In my apologetics course I'm taking online, we had an interview assignment - we had to interview someone who has a different worldview from us, and find out what they believe about origins, meaning, morality, and destiny. I interviewed a friend, T. (Keeping his name confidential) It was really fun to just sit and listen to his responses to my questions, and write them down (without arguing on any of the topics, just listening). Then I have to defend his position before a group of my peers, who ask challenging questions. He also shared some of his poetry with me.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
A Slightly Different Walk (The Woods Were Closed)
This morning I went for a walk up to the woods but couldn't get through because fences were put up for the goats they released into the woods to eat the underbrush (biological lawnmowers, haha). So I went around back to the trailer park, and then back to Northport & Sherman & around the neighborhood behind my apartment, then several times around the apartment building to make my calorie goal of 460 Cal.
A Walk Out to Willy St. Co-Op North, and the Lakeview Public Library, and Helping Someone With Their Faith
Went out on a walk to get some sushi and some brie cheese at Willy St Co-Op North - had a major anxiety attack on the way through the store and out towards home. But everyone around me was helpful and a blessing - they had the book ready for me to pick up at curbside where I plopped down in frustration. It was an attack on my son-hood in Christ and wether or not I had "appropriately shared Christ with the checkout person through singing" (doh! stupid. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have appreciated me holding up the line while I sang a praise song to God in front of him) but that was what was going through my mind at the time. I was frozen, unable to simply get out my EBT card and pay for the groceries, but eventually reality struck me and I continued with the transaction. I was so thankful for how helpful everyone was despite my immobility. Oh, and the demons were all over me looking up my owner number through my first & last name - in particular my last name being Jackson - and that stupid prophecy by Jesse Duplantis saying, "Jackson, Elyse? Jackson, Elyse? Antichrist & the Whore of Babylon." (Elyse was the name of my girlfriend in high school, and we don't speak) - total bunkum nonsense - besides the fact that the Whore of Babylon was the city of Babylon rebuilt, not a literal human person. Anyways, thus is my crazy life with voices and anxiety. I'm expecting to be able to help a lot of people through their struggles in life with all my experiences with mental illness and demonic attacks. I recently helped a man named G. (I'm keeping his name confidential, for his privacy) - he called me and had questions about the Bible. He was questioning the Bible's inerrancy, origin, and practical application to his life. In particular, he was taking everything that people did in the Bible as being approved by God - and I told him, no, most of the people of God were broken, sinful, and did a lot of things wrong in their time on this Earth. For example, God told Abraham and Sarah they would have a child, and they got impatient and tried to get a child through Hagar, Sarah's maidservant. This was not God's will. But they did it - and now we have the Ishmaelites. I explained to him how we suffer in this world as believers, but are blessed at the same time. He had questions about why his wife left him for another man, and about demons in his life. I could totally relate to his loss, and the demons. I've lost my reputation as a man of God, lost my friends, lost my school (UW Madison), lost my Army National Guard status, I've been paralyzed by demons while lying in bed (I had to say "Jesus" in my head to get them to go away and release me), been spoken to by demons about how they want me to spill my own blood out onto the floor below my bed, or telling me that if I don't commit suicide right away, I will turn into a monster overnight in my sleep and will wake up wanting to kill my family. Basically, I have to sacrifice my own life to save theirs by my own hand. It's been a rough road. I hope and pray that God will use all these experiences for others' good and His Glory.
Monday, September 28, 2020
A Walk to Kwik Trip and Back, Then MOKA, Then Out On My "Usual" Walk
Went on a walk around in the woods, then out to Northport, out to Kwik Trip and back again, then out for MOKA with Mom, then back home, then around on my "usual" walk through both neighborhoods. Took a video of two squirrels along the way. Lol.
Sunday, September 27, 2020
A Divided Walk Around Both Neighborhoods & Around The Apartment Building
This morning I went out on a walk after getting coffee with Mom, out and around the two neighborhoods (my usual walk, slightly varied), and around the apartment building on a second, shorter walk (to add up to a total of 4+ mi) after a brief rest inside. Also filmed two Sandhill Cranes out by the trailer park.
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4708810714
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4708863268
Saturday, September 26, 2020
A Walk Around the Block @ Mom & Dad's & "The Return" Simulcast
Mom, Dad, Nathan, and I spent the whole day watching "The Return" simulcast online - a national prayer & repentance event in Washington, D.C. - it was amazing! Lots of great worship, speakers, and blowing of the shofars! Then, during a break, I went on a walk around the block:
Friday, September 25, 2020
A Great 500-Calorie Walk
Today I went out on a 500-Calorie walk, around both neighborhoods as usual, but extra laps around the apartment building to make it sum up to 500 Calories. I took a video of a squirrel up-close, too:
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4703863414
And here is another video I took awhile back, of three sandhill cranes out by Cherokee Condominiums:
Thursday, September 24, 2020
My "Usual" Walk & Meeting 3 Dogs
On my way around Londonderry Drive on my "usual" walk, I encountered 3 dogs - Whiskey, a bulldog mix, and two other, little dogs, one a shitzen mix, and the other a little tiny guy (maybe a chihuahua) that gave me a lot of kisses. Lol.
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
A Ride Out to the Chiropractor and Back (haha - "back" - get it?)
A short ride out to the Chiropractor and back again - really got adjusted good esp. with traction!
"The Usual" Walk
Today I went on my "usual" morning walk. Ran into a cute kid who was telling me about how he and his dad were going to the park to play, and then it was "time for me to go now" lol. Funny. I also ran into a couple squirrels, and got one on video & sent it to Mom & Dad.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
4.11 mi Walk, Saying "Hi" to Some Dogs, and a Great Conversation
I got out on a walk around both neighborhoods - and found a tripod dog and another, rescue dog together along the way. It was totally cool. Got to meet some new neighbors as well (their owners). Then mom came and got me for coffee, and then I continued my walk around the neighborhoods, 2x through the wooded path, 1x through the trailer park. Towards the end of my walk, as I was going around the block around my apartment building for a few laps to finish out my 4mi goal, and I ran into Dan, a neighbor, and we had a great discussion on Trump, politics, COVID, and God. We're both excited to cast our vote this Fall. And we're NOT mailing in a ballot - that's just itching for voter fraud to happen.
Monday, September 21, 2020
A Grand Walk Out Around the Two Neighborhoods - 3.74 mi
Went on a grand walk around the two neighborhoods (through the woods, and around the trailer park)
Saturday, September 19, 2020
A Nice Bike Ride Out To Kwik Trip and Back - 2.61 mi
I biked out to Kwik Trip to check on my "visit points" and what that all does for me - turns out it's only a free coffee every 15 visits. Darn. But maybe some Friday when Mom is at work I can grab a free coffee. That'd be nice. I had some anxiety on the ride back home and into the afternoon. Which sucked. But that's ok, God held me through it all.
Friday, September 18, 2020
A Walk Around the Two Neighborhoods
This morning I went on a walk in both neighborhoods on either side of Packers Ave - the Tennyson route to the woods and back around on Sherman and Northport, and the trailer park on the opposite side of Packers, then back through the woods a second time but took an inner route home (Dryden, etc.)
A Ride Home from Mom & Dad's
A partial record of my ride home from my Mom & Dad's place this morning. My phone died. Lol.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Thursday Morning Walking Group
Today I went out on a walk with my Thursday morning walking group after an undocumented bike ride to Daisy Café & Cupcakery to meet the group there. After the walk, one of the hosts bought each of us a cupcake - I had a pumpkin and caramel creme cupcake, and it was good. Also experimented with drinking a NOS before my bike ride out there, which seemed to increase my energy. My muscles are also developing as I'm able to ride farther and faster than before. And hills are less taxing. Then I captured a piece of my ride home (forgot to start the mapmyride workout until part way through, and then later on my battery died on my iPhone, lol).
A Broad 4.1+ Mile Walk
I took a broad walk on both the West and East neighborhoods (the woods behind Lakeview Elementary, several roads out in back to the West of my apartment, and to the East in the trailer park on the other side of Packers Ave).
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Another Extended Walk
Went on another extended walk w/ Coffee & a McMuffin w/ Mom in-between. Went back through the woods twice, and once through the trailer park. Along with tracking exercise like this, I'm currently tracking my eating habits as well - with MyPlate. Super handy - you can just scan a barcode and enter how many servings you ate and BAM, you've got the calories and macronutrients all recorded nicely on your iPhone. Thing is, it's counting my exercise in multiple different ways - through my Apple Watch, through MapMyWalk, and through iPhone Steps - and it's adding them all up even though they're over essentially the same time span. Hmmm. I'm trying to unpair everything except MapMyWalk, and see how accurate it really is. I consulted with my Dad, and it looks like combining Apple Watch with MapMyWalk does indeed come out right - at about 10 calories burned per minute during a brisk walk. So I'll stick with that (excluding iPhone Steps).
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4679183278
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Today I went on an extended walk, with a bus trip wedged in the middle - I went to the Apple Store to get my iPhone fixed, and they told me to call AppleCare, and I did and everything got resolved! Yay! My extended walk included two trips in the woods and around the horn back home again, and one trip out and around the trailer park and back again.
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4676641285
Also, I've begun my second week of class at RZIM Academy - and it's really really exciting/interesting. I'm learning about logic and reason and belief, including spotting logical fallacies and how to "believe well."
Monday, September 14, 2020
Two 3+ Mile Walks
Today I went on my usual walk around the neighborhood, and then later went on a second walk in another neighborhood near my home, a trailer/mobile home park, and sought a way across the creek that borders the airport, but to no avail.
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4673074048
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4673611030
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Monopoly Board Game & Generosity
So, during my hospital stay over the last week or so (I was struggling with voices at an intense level), I played a lot of Monopoly with my new friends in the Psych Ward. This was a good distraction from the voices. I decided to try putting into practice a lifestyle of giving ("give and it shall be given unto you") and God's response was almost immediate and ended up with me winning 3/5 games. I just kept landing on Free Parking and getting all of the goodies in the center of the board. And I was smart with investing early, investing often (especially railroads because there's a higher chance of hitting railroads than any of the 2 or 3 slotted property groups. That $200 income was practically steady! Oh, and I kept landing on GO and collected $500! This, along with some shrewd trading between players, put me on top all the time! And the secret? This lifestyle of giving - I would regularly give people above and beyond what I owed them - telling them to keep the change. I even gave away $100 to every player at one point. And I kept others afloat in the game by way of mercy on things they could not afford to pay. It was amazing! And contagious! Pretty soon other players were doing the same thing - being exceptionally giving! I even practiced "Blessing the blessed" - when one player was emerging to the forefront and was obviously blessed (In this case it was beginner's luck for her - I believe that this is from the hand of God - that if you're new to something, He gives you extra grace so you can learn the game and not get frustrated, thus: beginner's luck (but it's not luck, it's grace)), I blessed her with gifts and "keep the change"'s - and I was blessed in return. And the other cool thing is, even though I lost 2/5 games, I had way more fun being generous and watching others succeed than if I hadn't decided to be generous. I also prayed over the game - for God's blessing, and I kept praying for Free Parking and I got it probably 75% of the time if you take into consideration how many times others landed on it. Anyways, it was really cool to see God's hand at work in a board game, a safe microcosm in which to learn the "rules of life" - I can't wait to start doing this sort of thing in the real world! Or maybe play Monopoly with real money - hahaha. Is that gambling? Oops. Lol!
Several Walks Bundled Together & A Bike Ride
Along with all these walks below, I've established a habit of walking every morning out in the neighborhood - in particular around in back of Lakeview Elementary where there's a wooded path.
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4670274055
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4650370855
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4646602957
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4643919694
https://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/4641751732
https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/4641660817 (Bike Ride to Chiropractor)
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
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