Good morning, friends.

Last night I went to my alma mater to watch a high school basketball game with a friend whose husband coaches the varsity team.  Throwback Tuesday!

So weird to walk the halls I once tread as a teenager…

Anywho, this morning was the usual 6am gym workout with the hubs and bro-in-law.  We came up with a back and bicep workout that put me to shame.  (Working out with a Marine combat veteran and an aspiring Marine tends to do that to me).

FITNESS
Back & Bicep Strength Workout:
(Break up each exercise into as many small sets as you need in order to complete all of them).

• 50 Pull-Ups  (I did Assisted Pull-Ups with a resistance band.  I broke them up into sets that looked something like: 12, 12, 10, 9, 7)
• 35 Lat Pull-Downs
• Bent Over Dumbbell Rows (25 each side)
• Bicep Curls (25 each side)

It was fun doing the same workout, although my weights looked like this:

When Jay & Tommy’s looked more like this!:

(I didn’t even know you can add extra weight to a weight machine before!)

FOOD
We came home and I concocted a beautiful breakfast.  Check her out:

Protein Pancake Overload
Serves 1.  Calories: 430;  Grains: 4 oz; Fruit: 1 cup; Diary: 1/3 cup; Protein: 1 oz, 28.9 g; Carbs: 55.4 g

Whisk either 1 whole egg and 1 egg white together with 1/2 cup of oats.  (I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats).  (If you’re looking to get more protein out of your carbs, you can substitute the eggs for 1/4 cup cottage cheese and enough almond milk to get mixture to desired consistency).

Pour into a hot skillet and cook the pancake until golden brown on each side.

Top with 1/3 cup vanilla, low-fat yogurt, 1 sliced banana, 10 raw almonds, & cinnamon.

Voila!

Deliciouso.

FAITH
Today’s reading had me in Luke 19, when I came across verse 40.  The Pharisees had just asked Jesus to rebuke his followers who were shouting praise to him.  Here’s what he said:

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out!”  -Luke 19:40

This reminded me of a couple Psalms I read last week about all of creation praising God:

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!  Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!  Let the fields and their crops burst forth with joy!  Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord!”  -Psalm 96:11-12

This resonated with me.  There are days when I am not giving God the praise that he is absolutely due… But it’s neat to read that all of creation, everything on earth and heaven that he has made, never cease to praise him.  Ever.

Looks like we can learn something from the trees and their everlasting worship.

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Have you ever learned something from nature/creation?