Posts

Do You Get Enough Sleep?

Image
I think you would agree that we live in a culture in which working “’round the clock,” as we call it, is something of a badge of honor. Those who “burn the candle at both ends” and say, “I only need a few hours of sleep,” are looked up to as if they are some sort of super hero. But is that the way it is supposed to be? Is that what God intended for our lives? Is that how God designed our bodies to work?  The more I’ve dived into the fitness world, the more I’ve learned about the importance of a good night’s sleep—which is usually defined as seven to eight hours of good sleep. It’s during sleep that our bodies recover from not only that day’s run or workout, but most importantly from the stresses and strains of what has often been a busy day. During sleep, our bodies heal and build and get back to where they are supposed to be so that the next day we can function at our highest capacity. Just ask any sleep-deprived parent of a newborn what happens when one loses too much sleep! I be...
Post a Comment
Read more

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Image
Yesterday, here in New Jersey, it was so hot and humid one would have thought we were in the middle of August. By the evening, the sky darkened and tremendous thunderstorms came roaring through pouring down rain and filled with gusts of wind that picked up patio umbrellas and took down tree branches. This morning, however, everything is different. The sky is a perfect blue. The humidity is gone. The air feels fresh and clean. And the temperature has moderated such that you are neither hot nor cold. It’s a beautiful day here in New Jersey. Yes, as they say, “What a difference a day makes!” You’ve probably experienced it many times in your own life; I know I have. One day feels dark and stormy; the next is bright and clear—and visa-versa. One day everything seems to be in order; the next is filled with chaos—and again, visa-versa.  The truth is, what we are experiencing on one day or, we might say, in one season of our lives, is not necessarily what will always be. Life has a way of ...
1 comment
Read more

Becoming a Father for the First Time!

Image
I’ll never forget the day I became a father for the first time. Having watched my wife Kim go through a long labor and then deliver our son, Jonathan, my love and respect for her skyrocketed. She had just gone through a physically and emotionally exhausting ordeal that had brought forth this incredible little baby boy. And what amazed me most about it all was that, upon having our son Jonathan placed on her chest and into her arms, Kim began to ooh and ahh over our new son, acting as if nothing had happened—as if the last 18 hours had been a walk in the park! For a moment, I didn’t know what to think.  Then I got to hold him. And as the little guy (all 9 lbs. 12 oz. of baby!) was placed into my arms, a new found love began to fill my heart. At that moment I realized the incredible capacity to love that God has placed within our hearts. After all, I had wondered beforehand whether or not I could ever love another person as much as I loved Kim. Or would it just be a lesser kind of lo...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Slow-Paced Run

Image
Yesterday afternoon, I went for a run on the boardwalk and purposefully ran at a slow pace. The goal was to keep my heart rate relatively low. It’s a training strategy that supposed to help builds one’s aerobic capacity—and burn fat. It sounds easy, but I can tell you it is not, at least not for me. It takes discipline to keep the pace down so that the heart rate stays down. That meant, every time my heart rate would begin to go up past a certain point, I would have to slow down even more until it came back in line with my desired heart rate goal.    Yesterday’s run of four miles took me 53 minutes. That’s a long time for me to run that distance. (It turned out to be a pace of 13:14/mile).  To me it was more of a jog than a run—I might even call it a slog!  And it did require quite a bit of discipline on my part. But as I was running at that slow pace, I continued to tell myself it was worth it. And I began to realize that at the slower pace, I was in fact able to en...
Post a Comment
Read more

An Overgrown Path!

Image
Last week, when Kim and I were visiting our son Jonathan and his family, we took a walk/small hike with Jonathan (who had his 11 month year old son, Caleb on his back) to and into a nature preserve near their home. To get there, we had to walk through the townhouse complex in which they live and, for a short bit, along the road. Once we got into the preserve, we followed the trails that were throughout—trails that were for the most part well-maintained. It was a really nice hike through the woods, up and over some small hills, across a hanging bridge, and along a small lake.  To get back home, Jonathan suggested that we take a different route that would lead along a creek and right to his backyard. I’m not sure we made the best decision when we said yes to his suggestion!  All was fine at first, but once we got out of the preserve proper, and since the “trail” in that part of the woods is not really maintained, we found ourselves walking through high brush and grass. After all...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Husband, A Wife, and Two Doctors!

Image
Last week, our daughter Joanna received her Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology. After five years of study, she was hooded and given her diploma. And now this week, the same is taking place for Joanna’s husband Daniel as he receives his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. So, by the end of this week they will officially be, Dr. and Dr. Zakzewski!  They are now a husband, a wife, and two doctors!  What’s most amazing to me is that they began their degree work at the same time and have finished at the same time—and at two different schools. Unlike many other students who hope to finish their doctoral work in five years, but often spend at least another year working on their dissertations, Joanna and Daniel each completed their degree work within the five years originally planned. (And part way through their first year, were married!) It’s not too often that a married couple both begins their doctoral work at the same time and completes it at the same time.  But here ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thinking About My Dad

Image
I know that this weekend is Mother’s Day, but on this weekend I can’t help but also think about my dad. You see, since his birthday was May 10, it was always very close to Mother’s Day. In fact, some years his birthday actually fell on Mother’s Day. And it was eleven years ago this week that my dad passed away on May 7, 2014. We then buried him on May 10, on what would have been his 86th birthday (which like this year, fell on a Saturday).  So on this weekend, although I’m remembering my mom whom I loved very much and who passed away in 2017, I’m also thinking a lot about my dad.    That's me with my mom and dad - 1960  Like any of us who have lost a parent, there are times when I wish we could still talk to each other. Sometimes, I instinctually reach for the phone thinking I can give him a call to tell him about something that has happened in my life. Most of the time, we would talk about our cars, repairs around the house, or a Yankee game. Once I had kids, I woul...
Post a Comment
Read more