Marmanold.com

What I'm Up To

Michael W. Arnold — Mon, 25 May 2026 08:55:19 -0600

Location & Life

The first weeky commuting my bike was rough. It rained the later part of the week and I still wasn’t recovered from the 25-mile Tour de Nash. But, I was able to ride in on Monday & Tuesday and was able to sneak in treadmill steps on the days I didn’t ride.

I’m loving the new job where I get to work with real-life, flesh and blood people. It’s so lovely to be in an office again!

Currently Working On

Getting connected to the database at work and starting to lay the foundations of a proper data pipeline and data warehouse.

Currently Reading

Man Up!: The Quest for Masculinity — Jeffrey Hemmer
Everything is Never Enough — Bobby Jamieson
The Children For Christ — Andrew Murray
Past Books…

Currently Listening

Mere Fidelity — Theology and culture from a Reformed Anglican perspective.
The Symbolic World — Jonathan Pageau on symbolism, meaning, and the Christian imagination.
More here…

Fitness

🏋️ Lifting

Full Lifting History →

Dumbbell Weight Progression

🚶 Cardio

Full Activity Log →

Weekly Average Daily Steps

Weekly Cycling Miles

Doers of the Word

Michael W. Arnold — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:36:01 -0600

What does it mean to be a “doer of the word”?

On this, the fifth Sunday of easter, we are called by the Holy Church to reflect on how the resurrection of our Lord changes our lives. In light of the resurrection, how are we different? How have our lives changed? Do we live and act differently as Christians?

Right now, there is a small sort of revival going on in the Western Church. Across Europe and North America people are returning to the faith of their fathers. People are studying theology. People are studying Church history. People are coming to the same conclusions that have been held by the Church Catholic for centuries: apostolic bishops, liturgy, sacraments, tradition, and beauty. Great books are being written on philosophy, theology, and Christian virtue. Aquinas is being seriously engaged again. Baptisms are up. Heady Christian blogs and magazines are thriving. Great discussions on capitalism, the enlightenment, a sacramental world view, an open cosmos, and so much more are happening. It is truly and exciting time to be a priest. I love reading this stuff. I love the books. I love the book studies and the amazing questions and discussions I get to participate in. (Which, by the way, check out the symposium coming up on the 21st…)

But… what does it mean to be a doer of the word and not a hearer only?

I worry sometimes that folk are getting so deep into trying to figure out the exact nature of the Eucharist or the exact nature of our fallenness and precisely how Jesus saves us and precisely what He’s saving us from, that we forget about Easter, the Ascension, and Pentecost.

Sometimes it seems we all think that we’re sitting with Jesus by the Jordan listening to him teach. Of course, we are called to make disciples, to study, to learn, to read and go deep into the deposit of faith handed down to us. The Bible is the word of life. We are watered by the blood and witness of the martyrs and saints. It is good to fill our mind with truth as a shield against the lies and deceptions of the world.

But… Jesus didn’t leave us at the river. Jesus wasn’t a great rabi. He didn’t leave us with collected and organized sayings or a systematic theology.

He left us, resurrected from death, ascending into heaven after 40 days with the apostles. As He ascended, the angles asked us why we were looking up? Our focus was down in the city, not up in the sky. Jesus would be back. We had a lot to do before He returned.

So, what does it mean to be a doer of the word?

I think there are two parts to that answer; the first part is fairly clear in the readings, but the second is maybe a little less obvious. I’ll start with the first.

We are blessed to be at a parish that is active and known for its acts of mercy. The hungry come and are fed. The weeping come during mass and are comforted and prayed for. Clothes are washed and the poor in spirit are lifted. Camps are visited. Coffee is shared.

It is a blessing to be at a parish where I don’t have to talk about the doing of Christ’s kingdom in the hypothetical, but can talk about it in the concrete and practical. If you are ready to stop just thinking like a Christian, but actually want to get to have a go at being a Christian and doing Christianity, just hang around this building. Come on a Saturday morning. Come an hour early to mass. Stay thirty minutes after mass. Come on Wednesdays or Tuesdays. If those times don’t work, ask any one of your clergy to coffee. There are so many needs, so many things happening that you aren’t even aware of. There is no shortage of places where you can do the work of a Christian in the life of St. Andrew’s. Whatever your giftings we (and God) have need of you here.

Now, you might think that you are not qualified to do the work. You need to study more. You don’t want to lead someone astray. I get that. I felt that way for a while too. But, remember the Spirit always goes with you. And me, Deacon Kevin, and Father Dan are always a text away. And, God equips you for the work He gives. Just have faith.

[story, homeless man, sharing gospel, crying, realization]

So, you see, the doing of Christianity isn’t necessarily complex or hard. You don’t have to found an orphanage. You don’t have to solve world hunger. You simply need to put yourself into places where you’ll be needed. You need to make space in your week for God to use you. You need to open your heart and your calendar for the unexpected.

But, these acts of mercy: feeding, praying, talking, cleaning, volunteering; these are not the only ways of doing Christianity.

You’ll note that I’ve been saying “doing Christianity” where St. James says “doers of the word”.

The early apostles, I think, have an additional understanding of what it means to be a doer of the word. Of course, St. Peter is deeply concerned about acts of mercy and the first meaning I’ve just discussed. The order of deacons is created specifically to serve these needs in Jerusalem.

But, St. Peter, I think, has an understanding that goes deeper than acts of mercy. In our reading from Acts today you see St. Peter twice call upon Jesus to reach down into the present moment and do a miracle. He asks the Lord to heal a very sick man. He asks the Lord to raise a dear sister of the Church from death to mortal life again.

Now, a plain reading of this passage is that Jesus is using these miracles to show that St. Peter is truly the boss of the church now. He has the keys. Christ gave the apostles true power. It wasn’t a metaphor.

And, of course, this is true.

But, I think there’s more. Peter isn’t so crass to do these things only to show his authority. Actually, if you were listening closely, I intentionally misspoke earlier. I said St. Peter asked Jesus to heal and to raise the dead. That’s not actually what he did. In both cases, St. Peter makes a declarative sentence. Not a command to Jesus. Not a plea to Jesus. Not a question to Jesus. No, St. Peter says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise to him.” He says, “Tabitha, arise.”

Peter believes that Jesus heals. Peter believes that Jesus raises the dead. It isn’t a hypothetical. It isn’t something he studies and hopes. He believes. He knows it to be true. He knows it is Jesus’ desire. For St. Peter, the very foundations of reality were changed when Jesus rose from the grave. His small, Roman occupied world is gone. He’s entered a new world where men walk on water, illness is healed, and the dead can be called from the grave.

This is the faith I call all of us to today. A faith that truly changes how we perceive and interact with reality. It’s one thing to make time in your calendar to do acts of mercy. Even secular folk see the value in that. Even secular folk will celebrate you for those actions. But, it is another thing to actually live, talk, and act as if Jesus is Lord. As if God really does and can reach into reality and do the miraculous. This is the harder and deeper type of doing. This type of doing makes you sound and look like a nutter. This type of doing forces you to go out on a limb and truly trust the Lord, truly be ready to seem like a fool for His name.

[story at ken & carol’s of demon; focus on decision placed before me, not outcome]

So, when the opportunity comes, be doers of the word. Be ready to step out the now and into the New Creation as a child of God equipped for battle. Jesus says that He has overcome the world. Jesus has truly risen from the dead. Jesus presently reigns in heaven. Jesus has all power and authority in the universe. Let’s step out in faith and live like.

Yes, be doers in the action sense. Me, Deacon Kevin, and Father Dan need help all over at almost any time of the week. The needs of our community are great and there is so much opportunity to be a Christian to them. Right at this moment there are people who don’t know of Jesus’ great love for them. Right now, there are people who don’t know that Christ’s Church has a meal prepared for them. Right now, the widow, orphan, prisoner, and so many others stand ready to receive that light God has so graciously filled you with.

But, Jesus invites you not just into action, Jesus invites you into His New Creation. A world that’s breaking in all around us if we open our eyes in faith. A world where the sick are healed, the dead can be raised from the crypt, a world with demons to be cast out, and angels working just out of our sight.

The world tries so hard to keep us prisoner in its closed and rational universe. Jesus, however, rose from the dead to free us from these chains. We are children of God, free from the chains of death, unbound from rational cause and effect, free to live in the reality of a universe created and sustained by a living, all-powerful God. A God who, by the way, loves you so much that he eternally constrained himself into a human body. A God who walked on water and can still walk on water. A God who healed the blind and still does.

We do not understand His ways, why some are healed and others are not. But, that does not change the reality we are called to live in; a reality full of miracles and full of God’s mighty acts.

Bible and books studies are all great. Read those blogs. Study scripture. Read and discuss great books. But, know, knowledge alone is not enough. The good news of the gospel is shared person to person through the Spirit. The good news is shared in our doing through action and through how we live. People can sense when you live as if God is real. It opens the door for conversation. It opens the door for the Spirit to work through you.

St. James says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’ […] ‘I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.’”

Amen.

Lifting

Michael W. Arnold — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:43:38 -0500

Current Routine

3x weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Exercise	Weight	Sets	Reps
Goblet Squat	23.75 lbs	4	12
Dumbbell Bicep Curl	23.75 lbs	3	12
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row	23.75 lbs	4	15
Dumbbell Bench Press	23.75 lbs	3	12
Band Pull-Aparts	44 lbs	2	20
Hammer Curls	23.75 lbs	3	12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	23.75 lbs	2	10
Russian Twist	—	3	10
External Rotations	3 lbs	2	20

Weight Progression

Dumbbell Weight Progression

Daily Supplements

Michael W. Arnold — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:28:19 -0600

Since last time we spoke I’ve modified my daily supplement stack based on the newest studies.

What I was taking before was working fine, but sometimes I’d still have flair-ups. Switching to glucosamine sulfate is supposed to increase the rate it’s usable by the body and there’s some good research now on boswellia.

Thus far, I’d say the most effective supplement is the fish oil. I’ve been using it for years and can almost immediately notice when I stop taking it. The turmeric also seems to have a good effect for me along with the glucosamine and chondroitin.

I’ll give this new stack a few months and then check back in with how it’s going.

On Waking-up

(before coffee or food)

UC-II Collagen 40mg

Morning

(with breakfast)

Glucosamine Sulfate + Chondroitin 750mg/600mg
Turmeric 665mg
Fish Oil 2,000mg
Boswellia 500mg

Evening

(with dinner)

Glucosamine Sulfate + Chondroitin 750mg/600mg
Turmeric 665mg
Fish Oil 2,000mg
Boswellia 500mg
Vitamin C 1,000mg
Vitamin D 2,000 IU
Zinc 15mg

Things I Use & Enjoy

Michael W. Arnold — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:45:22 -0600

The gear, software, and infrastructure that powers my day-to-day work and home.

Workspace

Apple M1 Mac Mini (16GB RAM)
Uplift Desk
Appleton Amish Desk Chair
Varmilo TKL 60% Keyboard Cherry Brown switches.
Logitech M650 Mouse

Development

Network & Smart Home

App Defaults

Michael W. Arnold — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:39:15 -0500

Taken from the list at defaults.rknight.me, these are the default apps I use on desktop and mobile.

📨 Mail Client

🖥️ FastMail Mac App
📱 FastMail iOS App

📮 Mail Server

FastMail

📝 Notes

✅ To-Do

Todoist

📷 Mobile Photo Shooting

iOS Camera App

🟦 Photo Management

🖥️ Photos.app
📱 iOS Photos

📆 Calendar

🖥️ FastMail Mac App
📱 iOS Calendar

📁 Cloud File Storage

iCloud
OneDrive
Backblaze B2 via Synology Synch

📖 RSS

Feedbin
🖥️ /📱 NetNewsWire

🙍🏻‍♂️ Contacts

FastMail
🖥️ Contacts.app
📱 iOS Contacts

🌐 Browser

🖥️ Firefox Developer Edition
📱 Safari

💬 Chat

iMessage

🔖 Bookmarks

📑 Read It Later

Readwise Reader

📜 Word Processing

Microsoft Word

📈 Spreadsheets

Microsoft Excel

📊 Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint

💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance

CoPilot

📰 News

Kagi News

🎵 Music

Spotify

🎤 Podcasts

Overcast

🔐 Password Management

1Password

Lent is Love

Michael W. Arnold — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:04:01 -0600

“Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dust forgive the sins of all those who are penitent…” These have to be some of my favorite words. Not just in the prayer book, but in general. Those words are the heart of my ministry: reminding people that there is nothing that can bring them outside the love of God and that Jesus is able and willing to forgive all sin.

Let me unpack that just a little bit. I was raised outside of the church. In my religious world, sin was my problem. God had given me the tools to overcome sin, but it was up to me to use them. Each sin required my work to overcome. Each sin, once overcome, needed more work from me to show God that I was sorry. If I sinned again, I must not have been truly sorry and needed to work harder the next time.

Like Sisyphus, I would work and work and work to reach God, only to have it all fall right back down to the bottom. Sin terrified me. I hoped that my lame attempts to recover from small sins would count for something before God, but the idea of a big sin was always hanging out there. I knew because I couldn’t overcome small sins, I’d be eternally damned if I ever made a big mistake.

In so many ways, I think Lent is seen by so many as the same thing. It’s a season for us to feel horrible about ourselves. A season to remember how crappy we are. A season of fasting where we try and earn God’s favor by showing him how sorry we are or how much better we can do when we really try.

My friends, this is not Lent. I am so thankful that the Spirit moved our English fathers to add a second collect to entire season Lent to help keep us from this very easy error.

So, let me say it again, God does not hate us. Anyone. He hates our sin. “Hate the sin, not the sinner” gets used and abused in the modern Christian discourse, but there is truth in it. God hates sin because it destroys and hurts what He loves; us. God’s wrath and anger towards sin comes from His deep, deep love for us. When God yells, it’s the yell of a father stopping his son from running into the street after his ball.

In Lent we fast, not to earn favor, but to gain clarity. Stripping away a comfort or two, skipping a few meals, struggling to stay on top of a special devotion; in all of these things we become more aware of our bodies, our daily patterns, and our weakness. These fasts help us step out of the ordinary and reflect. And, in that reflection, to see our weakness. And in that weakness, to turn to the one who is strong and ready to support us.

If all you get out of the Lenten readings is “why I’m a horrible person, I can’t believe I made Jesus have to do all of that.” You’ve missed the point. You didn’t make Jesus do anything. Jesus is God. He is not compelled to do anything. He did it willingly. He did it out of love.

No matter how low humanity goes, Jesus willingly goes there to save us.

Read the Old Testament. Pick a history of any people on earth: English, Greek, Japanese, Aztec; I don’t care whose history you find, it’ll go to some really dark messed up places. Murder, greed, war, famine, torture, really awful stuff. No one’s avoided it. No one has risen above it. And we only have histories since the flood! What was going on then that was so bad God had to reset things?!

The Bible and the history of the world prove that no sin is too deep for the love of God. He truly hates nothing that He has made and will stop of nothing to save you. No matter what. No matter where. No matter what He must do. This is the God the Lenten season points us to. This is the God we are called to share with the world.

Lent isn’t driving us to feel real down and low about ourselves so we’re ready to feel really happy about Easter. No, in Lent God helps us see the depth and full power of the cross. In knowing our sin, in naming our sin, in owning that we are unable to do a single thing about it, we start to see the full power of the cross; the universe-shattering thing Jesus did when He rose from the grave. What it actually means to say that His resurrection freed us from the curse of death.

You see, if we go on pretending that there’s sins we have to deal with before seeking Jesus. If we keep pretending there’s part of our lives we have to clean up before we can stand before His throne. We are blaspheming the Lord. We are saying His promise is a lie. We are saying His sacrifice wasn’t sufficient. We are saying His power is limited.

Thanks be to God these are all lies. His grace is sufficient. His power unending. On the cross He bore all sin; not just some; all. As He stepped out of the tomb, He offered forgiveness, love, and new life to everyone: traitors, cowards, the weeping, the scared, the sick, murderers, tyrants, everyone.

Jesus wasn’t compelled to return to Peter. There was no covenant Jesus was required to fulfill. No, despite having been denied by him three times. Despite his cowardness and his lack of faith, Jesus returned to Peter because of love. Jesus forgave and continued teaching and molding Peter simple because Peter was willing to receive. Nothing will keep Jesus away from those who will receive Him.

With all of this in mind, then, let us look at today’s gospel reading. In particular, I want to focus on a few maybe not so obvious aspects of this well-known event.

First: the Devil does a lot of “taking” of Jesus here. I get the sense that the Devil is trying to figure out how powerful Jesus really is. I don’t think the Devil fully understands that Jesus is God the Son. Either way, let’s be clear. Jesus wasn’t “taken” anywhere. He went. He went willingly. The Devil thought he was taking Jesus somewhere, but Jesus went; He wasn’t took.

Which, is the second observation, why is Jesus going with the Devil? He obviously has no interest in what the Devil has to say. At this point Jesus is tired and hungry. He is deeply in tune with His body; its pains, weaknesses, and wants. The Devil knows our bodies well. The sins of the flesh are his favorite temptations. Hanging out with the Devil in this state was torture for Jesus. His time with the Devil was so awful, God sent angels to minister to Him afterwards. That’s how bad it was.

But, why? Why did Jesus go? Why did Jesus endure that?

Primarily, of course, to show us how He is the one man who can perfectly resist the Devil’s temptations. Secondly, to show us how we can lean on God’s Holy Word in our struggles against sin, the Devil, powers, and principalities.

But, I see a third thing Jesus is showing us. Jesus willingly went with the Devil and freely suffered his torture to show us how deep His love for us goes.

Jesus stood next to that disgusting creature tempting Him to eat rocks, because He knows some of us have made that deal. Jesus shows us that even when we’re cracking our teeth eating dirty rocks, He’ll come to us.

He stood next to evil so concentrated that it caused pain in His soul atop the temple. This creature wasn’t reflecting on God’s holiness present there, the beauty, the prayers, the hope, the forgiveness. No, he just wanted God to do a party trick at his command. Jesus knew we’d sit in Mass and do the same. Even in that shame, Jesus willingly comes to us with arms open ready to receive.

Jesus went with the Devil and saw all the kingdoms of the world. The Devil showed Him wars, mighty palaces built by slaves, temples to false Gods, fields of plenty hoarded by the powerful, grand cities surrounded by slums, and so much more. The Devil called it “glory”, but Jesus couldn’t imagine anything worse. He knew many of us would seek this “glory” only to find its true darkness. Even in our towers of lies, Jesus will come to us when we call.

In each and every temptation Jesus showed us that He could endure. That He would go anywhere. That there is nothing He will not do and nowhere He will not go for us.

Hear the good news this morning: God hates nothing that He has made and forgives the sins of all that seek it. He’ll come to you no matter where you are, no matter how dark, how filthy, how embarrassing. He loves you and nothing will prevent Him from saving you.

Lent isn’t about making ourselves worthy of Easter; it’s about making ourselves ready. Fast to know your body and to step outside of the norm. Dig into scripture. Lean deeper into prayer and relationship with God. When you think of sin, think of the deepness of His love. Go deeper and deeper into His love. This is the journey of Lent. This is our invitation these forty days. Come to Easter not with shame and guilt, but with awe. Awe for the God who died for you. Awe for the God who receives you in filthy rags and places a crown upon your head. Awe at the God who doesn’t look away from our warts and sores, but heals. Awe at the God who is love who gave His life for us and rose that we might rise with Him.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Instapot Yoghurt

Michael W. Arnold — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:32:59 -0600

1. Sanitize

Put spoons, lids, jars, etc. into the Instapot and do a manual high pressure cooking program for 10 minutes. This’ll take several rounds to get everything sanitized. We have a larger canner, so I usually sanitize things there to make this go quicker. At any rate, you’ll have to sanitize the Instapot at least once to make sure the bowl and everything are good. Also, this isn’t required, but the metal pot for the Instapot is pretty cheap to find online. I like to use a dedicated pot for my yoghurt just to be safe.

2. Boil Milk

I don’t know all the details, but you need to heat the milk up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit or so to loosen some proteins that makes for smoother yoghurt. The Instapot has a yoghurt setting. If you press the youghurt button and then press adjust, it’ll cycle through some settings. “boil” is the setting you want. It’ll automatically get the milk up to the appropriate tempurature and then beep when done. I always make a gallon of yoghurt at a time.

3. Cool the Milk

Once the milk has boiled, I move it to the sink and fill it with cold water. I’ve never measured the water tempurature, but whatever it is here in Nashville, a gallon of milk cools in about 15 minutes. The tempurature you are looking for varies by the yoghurt culture strand you are using. For the ones I’ve been using, it’s 110 degrees Fahrenheit or so.

4. Add the Culture

Next, I move the cooled milk back into the Instapot. I stir in my culture. Finally, I set the Instapot to the yoghurt setting and bump it to 15 hours or so. Most cultures will tell you to ferment for 5 or 6 hours. I always do 10 to 12 hours. Sometimes I do closer to 13 or 14. The longer you ferment, the thicker, but also more sour the yoghurt will be.

Usually, I do my yoghurt in the evening after dinner. That way it’s hitting the pot to ferment around 6p or 7p and I can jar it when I wake up in the morning.

5. Jar the Yoghurt

Once the yoghurt has gotten to a place I’m happy with, I ladle it into quart-size jars and place it in the refrigerator to cool. I also keep four tablespoons or so of yoghurt in a smaller jar use as my starter culture for the next batch. That’s it, by the next morning, my yoghurt is nice and cold and I’m ready for a delicious and healthy breakfast.

Nashville Ice Storm Debrief

Michael W. Arnold — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:17:40 -0600

The last several days have been quite the event for the Arnold family and Nashville in general. Saturday¹ a winter storm rolled into Nashville. Saturday brought snow, sledding, and a lot of fun. Sunday, however, I awoke to the sound of crashing limbs and reports of power going out all over town.

I awoke the family and began preparing. Based off our experience in December of ’22, we expected 24 to 48 hours without power. We quickly showered, filled the bathtub with water, made thermoses of coffee², and pulled perishables for the next few meals out of the fridge and into a cooler to be left on the (below freezing) back patio.

As expected, at 6:50a on Sunday³ our power went out.

Now, I’m a Scout/Trailman⁴, so I took everything that failed with my preparations in ’22 and got better. In the three years since the last power outage, I purchased a kerosene heater able to heat the downstairs and enough kerosene to last two days. I purchased a surplus of green propane canisters for our bedroom propane heater. In the week before the storm, we had moved all of our frozen food out of our refrigerator into our chest freezers. (Chest freezers keep food frozen for up to 48 hours without power.) I even had temperature sensors in all the freezers so I could monitor the internal temp (and food safety) without opening the door.

I had a 260wH battery ready to power our phones and other electronics. I had a decent-sized power bank ready, too. For Christmas, I had gotten 50w solar panel so that I could (in theory) recharge my battery. We had flash lights, oil lamps, and so many candles.

Within an hour of the power going out, we had lighting standing-by around the house for sunset, a heater going in the living room, and our bedroom setup for a family sleepover with the propane heater. Doors were closed, blankets, pajamas, stuffies, and toys were collected, double layers were on, and the kids were playing. Other than the anxiety of the branches falling all around us, life was more or less normal at the Arnold house.

Now, if the power had come back on sometime Sunday or Monday, I’d be telling you how prepared we were for this. I’ve lived in the city all my life and never once in my life have I lost power for more than a day. I thought I was over preparing by being ready for two days. I live in downtown Nashville. We’re very dense. Zero chance we’d be without power for more than two days. Right? Wrong.

Sunday was (other than the falling tress and limbs scaring the crap out of us) pretty smooth. We started dinner early so we could cook by daylight and had learned from ’22 that our gas stove would still work without power. We kept our Arnold standards and had a dinner of pan-fried tofu, egg drop soup, a red cabbage salad, and ice cream for dessert. It was Oliver’s birthday, so we opened presents, sang, and had a fun evening.

With the residual heat from that morning (I kicked the thermostat up to 74 in the hours before the power went out) I was able to keep the house at above 60 for the entire day. Our outdoor “fridge” cooler was working great. We had eggs, milk, cheese, sour cream, and all the ingredients we needed. We even had a jar of frozen chili thawing for an easy meal should we need it.

Sunday we listened to music on the radio, read in the living room, and had a fun evening. My faithful propane heater that saved our bacon in ’22, dutifully got our bed room up to 65 degrees for bed time. I stayed up as late as I could make it while the family slept, but turned the heater off at 10p so I could sleep⁵. At 5:30a the next morning, the room was holding at 56. Not bad!

Monday started well, we had yoghurt (from our “fridge”) and muesli for breakfast, and I made coffee with the Aeropress. When the kids first woke up, I had a thermos of hot water and they had in-bed tea service. The limbs had stopped falling and based on past experience we expected power to be back up by lunchtime or dinner at the latest.

As Monday went on, the mood quickly changed. We started checking on friends and the news. No one was getting power restored. The numbers on the NES app kept climbing. It became more and more obvious that power was a ways off. I went into conservation mode on our batteries and fuel.

By Monday afternoon, I had enough kerosene to run the heater for another 10 hours. I could give us a warm evening and heat the house the next morning, but that’s it. Because I was living wild and free Sunday, I’d been charging anything and everything. By Monday evening, we had one solid phone charge left in our batteries. When I went to bed, our freezers were at nearly 20 degrees. We were running out of time.

Now, to be fair, there were some bright spots on Monday. I realized that I had stock piled enough propane to heat our room for at least another week. We’d be warm, even if we did have to consolidate to living in a single room. Our patio fridge worked all the way through. It meant we were able to eat soup leftovers for lunch and a nice chili with green onions, and sour cream for dinner.

I was also able to move the car out and drive around the block to check things out. It didn’t look great for the power lines, but I did see that our gas station sold K1 kerosene at the pump. When they were able to open, I’d have “unlimited” heat.

Sadly, Monday is when I learned that the battery I bought sucked. It needs to have a significant amount of wattage coming from a solar panel to charge. And, with the temp in the teens and clouds, my 50w panel wasn’t doing it. I didn’t even know to look for a minimum solar charging amount in the specs, so I was really frustrated. Thankfully, both cars were completely full of gas, so we could charge things there if we really needed to.

Tuesday morning, I woke up at 4:30a to a house that was 45 degrees. I started the kerosene heater to get the house warm and prayed that the gas station would be open later so I could restock. The freezers were at 22 degrees. If the power didn’t come on by lunch (which was incredibly unlikely) we’d loose $1,500 of beef and food. I don’t like impulse shopping and prefer to research big purchases. But, when I saw our Home Depot had an $800 generator available to purchase, I did it.

On the way to get the generator, I saw our gas station was open. So, when I returned to the house at 9a on Tuesday, I was feeling pretty great. I had a generator, 6 gallons of gasoline, and 3 gallons of kerosene. The food was saved and I could splurge and attempt to get the house back to the 60s.

Tuesday allowed us to pause and reassess our situation without the anxiety of the falling tress and the stress of loosing our freezers. If we worked on unfreezing the doors to the shed, we could reach our water heater with an extension cord and take showers. We could also better wash our dishes. (At a certain temperature soap basically does nothing. Especially with greasy stuff.) I was able to get the house to 62 before we went to bed and we played cards in the dinning room as our generator hummed away and the freezer temp continued to drop.

Wednesday I got up at 3:30a. The house was 45 again, so I started the heater. The freezers had crawled back up to 14, so I kicked up the generator. Only 2000 “customers” had gotten their power back on over the night. It looked more and more likely that it’d be the weekend before things were back to normal. Multiple sources confirmed that most side roads were now fine.

When Jennifer woke up we discussed things. While our situation had stabilized — I’d be able to work from my cold office, and we could shower, etc. — things were still rough. And, if side roads were safe, her parents were a 25-minute drive away. They had power. As much as we hated it, we decided to abandon the house.

By 8a I had the freezers down below 8 degrees (basically a 24-hour reset on the countdown timer) and the house up to 58. If I came back each day after dinner, I could run the generator and heat for a few hours and the house could limp along above freezing (so pipes don’t freeze) and the freezers would be fine. We packed up the kids & the dog and left.

That evening I arrived at the house at around 5p. I saw the neighbor’s porch light was on. Based on the temperature of the house, sometime during my 30-minute drive, the power had come back on.

I have to say, I’m incredibly proud of our family. We made it 74 hours without power. We cooked normal food, we lived normal(ish) lives, and we got things done. Moods were high and the kids were troopers. We abandoned the house not because we had to, but because we easily could.

This week we learned a lot of things about living in a modern house for extended periods of time without power. I’ll post again soon with what I’ll be adding and changing for our preparations going foward. (The reality that I need to be prepared for a week or two without power, has completely changed how I think about preparing.) But, the good news is that as long as you don’t have freezers to worry with, you can live pretty comfortably during an extended power outage with some candles, oil lamps, a single cooler, a kerosene heater, and a propane heater.

January 24, 2026 ↩︎
Coffee is critical for the functioning of the Arnold home. ↩︎
January 25, 2026 ↩︎
RIP, Boy Scouts. Thanks be to God for Trail Life. ↩︎
Seriously, people. Do not go to sleep with a kerosene or propane heater running. ↩︎

Observations from the Newly Fit

Michael W. Arnold — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:51:27 -0600

The year of our Lord, two-thousand and twenty-five was a big year for my health and fitness. I ended 2024 the heaviest I’d been since I lost nearly 90 pounds in my 20s. When I lost it, I promised myself I’d never get there again. But, the addition of child number three, post-pandemic work frome home, and a host of other stresses and changes found me back up to 180 pounds. I’d been hovering there for about two years and in the summer of ‘24 I decided I was done. No more excuses. No more procrastination.

Thankfully, Jennifer and I started a new health journey when she was pregnant with our youngest. Due to some health concerns, we transformed our diet and really learned how to cook. We joined a CSA. We dumped all the chemicals in our house. We bought in to our own cow. We dropped all ultra-processed foods. We started canning and making our own yoghurt. All of this laid the foundation. With a clean and solid diet, I was actually feeling pretty good. And, as the two year maintenance showed, food wasn’t a problem. My activity level was.

Back when I worked in an office, I was easily hitting 5k to 8k steps in a normal day walking between meetings and visiting with my teams. Working from home? Well, as you can see above there were months where I barely walked more the 2,000 steps in a day. Between the calorie surplus pre-diet improvement and the very limited activity, it was no wonder I’d gotten to 180 pounds and wasn’t losing weight. At the activity level I was at, I knew I couldn’t lose weight without extreme calorie reductions. And, I just wasn’t willing to do that.

Well, long story short, I started walking. A lot. While working at my desk. I really committed to it. Without tracking calories or restricting my diet, I started losing weight. And, I started feeling great. After six months of walking, I was able to do it without breaking a sweat. I wanted to add something to my routine to make it go faster. Claude suggested lifting. So, I started lifting.

I started at 5 pounds and only lifting twice a week. But, I quickly got addicted to how it made me feel. I started lifting more, adding weight, learning about the limits of my body, and refining my routine.

Now, I’m walking more than 10,000 steps each work day. I’m lifting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ve got a one year walking streak of 50k+ steps and 21 unbroken weeks of lifting. I’ve never done sports, never lifted, and never been fit. In my 20s I lost all 90 pounds via diet and cardio. I was skinny fat. I was 130 pounds, but weak. Now, at the end of 2025, I’m actually fit for the first time in my life.

So, before I forget what it was like, I thought it might be worthwhile to document my observations of what it’s like to be fit from the perspective of someone who never has been.

The first thing that stands out to me is how incredibly easy certain things are. The retaining wall in the back yard? I just step on to it without a thought. The chairs in the kitchen suddenly weigh nothing. It’s like they are suddenly made out of aluminium foil. I just lift pans with a single hand. The water for the coffee pot isn’t even a thought. Taking groceries in, too. I didn’t realize how many daily activities were straining for me. I was playing life on hard for no reason!

There’s a whole category of things in my life that I’ve suddenly had to learn are no longer drag, scoot, or two-hand operations. Moving a loaded cooler? You can just pick it up. No need to drag it around slowly. Pulling a garbage sack out of the can? One hand. Taking in multiple grocery bags? You can fit multiple in one hand. No need for multiple trips. Standing up from kneeling? Don’t actually need your hands for that.

Putting in batteries in smoke detectors, changing light bulbs, and doing other things above your head? Well, it turns out that doesn’t have to hurt. That doesn’t have to be a struggle. You can just do that and not think about it.

I can pick up all of my kids. I can flip them, carry them, and throw them. I can brute force open stuck latches. I can go and go and go and go and just not be tired. Walking all day long in Europe didn’t put me directly in bed after dinner. I ate dinner, walked around for more, and woke up the next morning bright and unsore.

At church and other activities I can just help now. Need someone to lift the other end of a cabinet? I can just do that. No big deal. Not a struggle. Moving piles of wood? Also easy. You can move five or six boards at a time. No need to do it one at a time. I’m no longer afraid of someone handing me something or asking for help. I know that as long as the request isn’t insane, I can actually help and won’t be in the way.

Related to how easy everything is, I now understand why fit people are so willing to help. It’s truly not a big deal! I now regret not asking for help because I thought I was putting someone out. Moving stuff around church, loading and unloading things out of trucks and vans, none of these are a strain on me. It’s literally just daily life. It truly gives purpose to my exercising when I know it can be used to help others. And, I’m not tired, sweaty, or sore afterwards. I want to help and love it when I can serve. It’s truly at no physical cost to me!

My final obersvation is how slowly fat goes away. I’ve lost four inches off my waist and have gone from weak to strong. But, it turns out going from a large to medium belly, isn’t super noticable. Outward appearances lag behind strength and fitness. It’ll catch up in six months or so, but I’ve learned now that you can’t always judge by appearance. Someone could be three years into a fitness journey and without a really close look, you might not know it.

It’s still crazy to me the transformation possible in just a few months. I only started walking in July 2024. I only started lifting in July 2025. My lifting takes a whole 25 minutes during my lunch break in my office. My walking just happens while I work.

I thought getting fit took years. I thought it took running early in the morning in the rain. Skipping food. No beer or wine. Hitting the gym for hour-long sessions multiple times a week. I thought I just wasn’t the type person that could be fit. But, it turns out that’s all a lie of the fitness and diet industry.

Our bodies are beautifully made systems designed by a loving God. We really just need to eat the things He gave us and move our bodies. It doesn’t take fancy apps, crazy diets, or expensive machines. Being fit isn’t out of reach.

I’m frustrated that I lived my life for 40 years in weakness. I wasted time doing things in multiple steps. I ruined furniture and other things by dragging them around. I wasn’t able to serve or help in ways I could have. And all because I didn’t know what it was like to be fit and how approachable it was to achieve.

So, like a good preacher, I’ll close with the point. Don’t waste time being sick and weak. Fitness is approachable. You can do it. Being strong and fit will change your life and make it so much easier. It’s worth it! (Even if it’ll be years after you start before you look that part.)