My Pod

I’d like you to meet my iPod.

I use it a lot. It’s great for many things. I can use it as a radio. I can use it as a video camera. It’s got a few games on it. It’s also a pedometer.

Yes, I’ve finally succumbed. I’ve got one of those hi-tech devices that I don’t really need. But it does some really cool stuff and it’s pretty and it’s FANTASTIC.

(yurg! Okay, back to the subject at hand)… I’ve been able to use the pedometer a lot this year. Did you know that it’s propelled me to walk and run and get in shape? Now, if you’ve looked at my blog header, you can see my pink tennis shoes. They’re Nike (BTW, my MOM has the same pair of shoes. Neither of us knew that the other bought the shoes, but we did. Craziness!). And apparently if you have an older iPod, you can buy a little adapter, and a special pair of Nike shoes and you can track everything on the site. HOWEVER, because this is a newer iPod, it doesn’t require the little adapter, or the little pair of shoes… Which is pretty awesome. So I can actually track how far I’ve run—just as long as I have my iPod. And it’s easy to just pop it in my pocket and go. Or, if I have no pockets, I hold it, which isn’t that bad because it fits in my fist pretty well.

And the great news is that I don’t have to do anything—Nike’s site does it all for me. I’ve walked Mt.Fuji, I’ve run an entire pizza. The Empire State Building…The list goes on and on. And it will go even further as long as I keep up the work I’ve been doing—which of course I will.

It’s a great stress reliever. And it centers me. I’m more likely to have a bad day if I don’t do it. Meaning, I think at the very least, that I’ve noticed a marketable change in the day’s stress when I don’t do it. It’s an outlet, something I most definitely needed. And, for the most part, my runs and walks are time spent with the Big Guy. Reflections. If the iPod isn’t on, most of the time it’s set to my ‘God Pod’ mix. I’ve noticed a lot better times and more motivation than anything else. Not all of the music is traditionally Christian, but there are songs like Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” that make me think about deeper things and uplift me. And believe me, when your hair starts frizzing, and you’ve started to sweat and there are a bunch of kids staring at you as you navigate the slippery shore of a cold lake around them, you need some uplift (And, by the way, was I EVER that imposing as a teen? I don’t think so)…

What “Christian Music” is on this workout mix? Okay, I’ve got some Flyleaf (GREAT band), The Black Letter (newer band, just hearing their stuff and waiting for their full length album to drop), Jonny Diaz, Skillet (both heard about through a friend—and they’re GREAT)…and a few classics that we used to listen to in school and at VBS (Michael W Smith). And I’m always looking for more recommendations. I have a bunch more to add, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some bands, but that’s about all for now.