Mr. McGoo's Challenge

I blogged a while back about how I've started working out with Mrs. McGoo and my morning mistress and how frustrating it was at first. Well, I've decided to let this blog be my public accountability for my workouts. So as I continue to lose weight and gain strength, everyone will get to see what is going on. As of right now, I've lost 5lbs.

To catch everyone up, Mrs. McGoo and I started working out to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and today marks our move into Session 2. So I would assume the level is going to be bumped up a tad and the conditioning is going to be tougher. Good. I'm ready for a new challenge!

Speaking of challenges, I want to clue you in on one that I have right now. If there is anyone that doesn't read Mrs. McGoo's blog, Verbal Vomit, you should. Not only should you, but you would come to understand her heart for the children of Africa in many of her posts. One of the things that Mrs. McGoo and I have been discussing lately is that we feel that God has laid on our hearts to take a mission trip to Africa. She and I have both always had a heart for Africa. My mens soccer program is involved in the ONE Campaign.

While it offers breath-taking scenery, Africa also offers a nation overrun with poverty, AIDS, orphans, and civil war. Since we've been married, Mrs. McGoo and I have talked about making a difference in the kingdom and we have heard the Lord speak and he is leading us to Africa. The truth is, those are my brothers and sisters over there. God's children. Africa is in my heart, therefore it's mine. I take responsibility for it and everything that is happening there. It's time to jump in and stop standing by idly while millions are suffering. I am going to make a difference.


So how does that happen? Well, a lot of prayer, faith, and unfortunately a lot of money. Most that know Mrs. McGoo and I, know that that is not something we have a lot of. I am working for the University of Memphis Soccer team while I am going back to school (20hrs in spring) and Mrs. McGoo is working full time while going to Nursing School. We are so blessed that we don't over-extend ourselves and do not have any debt. But, how do we go on a trip that we cannot afford? The answer is simple. God. God will provide like he always has. Don't believe me?

Here's God providing....

On Dec. 30th, I was talking with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) and telling them about my desire to go on a mission trip with Mrs. McGoo and how we were going to try for a mission trip. We talked about other stuff as well and while talking, my friend posed a suggestion to me. Here's what they said:

Friend: "well I'm thinking about a challenge for you"
me: oh yeah?

Friend: "yeah! I absolutely mean no bad feelings on this challenge at all, and I think you are fine just the way you are. I mean that but I know I respond better with a challenge and goal. What about for every pound you lose between now and the trip I will pay $5 toward the trip (cap it at $500 or 100 lb.)"

Now that's a challenge isn't it? Is God not involved in that? I don't see how he couldn't be....

So not only does the Lord provide a vessel to facilitate a challenge and help generate/raise funds for a trip to further the kingdom, but I also I get to lose weight/get more healthy in the process.

Sounds like a challenge to me. It is almost like I'm running a really long 5K and have picked up a sponsor to help contribute to a greater cause. Pretty neat. I didn't know what to say to this friend other than a resounding YES!!

Additionally, not only am I getting up in the morning to workout, but I also am taking a weight and resistance training class in school and happen know the professor. She's going to kick my butt in workouts and I'm going to love every minute of it. Little does she know that she's helping further the kingdom.

So really it's an awesome feeling knowing that God provides. In the small things and in the large things. God is there.

I'm going to help these brothers and sisters. They don't know it yet. But they will. You'll see.

My Children. My Heart. My Africa.

Working Out

I'm not much into resolutions, so I've never been one to make them when the new year happens. However, this year I have given myself a couple of things that I'm going to try and improve on. I'll get in to a few down the road, but one in particular is to get in better shape. I'm not going to say lose weight because that is basically one focus.

For me, getting in shape is incorporating a few things: Healthy lifestyle, weight loss, muscle building, and feeling better about myself. Outside of incorporating those into my life, I do have some other motivating factors such as setting a goal and accomplishing it, looking better for my wife, and money. Yep. Money is on the line here and I will explain more later. For now, let's talk about what we're doing.

The wife and I have started working out in the morning to a workout video. So how lucky am I? I get to wake up to this every morning.


Yep fellas, I'm that lucky guy. No this isn't my wife...she's really hot too. This is Jillian Michaels. Better known for her work on the "Biggest Loser" on NBC. Well, my hottie trainer is taking time away from her busy schedule to work my wife and I out in some skimpy outfits in the morning and has designed personal program just for me and NO ONE ELSE. Let me just say that I wasn't really cool with waking up and working out, but this made it worth my while...

Oh and doing something with my wife as well. Heh of course.

All joking aside, Jillian has designed a 20 minute workout for out of shape people like me. It incorporates some cardio and weight training into the routine with little stops. Hey, I like to rest like the best of them, but if you rest in a 20 minute workout, you end up doing a 10 minute workout. Nonetheless, we started this workout tired, cranky, and cold. Jillian and her two equally incredibly fit, attractive helpers went through a series of stretching and workouts that got me warmed up and loose. I started it out thinking this is easy and she's hot. I've got to admit that the first five minutes of the video I focused more on Jillian and her friends than I did on what I was doing. (Gentle nudge to my wife to wear skimpy clothes tomorrow morning and not pjs)

I'm doing this workout and for some reason I start to get fatigued. I don't really know why, but I do. My legs start getting a little less stable and my arms start to hurt. My focus has gone away from Jillian and her skimpy outfit to "I can't lift my arms" and "my legs aren't working right." Then I start to think, "I've got ten more minutes of this crap...what in the heck am I doing?!" At about the 15 minute mark, Jillian had us lay down on our workout mats (an area rug with dog hair on it for me) and start doing crunches. All I know is that for 2 minutes or so, I didn't look at the TV. How could I, I'm laying down looking up at the ceiling praying for help from the man upstairs. I was in the middle of praying to the good Lord and Jillian interrupts me. She tells me to get back up and start working on finishing out my cardio.

Now see...this is an important part of the morning here. She's beginning to get on my nerves now and this is something like what she said. "Alright guys, we're in the home stretch and we're almost there. Going to finish strong with some light cardio and we're finished."

This is what I heard. "Kelly, get your pathetic a-double ss's up off that ground and push through this you little sissy (female dog). If you think for one second that you are through with this workout you've got another thing coming. COME ON YOU PANSY I'm not done with you yet and I'm going to make you throw up. You want to objectify me? I'll show you, you little punk."

About this moment when she said all those extremely rude and hurtful things to me, I had it. I got up to look at the TV and tell her a piece of my mind. When I did, I saw this....



WHAT!?!?! Where'd my hottie go? You wanna know? She left because I got so pissed off at her and cussed her out (in my mind) and this is what she turned in to.

So the moral of the story ladies is that even men have vivid imaginations.

Here's hoping Jillian comes back tomorrow morning and stays. I'll let you know. Got to go ice the legs.