It's Good to be Home

Psalm 27:8

"As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place."

This is how I feel when I'm away from home on a business trip.  I am grateful for our house that Sandra has made into a home.  Returning to it is always a relief.

Thursday and Friday involved a trip through southern Indiana, visiting stores in Corydon, Orleans, Seymour, and Sellersburg.

Taking care of yourself on the road isn't easy, but it is possible.  Sandra packed me a cobb salad for lunch.  I was able to find a nature preserve just outside of Corydon that had some outdoor eating areas.  This provided a break from the store and a place to walk for a bit after driving for 3 hours.

I spent the night in French Lick.  For dinner, Sandra packed turkey breast in some gravy with bread and fruit.  

That evening, I ran about 2.5 miles through the town and did pushups and squats in the middle and at the end of the run.

Orleans is in the middle of nowhere.  Pretty much the only thing out there are these grain silos.

Lunch that day consisted of GF wraps stuffed with black beans, shredded chicken, broccoli, and feta cheese.

The trip was profitable, but it's great to be home.  Today, we passed out invitations to the Easter service.  Afterwards, we came home and finished this printer shelf.  Sandra got it all painted while I was gone, so today we installed the corner braces and put it into place.

Strength and Cardio for People Who Will Never Own Weights

Perhaps you don't own weights and never intend to, but you like to jog or run.  If that describes you, here's a way to add strength training to your cardio routine.

I started with a 1 mile run, then followed it with 20 pushups, 20 squats, and 20 crunches.

I ran another mile and repeated this series, except I did reverse lunges in place of the squats.

I ran another mile and repeated set number one.

I followed this with a stretching session.  After running, walk around for about 2-3 minutes to let your heart rate come down a notch and then do the strength sessions.

If you're not into running or able to run, walk for 1\2 to 1 mile and then do this strength routine. You can modify the pushups by doing them from the wall and leaning slightly into the wall. You can also modify the squats by sitting down onto something and getting up again. The crunches can be modified by doing a high-march in place.

This was the verse for the day ...

Psalms 104:34

"My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

I want better thoughts throughout the day, so while I drove for work today, I prayed and thought on Scripture that I had memorized. 

I've never heard anyone say, "My meditation of the news channel shall be sweet. I will be glad after listening to it."

God never disappoints. I've yet to spend time meditating on God and the Bible and come away disappointed or angry or depressed.

Did you spend quality time with God and His Word today?

Another Workout Mat

The last mat that I purchased from YoGorillaMats was a softer stretching mat. I liked it so much that I decided to go for their heavier duty exercise mat.

I'm glad that I did! This mat is thick, durable, and comfortable. It looks to me like it could withstand any workout from HIIT to strength training.

It's a 6' by 4' mat, so it's plenty big enough to stay on the mat while doing even the toughest workouts.

There are many places in life where we cut corners in an effort to save money; however, health and fitness aren't typically included in those areas. We view fitness and wellness products as tools to help keep us out of the doctor's office.

I don't need a pair of costly, name brand workout pants for most of what I do, but my bones and joints definitely appreciate a quality fitness mat!!

Friday Arms

This was the workout this evening before dinner ...

10 Eccentric Push-ups - These are great if you can't do a full push-up.  Start in a plank position or with your knees on the ground and arms extended.  Lower yourself to the ground and assist yourself back up.  This can help you build into a full push-up.

10 Dumbbell Rows

10 Pull-ups/Chin-ups - Chin-ups are easier than pull-ups.  If you can't do either, grab a towel.  Extend your arms overhead with one end of the towel in each hand.  Now, pull the towel down with resistance as though you are trying to pull yourself upwards.  Don't knock it till ya try it!! 😉 It's harder if you pull the towel down behind your head.  This targets those small posture muscles even more.

Rest for 45 seconds

10 Dumbbell Hammer Curls

10 Dumbbell Overhead Presses

10 Close-grip Push-ups - If you cannot do a pushup, find a wall.  Stand about 3 feet away from it and lean forward with your hands against the wall and your body straight and at an angle to the wall.  Now, lower yourself against the wall and push yourself back up.

Rest for 45 seconds

10 Leg Lifts

10 Supermans

Rest for 45 seconds and repeat the entire series of moves 2 more times.

This workout isn't original with me.  I found it on Human Fit Project.  

It wore me out! 😓

Sandra made white bean potato soup for dinner.  We love that dish.  Add a little garlic toast and it's really good!!

Concerned for Others or Really for Myself??

"Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him ... do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?  For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.  And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?  And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David."

I Samuel 20:30-33

At first, it seems that Saul is upset at Jonathan's friendship with David because he believes that his son Jonathan won't have the political advantage if David is allowed to live; however, Saul quickly proves that he's not really concerned for Jonathan, because in a fit of rage, Saul tries to kill his own son.

So, for whom is Saul truly concerned?  That's easy - for himself.  Deep down, Saul wasn't concerned primarily for Jonathan's ascension to the throne.  Primarily, Saul wanted to protect his pride.  He wanted David dead, because he saw that God blessed David and stopped blessing Saul.

Every time I read the story of Saul and David, I ask myself, "How different would Saul's life have been if he had stepped down from the throne when God told him, through Samuel, that he was done being king due to rebellion?"  I imagine that Saul's life would have been much different, and better, and longer.

Instead of continuing to fight against God's decree, Saul could have said, "I repent and hand over the throne to God's man."  Why didn't he do that?  Pride.  He couldn't bear to swallow his pride, step down, and let someone more qualified step up for the job.  Instead, he fought against God, fought against David, ruined his family life, and in the end, lost his own life along with those of his sons.

How many leaders, both in the secular and religious realms, would be better off if they simply stepped down because they were no longer qualified instead of hanging on to a career that has been ruined by sin?

How many pastors have disqualified themselves due to sins of the flesh or spirit, but they are still hanging onto their position, pretending that the problem is with anyone but them?

Saul's biggest problem was his pride.  It corrupted him, ate away at him, and in the end, destroyed him.  "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall be suddenly destroyed, and that without remedy."

I do not want to be like Saul.  

Back from a Business Trip

I had to go to Florence, KY for work Thursday and Friday.  It's always a challenge to eat well and move well while away from home, but I managed.  I have found a Hampton Inn with an outstanding gym, and that serves to keep me moving when out of my routine.

Thursday night was a walking night since I had been sitting in the truck for over four hours while travelling to the store.

Friday morning was a 20-minute, 2-mile run followed by upper body strength.  I love the weight selection at this hotel!!

The routine was ...

5 pullups, 12 rows, 15 pushups, 10 chest presses, 10 overhead presses, 12 curls, 12 tricep extensions

I did this for 2 rounds and finished with a final round of pullups, pushups, curls and tricep extensions.

After this, I had a breakfast of two low-sugar Greek yogurt cups and two homemade healthy muffins.  Sandra had packed me breakfast so I could skip the usual hotel powdered eggs and greasy, chemical-laden "sausage" patties.

Sandra has prepared numerous little gift bags that contain a small treat and a Gospel tract.  This one was designed especially for giving to hotel maids.  I left it in my room.

The gift was a bath salt, and the tract says "Two Appointments Every Person Must Keep."  It approaches the Gospel from the perspective of dying and meeting God.  It's based upon Hebrews 9:27.

The trip was successful.  The issues were resolved, and everyone was a little happier.

On the way home, I drove through Lexington, KY and stopped at PF Chang's where I picked up dinner for me and Sandra - chicken fried rice, sweet and spicy chicken, and Singapore noodles!!

I had the leftovers for lunch today 😉 I have to post stuff like this so people know that I'm almost, kinda normal.  Ok, not really.

Don't get too excited.  Today, we were back to our healthy ways!  I enjoyed a beet, strawberry smoothing with granola.  Here's the recipe ...

1/3 C plain Greek yogurt

2/3 C orange juice

1 C frozen strawberries

1 TBLS beet root powder

2/3 C frozen pineapple

optional - 1 scoop Carrington Farms coconut protein powder

I missed walking with Sandra while away, so we went for a long walk in the Bowling Green downtown area.  We found a hill that has a park on the top and a nice overlook of the city.

After this, we made our way over to the college and back to the car.  It was about a 3 mile walk.

Today, I started back in Ezra for both my personal study and Sunday School study.  I like this verse.

"This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him."  

I want to be a "ready scribe" by making Bible study a priority.  I need God's Word; others need God's Word.  I want to be ready to help my wife and others by knowing and practicing what my Bible says.  

I like how God blessed Ezra.  Ezra had a heart to go back to Judah and help people know God better, and God touched a heathen king's heart in order to fulfill Ezra's desire.  God loves to help people who want to help others know God better.