.

You know my theory that Juilet jumps sides right? Well, last night was great as Jack was getting into her head. Oh you gotta love it. “I think she likes him, I think she looooves him…” And how about the xray with the tumor? Is it Ben? What’s crazy though is if someone is sick with a tumor then what happened to the powers of the island? That would throw my theory of sick kids being thrown on the island to be healed out the window. (so I think they are screwin with Jack’s mind) And speaking of kids being thrown on the island…do some math and you’ll notice that Ben said he has been there all his life right. Ben has to be in his 40s. Well, the Dharma stuff came into the picture around 1980. So 2+2= people where on the island before Hanso and his clown’s ruined everything. Chew on that for awhile.

So Ben is messin’ with Sawyer’s little brain. I love it. I love the way they are trickin people. The little tests. Cuffin’ Jack to the table, asking Kate does she love him, and making Sawyer think he will die if his heart rate gets too high. And I know everyone loved the scene where Kate is changing and Sawyer thinks he’s about to die because the monitor starts beeping…too funny. So lets discuss the island that Sawyer sees. Was anyone hoping it was going to be San Francisco??? But to discuss the island we must first talk about something Ben said in the 1st part of last night’s episode…

Jack is working Juilet over and is starting to get the upper hand when Ben comes rushing in. It’s hard to hear but if you live in the World of Tivo you can rewind 10 times and what Ben whispers to Juilet is, “The sub is back.” Holy Hugo and ranch did Ben say SUB?!?! That’s right folks…the Others are using a sub to get around. It starts to explain a lot if you think about it. How they sneak up on the sail boat and how they get from island to island. Which then leads me to the island Sawyer is shown. I think that is the Main Island where the Losties are. But I also think that is where the cute little village is as well. So when Sun shoots Cole they rush her back on the Sub. Another reason I believe the cute village is on the Main Island is when Ben gives orders to Ethan and Goodwin he tells them to “hurry and go gather information and return in 3 days”. So they are off on foot, splitting up to go get info. Which now leads me to another thought that is going to tickle your pickle. If we try and make sense of all this then here’s what we’re going to realize…

Remember what happens at the Tail Section camp? The reason they all go crazy… It’s because a group came and killed people and took the kids. Now do we remember Crazy Ben’s order? Which leads us all to believe there are some dirty folks running around. Dirty Others. Oh baby! This is why the Others had make up and costumes…to try and look like the Dirty’s. The Dirty’s I think have been there for a long time. Way before the Others got there and before Dharma arrived. Maybe that’s why they are so pissed and killing people. Oh and remember Black Rock with the Pirate Ship? Maybe that’s how the Dirty’s got to the island. And I’m not even going to mention the GIANORMOUS foot statue from last season…

So we know Ben has been there all his life. But Juilet said she was a fertility doctor right? Well, I doubt she took online courses to learn how to do all the doctor stuff. Not to mention the huge locker room with 100 lockers and community showers. What is all that about? Maybe Juilet came as a part of Hanso and young doctors to learn and do experiments on babies and children. What if at one time there were 75 doctors learning all kinds of crazy things. And then something went wrong. And Ben or whoever went postal on them and that is the “horrible thing” that happened a long time ago. Maybe that is why Juilet doesn’t really like Ben. Just love it!

Anyone sense the tension of a possible love triangle with Hippie Jesus and Charlie/Clair??? Oh, and I guess other people can see Desmond. Hey, not all my theories pan out!

Another thing to pick up on is when Sawyer was knocked out and is waking up on the table. Ol’ Zeke’s comment is, “ever sense the purple haze our com’s have been down.” Which means the Other’s have lost communication. Maybe they can not talk with the outside world any more. Maybe it’s from island to island. Who knows?!?! Remember the cable Syiad finds coming from the ocean into the Main Island? Possibly the way they communicate from island to island.

Ok please do not spell check or critic my grammer because it will all be horrible. I have thrown this together just to get some discussion going. If you are a Lost watcher and read this please post a comment. Everyone would love to hear from you!

And how about the scary guy with the patch in the next 2 episodes…it’s getting good ladies and gents…it’s getting gooood!!!

SB

Ok, so for all the Lost fans out there that want to give up after last nights episode please hang in there. They are setting up the next couple episodes so episode 6 will be a BANG and leave us dying for more come Feb.

Remember in my last post where I asked the question what is it that Jack is thinking about? Well, I think I have a theory. It’s when Ben says, “I can take you home.” Ben acted like it was easy, and home was just right around the corner. I think the light bulb that went off in Jack’s head was we’re not 1000s of miles away…maybe home is just a boat ride across the bay. Who knows…

Well, it looks like my theory on the Others being kids on the island is coming true. You ready for me to throw a huge hail mary out there? I think the Others were brought to the island because they were all kids that had terminal illnesses. I think the parents of these kids either gave them up for experimentation to Hanso or the parents actually did come with them but then some how died on the island. Regardless I believe the Others are trying to redeem their past. Something bad happen and their goal is to “make right”. I think what they are trying to do with Jack, Sawyer, and Kate is to make them “good”. But don’t be fooled, Ben has lost his mind and I think in the end we’ll see that he has forgotten the true reason they are trying to help and will take things “too far”. And that’s what will be the big division that makes Juliet jump sides to help the Losties.

Ok, now lets discuss the one good thing that happened in last nights episode. Hurley finds naked Desmond running in the woods and gives him a size XXXL tie die to wear. Why in the world is Desmond naked? And he can now see into the future? My word. My thinking is Desmond died and came back to life. He was “reborn”. I know I know…I’m insane but it makes sense. And the island gave him the ability to see the future, all knowing if you will. I think whatever happened to Desmond is closely tied in with Black Smoke. Could Desmond become a key figure? Notice he had a full beard? He went to the future…

I end with this. Something went wrong. Maybe the “experienments” all went wrong. Did you notice kid truck (haven’t we seen that truck before) and bones in the cave. That polar bear said, “Screw you guys and your fish biscuits I’m just going to eat you.”

Crazy stuff. Next week looks great. Kate picks Sawyer and we see Ben going nutso. Love this show.

SB

It has been awhile since I have posted about the top 7 songs I’m listening to.

Here you go:

“Gravity” by John Mayer, on his latest Continuum album. Mellow and laid back. It would be perfect for one of those cool nights on the front porch when the stars are shining bright and the air is filled with nothing but the smoke of a fine Monte Cristo #2.

“Twenty Four” by Switchfoot, on their Beautiful Letdown album. I loved this song when I was in the Cinque Terres in Italy. Memories of drinking a bottle of Chianti Classico while staring at the Liguarian Sea flood my mind. Greatness.

“Chocolate” by Snow Patrol, on their other album Final Straw. My friend Tandoori says this song has one of the best lines in all of songdom: “This could be the very minute. I’m aware I’m alive. All these places feel like home.” Chew on that for a couple days.

“Brown Eyes” by Andy Davis, on his Thinks of Her album. Another friend of my who does NOT have a crush on Andy and who will also remain nameless thinks his music is heartfelt and well written. I’m not afraid so I’ll admit…Andy is hot and his music is rockin, try him out.

“Let Go” by Frou Frou, on their album Details. This is before Imogen went solo…it’s good stuff. Is it bad if I tell you that it reminds me of So You Think You Can Dance? Um, my wife made me watch it???

“Bullet” by Mat Kearny, on the Nothing Left to Lose album. Ok, so I can’t get enough of Kearny (Car-nee), and either can Grey’s Anatomy because the first 2 episodes of the season had his music.

“Constellations” by Jack Johnson, on his quickly forgotten album In Between Dreams. Jack did the Curious George movie and didn’t get much props for this genius of a record. This is the song I want to listen to in my new back yard when the weather is creeping close to 40 degrees and the chimenea is going strong with hickory logs. This song quietly screams relaxation.

Enjoy.
SB

Ok, so it has been awhile since a recipe has been posted. The organic talk has been minimal as well because of all my recent travel. Lame excuse but for all those that travel you know how hard it is to eat smart. Organic life is tough enough because we live in a Partially Hydrogenated World and then you add travel and being on the road…ouch, that is a deadly cocktail.

So lets all ease back into better eating with an organic dessert. Baby steps right?

Makes: 3 dozen

3 cups spelt flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs baking soda
1 tbs cinnamon (get the good stuff if you can-Chinese Cassia)
1 tsp sea salt (kosher will work if you don’t have sea salt)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) organic salted butter @ room temperature
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
1 1/2 cups succanat
3 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract (use the good stuff)
3 cups dark chocolate or carob chips
3 cups steel-cut oats
2 cups natural flaked coconut
2 cups chopped organic pecan pieces

**REMEMBER THE RULE TO GREAT COOKING: GREAT INGREDIENTS**

Preheat to 350. Mix flour, BP, BS, cinnamon & salt together in a big bowl. Beat butter on medium speed till smooth & creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars, beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart (cookies will spread out). Bake 17-19 minutes until edges are lightly browned (watch them closely – set the timer before 17 minutes to check on them).

Best served with fair trade organic coffee. Enjoy.

SB

So the world of OH&H has been a tad quiet and there is no one to blame but SB and SB only. Call it writers block but that would infer that I am a writer. So let’s just say I’ve been lazy.

But nothing like a little bit of LOST to awaken the soul!

Last week as I was trying to come up with theories I threw out the idea that Ben and all the Others have been there since they were kids. It sounded far fetched at the time but per last nights episode it looks like OH&H hits the nail on the head once again.

Things for thought: (my theories on Lost season 3)
Not sure if anyone caught the writing on the top of the over hang at the dock but it said Pala Ferry. Well, when I think of Ferry I think of something that takes me from one place to another. Which would then mean there is something in the near distance that you could “Ferry” to. Chew on that…

Juilet WILL switch sides and break Jack out of that place. I’m saying it now folks…there is something up with her and Ben’s past so we will see some heated events take place this season.

Did you notice at the very end of the episode when Jack was watching the Red Sox game that he had figured something out? Jack has picked up on something and realizes at least a piece of the crazy puzzle.

My theory has been that Carl the kid in the cage that tried to escape was in the tail section of the plane. I still stick to that but why is Alex, the french woman’s daughter, asking Kate where he is? Interesting…

Which then leads me to believe that there are Others that are wanting to leave and get away but can’t. Like Juilet or even Alex. I think this is why Ben freaked out when he heard there was a sail boat. Because he is afraid people could escape. Which leads me to believe you can get off the island if you want.

Remember the ? mark from last season…that is where their little neighborhood is. By the way, notice the pine trees? For some reason I still feel like that island is in Antarctica. Anyways, all the secrets I think are kept their. That is why they don’t want people to find where they live.

The Others either knew the plane was coming or have experienced a situation like that before. They seem way too prepared. If they have communication from the outside world then I think they are either in cahoots with the Hanson Foundation or the HF is giving orders.

Last but not least…where are the parents of the Others? My theory…killed. What we have picked up on is something really bad went down. Whatever that bad thing was is the very thing the Others are “Trying to make right”. If the Others were kids on the island then they were either taken there without parents or their parents died/got killed on the island.

Any thoughts or theories are welcome,
SB

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.”

There are those days where everything about this world just beats the shit out of me. It can be so scary and there seems to be so many answers I want but instead of getting that I find more and more questions. And the unknown scares me. I hate not knowing. I hate not having control of what is to come or what will happen. It is usually those times where the last thing on my mind is trusting. Trusting God can be the easiest thing to say or pray about and the hardest thing to truly believe in the heart. I know it is something I always struggle with. I fight with my future and I battle even more when things happen to me that bring me pain and not happiness. Maybe this is why we cling to joy. Who knows. I’m terrible at having the answers. I use to feel like I always had the answers. Maybe feeling like I have control or thinking I have the answers are just my false ways to feel better in a world that is so unpredictable. If I trick myself into thinking I can make it all happen then there is a mirage of hope I can cling to. And yet every time I do that I seem to put my hope into something that will ultimately fail me. That hope that fails me is the hope in myself or even the people around me. I wonder when I’ll learn. I often think that every time hardship comes and I grow that this is the time. This is the moment where I’ve finally learned to trust in God. Yet the next week only proves that my pride fools me into believing the lie again that I’m good enough and I can manage my life.

The beauty found in moments that are unpredictable is that you get to experience faith. Because when things are crazy in life you finally come to a place of letting go the reigns…you experience a feeling that is only found when trusting in yourself clashes with putting faith in a perfect God. I think in that trust, we find joy. And every frightening struggle in life that rocks our world is another opportunity to see this exciting part of being loved by God.

It seems so simple. Because I know the answer. To simply trust. To know God is Good and everything will be fine. Yet I seem to forget this simple truth every day of my life. Most of my life I have gotten frustrated with that. Mad because I’m such an idiot. But it seems to me today that the struggle I have shared is actually the privilege of the worship we experience on this world that we’ll not experience in the next.

SB

I have waited a long time to bring this post out of the vault. The vault is where I keep “my lucky dimes” and with recently going over the 3000 views mark I feel OH&H is ready to read a post such as this. This is my one and only warning, what is to follow may disturb you and at the same time make you giggle. That combination of feelings may be too much for you to handle. So this is your disclaimer, beware. What I share from this point forward has been privileged information that has only been talked about in special closed circles. Today I share with all.

For over 10 years I have sporadically taken a survey on the habits of toilet paper procedure while taking care of business in the Loo. I believe the reason this topic of bathroom rituals is so intriguing is because we all know that everyone has to do it but until this point no one has openly talked about what happens behind closed doors. OH&H is about to tell all.

To talk about what brand of toilet paper people use is for another time and place so for the sake of discussion we are all using Charmin Ultra Soft Big Roll. Where things get interesting is not what people use to wipe with, but HOW they wipe. After years of late night discussions and intense interrogation I have concluded that there are 3 primary ways people swipe.

Bunch – also known as wading the toilet paper. This method is the fastest of the 3 methods and is used by those who want to have a quick “in and out” experience. It occurs by simply pulling an ample amount of squares off the roll and “bunching” them up with the tips of all 5 fingers. This has a loofah sponge effect and is only good for one swift swipe. Those who object to this school of thought often argue that this method is the riskiest because the fear of a finger poking through is much greater.

Fold – This method is the most well thought out and methodical of all 3 methods. It occurs when a desired number of squares are taken off the roll and are folded together. Usually corners are met and the process is repeated until the desired amount of surface area has been created. Those that use the Fold method are not in a hurry. They often enjoy their time in the little boys room as a time to think or read. A haven away from the distractions of the world if you will. Some experts say they are able to work with only 2 squares and still work their magic. Others are able to bring a large amount of squares together and make repeated swipes. One swipe, then a refold to cover up and recreate a clean surface area…then repeat.

Wrap – also known as the combo method for its precise combination of the Bunch and Fold methods. With Wrapping you can combine the quickness of bunching with the safety found in creating much needed surface area. This method occurs when toilet paper is pulled off the roll and wrapped around ones hand. Some quickly wrap as it is coming off the roll, and others wrap only after the desired amount of paper has been chosen. Once the wrap is complete there are 3 ways to swipe. (1) Some swipe with the paper wrapped around the hand and (2) others pull the paper off the hand and use the swipe method used above in the Folding method. (3) Rare but out there are those who first wrap, then pull off the hand, then bunch. Yes I know this is getting weird.

Now like most civilized homo sapiens you most likely have not had this conversation. How do I know this? Well, because right now those of you who Bunch are saying, “Fold? What the hell is folding?” And those that Fold are screaming, “Why in the world would you bunch?” And the Wrappers are in limbo confused about the insanity of it all. You see, I just opened your world. I just told you Pluto is not really a planet. I’ve opened Pandora’s Box and just told you Santa is not real. Be pissed if you want, but know I’m only sharing the truth. To answer everyone’s question: yes, different people wipe different ways. Some of you fall into the category of “I don’t even know what I am! I’ve been doing this for so long…and I don’t even know WHO I am.” As you get a box of Kleenex and soak up the tears I encourage you to discover yourself. It is freeing. Like throwing your towel in the corner of a hotel bathroom floor it gives a wonderfully care free feeling.

If I haven’t already blown you away then you may want to sit down for this next part. Girls bunch and boys fold. (silent sound of jaws dropping). A most peculiar thing happened as I asked people about the ever entertaining topic of Bunch, Fold, Wrap. The majority of girls bunch and the majority of boys fold. The world of wrappers are those confused individuals that couldn’t decide so it crossed both lines of gender. Do some girls fold? Of course. And do some boys bunch? Yes. The predictions on WHY this happens are sadly as long as the menu at the Cheesecake Factory. Some believe it has to do with time. Girls bunch because they hate the horror of potty time. That is why at this point there are only boys reading this post. Girls have to squat 100% of the time so they desire to hurry the process up. “I do this all the time, nothing special, I’m wanting this over as fast as possible.” Now boys on the other hand enjoy the experience. Boys will sit and actually finish an article before venturing to the swipe. Boys count squares. Yes, they actually will count them. And the most meticulous folders will even fold a set of squares only to set them aside to start folding a new set. A row of ammo is lined up as if the Charmin Ultra Soft was going into battle.

I have also heard the theory: the parent that potty trained you is the person you learned your fine tuned skills from. That’s why you have overlap. Boys bunching and girls folding. Life happens.

So there you have it. Bunch, Fold, Wrap. I give you this gift hoping you will use it wisely. I anticipate funny and long conversations to arise if you are so fortunate to gather a group of honest and willing adventurers that don’t mind a little bathroom humor. ☺

My name is SB, I am a Folder, and I use 5 squares.

A paradox is when something contradicts itself. I think the great paradox of God is the fact that we have no clue what He IS doing or WILL do and at the same time God is unchanging. In the midst of being so unpredictable God is consistent. Always the same.

The world and all the struggles of life can piss me off. I mean really anger me. I often have days where the only way to say it nice is to simply say, “People bother me.” And at times I just want to yell. To stand on the top of a mountain and scream at the top of my lungs why are you doing what you are doing God? Why do so many die of Aids? How come people have to drink filthy water? Do you honestly have to let so much heart break happen?

Some people use expressions like “the arrows are attacking me” when referring to Satan turning up the heat. When the Evil one is just beating you down, it’s those times the arrows come. To me there are days it’s more like my head is being held under water. It’s those days that anger me. Because my frustrations come from trusting this world and having confidence in those things that are never the same.

When I’m alone with myself and my thoughts I realize how wicked I really am. If I’m honest with myself I’m a deceitful and disgusting person. And that’s when I am humbled. Because God is committed to that. He’s loving to that which is about as useful as a pile of elephant dung.

I struggle in my faith because I’ve allowed myself to believe that God’s Goodness is dependent on what He does. I wait for RESULTS to know God. I seek comfort and great things to happen to understand who God is. And there in lies the paradox. Because God is so unpredictable in what he DOES. He works in such impossible and mysterious ways. But here is the sweet part. He is the same. He is always the same. He NEVER changes. That is the paradigm shift that knocks me off my feet today. I am so weak and I’ve looked to what is happening to ME and in my little world and I’ve not looked to WHO God is.

Security. Comfort. Being safe. The known. A planned out life. Ah, those thoughts are so soothing. I drink those words and realize I’m drinking a cup of sand hoping it will quench my thirst. It’s simply not true. They are all lies that tell us our peace is found in having our lives “together”. So here’s what I’m just dipping my toes in. I can’t be secure in the actions of God. I can only find peace in God himself. In who He is. In trusting He won’t change and will always be faithful. I look to the last 3 years of my life and see something special. I notice that God has been the same. All my relationships with people have not. Hmmm.

God wants to be a paradox I think. Because He wants to do the Amazing. He desires to flip us on our head. You know, the walk on water parting seas kind of impossible. He wants to redeem those that are found unworthy because He wants to show that it IS possible through Him. He works in the extraordinary because it’s then we stop and mumble, “only God.” I guess the problem with that in my world is I don’t get credit. And I also have no control. But it’s only in trusting the Kindess of God that I find joy. That’s how I find joy in moments of life that scream for me to just give the world the Bird. It’s how I find peace in all of lifes shit.

Broken marriages. Drug addicts. Those addicted to porn. A tongue that can’t stop sharing the gossip that tears people down. A cold heart. Shopping to build up a debt that never satisfies. Looking to people to bring us happiness. It’s the impossibles. How does God use this? I’m learning to not trust the things God is doing because I see now that He is so upside down. But I sit quietly resting in the Goodness. Did you know God is the only one in my life that has never given up on me? I’ve come to Him and told Him horrible things. And shared with Him parts of my heart that I’m ashamed of. He doesn’t even flinch. Not even skips a beat. :deep breathe: I never have to explain or prove myself. That’s refreshing.

So I have no clue what just spilled out into words but hopefully someone can make some sense. I guess to make miracles happen you have to do something that has never been done before. It’s a miracle because it blows your mind. The fact God can use me is just that…a miracle. And the peace I find today comes not in how He pulls off the miracle but in the fact that I know He will. God is Kind…He is very very Kind. I have no clue what He’ll do next, but I know He’ll be Kind…He will always be Good

SB

So last night while in the vibrant orange town of Auburn I dined and chatted with the locals. I experienced and enjoyed 2 things I’ve never had before and I like that. I like new. I like trying out the local flavor and creating memories…

First was Doritos Nachos. It’s been at least 2 years since I’ve put these triangle snacks in my mouth but “when in Rome…” A little dive called Mamma G’s serves up nachos like none other. Doritos pilled with melted pepper jack cheese and jalapenos. Yum.

Later in the night I enjoyed a Chai Tea Latte. Now most of you have probably had this wonderfully mellow drink but I bet you haven’t had it like this. Instead of milk I asked for it to be made with their brew of the day. So the next time you crave Chai think java instead of milk. Yum.

I’m ready to get back to REAL food. But for the moment I’ll savor…and go create more memories.

SB

Well, when my blogging Miyagi speaks I jump. Here are my 6 random facts:

1. I’m a 1st degree black belt. So don’t mess with me because I can ju-do flip you on your head. I can no longer to the Jean Claude Van Dame splits on 2 chairs but I can still give a mean, “Hi-ya!”

2. Before my Organic Days eating SPAM was a regular event. Fried SPAM with rice. With eggs. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried I always say. I still think its great but it’s not exactly on the OH&H things to eat any more. Oh SPAM how I miss thee.

3. I spoke Korean before I spoke English. Pretty crazy huh? But when I came to the States I didn’t want anything to do with Korean. Just like a good American does I said screw the world and everything in it…America does everything the best and our way is supreme! I also speak a small amount of Romanian.

4. I have a fascination with stealing. Not little things like electronics and clothes. More like Italian Job or Ocean’s Eleven kind of stealing. The big heist if you will. If I wasn’t a Christian that’s what I would do. Form a team that takes millions from the rich and then gives millions to the…well, to our bank accounts in Switzerland. We’re not Christians remember?

5. If I wasn’t already considered so metro-sexual I would carry a purse. That’s right a man bag. I just think it would be great. I’m always dealing with my wallet, keys, phone, and on occassion my Burt’s Bees Wax. If I had a purse I wouldn’t ever have to worry about how my ass looks when I’m wearing tight jeans and my wallet looks like an abnormal growth. The purse would be the answer. But since I’ve been considered a gorgeous gay man in some circles I’ll instead think of maybe investing in a messenger bag.

6. I’ve dressed in drag before. Ok, so maybe I shouldn’t have put this random fact after #5 but how random is it that in 2000 my good buddy Keas and I road tripped to Chicago and while we were there we dressed in drag. To make a long story short, his sister was a photographer for the city and she spent a lot of time in the gay community. One night we went with her to take photos in an all Black (do you capitalize black? or should I have said African American?) drag club. That’s right, we went clubbin’ with the Queens. Picture a room of 200 black men and women and some that you weren’t quite sure of…and then us. 2 white folks and a 1/2 Korean. Great show and I was confused at times, but it made for a great memory. Dressing in drag came the next day when we were at the wig/dress store most of our friends from the previous night shop at. No pictures to show at this time. Why? Because I had much junk in the trunk and if I’m being honest with my random facts I have to tell you that a picture of me overweight in a glittery dress is more disturbing then funny.

SB

There’s nothing more that I love then when I find a one of a kind place to enjoy food and drink. On my journey from Houston to Waco I decided to stop in Aggieland other wise known as College Station, TX. I needed some free wifi and a place to catch up on work so I took a pit stop at Sweet Eugenes House of Java. It is hidden jems like this that upset me that I live in the Big D that is yet to prove they can have even 1 coffee house close to the caliber Sweet Eugenes is.

I think an essential element a coffee houses has to be a cozy feel. If you walk in and it’s not welcoming then you just won’t stay long. It’s set up for grabbing your coffee and leaving. Starbucks ::cough::. That’s why big open spaces never work. But Sweet Eugenes pulls it off. It’s probably one of the largest coffee houses I’ve been to. Part of their large size is due to the fact they roast thier own green beans on site.

Ambiance. This place gets 5 stars. It’s got a hoge poge feel to it with old street lamps and many differet couches. There are people laying on leather couches reading and some studying at little cafe style tables that have mixed matched chairs. Behind every corner is a new little room filled with unique flavor and design. One room has an entire wall with old books that make it feel like a library you’d find in an old dusty mansion. Another room has a big opening in the wall so you can see right into the next room. Multi-color lights hanging from the wall and tin knights standing tall in a corner. Brick walls and tshirts that say “I spent the night with Euguene”. Classic place and the coffee was better than your average brew. I did notice what looked like a crepe station and the desserts looked yum.

Other notables:
Houston - Diedrichs Coffee: caramel fudge cheesecake
Waco - Common Grounds: cowboy coffee

SB

So I’ve been wanting to post about this forever but I never have the time. If anyone has connections with wealthy people who would like to have me blog every day and would pay me for it then please let me know. I think I would like that job. I’ve enjoyed writing for OH&H and you might think I’m crazy but I’ve started to enjoy the world of book reading. That’s right, reading. I’m contemplating 2 books: Henry David Thoreau “Cape Cod” or do I read “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Now I remember TKAM in high school and I remember not liking it. Wait, maybe that I was because I never read it. I have always hated reading. STOP: I’m writing about HEMP I SCREAM. PLAY: so let me continue…

Do you see the picture of this man? Crazy looking dude huh? Well, lets just say he makes the meanest ice cream sandwich you’ve ever tasted. And it’s not even real ice cream. It’s Hemp! That’s right, ganja. Weed, pot, Mary Jane, (please post if you have other names for it). And I have been able to get them at my local Whole Foods. If your local WF does not carry it then ask them to get it. They are made in Boulder, CO and it’s D-liciousoso! I promise

So find it. And enjoy with a tall glass of organic milk. Or better yet with a hot cup of organic coffee. Have I shared that I drink my coffee black? It’s a whole new world (queue Aladdin soundtrack). Take a break from your stressful week and enjoy something sweet. You deserve it. Hemp I Scream that melts in your mouth with the slightest bit of crunchy yet chewy cookie taste…That’s good eatin!

SB

Do you ever stop and realize how seductive and sexy the world is? With all its wireless and immediate satisfactions. My wife and I went on a much needed vacation and it wasn’t until we detached from the world that we realized how strong its grip is. When we got to the cabin we taped up all the clocks and had zero concept of time. When’s the last time you went 5 days without knowing what time it is? We turned off the lights at night and only had candle light as we read. That’s right, no movies or TV. Life was simple. We often took deep breathes and exhaled what seemed to be a years worth of stress. The world tempts. And it competes for our attention every day. I confess I often lose. But on this trip I think I might have won. So I think I’ll take that small victory and cling to it until I’m once again caught up in a whirlwind of Tivo and quick meals without any real conversation.

Here is a small glimpse of what STRESS FREE looks like.

SB

The Christian life can be very confusing. I find it such because those that don’t follow Christ think one way about Christians and those that claim to be Believers feel there is a big misconception about what a Christian is about. Some people hate church. Those that are in church often don’t REALLY know why they are actually there. Conferences, books, sermons, and bible studies. It gets confusing. Some Christians don’t drink. Some love Dos XX with lime. Some don’t kiss until the honeymoon and some enjoy smoking Monte Cristo #2’s. There are those Christians that are on a mission to find a vaccine for gays and some who cheat on their wife. Some Christians live with the poor and many agonize where to give THEIR 10%. Do Christian’s pray for “purpose” or “blessings”? It just gets confusing.

What if it was more simple? What if only 2 things mattered? And what if these 2 things were tattooed, ugly or not, to the identiy of what a Christian is. Forgiveness and love. What if every Sunday and every gathering and every time you had a conversation there were only 2 questions?

Who are you forgiving that you probably shouldn’t?
Who are you loving that is hard to love?

Wouldn’t that be insane if the big middle finger was given to everything else we think is important…and we just looked to these 2 simple, yet complex things.

Wonder what that would be like?

SB

Have you noticed how sometimes your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness? For me it couldn’t be more true. When God created me He chose to give me something that is probably the one thing that sets me apart in both a good and bad way. Passion. You could describe me as an “Extreme Extremist”. Over the past several years I’ve realized that this has been my downfall because I began to enjoy the bad passion more than the good. It’s kind of like a garden hose that has been turned on full blast. The only problem is I am not holding the hose. So its dancing like a snake swerving left and right getting everything wet but the garden. Sure the water is a GOOD thing. But not when it soaks the house, the grill, windows, and even myself. I’ve realized that I must grab a hold of the hose and point it TOWARDS the flowers. I can’t just let my passions go and sit back. Why is focusing our passions so hard to do?

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing.

Unless you are from another planet or a Baptist, you read these powerful words to those in Rome and track 100%. For as long as you can remember you’ve struggled. You battle with the choice of doing the right thing when the wrong thing is just so much more appetizing. I can recall time after time the moments in my life where I showed the perfect side of my life. All was right with the world and Mr. Blue Bird was on my shoulder. The truth of it all is that those bad passions are so irresistable and they often come from no where punching us like a quick right hook. When its time to bow our heads we feel as if we can walk on water, and then behind close doors we sink, having no faith at all. Anger consumes us. Grudges get the better of us. Gossip becomes the itch we have to scratch. Or is it scratch we have to itch? Lust clings to us like a shadow. And all the while we seem to find pleasure in it all.

Maybe it’s because of that feeling. At the peak of our bad passions we see all of the world. That moment brings upon us a sensation that takes away all the bad feelings we are dealing with. We are no longer fat or unwanted. Our fears melt away like ice cream on a hot day. Control. We feel important. Power. No one is more important. Happiness. We smile and forget about past abuse or relationships that went wrong. Alive. And things seem perfect and those things that hurt are no longer an issue . So we keep on…

We eat another dessert. We keep looking at porn. We continue to talk about others negatively. We drink till it feels better. We smoke all our feelings away. We eat. Matsturbate. Take another hit. Cry. Throw up. Manipulate. Laugh…at ourselves. We make our lives look perfect. Controlling all things in our lives, even the people we love. And as much as we hate the bad passions in our lives it is that feeling we seem to not be able to forget. It’s that temporary joy sin gives us that we crave.

In the past 18 months I’ve been blessed to hear the real stories of hurting people. A gay man searching for hope. A woman who danced for money, afraid of the baby that was on its way. A girl who committed adultry. A guy who just couldn’t shake the strangle hold of porn. A drug addict who watched a family walk away. A girl who cried herself to sleep every night because of her figure. A man who beat his 1 year old son. A guy dealing with sexual addiction, struggling to find a job. And many more stories of hurt and pain. What I’ve told every single person is the same thing I tell myself. Don’t wait to be healed. Don’t wait to get your life together. Don’t wait to find God in the midst of the storm. Because if you do, you miss something special. You miss the chance to see a God that very few get to see.

Simply put…Life’s a bitch. The sooner you realize that you can’t be healed is when you begin to heal. As long as there is good and evil there will be struggle. Such is life. The focus can never be to clean up and get perfect in order to find God. It’s when we choose to look for Him in the midst of the chaos. It’s then that we experience God pursue us not because of what we offer but because we are His.

So we share our stories. The truth. We sit down with a friend and hot coffee. And we share. We reveal those things that have rooted so deep we forgot it was there. We struggle. And we admit we are scared. Maybe for the first time we feel. And it’s in these moments of real life that we take a deep breathe and let out what seems to be hurt that’s ruled our lives. Ah yes! Good passion. A passion that seeks a joy that is not for a moment but that is lasting. And we enjoy the journey of not getting it right or even knowing what we are looking for. I pray you will experience that which I have enjoyed recently. And I hope you share it with those closest to you. To begin living life for maybe the very first time.

SB

Currently these are the top 7 songs I’m enjoying.

“Is It Any Wonder?” by Keane. album - Under The Iron Sea. This is Keane’s latest stuff and I can’t get enough of all these Brit bands becoming popular. Vocals, keyboard, and drums. Simple and superb.

“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. album - Eyes Open. I’ve become a big fan of these guys. Its the kind of rock music that just hooks you. This is the stuff you turn the dial all the way to the right for.

“World Spins Madly On” by The Weepies. album - Say I Am You. So maybe you’re not into Folk but there is something special about this music. Hearing the Weepies live was amazing. Its like nothing you’ve ever heard before and it’s perfect for relaxing and letting the stress drift away.

“A Quiet Mind” by Blue October. album - History For Sale. Warning about this band. I’m not a huge fan of all their stuff. But I love this song and a couple others. This song will not disappoint.

“Nothing Left To Lose” by Mat Kearney. album - Nothing Left To Lose. This guy writes solid songs and knows how to blend some hip hop type lyrics. The music video of this song is good.

“Shy That Way” by Tristan Prettyman. album - Twentythree. So I’m not crazy about the entire album but this song is pretty sweet. Jason Mraz joins her in the middle of this song and it’s just right.

“Look After You” by The Fray. album - How to Save a Life. This song never gets radio time and yet it was probably the best song they played at their concert. These guys simply know how to rock.

For now I hope you enjoy my current top 7. And remember to always purchase your music and spay your cats.

SB

I wonder what it was like to live life when there was no money. Everyone just traded chickens for pigs and corn for wheat. And life was easy. Right now there is about 30 pounds of wild organic blueberries in my freezer, and if I could I would use those tiny balls of goodness to trade for all kinds of stuff. My next meal at Pei Wei or paying off the next out of control electric bill. July was a hot month…cost me 12 cups of blueberries.

Today I came across a story that truly defines the world we live in today. A guy posts on his blog that he is wanting to trade his red paper clip. He gets a response of 2 girls who want to trade a fish pen for the red paper clip. He goes on to trade the fish pen for a door knob. Which he then trades for a Coleman Camping Grill. The Grill is traded for a Generator which is then traded for a keg party. The determination in this guy is greatness. He is able to then trade the party for a used snow mobile. The snow mobile is traded for a free vacation which is then traded for a moving van which is then traded to get a recording contract. Unreal. The contract is then traded to get a year of free rent. The free rent is traded for an afternoon with Alice Cooper. That afternoon date is traded for a KISS snow globe. Seems like a dumb move but he’s able to trade the snow globe to Corbin Bernsen for a role in a movie. And that role in a movie is traded to get a house in Saskatchewan, Canada. Now that’s a great story. Read the full story HERE.

Sooo…anyone interested in a Weber Charcoal Grill? How about a Canon Rebel Camera w/lens (FILM)? Um, I have a framed puzzle of a Noah’s Ark print. Any takers? Oh! How about tuba lessons. I played a mean tuba back in the day.

SB

Came across this clip of a baby girl not wanting to eat her green beans. I guess some are just not cut out for the organic life style. It’s just too funny to watch her get so dramatic about the torture she is being put through to eat her greens.

Check it out HERE.

SB

Not sure if this post is “Funny Ha Ha” or if its “Whatevaz Whateva” so for the first time OH&H is giving a post a double category. I honestly am not sure what to do with this story so pardon the confusion while I type.

On July 4 a mega-church, or I guess its a giga-church (toMAYtoe, toMAtoe) put up a 72 foot statue of Lady Liberty. It cost tithe payers…I mean rich Christians…um, what I’m trying to say is all the friendly giving folks at World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church dropped a cool $260,000. It makes sense though if you think about it. This 12,000 member church in Memphis already has a bowling alley, bookstore, roller rink, school, and cafe. The next logical step in my eyes is “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet…” wait, wrong story…the next step is Pastor Alton Williams leading his congregation to put this Jolly Green giant of a thing in front of their church. “This statue proves that Jesus Christ is Lord over America, he is Lord over Tennessee, he is Lord over Memphis,” says Willliams. I think it was at this moment the Angels in heaven cheered. With wings painted Red, White, and Blue the Angels above blared “God Bless the USA” By Lee Greenwood. I don’t know about you but heaven just got more appealing. (vomit sounds)

Some people in the community were outraged by this statue. But I say shame on you community. You should have seen it coming. It was not long ago this same church paid for full page ads in major Memphis newspapers condemning homosexuality. Nothing says love like “We hate gay people. ”

When asked why would you spend so much money on a statue when there are people in need, Pastor Williams replied , “We give millions to the poor.” Oh Pastor W, that’s what we sinners call justification. Besides, I think you had your Blackberry off when the poor around the world sent you an email. They’re tired of getting more money. They want you to know they give Lady “Love” 2 thumbs up and raise their dirty disease filled water glasses up high and toast to all the wonderful things she will bring to the community. Is it just me or is everyone just feeling so thankful God loves America more than any other country?

I’m sad to say this could be my last blog post ever. OH&H very well could be no more. Why you ask? Well, I also heard that in one of Pastor W’s books he states how Katrina was the result of sin and debauchery. If thats the case there is a very good chance an asteroid will be hitting my house tonight and I will die. If you never hear from me again please play “Friends Are Friends Forever” by Michael W. Smith at my funeral and please don’t forget to drape the American flag over my casket. Wait, I think I want to be cremated. Damnit, am I going to hell for that?

SB

We rationalize. We justify. We ignore. That’s how we deal with screw ups and anything we do that is not good. Anything that is not perfect. But until we face the ugly parts of our story we will never change. We will never grow. We will continue to stroll through life convincing ourselves that avoiding those uncomfortable things are what’s best for us. But in reality discovering the ugly is the only way to find beauty. The beauty that comes from truth.

What we do to others - it’s important to realize how we really impact people. As we stroll through life, we hurt and we help. It’s important to know how we do both. Have you ever asked your roommate or close friend what he or she doesn’t like about you? Tough question huh? But it’s in seeking that truth you uncover the ugly side. Your heart begins to really desire repentance and change for the way you hurt those you share life with. As you see the good you find joy and desire to continue those things that encourage.

What others have done to you - we know people hurt us. But we never really examine it. If we really processed how people have hurt us then we’d discover something so raw and real that it would change how we live. Because there is a simple fact of life - we hate pain. Eventually we come to a place (even if we don’t realize it) of avoiding the kitchen because the stove has burned us one too many times. The pain becomes so great we withold…we keep our true self hidden to avoid further hurt. This is where the cycle begins and being vulnerable scares the bejebbers out of us. Life is full of evil and pain. That will never change. But finding the courage to get back up is the difference between letting life happen to you and you living a passionate life.

Your attitude about God - if we are all honest with ourselves we don’t really trust God. I have at points been so mad at God that I was unsure of what I really believe in. That’s where things get exciting with my faith. It’s when I wasn’t afraid to feel. It’s when I wrestle inside with who God is and why it seems like He wants to screw with my life. In dealing with these real thoughts I try to desire Truth. I don’t want to be spoon feed American Christian propaganda but instead desire Truth. The kind that flips your world upside down. And thats when you encounter God in a special way. Because so far He’s showed me that He’s not afraid to get into the ring with me and deal with my doubts.

Below are some wise words and I hope that reading this will make you feel uncomfortable to the point of throwing up. To the point where you’ll desire change over being the same old self that avoids the ugly story within. I also hope that we never dwell in our ugly stories. Because the ugly is not what tells us who we are. Its the beauty that we find in the ugly that defines us. *By His stripes we are healed.*

“We must learn to tell the story of our lives - how we impact others, how we’ve been damaged by others, how we feel about God - in order to disrupt the sinful attitudes and paractices that still remain. Telling our stories requires us to face painful truths about ourselves. And once we’ve faced those truths, we will again feel the noble passions to love, to be, and to worship, passions planted in our hearts by God’s Spirit.” -L. Crabb

SB

Low fat, saturated fat, reduced fat, good fat, bad fat, fat free, healthy fat, smart fat. Most of us don’t know what to do with this F- word. Its confusing at times and the only “truth” we know about it is what the Marketing Food God’s tell us to eat. Butter bad, margarine good. Beef bad, chicken good. Egg yolk bad, egg white good. Stick with me and I will blow your mind about the Relevant Real Deal Holyfield of FAT. (queue applause)

Its when we’re about to get into the shower and we’re as naked as Frank the Tank that we all experience groupthink: Cellulite Sucks. We stare, pinch, grab, twist, and cry as we jiggle the fat in the mirror and watch it ripple like waves on the north shore. And our immediate solution is if I eat less fat then I will get less fat. Little fat in my diet means little fat IN MAH BELLEH! There is a theory called “lypid hypothesis” and it states that there is a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and coronary heart disease. The creator of this theory was Ancel Keys and in the late 50’s this was hot. A dude named Nathan Pritikin jumped on board and said lets do the “low fat diet”. People loved it. Ashlee Simpson with a new nose kind of L-O-V-E! And why wouldn’t they since they started losing weight. I’m sure most of us have done this and seen results. But problems arose. Raise your hand and say “AMEN!” if this has happened to you…it was hard to stay on the diet, not much energy, and sure enough the pounds came back with vengeance. Why is that?

Our bodies need fat. Fat, which we all know comes from animal and veggie sources, give us the energy we need to think and be active. Its the essential building block for cell membranes and all kinds of hormones (more on how it effects stress in future posts). Fat acts like Fed Ex in the body because it carries Vitamins A,D,E, & K all through the body. We have to have it. Good fat is great for the body but the Food Giants can’t make money on their crap low fat food if we’re not buying it.

100 years ago heart disease in America was very rare. It just didn’t happen. Can you guess what is the leading cause of death today in the good old U.S. of A? We don’t eat animal fats like juicy steaks anymore. Butter use to be a huge part of the American diet, now its “I can’t believe this has no taste.” We have walked away from the beef, eggs, bacon, whole milk, butter, cheese, and we are now enjoying pooches and tires around our waists. I could start citing study after study about entire people groups who are healthy and have little heart disease issues but where’s the fun in that. YOU want to hear about something cool like how NASTY partially hydrogenated oils are. PHO is used because it is the cheapest to produce and its found in things like margarine and shortening. Also known as trans fat its in more things than you realize. You’ll love the process of Hydrogenation.

Its when you take polyunsaturated fats (some forms are veggie and/or canola oil) which are suppose to be liquid at room temp and make them solid at room temp. Sounds fun already. Now make note that poly fats go rancid when heated. Its why after frying a vat of chicken the oil smells. So they take the oil that is yucko from the extraction process and fill it up with metal particles like a nickle oxide. Now that it has the nickle as a catalyst its put into a cooker at high temp and high pressure. Always good to keep heating things that smell more foul the more you heat it up. At this point you have a mess so they put emulsifiers in to give it a better look and feel. But here’s another problem, it smells so bad they have to put it through high heat again to give it a good hose down. Can’t have the death syrum smell now can we? You in love with Trans Fats yet? Well, how about if I told you the orginal color of maragrine is actually grey, and that they have to bleach it and then dye it to get it to look something remotely like butter. Trans fats are found in EVERYTHING these days. Its toxin heaven and your body hates you for it. Heart disease, diabetes, getting sick all the time, cancer…and if that doesn’t freak you out then know it even effects the MOJO if ya know what I’m sayin’.

So let’s get fat. I’m not saying overweight kind of fat. But lets start eating GOOD saturated fat. The kind found in meats, tropical oils, and butter. What you will start to find is you’ll actually eat less. Ever have a bag of chips for a snack but then was just hungry 15 min later? Try grabbing a piece of Ezekiel Live Grain Bread, toast it, and then smother organic butter all over it. You’ll not only have a huge smile but you will be satisfied. For breakfast try frying and egg over easy and eat it with some bacon. Have some organic strawberries with it and you will be good to go!

When God made the egg there is a reason He included the yolk. He knew what he was doing when he came up with the avocado. He’s a very smart Creator and knew one day how amazing guacamole (I promise that recipe is coming soon) would be. Nut butter is good for you (crowd gasps). Start reading and researching yourself. Start noticing that over the last 50 years America is getting unhealthier and fatter. Pay attention to what is in your chips, cookies, fast food, snack bar, and on and on the list goes. The problems started when we lost in touch with our roots. I’m not saying go out today and wrap a stick of butter in a tortilla and call it “good for you”. But what I am saying is don’t be afraid of fat. Hey Hey Hey good fat will do wonders for your body!

Coming soon. Cholesterol and Stress. Triglyceride levels and how they don’t just come from fatty foods. The kind that gives you the heart disease (fat in the belly area is first sign) is made from the liver from the excess sugar in your diet that is not being used. Oh the world of sugar, we’ll save that for next time.

SB

Well hopefully you are ready for another Super Food because this baby is like blueberries on steroids. There are mucho benefits to Goji Berries and here are just a few:

*busting at the seams with all 8 essential amino acids
*coming out the wazoo with trace minerals: copper, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, germanium…
*pound for pound the orange can’t even step into the ring when it comes to Vitamin C
*the carrot is jealous of the beta-carotene bisceps that bulge out of this berry

Grown in the Himalayan Mts the delicate fresh berry is not even touched by human hands, but shaken (shake it, shake it shake it. shake it like a Goji Mat Farmaa!) onto mats to dry. I caution all those that venture into “Getting your Goji on”, it may do things you never knew was possible. Leaping tall buildings in a single bound, running to work, and having X ray vision are just some of the many “changes” you’ll go through. A small handful a day is all you need. I repeat. A very small handful.

I heard it through the Gojivine
For much longer will you feel fine.
Oh I heard it through the Gojivine,
Oh and it’s firming up my behind.
Honey, honey yeah.

It’s Friiiday. I’m listenin’ to Fiddy. Shakin my rump. Gettin my Goji on. It’s a gooood day.

SB

I had to give everyone this link that has started an interesting discussion. Take a look at what some people’s views on Organic Life is. OH&H chimed in to give opinions on the topic. Would love to hear what everyone out there has to think about it.

How you feel/think the way you eat affects your daily life? Future life?
What do you think a Christian’s view of the topic of eating should be?
How far is too far? (still talking about eating right)

SB

One of my closest friends in the entire world lives up in the Big Apple. And one of my greatest memories of my time with Mr. NYC is going to Oriental Express back in high school. Its a “Hole in the Wall” type place that is yummy to the tummy. My record was 4 times in 1 week and there were several occasions where I ate there for both lunch AND dinner. What can I say, I love Chinese food. And everyone who goes to enjoy Chinese food can’t help the fun that comes with opening up your fortune cookie. Well, the only thing that makes opening up your next winning lotto numbers more exciting is putting “In Bed” at the end of your fortune. Try it next time and there will be much good times to be had. I think I still hold the best fortune to date as it read: Behind an able man is another able man.

So the other night my friend the Dragon is going to suprise his girlfriend with the news he is moving to Dallas. What better way to tell your woman such fun news then to put it inside of a fortune cookie. Now don’t ask me how Dragon accomplished this feat, but it worked. So we set it up as the “In Bed” Fortune Cookie Game…and videoed it. We all thought it was funny and I wanted those that were there to be able to view the unedited master piece that I created. So what better way to do that then to post it on YouTube. What I didn’t think was going to happen was that the rest of the world would enjoy it as well. I posted the video just 4 days ago and it has gotten almost 150 views. So some body thinks its funny.

Enjoy the video HERE and remember the next time you read your fortune, add IN BED!

SB

Every 4-6 weeks a group of buddies gather in what we call “The Lounge” (our 1 car garage converted to a mini-Bellagio) and play poker while we smoke fine cigars. We usually play until the wee hours of the morning, laugh at funny stories, and enjoy some TX Hold ‘Em. My best friend, Cowboy, spent a night like he always does and hit the road Saturday morning to get to a car wash. He called me on his drive back and here’s how our conversation went:

SB: How’s the drive?
Cowboy: Good, getting gas and a coke. Hey, you know you’re Mavs are playing in a couple hours?
SB: I don’t think so. They play tomorrow night.
C: Nope, I just heard on the radio that they are playing in a couple hours.
SB: Well, if I was a betting man, which I’m not, I’d put money on the fact they are playing tomorrow.
C: (big laugh) Well buddy, I might just match whatever bet you make then!
SB: So you’re saying if I bet you $100 that you would be ok with that?
C: Now that’s what I’m talking about…$100! Ok, would I have to pay you in 1 lump sum if I lost?
SB: I don’t care how you pay. The game is Sunday bro.
C: Ok, I’m thinking about making this bet with you! Did you read this somewhere?
SB: (second guessing) Well, now that I think about it. I didn’t read it. I just have talked with some people. I was 100% sure before you called but now I’m 75% sure the game is tomorrow and NOT today.
C: WELL LETS DO THIS. LETS MAKE THIS BET!!! (hoping to win back the money he lost the previous night in a game of friendly poker)
SB: Ok, let me make a call to The Prof and I will call you back.
(Hang up)
C: Ok, talk to me.
SB: Well…sorry bro.
(Silence)
SB: Um…Go Mavs?
C: I’ll talk with you later…
Did I mention Cowboy is a die hard Spurs fan. Sucks for Cowboy.

Its interesting how $100 will make you second guess something that you are so sure of. If I was a betting man, which I’m not, I would bet the Mavs win tonight’s game. I’m about 75% sure of it

SB

This is for all you Napolean Dynamite fans.

I have mad props for all those who can spell. Probaly becuse I am the worse speler on the fase of the planit. This video is of the National Spelling Bee Championship. The competition is now nationally televised and gets tons of press. Well, this kid decides to drop a little Napolean quote on the judges and its pretty funny.

Enjoy HERE.

SB

When I think of chocolate I immediately think of Willy Wonka. I have not seen the most recent Johnnie Depp version (heard it was good) but you just can’t go wrong with a classic like this. Do you remember the classic moment below when Augustus dives in cause he can’t help him self? So this is for lovers of all things delicious so I hope this “super food” brings you a big smile. You can now have chocolate in a very healthy way. If you heard dark chocolate was good for you then hold onto your Wonka Bars because you’re in for a treat.

First thing you need to know is that chocolate and cocoa come from CACAO. That word is pronounced: KA-KOW. The raw form of chocolate is cacao. Cacao is the seed found in the cacao fruit. Now, in the world of Hersey’s and Mars they take cacao and heat it up, press, twist, and then add sugar, milk, vanilla, and a bunch of other chemicals I can’t even pronounce. Studies have shown that people who said they were allergic to chocolate were actually allergic to milk/dairy and not the actual chocolate (cacao).

So lets talk about this delightful treat. Its jam packed with crazy goodness.
Magnesium-mineral that effects building bones and balancing brain chemistry
Serotonin-anti stress neurostransmitter
Anandamide-”bliss chemical”, tastier than smoking pot and its legal
Phenylethylamine (PEA)-chemical in our brain released when we are in L-O-V-E (hubba hubba)
Flavonol-antioxidant, its that good stuff that makes Green Tea so great for you

Its a cornucopia of all things wonderful for your body like anti-oxidants and chemicals that make you giddy inside. Lets talk about how to use Naked Chocolate. Here is a simple recipe you can whip up super fast and enjoy as a snack. Put it on a cracker or if you’re like me just lick it off a spoon like I do

Start off by making a small batch and then start get crazy with this and have fun. Just put a bit of this and little of that. mix the below ingredients together…experiement with it. Add your own raw twist to it and enjoy.

*raw cacao nibs - small handful.
Nature’s First Law is the only brand I’ve seen and it comes in a browish bag. Look for it in the baking aisle.
*goji berries (or any kind of dried fruit) - small handful
Nature’s First Law also makes goji berries or you can find them in the bulk bin aisle of WF.
*raw almond butter - 2 good scooops.
To save on cost you can try roasted almond butter or raw cashew butter.
*raw honey - generous squeeze.
Finding local honey is always great for allergies. They ate it in the Promise Land so don’t be scared of it!
*little pieces of organic banana - 1/2 should be enough.
If you stick your finger down the middle of a banana in naturally splits into 1/3. I usually do that then cut it up into small pieces. Apples could also be used instead of the nanner.

Comment below and share at OH&H new additions to this recipe. And for the love of all things organic don’t forget to SPRINKLE THE FLAX on this mofo.

I’m working on a chocolate bar recipe and and also figuring out how to make a chocolate milk type drink (without the dairy). Stay tuned for more recipes to come.

SB

I saw this VIDEO CLIP on Relevant’s website and it made me laugh. It also reminded me of the days where Keas and I would pull pranks on little kids at Children’s Retreats. We’d sneak into the bunks of 3rd and 4th graders who have never been away from mommy and would pull pranks that made us laugh until we got sharp pains in our sides.

The prank was simple. Sneak in at 3am (when everything is funny) and place a large amount of shaving cream into the palm of a sleeping kid. Then tickle their nose. Without fail they would go to scratch their nose and smear Gillette Foam all over their face. Queue laughter.

Probably even funnier then that is when we would pull this prank:

(Myself & Keas would bring a clueless kid to the back room and start with the same line)
SB & Keas: We know what you did so you might as well tell us.
Clueless 4th Grader: I don’t know what you are talking about.
S&K: Don’t lie to us. We know what happened. I can’t believe you would do such a thing.
C4G: I uh, don’t know…what you’re talking about.
(this is when I would walk away frustrated and Keas would take a deep sigh)
S&K: Look, if you’ll come clean with everything then we won’t send you home.
C4G: (tear rolling down cheek)
S&K: Tell us what you did with the squirrel and the underwear.
(not hearing we said something about a squirrel or tighty whiteys, C4G begins to confess all)
C4G: it wasn’t my idea! (sob) William said (sob) we’re just going to (sob) try and scare the girls. we didn’t mean to but then we found out that it wasn’t right and then Chris said it was ok but we had to get to the cafeteria but i promise I didn’t know we should have found it right when we did…..
S&K: (starting to laugh and not hearing a word of the mumbling nonsense) Well, you may go now. And sin no more.

The cruel things we do for a laugh…
SB

These figures are just scary.

Physicians:

(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.

Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health Human Services.

Now think about this:

Guns:

(A) The number of gun owners in the US. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that’s 80 million..)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is 0.0000188.

Statistics courtesy of FBI

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.

Remember, “Guns don’t kill people, doctors do.”

SB

We have a new expression (thanks to The Prof) we’re wanting to make STICK! With everyones help we think we can start something here. Please go out and use this expression in public and then post telling us how you used it.

The phrase of the month is: “That’s Chilli Wack!”

There are many ways to use this expression. Substitute the following with “Chilli Wack”:
*Ah Snap!
*Damn.
*You’ve got to be kidding me?!
*Thats Krunk!
*This blows.

Here are some examples of when you can use “Thats Chilli Wack” in every day situations:

Someone is dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld…Thats Chilli Wack.
You see someone wearing jean shorts…Oh Chilli Wack.
A person accidentally farts in a crowded room…Ah Chilli Wack.
Girl turns down guy that uses cheesy pick up line…Thats Chilli Wack Yo!
All your veggies in your garden are eaten by mysterious rabbit…Chilli Wack Yo, Chilli Wack.

Use it today at work or at home. Post and let everyone know how it goes. TLC and all in the NYC area can probably give us some good stories.

SB

Lets all welcome our very first Guest Blogger (applause)

So after listening to 3 different Lost podcasts, both official and non-official, I can honestly say that I am more confused and have more theories swimming around in my mind now than I did before…but that’s what makes the Lost addiction so brilliant, right? Read on to go deeper in the rabbit hole…

For those of you who’ve never listened to “The Official Lost Podcast” it’s done by the executive producers, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Like Fenry, they enjoy manipulation and misleading…but they also tell the truth…so take their statements for what they’re worth. They said that there were two times that the Island had “become visible”—both occurred because of an electromagnetic anomaly—the time the plane crashed and when Desmond turned the key. Interesting…because that means that at all other times, the Island is NOT visible. There were many speculations about this, the main two being the Island is not really in a tropical location (more on that later) or that perhaps it’s always moving, like the lost city of Atlantis. Although they did not reveal why Kate, Jack and Sawyer were taken, they did say that clearly Hurley was the best one to relay the message to the other Losties that their friends had been captured…so this means that the Others never meant to keep Hurley; he was merely a messenger. DL & CC did say that the hatch was destroyed/imploded, but alluded that no characters died, notably Desmond. To me, the most interesting thing they said was in response to a fan calling in griping about how the Monster storyline seemingly disappeared—DL and CC said that we DID see the Monster after the episode where Eko confronts it, but we may not have realized it was the Monster. Andrea, fellow Lost Fanatic, said that when she went back and watched the pilot, the sound of the plane crashing sounded just like the sound the Monster made and that Rose made a comment about how that sounded familiar…this leads me to believe that we no longer need to ask the question of what is the Monster, but who is the Monster.

The “Lost Cast” and “the Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack” are both podcasts done by a bunch of guys who sit around and talk about all things Lost. They (and other fans that call or email in their findings) do a lot of research about the literature, allusions, history and other clues from the episodes and then talk about how their discoveries could possibly tie into the show. I’ll just combine their findings into one paragraph. First, they pointed out some interesting things that I did not know or had not noticed…the Widmore name has already been seen on the pregnancy test, a sign and on the balloon…leading us to believe that there is a definite connection between the Widmores and Dharma. The book Bad Twin focuses on the US Widmores; the show on the British Widmores. Penelope, who is Desmond’s girlfriend and also the daughter of Charles Widmore, is the name of Ulysses’ long-suffering wife who waits 20 years for her husband to come home from being at sea…notice the connection? During the flashback at the jail, the military guy reveals Desmond’s full name as David Desmond Hume—the real David Hume was a self-study philosopher. One guy pointed out all of the cold or snow references—the snow globe, the snowman joke, the polar bear—and theorized that the Island is not in a tropical location at all, but somewhere arctic instead…wonder if that’s why the Portuguese guys are stationed somewhere where they’re wearing heavy coats and hats and not shorts and flip-flops? (Way to go SB!) Now there is no confirmation for this, but someone said they read that Libby’s husband David was a Widmore! So does this mean that Libby is a Widmore herself or works for the Widmores or is involved in Dharma? Was she hired to give Desmond the boat? Also, note that Hurley’s “imaginary” friend was also named Dave…maybe Dave is not imaginary at all but is connected to Libby instead. The Four-Toed Foot statue, although seemingly out of no where, is important, if only to reveal that Dharma was NOT the first thing on the Island; it has been around for a long time—also revealed by the Black Rock, the pirate ship we saw in Season One. Notice that the Others did not freak out when the Great White Light occurred. Now connect this to the episode with Fenry and Locke—Fenry PUSHED the button, we know this now for sure b/c we know what happens when it’s not pushed. However, Fenry told Locke that he did not push the button, leading Locke to believe that the button meant nothing. Here’s my conclusion: Fenry wanted Locke to NOT push the button; Fenry wanted the electromagnetic thing to blow up; Fenry succeeded.

In conclusion, I’ll give you a little taste of Season 3 from the Lost Producers: there will be 6 episodes starting in September, a 12 week break, and then 17 straight episodes beginning in January. The first 6 episodes will concentrate heavily on why the Others took Jack, Kate and Sawyer. It will focus on the relationships between the characters and they mentioned the word LOVE several times. When asked where J, K and S will be taken by the Others, the answer is “home”—we will find out more about where/what they are talking about. We will learn more about Jack’s tattoos, why Locke is in a wheelchair, and about Kate’s marriage (anyone else miss that Kate was married?). Henry and Penelope will be regular characters—meaning they are VERY important. Three new characters will be introduced: a female in her early 30s with leadership abilities, a very attractive female in her 20s, and a Latino male with a mysterious personality.

Namaste
LCG

Everyone that loves LOST and want to discuss and keep up the chatter as the summer comes upon us will be excited. Tomorrow OH&H will have its first “Guest Blogger” as Miss Lori Tandoori will be joining us as she is the expert of All things Lost & Lord of the Rings. So STAY TUNED as she has some super cool things that will blow your mind!

This summer should be filled with much talk about the island, the numbers, the hatch, and more things that we just love talking about in this crazy world of Lost.

SB

My brain hurts right now trying to figure out what just happened over the last 84 min (Tivo Time). Well, if you’re keeping up with my “World of Tivo” posts then you read my last one where I predicted all that would happen. I think I’m batting 1.000 because it seems to me Henry IS the Man, and the 4 “Good” guys did get captured. Oh, and I said someone would die. Now we’re not for sure the Hatch truly blew up but even if they didn’t die Sawyer put a bullet into that one guy in the forrest.

So I’m just going to start talking and none of it might make sense but here goes. I think Miss Widmore never got married. The Polar Bear Club guys referred to her as Miss Widmore and not Mrs New Guy She Married Over Desmond. I’d also like to predict that MR. Widmore is tied into the Hanso Foundation. Maybe he funds it or owns it…either way he’s connected. Oh, and remember the REAL Henry Gales hot air balloon? You think that was a search party looking for Desmond? Probably not but I’m still wondering about that guy.

Any one curious as to what the first incident was? Anyone think its what brought the “Others” to the island? I’m not talking about they crashed as well. But maybe they’re all scientists who were brought to the island to deal with the “Incident”. Why do I have this funny feeling this latest Magnetic Surge will be bringing a 3rd group to the island in Season 3.

Want to hear another crazy thought I have? What if the island is not in the middle of the South Pacific like everyone thinks. What if its in the middle of Antarctica? If I were the writers this is how I would reveal that: We don’t see Walt and Michael until the end of Season 3 and we see the weather all of a sudden change and BOOM! they’re hitting ice. Maybe thats where the polar bear came from. Some thing is super weird about that island.

So the tents and huts were obviously fake. I heard somewhere there is another hatch that is under water or has water. Its where the shark with the Dharma symbol came from. (Episode where Sawyer/Jin/Michael are in the water and the shark swims by).

How about the pile of journals? That made me laugh. We’d like you to write down every last detail. Its very important. The world’s safety depends on it. And then we see its just piling up like dirty clothes when the wife is out of town.

Did everybody remember where Desmond’s Yellow Suited buddy came from? He was in the gulf war serving with Kate’s dad and was the guy who gave Syiad that money on the side of the road. And how in the flippin world does Libby play into all this. She had a husband named David? She just gives this guy a boat? Something doesn’t smell right there.

How about the big APE foot! 4 toes, just a foot, out there on the coast. I can’t tell if the Lost writers were just drunk when they wrote that one or what.

Hurley gets let go…doesn’t make sense. Jack and Kate give each other this look at the end. Charlie comes out and for some reason is not bothered by the blast. Did I mention the big APE foot? In the World of Tivo you never watch commericals but as I fast fwd through I caught a glimpse of the Hanso Foundation. So in case you were looking for a job it looks like they are hiring. I did already say this show blows my mind right? And it is all fake right?

Wishing September was already here…

SB

We at O.H.&H. are starting a new campaign for better eating. Its called SPRINKLE THE FLAX! Ground flax seed is a simple, easy way to spruce up your daily health…and all you have to do is SPRINKLE.

*Your body wants EFA’s or Essential Fatty Acids - Te Quiero Mucho Omega-3. You can’t get the O-3’s from inside the body so you’re going to have to eat it. Fish is a great source for 0-3’s but lets all be honest, its hard to eat fish every day. Not enough EFA’s have been linked to getting sick, losing hair, cholesterol issues, skin problems, heart problems, and much more. So if you can’t afford to dine with wasabi every day then Sprinkle the Flax!

*Fiber - ah yes, the wonderful magic of fiber. When I think of fiber I think of my college roommate Doug drinking Metamucil and I think of a natural “snow plow”. It just gets the job done. You get Insoluble (snow plow) and Soluble (helps regulate blood sugar) Fibers from the Flax.

*Lignans - ok, to be honest I had no clue really what this stuff is but through some studying I learned its a Phytoestrogen. Sounded like something woman get when they’re REALLY mad but come to find out its an ANTIOXIDANT. And we all know that we need those. Must I say it again, Sprinkle the Flax!

So go out and get you some Ground Flax Seed and get to shakin!
-on your cereal, granola, or oatmeal
-in muffins, cakes, or cookies
-its perfect on pancakes or waffles
-try it in salads or over fruit
-take a bath in it or rub it on your feet
-mix it into meatballs, burgers, or meatloaf

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Organic Life. Stay tuned for Raw Chocolate and Goji Berries

SB

It was well over a month ago that Garden Adventures really got kickin. I was entering the world of Organic Farming and I would just dream about a bountiful harvest.

18 ‘Best Boy’ Tomato plants
3 Cucumber plants
3 Green bean plants
16 Yellow Onions
16 Jalapenos
3 rows of Carrots
And then 2 good size already grown Cherry Tomato & 2 Roma Tomato plants.

Today:
3 Cucumber plants
2 Yellow Onions
1.5 Jalapenos
1 row of Carrots…barely
2 Cherry Tomato plants

At the rate the Plot is going now I will be able to make 1 large Cobb Salad in July. Sad. Its just all too sad. Every other day I made my journey out to see how many Snails and Slugs were rotting away from the Organic “Death” Pellets only to realize someone was still dining in at Cafe Eat All You Want. Defeated I asked the guy at the nursery again and THIS time he says, “Well, I don’t think thats slugs. Maybe its a rabbit or a squirrel. ” Oh beat me with a stick! Rabbits? In North Dallas?

So sure enough we place chicken wire around the plants and our problem stops. SIGH. So with my new move I finally score but I’m still behind. I now understand Mr. Fudd’s frustrations.

Little Creatures - 2
Dumb Organic Farmer - 1

SB

Over 200,000 people attend the top 10 largest churches in America on Sunday.
The largest church in America spent over $70 Million to renovate a sports arena.
Growth in the American church is found in TRANSFER growth, not new believers.

A MegaChurch has more than 2,000 members. But a GigaChurch has more than 10,000. I just found this out! Does anyone think there is something wrong with what is happening? Does anyone feel like we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?

So instead of talking about frustrations I thought I would just put in a VERY FUNNY VIDEO.

SB

Before I share my thoughts on Lost did anyone watch Idol?  50 million people vote and its split 33% all the way across the board.  Nothing like losing by tenths of a percentage point.

Lost - Warning I will be putting some spoiler information about Lost in this post.

You gotta love how Syiad knew Michael was lying.  I predict Syiad will kill more people and maybe burn down the church.  Who knows…he’s crazy!  My big question is why do the "Others" want the 4 people they want?  What is special about them?  Are they "Good"?  And what is "Good"?  Does "Good" actually mean they have something SPECIAL about them? 

How about Walt screaming out, "They are pretending!"  We’ve known that though.  Back in the medical hatch Kate finds clothes, make up, and fake beards.  I don’t think you live like savages and then take blood from someone and put it in a nice little ZIPLOC bag! 

You know how they talk about "the Man" or their head guy?  Anyone else think its Henry Gail?  You heard it here first folks!

And get this.  The boat they see at the end.  Its possibly Desmond’s.  The one he used to sail around the world.  Whats wild is there is suppose to be link between him and Libby.  Libby was the one who let Desmond borrow the boat.  Speaking of boats, what boat is Michael wanting?  How does he know they have one?  Maybe its the tugboat they picked Walt up on.

2 hours, next week to end Season 2.  My predictions:  someone dies, we find out who the head dude is, and the 4 who Michael takes over get captured.  Its about to get nuts!

SB 

Do you remember Jr. High dances?  Girls hands on guys shoulders.  Elbows locked.  Guys hands on girls hips.  Elbows locked.  Now sway.  Left to right.  Now sway.  Left to right.  Only if you had the courage of a lion would you attempt the sway AND turn.  Clockwise of course.

Cotton candy sweet and low.
Let me see you tootsie roll! 
I don’t know what you been told
it ain’t the butterfly its the TOOTSIE roll!

Memories huh?  Oh the evolution of dance and how its changed.  Anyone ever get into a "Freak Train"?  Don’t worry, I didn’t know Jesus back then.  The "Kid N Play", doing the New Kids dance, or how about Krump Dancing.  I just don’t think I could make my body gyrate like that unless my nipples were connected to a car battery.  Its so wild to see what we do when the music starts to play.  What ever possessed the human race to accept the Macerena and why is it we get this goofy smile when Y.M.C.A. comes on?

Well, I saw this and it brought back too many memories and made me laugh so I must share.  Click HERE and enjoy a stroll down memory lane.

SB

I’m not sure how you roll but I’m Old School. A 1997 Black Toyota Camry has captured my heart for 158,014 miles. She has been to NYC, Chicago, and the Rocky Mts. So maybe she’s not as sexy as she use to be but I still love her. The emblem is missing from the front grill, the front left rim has no center cap, and the tint on the driver side window is wanting to come off. About 4 years ago I was listening to a David Crowder cd when my cd player started to act funny. From that moment on I got use to talk radio and my cassette tape of Another Bad Creation. Until today.

For some reason I woke up this morning and thought to myself. Maybe my cd player will work today. Its been awhile but why not just give it a whirl. I get into my black beauty and cozy into my cracking khaki leather with hopes of second chances. I put in Blue October given to me by my friend J Dub and let the windows down to take in the smells of summer. The screen blinks blank. I can hear the cd spinning, so I hit all 6 buttons…and then it happens. Music. I turn the chorus up loud:

I only want you to see
My favorite part of me
And not my ugly side
Not my ugly side

I drove around today with the biggest smile on my face. I forgot what it was like! And 4 years of -ness made for the sweetest music enjoyment. There is something about second chances. Maybe its because when things are bad the good is just that much better. Or I wonder if its because down deep we all want second chances. Sometimes I think its because screwed up. And in those times there’s nothing more that we want then for someone to forgive us for our stupidity. Its even worse when someone has done wrong to . A bad argument or situation that caused hurt. The grudge and pride separates the relationship and a second chance is secretly hoped for to make things right again.