Day #16

12:55pm Update:

Today is a rest day...no working out for me. However, I did get up at 4:15am this morning to get ready for Boot Camp! We are kicking off our 4th Boot Camp session this week, and we have 82 campers and counting as of this morning. If you are interested in some information about our Boot Camp, go to www.nowbootcamp.com.

All I took this morning was 10mg of Yohimbine at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:15am. Just finished lunch. Since today is a rest day, I'm slightly decreasing my calories. So, instead of a massive lunch, I ate about what I normally would have if I weren't fasting with just a few extras thrown in. So, a 6 inch subway turkey and ham sandwich w/ lettuce, tomato, spinach, a few chips, some yogurt, a whey protein shake (extra) and a banana (extra). For afternoon snack, an apple, muscle milk, mozzarella stick, and a bagel (extra). For dinner, we have turkey spaghetti w/ whole grain pasta. I'll finish things off with a casein protein shake w/ milk before my feeding window closes at 8pm. This should provide me with a slight caloric deficit today, so hopefully I'll be burning some more fat. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow...I'll be able to "do" the Boot Camp workout, and then do a leg and shoulder workout after that.

God's is Sovereign

I wasn't planning on writing much today, but I just received some very sad news. A long-time Caddell employee named Cherry, after 60+ years of being a single lady, married a man named Ted not even two years ago. Cherry's retirement has been long planned and scheduled, and was supposed to be taking place this Friday. However, Ted started experiencing some health issues and after multiple tests, he has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Ted's father died of the same disease. I don't have the full details yet, but I know pancreatic cancer is aggressive. To say this is tragic, is to understate the situation. What was supposed to be a bitter-sweet retirement week for Cherry, has become anything but sweet. In times like this, our natural instinct is to try to understand why something like this could happen? If the person it happens to is a "bad person" we can somewhat justify it in our minds. But when it is a kind, compassionate, and genuine person like Cherry, we have a hard time grasping that. Why would God, who is control of all things, allow such a tragic circumstance? Cherry was retiring this week, and she and Ted had made plans to travel, and do all the fun things that come along with retirement. Why would God bring this man into Cherry's life, only to pull him away after such a short time? Why now?

The story of Job came to my mind. If you don't know the story - here are the cliff notes...Matt style. Job followed God with all his heart, and God blessed Job and made him very wealthy. God then allowed tragedy to strike Job's life. Job lost EVERYTHING, his family, his possessions, even his health. Job's friends proclaimed that Job must be living in sin...for that is the only explanation for why God would do this to him. Job finally gets up the courage to confront God and ask why he is being punished? Basically, he tells God...this isn't fair, so why are you doing this to me? ...and then God answers. Here are just a few short verses, the full conversation takes place over multiple chapters:

Job 38: 1-11
¹ Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: ² “Who is this that obscures my plans 

   with words without knowledge? ³ Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁶ On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— ⁷ while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? ⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, ⁹ when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, ¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, ¹¹ when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

Job 40:1-2
 ¹ The LORD said to Job: ² “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”³ Then Job answered the LORD: ⁴ “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. ⁵ I spoke once, but I have no answer— 


...WOW! Job answered the only way a mortal could. Do I know why God allows bad things to happen to good people? No...I don't. However, I know that God is sovereign, is loving, and is in control of all things. What a comfort it is knowing that while I'm not in control, God is. Would you really want it any other way?

Please take a moment today to pray for Cherry and Ted.