The Weight is Coming off!

Well after two months I’ve lost 60lbs and I’m down to 336lbs and a 51-inch waist! Today I purchased my first new pair of jeans in about three years. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to get into a size 52 waist pair of jeans. I don’t think I’ve been in a size 52 in more than seven years. WOW!!!!

GPA of 3.89

With just one more class to go before I earn my Masters of Information Systems Management degree from the University of Phoenix, I received a grade of "A" in my CIS Risk Management class which just finished.  Now I look forward to my last class of CIS Strategic Planning to ending in January culminating in the awarding of my Masters degree.

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

Thanksgiving 2006

Thanksgiving 2006 was spent in Mobile, AL at my mother’s house with my brother and both sisters. Dinner was wonderful as expected because while my brother cooked the collard greens, my mom did the rest of the dinner. We had turkey, ham, dressing, green-bean casserole, potato salad, succotash, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and cranberry sauce. I, of course, could not eat that much since my gastric-bypass surgery, but I still enjoyed myself and only ate from a small plate all day long.

The family was together for another Thanksgiving with my niece and her boys also. After a slow start with my brother and me getting in trouble for moving mom’s TV in the den, we were able to rebound nicely into a real hallmark Thanksgiving Day celebration.

One Month After Weight Loss Surgery

One month after weight loss surgery and I've lost 45 pounds.  Hooray!!!

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

Record Weight Loss

Hello Everyone:

Well I made it through surgery with flying colors and after three weeks my weight is down to 367lbs. down from my pre-op weight of 394.5lbs.  The road will be long, but I can see the stop sign up ahead!  Wish me continued success.

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

One Week Away from Life Changing Surgery

I am one week away from my Gastic-bypass weight loss surgery scheduled for October 9, 2006.  Please keep me in your prayers.

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

UOP Class NTC/500

I just finished my next class, NTC/500 - Networking Concepts which began on July 11, 2006 and ran until August 21, 2006.  I received a 99% in this class with another grade of "A".  My current GPA is 3.86 and with hopefully three more A's I will finish with an overall GPA of 3.90 with a Masters of Information Systems/Management degree!

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

Fwd: Rain...

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.


The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't , Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at he r Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"


The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.
Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories... So, don't forget to make time and take opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

 

I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Send this to the people you'll never forget and remember to also send it to the person who sent it to you. It's a short message to let them know that you'll never forget them.

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in a hurry.

Take the time to live!!!


Keep in touch with your friends, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't forget to run in the rain!

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

UOP Classes DBM-500/502 Finished with A's

I have completed DBM/500 - Database Concepts and DBM/502 - Database Management which just finished on July 3, 2006. Both of these classes were a test of my discipline as they required Discussion Questions on Thursdays and Saturdays as well as Research papers due on Mondays along with Weekly Summaries. A lot of work!

I received A’s in both classes with a perfect 100% achieved in DBM/502! My current GPA is 3.85 and with 4 classes left to finish my Master’s of Information Systems/Management, I have a chance at graduating with Honors! Wish me good luck as I will have to maintain the hard work. My next class, NTC/500 - Networking Concepts begins on July 11, 2006 and runs until August 21, 2006.

GA Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium was a blast! Becky and I went on Friday, May 19, 2006 at 9am. It was a wonderful experience and learning opportunity. I cannot wait to go again!

Number One 2006 NFL Draft Pick

I guess we were all wrong! Reggie Bush went number two in the Draft followed by Vince Young at number three but the surprise was that Matt Leinart didn’t get drafted until number ten.

NFL Draft Weekend 2006

Who do you think will be the overall number one draft pick in the NFL this weekend? Reggie Bush ✓ Matt Leinart ❑ Vince Young ❑

MacJournal 4.0 and Birmingham Audit

I think the new MacJournal software is great! I just got back from spending a week in Birmingham installing laptop docking station for the auditors in the office. Had a wonderful time. Wish you could have been there because it was a blast.

CIS Project Mgt. Class Grades Are In!

Well I was able to do it again...received another “A” in further pursuit of a Masters degree from the University of Phoenix. The Team didn’t do as well as I would have liked on the final Team paper but we did enough and I was able to maintain my “A” average. My current GPA is 3.81!!!!!!

Today I also start my next class...DBM/500 - Database Concepts which runs until May 15, 2006. This class will be a test of my discipline as this class requires Discussion Questions on Thursdays and Saturdays as well as Research papers due on Mondays along with Weekly Summaries. A lot of work! Here we go!

Project Management Class Ending

Well another UOP class is coming to an end. My CIS Project Management class was very informative and educational. I learn how to use MS Project in developing a project plan and establishing milestones. Hopefully, I can maintain my “A” average by earning an “A” in this class. I’ll know in a week!

TWO WOLVES

Something to think about ...

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a
battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2
"wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, stubborness, envy, jealousy, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, forgiveness, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

My First Comic Strip

This is my first of what I hope will be many comic strips. This one was done on my Apple PowerBook G4 laptop. Please enjoy.

The Parable of the Spoons

THE PARABLE OF THE SPOONS

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.  "The Lord led the holy man to two doors.  He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.  In the middle of the room was a large round table.  In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.  They appeared to be famished.  They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.  The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.  The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door.  It was exactly the same as the first one.  There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.  The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.  The holy man said, "I don't understand."

It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill.  You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.


"A friend is someone who reaches for your hand, and touches your heart."

Philemon 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To my friends - thanks for feeding me and for letting me feed you as well!

Live, Learn, Listen, Love and Laugh

  
--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

The Parable of the Spoons

THE PARABLE OF THE SPOONS

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.  "The Lord led the holy man to two doors.  He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.  In the middle of the room was a large round table.  In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.  They appeared to be famished.  They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.  The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.  The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door.  It was exactly the same as the first one.  There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.  The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.  The holy man said, "I don't understand."

It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill.  You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.


"A friend is someone who reaches for your hand, and touches your heart."

Philemon 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To my friends - thanks for feeding me and for letting me feed you as well!

Live, Learn, Listen, Love and Laugh

  
--
Thanks,

Robert Daniels, Jr.
Having No Way As Way and No Limitation As Limitation!
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
men to do nothing. -- Edmund Burke

CIS Project Management

Well I’ve started another class at the University of Phoenix in the constant pursuit of a Master’s in Information Systems/Management. I guess the Master’s degree is “off” of hold and back on the road! Gotta go now and do some homework.

Happy Valentine's Day 2006

Happy Valentine's Day to my wife, mother, and all of the women in my life! Below are some special pictures of one of my friends and what his wife did for him this Valentine's Day even though she is serving our country overseas in the Middle East. She sent this Singing Telegram and you can see his surprise below: