Up, Up, and LCTC Away

Many who know me know that I have an appreciation for comic books and superheroes.  I find the artistic ability and  creativity of the artists as well as the depth of writing and complex story arcs simply fascinating.  And with the success of comic movies at the box office, the superhero genre has never been so popular.  That is why when the second annual Lexington Comic and Toy Convention was underway last weekend I had to stop by and see what was going on.  Here's a list of the things that I found most interesting on the day.

5) People, People Everywhere: The convention center in Lexington was hopping with people.  They were everywhere.  We arrived about twenty minutes after the doors opened and there were already long lines for tickets and long lines waiting to enter the hall.  Once inside, there was hardly any room to turn around without bumping into to someone.  It made keeping up with three young kids pretty hectic at times but pretty much everyone we encountered seemed to be gracious and courteous.  Last year's event was attended by more than 4,000 people and this year's event more than doubled that number with nearly 10,000 people buying tickets.  Needless to say, I think the success of this event will grow each year. 

4)Creativity Abounds: There was no shortage of creative vendors in attendance at the LCTC.  One of the most impressive was a man named Robert Love who cut aluminum pop cans into pieces and attached them to wooden cut outs to create various works of art.  Some of his creations included Spider-Man, Star Wars characters such as Darth Vader and C-3PO, and other various comic book characters.  Another vendor, Tee Minus 24, was selling unique t-shirts and pins.  The best of these were faux campaign shirts from the world of Star Wars.  The two tickets for the shirts were the Kenobi/Skywalker ticket and the Palpatine/Vader ticket.  They also had a t-shirt that featured some Hobbits as the Breakfast Club.  And the number of phenomenal artists who were selling their own sketches and independently published works was unreal.  As someone who cannot draw a straight line using a ruler, I have a great appreciation for the enormous ability these artists have. 

3) Goodies, Goodies, and More Goodies: The number of actual comic books in the building was staggering.  I would have no idea even where to start guessing.  I picked up a few items to add to my collection.  The one I can't wait to check out was graphic novel called Good and Evil written by Michael Pearl and drawn and inked by former Marvel Comics artist, Danny Bulanadi.  It is published by No Greater Joy Ministries and is a comic adaptation of the Bible.  I am looking forward to getting started on reading it.  And did I mention that the vendor gave it to me for free?  Can't beat that price.  I also picked up a stash of comics for an average price of $0.67.  But my daughter, Laura-Rae, may have come away with the best haul of any of us.  She collects pins for her denim jacket and she was in luck at LCTC.  There were pins everywhere and she was able to pick up several for roughly $1 apiece.  She couldn't have been happier. 

2) May the Force Be With You:  Two key actors from the original Star Wars trilogy were present at LCTC.  Billy Dee Williams, who portrayed the swindling, double-crossing leader of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian, and Peter Mayhew, who wore the Chewbacca costume.  I did not get either man's autograph (Williams was charging $40 and Mayhew $30) but it was cool to see them up close and see the line of people who were waiting to get something signed.  My nephew, Byron, waited in line for nearly an hour to get Billy Dee Williams' autograph and he enjoyed every minute of it.  The only problem was he wanted a picture and the lady assisting Williams with photos was sent on a pretzel run and so he was not able to get a pic with Lando. 

1) 1996 NCAA Champs: The highlight of the day for me was meeting an integral member of the 1996 NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats, Derek Anderson.  Anderson was there selling and signing copies of his recently published book, Stamina.  In his book, Anderson recounts succeeding despite the odds being stacked against him and he encourages people to never give up and fight through adversity in order to succeed.  His appearance at a comic convention was a little unusual but for a diehard UK fan like me, it was more than awesome. 

LCTC was a smashing success and I am already looking forward to next year's event.  I know this year's event was a year's worth of hard work and organization.  Kudos go out to Jarrod and Jaime Greer, the organizers of the event, for a fantastic event.  Keep up the great work and I can't wait to see the talent you have on display this time next year!

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

I am approaching the five month mark of living a healthier lifestyle.  I must admit that to this point, it has been remarkably easier than I anticipated.  I guess having your back to a wall has a way of doing that to you.  I am now down 63 pounds and have gotten on the treadmill four times a week for the past eight weeks.  As a matter of fact, I have gotten so used to doing the treadmill that I actually make plans around my exercise instead of making excuses to not do it.  I never thought I would see the day come when I would get cranky because I had not had my cardio for the day.  I guess investing in a treadmill last summer, even though it was barely used for several months, was worth the cost after all.

Over the course of the last month, people have really begun noticing the transformation that my body is undergoing.  I have had countless people make comments about my weight loss and several who continually ask me about my progress.  I have to confess, it feels amazing that people have noticed and are taking an interest in how I am doing.  Many have even offered words of encouragement and admiration for what I have been able to do thus far.  While I have spent most of my life trying to not really be noticed and keeping personal details personal, I have found that being open and discussing what I am going through to be cathartic and necessary to being successful in reaching my goals.  After all, if people are taking enough interest to notice how  I am changing my body, the least I can do is be open about things.

Perhaps the question that is most often asked of me nowadays is, "How are you doing it?" (One person asked me, "So, what's your secret?"  I resisted the urge to say, "Diabetes.  It's worked wonders for me.")  I always tell them that the answer is simple: I am eating more nutritiously and exercising regularly.  I know that doesn't sound flashy but it's true.  But after being asked that question again a few days ago, I began to think about how I had actually done it.  The answer I had been giving was true but, honestly, there is more to it than that.  When I say diet and exercise, I am leaving out the most important part: God.  If not for Him, none of this would be possible.  So, upon further reflection of how God has guided me through this time, I have pinpointed several keys to what has allowed me to be successful in restoring my body and rebuilding my relationship with God.

1)  Faith: This is where it all starts for me.  While I have always had faith in the Holy Trinity, I had gotten to a point in my life where I was relying more on myself than I was on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  When you trust yourself more than the Trinity, that's when you get yourself in trouble.  After getting the dickens scared out of me in October, my eyes were quickly opened and I knew immediately where I needed to put my faith if I was going to be successful in changing my life.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20, "I tell you the truth, if your faith is a big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move.  All things will be possible for you".  I needed to move a mountain, or (more aptly) remove  a mountain of weight from the frame of my body, and I knew I could not do it alone.  I chatted with God about getting that done and we have been in constant communication since.  If you are looking for a place to start, try renewing your faith in the King of Kings.

2) Attitude:  If you are to be successful in anything you do, you must have a positive attitude.  A colleague of mine often tells his students and players, "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right either way".  That makes a lot of sense to me.  If you expect to fail, you will.  If you expect to succeed, you will do that to.  So, I approach every day determined to be successful.  I don't just sit around waiting for things to happen; I make them happen.  Luke 12:35 tells us to "be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning" and that is exactly how I have approached my situation.  I feel that God has plans for me and in order for those plans to be carried out I need to stay positive and keep the determination to follow God where He leads me. 

3) Desire: In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry encounters a unique mirror that lets him see his family who had been killed years earlier.  Harry continues to sneak around to get a peek at the mirror whenever possible.  Eventually Professor Dumbledore tells Harry about why everyone who looks into the mirror sees something different.  He tells Harry, "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts."  After getting my wakeup call in the fall, I took a look into my own personal Mirror of Erised and saw that I wanted to be around for Kristy, Brayden, Laura-Rae, and Spencer for as long as I possibly could.  I want to celebrate milestone anniversaries and birthdays and get to know my grandchildren someday.  This was not going to be possible going down the road the I had been travelling.  So now I am travelling a much better road.  Psalm 37:4 says, "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires."  That sounds pretty good to me so that is what I intend to do. 

4) Ownership: I have taken ownership of the problem at hand because you can't resolve problems if you aren't willing to admit that you have them or admit your fault in having them.  I knew I had a genetic predisposition to be diabetic but I had taken that too lightly for too long.  No one to blame but myself.  1 Timothy 5:8 sums it up pretty well.  "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  I don't want to be worse than an unbeliever but I do want to provide for my family so that means I must take ownership of the problem and takes steps to correct it and I have.  Going through life ignoring your problems and pretending they don't exist is not a solution, and to me it's not an option.  Own them, solve them, praise the Lord, and move on.  Simple as that. 

These keys have proven to be life changing for me and I would recommend anyone who is facing a similar issue follow them.  What do you have to lose?  Me, I had a lot to lose if I didn't change and I'll bet that you do too.  Recently, I read a book on desire by John Eldredge* and in it he says, "Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived."  I reflected upon that statement and my life.  Too often when we face problems, we let them dominate our lives.  It's easy to do.  But what we really need to do is view them as bumps on the road of the journey we are on.  Sometimes we may have to take the long way around when we wanted to take the short cut, but the classic Robert Frost** poem puts that in perspective for us:

  "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

*Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers by John Eldredge

**The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost