Truly Creative Ideas

Truly creative ideas are so hard to come by, aren’t they? Our brains are consistently downloading a plethora of information on a daily basis, which makes it pretty tough to have an orginial, truly creative idea.

However, I love that God has designed our brains so uniquely to be able to think creatively. Think about all the incredible things around us simply because people at one time got a truly creative idea. 

Somebody was walking around listening to their “walkman” or their portable CD player one day and thought, “I am tired of carrying around this brick-like music player and all my cassette tapes/CDs in my fanny pack when I want to listen to music on the go. There has to be a better more efficient way to listen to music on the go.” Because of somebody having that truly creative idea we all now enjoy incredibly convenient mp3 players such as iPods and Zunes. What a brilliant idea that made somebody millions.

Another person was probably working in a office trying to remember what all he/she needed to do before the end of that work day or wanted to find that phone number of that important sales lead he/she wrote down earlier in the day. He/she could not find the old envelope or scratch paper and their day was ruined.  He/she thought, “there has to be a better way to do this” and a truly creative idea was born. He/she figured out that if he/she made small pieces of paper with a little adhesive on the top that could conveniently stick on the desk or cubicle, known to us now as Post-Its. Somebody made millions over that truly creative idea.

I have been trying to come up with a couple of truly, creative ideas. I know I have one somewhere in my brain. Here a couple that I have come up with already (by the way, don’t steal these unless you plan on giving me my share)…

1.  CUSTOMIZABLE TV CHANNEL PACKAGES. Imagine a media company that offered TV channel packages of different sizes where you pick the TV channels you want. I get frustrated with my cable TV at my house. I only desire basic cable (no HD channels, no premium channels). The local cable company here has two options for you if you want basic cable. The cheapest one only goes to like channel 25, leaving out the most important channel, ESPN. However, to get ESPN I have to purchase a load of channels that goes all the way into the 70s and the price gets jacked up in the process. My truly creative idea is to offer channel packages of 10, 15, 20, etc. where you pick the channels you want and you only pay for the amount of channels you want. It would be cheaper than other cable providers as well as the convenience of channel surfing only the channels worth surfing for you. No more QVC channel, no more Oxygen channel, etc. Say you only wanted 16 channels but you did not want to pay for the 20-channel package. That’s cool. Simply order the 15-channel package and add one more channel for a small monthly fee. You only pay for what you want.

2.  CEREAL MILK. What is cereal milk? You know when you eat a bowl of cereal and the milk that is left at the bottom of bowl that tastes so good when you finish? That is cereal milk. It really only works with really sweet, sugary cereals like Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, etc. I couldn’t really see this one working with cereals like Fiber Plus and Raisin Bran. Obviously you would not get milk from an actual cereal bowl that somebody has already eaten because that would be gross. Maybe they could just marinate the cereal in some milk for a while then use that. This one I have not put as much thought into it as I have my other idea. However, it still sounds like it could work. Imagine going to the store and finding treats such as “Apple Jacks Milk”, “Lucky Charms Milk”, or “Fruity Pebbles Milk”. I think it would be gold.

What do you think of my truly creative ideas? Do you have any truly creative ideas tucked away somewhere in your brain that you would like to share? Let’s here them.

Brian-isms Part 3: There Is No Normal

 

You may be asking yourself, “What is a Brian-ism?”  A Brian-ism is simply a thought on life that my brain has found to contain truth.  You may not agree with every Brian-ism.  If that is the case then you should develop your own (insert your name here)-ism.  Enjoy.

BRIAN-ISM #3:  THERE IS NO NORMAL.

We have all heard the cheesy analogy that every person is like a beautiful snowflake because every beautiful snowflake is unique and does not look like any other snowflake.

No matter how cheesy that sounds, there is truth in that analogy.

One of my favorite movies is Angus.  Angus is one of those amazing, 90s high school movies.  However, something that makes it different from other high school movies is that it looks at the adolescent world through the eyes of Angus and Troy, two nerdy, under-the-radar freshman.  Angus describes himself as a loser who is good at science and fair at football who has to endure the cruelty of his peers by taking fat jokes daily and watching his underwear rise on the flagpole.

Of course for this movie to work, there has to be a character that is the exact opposite of Angus.  For every Angus Bethune there has to be a Rick Sandford.  Rick is the good-looking, popular, starting quarterback who has all the cool friends and the beautiful cheerleader girlfriend by his side.  He believes one of his life missions is to ridicule, make fun of, belittle, and humiliate Angus at every opportunity.

The climax of the movie happens when Angus and Rick get into a very public verbal war of words at the big school dance.  Here’s the exact quote from that exchange:

Angus: You push me down and I’ll get back up again, and Again, and AGAIN, And AGAIN, AND AGAIN! 
Angus: I could beat you RIGHT here, RIGHT now! But I DON’T WANT to be better than you, Rick! I DON’T WANT to be better than ANYBODY! I just want to be who I AM: a FAT kid, who’s good at science, and fair at football. That’s who I AM! I can LIVE with that. Why can’t you? 
Rick: Because it’s not normal. YOU’RE not normal. 
Angus: And who is? You? 
Rick: You bet your a**. 
Angus: So to be normal, we all have to be like YOU? There are 400 people in this room who are NOTHING like you, Rick! Some of them are fat, some of them are skinny. Some of them are short, some of them are tall. Some of them have braces, some of them have birth marks, or scars, or frizzy hair, or EARS THAT STICK OUT! 
[Troy's head pops up out of crowd] 
Angus: But most of them walk through these halls EVERY DAY, never telling anybody what they really think, or feel, or believe, because people like you, NORMAL people like YOU, have them TERRIFIED of being who they REALLY are. If YOU’RE normal, what does that make all of them? So which is it, Rick? Are you normal? Or are you just one of us? 
Rick: Whatever I am, it’s something you’re never gonna be. 
Angus: Thank God.

I also like how David described it in Psalm 139 (NIV), “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; you works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

God designed us to be unique.  He has internally wired us in a very specific way where we are original with unique thoughts, features, likes, dislikes, quirks, pet peeves, and much more.  That is the Word of God talking, not me.  

Let’s look at a quick example.  Let’s say that I am normal (even though we all know that statement to not be true).  If I am the standard of normalcy, then nobody else on this planet would qualify as normal.  Nobody is just like me.  Nobody thinks exactly like I do.  Nobody enjoys and dislikes things exactly like I do.  If I truly believed I was normal, it would be a lonely island that nobody could join me on.

Go put the 1995 classic Angus on your Netflicks or Blockbuster Online lists.  It is a good movie with a better point.  

There you go.  Brian-ism #3: THERE IS NO NORMAL.  Like Angus so perfectly put it, “Thank God.”

 

 

Difference Between Joy and Happiness

I meet weekly on Sunday nights with a group of high schoolers and adults in what we call Growth Groups.  This semester we have been studying and thinking through the Old Testament book of Job.  Last night we had an amazing discussion about the difference between joy and happiness.

Frequently these two words are used as one and the same.  While they do share some characteristics, they are actually different.  Happiness is an emotion usually directly related to circumstances that are currently happening.  So when the circumstances are good and going our way, we feel happy.  On the other hand, when things break, get old, disappoint, when we do not get what we want, or when things do not go our way, we feel sad and are not happy.  

One exercise we went through to help us get this concept was to write down specific things that make us happy.  Here was my list in no particular order:

• Seeing things set to record on my TIVO.  Not things recorded, but things scheduled to record.
• Watching Joba Chamberlain pitch.
• Pushing through a hard rep (known as a wall) while working out.
• Tickling Heather and hearing her laugh.
• Cuddling with our dogs.
• Listening to 90s music.
• Getting comments on my blog.
• Drinking a perfectly blended Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino.
• Having a secret $100 in my wallet (very rarely happens).
• Putting on jogging pants & a soft tshirt, then taking a nap on a cold, rainy day.
• Hearing The Office theme song.

If I had more time to think, I could have filled up pages of specific things that bring me happiness.  You could too.  Think about all the things in this world that makes you happy.  It could be small things or big things.  Anything from a good cheeseburger to when a baby wraps their tiny hang around your finger.  All these are temporary and bring temporary emotional happiness.  

Joy is something entirely different from happiness.  Joy, in the Biblical context, is not an emotion.  Joy is attitude of the heart.  It is not necessarily based on something positive happening.  Joy is something that lasts; happiness is something that is temporary.  When happiness fades away, joy remains.  Joy is something that is bigger than you and I and our current circumstances.  Joy brings us peace in the middle of a storm.  Joy is something that God deposits into us through the Holy Spirit.  The enemy tries everything in his power to steal your joy because it is that important.  On the other hand, the enemy will tempt you with things that will temporarily give you happiness but at the same time drift you away from God.  

There is a big difference between joy and happiness.  Happiness is an emotion and temporary; joy is an attitude of the heart.  Hold on tight to your joy.  

BIBLE VERSES THAT TALK ABOUT JOY YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

Habakkuk 3:17-18, James 1:2, Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, John 16:19-24, Galatians 5:22, Hebrews 12:2, and much more (joy is mentioned 242 times in the Bible).

Mini-Makover

The blog has undergone a mini-makeover today.  No more “iBRIAN”.  Hello “briancromer.com”.  Also added my picture so that nobody gets confused with any other Brian Cromers in this world that you would be interested enough to read his blog.  I appreciate you!  Bless God.

Brian-isms Part 2: Two Kinds of People

You may be asking yourself, “What is a Brian-ism?”  A Brian-ism is simply a thought on life that my brain has found to contain truth.  You may not agree with every Brian-ism.  If that is the case then you should develop your own (insert your name here)-ism.  Enjoy.

BRIAN-ISM #2:  THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD - NERDS WHO KNOW THEY ARE NERDS AND NERDS WHO DON’T KNOW THEY ARE NERDS.

Webster Dictionary defines nerd as “an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person.”

This one is pretty self-explanatory.  Basically we are all nerds.  The only thing that makes us truly different is the fact that some of us choose to not accept that fact.  We all have things about us that are weird, quirky, and frankly, messed up.  

Some of us walk around this planet trying to cover up and hide all our nerdy qualities, ashamed that it will bring social rejection into your life.  I like to call this suffering form the disease of “coolness” - this disease can be deadly.  I say we embrace our inner-nerd and be proud.  We are a mess, but the good news is that we serve a God that is good at cleaning up messes.

One of my favorite books I have ever read is Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli.  I love the rawness and the truth the book brings (the subtitle says “Gods Perfect Love for Imperfect People”).  Yaconelli beautifully describes the relationship between humanity’s messiness and how that impacts and in fact, improves your relationship with God.  That only happens when you understand your messiness, submit your life to God, and let Him clean your mess up.  In fact, I plan on reading this book again really soon and hope to blog about it as I do to share it’s amazing content.

There you go.  Brian-ism #2.  What kind of person are you?  

Embrace your inner-nerd.  Life is way better when you do.

 

Sitting Pretty

Just thought you guys would enjoy this picture.  This is Gaby (Heather’s and I basset hound).  This is what we like to call her “sitting pretty.”  Yeah, she’s got skills.

Top 10 Fictional Characters of All-Time

There have been so many incredible fictional characters in pop culture.  Here is a list that I made up for the top 10 fictional characters of all-time in movies and television.  In fact, it is really the top 11 because I could not justify cutting one of these characters.  It was really tough trimming down this list.  

JUST MISSED THE CUT ~ Kosmo Kramer (Seinfeld), Creed Bratton (The Office), Kevin Arnold (The Wonder Years), Michael Scofield (Prison Break), Ricky Bobby (Talladega Nights).

ELEVEN ~ Dwight K. Schrute, The Office.  One of the most quotable television characters in history.  Multiple websites are dedicated to Dwight quotes.  He’s intense.  He has his own bobblehead (which I have in my office).  He has his own functioning beet farm.  He operates his own agri-tourism place (similar to a bed and breakfast).  He has his own crossbow range.  He is a volunteer law enforcer.  He can raise and lower his own cholesterol with his mind.  He wants to be frozen when he dies, so he can come back stronger. He is a karate purple belt.  What is there not to love?  Favorite Dwight quote, “Reject a woman and she will never let it go.  One of the many defects of their kind – also, weak arms.”

TEN ~  Optimus Prime, Transformers.  I am talking about the cartoon that I loved so much as a kid, not the movie that came out recently.  This character is incredible.  He is the commander of the Autobots.  One minute he is a semi-truck cruising down the road; the next minute he is a gun-firing, fighting machine.  We can all learn about some leadership tips from Optimus Prime.

NINE ~ Jack Bauer, 24.  Earlier this year, FOX announced that because of the recent writers’ strike season seven of 24 is being postponed till January 2009.  I was bummed because that means that I do not get my yearly dose of Jack Bauer.  This guy is a machine.  He’s tough.  He’s patriotic.  He’s hard.  He kills a lot of terrorists.  He keeps his word.  He operates well on no sleep.  Two favorite Jack Bauer quotes, “I’m gonna need a hacksaw.” (After he out of the blue killed some guy and is going to cut his head off and put in a duffel bag.)  And, “The only reason you’re still conscious is cause I don’t want to have to carry you.”

EIGHT ~ Darth Vader, Star Wars.  The best villain of all-time.  This former Jedi master turned Emperor apprentice is extremely intimidating.  Dressed in all black, sporting arguably the best mask of all time, a light saber on his hip, the creepy asthmatic breathing, the deep James Earl Jones’ voice, the strength to pickup grown men off the ground by the neck, and the power of the dark side.  Put all that together and you have an amazing bad guy.  Turns out that he has some good guy in him as well.

SEVEN ~ Ron Burgundy, Anchorman.  One of the most quotable movie characters in history.  The lead anchor and rock of the Channel 4 Action News team of San Diego possesses a voluptuous vocabulary and a magnificent mustache.  Burgundy has a way with the ladies that is unlike any other.  He oozes confidence.  He has a great fondness for a good glass of scotch, poetry, his dog Baxter, and he also plays a mean jazz flute.  Favorite Rob Burgundy quote, “I’m gonna punch you in the ovary, that’s what I’m gonna do.  A straight shot.  Right to the babymaker.”

SIX ~ Dr. Gregory House, House.  This tv doctor is unlike any other tv doctor on medical dramas.  This medical medical genius thrives on solving medical puzzles.  He leads his team of diagnosticians in really wierd cases that most doctors would give up on.  He treats people like dirt.  He makes fun of people.  He is brilliant.  One of his life mottos is that everybody lies.  He seems to not have any filter on his speech.  He is the guy that always seems to say what we all sometimes think but would never say.  He has a sweet cane and has his own style.  He rocks some awesome facial stubble at all times.  Very complex, interesting character.

FIVE ~ John McClane, Die Hard movies.  This movie character has been around since 1988 when the first Die Hard hit theaters and was seen in theaters as recently as 2007 in Live Free or Die Hard.  Total we have gotten to know John McClane through four different movies.  The best way to describe him is a Jack Bauer-type with more humanity.  He is tough, machine-like, and hard like Bauer.  However, he also has a much lighter side that is very funny.  My favorite thing about this character is his frequent audible inner monologues where he talks to himself in stressful situations.

FOUR ~ Homer Simpson, The Simpsons.  Homer Jay Simpson is one of the funniest characters and most well-known in tv history.  He is crude, overweight, incompetent, clumsy, thoughtless, and a borderline alcoholic.  He is not the prototypical father, husband, employee, or neighbor, but it is extremely entertaining seeing him be in all of those roles.  He frequently salivates over the thought of his true passion - food.  Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, describes him as “a dog trapped in a man’s body.  He’s incredibly loyal - not entirely clean - but you gotta love him.”

THREE ~ George Costanza, Seinfeld.  What an amazing character!  He often referred to himself as a “short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man.”  I love the fact that he worked for the greatest professional sports organization - the New York Yankees.  However, it makes sense that when he got fired, the Yankees shortly rattled off a run of world championships.  Known for being a great liar, a slacker, a fake architect, a fake marine biologist, and being the butt of a lot of jokes.  His relationship with his parents is hilarious.  

TWO ~ Dr. Evil, Austin Powers movies.  Dr. Evil is the chief villain and the nemesis of Austin Powers.  His character is supposedly a parody of different James Bond evil villains.  He had the typical childhood being raised by Belgians.  When he was insolent he was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds — pretty standard, really.  Turns out that he is the long-lost twin brother of Austin.  He has a real son and a clone that is 1/8 his size.  He is a good rapper.  Dr. Evil is what makes those movies good.

ONE ~ Rocky Balboa, Rocky movies.  The most motivating character of all time.  The true underdog, rag-to-riches story where a no name boxer comes out of nowhere to be the heavy weight champion of the world.  The Italian Stallion is known for training hard, being able to take multiple punches to the face without going down, and never quitting.  He is a sensitive guy who is also a romantic.  He loves his friends and family deeply and wears his heart on his sleeve.  Hey, any fictitious character that has a real statue in a major US city has to be one of the top characters of all-time.  Favorite Rocky quote, “Was ya ever punched in the face 500 times a night?  It stings after a while, ya know.”

There you go.  That’s my list.  Who did I miss?  Who’s on your list? 

 

Brian-isms Part 1: People Do What They Want To Do

You may be asking yourself, “What is a Brian-ism?”  A Brian-ism is simply a thought on life that my brain has found to contain truth.  You may not agree with every Brian-ism.  If that is the case then you should develop your own (insert your name here)-ism.  Enjoy.

BRIAN-ISM #1:  PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

Yes, I truly believe that people will always end up doing what they want to do.  This hypothesis has only come after lots of self-reflection and observation of human behavior.  Since ole’ Adam and Eve messed up way back in Genesis 3, humanity has been infected with the disease known as selfishness.  (By the way, Genesis 3 is on page 3 of my pocket Bible.  Seriously, couldn’t humanity go a little longer without jacking up God’s plan?)

Let’s look at a simple scenario that might put some meat on the bones of this Brian-ism.

Say one night you want to go out for dinner.  You jump in your car after making that decision and head towards town.  You are by yourself so you think, “What do I want to eat?”  The entire thought process is about you and your desires.  You ultimately decide that you want to eat Taco Bell and you go get it.  This is a basic example of somebody doing what they want to do.

I can hear the skeptics now, so let’s modify the scenario.  One night you and your significant other decide to go out for dinner.  You both jump in the car after making that decision and head towards town.  After looking at all the options, you declare, “I want Taco Bell.  That sounds good.”  Your significant other responds, “No, not really.  I really want Wendy’s.”  You being the perfect significant other decide to selflessly eat at Wendy’s for the evening.  Before you think I already proved my own theory wrong, let me explain.  You did want to go to Taco Bell.  However, you wanted to make that person happy MORE than you wanted to go to Taco Bell.  You still did what you ultimately wanted to do the most.  That is an example where pleasing people is what you want to do over your own selfish desires.  (Hint: this is very helpful in marriage.)  

One more scenario:  A teenage guy gets interrupted by his parents during his nightly four hour conversation with the girlfriend.  The parents angrily threat grounding him from the phone, iPOD, car, computer, tv, and breathing if he doesn’t immediately hang up the phone and clean his room.  He drudgingly gets off the phone and cleans his room.  He obviously would rather want to stay on the phone with his girlfriend.  His girlfriend would rather he stay on the phone.  His parents want him to get off the phone.  However, this rebellious punk obviously wasn’t motivated to do what his parents wanted simply because his parents wanted him to do it.  His motivation to do what he did was to stay out of trouble.  So what he ultimately wanted was to stay out of trouble more than his desire to do what he wanted or more than his desire to please somebody his girlfriend.  Still another example of somebody ultimately doing what he wanted to do.

The cool thing is that as we grow in our relationship with God, God begins to change us.  His desires and what He wants starts to become our desires and our wants.  Through being transformed and renewing our minds (Romans 12:2), we start to slowly value, cherish, and desire what God wants more than what we want.  Talk about a life change!  That is good stuff.

There you go - Brian-ism #1.  People do what they want to do.

Chew on that a while.  Tell me what you think.  I can handle it.

Texas, Allergies, and Sneezing

I am not a Darwinist at all, but after seeing my body go through a recent evolutionary step, I can understand where he comes from.  

For the past two days my allergies have been out of control.  Seriously, my nose is officially a faucet, my eyes are itchy, and I am sneezing like crazy.  During this time, I miss certain things in life that often get overlooked like breathing through my nose, the ability to smell, a dry kleenex, and my contacts not causing me excruciating pain as they enter my eyes.  I have given up trying to stop the allergies.  However, I am taking the Dan Patrick approach towards the allergies, “You can’t stop it, you can only hope to contain it.”

The really frustration comes from my past non-struggle with allergies.  I never had allergies growing up.  I have often taken a little pride in the fact that I never had allergies.  I would often laugh and make fun of my sister because she always had bad allergies.  Hey, when you feel like the deck was always stacked against you, I had to take pride in something (I recognize and admit that taking pride in not having allergies is really lame).  

Is this simply a case of Proverbs 16:18 (Pride goes before destruction)?  Or is it something different?  I have my own hypothesis because all these nose spasms and pouring fluid happened when I moved almost 4 years ago to Texas.  Yes, I believe that I am allergic to Texas.

Now, people who are reading this from any other state than Texas are probably rationally reading this thinking that there are probably specifics in the Texas environment that I am currently living in that I had never previously been exposed to that is causing allergic reactions.  They might even giggle a little.  However, people that are from Texas are reading this thinking, “that Tennessee boy just can’t handle the awesomenecity of Texas - that’s what he’s allergic to!”  I can hear the Texas pride coming down against me already for thinking that.  

Has anybody else experienced sudden allergies that were not there earlier in life?  Anybody experience that like I did when I moved to a different area of the country?  Does anybody have any good-ole-boy, home remedies that get rid of allergies because Claritin just is not working?

_________________________________

Check back soon because I have been working on a little blog series called “Brian-isms” where I am going to give some of my thoughts on life.  Should be entertaining and possibly controversial; should definitely stir up some good conversation.

The 20 Worst Foods in America

        

I found this article in Mens Health unbelievable and incredibly interesting.  I enjoy being healthy and pushing others to being more health-conscious, so I hope this helps.  After doing research, here is the 20 worst foods in America with their nutritional content:

20.  WORST FAST FOOD CHICKEN MEAL - Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald’s (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce.  830 calories.  55g fat (4.5g trans fat).  48g carbs.  If you add a large fries and regular soda and this meal tops out at 1,710 calories.

19.  WORST DRINK - Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo’d Power Smoothie (30 fl oz).  900 calories.  10g fat.  183g carbs.  166g sugar.  This smoothie is officially an undercover milkshake.  In fact, this drink contains more sugar than two pints of Ben & Jerry’s Butter Pecan ice cream.

18.  WORST SUPERMARKET MEAL - Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie (whole pie).  1,020 calories.  64g fat.  86g carbs.  The label says this dish serves two, but who ever divides a small pot pie in half?

17.  WORST “HEALTHY” BURGER - Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger.  1,145 calories.  71g fat.  56g carbs.  Ruby Tuesday actually advertises this burger has “healthy.”

16.  WORST MEXICAN ENTREE - Chipotle Mexican Grilled Chicken Burrito.  1,179 calories.  7g fat.  125g carbs.  2,656 mg sodium.  Chipotle is a restaurant with a reputation for using healthy, fresh ingredients.  Really?

15.  WORST KIDS’ MEAL - Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni ‘n’ Cheese.  1,210 calories, 62g fat, 3,450 mg sodium.  It is the equivalent of feeding your child 1 & 1/2 boxes of Kraft mac-n-cheese.

14.  WORST SANDWICH - Quizno’s Classic Italian.  1370 calories.  86g fat.  4490 mg sodium.  In comparison, a large homemade sandwich would more than likely provide about 500 calories.

13.  WORST SALAD - On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef.  1,450 calories.  102g fat.  78g carbs.  2,410 mg sodium.  We already covered taco salads in our Real Men of Genius conversation.  ”Is your taco salad healthy?  Of course it is, it’s a salad, isn’t it?”

12.  WORST BURGER - Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger.  1,520 calories.  111g fat.  Carl’s Jr even puts this burgers nutritional content on its website and people still eat it.

11.  WORST STEAK - Lonestar 20 oz T-Bone.  1,540 calories.  124g fat.  Add a baked potato and Lonestar’s signature Lettuce Wedge, and this is a 2,700-calorie blowout.

10.  WORST BREAKFAST - Bob Evens Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes.  1,540 calories.  77g fat (9g trans fat).  198g carbs.  109g sugar.  I can understand why people could justify this one - bananas, pecans, etc…sounds healthy.

9.  WORST DESSERT - Chili’s Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.  1,600 calories.  78g fat.  215g carbs.  This dish is equivalent to eating three Big Macs.

8.  WORST CHINESE ENTREE - P.F. Chang’s Pork Lo Mein.  1,820 calories.  127g fat.  95g carbs.  Equivalent in carbs to eating five servings of pasta.

7.  WORST CHICKEN ENTREE - Chili’s Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce.  2,040 calories.  99g fat.  240g carbs.  ”Crispers” simply means extra-thick layer of bread crumbs that soaks up oil and adds unnecessary calories and carbs. 

6.  WORST FISH ENTREE - On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Rice and Beans.  2,100 calories.  130g fat.  169g carbs.  4,750 mg sodium.  Eating a dozen crunch tacos from Taco Bell will give you less calories.  TIP - Don’t eat fish at Mexican restaurants.  

5.  WORST PIZZA - Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza.  2,310 calories.  162g fat.  123g carbs.  4,470 mg sodium.  Equivalent to eating 18 slices of Domino’s Crunchy Thin Crust cheese pizza.

4.  WORST PASTA - Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce.  2,430 calories.  128g fat.  207g carbs.  5,290 mg sodium.  This meal satisfies your calorie requirements for an entire day.

3.  WORST NACHOS - On the Border Stacked Border Nachos.  2,740 calories.  166g fat.  191g carbs.  5,280 mg sodium.  Still not good for you if you eat this dish with a crew of eight.

2.  WORST STARTER - Chili’s Awesome Blossom.  2,710 calories.  203g fat.  194g carbs.  6,360 mg sodium.  Hard to believe that a single onion can wreak so much nutritional havoc, but batter and fry anything and serve it with a rich dipping sauce and you’re bound to do some damage.

1.  WORST FOOD IN AMERICA - Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing.  2,900 calories.  182g fat.  240g carbs.  Even if you split this “starter” with three friends, you’ll have downed a dinner’s worth of calories before your entree arrives.  Follow this up with steak, sides, and a dessert and you could easily break the 3,500 calorie barrier.

Isn’t that information incredible.  What is crazy is that there is a good chance that I have gone to Chili’s where in one night I ordered an Awesome Blossom for a starter, Honey Chipotle Crispers for my entree, and a Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie for dessert.  That is a whopping 6,350 calories, 380g fat, and 649g carbs in one sitting.  I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.  

Ignorance is bliss but knowledge is power.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

      

As a child, I woke up early one morning while I was spending the night at a friend’s house.  It was one of the first times that I had spent the night away from home and my parents (I cannot remember exactly how old I was at the time).  I was the first person awake in the entire house and like a typical boy I was hungry.  Now you have to understand how pumped up I was to be eating breakfast at a friend’s house because that meant one important thing - I was going to get the unhealthy, bad-for-you, sugar-loaded cereal.  In the Cromer house growing up we typically had healthier cereal choices to start your morning such as Cheerios, Chex, and King Vitamin.  As I got older, mom eventually caved and stocked our cabinets with cereal such as Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, and Fruity Pebbles.  However, at the time of this story we only had the healthier options, so you can imagine how pumped little BC was to find a cabinet full of sugary cereals.  Full of giddiness, I poured my sugary cereal into my bowl, went to the refrigerator, grabbed the milk, and poured the perfect amount of milk (you know where you have a little sugary-saturated pool of milk that you can drink after all the actual cereal is gone).  I went to take my first glorious bite and something happened I did not anticipate happening.  I immediately and violently spit the bite out because it tasted awful.  After a little investigation, I realized that I had put buttermilk in my cereal.  At the time I had no clue what buttermilk was and how buttermilk was different from real milk, but I knew from then on I wanted nothing to do with buttermilk.

Looks can be deceiving can’t they?

Recently I discovered a passage in Scripture that I had somehow missed the previous 26 years that talks about this same topic.  Maybe I have never read it or I had skipped over it until I had one of those illumination moments.  

Exodus 15:22-27 tells an amazing account of Moses and the Israelites in their journey from slavery in Egypt to the promised land.  At the time, the Bible says that they had been traveling through the wilderness without water when they walk up on a water source in Marah.  They quickly figure out that this water is not drinkable because it is extremely bitter.  From simply looking at it, it looks like normal water but looks can be deceiving.  Sounds a lot like my buttermilk experience, doesn’t it?

There are other things in life that are the same way, aren’t there?

Look at sex.  God designs and commands sex to be under one context - marriage.  No exceptions.  However, the world says something different.  The world says if it feels good do it.  It is no big deal.  It is just sex.  Today’s media says the same thing.  Heather and I recently watched an episode of House where two doctors pursue a non-committal, strictly sexual relationship.  MTV has a reality show where a bisexual woman plays a Bachelor-type game with both men and women as contestants.  The message is clear: sex is not that big of a deal and it is temporary.  

So many people know that message cannot be further from the truth.  Outside of the context God designed for sex, people find themselves heart-broken, confused, filled with guilt, and feeling cheap.  Just like my buttermilk story and the water in Exodus 15, looks can be deceiving.

Can you think of another life example where looks can be deceiving?  Please share them.  It is how we learn and be better people.

The Exodus 15 story does not end with the people complaining, unsatisfied, and thirsty.  God performed a miracle through Moses by changing the bitter water to clean, sweet water.  The people went to sleep that night not thirsty for the first time in at least three days.  What a beautiful picture of God giving His people the real thing over a cheap imitation.  

Today be on guard against imitations.  Be careful to pursue things that might look like the real thing but really tastes bitter.  Do not fall into Satan’s traps.  Remember, looks can be deceiving.  

 

Goodbye Steve, You Will Be Missed

Yesterday was a sad day in the world of sports.  Steve McNair announced his retirement from the NFL.  This comes as a huge surprise because McNair had every intention of playing quarterback this year for the Baltimore Ravens.  However, his body was telling him something different.  McNair said during his press conference, “My mind was there. Mentally, I could go out and play.  But physically, I couldn’t do it anymore.  Not to the capacity that I need to help my teammates win a football game.”

Now this retirement will not make the big news splash like the retirement of Brett Favre a few weeks ago.  There will be no Sportscenter specials, no TV show highlighting the greatest moments of his career, and no questioning who will follow the legacy he left. There will be a small story on ESPN.com and a small two minute story on Sportscenter. This will not be a big deal next week.  There will be no talk of an anticipated comeback.

However, the NFL lost an incredible player yesterday.  As a big Tennessee Titans fan, Steve “Air” McNair is one of (if not the) greatest Tennessee Titans of all time.  We saw him mature and become an amazing quarterback after the Titans (then the Houston Oilers) drafted him out of little known Alcorn State.  He was the face of the Titans when they moved from Houston to Nashville.

McNair was always known for playing through injuries and being a tough player.  Titans fans and fantasy football players can remember sweating through the week while hearing the grocery list of McNair’s injuries only to see him throw on his #9 jersey on Sunday and somehow play and most of the time win.  But to remember him only as a tough player who played through injuries would be a disservice to Steve McNair.  Here is a list of some of his career stats:

• 31,304 career passing yards
• 174 career thrown touchdowns, 37 career rushing touchdowns
• 3,590 career rushing yards (5th most by a quarterback)
• 1 of 3 players with 30,000 passing yards and 3,500 rushing yards (with Tarkenton & Young)
• 91-62 career record as a starting quarterback
• Only active quarterback with more wins is Peyton Manning
• 2003 Co-MVP with Peyton Manning
• His last full season as a starting quarterback (2006), he led the Ravens to a 13-3 record

And who can forget Super Bowl XXXIV? Steve McNair led the Titans to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.  They faced up against the St. Louis Rams and their dreaded “Greatest Show on Turf”.  McNair’s resilience led them back in the game’s closing moments only to see them come up one yard short from tying the game as time ran out.  It was officially the most gut-wrenching sports moment of my life.  

Thanks, Steve, for all the memories. You’re a hall-of-famer in my book.  Goodbye Steve, you will be missed! 

 

Best & Worst Inventions Ever

Here is a list of 6 of the best inventions ever according to my brain:

    

THE INTERNET.  Unlimited information on any topic.  You want to study quantum physics, google it.  You want to know who starred in the 1992 classic Encino Man, you can find it at www.imdb.com in a matter of seconds.  Thanks Al Gore!  Without you I would never be able to blog.  Way to represent the great state of Tennessee!

THE WHEEL.  Makes so many things better.  Sure beats walking every where, but it is way more than just driving.  Think about mowing your lawn without wheels…brutal. Enjoy this commercial about the actual invention of the wheel:

REMOTE CONTROL.  I want to hug the man that invented this amazing piece of technology.  It is the epitome of laziness.  No more standing up and walking for such things like television, DVD player, radios, ceiling fans, blinds, and much more.  I love that I am comfortable while my muscles go into intense atrophy from inactivity.

CAR REMOTE CLICKER.  Could be included in the remote control section, but I wanted to separate it.  I appreciate this one so much because my clicker is not working right now and it drives me crazy.  Unlocking the car with your keys are so early 90s.  I love being able to unlock my car from 20 feet away.  Many have a security button where an alarm goes off when you press it so that you can either protect yourself in a shady parking lot or mess with people.  Somebody needs something from your trunk while you are sitting comfortable in a restaurant, simply point the clicker from your booth and let them go get it without moving a muscle. Great invention.

TIVO/DVR.  This invention has completely changed my life.  Digitally record shows without tapes.  Throw a season pass on your favorite show and you don’t even have to remember to record it.  My schedule is no longer controlled by my favorite shows. I watch less TV now because of TIVO.  Watching sports is incredible with TIVO too.

THE RUBBERBAND.  This little elastic invention can be used for so many different useful reasons.  A girl needs to put her hair up - rubberband.  You lost your box for your deck of cards and you need to keep your cards organized - rubberband.  Need a weapon so that you can terrorize your little brother or sister - rubberband.  Got an overbite that needs to be fixed - little rubberbands that connect to your braces. What does MacGyver reach for to make a random bomb - rubberband.  The versatility of this invention is unbelievable. 

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Here is a small list of 4 of the worst inventions ever:

MIDDLE SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS.  These can only come back to bite you.

OUTDOOR REST STOPS.  Seriously, who thought of this one?  Have you ever seen one of these rest stops?  Does anybody want to sit on a basically outdoor toilet when it is snowing and 29 degrees?  What about when it is the middle of summer and a muggy 103 degrees?  

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.  Can we please come up with something better that is more efficient and doesn’t require $3.70 a gallon gasoline?

BASIC CABLE TV - Out of my 70+ stations, I maybe watch 10 consistently.  However, to watch those 10 channels I have to pay for the 70+ stations.  There has to be a better way to do this.

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What do you think it either one of the greatest inventions ever or one of the worst inventions ever?  What did I miss?

Do I Really Care?

Do I really care?  This is a question that resounded deep in my heart one night last summer that I will never forget.  

Last summer I had the privilege to lead 25 teenagers and adults on a mission trip to New York City.  One night we planned on going to the top of the Empire State Building.  We had planned on going up right around sunset so that we could see the transition from daytime NYC to nighttime NYC.  The goal of the night was not simply to see the view from the tallest building in NYC or to take some good touristy pictures.  We went up there with the intention of praying over the city in every direction - north, south, east, and west.

We broke up into our travel groups and started weeding through the hundreds and hundreds of people on top of the Empire State Building that night to find good places to pray over the city.  My group found a place against the railing and we started praying.  As I was praying and looking over this massive city full of lights, I began to think about all the people (over 8 million people live in NYC) who did not know the incredible saving grace of Jesus.  I began to think about all the people struggling day-to-day to get by as well as the Wall Street businessman that has spent the majority of his life chasing the almighty dollar.  I prayed that God would give me His eyes when He looked down at that city - even if just for a moment.

My heart was immediately broken in that moment.  Tears began to well up and stream down my face as the thought of so many people being lost and living in the darkness.  God had given me a tiny glimpse of the world through His eyes in that moment and I could barely handle it.  

That moment forced me to look myself in the mirror and ask a really hard question, “DO I REALLY CARE?”  Do I really care about the lost?  Do I care enough about it to do anything about it?  If I consistently beg God to (like the Hillsong United song Hosanna so beautifully puts) “break my heart for what breaks Your’s”, then I have to use my life and my small circle of influence to do what I can to change that.  It has to force me to move and do something.

The question I have for you today is a tough one:  do you really care?  Do you really care about the lost in your workplace?  Do you really care about the lost in your city?  Do you really care about the lost that live in your neighborhood?  Do you really care about the lost in New York City?  Do you really care about the lost living halfway across the world in another country?  If the answer is “yes”, what are you doing about it?  Purposely pursue ways that you can do something - start a conversation with a co-worker, start praying for the lost in your area, help send somebody on a mission campaign, etc - to help seek and save the lost. 

God, let us see this world through Your eyes today.  Break our hearts for what breaks Your’s.  

Pray for Joba

Joba Chamberlain is a dominant relief pitcher for the New York Yankees.  He is known for throwing up to 100mph fastballs and breaking off nasty sliders to strike out opposing batters.  However, Sunday night the last thing he cared about was throwing a baseball.  He found out late Sunday night that his father, Harlan, was in critical condition in a Lincoln, Nebraska hospital.  Joba broke down in tears, prayed with teammate Andy Pettite, and flew to Nebraska on a private plane (arranged by Derek Jeter) to be with his father.

This family’s story is unbelievable.  It has “made-for-TV-movie” written all over it.  In the October 8, 2007 issue of Sports Illustrated Gary Smith wrote a great article telling the story of the Chamberlain family.  Here is the cliffnotes version:

Harlan (Joba’s father) contracted polio as a nine-month-old.  He was forced to live in a Lincoln, Nebraska hospital for six years, five months, and eleven days of his childhood.  As a result the polio disease left Harlan with a deaf left ear and paralysis over the entire left side of his body.  He is now limited to three-wheel motorized scooter the he calls Humphrey.  As Smith writes, “A scooter instead of a wheelchair because…well, a wheelchair would make Harlan feel handicapped.”

When Joba was one year old, his parents divorced and he was living full-time with his father by the age of three.  Harlan and Joba developed an intimate father/son relationship that few experience.  As a supportive father, Harlan would encourage Joba’s love for baseball by spending countless hours sitting in a chair in the front yard.  Joba would throw baseballs to Harlan, who would catch them with a glove on his right hand (his only good hand), tuck the ball under his chin, take the glove off, grab the ball, and throw it back.  This would happen hour after hour, day after day.  Harlan was always the first parent in the car-pool lane to pick Joba and his sister up after school.  Harlan refused to let Joba give up after getting cut from his high school jv baseball team as a sophomore.  The father and son also shared a bed growing up where they developed an every night ritual as they went to bed saying:

“I love you,” says Harlan.

“I love you,” says Joba.

“Good night!”

“Good night!”

“Sweet dreams!”

“Sweet dreams!”

“Don’t forget your prayers, Joba.”

“Don’t forget your prayers, Dad.”

Last summer, Joba worked his way all the way from single A to the major leagues.  Along the way, the world was introduced to Harlan.  It was so moving seeing Harlan sitting in his motorized scooter, wearing his Yankees ball cap, fist-pumping with his only good hand, and tears of joy streaming down his face watching Joba succeed on the major league stage.  

Whether you are a fan of baseball or not, weather you are a fan of the New York Yankees or not, or whether you have heard of Joba Chamberlain before or not, I ask that you pray for his dad, Harlan.  I have never personally met the man, but I know that he is a good man and a good father.  The world needs more people like that.  

Pray for Harlan.  Pray for Joba.  Pray for the rest of their family.  Pray for peace.  Pray for healing.  Pray that we can one day soon see Harlan sitting in his scooter at Yankee stadium cheering on his boy with tears streaming down his face again, motivating others to be better parents.