more updates...november 2008 so far...

so... -I am still working at the church part time but I started a new full time job and a new part time job! I got a new sick bike...that I use to ride to one of my jobs when I can which is a 5 mile round trip which is a great workout! Plus my jobs have me on my feet from 8-12 hours so that is a huge change of pace! -God is moving us to the eastern shore in the next few months! I am stoked to see what he has in store! He is moving us crazily out of our comfort zone! It is amazing to feel so much anticipation and peace in actually walking in God's will...no matter how crazy it might seem to some! -My grandmother just went home to be with the LORD a few days ago! Keep my family in prayer...God is still God and he is faithful! -we went to dare 2 share! STEVE FEE AND LEELAND were off the charts! The challenge to step up to the plate sharing our faith was off the charts! -Joshua 1:9 (The Message) Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take." -just a note on the above scripture...God is with us! AND he has got us! We gotta trust him and WALK out our FAITH! Faith is more than words but we have to walk the talk for that to be true! PS. he is not a respecter of persons...he will do the same for you! -be encouraged! God is mindful of you...and me! thank you Jesus! -jimmy akers pps...I am still trying to battle through my weightloss journey! Keep us in prayer as God helps us to stay on course! And if you have not heard it yet...check out my new song on www.myspace.com/jimmyakersmusic it is called 'daybreak is upon us'! It kind of explains where we are really well!

updates as of right now 11:23 am on october 22nd!

-# of pledges that I have received thus far: 23- -of those 23 pledges 14 people have turned in their donation- -so far each pound that I lose is worth: $36.50- -so far the amount of money that has been raised (turned in): $596.55- -I also have a friend (Sean Miller) that is going to use this donation per pound idea to raise money for his youth group...which I thought was pretty cool that someone is using our idea!- So...this month has been tough. I have had a lot of things going on... honestly it has felt like a constant up hill battle! As of Monday, 2 days ago I had not lost any weight for the month of October (which is very discouraging), but I am not done! I watched the biggest loser last night and I was reminded of the fact that this is a 1 day at a time thing. They work out for 5-6 hours per day on the show, they cut there calories as low as possible (w/ doctor supervision) and one of the biggest dudes on the show only lost 2 pounds for the week! So...I am not done! I am not giving up and I have a bunch of people that are watching me go through this process. I am trying to grow in the discipline of counting calories and kicking my tail in the gym as much as I can! I lost 12.2 lbs in the month of September which brings my total loss for the year to 53.3 lbs! But I am not done! I am not sure yet if my weigh in is going to be this Sunday or the following, but whenever it is, I will stand up and show what I have done...whether I have lost or not (I will keep you posted). Don't give up! You hear me??? Don't give up on your dreams, on the things God has called you to do! A wise man told me in recent weeks, that people think walking in God's WILL is easy! It isn't! It was not easy for Jesus to say: Father, your will be done and than to follow through and go to the cross for US! It was not easy for the early church to undergo persecution, a lot of them facing death because they wanted to live out their FAITH! Life is not easy and following CHRIST is not easy and pursuing the things he has called us to do is not going to be EASY! But...as the Rita Springer song so appropriately says...IT'S GONNA BE WORTH IT...IT'S GONNA BE WORTH IT...IT'S GONNA BE WORTH IT ALL! Be encouraged! Keep Chasing the GOOSE! Please keep praying for me and amber as we continue on this journey! And whatever you do...don't give up! IT'S GONNA BE WORTH IT ALL!

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. -jimmy akers to God be the GLORY!

more updates

are soon to come!

so...things have been crazy...

and I have not blogged or sent out an email in a while..sorry for that! Things have been crazy, God is still blowing my mind and I can not help but wake up with expectancy! For some reason I have this overwhelming sense of great anticipation and whether I have a good day or a bad day I still feel excited! My weight loss this month seems pretty much non-existent, but I still have hope and I am going to keep moving forward even if my numbers have not dropped yet! The election is coming up...political agenda's are all over the place, the economy is going crazy, and people are freaking out...but GOD is still GOD! Things do not always work out the way we expect/want...but the fact still remains...GOD is still GOD! I preached at youth group last night about..."Don't forget...TRUST!" And towards the end of my sermon God gave me this scripture!

Psalm 20:7-8 NKJV

-7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. Now...most of us do not have chariots or horses, but back in the day chariots and horses were signs of wealth, power, jobs, stuff, etc...and back in the day people put their trust in their to stuff, And we do the same thing today! God wants us to put our trust in him. Our stuff will let us down, our money will let us down, people will let us down...but GOD is still GOD! I know the statement "God is still God" does not mean very much to most people, but if we really believe that...if we really live our lives knowing and serving a God that is the real deal...if it is evident to everyone that this whole faith thing is more than just words for us and more than just a feeling of comfort...I really believe it will give hope! When things fall apart God is still God and he deserves the glory, when people hurt us or let us down God is still God and we can trust in the fact that even though things do not always make sense, GOD will not let us down! I am trying with all of my heart to remember that God is still God! And as I struggle and fight everyday and I try so desperately to live and walk by faith...I am once again reminded of my need for this God! Jesus...help us to trust you...help us to live for you...help us to allow you to live through us! Love you all, be encouraged, chase the goose! -pjimmy akers

junk...

you ever have a lot of junk going on? well we all experience it from time to time...some junk is "good" junk and some junk is "bad" junk! So let me throw some "good" junk (a top 10 if you will) out there...God knows we got enough of the other kind! 1-God has blessed us with another day! 2-My weight loss adventure has been tough so far this month...but GOD IS IN CONTROL! 3-There is a lot of bad/confusing junk happening in our lives and in our world...but GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL! 4-The Belt is Looser fund raiser so far has rocked...I will update you on how much we have raised so far as well as how much a pound is worth very, very soon! 5-We saw an incredible movie that you should go see called "Fireproof"! 6-I am reading an awesome book..that I highly recommend called "Wild Goose Chase" by Pastor Mark Batterson. It is a sequel to "In a pit with a Lion on a snowy day"! 7-God gave me a new song yesterday called "Daybreak is upon us"! If you want to check out the rough recording that I did today go to my myspace and click on the title of the song - Daybreak is upon us! www.myspace.com/jimmyakersmusic 8-Saturday Oct. 18 I am playing at the harford fall fest (a fund raiser festival - free to get in - to raise money for the homeless of harford county) at 11:30 am for 30 minutes and 1pm for 45 minutes! Adam Bright is also playing! Here is the link for info www.harfordfallfest.com 9-I love my WIFE! you should love your spouse too (if you got one)! ...and last but not least... 10-ignite youth group tonight is going to be off the charts! thank you for praying...thank you for reading...be encouraged...try not to get caught up in the bad junk! -jimmy akers

the 1st months weigh in results!!!

397.2 lbs!!! Jan. 2008 my starting weight was 450.5 lbs so that means my total loss for the year so far is 53.3 lbs! My total loss for the 1st month campaign for "the belt is looser" is 12.2 lbs! I wanted to hit 15 but 12.2 is not shabby at all! It was a tough month, but God helped me! He gets all of the Glory and Honor! I wanted to take a picture of the scale because for 1...I had a hard time believing I weighed 397.2, but also I wanted to share that moment with you. I probably have not been under 400 lbs for 5 years or so! My 1st big goal was 399 and God helped me to even pass that! Praise be to the one that gives me the strength and hope! So...be encouraged! Also...I wanted to give people an idea of what 53.3 lbs looked like to show how much I lost (idea came from Frank Timothy), so I asked Anna to come up! She weighs 49 lbs, but you get the point...God helped me to lose a whole Anna and then some!!! Pretty incredible! Thank you for your encouraging words and prayer. For those that are sponsoring me per pound you take 12.2 and multiply it by whatever you pledged. You just put that amount in a tithe envelope with your name, the amount and in the blank space write "belt" so we can keep track of the funds that are raised! God is so good! I am off to go pick up some junk and haul it...so thanks again for taking the time to read! And guess what...the stinkin' belt is getting a little bit looser! -jimmy akers

what does a good work out look like? and some more junk!

I say a lot that I had a good work out, but a lot of people have asked what that means? I log what I eat most of the time and I always log when I excercize and I wanted to give you a glimpse into my idea of a REAL good work out! Here is what I did yesterday and today (in this order)! Thursday 9/25/08 weight & cardio day Elliptical Machine - 10 minutes - 148 calories Weight Machines 3 sets 10 reps of each (vert. press 55lbs, tri-pull 40lbs, curls 45lbs) Elliptical Machine - 11 minutes - 160 calories Weight Machines 3 sets 10 reps of each (rear delt. 37.5, pect. fly 67.5) Elliptical Machine - 12 minutes - 177 calories Weight Machines 3 sets 10 reps of each (weight row 85lbs, lat. pull 65lbs) Elliptical Machine - 13 minutes - 190 calories Tredmill Machine - 14 minutes - 128 calories Friday 9/26/08 cardio kick tail day! Elliptical Machine - 70 minutes - 1,025 calories Tredmill Machine - 20 minutes - 158 calories So these are 2 different examples of what I consider (for me) to be a good stinkin' work out! If I could work these in everyday along with eating well I would be a lot further along, but it is 1 step at a time! It is not anywhere near what the biggest loser does with 6 hours a day, but God is helping me to see results...and it is working! We will get there! Keep me and Amber both in your prayers as we strive to stay in pursuit of God, strive to keep losing weight (making the belt a little looser!) and as we walk by faith...for HIS glory! Be encouraged! -jimmy akers PS. To answer a few more questions that I have been asked... Father Tom Sanders is the one that 1st suggested the concept to me of losing weight in front of the whole church to help raise funds for youth group and for accountability for me to lose weight in april! Friar Brad Dembo is the one that helped me with the Logo...all in all...I am stoked to see what God is going to do! Goal poundage to try to lose for "the belt is looser" campaign = 60 lbs Which would put me at a total of 100 lbs lost for the year...heck yeah! How do we make our donation?...come this sunday for the 1st official weigh in and you will get that info! If you can't attend our church...email me and I will fill you in! pastorjimmyakers@gmail.com

We are back...and so is THE BIGGEST LOSER!

that is right folks...the 1st show of the newest season started last night (Tuesday) at 8pm. WOW! I have been waiting for this season it seems like forever...and it is here! What a 1st show...I could barely sit still! I can not wait to watch every week...next week I will be leading worship with my band and preaching at a revival service in Baltimore on Tuesday so I gotta figure out a way to record the show...but I am so stoked. Monday I went to the Arena Club and got a quick 30 minutes in on the ol' elliptical! I have lost a few pounds since my weigh in a few weeks ago but I am not satisfied. Trying to retrain my big undisciplined tale is tough...but I know GOD is gonna help me. I have a week and a half until my first weigh in, in front of the church. I am nervous and excited! I have not really got to where I feel I need to be for the 1st month of "the belt is looser", but this is a process! I am really thankful I still lost a little while I was on vacation. It took 25 years to become this bountiful/husky/beautiful man that I am (so kidding), but it is gonna take time to turn it around! I have lost over 40 lbs so far...there is a whole lot more to come off! So...tonight is youth group...I am excited to sing, I am excited to preach, I am excited to hang with our teens and youth leaders...and I can feel God preparing my heart for all he has! Whatever that means...I don't really understand...but I am stoked! Thank you for your prayers and support...watch the show...be encouraged! -jimmy akers PS.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

vacation...

So...vacation was amazing! It never seems long enough for some reason, but God really blessed us! Not only did he totally provide for us to be able to go away but he blessed us while we were away. He brought clarity to a lot of prayers and he really ministered to us in ways that words on this blog really can not explain well enough! Now the real deal...we did turbo jam (aerobic junk) 1 day, we walked a whole bunch, and we rented bikes 2 days and rode a heck of a lot of miles! I ate good some days, some days I dropped the ball, but none the less I tried! This pic is of me with the stallion that was my 2 wheel calorie burning machine! Keep checking in...more updates are on the way!

The Belt is Looser!

So...the journey begins. I shared the campaign info with the church Sunday morning! Got a good response...it was great to see all of the folks that will support me in this thing! The Belt is Looser is my attempts to raise money for our youth group while I embark on my weight loss journey. So far I have 9 people that are going to sponsor my weight loss. January 2008 I was 450.5 lbs...yesterday when I went to the gym I weighed 409.2 lbs. I did not have a lot of time but I got 45 minutes in on the elliptical machine. Felt pretty good...trying to get in the mode of counting calories...I was under 1400 cal. for breakfast and lunch. I felt pretty good but I wanted to share a win with you. Last night while enjoying friends and food I somehow managed to eat a little more than I should of. I am not talking about just what I ate...but I ate to much. I really felt kind of weighed down and a little sick. So there was a new show premier on TV that I have been wanting to see...so I asked everyone if they would mind if I slipped down stairs to watch the show...everyone was cool with it, so I did. As I walked down...I noticed a treadmill folded up. So I had a choice...what should I do??? just lounge and watch the show...or do something that I should do??? here is the win...I pulled out the treadmill and got my walk on. I walked 45 minutes while watching the show. I felt so much better....even this morning, even though I was tired I felt good because I made a great choice yesterday! So yesterday I got a good 1 hour & 30 minutes of cardio in...heck yeah! So that is where I am..I am stoked for vacation ( we leave friday)...I am stoked to get to the gym today...and I am ready to watch God do what he does! So...you...thank you...be encouraged...know that he is mindful of you...thanks for reading...keep me in prayer...and thank you to all that have or are going to sponsor me on "the belt is Looser" campaign...and thank you all for supporting me in prayer! Be blessed...take care! -pjimmy akers PS...keep checking back for more updates!

our life is short...we need to do something with it!

LeRoi Moore, the sax player for the Dave Matthews Band passed away this week...he was only 46. He got into an accident on his ATV and had complications. I have always been influenced "musically" by the DMBand. They are so talented...no doubt they were given there ability from God, but the loss of this man reminds me of how short our life is on this earth! Psalm 39:4 “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. 5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah Our life is a vapor...we need to realize how frail we are! We are stewards...God gives us our life...we need to be doing something with it! I feel this is very applicable to my weight loss journey because I am starting to realize that I want to change the way I am handling my life! Losing weight and becoming healthier is a part of that. I weighed 450.5 lbs in January of 2008 and as of today I am bouncing around 410 lbs. That is 40.5 lbs of weight loss...I am stoked...but I am not satisfied. I know that I should rejoice in my achievements...and I have...but it is time for more! Today is me and Amber's 4 year wedding anniversary! We are gonna go have a nice lunch & dinner...but tomorrow...it's game time...straight up! I actually have a goal....I would love to get down to 300lbs by our 5th wedding anniversary (August 20th, 2009!) It is a huge goal...but I can do it! That would be 150 lbs of weight loss! It is not all about the pounds...it is about changing our lifestyle to be healthier...but the pounds are a part of that process!

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So check out this photo....this is from the fall of 2007! I will not have to take any more pictures like this! Why would I post a picture where the buttons on my shirt are pulling? The answer...so you and I will be able to rejoice and worship God for his victory in my life as I step in to a part of my destiny...in becoming who he created me to be! Be Blessed & encouraged! -jimmy

450.5 lbs...my Big tail in January 2008 on an incredibly sophisticated piece of equipment (which I no longer own)! Well...this photo is a little look into where I was...I am excited to see where God is going to take me! More details on my weight loss journey to come... -jimmy