Aching muscles

Yesterday, I attended a "Pilates" class. This is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by a German named Joseph Pilates. The program focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing support for the spine. My chiropractor warmly recommended this to me, so I have been trying to regularly follow a class, usually at my gym. But given the fact that they suspended the evening Pilates class there for the summer time, I decided to invest in one of the classes offered for the EU officials at the European quarter. Of course being trained as an exercise physiologist, I could also establish an individual program for myself to do at home, but I found that this doesn't work for me. I don't know how people can be so disciplined and torture themselves while nobody is forcing them to do so. It's pretty hard work, and my shoulders and legs are hurting today.

My job search is still keeping me in suspense. Today, I got a negative reply of one of the posts that I wasn't really interested in anyway, so everything is working out so far. I hope by the end of this week I will know if I will get the one on top of my list.

Since the soccer world cup spectacle is over by now and my favorite German channel is aired again via satellite, I've been able to watch news again. But I don't know if this is good news, as there are lots of bad news anyway. This morning, I learned that a trial for two 18-year old German boys had just opened. It happened last year in a suburban train around Munich when they pressed a group of young teenagers for money. They wanted 15 Euros from them, but a man got in between, protecting the youngsters. However, the perpetrators decided to punish him for this and they beat him very hard, so the man later died. So was his life worth 15 Euros? This makes me think of the passage in Romans 1 this morning, which was part of the weekly Sabbath School lesson:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, coveteousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventers of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only to do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1: 28-31)

Indeed, history repeats itself over and over. There is nothing new under the sun!