Filed under: Business, Challenges, On-Purpose, Personal Development, thought of the moment | Tags: success, change, purpose, Realizing Harmony, On-Purpose, love, learning, harmony, realizing
I recently got a phone call from a friend who, in the course of the conversation, asked if I’d seen the latest version of an educational seminar. I had to admit, I hadn’t seen it. But something, either in what he said, or the way he said it, made me think to myself, “Is he more interested in staying up on the latest and greatest verbiage and/or graphics as opposed to learning the information to apply it?”
That thought immediately raised the question in my own life: Am I more interested in being a student of accomplishment or being a student in order to accomplish things?
A few nights later, I remembered a parable I’d read years ago in the Wittenburg Door by Mike Yaconelli. “The Door” had awarded it their “Best Editorial Comment” for their 10th Anniversary Issue. It was titled, “The Little Boy Who Wanted to Fight Fires.” And it clearly describes the challenge.
Here it is:
THE LITTLE BOY WHO WANTED TO FIGHT FIRES
Once there was a little boy who, ever since he could remember, wanted to be a fireman. The shrill of the siren and the deep rumble of the racing fire-truck had filled his dreams
almost every night. Deep in his heart there was a longing to someday be able to help people; to save people from the ravaging grasp of a fire. It was not just a childhood fantasy. His was the unmistakable call of destiny.Growing up never changed his mind. To be sure, he had gone through all the indecision and doubts of adolescence, the well-meaning questions of friends and family who “wondered whether he could be happy as a fireman.” But he never wavered. He was to be a fireman. He was to put out fires.
Oh, how he longed for the day when he would no longer be a spectator, but could participate actively as a fire-fighter. Now, all he could do was watch.
Then the big day arrived. He was accepted at one of the best fireman schools in the country. For three years he immersed himself in his schooling. He spent hours honing his skills on practice fires. He studied fire-fighting theory long into the nights. His teachers were world-renowned.
But still after all these years he had never fought a real fire. As graduation approached, he realized that long-awaited moment was within reach.
But suddenly he began to have doubts. For the first time in his life he was unsure, afraid, and worse yet, questioning whether he ought to be a fireman at all.
It was then that one of his professors suggested he travel to Europe and study under one of the greatest fireman theorists of all time. He would be recommended by his professors and would receive the finest training available. It would last for two years.
The not-so-little boy decided to travel to Europe, and for two years he exhausted himself in dedicated study and became one of the most brilliantly educated firemen in the world. But all he had ever done was put out practice fires. Once again, graduation loomed before him. And, once again, he was haunted by indecision. He knew all about fires and could tell anyone how to fight one; in fact, he knew so much he began to feel that his superior knowledge did, in fact, place him a notch above “ordinary” firemen. He became increasingly concerned that he might have to fight fires with “uneducated” firemen, which could result in him being exposed to unnecessary danger.
It was then that he was offered a position to teach at one of the most respected fireman schools in the country.
He accepted. And for twenty-five years he taught with honors and received recognition worldwide. He died last year, and when they read his memoirs, they came across a strange passage written while on his deathbed:
“I lie here today reviewing my life. I still remember my dream, my passion to be a fireman. More than anything else I wanted to put out fires… but I realized something today. I have never put out a real fire. NEVER.”
What, in our lives – yours and mine – are we spending our time studying in order to avoid DOING? How much more life-satisfaction will we have if we launch out, and actually try to accomplish something with the knowledge we have?
Filed under: Business, Finances, God at work, thought of the moment | Tags: Capitalism, harmony, Life Style, Lifestyle, On-Purpose, Poverty, Prosperity, purpose, realizing, Realizing Harmony, Wealth, work
The “problem” of lifestyle? How can lifestyle be a “problem?”
Lifestyle is a “problem,” really, only for those who are able to live above a “survival” level of subsistence. And that would fit the vast majority of people living in North America – not just the United States. The question is: How much is “enough”? Or, at what point are we consuming and/or accumulating “too much”?
I’ve been reading “Your Work Matters to God” by Doug Sherman and William Hendricks. (1)
The authors explore the realm of work-life and its connection to spiritual life.
One of the issues they discuss is this issue they dub “The Problem of Lifestyle.”
Some may be tempted to say those are easy enough questions. Others, particularly those who like to be precise and those who have a deep desire to be “right,” will find them a lot tougher to answer.
Begin by identifying the “easy” things: What are your real NEEDS? And what are your responsibilities in terms of your family’s NEEDS? Do you have a responsibility or obligation to provide for others’ NEEDS? If so, what’s your obligation there?
How about WANTS… your desires for non-essential things? (This is where it may start to get difficult.) At what point does fulfilling your WANTS cross over into luxury, greed, or gluttony?
For those who pride themselves on ONLY spending money on NEEDS, and think you’re doing really well on that front… how can you justify reading this blog post – online, on a computer – when neither the medium (the web) nor the tool (your computer) are really necessities? If you find yourself arguing with that, then explain why those are necessities for you, while Billions in the world’s population have no access, much less “ownership” of either.
Well, “Your Work Matters to God” points out several (inadequate) “solutions” various people/groups have offered. The first three are:
1) Prosperity Theology. Claims that the Bible is “God’s Book of Success… by applying [its] truths… [one] can become the success that God designed [one] to be.”
Without quite coming out and saying it (in order to provide plausible deniability), the implication is that the Bible is “God’s Book of Fantasy” – providing whatever fame and fortune, health and love-life one desires.
But that doesn’t jibe with what the Bible actually says:
He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
2) The Franciscan Response (named after St. Francis of Assisi) Claims that God wants us to live more simply so that others might simply live. It’s a response that calls us to consider the plight of the poor.
Its claim is based on the notion that “the poverty of the poor is explained by the wealth of the wealthy.”
However, there’s an interesting quote from Michael Novak’s book, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, that points out the fallacy of this position:
For this there is not a shred of evidence. What causes wealth is intelligent economic activity. Societies can become wealthy through the blessings of nature, which the Creator distributed unequally. Yet richly endowed nations, like the Middle Eastern oil sheikdoms, can remain in poverty for millennia without awareness of the wealth awaiting their awakening. Societies may lack resources and, nevertheless, become wealthy, like Hong Kong and Japan. Societies may be colonies or former colonies, like the United States. Others, like some in Latin America, blessed with climates that make subsistence relatively easy, can languish without significant development for generations. Theories of wealth which try to ignore cultural factors miss the central point. Theories which overlook the importance of a system of liberty miss a crucial lesson of economic history.
Certainly, there’s an important place for considering the plight of the poor. I would say it’s imperative that we consider the poor, and try to help them out of poverty. But taking a vow of poverty, while possibly providing encouragement and empathy for the poor, will do nothing to lift others’ financial status up.
Novak goes on to explain the pathetic response from the Church:
It is, therefore, a sad commentary on the sociology of knowledge in the Christian churches that so few theologians or religious leaders understand economics, industry, manufacturing, trade, and finance. Many seem trapped in pre-capitalist modes of thought. Few understand the laws of development, growth, and production. Many swiftly reduce all morality to the morality of distribution. They demand jobs without comprehending how jobs are created. They demand the distribution of the world’s goods without insight into how the store of the world’s goods may be expanded. They desire ends without critical knowledge about means. They claim to be leaders without having mastered the techniques of human progress. Their ignorance deprives them of authority. Their good intentions would be more easily honored if supported by evidence of diligent intelligence in economics.
To put that in my words: Those who hold this mindset are under the false impression that economics is a zero-sum endeavor.
3) The Capitalist Defenders. Claim that Capitalism is God’s Will for mankind, that (similar to those who promote Prosperity Theology) God wants us to be wealthy (but in contrast to the Prosperity Theologians He supposedly wants it to come) through control and command of the American economic system.
While they are correct in stating that Capitalism is far more effective in generating wealth, there’s nothing inherent in Capitalism that requires one to consider the plight of the poor. And, while Capitalism has been shaped in part by Christian principles, it is by no means the exclusive “Christian” economic system.
They need to understand that it’s possible to defend democratic capitalism as an economic system without:
1) Confusing it with Christianity
2) Trying to show that it is the only possible “Christian” economic system
3) Needing to “Christianize” it in order to function in it
4) Excusing or ignoring its sins, flaws, and failures
5) Compromising one’s allegiance to Christian theology and practice
What is needed is a plan for generating/creating wealth – even excess wealth – combined with a heart for helping the poor to also generate/create wealth. (Just giving handouts creates more dependents who think little of their own capabilities, not self-sustaining individuals with good self-image.)
(1) I feel a need to “warn” you: the book starts out rather “heavy” or “dense”, probably as a result of it being apparently a re-written doctoral thesis. And it never gets “light.” But I believe it’s worthwhile reading.
And from July…
…..
I just read an interesting blog post about the number of people in America who don’t have health insurance.
We’ve all heard the number… Every Democrat, from the President down to the various hacks that show up on the news channels, claim there are 50 million people in America without health insurance. They really mean 46.7 million, but they are rounding up… But that isn’t the issue with the number.
The issue with the number has to do with what happens when you start to break down the numbers…
* 45,700,000 without insurance
* -9,700,000 that are illegal aliens
* -17,600,000 that earn more than $50k year and could afford insurance (9.1M earn over $75k)
* -14,000,000 that are eligible for programs but just haven’t signed upThat leaves us with 6.2 million (about 2% of the population) people that can’t get coverage. [D's note: those numbers don't add up. However, the Red Cross has estimated that there were approximately that many who couldn't get insurance. So I'll let it slide.] But if we want to get picky, we can further erode this number…
* About 1/3 of the “uninsured” are the invincible. These are people under 34 that CHOOSE not to pay for coverage they don’t feel they need. [D's note: I believe these would ALL fall in under those who "just haven't signed up."]
* There are estimates that 1/3 to 1/2 of the people that are uninsured are not chronically uninsured… that means that they only lack coverage for a short time while between jobs… Only about 1/2 lack insurance for 12 months or more.Obviously there are some overlapping numbers in there… But you get the idea. Search Google for 46 million myth…
A bit later he made the following statement:
The current proposal in front of the Congress and Senate seeks to spend between $1trillion and $1.5trillion dollars. Much of the cost is “backloaded” on these proposals, meaning that keeping them up will cost hundreds of millions of dollars each year after the first ten years. And these proposals, as scored by the (non-partisan) Congressional Budget Office say that 95%-97% of the population would be covered… Odd that only 2% of legal residents are unable to get coverage now… And after spending over a trillion dollars, we won’t be doing that much better…
“We won’t be doing that much better”?!?
Going from 2% unable to get coverage up to 3-5% unable to get coverage… that sounds like we’ll be doing a whole lot worse!
Using the kind of reporting the “Mainstream” media provided when President Bush was in office and home foreclosures began to predictably increase… this health care reform proposal will increase the un-insured at least 50% if not 150%! (Here’s an example of how the home foreclosures were reported. Note at one point they mention an increase from 1.8% all the way up to 4.6%, which in alarmist terms is a 256% increase.)
Doesn’t saying “the rate of the un-insured will increase 50-150%” sound a lot more terrifying than saying it “will increase from 2% up to 3-5%”?
The fact of the matter is, under this proposal more people will be un-insured, and the cost of this new program will be astronomically higher.
And this predicted 150% increase in un-insured Americans is something that, according to the President and the majority-party leadership, “needs” to be rushed through so fast that there will (once again) be no time for anyone to read it, much less debate it.
Why are they so desperate to get it passed quickly? I think it’s because it will give them more power to control lives… and therefore, votes.
The author didn’t stop there. He went on to address those who claim that there is inadequate access to medical care…
One other thing to keep in mind is that federal law requires that hospitals treat ANYONE that comes to them with an immediate need. There isn’t a requirement for insurance… they MUST be treated. There are also free clinics and other outlets for free or inexpensive care for those that need it. That means that there IS care available for just about everyone in America, even if they don’t have insurance.
Let’s contrast that with Canada…
We can talk about long waits and lack of proper equipment. There are loads of stories about waiting a year or more for hip or knee replacement, waiting a year or more for MRIs and as long as two years to see a specialist… those stories are everywhere…
But there is a deeper problem in Canada… There aren’t enough doctors. There are 1.2 million Canadians that can’t find a doctor in their area that will accept them. Doesn’t seem like that many compared to 6.2 million Americans that can’t get health insurance, right? Well, that 1.2 million Canadians represents 5% of the population, compared with 2% of Americans that could be limited to emergency room care. Additionally, there are another 2.4 million people that say they haven’t looked… But that means that 15% of the Canadian population don’t have a doctor.
So, all isn’t honey and biscuits in the Land of Winter.
Back to the USA…
Since we are already staring at a $1.8trillion deficit for THIS year… four times bigger than the deficit last year… is it really the appropriate time to take this on? Further, there are two giant federal programs that are looking at serious problems in just a few years… Medicare and Social Security are looking at their breaking dates. For Medicare, in 2016 they will be spending money that is not in their trust accounts. Social Security will be there a couple of years later.
Maybe we should make sure that the promises already made can be kept before we make more promises…
Here’s another older draft… this one from May… mostly quoting an article from almost one year ago. Now that we’re almost 9 full months into the new Administration’s term, consider what has transpired, and how things have changed. Are our long-term economic prospects better or worse? Are we, as a country, more unified or fractured? Is our Legislature more bi-partisan or less? (I’d personally like to see it “multi-partisan” – adding in at least one significant “other” party that has enough clout to hold the other two in check.)
……
I just saw the following note and found it both convincing and sobering. It was mistakenly attributed, where I found it, to Pam Geller, the author of the blog Atlas Shrugs and journalist, but she merely said, “I wish I had written it.” The real author only identified himself/herself as a student and author with the initials “tps”.
I am a student of history. Professionally. I have written 15 books in six languages, and have studied it all my life. I think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.
Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten – fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.
We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?
We learn just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has “loaned” two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom, or why, or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700B we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of “we the people” who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (now violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage to remain between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?). We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government, our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and know precisely what I am talking about.) The list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary. (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.)
Mr. Obama’s winning platform can be boiled down to one word: change.
Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.
This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.
And that is only the beginning.
And I thought I would never be able to experience what the ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the savior was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they did know was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory and promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his “brown shirts” would bully them into submission. And then, he was duly elected to office, a full-throttled economic crisis at hand [the Great Depression]. Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power, department by department, person by person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The kids joined a Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught what to think. How did he get the people on his side? He did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe, and across the world.
He did it with a compliant media. Did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and . . . change. And the people surely got what they voted for.
(Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.)
Read your history books. Many people objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though.
Don’t forget that Germany was the most educated, cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And in less than six years‚ a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency‚ it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.
Some people scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. Perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe‚ and why I believe it.
I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am.
Best regards
tps
Since many of you enjoy senior citizen status, or will, sometime in the not too distant future, I thought you might be interested in this information.
Everybody is either a senior citizen, is getting close, or knows somebody that is. Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the “stimulus” bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens. The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle, was credited today by Bloomberg with the following statement. Bloomberg: “Daschle says health-care reform ’will not be pain free.’ Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them.” If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that Senators and Congressmen have their own healthcare plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and are not subject to this new law if it passes.
Please use the power of the internet to get this message out. Talk it up at the grassroots level. We have an election coming up in one year and nine months. We have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and its allies have begun. And in the interim, we can make our voices heard!
Lets do it!
Filed under: Health and Fitness | Tags: bipolar, bipolar II, check with your Doctor, depressed, depression, eating, exercise, fitness, harmony, health, Health & Fitness, Health and Fitness, healthy, mania, manic, mental health, nutrition, realizing, Realizing Harmony, remedies
I just found this old draft of a post. I started writing it back in February, but seeing it now, realize it might be worth actually posting.
I’d love to know if you find this helpful. And how it helps.
******************************
I recently was asked to read a book on Bipolar II disorder. I’d heard of Bipolar Disorder, and knew it as just another name for Manic Depression.
But I’d never heard of “Bipolar II.” However, I figured why not learn about this, since the person who wanted me to read it, is close to me, and has been diagnosed with this, and wants me to understand the disorder so we can (presumably) relate to each other better.
If you’re inclined to pick up the book for yourself, let me quickly say two things.
1) I recommend it highly as a source of good general source of information about the whole Bipolar Disorder spectrum (who knew there was a whole spectrum of related diagnoses?), and a very good source of specific information about Bipolar II and Bipolar IIB in particular.
2) I feel it’s important to “warn” you that it’s both rather technical and also leans extremely heavily in the direction of “drugs are the solution for everything.” (As someone who has a fairly strong aversion to chemical medication, and particularly chemicals that dull my thinking and senses, this was a significant hurdle to get over for me.)
As I worked my way through it and read about the symptoms, it occurred to me that perhaps I “suffer” from Bipolar II. Then I thought about you, my friends and family members, and wondered how many of you “suffer” from it.
First, let me describe some of the symptoms. Then I’ll talk about the natural remedies and preventative steps we can all take – that were either mentioned in the book or that I found subsequently by searching online.
Symptoms:
According to the book,
Bipolar disorder is a complex genetic disorder characterized by dramatic or unusual mood swings between major depression and extreme elation, accompanied by disturbances in thinking, distortions of perception, and impairment in social functioning. The mood swings of bipolar disorder can range from very mild to extreme and can come on gradually or suddenly within minutes to hours. There are two subtypes of bipolar disorder:
- Those patients with Bopolar I disorder who have a history of at least one manic episode, with or without past major depressive episodes.
- Those patients with Bipolar II disorder who have a history of at least one episode of major depression and at least one hypomanic episode.
If you’re depressed, you’ll be feeling helpless, hopeless, and/or worthless. If it’s mild, you may be able to continue to function with some difficulty. But if it’s major, you’ll probably be stopped in your tracks.
I never completed the next part – where I was describing the difference between Mania and Hypomania. However, from this site I’ve found the following helpful description of the differences:
The experience of … manic stages has been described this way:
Hypomania: At first when I’m high, it’s tremendous … ideas are fast … like shooting stars you follow until brighter ones appear… . All shyness disappears, the right words and gestures are suddenly there … uninteresting people, things become intensely interesting. Sensuality is pervasive, the desire to seduce and be seduced is irresistible. Your marrow is infused with unbelievable feelings of ease, power, well-being, omnipotence, euphoria … you can do anything … but somewhere this changes.
Mania: The fast ideas start coming too fast and there are far too many … overwhelming confusion replaces clarity … you stop keeping up with it … memory goes. Infectious humor ceases to amuse. Your friends become frightened … everything is now against the grain … you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and trapped.
If you have three or more of the mania symptoms below most of the day — nearly every day — for one week or longer, you may be having a manic episode of bipolar disorder:
* Excessive happiness, hopefulness, and excitement
* Sudden changes from being joyful to being irritable, angry, and hostile
* Restlessness, increased energy, and less need for sleep
* Rapid talk, talkativeness
* Distractibility
* Racing thoughts
* High sex drive
* Tendency to make grand and unattainable plans
* Tendency to show poor judgment, such as deciding to quit a job
* Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity — unrealistic beliefs in one’s ability, intelligence, and powers; may be delusional
* Increased reckless behaviors (such as lavish spending sprees, impulsive sexual indiscretions, abuse of alcohol or drugs, or ill-advised business decisions)Some people with bipolar disorder become psychotic, hearing things that aren’t there. They may hold onto false beliefs, and cannot be swayed from them. In some instances, they see themselves as having superhuman skills and powers — even consider themselves to be god-like.
So, Bipolar II is similar to but differs from Bipolar I (which is what used to be called Manic Depressive.)
The similarity is on the depressive side. With both conditions you would have prolonged periods of depression.
The difference is on the manic side. With Bipolar II you would only experience the milder Hypomania, whereas with Bipolar I it would be full-blown Mania.
With that background, I thought I’d talk a little about what I’ve learned about Bipolar II non-chemical “remedies”.
Here are the non-chemical “remedies”…
1.) Sleep - nightly, for 7-8 hours. Making sure it’s good, restful sleep.
2.) Exercise - daily, vigorous, NOT just before bed. (That will disrupt sleep instead of enhancing it.)
3.) Diet - healthy eating, including
- Low sugar
- Low carb
- High-protein
- High-veggie
- High-tryptophan (Foods that are high in tryptophan include: fish, turkey, whole-grain cereals, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, nuts, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.)
(I think it’d also be good to assure that it’s a low-fat diet, although none of the emotion-specific suggestions have said anything about that. I just strongly suspect that a high-fat diet, with the likely resulting weight increase isn’t going to make one feel good… at least not about one’s figure!)
4.) Relationships - healthy, good, positive, supportive, social interaction. Partially for the emotional support. But also to help with identifying when emotions are getting out of “normal” and/or out of control. (Someone who’s severely depressed or severely manic isn’t likely to be able to identify their own condition, much less communicate it to someone else. But a close friend or relative probably can, and can seek qualified, professional help if need be.)
5.) Prayer/Meditation – to get/stay grounded and peaceful.
6.) Scented baths/Aromatherapy – again to relieve stress.
7.) Light therapy – if also suffering from or triggered by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) that is: depression triggered by the seasonal loss of sunlight.
8.) St. John’s Wort – OK, this is starting to get into “medication” – sort of. But it’s an herb, not a chemical drug, that’s supposed to help (after a couple of weeks’ use.) It can be found in health-food stores. (This can also help with SAD.)
Well, that’s about all! Please let me know if (and how) this helps! I’d particularly love to hear any positive results from following any of these remedies after a few weeks or months!
Filed under: God at work, thought of the moment | Tags: C3 Church, C3 Orlando, Church, Community Bible Church, Highway Community, Memorial Baptist Church, Realizing Harmony, serve, stuck in their ways
Sunday, after church, I was talking with someone who I barely knew. His name is Jehaan. He’d been with Highway Community for quite a while longer than me, and in fact, is on staff at the church.
I believe Highway Community has been in existence for more than 10 years, but only a few years ago they expanded when they were approached by Community Bible Church (CBC) to join forces. CBC had a reasonably nice facility, but they were struggling financially as I understand it.
Prior to our move to FL, my wife and I had been members of CBC for quite some time. Me, since about 1990. She had been going there since before she was born.
CBC was the “new” name for Memorial Baptist Church. And Memorial Baptist Church was the “new” name for one of the longest-named churches I’ve heard of: First Memorial Baptist Church of Mountain View. (My record for longest church name still remains: First Filipino Southern Baptist Church of San Diego – or FFSBCSD for “short” – where one of my college roommates was a member. But I digress…)
So, despite being one of the “new people” at Highway Community, we’ve got quite a history with the church. And surprisingly, there are quite a few Seniors who have stayed – through all the name changes, and style changes, and even building changes. My Mother-in-law is one of those Seniors.
Back to my conversation with Jehaan…
We got to talking about the church’s history, more the history of the building and a bit about the history of the people who’d been worshiping there over the years. He was amazed that so many Seniors were still there, particularly with the fairly radical changes wrought by CBC and then pushed even further by Highway Community.
Later in the afternoon, I asked my Mother-in-law why she and all the other Seniors stayed. Her response?
“I guess we’re just stuck in our ways.”
That struck me as strange. I’ve heard that phrase before, but it’s usually used of people who are stuck in their ways in terms of style of teaching (casual vs formal, topical vs inductive), style of learning (Sunday School vs Home Bible Study), style of music (hymns vs praise choruses), etc.
When Parkway Baptist Church, in Orlando started to change to become C3, droves of people who were “stuck in their ways” left. Yet here in Mtn. View, when First Memorial Baptist Church of Mtn. View went through all the changes to wind up becoming Highway Community, there were quite a few people who stayed because they were “stuck in their ways.”
So, what “ways” are they “stuck in”?
I think the answer to that is instructive, and helpful. It’s a sign of maturity, I believe.
Here are what I can determine are the “ways” they’re “stuck in.”
They are “stuck in” fellowship. They enjoy each others company. And they are good at sharing burdens and joys.
They are “stuck in” serving. They serve where they can. Some are losing strength and stamina that’s required for some areas of service, but they still are interested in serving where possible.
They are “stuck in” loving God and loving others.
They are “stuck in” relationships.
They are “stuck in” learning more and more about what it means to be followers of Christ, and doing their best to live that out authentically and with integrity.
While they have their preferences for liturgy, musical style(s), etc., they recognize that those things are of MUCH lower priority. And so they “put up with” the relatively unimportant things that they disagree with, in order to continue on with the important things.
There is no such thing as the “perfect church” here on earth, because every church is made up of imperfect people. And each person will have different tastes and differences in how they can best be served and how they in turn can best serve others.
I’m not sure who said it first, but I think this saying applies:
Wherever you are, be there!
In this context, I think that means, if you’ve found a church that meets your needs and where you are able to serve, then stay there and serve. Don’t get distracted by small differences. Focus on the big picture, and get “stuck in the ways” that are truly important – to you and to God.
Filed under: God at work, Personal Development, gratitude, positive, thought of the moment | Tags: harmony, love, Prodigal, realizing, Realizing Harmony, thankful
I had never questioned who the Prodigal was in the story of The Prodigal Son. I just “knew” that the Prodigal was the wayward one, the rebellious one, the wanderer, the derelict, the outcast of his own making. He had done the unthinkable in asking for his inheritance early, and he’d gone away and disgraced himself in how he squandered it. He had made himself unlovable, at least in his own eyes.
His older brother had stayed home, and been a “good boy” – faithfully doing all his chores and helping out around the house. He was obedient, compliant, reliable, careful, stable, and loved.
We all know the story.
Or do we?
I’ve often seen myself as more similar to the younger son, the “Prodigal” – wayward, rebellious, wandering, somewhat of a derelict, and an outcast who can largely only blame himself.
Then, last week I received and started reading a book from my oldest brother. It’s called “He Loves Me! Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection.”
I was a bit nervous to read it, given the strained relationship I have had with my own father for as long as I can remember. Nevertheless, I picked it up and began to read.
In chapter 4 after summarizing the story, Wayne Jacobsen wrote (pg 26):
Traditionally this story is called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” and is one of Jesus’ most poignant tales. It has been told and retold because it is so easy to identify with the son and the mercy he received in spite of his arrogance and stupidity.
By focusing on the prodigal son, however, we lose the central lesson of the parable. He was only one of two brothers, each dealing with an estrangement from their father, albeit in vastly different ways.
The central character is the father himself, and for that reason I wish it were called “The Parable of the Incredible Father.” For Jesus used this story to paint a portrait of his Father, and believe me, this is like no father you’ve ever known.
He goes on to describe how unusual this Father is. And how amazing his love is. He asks, “In this incredible story, when do you think the father loved his son the most?”
Was it the moment the father met the son on the road?
Was it when he gave the son his inheritance and let him go?
The truth is, it’s an impossible question to answer because the father’s love was unwavering. At no point in the story did he love his son any less than at any other time.
But the son… he perceived his father’s love to be varying. And I think that’s what I (we) resonate with.
It’s almost unthinkable and/or unbelievable that we could be loved so consistently and unconditionally.
I know I’ve never experienced that in my relationship with my own father. (Didn’t Jacobsen say the father in the story is unlike any father we’ve ever known?) Yet that’s the kind of love we all long for. And some of us would be thrilled to experience even a faint imitation of that kind of love.
So, I’d been reading that, and then yesterday morning at Highway Community the message was titled “The Prodigal Father.” I thought, “This is gonna be different!”
And it was.
Right near the beginning of the message we were given the TRUE definition of “prodigal.”
It turns out a “prodigal” isn’t one who is wayward, rebellious, a wanderer, a derelict, or outcast of his own making.
Here are some of the definitions from the dictionary:
recklessly extravagant
giving or yielding profusely; lavish
lavishly abundant; profuse
WOW! THAT’s different! It’s amazing the difference when you understand the real meaning of words that are somewhat commonly used.
Suddenly I can see how the story really could be called “The Prodigal Father.” It really is a story about a father’s love for BOTH of his sons. It illustrates recklessly extravagant, lavishly abundant, and profuse love being shown to both sons, and the sons’ unwillingness and/or inability to accept such love as it’s given.
Knowing the true meaning of “prodigal”, I now realize I have not been a prodigal. But I’m trying to learn to accept my prodigal God’s love.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Andy McCarroll, ccm, Cyan City, Fun, Happy, instrumental, Moral Support, music, Music Video, Realizing Harmony
In my search for “Paint Your Windows White” (for my last post), I mistakenly thought that song was written by Andy McCarroll. And in looking through Andy McCarroll’s stuff I was reminded of this fun instrumental. (I hadn’t seen the video before.) Enjoy!
Filed under: Politics, thought of the moment | Tags: climate change, environment, global warming, nuclear, radiation
The other day, President Obama’s Climate Guru, Dr. Stephen Chu, said that in order to reduce the effects of Global Warming we should all paint our roofs white.
Now, he’s supposed to be a really smart man. In fact, he’s won a Nobel prize. (Much like former-Vice President Al Gore, who’s used his celebrity to great effect.)
While painting your roof white would quite possibly have the effect of somewhat reducing your cooling bill, if Global Warming is real, and it’s caused by heat being trapped by greenhouse gases, then bouncing more heat into the greenhouse gases isn’t going to slow, much less reverse Global Warming.
This suggestion, however, reminded me of a suggestion from years ago. It too was a suggestion to use white paint as a defensive measure. Maybe you don’t remember it, but back in the days of the Cold War, it was suggested that we should all paint our windows white as part of civil defense. Yes, it was suggested by the smart people in government that we might be able to survive a nuclear blast if we just used regular white paint. ( See this link to a 12-minute video.)
White paint will help save buildings, but it won’t do much for you if that’s all that is between you and the radiation. A much more effective “solution” is to fix the problem at the source… if that’s possible.
Now, given that I wasn’t even born at the time, why would I know about this, much less have it jump to mind?
It was a simple little song by Malcolm And The Mirrors (Malcolm was formerly recording with Alwyn Wall) from the 1982 album “Red Alert” that locked it in my mind. I couldn’t find a direct link to the recorded music, but here are the lyrics:
Paint Your Windows White – by Malcolm Wild
Verse:
I am the man, I am your government
I can show you how and where your money went
Put a coat over your head and forget about the rent
Verse:
When the bombs begin to fall in the middle of the night
When you start to lose it all, and your heart faints in fright
Put a coat over your head, and paint your windows white
Chorus:
“Paint your windows white,” they say, “It’ll make it all go away
You don’t have to understand, just bury your head in the sand”
Verse:
This is your school; I am your teacher too
Hear my rules and I’ll tell you what to do
Put a coat over your head, and believe that it’s all true
Repeat Chorus
Verse:
Men are fools; they make their rules
They think they’re wise in their own eyes
Men are blind; they’ve lost their mind
All because they discard God
Instrumental break
Verse:
I am a man of books, I know the human race
It’s not how it looks; I say that we all came from apes
Put a coat over your head and hide your monkey face
Repeat Chorus:
Repeat
Men are fools
They make their rules
They think they’re wise
In their own eyes
Men are blind
They’ve lost their mind
All because they discard God
Filed under: Challenges, On-Purpose, Personal Development, thought of the moment | Tags: change, david, goliath, lawrence of arabia, On-Purpose, purpose, Realizing Harmony, success, T.E. Lawrence, underdog
This article by Malcolm Gladwell was pointed out to me today with the note, Read this, it’s worth your time.”
It ties together several stories, pointing out a common factor: the amazing results that are possible for underdogs when they break the unspoken rules… following only the declared rules.
The stories include
- David & Goliath – from the account in the Bible.
- Lawrence of Arabia – and his battles in the 1910s against the Ottoman Empire.
- A war game contest – called the Traveller Trillion Credit Squadron tournament – where contestants (most of whom had a long-standing interest in war games) were given several volumes of rules well beforehand, and asked to design their own fleet of warships with a mythical budget of a trillion dollars. The fleets then squared off against one another in the course of a weekend. (The winning fleet was designed by a computer – with no experience whatsoever in war games, war strategy, tactics, etc. It just had been programmed with all the rules, to use as a guideline for developing the optimal fleet and optimal strategy.)
- A local basketball team from the Silicon Valley area made up of 12 year old girls – all but two of which had little to no experience, skill, or natural talent for playing traditional basketball.
In each case the underdog came out, if not on top, then at least FAR better off than conventional wisdom would predict.
What did each do?
David surprised Goliath by running at him, instead of patiently marching out to the slaughter. It was a surprise attack. Goliath never figured out what was happening.
Lawrence surprised his foes too. Rather than directly attacking Medina, he attacked them all along their poorly-guarded supply route. Rather than attacking Aqaba from the sea, he again used the strength of his troops – mobility and the ability to travel long distances in the deserts – by attacking from the desert.
The well-versed strategists in the war games were surprised by the plan concocted by the computer – to create a HUGE floatilla of small but well-armed boats, each of which was considered expendable. (One strategy, not normally “approved” is to sacrifice one’s own resources for the ultimate goal.)
The inexperienced and unskilled basketball team had a phenomenal season because they incorporated strategies that played upon strengths they were able to develop – endurance – and weaknesses caused by assumptions of regular players. (That “fair play” means allowing the opposing team to normally get the ball inbounds and down the court with little, to no resistance.) What’d they do? They trained for conditioning, and then played a maniacal full-court press buzzer to buzzer. (They even had one game where only 4 of their girls showed up and played anyway. Sure, it was one of their few losses… but far from getting slaughtered, they lost by only 3 points!)
How’s that apply in my life?
Not completely sure. I think it’s something I’ll need to work out. After all, in each case, the underdogs took at least a little, if not quite a bit of time to assess their situation, their strangths, their weaknesses, and what they were really trying to accomplish.
One thing is clear though…
When playing as the underdog, if you skew things in your favor and, against all odds, start succeeding… then others are likely to object… perhaps quite strenuously. But I believe that’s all part of “counting the cost.”
