Healthy Choices while Travelling

Making healthy or healthier choices while travelling isn't always easy, but I'm getting better at it.

I had a business trip last week that took me to Senatobia, MS.  Their not much into "healthy" down there, but I did find some things that worked.

The hotel had a breakfast that offered oatmeal.  I had taken my natural peanut butter, so this worked well for adding to the oatmeal.  I also had some brown rice cakes that served to hold more peanut butter.  These are easier to travel with than a loaf of GF bread.

One evening was Chick-Fil-A, because, well, I just love Chick-Fil-A 😉.  Their Market Salad comes with spring greens, chicken breast, apples, blueberries, blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette dressing.  Add some additional chicken nuggets for more protein, and you have a fairly healthy travel option.

This was my favorite find.  It's a Mediterranean Warm Bowl at Panera Bread.  It comes with brown rice, quinoa, chicken breast, olives, hummus, Greek yogurt dressing and choice of chips, baguette or apple.  I chose a to get an iced latte on the side.  I was having cold coffee withdrawals!  

My business trip revolved around training for my job.  The John Deere training center was at a community college, so each day, we ate at the cafeteria.  Most of what they served wasn't GF or healthy, but I did find a spinach salad everyday which was a blessing.  In the picture above, I was able to get roasted chicken to go with the salad.  You have to get creative sometimes and think outside the box.

Ok, so this may have been my unhealthiest choice 😔, but it sure was delicious!!  Actually, it's not as bad as it looks.  I found a fresh-fired pizza place and got a cauliflower crust pizza with mozzarella, veggies, olives, ham and some pepperoni.  

I'm glad to be home and back to Sandra's nutritious and delicious meals.  I'm also grateful that the Lord enabled me to find good food while away.

A Wonderful Birthday

My birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, so Sandra made me a special birthday lunch.

We are both fond of Asian food, so what could be better than some General Tso gluten free chicken, brown rice and stir fried green beans?

She topped it all off with my favorite pumpkin pie. 

Afterwards, we went to retrieve a free birthday coffee from a coffee shop in town.  

Many thanks to my dear wife for making the day a wonderful birthday!!

Yeshua the Messiah: The Servant, The Branch, and The Stone

"Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree."

                                                                        Zechariah 3:8-10

Joshua and his fellow-priests were types of better things to come.  The phrase men wondered at, literally means men of a wonder (sign of future things).  These men and their offices pictured greater things to come.

The LORD promised to bring His Servant, the Branch.  This is none other than Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah.  We find His title of Servant mentioned by Isaiah (42:1), and we find His title the Branch mentioned twice by the prophet Jeremiah (23:5, 33:15).  The Jewish priesthood was temporary (Hebrews 10).  Even the high priest of Israel needed to offer sacrifices for his sins, because he, though God's chosen man, was still just a man (Hebrews 7:27); however, God's Great High Priest, is both God and Man.  To Zechariah and his brothers, the Messiah's first advent was in the future.  To us, it is recorded as having been accomplished, and to both Zechariah and us, the Lord's second coming is a glorious hope for which all of God's redeemed await.

God promised Zechariah that upon this magnificent Stone would be seven eyes.  According to chapter 4, verse 10, these eyes are the divine eyes of the Almighty.  Perhaps God is saying that the Father's eyes would be upon the work of the Messiah just as His eyes were upon the building of the temple in Zechariah's day, but I think the meaning is more significant.  I believe that God is telling us that the same eyes of divinity that characterize the LORD of hosts will also characterize His chosen Stone, thus making this Stone equal with God (I Peter 2:4-6, John 5:18).

Notice how verse 8 finishes.  God promised to remove the iniquity of Israel in one day.  The crucifixion of Christ accomplished redemption's work in one day.  Just before Christ willingly gave up His own life, He cried out, "It is finished!"  That day, He was buried, and 3 days later, He arose from the dead, thus accomplishing redemption for ALL who will believe.  "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God ... For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."  (Hebrews 10:12, 14)

As of now, most of the Jewish nation persists in unbelief of the Messiah, but a day is coming when all of that will change.  At the end of the Tribulation period, at the return of Christ, the Jews that are left will see Him whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him in repentance of their unbelief.  As Paul said, "...And so all Israel shall be saved."  (Romans 11:26).

In one day, God will save the Jewish nation.  How much better are these things than the temporary and faulty priesthood of Zechariah's day?  For us who have placed our faith in the Great High Priest, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)."  (Hebrews 10:21-23)

Saturday Strength

Normally, I would take Saturday off other than a walk with Sandra, but today I decided to mix it up with a bodyweight strength session.

The weather started out extremely rainy, so Sandra and I grabbed an umbrella and got a 2 mile walk in.

Afterwards, I did a 30 minute session of Work for 1 minute and Rest for 1 minute.  One minute may sound like a long rest session, but with the combination of moves, I was getting burned out quickly.  Here's the workout ...

Pushups

Squats

Pullups/Chinups

One-legged Squats (Bulgarian Split Squats)

Situps/Crunches

Give it a try.  All you need is your bodyweight.  It doesn't get more convenient or doable than that 💪💦.

Rebuilding Planters

A few months back, I built Sandra some planters, but I didn't make them as sturdy as I should've.  

After a recent rainstorm, or shall I say flood 💦, one of the planters crumbled.

If you look at the right side, you can see the caster wheel support that failed.  So, I decided to make something much sturdier while salvaging as much of the old planter box wood as possible.

I made a frame of 2x4.

This consisted of 8 24" 2x4 screwed together as you can see.  Next, I cut 4 2x4 17" and 4 @ 14".  These were the sides.

I fastened them with a KREG Jig and pocket screws.

The 14" pieces connected to the sides of the frame where the frame was thickest.  The 17" pieces connected to the frame where the frame was thinnest.  This way, the entire box turned out to be a 24" cube.

I don't have a miter saw, so I used a square and followed the edge of it with my rotary saw to ensure as square of a cut as possible.

After this, I attached 6 24" 2x4 on the bottom, leaving space between each one for water drainage.

The trim around the top consists of 2 20" and 2 27" 2x4.

I then removed the cedar planking from the old box and skirted the entire planter.  The trim on the corners is also cedar planking held on first with finishing nails.  Sandra then painted the trim and after that, we installed decorative screws.

The casters from the old box were reusable.  

Sandra lined the inside with heavy plastic to prevent wood rot.

I always say, "Build something right the first time."  I should've taken my own advice 😁!

If you are interested in building one, you'll need the following:

2x4- 8 @ 24", 4 @ 17", 4 @ 14", 6 @ 24", 2 @ 20", 2 @ 27"

1x6 cedar planking- 16 @ 25", 4 @ 3.5".

4 heavy duty caster wheels

1 box of 2 3/4" outdoor screws

KREG Jig and 2.5" pocket screws

#10 1.25" machine screws with hex head (or whatever suits you)

2" finishing nails

Accidental Delicious Smoothie

We gave blood on Friday, so my run felt a little rough this morning.  I decided to make my faithful spinach and lemon smoothie, because spinach is high in iron.

I had forgotten that we are out of spinach, and I didn't remember until I had peeled a fresh lemon and thrown it into the blender, so I improvised.

This one has a whole fresh lemon, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of honey.  It turned out great!  A new favorite refreshing drink for me!

Don't be scared by the lemon.  The tablespoon of honey and the blueberries help.  Give it a try!

Be Silent

This week, I've been preparing a Sunday School lesson from Zechariah chapter 2.  The last verse reads,

"Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for He is raised up out of His holy habitation."

The context of this verse is millennial.  It's focused on the second coming of Christ Who is Jehovah God.  When the LORD returns, the entire earth will be subjugated at His presence.  

I am encouraged to remember that lost and abused Israel will be saved in that day, and God will deal a fatal blow to all of her enemies.  

It's easy to get discouraged by the evil that is all around.  It's easy to get angered by all the corruption and immorality, but there's good news; the Lord is getting ready to arise from His holy habitation so that He can deliver His Israel and claim His rightful throne and kingship over the nations.

In light of this, my job is to be a missionary for Jesus Christ and to live like a kingdom citizen.

Rebuilding the Washing Machine

If you haven't noticed, washing machines are expensive!  We've had ours a little over 13 years, and it was starting to make some very disturbing noises.  During the spin cycle, a grinding noise could be heard.  

It sounded as though the bearings were going out.  So, I found some parts online and ordered them.  Total, the parts cost $200.  This is much better than $1300!

Turns out, the transmission was bad.  After installing a new one, the grinding noise disappeared.  Sandra has run 2 test loads, and so far all is working.  

I'm thankful for rebuild kits!

Pizza Salad

 Sandra made a pizza salad for dinner. It was amazing! The sauce made it taste like a pizza. She got the recipe from a favorite site of ours, detoxinista.com. 

Easy Pizza Salad is the tag name. It's both healthy and delicious, so long as you don't stack on the pepperoni 🍕

Run, Sprints, Strength Training

 

18 minute slow run followed by 30 second sprints for 8 rounds. 

I finished this off with 20 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, 20 squats and 20 side-to-side squats.

Of course, a cool down followed. 

The weather outside made it feel like I was running in a swimming pool.