Beer

Dry January or Sober January or Sober 30, there are a lot of different names for this month. But one thing that it can be called, in my opinion, refreshing!

This past New Years Eve at around 10:30 p.m., I had my last drink. Forever? Probably not. For a while, yes. And on New Years day, I started Dry January.

So what is Dry January? In a nut shell, one doesn’t drink for the entire month. Simple right? Well, for some, yes and for some, no. I realized that I needed to take a break from drinking. I need to get my s*&t together.

Still not convinced that Dry January is really a thing? Take a look at the following articles that have just been written about the topic: Time, Self, ABC, Market Watch, Wall Street Journal & The Washington Post.

Are there benefits to not drinking? Absolutely. Where do I begin? Health? Finances? No waking up the next morning wondering if I ticked off someone or said something inappropriately?

And I’m lucky. I am lucky because I have a great support system around me, that encourage me of those benefits. Now, I’ll be honest too, I have not had any struggles with not drinking either. Meaning, I haven’t thought about just having a drink.

I realized that I needed to make a change. And I think that I have. I have at-least started to make a change. Here are a few positives that I’ve noticed in just 7 short days: More energy; Sleeping better; More patience; More aware and mindful of things and that is very important to me.

In the last 6 months, I started to learn more and practice mindfulness and meditation using the Calm app. If you haven’t used the app, I highly recommend the website or the app, because they are great tools. But yesterday as I was cooking, I kept feeling that something was off. And it hit me as I reached for my bottle of water, it wasn’t a glass of wine or beer. When I cook, I have a few drinks.

To me, cooking is relaxing, but I always had a beer or two or wine when I cooked and yesterday, it was water. And funny thing, I was just as relaxed with water, as I would have been with alcohol. But, I recognized it. I recognized the difference and continued to cook.

As my wife and I were talking about our day yesterday, I shared with her the article from Time and we talked about how we had both over the last few months, had one or two, too many to drink. We talked about the importance of taking time off and reflecting on things.

She told me that she was proud of me! She teared up when I shared the realization of grabbing water instead of alcohol and quickly identifying that. We also talked about February 1st and if I would have a drink?

I did not and nor do I have any answer to that question, because I don’t know? I love a great glass of wine or a good craft beer. But one thing that I can say without a doubt, is that Dry January has taught me that it should be a single or at the most, two, of those beverages and that it doesn’t have to be everyday either.

I am committed, once I get past this sinus infection, to working out 3 – 4 days a week. I have also looked at previous bank statements for the month to see what we were spending on alcohol and breaking that up into 4 payments and putting that money into savings as well. So there are several benefits.

7 days down and a lifetime to go. I really think that doing this, has really opened my eyes to a lot of things and has already started to help me change and make myself into a better father and husband and friend.

To all of those doing the Dry January challenge, be strong and stay focused.

Read more

Ok, I quit is a strong phrase, maybe it should be I am making a change?

Regardless, it is time to make some changes in my life and the first is to cut out alcohol. And I’m making the change for a many and one reasons, and these are in no particular order:

  • Health reasons – weight, sleep better, liver needs a break, etc.
  • Cost – I drink good wine and expensive craft beer
  • Habit forming – I didn’t like that I have started walking in and grabbing a beer.
  • I want to do everything that I can to be here for as long as I can for my kids
  • And I didn’t like who it was making me.

Now, for the record, I was not drinking to excess, but I was having more than I should. And I didn’t like the fact that it was making me sluggish and I wasn’t just having one in a sitting. So, it is time.

So today, instead of drinking 2 – 3 beers tonight, I’ll have 1. And then, I’ll goto 1 every other day. And just work it down. Does that mean that I will quit drinking beer and wine forever? No, I love to cook with both and I really do love the taste of a good glass of wine or a cold beer. But for today, today I need this. Today, I need to share with others and need to have someone that will help me stay focused on this and today, I quit. Today, I start a new day and  a new direction with a new focus. And as a bonus, I should be able to pocket about $200 + a month that was being spent on alcohol and shift that to paying down debt faster too!

So better heath, saving money, being a better dad all just seem to make this decision such a no brainer.

Today, I QUIT!

Read more

It is funny how as we go through life, our views change. I remember growing up and I think around the age of 13, it hit me that not everyone went to church on Sunday mornings. I actually remember where I was when I discovered this. I left church early to go to the lake to setup for my 13 birthday gathering with friends and family. I remember every Sunday morning, putting on a suit, even as a kid, grabbing my Bible and heading off with the family to church.

As the years passed by, my views of the church began to change, but not necessarily in a bad way. For starters, I switched from a Baptist church to a Methodist church, because I realized that as my views changed, I no longer fit the definition of the Baptist church member. I believed that the church was open to everyone, regardless of color of skin, the clothes on their back, economic status, etc. And, I also believed that it was acceptable to go to a restaurant and grab a beer or to the liquor store for a bottle of wine.

And that leads me to the Pub Church, that is right, a church service held in a pub where you can have a beer or two and listen to the Gospel.  Is it a crazy idea? Sure, but the reality is very simple and in 2 parts: 1) People are not going to church as they once did and especially the younger demographics and 2) Churches need to adapt and go where the people are.  Here is a great article on the Pub Church movement.

But this got me thinking about how the church has changed over the years and it is rather interesting. There are more people going to church now on Saturday nights (excluding Catholics) than ever before. More people are going to church in jeans and shorts and casual wear, than ever before. Contemporary services are often the most attended services for churches, I know that our contemporary service that my family attends even has a banjo player. Who doesn’t love a banjo? Churches use hymnals less now, instead the words are projected on the walls or a screen. Bibles are now on smart phones, I personally use the You Version app on my iPhone and read 2 devotionals every day and have read more of the Bible off of my phone, than ever holding the book itself.

So as I read the Pub Church article, it hit me and made a lot of sense. People can go to a pub, grab a beer and worship.  Matthew 18 – 20 says : “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  God went to the street, to the market and anywhere else the people were to preach, so why is it that far out of the realm to think about going to a Pub for Church?

 

Read more