A Year with Wii U

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Wii U's launch.  I got mine Day One, so I've now spent, as the title explains, a year with Wii U.

Just a small note:  though this blog is primarily concerned with matters of my family and things of a Christian nature, it must be said that I am myself an avid video gamer.  So occasionally a game-related post will pop up.  A future blog, for example, will deal with how Christians should use and view video games in the culture in which we live.

Anyway, to celebrate a year with the first next-gen system, I'd like to make some notes on what Nintendo has done in this last year for their new system, what they haven't done, and what I think they should do.

What they have done

Expanded functionality

Nintendo has done a fine job expanding their functionality.  When the Wii U first launched, their were a few apps not yet available.  Some were available on other systems, like Hulu Plus and Amazon instant video.  But there was one service that was exclusive to Wii U: Nintendo TVii.  This was Nintendo's quite successful attempt at making TV interactive.  From giving you a digital TV guide to acting as a functional TV remote, it is quite useful.  But it's real strength comes in the form of tv tag.  For more popular shows, using Nintendo TVii shows a timeline on the Gamepad, giving you snapshots of what's going on.  I watched a show I'd never seen before, but after two minutes of looking at the timeline, had a decent idea of the characters and plot.  In addition, tv tag allows for people to comment, and offers polls that people all over the country can take part in.  In a sense you watch TV in a community.

Expanded beyond Wii U

It's easy for a company, especially Nintendo, to make their system the sole access point to its services.  But the world is changing.  Nintendo has changed as well.  

One of the greatest features on the Wii U is Miiverse, something of a social network specifically for gamers.  Miiverse, at first, was limited entirely to the Wii U.  Unless you had a Wii U, you could not make an account.  Unless you were on your Wii U, you could not view Miiverse.  

Thankfully, in early 2013, Nintendo created a way to view Miiverse on the PC, or even on your smartphone.  They have also promised to makes dedicated Miiverse apps for Android and iOS.  Next month, they will also release a 3DS version of Miiverse.  You still need a Nintendo system to join Miiverse though, which is just as well.

Games

If you follow video games at all, this one might be a surprise for you.  Yet for all the hate Nintendo gets, there is a nice supply of games available today for the Wii U.

Even excluding launch titles, there are still games like:

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

LEGO City Undercover

Game & Wario

Pikmin 3

The Wonderful 101

Sonic Lost World

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014

Scribblenauts Unmasked

Wii Party U

Wii Sports Club

Wii Fit U

That's not including any of the great digital offerings on the eShop.  It's not including any future games, like Super Mario 3D World (which comes out Friday).  It's not including any third-party offerings.  Just looking at exclusive retail games that came out after the system launched, it's still a nice looking list of games available today.

Alternative Pricing

Apple changed gaming.  There was once a time when you had two options: console or handheld.  You paid around $50-60 for a console game, and $35-45 for a handheld game.

Then Apple came in.  The App Store was filled with games that were free, or 99¢.  Now, even the heavy hitters on iOS or Android only cost about $7.  Some of them even connect to Apple TV, allowing for a Semi-Wii U experience  with games for a fraction of the cost!  Now, are these games anywhere close to the level of depth or overall value?  Certainly not.  But it turns out hat most people don't care.  People are increasingly 24/7 and any games they play must be short and cheap.  That has affected the entire industry, not just handhelds.

Thankfully Nintendo has begun to vary its pricing structures somewhat.  For example, Wii Fit U will be released in a number of bundle forms.  But right now Nintendo is offering a month-long trial of the game on the eShop.  However, if you go to Toys R Us and buy a Fit Meter, an activity meter you can wear all day and syncs with Wii Fit U, then the trial counter disappears.  In other words, buying a $20 meter gets you the full game for free.

I climbed an ostrich!

What they haven't done

Games

Say what?  What about that list of great games?

Unfortunately, while that nice list of games proves that there are great experiences to be had exclusively on Wii U, it was also an exhaustive list.  The number of good exclusives has been, unfortunately, small.

Lack of ambition

Now I'd love to be wrong about this.  If everyone else were jerks and idiots and Nintendo has been doing the best it can to secure deals, then that's fine.  But I don't think it's the case.

Simply put, Wii U games are gimped.  Whether it's missing downloadable content, like Assassin's Creed IV (but not III) or Call of Duty, missing modes, like Splinter Cell: Blacklist or Batman Arkham Origins, or just plain missing games (like every single sports game EA made this year), the Wii U, outside of exclusives, provides little to provoke a purchase.

Take Need for Speed Rivals, for instance.  It's coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.  It's also coming to PS4 and Xbox One.  But it's not coming to Wii U.  Why?  Because of poor sales of the previous game, Need for Speed Most Wanted U.

Let's think about this for a moment.

The Wii U version of the game came out almost half a year after the PS3 and 360 versions.  It debuted on hardware not even half a year old at the time, with therefore only a few million people who could buy it.  Most importantly, by the time that Most Wanted U came out, the other versions had already dropped in price to $30, while Most Wanted U cost the full $60!  Did the Wii U version look better?  Yes, because the developers could take advantage of the more powerful hardware.  Did the Wii U version have new features?  Yes, due to the GamePad.  Is that worth paying double the price?  For most people, no.  Should it really shock the developers that releasing a game late with a few new features at double the price of the other versions would actually sell well?  No.  But apparently it did.  So they aren't bringing Rivals to Wii U.

And it seems that Nintendo didn't do a thing to stop it.

On the consumer side, we can't see much.  But from what it looks like, it looks as though everyone slapped Nintendo in the face, and Nintendo just took it.  Don't try to get Multiplayer in Arkaham Origins.  Don't try to get Madden 25 on Wii U.  Just sit there and talk about Mario.

There's just no ambition there.

Marketing

Oh boy.  Marketing.  I'm not going to spend too much time on this.  The horse is just about dead.

But even now, a year later, there are still those who think that the Wii U is a $300 screen to use with their current Wii console.  When people aren't even sure that you have a new console after a year, you have a marketing problem.  Adding to the problem is their decision to release the Wii Mini, a horrible, incredibly stripped-down version of the Original Wii for only $30 cheaper.  

Now, I don't have TV, so I don't know this experientially, but from what I've heard, it seems that Nintendo is marketing a lot, but on kids channels.  10 years ago, that would have worked.  Not anymore.

10 years ago, violent games were played primarily by adults and teenagers.  Unfortunately, it is no longer uncommon to see seven-to-eight year-olds playing Call of Duty.  10 years ago, Super Mario 3D World would have been much more attractive to kids than Ryse: Son of Rome.  Unfortunately this is not the case.  To focus your advertising on a group of people increasingly disinterested with the games you make and not advertising much elsewhere is bad marketing.

It should be on local channels. It should be on iTunes Radio.  It should be in magazines and newspapers.  Nintendo needs something like 2007's "Wii would like to play" campaign, where commercials showed creepy Japanese businessmen knocking on peoples' doors.

Ruined the company

Unlike the doom and gloom of many, I don't believe that Nintendo has dug a pit they can't get out of.  It will take work, but I honestly think they can manage.  They certainly did so with the 3DS.

What they should do

Keep the price (for a while)

People are very quick to tell Nintendo to drop the price. I say not yet. I think next holiday will have a different picture.  I don't expect Sony or Microsoft to drop prices anytime soon (especially Sony).  I don't expect the 360 or PS3 to be of great demand when their successors have been on the market for a year.  I don't think developers will keep developing for the old systems too long (they say they will, but they always seem to say that, like Nintendo's "Three pillars" of GameCube, Game boy Advance, and Nintendo DS).  So let's look at the market as of last week (due to limited availability, I'm disregarding the new consoles for the time being):

Xbox 360 - $180

PS3 - $200

Wii U - $300

The Wii U doesn't seem very appealing.

But next year?

Xbox One - $500

PS4 - $400

Wii U - $300

Now it sounds much better, and Nintendo doesn't lose any more money per Wii U.

After that, maybe drop the price $50.  At that point, the technology might be cheap enough to allow the drop.

More games

This is the obvious solution, and one that Nintendo is working on.  Next year we'll have Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.  We'll have Mario Kart 8.  We'll have Super Smash Bros.  We'll have Bayonetta 2.  We'll have Monolith Soft's "X".  And that's just what's been announced.  Things are looking pretty good so far for the Wii U, exclusives-wise.  Nintendo just needs to put the gas on and show more titles to regain the faith of an industry disillusioned by a long drought.

Utilize smartphones

Gaming is taking an interesting turn. In most instances, it seems, Nintendo takes the lead in innovation.  This time, it is Microsoft (albeit spurred on by Nintendo).  Microsof's response to the Wii U launched last year in the form of Xbox Smartglass, an Android and iOS app that connects to your Xbox 360 (and soon Xbox One) and allows some interesting features.  That has been followed up by "companion apps" such as those for Call of Duty: Ghost, and Grand Theft Auto V.  What these do is essentially allow you to take aspects of your game to your phone.  Got a spare minute at work?  Take out your phone and train your dog in GTA5.  When you come home, that progress is reflected in your game.  It is truly the future.

Fortunately, Nintendo has made it known that they have great interest in this.  As mentioned earlier, it is already possible to view and post on Miiverse from your iPhone.  Ubisoft has declared that the Watch Dogs companion app will indeed work with the Wii U.  In fact, Nintendo has just recently purchased a large stake in a mobile content company named Dwango.

So what can Nintendo do going forward?

First, they need to release the standalone Miiverse app for smartphones.  Some people (including myself) don't have a web browser on their phone for whatever reason, and therefore cannot use Miiverse on my phone.  The app they promised would alleviate this.  Personally I'm hoping for a dual release next month, giving us Miiverse on iOS/Android, and Miiverse for 3DS.

Also, they need to take advantage of this concept.  In an ever-mobile world, I want to take my home console games and experience them in some fashion on the go.  Of course, they don't need to use smartphones (although they should).  Unlike Microsoft, Nintendo has the great advantage of having a handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS.  That brings me to my next point.

Greater Wii U/3DS connectivity

Connectivity between home and handheld has always been in Nintendo's eye.  From the time of Pokemon Stadium for the N64, to Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for GameCube, to Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii, these two systems are in a symbiotic relationship.

We see this happening already; it just has to happen more.

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, customized stats of some sort will be able to be transferred between platforms.  In Sonic Lost World for 3DS, you can create devices that can be transferred to the Wii U version, allowing for a second player to control the device made on the 3DS.  In fact, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is essentially the same game, and you can transfer your save data from one system to the other! That means you can play on the Wii U, transfer it to 3DS, then play the same game outside the house!  

While this is great, Nintendo needs to play catch-up.  Sony has been doing this (called "Cross-Play") with a number of its games since last year between PS3 and PS Vita. 

The Wii U could also benefit from the 3DS in other ways.  You Streetpass with somebody at the subway (or at Subway)?  Maybe that person's Mii can come into a Wii U game.  Perhaps Play Coins can be transferred into a Wii U game's currency.

Collaborate with Sony and Microsoft

We're told that Nintendo needs to jump ship.  Put Mario and Link on PS4.  Let's have Metroid on Xbox.  Nintendo would never do this, and Nintendo should never do this.  We need only look at SEGA, a shell of their former self after becoming a third-party developer.  They no longer do what Nintendon't. 

But ever since the Wii, Nintendo has changed its self-perception.  Nintendo is no longer fighting against Sony and Microsoft.  They do their own thing, and honestly, they do it rather well.  Even Sony's president, Shuhei Yoshida, admitted that he doesn't see Nintendo as an enemy.  In fact, he owns two Wii U's (one American, one Japanese) to play games with his daughter.

So if Nintendo doesn't see itself as in the race, and the other hardware makers doesn't see Nintendo as in the race, then why not act as though they aren't in the race?

Remember the Wii?  Very, very few gamers had only a Wii.  People thought of the Wii as a secondary system to PS3 or 360.  Why can't the Wii U be the same?

Consider the following idea for a commercial/YouTube short:

A man walks into a room, and turns on his Xbox One (obviously by saying “Xbox On”)

He goes on Skype via his Xbox, and invites a bunch of his buddies over.

He sits down, controller in hand, and starts playing Forza.

Soon, one of his friends shows up.  After saying hello, the second man grabs a Wii U GamePad, and starts playing Wind Waker HD.

After a few shots of both people enjoying console videogames (one on TV and one on the GamePad), the door rings, and the other three guests arrive.

The man playing Xbox pauses, and the man playing Wii U uses the GamePad as a TV remote to change the input to the Wii U.

They boot up NintendoLand, and all five people have a blast playing together.

Perhaps at the end, while everyone is partying, the Xbox player gets a notification about another game via Smartglass (just to throw some more Xbox functionality in there)

Year Two

This next year will prove incredibly important for Nintendo’s fledgling console.  All the pieces are here:  The game lineup looks good; they are taking steps in the right direction to unify accounts between the Wii U and the 3DS; There will soon be no more “looming” consoles; and Nintendo will have (hopefully) learned much from this year, filled with great accomplishments and great failures.  I hope to look at this, one year from now, on November 18, 2014, and see that our fears and our assumptions about “the death of Nintendo” were absurd.  I hope to own a successful console, instead of a console filled with questions and promise.

I suppose we’ll see. 

How to be a Christian Produce Associate

It's hard to be a Christian in the world.  In the church and the "church world" people still sin, of course, but the conversations in secular employment are just completely different.  When you're hearing coworkers talk about how you can trick women into getting an abortion so that you don't have to settle down or pay child support, it's pretty clear you're not in church.  And yes, something similar to that was discussed in front of me.

I work in the Produce department at Walmart.  But I'm also in ministry.  At Walmart.  As much as I am a Produce Associate, I am even more a Christian.  How do these two work?  How does one go about a job as menial as stocking fruit in a "Christian" manner?  I've listed 10 ways below.  Certainly there are more, but these are ten ways to embrace your call as a Christian Produce* Worker.  This is not to suggest, however, that I do these things well at all.  I struggle with each of these.  But I know enough that these are what I should be striving for.

*Obviously, this does not suggest that this list is only for Produce workers.  This list is for any job in secular employment.  The first two, however, are primarily for those in secular employment, but intending on going into some sort of ministry position, like myself.

1. Recognize that you don't know God's plan.

More than any of these, this one is the most difficult for me.  I am preaching more to myself than anyone else.  I am called to ministry in some fashion, I know this.  What I do not know, however, is where I am called.  I am called to the ministry of equipping the saints.  God has gifted me in that area.  But I don't know where.  Would I like to be the pastor of some big church in the city?  Actually, no.  I'd rather be the pastor of a small church in a small town.  Or a teacher at a Bible College or University.  But I don't know God's plan for me.  I'm waiting at Walmart for vocational ministry, and God has promised me ministry, but not necessarily vocational ministry.  Perhaps my future is to be a layman in the church, equipping my own family, as well as others in the church.  That isn't what I want exactly.  But when I think about it, I have to drop to my knees, and give my future to God.  His will be done, not mine.

2.  Don't stop studying.

That said, I won't wait at Walmart doing nothing.  If you are in a "secular" job, awaiting vocational ministry like I am, then I urge you to keep your edge sharp.  You may have already received a formal education in theology, but if you don't keep studying you will get dull.  I myself am currently focusing on Greek and Hebrew, as well as trying to learn more about Church History.  When and if I get a job in vocational ministry, I'll be more ready than if I merely waited.

3.  Remember that Jesus is more your Boss than any other boss.

It is just so easy to think, after being pulled to four different departments (while supposed to keep your own department clean), that Jesus has left the building.  But He is still where He has been for the past two millennia:  seated at the right hand of the Father.  At the end of the day, our managers have to report to Christ.  For most of them, that won't be pretty.

In the meantime, remember: what your boss meant for evil, God ordained for good.  So when you are pulling $1 snacks into the back room because the managers don't think it looks good out on the floor (and therefore not allowing it to sell), remember that Jesus is at the reins, even here, and His ways are perfect.  It may not make sense to us, but that's ok.  It makes sense to God, and that is what is important.

4.  Jesus is your customer, too.

        Jesus is your Boss, yes, but He is also your customer.  We must go back to that popular passage, Matthew 25:35-40, where Jesus praises His chosen.  Why?  Because He was sick, poor, cold, and naked, and they took care of them.  When they couldn't understand (because they never found Him in such a position), Jesus explains that "whatever you did for the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me."  While we take it out of context somewhat, the concept still stands: Those we meet are to be like Jesus to us.  How easy is it to disregard people?  We all know the answer to that question.  This idea is just as true in the workplace as it is anywhere else.  You should treat everyone, especially the brothers and sisters, with dignity and respect, as you would surely treat Christ.  

5.  Exhibit grace to fellow Associates and customers.

This fifth point is really the way to apply the fourth point. But we've been there; there are just so many examples to choose from.  Maybe it's the customer who is clearly trying to swindle you and get oranges for 50¢ per pound rather than per orange.  Maybe it's the customer who opens the back room door, looks at all the fruits and vegetables, then asks you where the bacon is (simply because the Produce back room is next to the bacon).  Maybe it's your coworker who puts a loaded pallet right in front of the item you need.

Regardless of the situation, the solution is the same: grace.  Anyone who works in Produce (or anywhere else for that matter) has experienced the customer who is an absolute delight to deal with: friendly, understanding, patient.  It's easy to be around such a customer.  Or a fellow Associate who thinks of other Associates.  It's easy to like such people.  But if you like only those customers and Associates, how are you any different?  Even the pagans do that!  We should be trying extra hard to love those frustrating customers, and those annoying Associates.

6. Do not speak evil against the ruler of your department.

        This is difficult for many reasons.  For starters, managers can be annoying.  Very annoying.  In addition, it's hard not to do what everyone else does liberally.  You can only be around something for so long before it begins to entice you.  Yet, we must hold our tongues.  Some might say, "Well, if you're thinking it, its just as bad as saying it!"  These people are wrong.  If you think it, it affects you, just like saying it would.  However, only thinking something does not affect the official in question, your fellow associates, your reputation, nor the reputation of Christ.  Saying it affects all these. (as an aside, this goes for the President as well)

        Even the (Christian) Apostle Paul, when interrogated by the (Jewish) High Priest, apologized after accidentally speaking in disrespect towards the High Priest.  How much more should we Christians respect our Non-believing bosses!

7.  Take multiple pages from Daniel.

Daniel is one of the best examples we have of the business world.  When Daniel was a young man, his country, Judah, was sent into exile by Babylon.  But Daniel was allowed to become a Babylonian official.  This Jew, in a Gentile world, serves as a good foil to the lives of us Christians in an oh-so-unChristian world.  There are four main applications we can glean from Daniel's example.

     7a.  Seek the good of the secular institution.

          Wherever we are, whether it is Walmart or Babylon, our goal should be to build up the institution God has placed us in (even when we don't want to be there).  Daniel did such a good job while working for the Babylonian government, when Babylon was overthrown by the Medo-Persian Empire, they kept Daniel as an Administrator, one of the highest positions in the kingdom!

     7b.  Do your best to work in such a way that nobody can find fault.

          This one is tough.  But look at Daniel.  After becoming an Administrator, King Darius planned on making Daniel second-in-command.  Even though the satraps and Administrators despised Daniel, they could not find anything on him.  He worked in such a way that followed all the rules.  We should be no different.

     7c.  Submit (joyfully) in every instance.

            Submitting is seen explicitly in Daniel, yes.  But I do not recall the text explicitly saying that his submission was "joyful". However, I can only assume it to be so, considering the small chances of a King promoting a grumpy person who doesn't want to be there.

Submission is a term that only really has negative connotations as far as the world is concerned.  Sadly, submission is thought to be negative even in the Church today.  This should not be so, brothers and sisters.  Submission should be done, and it should be done joyfully.  I want my wife to submit to me, but I don't want her to submit out of coercion or an unwilling heart.  I want her to joyfully submit to me.  In the same way, when I go to work at Walmart, I shouldn't push for my way.  I should submit, and I should submit joyfully.

        Unfortunately, this one proves very difficult for me to do.  But that's no excuse.  Christian martyrs throughout the past two millenia have submitted to death joyfully.  I can submit to throwing out food joyfully.

     7d.  When Jesus and [insert business here] are at odds, obey Jesus (but be gentle, respectful, and obedient in all other areas).

            Of course, the immediate thought is Daniel and the lions' den, but there is more, even in the New Testament.

When we read the 'submission' passages, like Romans 13 and the beginning of Ephesians 6, we almost instinctively look for the loophole.  "What has to happen for me to rebel with God's approval?"  First off, that isn't joyful, as previously said.

        Secondly, we tend to have a mindset that thinks that if our place of business conflicts in some way with God's revealed Word, then all bets are off, and we have the divine imperative to act like jerks.  This is not the teaching of Scripture.

        As said earlier, Jesus is more your Boss than any other boss.  If the CEO tells you to do something that conflicts with what your manager says, its probably a good idea to do what the CEO says.  Likewise, no matter what you're manager says, Jesus is the CEO of CEOs.  What He says goes.  But when you do disobey your manager because of the command of Christ, it must be done gently.  It must be done in a winsome spirit.  You can disobey your manager in such a way that can help lead them to Christ.  In addition, you must be obedient in every other area. In fact it would be good to put extra effort to submitting in the other areas to prove to them (and you) that you are submissive.

8. Remember that most, if not all, of your fellow Associates are lost.

        Some of you may have the luxury of working mostly with fellow brothers or sisters.  Consider yourself in the minority.  For the rest of us, we have to deal with people who frequently use God's name in vain, curse, try to entice us, and in every sense become an obstacle to us.  But as frustrating as it can be, it is also quite the blessing for two reasons: Evangelism and Sanctification.  

     8a.  Commit to pray for their salvation.

        If you have trouble with sharing the gospel, then congratulations!  You get to spend hours a day multiple days a week in close contact with lost people.  As much temptation as this arrangement can bring, this is a great chance to let your light shine on the lost.  I've tried the door-to-door evangelism routine, and all sorts of evangelism with strangers, but I don't think that evangelism was meant to be done that way primarily.  I think evangelism was meant for people to both see and hear.  Not just hear the Gospel preached to them, but an example of what that looks like.  So be that example.  Be transparent with them.  Don't hide your failures and your faults, because if they don't see them, they'll assume you're just fake.  Show them that a Christian is a fallen person who is being changed slowly by the Holy Spirit.

     8b. Don't judge worldly people because they are worldly.

        Trust me, it is easy to judge when you're marking down rotten food in the back room, while the other guys in the room are staring at the hot girl who just walked by.  But they are not who we are called to judge.  We are not to judge those who don't claim Christ, because that judgment belongs to God.  We are to judge those who claim to be Christians and either are not, or are genuine Christians finding themselves in unrepentant sin (see 1 Corinthians 5).  Do I like the topics my coworkers talk about? Not always.  But when I find myself judging them I find something worth judging in me.

9.  If you work with brothers or sisters, do not show partiality to them.

     Some of us have the luxury of having fellow Christians in the workplace.  Others do not have that luxury.  For those of us who do, we have an added responsibility.  There is a substantial temptation for spiritual nepotism.  "Because he or she is my brother or sister in Christ, I'll let this thing slide."  Christian managers have an additional temptation regarding their Christian subordinates.   We must remember that if we are indeed representatives of Christ, then we must spur our fellow Christians on to a more accurate portrayal of Christ.

10. Representation, not relevancy.

        The Church in America as a whole has fallen for a despicable lie: In order for the Church to impact the world, the Church must imitate the world.  Unbelievers don't want to see Christians as some sort of moral role model.  Instead, we are told, we should strive to be like them, and then we'll be liked by them, and then they'll come to Christ.  But that doesn't hold water for two reasons.  First, if they look at you and only see what they already have, then they have nothing to gain from you.  "You have Jesus, and you look like me, act like me, talk like me, and drink like me?  Then I don't need Jesus, because I already look, act, talk, and drink like me!"  Secondly, there is no such thing as glovvy mud.  You throw a glove into mud, and the mud doesn't get glovvy; the glove gets muddy.  You throw a Christian into the world, and the Christian who isn't prepared, armored with Truth, Righteouness, the Gospel, Faith, Salvation, and the Word, and the world won't get more righteous.  Instead, the Christian will backslide.

        Instead, we should focus on being representatives of Christ.  There is great power in our witness in life.  When your coworkers go through struggles (and they do), they will turn to the usual:  Escapism, be it alcohol, video games, sports, you name it.  Anything they can possibly do to ensure that they aren't thinking the hard questions.  Where is this person who just died?  What will happen to me when I die?  What is my purpose here?  

        When struggles hit you (and they will), then it is time to be strong.  Don't just fake it; it's really easy to see through such a deception.  But embrace that there is a loving, just God sitting on His throne.  Whether the deceased went to Heaven or Hell, God is just.  You don't have to resort to escapism, because these questions have been answered for you.  You are (if genuinely converted) a blood-bought son or daughter of the God of the Universe, and you are loved.  You are loved so much that your mission in life is to glorify the God who paid the ultimate price.  Don't be quiet when struggles hit.  Talk openly to your coworkers about these things.  When you fail, don't hide it from your coworkers.  They don't need a fake image about you as though you're perfect.  What they need to see is what the Spirit has made you.  Then they will wonder why you have something that they don't have.  Then they may ask you about the hope you have in you.  Then, as 1 Peter 3:15 says, you be ready to give a defense for the hope you have in you (with gentleness and respect.

Simple Conversations.

Dog.

Cat.

Street.

Where is the bathroom?

How much is this?

I want . . .

I'm hungry/thirsty/tired.

What is your name?  My name is . . .

These are common words. In fact, if one were to take a class in Spanish, French, or German, you'd learn them quickly.

Could you imagine if you couldn't?  If you took a semester of Spanish, and someone walked up to you and asked you to say something in Spanish, and you were unable to?  Maybe quote something from a book in Spanish, but you couldn't yourself create a sentence in Spanish?

That student would be deemed a failure.  Clearly he must have passed with a D-, if he passed at all.

And yet, go to a seminary, find someone in a Greek or Hebrew class, and ask them to say something in their respective language.

  If they manage to, it will either be a) a quote from the Bible (likely either Genesis 1:1 or 1 John 1:1), b) a stammered sentence that has no meaning (like βλέπω τον καρπον του ανθρώπου "I see the fruit of the man") or c) a legitimate, albeit unsophisticated sentence.  The only person capable of option C is the person who got the highest grade in the class.

Congrats, Greek student.  *slow clap*

There must be a better way.  Simple conversation should be a focus of Biblical language teaching.  Why is it that a high school class can require papers written in German, while Master's level Hebrew requires only that you know it is a Niphal Perfect First Person Singular verb and it's meaning?  That should be obvious?  If I was teaching ESL, I wouldn't stop at them knowing that what kind of verb a word is.  They need to know more.  They need to know how that word fits together with everything else, and work at it until it's second nature (or second language, to be more fitting).

But, that is just the problem isn't it?

Spanish is taught the way it is because it is a living language, we are told.  Something like Koine Greek or Biblical Hebrew is a dead language, so we apparently don't have to try as hard.

That is so damaging.  We hurt ourselves and those we teach by teaching this way.  By teaching Greek and Hebrew the way it is typically taught, we put ourselves in as observers of Greek, not participants of it.  You can master Greek, but you may not feel it.  To think in Hebrew has to be completely different from merely being able to parse it.

  I know, I know.  Changing something as foundational of the basic pedagogy of language teaching would take time and effort that few teachers (and students), much less school administrators, would be willing to pay.  But it is worth it.  Others have said such, like Daniel Streett, or Michael Halcomb.  But they see things differently.  They know Greek.  I'm sure there are those on the Hebrew side of the equation as well.  I'm the one who took a year of Hebrew, a semester of Greek, and have been working on both in some degree for the last two years.  And I still can't speak a natural sentence of Greek.  Do I blame my teachers?  No.  I'm not in Administration, but I understand enough to see how hard it must be to get any change in.  Besides, when you've taught for 20+ years a certain style, there is no reason to expect them to change, even if it is not the most effective.  It still works.

But this generation of teachers, those in seminary or just starting, it's your job to embrace Greek and Hebrew as living languages.  The next generation should learn Greek or Hebrew as natural as they would French.  If God blesses me with a classroom, I hope to teach like Greek and Hebrew are living languages, if nothing else than for the fact that when the Old and New Testaments were written, they were.

The How-to to a Christian Sukkot

How do we do Sukkot?

Well, we've actually changed things somewhat during the course of the holiday.

At the beginning, we were planning on spending as much time as possible in a Sukkah, or outside.  Basically, we would limit our time inside greatly.

What is a Sukkah, you ask?  Here's a picture of ours:

Yes, that is a tent.  Jews would not accept a tent as a Sukkah.  But oh well.  The important part is passing on the meaning, not strict adherence to rules.  Heck, even a Jewish Rabbi agreed that modern day tents are closer to the Sukkot (plural for Sukkah) that Moses and the Israelites used, than the modern day Sukkot Jews build!

Source: http://www.rabbihannahorden.com/4-godwrestling/the-good-enough-sukkah/

So I said that we changed things.  For the sake of space, I'll explain what we do now, and not as much before.

Our goal is to spend more time outside than we usually do.  That said, if we really want to go inside, we will.  Again, the point of these holidays is that meaning is transferred from parent to child, and that the important truths that go along with the holidays are brought to mind.  What is not of great importance is meticulous (dare I say, Pharisaical?) rule-keeping.  Anyway, a lot of our time is spend on our porch, but we still have our Sukkah up.  However, we left the rain fly off. 

It rained.

The Sukkah got soaked.  It's mostly dried now, but that was still an interesting experience.

Another thing we did was we blessed the Sukkah.  We used a traditional Jewish blessing.  To go with that we got something called a lulav and an etrog.  A lulav is an assortment of plants.  We also got an etrog.  Kind of.  Those things are expensive.  And they look like lemons.  So . . . we got lemons.

Lulav and Etrog.

We shook them three times in six directions, and spoke the blessing.  I spoke it in Hebrew, and my wife spoke it in English.

Here's the blessing we spoke:

ברך אתה יהוה עלהינו מלך העולם שׁהחינו וקימנו והגינו לזמן הזה (the spelling may be off)

Blessed are You, Lord God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.

It's kind of simple.  We just spend some time outside, and enjoy life.  Sometimes I'll play a song that is quite relevant (and has been stuck in my head for some time now):

http://www.amazon.com/Sukkot-Song/dp/B0014DI1NA

We have tomorrow, and the next day, and then we'll have one more day: the day we take down the Sukkah.  You'd think that was the end of the festival, but it's actually not.  It is, in fact, the most important day of the festival.  What will we do then?  We'll go over a certain passage (John 7:37-39), which takes place during the eighth day of Sukkot.

Sukkot - The Purpose

Commonly referred to as the "Feast of Tabernacles" or "Feast of Booths", this is one of three holidays where every Jewish male was required to trek to Jerusalem to attend the festival (the other two were Passover and Pentecost).

Sukkot began yesterday, and it will last until next Wednesday.

I'll make a couple posts during Sukkot.  But today, I want to explain the purpose of Sukkot, both in its original context, as well as the context of the New Testament Christian.

The Original Context

The festival is explained, like many Jewish holidays, in Leviticus 23.  Here are the relevant portions:

Leviticus 23:33-36

33 The Lord spoke to Moses: 34 “Tell the Israelites: The Festival of Booths to the Lord begins on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and continues for seven days. 35 There is to be a sacred assembly on the first day; you are not to do any daily work. 36 You are to present a fire offering to the Lord for seven days. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and present a fire offering to the Lord. It is a solemn gathering;  you are not to do any daily work. 

Leviticus 23:39-43

39 “You are to celebrate the Lord’s festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month for seven days after you have gathered the produce of the land. There will be complete rest on the first day and complete rest on the eighth day. 40 On the first day you are to take the product of majestic trees—palm fronds, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord seven days each year. This is a permanent statute for you throughout your generations; you must celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You are to live in booths  for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.”

The Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness.  Interestingly enough, in our Bible reading, we are in Numbers, during the time of this waiting.

What is important about this waiting?  Here's three takeaways from the wandering story.

     Faith is important.  The people were forced to wander 40 years due to lack of faith in God.  Clearly, for God's covenant community, trusting in God is something to be taken seriously.

     There was an end to the wandering.  After wandering, living in tents, eventually these 40 years passed, and the Israelites moved into houses.

     There was provision.  Their sandals never wore out.  Neither did their clothes.  They were, on multiple occasions, provided with incredible amounts of water, despite being in a desert.  They literally had food fall from the sky.  As angry as God was with the generation that failed to trust Him, He still showered provision upon them.

Jewish families, then, right now are likely in a Sukkah (Hebrew for tent).  They are certainly reflecting on these truths.  But there is more to the story.  As with every Jewish festival, Sukkot is pointing to something greater.  More accurately, someone greater.

New Testament Context

Jesus Christ embodied Sukkot.  Quite literally, in fact.

     As we see in Philippians 2:7-8, Jesus took on flesh (the wording of Paul's actually resembles that of clothing, or a tent):

 

7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men.  And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.

So let us look at these truths through the lens of Christ:

     Faith is important.  The Old Covenant was with a nation.  The means of this covenant was by birth. You were a part of this covenant because you were born an Israelite.  While there were exceptions (Rahab the prostitute as an example), entrance into the covenant community was based on one's DNA.

         For the church, however, God has made His covenant with individual believers.  The means of this covenant is by faith, not birth.  It is not because your parents are Christian that makes you a Christian.  It is because of your faith in God, and His Son Jesus Christ.  If faith was important for a covenant community marked by genetics, how much more important is faith in a covenant community marked by faith!  

     There was an end to the wandering.  We live in a Sukkah, whether we realize it or not.  Our bodies are temporary dwellings. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 is probably the clearest New Testament passage concerning Sukkot:

2 Corinthians 5:1-5

For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling  in the heavens,  not made with hands. 2 Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring  to put on our dwelling from heaven, 3 since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 

          We will all be changed.  We will put away our earthly Sukkah, and go to our heavenly Home.

    There was provision.  While we are in our Sukkah, our earthly body, God does not ignore us.  Christianity is not a religion concerned only with the afterlife.  We are given provision.  Bread, both physical and spiritual, is provided for us.  We do not go alone in this wandering.  God is with us, for He has given us His own Holy Spirit as a down payment for us.

Jesus is the God of Sukkot.  

Sometime before the end of Sukkot I'll post about how we as a family do Sukkot.  Perhaps it will inspire you to do the same, or just reflect on the truths of Sukkot during this time.

Yom Kippur

Today is Yom Kippur.  Oddly enough, we've been celebrating it all day, even though technically it only started less than two hours ago.  But since we don't follow the Jewish calendar, it started this morning.

This holiday is a little extra special to me, for two reasons.

1) This holiday, more than any other, we celebrate differently from Orthodox Judaism.

Jews all over the world are practicing self-denial.  They are fasting.  They are refusing pleasure.  For them, Yom Kippur is the holiest, most solemn day of the year.  I respect that.

But I am not Orthodox Jewish.  I am a Christian.  Instead of remembering how a high priest sacrificed the blood of a goat in the Holy of Holies on earth, I remember something else.  Something better.  I remember how the Messiah, the Son of God, entered the Holy of Holies in Heaven, and, as our High Priest, offered Himself, His own blood, as a sacrifice.  On the Cross, Jesus was our Atonement.

Jesus is not only the Passover Lamb, but also the Goat of Yom Kippur.

Because of this great truth, I do not fast.  Rather, I and my family feast, celebrating the Atonement blood-bought by Christ.

2) This is the first Jewish holiday that we've celebrated more than once.

For the past year, our family has observed some of the Jewish holidays (In particular: Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Purim, and Passover)

It's interesting.  Its Yom Kippur, and I have memories of two separate events.  Most significantly is our daughter Sarah.  Last year she just cried and sat in her car seat (since she wasn't even three months old).
But this year, she's 14 months.  She ate.  A lot.  A lot of eating occurred from this ridiculous child.  I guess she just got in the Yom Kippur spirit.

So what's next?  The one Jewish holiday that I originally wanted to celebrate, but did not this past year: Sukkot.

I'll post an article about that on Friday or so when Sukkot starts.

In the meantime, I'm working on an article (one less Jewish), and I'll be writing a few more later as well.

!חג שמך (Khag Sameakh)

(happy holiday)

P.S. If you know an observant Jew, don't tell them that.  Yom Kippur is only solemn to them, not happy.

Why I love Bible study software

Today I (finally) got started on studying for the first week in our six-month study of the Book of John for Sunday School.

I also remembered why I love having Bible Study software.  You see, John 1:1-18 is very complex. I would need a lot (I mean a lot) of space to hold all the books I would need.

But technology is indeed wonderful.

The above image is my desk, all set up to study.

But so you can see what I've got going on, I'm going to list every resource open and ready to use:

Holman Christian Standard Bible

New International Standard Bible (2011)

New American Standard Bible (1995)

King James Version

Greek New Testament (SBL)

Hebrew Old Testament (BHS)

Greek Septuagint

Analytical Greek New Testament

Pillar New Testament Commentary on John by D.A. Carson

Faithlife Study Bible

Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament

Apologetics Study Bible

The Beloved Disciples Memoirs and Letters by Bob Utley

The Bible Exposition Commentary

Matthew Henry's Unabridged Commentary

Jammieson, Fauset, and Brown's Commentary on the Bible

Jesus and the Gospels by Craig Blomberg

Gray and Adams Bible Commentary on Matthew-Acts

Introduction to the New Testament by D.A. Carson and Douglas Moo

A Word Study software that analyzes each word and provides how and where it is used.

That image shows 20 resources open and ready to study.  Yeah, I like Bible study software :)

The Kosher Diaries - End

At last, the time of my following the Kosher laws has come to an end.

Yesterday was far too busy for me to write a blog post, so I'll put here both yesterday and today's posts.

Day 10 

The Dawn of the Final Day.  I ate a bowl of cereal, had a burrito, and drank a chocolate shake.

But lunch is where everything changes.  Yes, I stopped it short.  Here's the story.

     On Wednesday, I had some big issues.  One big one was that my wife's phone, which she has only had for 2 weeks, got milk all over it.  We tried for a few days to put it in rice, but it was shot.

     Fast forward to Saturday.  I took off some work to go to the Apple Store.  Given circumstances regarding next week, I really don't have time to do it except on Saturday.  When we got to the Apple Store, they set us an appointment for over an hour later.  Did I mention that we were starving? Also, this is a mall, and malls don't really have Kosher places to eat.  So we went to the place that I wanted to have my first non-Kosher food: Chick-Fil-A.

Meat.  And Cheese.  In the same meal.  Who would think of it?

So with that bite of wonderful chickeny goodness, my days of Kosher observation came to a tasty end.

From about 7pm Wednesday, July 31, to about 12:15 Saturday, August 10, I had no non-Kosher food.  

My Observations 

     Food is more important than we give it credit for.  We're humans.  Not only am I American, but I'm a Southern Baptist.  Therefore, I love to eat.  But until this time, food has never been too much in my thoughts.  I am far more grateful to God for food now than I ever have been.  Especially now that I can eat whatever I want.  

     Planning meals is easier than I thought.  Before we began this, we ate out a lot.  We've tried cooking at home, but it's pretty hit and miss.  Some weeks are much worse than others.  But for over a week, fast food was essentially off the table.  I had my meals planned out for 10 days.  I hope to do more planning in the future.  Especially now that I don't have to scour the supermarket for the Kosher version.

     Eating together is essential.  We, in our house, eat together.  90%+ of the time we eat the same food.  But since only I was going Kosher, my wife had to think up different things.  We'd end up eating different things at different times.  It was sad.  I feel for those families who never eat together.  It is a gift that is worth working for.

Exception!?

     Yes, if one wants to be technical, I did make one exception.  During my time under the Kosher laws, I willingly consumed one non-Kosher food.  If that disqualifies me in your eyes, then so be it.  But what I drank, I drank not for pleasure, but in sacred reverence.  I used non-Kosher Communion juice.

    I am aware that this blog may float around on the interwebs for some time, and there exists the possibility that a Jew blindly searching 'Kosher' (or somebody in general unfamiliar with Christian practice) may stumble onto this.  For this reason I will explain what I'm talking about here.

     On the night before His death, The Lord Jesus observed the Passover Seder with His disciples.  During the Seder, Jesus spoke of the unleavened bread and the wine as a physical example of the price He would soon pay.  The bread is His body, broken for us.  His blood is the blood of the New Covenant (See Jeremiah 31), shed for many for the remission of sins.  Jesus instituted a ritual meal, observed often, to remind Christians in a tangible sense of the what happened on the Cross.  So we eat unleavened bread and drink wine (or grape juice) to symbolize His body and blood. 

     We as a family observe this ritual, called Communion or The Lord's Supper, every Sunday night, at the end of the Sabbath.  In fact, about as soon as I am done with writing this blog post we will observe Communion.  But considering that what I drank was not meant for pleasure, but rather as merely a symbol of the gift of God, it doesn't concern me that I drank non-Kosher Communion juice.

So what have I eaten now?

    Well, since it is the Sabbath, we haven't made food today.  But I ate chicken sliders at White Castle (one of them with bacon).  And later I went to Sonic and had a banana and bacon shake.  Yes, it was delicious.

And with that, I shall the close the book on this time of observing the Kosher laws.  It's been a good time, but I'm glad to eat with the grace of God behind me.

The Kosher Diaries - Day 9

I'm at the final stretch.  Tomorrow will be my last day under Kosher laws.  I am both very excited and, well, very excited.  Even though Kosher has sort of become the new normal, I'm ready to go back to the real normal.  As the song says, "It's Friday, but Sunday is coming!"

Breakfast - Two chocolate shakes (one of them with 30g of protein), and a bowl of cereal.  After a whole day with no dairy, I was glad to get some milk in me.  

Lunch - Broccoli cheddar bake.  I had it about a week ago, but it was good enough to get again.

Dinner - Grilled cheese sandwiches.  Not only was my wife willing to make them for me, she also made Kosher marinara sauce!

Oh boy, I'm tired.  And I'm hungry.  I want non-Kosher food right now.  But I just have to make it until Sunday.

In the interest of full disclosure, I may possibly end it at about 7 pm tomorrow.  I don't think I will, but my wife and I talked about going to Red Robin then.  It jut be then, though.  Even though Thurdsday was my first day going Kosher, I actually ate nothing after 7 pm Wednesday night.  So technically, if I stop it after 7 tomorrow, I'll still have done the 10 days.  Again, I don't think I will, but the possibility does remain open.

The Kosher Diaries - Days 7 and 8

This is essentially two blog posts in one.  Last night was so exhausting, for multiple reasons, that I just didn't have the energy to write.

August 7 

This day, foodwise, wasn't too bad.  It felt more "normal" than any other day yet.

Breakfast - Chocolate shake.  Simple.  It turned out not to be enough.  An energy bar helped round out this meal a couple hours later.

Lunch - After the previous day's Mac n Cheese debacle, I felt I deserved some of the real stuff.  Thankfully, Walmart sells frozen Mac n Cheese that turns out to be Kosher.  It tasted shockingly similar to Kraft's version.  I still prefer the non-Kosher kind, but this was a winner nonetheless.

Dinner - Bacon cheese fries.  What?  You say that bacon isn't Kosher?  True, but this is the "other exception" I alluded to all the way back in Day 1.  French fried potatoes loaded with melted cheese and Bacon Salt!  It was really good, and even better when I added ketchup to the mix.  However adding ketchup drowned out the bacon taste, so I just left that out of the rest of the meal.

August 8

Now today was an interesting day.  On Monday I had meat for the first time since going Kosher.  Today, I chose to eat meat all day.  That's right, I have not had any dairy products all day.  It's really weird to have such a reverse of the normal day.  I'm used to chocolate shakes, strawberry milk, protein bars, and all that good stuff.  But today I eschewed all that, and enjoyed plenty of meat.

Breakfast - Hot dogs.  Was some good stuff.

Lunch - Being off today, we went to the Kosher deli that was closed on Sunday.  I had my heart set on eating a chicken sandwich, but one of the servers comes up to me and offers some freshly sliced pastrami.  I have not had much pastrami before, but I can tell you that that was the best pastrami I've ever had.  It was so nice to have a sandwich, fries, and a soda.  Yet still be Kosher.  

Dinner - At the deli I decided to buy some turkey salami, and grilled up some sandwiches with lettuce and (pareve) barbecue sauce.  It would've been good, except the bread I used was absolutely disgusting.  I ended up just eating the salami by itself.  That salami, like the pastrami, was the best I'd ever had.

So now my teeth are brushed, I've stopped eating meat, and I'm ready to wake up tomorrow and enjoy all the dairy I didn't have today.

The Kosher Diaries - Day 6

Today seemed like it was back to normal (for being Kosher, atl east).  Yesterday I had to wake up and restrain myself even more so that I could eat meat.  Today I woke up and drank milk like I usually do, went through the day like I usually do.  After five days of doingthis, honestly it sort of seems like the new normal.  Of course I am excited to be done with Kashrut (the Kosher laws), but it really kind of feels like this is just the way things are.

Breakfast - Chocolate shake and a baked ziti meal.  I am so thankful for these convenient meals you can buy at Walmart or Dierberg's.  Saved my bum on more than one occasion.

Lunch - Plans got changed, but I ended up eating another convenient meal, this time chili with rice and cornbread.  For being a frozen meal, it was shockingly good.  Boy I miss chili with hamburger, and shredded cheese on it.  But such is life.

Dinner - This one was sad.  I had been looking forward to this meal as one of my most exciting ones planned.  But it just . . . wasn't great.  I found a Kosher boxed Mac n Cheese meal.  So my wife made Kraft Easy Mac, and I made . . . this.

The one that looks very unappetizing is Kosher.

It was soupy.  And odd.  I had to add Bacon Salt just to finish it.  Obviously it isnt something I'd ever have again.  It was one of my biggest temptations to quit, watching my wife eat her tasty meal while I had Noodles n' Porridge.

But at least the day is over, and I can look forward to Day 7 :)

The Kosher Diaries - Day 5

Today was fantastic!  

Breakfast - HOT DOGS!  The first meat I've had since Wednesday night.  It was so good to have meat, and it gave me an awesome strength boost for work.

Lunch - MORE HOT DOGS!  Taken together with breakfast , the hot dogs gave me over 50g of protein, which worked out really well.

Dinner - NOT HOT DOGS!  Immediately after lunch I went to the bathroom, flossed, brushed, and mouthwashed my teeth, and started a 6 hour timer before I could have dairy again.  When I finally could, I had some strawberry milk and spaghetti.  The spaghetti was just okay, but it'll do :)

So why was today so wonderful?  Was it because work was awesome?  No.  Was it because I had hot dogs?  Yes, but only a small part.

Today was awesome because we found out the gender of our child today, and we're having a son!!!

I am so excited about this.  I'm gonna have a little boy!

Also exciting is that I'm officially halfway through this experiment of going Kosher.  As nice and different as it is, Sunday can't come soon enough.  

The Kosher Diaries - Day 4

Today has been quite the day. As far as rest goes it was quite restful, but mentally and emotionally I feel very exhausted. I don't need to deal with things that are not within the scope of this post, but essentially there is something I had planned on happening, but it doesn't look like it will. But I'm learning to be thankful and content with that. Part of that process being spurred by watching Madame Blueberry from Veggietales (yes, even people who earn degrees in Bible can be helped greatly by kids movies).

Anyway, for the topic of this blog post, I was greatly excited to go to Creve Coeur, enjoy the nice parks, and go to the Jewish Community Center. I didn't even know the place existed. They had a fast food restaurant. A Kosher fast-food restaurant. I had soda for the first time in days. It was weird having a PB&J with fries and soda, but hey, it's Kosher food I didn't have to buy.

So here's the rundown of my meals, since that's become kind of a pattern here:

Breakfast - As mentioned yesterday, we made pancakes. They didn't turn out well. We suspect it may be because we used regular white vinegar instead of the white wine vinegar we always use (since that vinegar isn't Kosher).

Lunch - We planned for meatless nachos, but that was just a failure. So I went out and bought a Kosher pizza. It was nice, and was the first cheese I've had since Wednesday that wasn't cheddar.

Dinner - The aforementioned fast food. (Shown below)

What I'm really excited about is tomorrow. I've brushed my teeth, flossed them, and I've stopped eating dairy foods. Why? Because tomorrow morning I'M HAVING HOT DOGS! I haven't had meat since Wednesday, and we bought Hebrew National hot dogs for just this occasion. Needless to say it won't be for just one meal.

So tomorrow will be a very exciting day, and not just because of the hot dogs ;) 

The Kosher Diaries - Day 3

I was greatly surprised by how often I was full today.  Granted, I ate a lot of protein, but it was still quite a surprise.  I'm starting to miss fast food.  I looked online to see if there was anything I could eat at a fast food restaurant, but alas, unless the restauarant is a Kosher restaurant, no deal. 

Breakfast - Some nasty spinach and tofu wrap.  It was barely passable, and I couldn't bring myself to eat all of it.  At least I had a chocolate protein shake to go with it.

Lunch - Baked beans and a (different) chocolate protein shake.  I couldn't believe that this shake had 30g of protein in it!  After that and the baked beans, I almost felt like I was going to throw up I was so full.

Dinner - Brinner!  Everyone loves breakfast for dinner. 

A healthy and balanced Kosher brinner. (battery not included.)

Its past 10 pm as I write this, and I am exhausted.  But its for good reason. Tomorrow is the Sabbath (and no, we aren't doing that just because of this Kosher experiment.  We actually observe the Sabbath and the Lord's Supper every Sunday).  Because tomorrow is the Sabbath, and we refrain from working, that means that our Saturday nights are extremely busy and exhausting.  We clean up everything and make the house ready for a day of rest.  

Today though, we did something different.  We made pancake batter so that we can have pancakes tomorrow without the effort!  All the pans and everything are out, and we can enjoy some Kosher pancakes!

Tomorrow will be a good day, and Monday will be even better ;)