Home again, home again, jiggity jog.

The time has come for me to say goodbye to beautiful Florida.  It’s been fun!

FITNESS

With our flight to Chicago on schedule to leave at 11am this morning, I squeezed in a circuit workout before packing up and heading to the Jacksonville airport with Nicole & Margot at 9.

It was a quickie that consisted of:

• a warm up
• 10 burpees
• 30 crunches
• 30 sec plank
• 1 minute jumping jacks
• 30 sec skaters
• 30 sec jump rope
• rest 1 minute

Repeated the circuit 3x, which took just under 30 minutes.  Quick n’ easy!

FOOD

I followed it up with a bowl of oatmeal and a big ol’ goodbye to my furry friend Brody.

Why is he so cute??

 

FAITH

Last night during our pillow talk, Nicole and I got on the topic of infertility.  Gosh.  I understand that this can be a very painful and burdensome topic for many, and I’m not going to pretend to understand how that experience feels.  But I still wanted to share what I read this morning, because I don’t think it’s coincidence at all that this passage was in this morning’s reading:

And my blessings are for the Gentiles, too, when they commit themselves to the Lord.  Do not let them think that I consider them second-class citizens.  And my blessings are also for the eunuchs*.  They are as much mine as anyone else.  For I say this to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy, who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me.  I will give them–in my house, within my walls–a memorial and a name far greater than the honor they would have received by having sons and daughters.  For the name I give them is an everlasting one.  It will never disappear!

-Isaiah 56:3-5

*”Eunuch” was a term for those who were unable to have children, whether by choice or by mandate of the king.  (Jesus talks about natural, forced, and voluntary eunuchs in Matthew 19:12)

God in Isaiah 56 is affirming the worth and identity of those who could not bear children.  He reminds them of the main prize–eternal glory in Him–that far outweighs the things of this earth, which will one day disappear.

My heart and soul go out to those of you who may be experiencing the pains of infertility.  Know that I’m not attempting to slap a band-aid on that wound when I say:  truly, there is hope in the only One who is everlasting.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What gives you hope?