Day 316: Meal Prep and Refocusing

Today is the first day of my spring break. A good time for me to refocus.

I started out with a workout at the gym with my daughter: treadmill, elliptical and stretching. Next we headed too the grocery store. My daughter has a plan. A very good meal prep plan. She had a detailed list- I was so proud! For under $100, we bought and prepped about one month of crockpot meals for our family. Of four! We set up a prepping station in the kitchen. We diced vegetables and packaged them with the meat and seasoning. She made labels, complete with simple cooking instructions and we tossed them in the freezer.  I do love a system!!

She went off to work. I thought I would log my food for today. This is a vegetable-focused day. I was craving jicama, of all things!

FOOD LOG 

Small gluten free banana pancake for breakfast.

Shared a small bowl of pho with my daughter for lunch.

For dinner: rice bowl of topped with shredded chicken, sauteed zucchini and onions, steamed cauliflower with Tahini sauce and kimchi.
For evening snack: polenta topped with parmesan, cauliflower, kimchi, sliced jicama drizzled with lime juice and a slice of grapefruit.
Dessert: one banana, sliced, topped with one tablespoon Cool Whip, drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Much tea and water.

My psalm of the day is Psalm 11. I have been looking at this psalm all day. I was a little puzzled by the meaning. I looked up some commentary and found a wonderful blog: http://psalmreflections.blogspot.com/2009/09/psalm-11.html

"Psalm 11 is classified as a psalm of trust. A lament psalm usually ends with a statement of deep trust in God (after the lament); a psalm of trust is like that, only the assertion of faith in God is the subject of the whole psalm and there is no lament (or, if there is, it is very small)...The words, “Flee like a bird to your mountain”seem to say: ‘Go to your tabernacle and worship; call on your God. Let’s see if he can really deliver you from this!’ The questioner seems to imply that the wicked will present an attack from which there will be no deliverance (“the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string…," v 2). David does not respond to discouragement by lamenting his circumstances. Instead he turns to the LORD in whom he has already asserted that he takes refuge (v 1). The second half of the psalm is a bold statement of faith in the trustworthy character of his covenant God. Note how he repeats the name of God:

The LORD is in his holy temple;
The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
The LORD tests the righteous but his soul hates the wicked… (Psalm 11.4–5)

The LORD will judge the wicked and will vindicate the righteous person. The reason is in the last line: “The LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face” (v 7).

We live in a society in which many dispirited people are asking in many different ways, “Where is God?” In reality, they are questioning the life of faith. The Bible asserts that God is the very foundation of life—there is no ultimate meaning to life apart from a vibrant faith in him and in his eternal justice." ~ Tom Lewellen.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

1 In the Lord I take refuge.
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
    they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
    at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
    his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;
    a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the Lord is righteous,
    he loves justice;
    the upright will see his face.

Happy Monday!