No More Pepsi in 2014

Starting a new year offers you the opportunity to start a new habits, set new goals, and strive for something better. Like many others, I too am setting a for personal goals for 2014. Yesterday, I wrote about the goal of reading. Today, I publicly  say farewell to soda.

Yes, as hard as it might be to believe, 2014 will be lived carbonated-drink free. Today is January 4th, and so far, I have been soda free.

Why, you ask?

Simple. I want to lose some weight and one of the best ways of doing so is to cut out sugar filled beverages. Here's the thing, I love Pepsi, specifically, Pepsi Wild Cherry. If Pepsi came to me and said, "Hey, we want you to be a spokes person and we're going to pay you with a life time supply of Pepsi Wild Cherry." I would be like, YES!!! If Pepsi could be administrated via IV, I'd be first in line. I've dreamed of decorating our basement with Pepsi memorabilia. Coffee in the morning? No thank you, I'll have a Pepsi. I drink at least 12oz. a day. But for the year of 2014, I'm saying no to my favorite drink.

This won't be an easy goal to accomplish. I once went a couple of months without carbonation, but a whole year? This will be a challenge. But the reality is I want to lose weight because I want to make 2014 a better year than 2013. I'm not a BIG guy, but I can afford to lose a couple pounds to improve my health and be in better shape for my wife and kids.

As a pastor/youth pastor, losing a few pounds will help me from becoming that over weight guy that stands behind the pulpit every weekend. I don't want to be an over weight pastor. I want to be healthy so I can do more in front of the pulpit. We've been talking about a family mission trip and a student mission trip. I want to go on these trips and I want to be in shape for them.

Saying no to carbonated and sugar-filled drinks alone won't get me to where I want to be. But it is a start. So farewell my long-time friend. Here's to hoping I don't break down in a couple of days!

- jay

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