Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone:"SUP"

True statement:

We only try things we feel completely comfortable/confident in doing most of the time!  

Well last week I definitely stepped out of that "comfort zone".  Let me restate that, at first I felt forced by my wife Morgann to step out of my comfort zone.  But then when it was over, I was excited and pumped I did. 

What holds us back from wanting to step out of that zone?

For me it is a lack of confidence, if I am not confident in it or think that I will not perform well then it ain't for me.  Well, that is what went down last Thursday as Morgann signed me up for my first ever Stand Up Paddle board race.  (SUP)  

Going through my mind:  I have never done this before and I am not only going to just "SUP", I am going to race.  Knowing my competitiveness and hating to lose, I was definitely not wanting to step out of the zone for this.  Well, by the time Thursday had rolled around I had run out of excuses to give Morgann to why I shouldn't do this.  (ya know... my knee has been hurting me, other guys have their own paddles, do we even know how to get there, is it going to rain?, it is two hours before Thursday night football starts won't that be cutting it close? it cost 5$ to enter, and the obvious I have never done this before)  Morgann being her awesome self wasn't having any of it - IT WENT DOWN, AND OUT OF THE ZONE I WENT!

AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!  I did horrible in the race as you can tell in the above picture, no one is around me, because I am in dead last (really want to learn how to turn).  But it didn't even matter, it was so much fun, I have never enjoyed an activity so much that I finished last at. (can't believe I just wrote that)

After a couple disqualifications  (people not going around buoys correctly) and lack of people racing I even left with a medal?  

So I really can't wait to do it again, aka get my own Paddle Board so I can get in paddle board shape and actually learn how to maneuver one.  But I will take this as another prime example in life - that stepping out of your comfort zone, whatever that may be for you, in the end, REALLY IS WORTH IT!!!

Hunting Island/Beaufort Trip

One thing Morgann and I love to do together is take trips.  Since the move we haven't really wanted to as we have been recuperating from the move by going to the beach every weekend for two months.  So this past Saturday we planned a little date day/night down to Beaufort/Hunting Island, the recap by pictures...

So we started the date day early at Palm and Moon Bagel shop (suggested by one of my students).  We took it to go and ate out on the harbor in downtown Beaufort.  I obviously had to go with the Joey special - 2 bagels.  (Friends TV Show reference)

So after the early breakfast we drove into Hunting Island (about 15 minutes from Beaufort).  Honestly, the most beautiful drive in, because you feel like you are literally in a jungle.  So I must have said this 20 times - "it is like we are in a jungle, there had to have been movies filmed here".

Since it is a state park, there are no houses on the island so it is literally what any beach you go to would look like if we hadn't built anything on the land, amazing!  

First time I have ever seen trees growing out of the ocean.  In which I definitely kept thinking this quote all day as well - "we are really still in the USA".

Had to post this shot because after doing a little research on movies shot on the island (Forest Gump, G.I. Jane, and Jungle Book), this is the spot where Forest brings Cap't Dan out of the jungle to save him and also where Bubba passes away.

After spending all afternoon lounging/reading on the beach we ended the day with a date night dinner downtown Beaufort by the harbor at The Old Bull Tavern which I would highly suggest to eat at if ever in the area!

One great date day!!!

Side note story from the day:  After spending all day on the beach Morgann and I wanted to get ready to go out to eat.  Obviously there are no showers, so I had planned on just rinsing off in the outdoor shower rinser-offer that everyone in the state park is using and then I was going to change once I got the sand off of me.  Morgann has other plans, as I am just rinsing the sand off of myself, I look over and Morgann has brought an entire bar of soap in a travel case and is actually taking a shower in the beach rinse off station.  As I am laughing uncontrollably at her and have left the scene as I do not want to be a part of this, I look over and Morgann has this other woman that is rinsing off rubbing the soap off of her back.  It is things like that why I love Morgann King, because I would never do that but she has no problem with taking a public shower, and getting others to help her with it.

Last week College Football season began, and I am typing to admit that I was out right addicted to watching/learning everything I could for the start of the season.  I hadn't had it for 8 months and I needed it, I wanted it back in my life, it is/(was) a part of me.

Coming to the realization that this was the case lead me to tweet this out...

"I have told MORE people in the last year that I LOVE college football more than I have told people that I LOVE JESUS!"

CONVICTED!  I don't want that above tweet to be true!!!

This quote has stuck out to me:
"The true God in your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when their is nothing else demanding your attention." - Tim Calhoun

So with that quote I simply want to ask you to think about who/what in your life do you make YOUR GOD?
What is "IT" that you think about majority of the time?
What is "IT" that if you didn't have it in this life you would really miss it?
What is "IT" that would make you disappointed if you didn't get to be a part of it for years on end?
When their is an awkward silence in a conversation or to start a conversation with a friend what is "IT" that your mind goes to to talk about?

IS YOUR "IT" MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD?

I am so thankful for the forgiveness of an awesome God, His mercy, and His grace!!!

Also would love for you to watch this amazing video that I am including in this post of Chris Norman, a starting linebacker for Michigan State who chose not to do what the world wanted him to do (pursue his career in the NFL) but to stand up and stand out for Christ and go into ministry... CHRIS NORMAN - NFL OR MINISTRY?