enough time passed...

Well, enough time has passed for me to be able to take up healthier habits. Time passed since the start of the New Year that is. It's a strange sort of pride, having a desire for new good habits and disciplines to not be called or fall under the category of "new year's resolutions". In the long run, it's silly, but so are so many things that dictate whether we do or don't (do things, like things, etc...).

Here's a short list of what I'm excited about with regards to "new things".

Exercise! I don't have a routine, and probably won't have a routine for quite a while. It's just so... routine. I mean, even the name says, "Don't do this, it's incredibly dull and repetitive." So lately I've been swimming a few times a week (lap swimming). I'm terrible at it. Supposedly we aren't supposed to compare ourselves to others... but that's hard to do when everyone else has done at least two laps for my every one. It's humbling, and that's good. It's also quite exhausting. I realize how very little stamina I have for swimming. (or in general, actually)

Pretty much the most stamina I have is in my forearms and biceps (and hands) from wall-climbing. Which leads me to say that my running hasn't been all that fantastic either. I love sprinting, and I fancy that I run pretty fast when I want to.. but for the long-haul.. there is no long-haul. Which is why I've taken up running as well.

Wall climbing has been great, and pretty consistent. It shouldn't be on this list of "new" because it really isn't new. So "wall climbing" can just sit down for now. We'll talk about you in another post.

My back started hurting a bit earlier this year... which signals to me that I need to exercise a bit more. Have been doing more exercise related to that as well, and that's been great. No complaints.

Other positive changes... I recently got the "Reverse Interlinear ESV New Testament" and am excited about getting into that. Now I need to learn the parsing stuff. Cases, verb forms, etc.. Reading is really slow, but that's what I need for Bible study right now.. fumbling, so that I think about what I'm reading. (c: It's incredible how much content is in a single passage, and sometimes in a single verse, when reading in a regular Bible my brain shuts off because it can't take it all in. I can understand why we're exhorted to meditate on the Word.

Been listening to Piper sermons. They are as challenging as ever. I've found myself re-listening to some over and over again because certain points are so key, and I want to really "get it". Can't say I have it yet, but at least I've heard it a bunch of times. (c:

That's about all that I've been up to with regards to "new" things. Been having some interesting dreams lately, given me lots to think about when I wake up, until they fade.