Howdy, friends.  Happy Tuesday!

FOOD

My morning started out with a big ol’ bowl of oatmeal.

I cooked 3/4 cup oats in almond milk, then mixed in 2 tbs pure maple syrup and a small handful of cashews.  (Cooking in almond milk makes for slightly thicker, tastier oatmeal, as well as adding a tad more protein, AKA: filling-power!)  It kept my tummy from grumbling all morning…  The work day sure flies by when you’re not wishing it’s lunch time by 10am!

FITNESS

Remember the 10×10 back + leg workout from the other week?  The one that made tying my shoes the next day hurt?  Yeah, that one.  Well here’s another 10×10 for you, with chest + triceps.

THE 10X10 WORKOUT, CHEST + TRI EDITION

Complete the following circuit 10x:

• (10 to 1 ladder) burpees
• 10 tricep dips
• 10 mountain climbers
• (10 to 1 ladder) push-ups
• 10 tricep extentions

A (10 to 1 ladder) is completing the exercises 10 times the first round, then 9 the second, 8 the third, and so on.

Good luck!

FAITH

Today’s quiet time consisted of reading chapter two of the book our life group is working through together: Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden.  It had me in Luke9:23-24:

²³ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

I was very familiar with the verse, but studying and discussing it with our life group had me learning some new things…  (one of the reasons why I love life group!)

In breaking down the verses:

• deny yourself – When Jesus says in verse 23 that in order for anyone to follow him he must deny himself, he doesn’t necessarily mean one must deny him or herself of things, (i.e. things, happiness, self-worth, feelings, brains, etc.) in order to follow him.  To deny yourself pleasure for the sake of being miserable is not what he is asking of us, and I think many people believe that in order to follow Jesus, you can’t be happy, intelligent, or own material things… (a common misconception!)  What he is really saying here is that in order to follow him, one must deny his or her self-lordship.  To deny someone is to say that you don’t know them. (Remember Peter denying Jesus?)  And that is what it takes to truly follow Jesus:  deny themselves as god of their life.  Only when we deny the me-god– (These are my goals, my ambitions, my desires for my life)– can we let Jesus have lordship over our life and truly live for him.

Gosh, we unpacked a lot wisdom from these verses, but to share the rest now would make me late to work!  So check in tomorrow to learn more about Luke 23:23!

Enjoy your Tuesdays!