I'm glad that you decided to read my blog today. I hope you enjoy what I post. I hope even more that you learn as much from your reading as I have from my writing.
I love Christmas carols. Now that we’ve made it past Thanksgiving, it’s awesome that we’ll be hearing them more on the radio and tv, online, and in worship services. Last December, I posted the stories of our most beloved Christmas carols. While this year, I’ve posted more about my diet and physical fitness struggles, I plan to release posts sharing the stories of 25 more posts on December 1-25. I’ve posted links to those from last year below. If you have a favorite Christmas carol you’d like for me to research and share, post it in the comments or send me a private message. Merry Christmas!
This may seem trivial to some, but it means a lot to me.
I live in Metairie, Louisiana about a mile from Orleans Parish. Not far from my home is an elevated round-a-bout at the intersection of Airline Drive and Causeway Boulevard. When I exit the roundabout toward my home, I have a great view of downtown New Orleans and the various routes of arriving there. I also see a McDonald’s. I’ve visited this McDonald’s hundreds of times over the last two decades for breakfast items for volunteer teams, a quick lunch for me, or a late night ice cream cone.
For the last few years, the sign which was high in the air displayed the wind damage of multiple hurricanes. I’m kind of ashamed to admit this, but the damage to the sign really bothered me. I used to wonder why, but now I think that the broken sign reminded me (and thousands of others) of the devastation of the multiple hurricanes we have experienced over the past several years. I was thinking on this one day as my wife and I were driving to Florida. I noticed that it wasn’t just the McDonald’s sign near me that suffered from this damage, but fast food and business signs all over Southeastern Louisiana and the across the Gulf Coast.
A week or so ago, the McDonald’s sign was replaced. Now, the new sign shines brightly, even when the skies around it are dark and dismal. And, in multiple ways, it reminds me that restoration is still happening around our city and region.
So, thank you McDonald’s. Thanks for replacing your sign. Thanks for being a part of our community.
Some have called it the most neglected of the major holidays. Although it gets more attention than Ground Hog Day (sorry Bill Murray), it’s slowly getting squeezed out by the Christmas, the king of the hill as far as holidays are concerned. Even Black Friday, which has taken over Thanksgiving Friday and is making its moves on Thursday, gets more respect than it deserves.
Thanksgiving does lack the pageantry and presents of Christmas. It’s meant to be simple, but so much has changed. It’s now become a day that’s more about overeating (gorging might be a better word), football watching (the original binge watching), dish washing (somebody has to do it), and Christmas shopping (sigh).
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
We can choose for Thanksgiving to be more of what it was meant to be. (It’s actually more of what Christmas should be as well) – a day when family and friends cease from their labor, thank God for his blessings, and enjoy some of his blessings, all the while growing closer together and closer to him.
Sorry, Thanksgiving, for the way I’ve treated you over the years. This year, help me remember to be truly thankful.
The roots of Halloween are found in the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain (pronounced “SAHwin” – obviously phonics is somewhat different in Gaelic) The Samhain festival was celebrated on November 1, but actually started on the evening of October 31. It celebrated the harvest but also welcomed what was thought of as the dark half of the year. The ancient Irish and Scottish believed that the boundary between this earthly world and the afterlife became especially thin on Samhain, enabling communication with the dead. The ancient Gaelic population believed there were many gods and fairies. Samhain, in turn, involved many ritualistic ceremonies enhancing their connection to the spirit world, causing people to leave offerings on their doorsteps or in the fields for the spirits and fairies.
The Celts often celebrated Samhain by wearing animal fur costumes as a disguise against ghosts and spirits. Their celebrations included drunken feasts (yep, they were Irish) where they made lanterns by hollowing out gourds and placed candles within. The people were expected to join the Druid priests who built community bonfires where prayers were offered and cattle sacrifices were made. Each family was expected to bring part of the fire back to their home to relight their home hearth.
The English name “Halloween” can be traced back to medieval Christianity. “Hallow” comes from the Old English word for holy. At the time, “All Saints’ Day” was called “All Hallows’ Day” and the day before, when an evening mass was held, was “All Hallows’ Eve”, which eventually transitioned to “Halloween” because after all, it was quite a mouthful. It is believed that the mass was initiated to give the evening perspective. Nothing takes your mind off of pagan revelry like taking communion and listening to a homily.
Christian leaders were also responsible for the official date of Halloween. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV began the tradition of All Saints Day when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Saints. However, the date was May 13. One hundred years later, Pope Gregory III changed the date of All Saints Day to November 1 when he dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to the Saints. This date, however, was apparently more of a local or regional change. Finally, in the 9th century, Pope Gregory IV added All Saints Day to the Christian calendar, extending the date to people everywhere. With All Saints Day solidified on November 1st, All Hallows’ Eve was destined for October 31st, which coincidentally fell on the anniversary of Samhain.
With the spread of Christianity, the mystical rituals of earlier Halloweens became more lighthearted. People dressed as the Saints and recited songs to one another. Children went from door to door asking for “soul cakes,” which were biscuit-like treats. Soul cakes actually originated as a part of All Souls’ Day, a third day of celebration on November 2, but overtime morphed into the Halloween night concept we know as trick-or-treating. The tradition of dressing as Saints shifted when young Scottish and Irish pranksters opted to dress up in scary costumes in order to frighten their neighbors. Soul cakes slowly transitioned into candy, much to the delight of children and the manufacturers of chocolate better choice.
So there you have it, well, sort of.
Even though Halloween can be filled with light hearted fun; and even though its date, name, and practices were heavily influenced by the medieval church; Even though Halloween is a time where children can get tons of chocolate and candy that they’re still eating till way after Christmas much to the dismay of their parents and to the delight of dentists everywhere; even though we can fill the Halloween and Fall season with all of these interesting facts and fun information, it is good to remember that Halloween, or Samhain, is still a day and time festival of the dead celebrated by Druids, Wiccans, Satanists, and Pagans. Even as we take part in simple family friendly festivities, let’s all remember who we are and whose we are and make a difference for God and for good wherever we may be and in whatever we might do.
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Be safe out there. Be a light. Resist Evil. Make a Difference.
For 16 weeks, I’ve been trying my best to find a way to cheat the Lose It App.
Finally, I’ve figured it out. You cheat by not entering everything you consume into the App.
However, the results are like cheating on an eye exam. I can cheat for the day by not entering everything I eat, but it doesn’t translate to my bathroom scale at the end of the week. I guess the proof is always in the pudding (as long as you enter it into the app).
After 16 weeks, I have begun to embrace the intermittent fasting feature as well. At first it seems silly to think of fasting for a 12 hour period. I mean, what good will that do? I probably come close to that several times a week anyway. However, when I begin the fasting time (which I now do about twice a week) I’ve come to see how often I do reach for food late in the evening or even when I wake up in the middle of the night. This feature helps me keep myself accountable and helps me leave it alone.
So, here’s the moment of truth. After 16 weeks, I’ve lost a total of 28.6 lbs. Not bad. It’s kind of exciting when I realize that I could be at the 30 lb mark in another week or so.
Thanks for following my Lose It App journey. I plan to make an update every 4 weeks or so. See you at the 20 Week Mark.
I was minding my own business, trying my best to provide for my family,
When my adversary felt it was time to hinder my progress.
At first, I was gentle and friendly, communicating with him that I wanted the best for both of us.
But he didn’t go for it.
Instead, his stubbornness grew.
I tried moving him to the left but he wouldn’t budge.
I tried moving him to the right to no avail.
Suddenly, a crowd formed around us to watch the struggle.
Embarrassed by the attention, I redoubled my efforts to win the skirmish.
But it didn’t work and my frustration grew with every passing moment.
My fists soon developed minds of their own and they pounded the sides of my opponent.
When I could take it no longer, I grabbed my enemy and raised him over my head.
My strength multiplied as I yanked at his layers and finally ripped him in two.
I dropped my foe to the ground and held on to the portion I had snatched away.
And then, following my neighbor’s example, I licked my thumb and rubbed it across the plastic bag I held in my hand as I stood in the produce aisle of the grocery store.
To my amazement, it finally opened.
Celebrating my victory, I placed my zucchini inside and continued my battle for food.
I repeated the process in the broccoli section.
I never learned this skill as a child.
It wasn’t taught at home, at church, or at school,
The app doesn’t judge me on what I eat, it simply tracks my caloric intake, my water consumption, my steps, other exercise (if I enter it), and my weight loss. It also encourages me to complete a 12 hour fast once a week. I typically do it from either 6pm to 6am or from 7pm to 7am.
I know, it sounds like a wimpy fast to just do it overnight. However, it’s been beneficial to me because I’ve found myself following that practice on at least half if not most of my nights now.
And because fresh vegetables are lower in calories than most everything else I consume, I can eat more of them. This process has drawn me toward them in a subtle way.
Touche’ Lose It App people. Pretty clever of you.
I’ve got a long way to go, but this slow process of dropping weight has been good for me. I’m making a real lifestyle change and it feels good.
Recently, I took my first bite of what I thought was a steamy plate of sliced chicken and vegetables in a savory Asian sauce. Suddenly, my gag reflexes began to engage. Something was incredibly wrong.
“Dear,” I said to my wife. “I think there may be something wrong with my chicken.”
“That’s not chicken,” she replied.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s tofu.” she answered with a smile.
“Tofu!” I exclaimed. “Oh no! I’m not sure I’m ready for us to start eating tofu.”
For those of you who are unaware, tofu is a semi-food substance prepared by coagulating soy milk, then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness, and finally marinating it overnight in liquid sadness.
“The secret to eating tofu,” my wife explained, “Is to eat it with something else on your plate. You see, on its own, it has no taste.”
“That’s the truth!” I said.
“Try some more,” she said. “You might even start to like it.”
Instead, I shook my head and said, “I’m not sure I can eat tofu. It sounds like a condition you get from an old pair of sneakers.”
“Eat your dinner,” she replied.
“I’m not sure about this,” I said. “What if I get sick and people ask me what I have? I’ll have to say, ‘I’ve got the tofu.’ Then people are going to start saying, ‘There goes John. He never washes his feet and now he has tofu.’”
“Eat your dinner,” she said once again.
“I’m expected to finish this?” I exclaimed.
The expression on her face indicated that I had no choice.
So, I carefully partnered every bite of tofu with vegetables and wiped the plate clean of the sauce which also masked the absence of taste and personal freedom.
So far, we haven’t eaten tofu again. But there’s a block of it in our refrigerator. I discovered it after thinking it was cream cheese for my bagel.
Eight weeks ago, I realized I was fat. I’m not sure what happened. All I did was eat way too much consistently over several years and then boom, suddenly I’m fat. I knew I needed a lifestyle change with a directed plan. So I visited my friendly App store and downloaded the paid version of the Lose It App.
Here’s how it works:
First, I track my food intake. The app database has over 33 million foods. I either type in my food or scan its UPC barcode. If the food is not included in the app, I can add it using its real, or at least estimated, caloric information.
Second, I stick to my calorie budget (For the most part). When I started my account, I entered my height, age, current weight, and goal weight. The app shared how long it will take for me to reach my goal weight IF I follow my personalized daily calorie budget. Currently, I’m scheduled to reach my goal weight by mid-March 2023.
Third, I have the option to enter my daily exercise. When I exercise, not only am I helping myself raise my metabolism, but I earn extra calories which are added to my daily budget. Currently, my exercise of choice is walking. I’ve connected my steps app to my Lose It App. After 7500 steps during the day, I begin to earn extra calories.
After 8 weeks using the Lose It App, I’ve lost 15 lbs. Not too shabby.
The Lose It App’s biggest weakness is probably what I like about it. I can eat whatever I want as long as I enter my calories. As you can imagine, my wife is thrilled about that (Yeah, right). Even so, I’ve found that I tend to eat rather than drink my calories, drink more water, and make healthier choices simply because I have to enter what I eat. Also, if I make healthier choices, I can eat more (which I like).
Have you had success using Lose It or another weight loss program app? Let me know.
*Image courtesy of Volodomyr Hryshchenko and Unsplash
If my graying hair and the mail I receive from AARP wondering why I haven’t taken advantage of their offer isn’t enough, I’m now adding fuel to the fire in my conversations.
So, I’m in Walmart and two young representatives from a tv and internet provider approach me. I don’t want to start anything so we’ll just call them GrAyT & T.
Our dialogue went something like what you’re about to read with only slight exaggeration:
Rep 1 – Hello, Sir.
Me – Hello, twelve year olds (Ok, so I didn’t really say how old I thought they were).
Rep 2 – May we ask which company currently provides your tv and internet service?
Me – Ok, sure. Cox. (I understand for some of you that automatically puts me in the old person category.
Rep 1 – That’s perfect.
Me – (Continues shopping) Great. See you later.
Rep 1 – Well, we actually were curious if you know how much your monthly payment is for these services.
Me – Yes, I do know.
(awkward pause)
Rep 2 – Would you mind telling us how much you pay?
Me – Yes, I would.
Rep 1 – Ok, well. Where do you live? I can look it up.
Me – (Heavy sigh) Fine. (I tell them my address. I’d write out my address here but I’m not prepared for all the fan mail I might receive. Just kidding).
Rep 2 – Sir, what would you say if I told you that our company can save you around 50% and can improve your service?
Me – I’d say that I’m upset because your company is about to dig up the front of my yard to put in their fancy smancy fiberoptics lines.
Rep 1 – Well, that is true, Sir. But the teams are repairing the damage by replanting the grass.
Me – I have Asian Jasmine growing in that section of my yard. Do you know how much work my wife and I had to do to get it growing right again after all the debris from Hurricane ida was stacked on it. And now you want me to go through all that again?
Rep 2 – But the service is so much better and cheaper. Wouldn’t you like to try it out?
Me – How can I try it? They haven’t even run the lines yet.
Rep 1 – Didn’t you just say you didn’t want them to run the lines?
Me – Yes, I did. If they can’t run the lines then I can’t try your service!
My Wife – (Interrupts) – Now, Honey, you need to leave these nice young people alone. You’re overexciting yourself. Goodbye, 12 years olds… (Ok, so she didn’t call them 12 year olds either).
I guess I am getting older. Who knows, maybe I should try that new grAy T & T service. To do so I’d have to cancel my front yard Asian Jasmine guarding stake out. I was going to build a bonfire and roast my food over all my AARP junk mail letters.
Maybe I’ll look into it after my nap…
*Image courtesy of Yerling Villalobos and Unsplash
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