8 Things the Gym Could Go Without

We would all certainly appreciate a day at the gym without any of these, but the gym never goes a day without at least one...

(and by "we" I mean "I," but I'm sure many of you can relate)


1. Gym selfies.  Nothing bothers us more than watching people flex and take pictures of themselves in the mirrors at the gym (or even the gym bathroom).  We see enough of them on our timelines, keep them out of the gym.  By the way, selfies are linked to two things:  narcissism and bros.

"I'm not sure why I'm doing this, you can see my abs through my shirt."

"This is my serious face."

Serve... and Protect

On Thursday, March 6, 2014, I was scared for my life due to the neglect of the Cincinnati Police Department and their extreme mishandling of an auto-theft.

First and foremost, I would like to thank the men and women of the Cincinnati Police Department who operate under the core values of the force and help make the city a better place to live.  Unfortunately, on Thursday, March 6, 2014... I was not lucky enough to encounter one of them.  Here are the core values the department strives to uphold (taken from their website):

• Integrity: Our actions and relationship with the community are guided by an internal sense of honesty and morality.
• Professionalism: Our conduct and demeanor display the highest standard of personal and organizational excellence.
• Diversity: Our members recognize differences as a strength in our organization and community.
• Accountability: Our duty is to promote public trust by upholding our obligations to the department and community.
• Vigilance: Our responsibility is to be alert to issues and activities impacting our community.

It was a typical Thursday and I woke up around 9 AM.  I went up to the main floor of our home and my roommate, Drew Lens, looked at me and said, "you'll never guess what just happened to me."  At 9 AM, there weren't a whole lot of potential negatives that crossed my mind before he informed me his car had just been stolen.  Drew was warming his car up directly in front of our house before leaving for work.  He stepped inside and within 2 or 3 minutes someone took off with his vehicle.  He called the police as anyone else would do, although he wasn't too optimistic about the response he would receive due to previous experiences during the 6 years he has lived in Cincinnati.

On multiple occasions, Drew has been a victim of crime in the city and has had to resort to the police in hope they would fulfill their duties.  He explained to me that every single time they have come only to treat him as a criminal.  Once his house was robbed and the first question the police asked upon arrival was, "what kind of drugs are you selling?"  I find it hard to pick integrity and professionalism out of that sort of response.

Hoping that this situation would warrant a different response, we awaited the arrival of a police officer.  Upon arrival, the officer did two things:  issued Drew a ticket for a parking violation (apparently leaving your keys in the ignition is an offense) and then wrote a parking ticket for one of our neighbors.  The officer seemed more interested in making the city a few dollars on parking tickets than he seemed inclined to pursue an auto-theft felony.  Officer Beasley continued to be rude and matter-of-fact with Drew when he exclaimed, "If you see your vehicle, you better not get inside of it because we will treat you like you stole it," before he finally drove away.  The officer kicked the victim while he was down.  This all greatly irritated me, but as the day went on, things only got worse.

Throughout the day, Drew was never contacted by anyone from the department.  Around 4 PM, he remembered his vehicle was equipped with Onstar services, so he called the police department and they connected with Onstar to locate his vehicle.  Coincidentally, after a little time on the phone, the police said they had already located the vehicle although they never attempted to contact its owner.  There were no keys inside and the vehicle was in the middle of an apartment complex in one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods of Cincinnati. 

The police suggested they were going to tow the vehicle, impound it, and charge Drew for all of the services.  Rationally thinking, Drew told the officers we would be there soon so he could avoid more expenses piling up.  On the way, we received a phone call from the dispatcher suggesting we hurry up because the police officer would "rather have it towed and impounded."

(So, let's get this straight.  A law abiding citizen has his vehicle stolen, gets ticketed for it, and the officer treats him like a criminal.  Then, once the vehicle is located, they want to tow it, impound it, and charge the owner again.  It seems to me that the police, at least in this situation, are working more as a capitalistic corporation with the goal to make profit at any necessary cost, opposed to operating under the department's core values.) 

Once we arrive, another officer treats this crime as if it holds no significance.  He looked at me and said, "This is the 8th one in 3 days," chuckles, turns away, and says, "see ya, guys."  The officers pulled away and this is where things got rough.

The officers left us alone for over an hour with the stolen vehicle as we waited for a tow truck.  Not to mention, this is considered probably the most dangerous road in a very dangerous neighborhood and we were obviously not welcome.  Outside of one family nicely speaking with us, many people walked by and drove by multiple times, giving us dirty looks which seemed to be efforts of intimidation.  Within one hour, I witnessed more than 10 blatant drug deals and even noticed a few individuals carrying guns at their waistlines.  Here are some notable facts about the neighborhood where the cops left us to retrieve a stolen vehicle (all taken from Area Vibes):

• The estimated Winton Hills crime index is 32% higher than the Cincinnati average and and the Cincinnati crime index is 131% higher than the Ohio average.
• The estimated Winton Hills violent crime rate is 32% higher than the Cincinnati average and and the Cincinnati violent crime rate is 244% higher than the Ohio average.
• The estimated Winton Hills property crime rate is 32% higher than the Cincinnati average and and the Cincinnati property crime rate is 120% higher than the Ohio average.
• The crime rate in Winton Hills, Cincinnati is less than 2% of the cities in Ohio.
• The estimated chance of being a victim of a crime in Winton Hills is 1 in 10.

The picture that follows is taken from the department's website and depicts crime on that particular street within the last 8 months, including homicides, many assaults, even more aggravated assaults, along with an abundant amount of robberies and burglaries (note that the 'crosshairs' are approximate to where we were located):

 The police made no attempt at an investigation concerning who stole Drew's vehicle.  They actually seemed more bothered that they didn't get the chance to tow it to the impound.  They were not concerned with the criminal as much as they were with dealing out parking violations or impound fees.  The actions of the police made us feel more unsafe in Cincinnati than we ever had before because these officers did not seem particularly concerned with protecting the residents of their own town.

I don't enjoy complaining, but I believe that the way the officers acted that day is not coincidental.  Knowing this neighborhood is as bad as it is, the police still left two people there with a vehicle that had been stolen by, more than likely, someone within close proximity.  I was literally, for the first time in my 27 years, scared for my life.  Do the police often treat victims like they are in the wrong?  Is this type of neglect something that happens regularly?  It is hard to believe that this is an isolated case and isn't widespread in the city. 

Most importantly, the department's neglect of this neighborhood is atrocious.  There are honest, hard working families that live in this community who have to face this crime every single day because of hardly any police presence.  Their children play outside on these streets only to witness the criminal activity because it cannot be avoided with the aid of police. I cannot even begin to imagine how these people feel on a daily basis.  Can you find integrity, accountability, professionalism, morality or vigilance in any of this?  I know I certainly cannot.  We were served through disservice and left to protect ourselves. 


Until next time...

Check me out on Twitter:  @PrallyD

Seven Miles..

On Wednesday night, I told a friend I would be gone for the weekend.  I told him I would be in a building from Thursday until Sunday with 40 or more other men, no cell phone, no watches or clocks, and no television or internet.  Then I told him we would be told when to eat, go to bed, and wake up.  He replied to me and asked, "man, what did you do to go to jail?"

Thursday evening came around and dinner was the first meal served for the extended weekend.  After we were fed and then told to remain in silence until the morning, I thought, "man, what did I do to go to jail?!"

I was nervous and apprehensive going into my Emmaus Walk and the night in meditative silence certainly didn't help ease my anxieties.  We all know how much I enjoy talking so to remain silent for an entire night and morning was pretty much the equivalent to a slap in the face.  But little did I know, I was in for the greatest weekend of my life.  

I am not going to get into too many details about the actual events in the Walk itself in case anybody who reads this is considering making the commitment themselves, but I am going to give you a short rundown.

A group of men were brought together from different physical places, different generations, different places in their spirituality, and different walks with Christ.  A building full of men who have faced and are facing different obstacles through the darkness in their search for Christ.  Men from different occupations and denominations, but one common denominator bonded us as brothers before weekend's end:  our love for Jesus.  We prayed a lot, laughed, smiled, talked, listened, cried a WHOLE lot, learned, and shared.  The overall outcome from all of those combined... we GREW.  We grew in different ways from one another, but also through shared ways that nobody who has an Emmaus experience could argue.  We grew physically through our love for the snack table haha.  In all seriousness, we grew SPIRITUALLY through Christ's unconditional and unending love for us. 
This weekend, through much prayer, meditation, conversation, singing, and fellowship, I grew closer to Christ than I ever even DREAMT I would.  The love that was shown from hundreds of strangers from all over the world in putting this experience together reconfirmed that although we may be in what I believe to be a postmodern and post-Christianity world, there is still MUCH love to be given and light to be shed. 

This weekend, I had a moment.  As it was named during the ending ceremony, I had an "ah-HA" moment.  A moment where I felt the absolute presence of a God I love so much, but whom loves me infinitely more! Covered in goosebumps, drenched in my own tears, and brought to my knees, this weekend, I rededicated my life to Christ.  I refuse to live another day without learning the word of God and incorporating my faith in all the decisions I make.

So, jail?  Not close.  As a matter of fact, it was the contrary; this weekend was the most LIBERATING weekend I have ever experienced.  It was the most important, challenging, and insightful times I have ever had.  As a fellow brother worded it, "I can tell you one things ladies and gentlemen, I AM FREE!"  This weekend has changed my life forever.

Decolores.


And until next time...

Check me out on twitter!  @PrallyD

Capitalism and (Un)Happiness

1 John 2:15-17 - Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world-- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-- is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing along with its desires...

           The ultimate goal of capitalism is profit, 100% profit.  Basically, you give up nothing and get something in return, or, you give up something of lesser value in exchange for something more valuable.  Capitalism is designed around profit and then more profit.  As if “profit” is some abstract, immeasurable, infinite thing everyone can get.  That’s where there is a problem though; profit of any kind is always very finite, whether that is some kind of material, object, or currency.  You don’t “create” profit; it’s there for the taking.  Capitalism is based around the fallacious idea that anybody can be rich if they work hard enough.  In order to become rich, one must take money/resources from someone else first by means of selling a product, a service, taxation, etc…  The rich cannot exist without the poor and vice versa.  It’s all about the balance of resources (or imbalance, if you will).  That isn’t the issue at hand here, though, because I am no economy guru.  In fact, the concepts I (think I) understand in the business context are very basic at best.  Most importantly, I question, how does this fundamental model of capitalism reflect in western society’s lifestyle?  Is it good?  Is it bad?  How has it affected our psyche?  

The business model of capitalism is “more, more, more... never-ending more,” and the psychological model matches that exactly.  This capitalistic train of thought has infected our minds, producing a very negative affect on our psyche.  More clothes, more technology, more money, plainly stated… more STUFF.   I see so many people who always want more “things” and, quite frankly, that’s where the main focus of their life resides.  Can one ever be TRULY happy if he/she always wants more?  I would answer no, absolutely not.  Happiness via materials/resources is only a very superficial and shallow form of happiness.  I say that because in order for a person to be truly happy, there needs to be some level of complacency.  All caps and bold letters may help get one message across that should be taken from this not-so-well-organized rant:  IF YOU ALWAYS WANT MORE, YOU’LL CONTINUE TO WANT MORE UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH.  Is that how you picture happiness to be?  Wanting more never yields true happiness.

 As materialism and the capitalistic mindset thrive, depression rates are also at an all-time high.  Nearly 10% of the American adult population has been diagnosed with clinical depression.  Now, I see a lot of luxury vehicles and an abundance of people that have a considerable amount of “things.” The fact that 1 out of every 10 adults has been diagnosed with depression (not to mention an X amount of adults who haven’t pursued professional help) shows me that “more, more, more” isn’t the real pursuit of happiness.   Also, one of the main causes of depression is stress and nearly 75% of adults who report experiencing extreme stress say it is due to financial woes and worries.  Do you see the correlation here?  I’d argue that to genuinely achieve happiness, one must redirect his/her VALUES away from VALUABLES.

 

Simply put, appreciate the small things or, as I’ve blogged previously, the little miracles.  Love, family, friends, food, water, this wonderful day, the very breath you take, and the simple necessities the Lord has given us to survive.  Be grateful for the many things you often take for granted.  Then, my friends, you’ll find true happiness and an honorably profitable state of mind. 

Until next time…

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD

Intricately Designed

A popular question I'm sure many of you have contemplated for yourself is "chance or design?"  Are we here by random chance or was our planet/universe designed by a creator?  Both sides of this argument, at their core, boil down to theory.  There isn't any "evidence" that exists which points to an answer about our creation.  It simply comes down to one's preference of science or faith.

For me, that choice seems fairly easy.  As I look at the world around me, I see a world full of things that have been designed.  An engine, watch, cell phone, computer, television, houses, works of art... the list could go on forever.  Each of these named things have been carefully designed and given a purpose by a designer; man.  I use that same form of logic when I look around at the world and how it works.  Our planet is like a carefully designed machine: different parts of all sizes working together with specific purposes in order to keep the whole part running.  To me, that doesn't seem to be something that is likely to happen merely by chance, but only by our Creator's hand.   Let's look at a few examples of how our world operates together to enhance our chance of survival (I am no scientist, these are VERY basic examples):

Honeybees:  the honey bee is very under-appreciated by us.  Honeybees pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops (1/3 of everything we eat).  Without these bees, our diet would be very limited at best.  Not only are crops such as soybeans, broccoli, celery, nuts, and many fruits dependent on bees, but they also pollinate the majority of alfalfa, which is crucial to our cattle's diet.  The honeybee is one of the most important factors in our food supply.  What would we do without them?  Probably eat grains and drink water.

Marine Algae:  many of us have been brought to believe that rainforests are the main producer of the oxygen we desperately need to survive, but that isn't the case (although they are important, producing roughly 1/3 of the oxygen).  Marine algae, yes that nasty looking green stuff, produces 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe daily.  The plants produce the gas as a byproduct photosynthesis.  We literally would not survive without single celled, photosynthetic algae.  Crazy thought, huh?

Termites and Cockroaches:  as I read those bold letters, my first thought is, "ew."  Not so much when you realize what these little critters do for us though.  Termites recycle tons of cellulose-containing materials (such as dead trees and plants), returning them to the soil as nutrient-rich mulch.  For those of you who have been doing your landscaping this spring, you understand the importance of good mulch.  Cockroaches are even more important to humans than termites.  These roaches, like termites, also break down dead plant and animal material.  Without the existence of the cockroach through time (about 250 million years), scientists suggest that our rainforests would be smothered in decaying material.

It seems to me that our world is analogous to an intricately designed machine;  gears turning, notch in notch, helping the next one turn respectively.  Earth's ecosystem is full of checks and balances that work together to keep it operating efficiently.  Is this all by chance?  Sure, it could be, but that's not what I choose to believe and choice is exactly what answers this question for each of us.

 (A precursor to my next blog:  People with a Purpose)  Behind everything designed, there's a purpose.  Even things we don't fully understand (yet) have purpose.  I'll leave you with one hypothetical situation:

Imagine something so tiny that we can only view it through a microscope.  We don't understand its purpose, but we notice the even smaller parts of it kind of bouncing back and forth in interaction with one another.  Do you think it could have purpose?  If you answered "no," do you also think we have no purpose?  To put it into perspective, that's exactly what we are.  In the scale of the universe, we are merely a microscopic spec of dust... if that.



Until next time...

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD

The Little Miracles

Another Wednesday; therefore, time to follow Wednesday's protocol.  I woke up at 9 AM and began to get ready for my morning commute to class.  My thoughts seemed a bit more scattered than normal and were pulling me in another direction.  Lately, I've been absolutely burning for God.  It's been this unexplainable passion.  I've just felt connected with Him through prayer and every aspect of my worship.  I opened my Bible the night before and began reading the New Testament.  On this very Wednesday morning, I felt compelled to skip class and continue my reading of Matthew.  At about 9:30 AM, I decided that's exactly what I would do.

After breakfast and my daily dose of ESPN, I continued to read.  Something that caught my eye the most was in Matthew 16:8, Jesus addresses his disciples, "You of little faith."  How could these men have little faith after witnessing all of the miracles they had seen Jesus perform?  How could they not have more faith than any man walking on Earth?  At 11:22 AM, I sent my girlfriend a text message expressing my view on how surprising that was.  I often question my faith, as I'm sure many do, but the disciples?!  No way.  Well, let me tell you about a little miracle that occurred less than 10 minutes after I sent that text message.

At roughly 11:30 AM, there was a knock on my front door.  "Odd for anybody to be knocking on my door at this time of the day," I thought, but I wasn't going to ignore it.  I looked out of the peep hole in the door and saw nothing.  So, I opened it up.  Slightly to the right of my door stood a man, not very well dressed, hood up, and back facing toward me.  Hands in his coat, he turned to me and stared into my eyes with what seemed to be a mixture of fear, anger, and hate.  I'd estimate that about 10 seconds passed by, but it felt like an eternity before he uttered the words, "Is Mr. John around?"  I was confused by his question and told him no.   For another 10 seconds or so, he stared at me with the same look on his face as before and then walked away.  I didn't think much of it other than, "Well, that was weird."  Less than 10 minutes later, that same man went into the home of one of my neighbors and robbed him.  Amazingly, nobody was hurt.  In my opinion, the Lord was truly looking over us.

A little miracle.  Looking back on the incident, the way the man was securing his hands, it seems likely he had some sort of weapon.  Yet, for some reason after staring at me for a brief amount of time, he just walked away.  Then, proceeded to rob a neighbor, but THANKFULLY nobody was hurt - another little miracle.  I stayed home and that prevented somebody from breaking into our residence, a little miracle in itself.  As a matter of fact, I can't even count how many little miracles I experience everyday.  Can you?

Many of us focus on the negative occurrences in our lives as if nothing is going "right" for us at all.  But is that the truth, or are we just focusing on all the wrong things?  You woke up, you're healthy, you've got a roof over your head, transportation, internet, food to eat, people to love, clothes on your back... the list could go forever even if those particularly listed aren't cases for you.  Those are all little miracles.  Just because we expect things to happen, doesn't mean their happenings aren't special.  You see, our world is full of miracles everyday, we just have to recognize them.  So, now I ask MYSELF, "How can I have such little (or any question in) faith when Jesus performs these miracles in front of my eyes everyday?!"

Until next time...

Check me out on Twitter:  @PrallyD

Baptism Testimony

 I was baptized yesterday and wanted to share the short testimony I gave in front of the church.  I understand not all of my friends/followers are believers, but this isn't a place for religious debate.  Just be happy that a peer of yours has found some peace in his life. Thank you.

"I'm 26 years old and I haven't always been a Christian.  In fact, from the time I was 11 years old until I was 25, my life was.. I'll say, "lacking light."  I say that because I don't believe that darkness exists.  Darkness is only the lack of light because, when it's shed, light ALWAYS overcomes. Go strike a match in a room with no light and you'll witness the darkness cowardly flee.  For 14 years, my life was plagued with drugs, alcohol, anger, resentment, and lust.

SO, what did it take me to finally let God into my life?... struggle.  That's what brought me here today and led me to becoming a Christian.  It was just about a year ago when my life changed forever.

On March 17th, 2012, around 2 PM, one of my best friends, Matt brady, and my cousin, Kenzie Rife, visited me at the fish farm.  They brought me lunch and I gave them a tour of my workplace.  I'll never forget the looks on their faces when checking out all the fish and alligator, they were like children in the toy aisle at Wal-Mart.  It was time to go.. We exchanged hugs and they left.  That same night, around 11PM, I received a phone call.  Matt and Kenzie had been in an accident hours after leaving the farm, taking them both.  I was confused and I felt destroyed.  "How could this happen to those two," I kept asking myself.  For the first time in my life, I began looking for God, but I didn't necessarily leave my heart open for Him. Why wasn't I getting any answers from God?! "Where IS He," I kept asking.

A few short weeks after, Carla Renee visited home from college while I was house sitting for her parents.  We weren't dating at the time, just friends. Here, she told me the news that she was pregnant.  At first, I paused in anger and confusion. My mind raced, I wanted to scream.  She cried, but suddenly and seemlingly out of nowhere, my heart was overwhelmed with the light of God.  This was the first time I ever felt His presence in my heart and that moment has forever changed me.  "Everything will be alright," I could feel Him telling me. Within weeks of one another, I experienced the loss and the gain of life.  Within weeks of each other, these events led me to walk with Christ and faith became the rock, the foundation of my life. 

I battle temptation everyday, but battling that temptation and working to overcome it rather than succumbing to it.. to me, that's what being a Christian is about.  It's a daily battle to take up our cross & make the right choices, yet also the realization and acceptance that we are imperfect.  I'd like to thank my family, the Stoltzfus family, and every person here today for helping me along this journey. You are all truly great people.  Here I am, ready to begin the rest of my life as part of the Christian community, faith, and as a follower of Christ."



Until next time....


Check me out on Twitter: @PrallyD