Orlando Trip: Day 5

Saturday morning, I found a Jersey Mikes.  They have gluten-free bread.  No, this isn't what you would call healthy, but I was starving.  I didn't feel like a $13 granola bar.  It hit the spot.

This was the best day of the trip.  Why?  Because I'm back with Sandra, of course!!  

After she picked me up, we swung down to CoreLife Eatery in Murfreesboro.  Now that was worth the detour.  I tried their Greek and Quinoa bowl.  It has grilled chicken, quinoa (of course), feta, tomatoes, hummus, cucumbers, and dill-cucumber dressing.  It was fantastic.  Add the ginger, honey lemonade, and you're really rolling!!

The verse for the last day is ...

"Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day."  Psalm 71:8

I can never give enough praise to God.  Praise can turn a "bad" day into a good one.  Praise takes the focus off of me and my troubles and places it directly upon God and His mercy.  This will cheer the heart and refresh the soul.

Thank you Lord for a safe trip, for food each day, for the peace of knowing Jesus as Savior, for a job that supports the family, for a home that meets the needs, and for a sweet wife who is my best friend!

Orlando Trip: Day 4

Friday was 73, muggy, and buggy.  It had rained a bit that night, so the ground was quite a mess.  This was the combine section.  You can have your very own X9 if you have 1.5 million bucks lying around 😉  The training was in 2 waves.  I was in wave 2.  The first wave started on Monday and ended on Wednesday.  The 2nd wave started on Wednesday and ended on Friday.  By Friday, the poor instructors were pretty much done.  They had been giving the same spiel for 5 days to 8 groups a day.  I would've been done too.  They did very well considering the demands.

After training, I went to the hotel gym and did a simple arms and legs routine.  It consisted of 4 primary moves.  They were curls, hip lifts, tricep extensions, and dumbbell deadlifts.  I did 40 seconds of rest and 20 seconds of rest.  I varied the style of each move, but stayed with these four basic patterns for 5 rounds.  It was a good routine.  All you need is a simple set of dumbbells.  I used 20 pounders.

Friday evening weather looked threatening, and I wasn't feeling up to a walk in the rain, so I got the grand idea to catch a shuttle to the airport and visit the Chick-Fil-A - Big Mistake!!  Airport Chick-Fil-As are not good.  Everything was in a state of confusion.  I walked up to the counter and said, "I'd like a kale salad, and a #4 grilled chicken nugget meal with unsweetened tea."  The kid looked at me so long it became awkward and then said, "Do you want grilled nuggets?"  I then said "Yes," while thinking, "Isn't that what I just said?"  He then said, "Do you want fries with that or the kale salad?"  I then repeated myself.  He then said, "You want sweet tea, right?"  I then said "No.  I want unsweet tea," but I was thinking, "Is this really happening?"  15 minutes later after much entertainment I received a bag with a half-filled fry box, kale salad, chicken nuggets, no utensils and zero sauces, and a drink that had no more ice because it had melted in the millennium leading up to receiving the food. 🥤

Every customer around me looked aggravated and confused.  I'm pretty sure no one got their food without some type of hiccup.  The lady that yelled out your name had such a thick accent, you couldn't tell what she was saying.  If your name was Sarah, it sounded like Ci, and if your name was Chris, it sounded like Ci, and if your name was John, it sounded like Ci.  Get it??

Haha!!  It was actually quite amusing.  

Poor Chick-Fil-A.  Not their finest location.

My verse for the day was ...

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."  Romans 16:17

Don't tolerate false teachers and doctrinal trouble-makers, deal with them.  Don't ignore them and think, "It's the pastor's worry, not mine."  Don't follow them on Facebook, or give them your ear on the radio or Podcast.  Mark them, deal with them, avoid them, and don't adopt their teaching or way of thinking.

And, Yes.  They are often polite, political, and charming, so ... beware.

 

Orlando Trip: Day 3

Thursday's weather was quite nice.  I think the high was about 63.  This is a picture of a John Deere gator.  The base price is $43,000, but when you add GPS and auto-steer like this machine has, it's a mere $55,000.  Very affordable 😉  That's over 3.5 times what we paid for our car.  😕  This one will "paint lines" using the GPS receiver (the yellow dome on top), and then you can follow that "painted" line using Auto-Track.  It's pretty cool.  Farmers use them for spot-sprayer and fertilizing.

 My workout that day consisted of a simple mobility session in the morning.  

After the epic Your Pie-failure, I decided to go for a sure winner.  When Sandra and I were in Orlando last year for the same training, we found a Greek place called Little Greek.  Below is their 3-skewer dinner plate - grilled chicken, yellow rice, Greek salad, Tzatziki sauce, potato salad, beets and a pita.

This is worth a trip to Orlando!! Delicious, and relatively good for you, considering many other options.

My verse for this day was,

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy ... ."  Romans 15:8, 9

I love these verses.  In context, the "circumcision" is referencing the Jewish nation.  God gave Abraham the "seal" or "sign" of circumcision as a token for the faith that Abraham had toward God (Ge. 15-17, Ro. 4).  Jesus was a minister of God's promises in that He fulfilled the promise of a Messiah Who would come down from heaven, suffer for the sins of mankind, and rise from the dead.  God the Father promised the Jews a Messiah Who will expiate the sins of all who look to Him in faith.  Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of that divine promise.

God also promised that "in Abraham" all the families of the earth would be blessed.  Through Abraham's lineage came Jesus the Messiah Who offers salvation to all who are willing to place repentant faith in Him.  By following Abraham's example of simple faith in the promises of God, anyone, Jew and non-Jew, may find eternal redemption.  Truly, through Abraham, all the families of earth have been blessed, even though not all have or will take advantage of that blessing.

Praise God for offering salvation to everyone, both Jew and non-Jew!  Praise God for His sinless Minister of the Circumcision!

Orlando Trip: Day 2

 

It was 65 that day and partial sun, so I found an outdoor area to stretch and do some mobility work.  The area was relatively people-free, so I had it to myself.

The place where I stayed had plenty of nice sidewalks, so getting around wasn't an issue.

                                                             

I've said this before, but it is worth repeating, I love loop resistance bands.  They are lightweight, super easy to pack, and offer a means of doing strength training without all the hassle of weights.  Wednesday training ran long.  I didn't get back from the field until 5:30, so I did a shorter, focused strength training session in my room.  Pushups, banded squats, banded rows, and banded Bulgarian split squats made up the main moves of my routine.  I did 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest for 5 rounds of 4 exercises.  The ottoman that you see served to assist me in my split squats.

The racket ball is an easy way to looses up muscles and give yourself a focused massage without packing a large foam roller.

                                      

                                              

Ok, this was a major disappointment!!  I found a place called Your Pie.  I'm pretty sure it should be called Poor Pie or Nobody's Pie.  The crust was burnt and watery at the same time.  Sandra thinks that they may have steamed it to thaw it out.  I don't know, but it was really bad.  The sauce was watery, and the Italian sausage resembled puppy treats.  The salad that you see was a $10 pile of Romain lettuce with a few slices of tomato thrown at it from a distance.  Total waste of money.  If you see a Your Pie, keep driving, or, in my case, keep walking.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."  Romans 14:19

This was my verse for that day.  It reminded me to be a man who encourages peace.  It reminded me to be an influence for good toward others, not bad.  It's easy to share things with people that don't help them, but it takes submission to Christ's Spirit to share things with others that will encourage them toward God.

Orlando Trip: Day 1

This past week was my yearly training with John Deere in Orlando, FL.  Deere has a huge outdoor training space in the middle of the swamp where they conduct various training exercises.

Tuesday morning, my dear wife dropped me off at the airport.  We left early, so I looked for something in the airport at Nashville.  Sandra had found a place called The Urban Juicer.  The food is natural, whole, and healthy.  I tried the acai bowl with banana, almond butter, granola, Greek yogurt and honey.  Wow!  To wash it down, I got a beet, lemon, apple, ginger juice.  This is definitely a place to try if you are looking for healthy away from home.

Once in Orlando, I fell back on my go to Chipotle.  For fast food, it's a great choice.  Brown rice, black beans, grilled chicken, stir-fried veggies, and avocado.  For me, this is a go-to away from home.

The Orlando airport has four satellite terminals, and you must take a tram to the main terminal.

It's January, so the pool area and fitness room were EMPTY.  I enjoyed a 30 minute, 12% incline, 3 mph walk.  I got the idea from a co-worker who is trying to lose weight.  I definitely broke a sweat!

 

Keeping It Simple during Recovery

 

I'm still getting over some sickness, so I chose a simple workout that gets the job done.

I love 2-dumbbell workouts, because I like simple things.  

Two 15-pound weights, a mat and you're good to go.  This was the routine ...

30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest

5 minute warmup (don't skip getting the muscles warm and ready)

Dumbbell Squats

Pushups

Bulgarian Split Squat-Left

Bulgarian Split Squat-Right

Plank Rows

Jump Squats

Decline Pushups

Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

Dumbbell Fly

High-Knees

Repeat this circuit twice.

Cooldown/stretch for 5 minutes

Workout Length = 30 minutes

You can use any size weight that fits your level.  A pair of 12 or 10-pounders would be great also.  This routine will raise your heart rate while improving strength.

Sickness and a Change of Pace

The yearly cold virus has taken up residence in my head and prevented me from doing my usual workout routine ... no running, no lifting, no high-intensity cardio.

Since last Saturday, daily stretching and mobility work have been the norm.  It's ok to back off and let your body recover.

The mobility/stretching mat has been my main workout companion this week.  Try this routine for a chance to work out the kinks in your muscles.

Use the foam roller first to hit the back, chest, legs and arms, then do the following mobility moves...

World's Greatest Stretch

90/90 Leg Drops with knees bent

Pigeon Lunge

Low Lunge

Thread the Needle

Half Angels with back on the floor

Scorpions

Down Dog Pose (releases the upper back and shoulders)

A Favorite Coffee Stop

Today, the Wright Implement store in Shepherdsville needed help, so my travels took me there.

Near to the store is a Scooters Coffee drive-thru ⛾.  Scooters will let you get any size brewed coffee for $1.  They don't charge extra for cream, and you can add a shot of flavor for $0.80.  For a $1.80, you can get an outstanding cup of coffee.  I like the dark roast with heavy cream and one shot of vanilla flavor.

This has become a new favorite of mine.  For those of you who think that my decaf coffee is just dirty water will be happy to know that this cup was caffeinated.  Scooters doesn't offered decaf brewed hot coffee 😞.

The 2-hour drive from Bowling Green to Shepherdsville gave me a long time to think about these verses ...

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

God is the Sovereign.  I need not worry.  I need only believe Him and obey Him.  In context, these verses come at the end of 3 chapters in which Paul describes God's ability to guide in the affairs of all men, both Jew and non-Jew.  

God is in control.  He hasn't experienced failure, because He never fails.  He doesn't worry about anything or fear anything, and He never forsakes those who have entered into a relationship with Him through faith in His sinless Son, Jesus Christ.

I really like the last verse.  Everything is of Him, or out from Him.  Creation came forth from God.  He spoke it into existence.  Without Him, EVERYTHING would fall apart.  "...By Him all things consist."

Everything is through Him, or by means of Him.  He created all things.  "For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible ... ."  

Everything is to him, or going toward him.  Regardless of who likes it, world events are leading us all toward the return of the King of kings and the establishment of His Kingdom after which will be ushered in the Eternal State.  "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

Gluten Free Pizza

We received a gift certificate to Blaze Pizza as a Christmas gift.  They make excellent gluten free pizza!!

Mine was topped with roasted garlic, apple wood smoked bacon, Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and mushrooms.  It was fantastic!

We are grateful for relatives and friends who make mental notes of where we like to eat 😃