Saying Goodbye

I have a sad announcement to make today. Okay, it's probably not sad for anyone but me. Now that I think about it, I don't know why I should even feel sad. Maybe sad isn't the right word. Perhaps I'm feeling a little nostalgic. After debating about it for awhile, I've decided to shutter my blog at Focused Journey.  I'm not giving up blogging, I'm just moving to a different location and changing the name.
If you care about why I made this decision, please keep on reading. If you just want the location of the new blog, go on and jump to the bottom of this post. If you're already reading this at my new blog (since I'm posting this at both locations) I guess just do whatever you want.

My reasons for the switch.

• Economics. Having my own website involved paying not only for the domain name, but also hosting fees. While in the long run it wasn't overly expensive, I still feel the need to eliminate that expense. I am still paying for a domain name, but that is next to nothing. 
• Features. In playing around with the WordPress blogging features, I discovered things that I could do on WordPress that I really didn't know how to do with my own site. This may seem like nothing, but I enjoy having my blog automatically update both Twitter and Facebook with new posts without me having to do a thing. With Focused Journey, I was able to get half that equation working with posts being pulled into Facebook as a note, but this way works much better. 
• Reality. Part of the reason I had a full fledged website was because in the back of my mind I thought I would build it up into site with multiple pages and other things. Considering that I can't even define what those other things supposedly were going to be, I've come to realize that all I really cared about was the blog on my site. Writing is becoming more of a hobby and a dedicated blogging website just made more sense. 
• Name. Retiring the name Focused Journey was the hardest decision. I always liked it and still do, but I began to feel that it had become a misnomer. I recently wrote about a ketchup packet that I found interesting and posted a short story that had no significance whatsoever. For me personally, I had trouble reconciling my occasional random thoughts with the name "Focused." I almost felt guilty for writing something for no other reason than to write when it didn't seem to tie into my journey of faith. My wife argued that everything we go through is part of the journey and she's right, but in the end I still decided to let it fade away.

So there you have it. Life rolls on and at most only 2% of my readers will care about this. Thankfully, 2% of the numbers I pull in winds up rounding to zero.

For those that have followed my blog at Focused Journey let me just say thank you. If you want to continue to stay up to date with me, just point your browser to MatthewWright.me.

(On a complete side note, I'm learning Markdown and wrote this post using it. I probably went overboard, but it was entertaining.)

Out Of Shape

Yesterday afternoon I took another bold step in my desire to lose weight and get healthy.  I exercised.  Before you think long runs or an intense spinning class, let me clarify what I did.  It was twenty minutes of step aerobics on my Wii.  Not intense by any stretch of the imagination.  The worse part?  My calves were actually sore when I was done.  It is a sad state of affairs when twenty minutes of probably the easiest workout there is makes you sore.  I've read enough people that claim that exercise makes you feel better.  I'm looking forward to the better. 

When The Enemy Is A Friend

I like many people live with an enemy inside my home.  Taunting me and laughing at me.  It is my bathroom scale and I can't stand it.  Rarely does it show what I want it to show.  Not once has it shaved off a few pounds to make me feel a little better.  Each time I stand on it I'm told in cold hard numbers the truth.  It let's me know if my efforts are paying off and when my slacking off is catching up to me.  As much as I want to hate it, I have to get it in my head that my scale is just a presenter of the facts.  It presents the truth whether I like it or not.  When it comes to being healthy, a dose of the truth is always in our best interest.  So scale, maybe we're not enemies after all, but it still might take some time before I consider us friends. 

Melrouge

This is totally pointless, but I thought I would try and write an extremely short story on the spur of the moment.  Once and awhile I try to keep the creative juices flowing.  You can decide for yourself whether or not this story was actually creative.

 

It's completely irrational.   I know it is.  It's  stupid, childish, and completely foolish.

Yet it stalks me.  It is the hunter and I am the prey.  Too many shadows have sent me running, but run I must.  I promise you that one time it will be in that shadow, and it will kill me.

No, I must remind myself that it is a silly fear.  Nothing more.  I am safe.  It can't harm me.

Unless that's what it wants me to think.  To let my guard down.  To relax.  It's watching me.  I can feel it.  It knows I refuse to accept its power.

No, no, no!  That's the talk of a crazy person and I am not crazy!  Really I'm not!  At least, I don't think I am.

Clever fiend.  I debate and wrestle in my mind and you draw closer.  Waiting for the moment to strike.  End it!  Just release my mind from its tortured dreams.

I will live!  I am an idiot.  Of course I will live.  It can't hurt me.  It can't even move.  Why do I fear something that cannot even crawl.

Because you have your helpers.  A guest in my house.  My very own friend.  You used him.  Unwittingly you used him and you prepared the culmination of your hatred.  I didn't expect to see you there.  The opening of the door and face to face.

What am I saying?  There was never any danger.  My house.  My castle.  My refuge.  You were there but I was safe.

I thought I was safe, but you found a way in.  I conceded the grocery store to you.  Your domain, you win.  Then you tracked me to my restaurant.  You wouldn't even leave me that would you?  Now my own residence?  Must I live in fear of my own home?

Stop it.  You're sounding crazy!

You want me to open that door again.  I got it closed the first time, but I know you are still there.  Everything in there can rot with you.  I will not open that door again.

I can do this.  Just a door.  I've opened it a thousand times.  There's nothing to fear.

McIntosh.  Granny.  Fuji.  A thousand names, one purpose, my demise.  Do it already!  End this game!

I will open the door.  My fridge, nothing more.  All will be fine.

Do We Really Need This

I was watching the Packers Bears game yesterday when I observed a frightening thing.  During a break, there was a commercial advertising an upcoming commercial.  I know that Super Bowl commercials are a big thing, but does a company really need to advertise about their advertisement?  Maybe it's just me, but that is one of the stupidest things that I've seen on television for awhile. 

Sunday Reflection 1

A Sunday morning and a good time to reflect on God's Word. 

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV, 2010)

Suck a Toe

As a completely random Saturday post. I looked over at my 3 year son who was sitting on the couch a moment ago. He pulled his foot up and stuck his toe right in his mouth. He smiled and then smacked his hand over his mouth. I asked him what he was doing but never really got an answer. I have absolutely no idea what he was doing or thinking. Nothing quite like being three.