Cystic Fibrosis is Not My Challenge

**If you're here for the at-home workout challenge, pick some of the following exercises that I did at the gym and give them a try. If you don't have access to a gym, let me know which ones that you'd want to do from home, and we can alter it. Here's my workout:

50 Squats
50 Barbell curls
50 Tricep Extensions
50 Lat Pulldowns
50 Straight Arm Pulldowns
50 Box jumps
50 Face-smashers
25 Decline crunches with weighted ball
25 Pull-ups

We did this as fast as possible to get a cardio workout in while lifting these weights. Don't have to do it all, just pick a few and give them a try!

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I also wanted to take a few minutes to respond to Mandi's blog from yesterday. If you didn't get a chance to read it, click here. And be warned, it will probably make absolutely no sense to those of you who read it (as would most of the stuff that runs through my mind). Here we go!!

It's funny the little things you learn (or I guess kinda big) the longer you are married to someone. I feel like I'm pretty open with all of my thoughts and feelings (since I have so few ;), but Mandi may fight me on that one. Nevertheless, I was surprised with how surprised she was at my statement at our last bible study. I know she knows that I'm extremely positive, but I feel like my statements gave her even more insight into how my brain works.

Let me be clear: I understand how and why others categorize CF as a challenge, but for whatever reason, I just have never thought of it in that way. It may be semantics, but when I think challenge, I also think conquer or work through. Basically, something that has an end in site. From a very early age, I was comfortable and embraced the fact that I was born with CF and I would die with CF (notice I didn't say from CF, that is probably another blog for another day). CF is a part of me and it's not going anywhere. I never saw CF as a challenge allowed by God because CF is so intertwined within my life, that to call CF a challenge, would be to call my life a challenge. And I'm sorry, but I do not live a challenged life; I live a blessed one.

I see challenges all around me however. It's a challenge to be the husband that Mandi deserves. It will be a great challenge to be the daddy that Mckenna needs. I've always felt challenged to be the son that my mom and dad can be proud of. I challenge myself constantly in the weight room. Every time I lace up my shoes and go for a run, it's a challenge. Not a challenge to my health, but a challenge to my will. And most importantly, and my greatest challenge, is living such a life that one day my Father in Heaven can say to me "Well done, good and faithful servant".

See, all of those challenges I will hopefully accomplish with CF still in my body. And looking at those challenges, those would be present whether or not I had jacked up cells in my body. CF is a part of me that will always be there and I feel it's up to me to choose how I want to use that fact each and every day. To me, CF isn't a challenge, it's a reality that propels me forward and gives me the clarity needed to tackle my life challenges head on.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: Since I knew that I could never defeat CF, I decided that I needed to win at life. 

But winning at life looks different to everyone on the planet; How does it look to you?

Eyes Open: A REAL Eternal Optimist

Ronnie and I are doing an bible study, Experiencing God, with a small group. It's pretty cool. Our church is doing a Sunday sermon series that ties in, and then all small groups (and even some new ones) are doing the workbook that goes along with it. Way cool: over 1600 people bought workbooks and over 600 bought devotionals...just an aside.

So in our small group this week, the conversation turned to challenges. Ronnie said, "You know, I always question how close I am to God because there are so many examples where God gave challenges to strong men in the bible. And pastors say, if you haven't been given challenges or hardship in your life, you maybe aren't being used by God because He often gives challenges to build character before He uses you. And I think, well shoot, why have I not been given challenges?"

...um what?!

I couldn't help but laugh a bit, and then replied, "umm I think probably CF is your thing?!" (that and having to live life with his face..HAHA I KID). Everyone in the group chimed in with, "yeah, I think probably so" comments. And then I started thinking. Man, when Ronnie says he thinks CF is a blessing, he REALLY thinks CF is a blessing. It doesn't even cross his mind that CF would be considered by most to be a challenge or hardship.

This realization stopped me in my tracks. I'm thankful for CF. I thankful for the man it made Ronnie. I'm thankful for the perspective it brings to our lives. I'm thankful for all the people I've met as a result. But I can tell you if you asked me about the biggest challenge in our lives, CF would be the first to pop into my head. And as I digested the statement and my own thoughts surrounding the topic, I began to feel a little twinge of envy. I know that sounds silly, but it's true. What must it feel like to be SO positive about anything and everything in your life that even with something like CF, you don't think you have challenges?

I am not wired like Ronnie. I am a worrier. I often jump to worst case scenarios. I find it easier to initially see the negative than the positive. I'm certainly not a negative Nancy, and try to be positive and an optimist, but it certainly doesn't come as naturally as it does for Ronnie. I hope the longer I know Ronnie, the more he'll rub off on me. What a blessing to have that perspective. So this week, I'm going to work on my perspective. I'm putting on my rose colored glasses and will try to never take them off. Ha!

PS - If you talk to Ronnie, don't mention this post, as I'm hoping he doesn't see it...I don't want to stroke his ego ;-)