Someone I hate.

See this guy? I hate him.

All right, perhaps hate isn't the right word. Maybe "loathe" or "detest" or "wish he would fall off a tall mountain" would be a better descriptor.

Yes, I know we shouldn't hate people. Jesus certainly taught against that in the Bible. But I feel no shame in this regard, and that's because this gentleman isn't real. He's part of the Wii Fit program, something I bought last week in an effort to lower my weight. I've already cut my eating habits, cutting my daily consumption by at least 40%, but I knew that dieting is only half the battle, so I wanted something that was fun.

Because for me, exercising isn't really that enjoyable. The only exercise that I've found fun was climbing up the mountains - and then only because of the awesome views from the top. And I've always wanted to prove people wrong who insisted that video games made you fat and lazy.

Now I know that the Wii Fit is not the ultimate training program, and that I could go to the gym or some other program for something better. But the Wii Fit is fun, and more importantly - the only person who watches me wobble around and gasp for air is my wife, daughters, and the Wii trainer.

Speaking of which, I'm convinced that the main feature of the Wii Fit is entertainment. Not for the person who is actually working out, but for the folks who watch the person working out. When doing the balancing excersises, as I topple over I could continually hear the peals of laughter from my wife behind me. It's good encouragement, believe you me! And Violet and Clara, the youngest (until tomorrow!) come and stare at me wide eyed as I look at them sadly as I'm gasping and grunting. Everyone gets a kick out it, I guess.

But let's get back to the Wii Trainer. He's calm, he's peaceful, and I want to silence him as he continually in a nice way reminds me of how fat I am. Thanks, Wii guy, I hadn't realized that. He'll say "you aren't very good at this excersise, are you", while smiling at me condescendingly. Thanks a lot, that's why I'm doing it in the first place!

And yet I still do it every day. I wake up early, and for one week - at least, I've spent thirty or so minutes a day stretching, running, boxing, and other strange poses for the system. Have I lost weight? Well, not really - maybe a pound or two. Do I feel more in shape? This is a higher possibility, although the first couple of days I hobbled around as my leg muscles cursed me for using them for once.

I wake up early, and grab the balance board and get to work. I'm determined to do this for at least two months straight, to see what happens. I wake up early, and even though I don't feel like it - I get up and run, walk, and stretch. My motivation is currently strong, and I want to please the Wii trainer, electronic dictator that he might be.

I bet some of you see where I'm going with this.

I want to be less fat. I want to be in shape, so I wake up early to excercise.

I could say I had no time. I could say that it's too hard. I could say that it's just not a high priority. But I've made time, I work despite the struggles, and I've made it a priority.

Do I do the same with reading the Bible? Do I make time each day to do that? I can use the same excuses that I just wrote - and many of us do - and yet am I willing to put more effort into my physical body than my spiritual one?

I really don't hate the Wii trainer, and I'm feeling better about myself - because I'm starting to see some progress in my muscles - and only after a week! The excersises are getting harder, and I'm determined to get better at them.

May I apply this same determination to my time in the Word of God.