New Blog Coming Soon!

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I’ve spent the last week or so working with a couple of different blogs on the WordPress.org platform. I love it! Its complicated, but its fluid…meaning I have total control of my site. I love the challenge of playing with the code to customize the look and feel to the way I like it. I do not know a lot of code, so I’ve broken the other sites I’ve been playing with several times, but fortunately as I learn it (thanks to free info through Google) I am able to fix it back! Oh, I’ve got to give credit to the web designer tools through Firefox too!

To be honest, I hate my blog design here on WordPress.com, but it is the only 3 column layout that works for me, all of that will change when I switch to WordPress.org. Beyond the look of my blog, I am going to be able to add various different elements that .com does not allow.

I can’t wait…hopefully soon you will come to nickcarnes.com and see a whole new site! Its going to be a beautiful thing :)

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Thank You 1000 Times!!!

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Thanks to all who have contributed to my blog by joining the many conversations. You have helped me reach 1000 comments, a feat which reveals how small-time of a blogger I am, yet is still a big accomplishment for such a small-time blogger. Thank you for helping me form this small community, I look forward to seeing where it goes from here and the next 1,000 comments to come.

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One Year Ago Today

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On Thanksgiving exactly 1 year ago today, I began a journey that has changed my life, hopefully forever. It took a lot of pain and sickness to begin this journey, but now as I look back, I can say I am glad I endured it.

Since last year I have lost 47lbs. I was 193 lbs the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and as of Monday (the day I am scheduling this post) I am 146 lbs. I told my wife I was going to try and lose 3 more pounds so I could round it up to 50, but no luck so far! :)

For those who do not know the story, I was extremely sick and in a lot of pain the Wednesday before Thanksgiving last year. I drove myself to the Emergency prompt care where I was diagnosed with an ulcer. I was given some medicine and sent home. The pain increased the next day and moved to the lower right side of my abdomen and eventually let me dad talk me into going to the ER. Once I arrived and saw a doctor, I was almost sent home without even being checked. The doctor read the chart and the diagnosis from the prompt care doctor and didn’t even walk in the door, before he turned to leave, I asked him a couple of questions that prompted him to do his job, and he skeptically decided to do a CT Scan on my Abdomen, he still stated he doubted I had anything wrong other than an ulcer. When the test results came back, they decided they needed to do an Emergency Appendectomy, and the rest is history…except the fact that the surgeon said my Appendix looked very sick, so I could have been sent home and it burst giving me gangrene or killing me. So, in my week of recovery I lost 6 lbs and determined to keep it up, I worked hard to lose the additional 41 lbs. My original goal was 165 lbs and I have overshot that by 19!

The positives: I feel great! I don’t dislike looking at myself in the mirror or having my picture taken. I’m in a whole lot better shape, I’m healthier, and I can encourage and empathize with people who are on a journey to lose weight and have a healthier lifestyle. Looking at old photos and seeing success!

The negatives: I’ve been criticized more since I lost weight than when I was 40 + lbs overweight. I guess some people don’t like to see others actually be successful at something they set out to accomplish. Along with losing 7 years of weight I lost as many years worth of clothes, so it has been challenging to replace them, especially with the changing season. Looking at old photos and regretting I let myself get so overweight.

The humorous side: Having people ask me, “So what did you do to lose all of your weight?” and then upon hearing my answer having them reply, “Oh, I could never do that!” – I guess some people want it the easy way!?

By the way…I missed Thanksgiving dinner last year and will be making up for it this year! :)

The Journey – Starts HERE6 lbsHERE – 10 lbs HERE179 lbs HERE172 HERE (Changing my Goal)167 HEREA Meal of Pills & 159 lbsI feel like Amway – 2 months finally lost 1 pound3-D Plan to eating healthy part 13-D plan to eating healthy part 2

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Adoption Rocks with Long Sleeves

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Adoption Rocks T-Shirt with Long Sleeves

Look what I can do!

The cold weather is coming in, and I can still wear my “Adoption Rocks” t-shirt. My white thermal long sleeve shirt fits perfectly underneath and I must say they go perfect together!

Are you looking for a way you can be a help to someone this holiday season? Looking for a great Christmas gift for that friend or loved one? The Adoption Rocks t-shirt is that perfect gift. Not only are you giving someone a great gift they can use over and over again, but you are helping provide a new home for a baby girl or for two siblings.

My friend Neely and her husband Josh are on the waiting list to adopt a little girl or siblings from Africa. She had these t-shirts made up to help raise the money  its costing them to make the adoption happen. You can go to http://www.onemomtrying.blogspot.com to read about their adoption journey, but also most importantly to help them make it happen. When you go to Neely’s blog, look to the right hand sidebar and there is an order form, select your size and color and then select the “Buy Now” button to place your secure order.

Don’t let the cold weather be an excuse not to help someone! Help provide a baby girl or siblings the warmth of a home and a loving family by buying a shirt today. In fact, I think it would be ok to buy 5 for Christmas gifts too! :)

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You Don’t Have Family In Nigeria!!!

Click Picture to Watch Video

Click Picture to Watch Video

I saw this video on CNN.com where a lady lost $400,000 to a Nigerian email scam…yes that was $400,000 (dollars)…watch the video to see what all she sold and cashed in for what she thought was going to be a $20 Million Dollar payday. I think the lady in the video says it best, “YOU DON’T HAVE FAMILY IN NIGERIA!” Don’t fall for this scam. ALSO – Check out the 419 Eater website for funny stories and pictures of Nigerian email scammers being scammed by some smart people…they would be the people who did not send $400,000 to a “family” member in Nigeria (These stories are awesome).

Also on the video is a sad, but semi-funny story about an elderly lady who was robbed when she fell for an exploding toilet story by a robber who was wearing a fake water company uniform.

And the third story is about two men who stole an ATM with a stolen fork lift. Watch the video, I am sure you will be entertained. Join the Conversation: What’s the funniest crime story you’ve ever heard or experienced?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/11/19/pn.most.outrageous.email.scam.cnn

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Can God Get A Loan?

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If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you! Proverbs 19:17

I found this verse interesting. People always talk about being ‘the hands and feet of Jesus’ to help those who are in need, but how about the ‘bank of Jesus?’ I think a lot of us look at giving to the poor in terms of what we have financially, we make comments like, “When God blesses me with extra, then I can give to others.” However, I get the impression that God works like this, “You give from whatever I’ve already given you, and then I’ll repay you based on your kindness.

To me this puts a new perspective on Matthew 25:40 (MSG) where Jesus says, whatever we do to those overlooked and ignored, we do it to Him. Proverbs is saying that we are not giving our money to the poor…we are giving a loan to God, he’s just predesignated that he wants the money to go, and he wants it to go to those who are overlooked and ignored. This promise from Proverbs is not limited to “Christians.” I see tons of secular businesses that are very successful, and many times if you look behind the scenes they are highly involved in charitable giving. I just think the Church should be leading the way…

This is personally something I have to work on. My family is definitely not rich, but that cannot be an excuse! Join the Conversation…What do you think? Is God’s credit good enough at your bank?

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What’s Your Excuse?

Brandon Marshall is an 11 year old boy who is dying of Lukemia…he has one dying wish, to feed the homeless, this is a touching story that is well worth your time. Do you have a blog? Share Brandon’s story there. Vision can be shared from a hospital bed.

This is one more example of how Jesus will use anyone to bring about his plans and his purposes, he’ll even use the sick. If you think you’ve got it all together, you may just be eliminating yourself from being a candidate for Christ to use.

I think Brandon may ask, What’s Your Excuse for Sitting on your Butt?

P.S. You may need a box of kleenex.

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Problems watching? http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/11/09/jaffey.wa.last.wish.komo

h/t: CNN

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Our Cash Envelope System

Nicki and I went to the ReThink Money Workshop today that our church put on with Casey Graham. Casey talked about using one of three plans to pre-designate your monthly funds: 1. A written spending plan 2. A Cash Envelope System or 3. A computer method (Quickbooks, Quicken, Etc.). If we used the cash envelope system, here’s what it would look like right now:

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We are not going to use a cash envelope system, because cash is easier to spend, and we don’t have money to spend, period. Hopefully, applying the principles we learned today will help us save money and cut spending where we can, it is not going to help us overcome my need to start a second job for a while, but it will reduce the amount I need to earn in that job. If you hear of a ReThink Money Seminar in your area, I highly recommend you go to it.

Join the Conversation: Do you use a budgeting system or a spending plan, if so what is it?

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Married for 8 Years Today

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Today is a big day for me. I had the awesome responsibility to vote for our next President of the United States. I did so as a free man, there was no military presence at the voting precinct and I was not forced to vote against my will under threat of death. Today marks an even bigger day for me, it marks the day that 8 years ago my life was changed forever. It does not matter what direction our country turns in or if I had to live in a land full of oppression, I would still be the happiest man on earth, because I have the priviledge of being married to the love of my life and my best friend, Nicki. So today, this is a little of what I want to say to my wife…

On this day 8 years ago, you made the decision to start a new life journey with me. The many roads that we have traveled in these short 8 years have been full of twists and turns, hills and mountains, pot holes as well as smooth straight paths. I would be inaccurately describing it if I said it’s been anything short of an adventure.

Some of our roads were surprises while others have been of our own choosing, but no matter which road we’ve traveled we’ve come to the end together, and still we have many to complete.

I can easily say that after these 8 years we have a successful life. No we are not the wealthiest people on earth, ok, wealthy is not even in our dictionary, but we made decisions for our family that in 8 more years we will be thankful for. I cannot put a price tag on a loving wife that has sacrificed career and personal dreams to ensure that our children had a positive influence at home before being shipped off to school. The intelligence that our children have because of the influence of their mom is truly priceless and could never be copied by an outside daycare or child rearing source. I know at times its seems that your hard work making purses to help make ends meet goes unnoticed and is unappreciated, but I thank God for your dedication to our home, to our marriage, and to our children. In a self-serving and self-pleasing world I know that I have found a treasure in a woman who will put self aside for the good of her family. We are successful because we have 3 beautiful, healthy, smart, and loving children. All of them are growing into children, one day teenagers, and eventually adults who will be a blessing to the world around them; we’ve already seen this in their character and personality as they get older. I would trade riches any day for a beautiful, loving, healthy, and dedicated wife and for the three greatest children a man could ask for. This is just one of the many roads we are on, and when we get to the end of it, we will be a stronger couple, we will be stronger parents, and we will be stronger candidates for God to use. This 8 year journey has quickly passed us by and I can only hope that the next 8 will not be in such a rush to get here. Let’s not look too far in to our tomorrows, but savor all that God has blessed us with in all of our todays.

So, at the beginning of this new day together I thank you for sticking with me through all of my bone headed decisions; some turned out great while others made us dig to the surface just to get air. I thank you for being the best mom I could ever dream up for our children, for being a great influence on them, one that will lead them after Jesus throughout their entire life. I thank you for being dedicated to us, your family. I thank you for being you, and not anyone I may have tried to make you into over the years. I thank you for breakfast in the mornings and dinner in the evenings. I thank you for your creativity and allowing God to use those gifts He has given you. I thank you for allowing me to travel and experience some of my dreams while you hold down the fort at home. I thank you that you have given me the confidence and the trust that no matter where God leads us, whether it is a new town or just down the street you are going to be there with me when we get to the end of that road. Most of all, I thank you for loving me more than anyone ever has, more than anyone ever would, and more than anyone should. You are my very best friend…my everything! Happy 8th Year Anniversary!

I Love You,

Nick

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Wow!!!

My God is awesome and huge…

In the words of M.C. Hammer, “You can’t touch this…”

When I look at these…I look small…and I realize I am small compared to my God!

Images were taken by the Hubble Telescope and I got them via MSNBC online.

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