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“2011 was a rough year. I’m glad to see it go” – this was the sentiment one of my close friends when I asked him about the New Year and I have to agree…
When I look back over 2011 it is a jumble of work, school and more work. I started the year with the goal to lose some weight, but I only stayed the same for the entire year. I got a personal trainer for 3 months and realized that personal training is worthless without a serious diet change – and I changed my diet, just not enough and not consistently enough.
Work was a nightmare. I worked for Denton Bible Church for the first 8 months of the year and was self-employed running both http://www.eddierenz.com my web design business and http://www.soundandshow.com – my DJ Business all while juggling the financial responsibility of Dallas Theological Seminary – which cost me about $5000 out of pocket which might not seem like a lot, but when you have to pay $600 a month on a self-employed/part-time church worker budget it can be a real burden.
As far as actual income for 2011 I did pretty good. I made almost the same Salary that I made with Texas Instruments but I still don’t have health insurance and I sometimes miss the security of that weekly paycheck, but, there is nothing like being your own boss. There is a thrill that comes with not knowing if you are going to make any money for the next month and literally living by faith and watching God provide week after week, month after month. I live a very nice life and the challenges that I face are mostly self-induced.
Some of the Highlights from 2011
1. Found Author Harlan Coben and have enjoyed reading his books.
2. Re-Branded my Web Design business to Chemist Creative.
3. Started going to The Village Church and I LOVE it.
4. Started my Masters in Media and Communication at DTS
5. Started Crossfit
So, what’s in store for 2012?
I plan to kick off the New Year with a 30 Day Paleo Diet challenge. This year I’m doing it with friends and we have consequences for cheating. How do you stick to a plan? Accountability with consequences. Our consequences is 30 burpees for every cheating incident. If you don’t know what a burpee is you can check it out here:
I’m also doing Crossfit which is definitely a challenge for me. Well, I think it is a challenge for everyone that does it and the real challenge is being mentally tough and pushing yourself beyond your limits. Here is a quick video so you can get the idea of the ridiculousness of these workouts:
While personal training pushed me to my limits I don’t think it pushed me like these Crossfit workouts have pushed me. Plus, you are doing the workouts with other people and so there is a community aspect to the workouts.
By the end of 2012 I’d like to look like Alistair Overeem… who by the way defeated Brock Lesnar pretty effortlessly last night in UFC 141.
Big Goals for 2012
1. Reach a Goal weight of 300
2. Pay off all miscellaneous debt
3. Visit Jimmy in Shang Hai
4. Run the 8 Mile at the Turkey Trot
Special-Edition iPad 2
The Real Marriage Tour kicks off this February with 7 tour stops, starting in Corona, California. To celebrate, we’ll be giving away a special-edition, Real Marriage iPad 2 preloaded withPastor Mark’s entire sermon archive, thanks to Logos Bible Software, as well as the following ebooks, courtesy of Vyrso:
Preloaded Books by Mark Driscoll
- Real Marriage
- Doctrine
- Religion Saves
- Disciple
- Death by Love
- Vintage Church
- Vintage Jesus
- Church Leadership
- Who Is God?
- The New Testament
- The Power of Words and the Wonder of God
How To Win
To be entered to win you can fill out the Giveaway form over on the Real Marriage Tour Facebook page (you’re one-stop shop for all the updates on the RM Tour).
Here’s the best part: you have 7 chances to win, and the more you share, the more chances you’ll have to win. Each winner will be announced the Monday before each event. So, tell your friends on Twitter and Facebook about the contest and the Real Marriage Tour to up your changes for a free iPad 2.
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the Real Marriage event nearest to you, or visit our Real Marriage Tour page to find out info on times and locations.
Get a Free Autographed Copy of Real Marriage
If you are planning on coming to the conference, round up a group of friends, purchase 10 tickets or more and you’ll receive a free autographed copy of Mark and Grace Driscoll’s book Real Marriage.
How to Get Your Free Book
When buying your group tickets of 10 or more, please enter promo code FREEBOOK at checkout. When you arrive at the registration desk on the day of your event, just give them your name and your autographed copy will be given to you then.
It’s the Holidays and your single. Everywhere around you there are couples in love wearing cheerful sweaters and sipping hot chocolate and peppermint mocha’s. Couples are grouping up, getting married, having babies and pretty much living a life that leaves you feeling lonely and excluded. You are standing under the mistletoe, lips puckered, but with no one to kiss…
Your friends all tell you “Don’t get into a rush, you’ll find the ‘Right One’ soon…” but you expected “soon” to have happened years ago and so you have grown impatient and maybe even a little angry. Trust me. I know. At 35 I’m still single. I’ve had a lot of great relationships (and a few not-so-great) but for some reason (God) they never worked out. I tried various dating sites and participated in various singles groups at church, but here I am, still single – just where God wants me.
I think that as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to appreciate the freedom that being single provides, but more than that, I’ve learned to understand that there can be a joy in the anticipation of waiting. Immediate gratification starts to sour after a while and always getting what we want can really take the fun out of waiting for something great…
This Holiday season is the first year that I have heard of Advent. I’ve been a Christian for 30 years and very active in church and ministry and so how has this wonderful tradition escaped me? While attending The Village Church in Denton they showed us this great video. It is a “must-watch” this Holiday season.
Advent: God With Us from The Village Church on Vimeo.
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait…
I love this video and how it repeatedly says that the Israelites “Waited”. They waited on a Savior, they waited on Jesus. They waited for this Messiah that was going to set them free from the curse of the law. Abraham and Sarah waited. Over and over in the Bible we see people waiting for the Lord and when they wait patiently, there is this great blessing. But what happens when we get impatient? What happened with Abraham, Sarah and Hagar? We try to come up with alternative solutions that circumvent God’s perfect plan for us and in the end it only leaves us miserable and in pain.
So this year I rejoice in knowing that the Lord has something great in store for me whether that is a single life which allows me much more freedom and flexibility or a wife (and kids?) that will allow for more challenges and opportunity to grow. Either way I’m complete in Jesus Christ. This year I’m not looking around for a woman to fill some Holiday void. There are no voids this season. This year I’m focused on Jesus, His birth and His ultimate gift and I wait patiently, but with much anticipation and joy, for his return.
Be blessed this Holiday Season!
-Eddie Renz
Eddie is an avid fan of Lord of the Rings, Adobe Software, Dr. Pepper and Apple products. He is the graphic and web designer for The Hub.
We are going to be putting on a little Karaoke Party at Denton Square Donuts on December 15, 2011. It’s from 7-9 so come early.
Karaoke will be provided by www.soundandshow.com
I’m working on my businesses and trying to take both to the next level. Currently I have one employee that I’m training to take over some of my DJ business. It is a step in the right direction. I also need to work on finding someone to help me with design work that is consistently looking to do design full-time. It’s one thing to grab a friend that can help out on occasion, but in reality what I need is someone that wants to hustle and make this a career. I need someone that already has clients and a portfolio of work that really just wants to merge our two brands into one. I want to be the Best DJ in Denton as well as the Best Web Designer in Denton. I’d like to latch on to the cool vibe that Denton has for niche markets and industrial culture.
I’ve got some ideas brewing in the pot. I’m looking forward to moving forward.