Speaking of working out…

…and walking and so forth. I was thinking about my poor mom as I walked today. It occurred to me that she was the age I am right now when she lost her husband. That realization shocked me. But it also got me thinking a lot about my parents’ health in general, and the more I think about that, the angrier I get. Daddy was an inveterate smoker, of course (who wasn’t back then?). That no doubt played hugely into his death of cancer before he even could turn 60. Mom’s latter years had symptoms of both Parkinson’s and Alzheimers before a heart-attack did her in in her 70’s. If I could go back, I know what I’d have told them both. Since I can’t, I’ll tell it to you (whoever you are that is reading this):

Eat meat. Drink water. Avoid plants: don’t drink them, smoke them, or eat them. As this guy always quips: “Plants are trying to kill you.” 

Come Easter, Cindi and I are giving that super strict routine a run for three months to see how it goes. That means, goodbye coffee, alcohol, and even spices. Gulp. No coffee? I’m curious to see what the results will be. Meanwhile, we’ve been practicing aging our beef in the fridge (another trick from the guy mentioned above). That is a game changer indeed; and Opa agrees, it’s a huge difference!

Oh, what I’d give to dish up a plateful of our tasty beef to mom and daddy and convince them to just TRY this out and see how they’d feel. Since I can’t why don’t you give it a try, eh?

***None of the above is theological, folks. There’s no SIN in eating vegetable or fruit; it just doesn’t seem to be very good for your health!

 

Workout This ‘N’ That

I haven’t updated the workout info in a while. I think I mentioned some months ago that I changed up routine. Monday-Wednesday-Friday are days for pushups; pull-ups; and kettlebell swings. Tuesday-Thursday for high intensity interval training (10 minutes). So the totals for this month:

2890 pushups

316 pull-ups

316 45-lb kettlebell swings

80 minutes of HIIT

Add to that I’ve been aiming for a daily walk that is at least 15k steps, except for Sundays when I’ll settle for anything between 5k and 10k. 

I like this schedule a lot. The HIIT is with AppleFitness and it changes up regularly. The other three moves obviously require more effort, and so I’m happy to only have to do them three times a week, thus allowing plenty of time for muscles to recover. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

We are the temple of Christ, and when we kiss each other we are kissing the porch and entrance of the temple.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Cor. 13:12

Luther

That is why it is so full of contradiction. He is the Son of God, entirely holy and without sin, and therefore He should have no part in death nor the curse. We are sinners, under God’s curse and wrath, and therefore we should bear death and condemnation. But God reverses it; He who has no sin, in whom there is nothing but grace, must be made the curse and bear the chastisement, and through Him we are in a state of grace and children of God.—Sermons, 1545

Catechesis: Righteousness of Faith

True, saving faith is not in people who lack contrition and sorrow, and who have a wicked plan to remain and continue in sins. But true contrition comes first, and genuine faith is in or with repentance.—FC SD III:26

Patristic Quote of the Day

To bear all things nobly is the sign of an apostle.—Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Cor. 12:12

Luther

In short, He [our Lord Jesus] must suffer everything which a condemned sinner has deserved and should suffer eternally. Thereby is won for us the bliss of heaven, eternal life, and salvation, as Isaiah says, chapter liii: ‘He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.’—Sermons, 1537

Catechesis: Righteousness of Faith

Out of pure grace for the sake of the only Mediator, Christ, without any works and merit, people are righteous before God in the way stated above (i.e., they are received into grace). The Holy Spirit is also given to them. He renews and sanctifies and works in them love for God for their neighbor. But the beginning of renewal is imperfect in this life. Still dwells in the flesh, even in the regenerate. Therefore, the righteousness of faith before God comes from the free crediting of Christ’s righteousness, without the addition of our works. So our sins are forgiven us and covered and not charged against us.—FC SD III:23

Patristic Quote of the Day

This finally is the difference between us and the others who do not know God, that they complain and murmur in adversity, while adversity does not turn us from the truth of virtue and faith but proves us in suffering.—Cyprian, Mortality 13

Luther

He is chastised, we are in peace. I and you, and all men have called forth God’s wrath; He has atoned, that we, redeemed from sin, may rest in peace. He must suffer, we are set free. We ought not so shamefully to forget such great love and mercy.—Sermons, 1531

Catechesis: Righteousness of Faith

Christ is not man alone, but God and man in one undivided person. Therefore, He was hardly subject to the Law (because He is the Lord of the Law), just as He didn’t have to suffer and die for His own sake. For this reason, then, His obedience (not only in suffering and drying, but also because He was voluntarily made under the Law in our place and fulfilled the Law by this obedience) is credited to us for righteousness. So, because of this complete obedience, which He rendered to His heavenly Father for us by doing and suffering, in living and in dying, God forgives our sins. He regards us as godly and righteous, and He eternally saves us.—FC SD III:15

Patristic Quote of the Day

He saw the beautiful appearance of paradise, the dances of the saints in it, and the harmonious sound of its hymnody.—Theodore of Mopsuestia

Luther

He sacrifices Himself on the cross, becomes a sinner and a curse; and yet He alone is the blessed seed through whom all the world shall be blessed, that is, redeemed from sin and death. And that He hangs on the cross between two malefactors, being counted equal to them, and that He dies there a shameful death, all this He does for the benefit of the whole human race, to redeem it from the eternal curse. Thus He is both the greatest and the only sinner on earth, for He bears all the world’s sin, and the only righteous and holy One; for no man can be made righteous and holy before God save through Him alone.—Sermon, 1540.

Catechesis: Free Will

For conversion is the kind of change through the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s intellect, will, and heart that by the Holy Spirit’s work a person can receive the offered grace. Indeed, all those who stubbornly and persistently resist the Holy Spirit’s works and movements—which take place through the Word—do not receive, but grieve and lose the Holy Spirit.—FC SD II:83

And all the grandkids!

 

A Baptismal Remembrance and Birthday Parties

From The Treasury for Annunciation

Most of the holy fathers and patriarchs and prophets desired to see Him with their own eyes, but did not. Some of them by visions beheld Him in type, and darkly; others, again, were privileged to hear the divine voice through the medium of the cloud and were favored with the vision of holy angels. But only to Mary the pure virgin did the archangel Gabriel manifest himself in brilliant light, bringing her the glad address, “Hail, you who are highly favored!” And thus she received the Word, and soon, in time, through the body's natural process, she gave birth to the dear Pearl. Come, then, you, too, dearly beloved, and let us chant the melody that has been taught us by the inspired harp of David and say, “Arise, O Lord, into Your rest, You, and the ark of Your sanctuary.” For the holy Virgin is truly an ark, made With gold both within and without, who has received the whole treasury of the Holy of Holies. “Arise, O Lord, into Your rest. Arise, O Lord, out of the bosom of the Father, in order that You may raise up the fallen race sakes He became poor” and chose extreme humiliation on behalf of the salvation of our nature, in His inherent goodness toward us. He who fulfilled the whole administration of unutterable mysteries of God's work in heaven in the bosom of the Father, and in the cave lay in the arms of the mother, reposed in the manger. Angelic choirs surrounded Him, singing of glory in heaven and of peace upon earth. In heaven He was seated at the right hand of the Father; and in the manger He rested, as it were, upon the cherubim. Truly, even there was His cherubic throne; there was His royal seat. Holy of the holy, and alone glorious upon the earth, and holier than the holy, was the manger where Christ our God rested. To Him be glory, honor, and power, together with the Father undefiled and the altogether holy and quickening Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of the ages. Amen. - St. Gregory Thaumaturgus

Glorious Divine Service for the Annunciation

I wish I had a copy of Pr. Ball’s stunning homily for the day. The God of specifics is my summary of it. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

There are some who occupy the pastoral chair in order to care for the flock of Christ, but there are others who sit in it to gratify themselves by temporal honors and worldly advantages.—St. Augustine, Letter 208

Luther

No creature could do this, nor was there any other way to help except that God’s own Son should come to our aid and be made Man, should draw the Eternal wrath upon Himself and give His own life and blood as a sacrifice. This He has done in great and immeasurable love towards us.—Exposition of Col. 1