Amorvia Extrasolar

Don’t mess with Jillian Michaels. You know, the in-your-face personal trainer of Biggest Loser fame. She is the hottest fitness guru on the internet and video right now. Jennifer thought she would check out her website and even signed up for an on-line fitness program…but she didn’t hit the “submit” button…she wanted to think about it. Guess what happened!

She got an email (probably auto-generated) from Jillian saying “You went through all the trouble of filling out the personal information, why didn’t you push the submit button?” And, “Your weight problem is probably related to your metabolism, and you can fix that… if you chose to.” And “Don’t blame your genes. Your genes are only one part of the equation. You still have choices you can make.”

Imagine that… Jennifer did not even complete the process and Jillian was after her to get on the fitness track.

I am certain that that kind of tenacity, persistence and in-your-face assertiveness is what makes Jillian Michaels one of  the world’s best personal trainers. She knows what it takes to get people to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.

Part of Jillian’s technique is that fitness is a daily lifestyle; you take care of and be disciplined with your body every single day.

Jillian, I am sure, would tell you that it is not just a “body” thing, as if all you have to do is diet and exercise. It is a mind “thing” and a spirit “thing” too.

It is like what spiritual leaders, like me, say, It is a body, soul, and spirit thing.

My son Jared is a big fan of Earl Nightingale. Nightingale writes “”Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”

Nightingale would have you discipline your mind not every day but “every minute.”

Here is my point for the day… listen carefully, it is a life changer. You were made needing accountability, encouragement and hope. You were made needing to be disciplined about tending to your body, mind and spirit every single day. The repetition of daily physical training, mental training and spiritual training is an essential component of your well-being, and, what’s more important, your ability to help other people.

Exercise every day! Recharge your mind every day! Tend to your spirit everyday! Help change your world everyday!

Keep reading my blog… it helps more than you know.

I love you– Bryan  

p.s. Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. 

American Red Cross (www.Redcross.org)  

 Samaritan’s Purse (www.SamaritansPurse.com)

 Now you can view next Sunday’s Gospel lesson at www.St-Pats.com.

Love your neighbor – Help One

This is exactly what happened to seven year old Katelyn Pool last year. It couldn’t happen at a worse time; the economy is just wreaking havoc on the family’s personal finances to the limit and beyond. It’s the perfect storm all over again.

In cases like Katelyn’s the only way to achieve balance and stability is with an insulin pump, an expensive ($9000.00) piece of medical equipment that monitors and controls blood sugar without constant injections.

I have watched Katelyn during her ordeal. She remains spunky, courageous, positive and best of all she is an inspiration to everyone around her.

I invited Katelyn to speak at our church yesterday. She joined me in front of all those people and told them about her new foundation, the Katelyn Pool Pump It Up of Diabetic Kids Foundation. Katelyn’s goal is to raise enough money for five insulin pumps for diabetic kids this year by collecting cans and bottles and recycling them. You should have seen her. She took one look at those people watching her, took a deep breath and launched into her speech. Seven years old! She was amazing! We are going to help her raise that money!

Now… what about you? What are you facing today? What ever it is I want you to remember Katelyn all day long. Say her name out loud right now, Katelyn. Let this little girl inspire you. In all that you do remember this, there is a way for you to help make the world a better place. In spite of what is going on with your family, your finances, your personal relationships, your health, you can let your light shine.

Be like Katelyn, let the love of God flow through your heart to your world.

For more information about how you can help Katelyn raise money for diabetic kids needing insulin pumps call (559) 2590in

I love you — Bryan

p.s. Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

American Red Cross (www.Redcross.org)  

Samaritan’s Purse (www.SamaritansPurse.com)

Now you can view next Sunday’s Gospel lesson at www.St-Pats.com.
Love your neighbor – Help One

 I’m not just talking about PTSD that affects so many Veterans and victims of sexual assault. I’m talking about the “ordinary” betrayals suffered by so many of us. “Victim,” I hate that word, but that, is essence, is what we are. Or are we?

 When I was six years old, before Moses and I met, I was play on a swing set in a friend’s back yard. Some how my right thumb got stuck in between two moving parts and ripped open. The bloody mess required a stitch, which to this day, fifty years later is still there! My hunch is that those betrayals are literal scars in our brains clearly “visible” to us; you just can’t make it go away!

It is like the time my dear friend and colleague stabbed me in the back and threw me under the bus and left me for dead. Now he did not literally stab me in the back and throw me under the bus and leave me for the birds to peck at my bones, but it sure felt like it. More than that it ruined me, it truly did. I had to start all over again. That scar is in my brain visible for me to see every single day.

What to do?

Here is where the old Biblical concept of forgiveness is so powerful. Forgiveness is God’s gift of healing to the scars of victimization. It takes the wounds and makes a new story out of them. Forgiveness turns those scars into “battle scars.”

Here is my new story. When my victimizer assaulted me he was as guilty as sin. He had no idea, though, that God would take that God awful event and transform it into a major story of God’s redeeming grace and empowerment for my life. But that is what happened. I’ll be honest with you. I would never want to experience that kind of betrayal again and more than that I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Heck no! But somehow I survived, and more than that, I have overcome, I am victorious. And more than that, I live to love and empower others. How did that happen?

Here is something you may have never heard before; Forgiveness is changing the story and making it just another episode in the on going saga of your life of love. I got hurt, I have a scar, I have a story, I know how you feel, I’m really sorry that happened, I’m living my life of love.

What about my perpetrator? I can’t tell you much about him. I see him every once and a while. Frankly, I feel sorry for him. And while he may have screwed me (pardon my French), I think he must be really screwed up to do the things he did. He has no power over me. I’m praying for him and his family. God knows they need all the help they can get.

Actually, I’m pretty proud of those scars. Even though those scars didn’t come while I was serving my country or something great like that, they are meaningful to me. You see, when God forgave me, he changed the story of my life. That is the least I can do, just like it says in the Lord’s Prayer, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.” There is a story in that, a new story.

I love you — Bryan

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

 Everyday, first thing in the morning, before you put your feet on the ground, even prior to your first cup of coffee, just as your eyes open and the flood of thoughts comes rolling in like a tidal wave… you have to guard your mind.

 These days they call it “mind set” but what it means is that you have to be “vigilant” (like the Bible says) with your thought process.

 I use to think it was a moral issue, like there was something terribly wrong with me because my thinking would slip into this awful way of being. Often I just gave in and suffered the onslaught of what I thought was uncontrollable negativity. BUT I WAS WRONG!

 It wasn’t a moral issue at all. It was all brain chemistry, and learned ways of being. Ok… there is a smattering of genetics in there too… but even then I have more control over my mindset that I ever realized. It takes…vigilance…discipline…self-control.

 I have to guard my mind every single day, especially in the morning, often through the day, sometimes late in the night lying awake in my bed I have to tell my self the truth, fight the gloom, ward off the darkness, create my own reality and not give in to brain chemistry, learned limitations, inherited genes.

 I always begin with love. The fact that I am loved is nice and I remind myself of that. But more importantly my people, my tribe, my family, my neighbor, my co-worker, my strangers, the people in Haiti, they need MY LOVE. I tell my heart, I guard my mind by telling myself, over and over again, “They need my love! Even though I feel empty, I still have love to give.” This is the truth.

 I always use action. I get up and I move forward. Often I use a list to remind myself of my priorities and my schedule. I try never to deviate from my schedule no matter how I feel. When I deviate I always go back to the schedule and work it.

 I always have accountability partners. I need help. Can’t do this by myself. God gave them to me to help me. So I surround myself with people who make me move forward. They challenge me to meet my goals, make more money, and keep on track. I love them for keeping me accountable to guard my mind set.

 I exercise daily. I know that being sedentary contributes to the malaise. I know that I can improve my well-being just by faithfully taking care of my body. I walk, I run, I lift, I stretch and, man, what a difference it make. Research backs this up.

 Over the years I have developed dozen, maybe even hundreds of way to be vigilant, to guard my heart, to get the right mindset. I will tell you this… sometimes it is a lot of hard work! Damn hard!

 I have decided that I am not going to let my brain chemistry, my learned helpless, and my gene pool rule my life! HELL NO! LOVE is going to rule me! So I am going to heed the Word of God and I am going to GUARD MY HEART! Every day beginning now, I will love my life fully! Life is beautiful! God is good.

 I love you – Bryan

 Here is your new spiritual exercise: Repeat that last paragraph every morning. Copy it and paste it in a prominent place where you will see it often and SAY IT OUT LOUD, so that body and mind will hear it.

Ya Gotta…

Ya gotta, fight

Ya gotta, be courageous

Ya gotta, find new ways

Ya gotta, stick to what works

Ya gotta, be persistent

Ya gotta, believe

Ya gotta, know

Ya gotta, stop being stupid

Ya gotta, feel the Spirit

Ya gotta, love

Ya gotta, follow

Ya gotta, lead

Ya gotta, grieve for a while

Ya gotta, get well

Ya gotta, know it’s not always easy

Ya gotta, have friends

Ya gotta, be a friend

Ya gotta, have a plan

Ya gotta, laugh

Ya gotta, laugh at rejection

Ya gotta, laugh a lot

Ya gotta, smile

Ya gotta, pray

Ya gotta, make a difference

Ya gotta, do right

Ya gotta, be like Jesus

Ya gotta, shed the shame

Ya gotta, enjoy the journey

Ya gotta, grow

Ya gotta, learn something new

Ya gotta, earn some bucks, lots of them

Ya gotta, give back some bucks, lots of them

Ya gotta, just give back

Ya gotta, save for a rainy day

Ya gotta, feel her pain

Ya gotta, feel his pain too

Ya gotta, hope for the best

Ya gotta, be the best

Ya gotta, lose them pounds

Ya gotta, exercise

Ya gotta, eat right

Ya gotta, have fun

Ya gotta lot to do

Ya gotta stop reading this and do what you gotta do.

I love you — Bryan

p.s. Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

American Red Cross (www.Redcross.org)  

Samaritan’s Purse (www.SamaritansPurse.com)

 
Love your neighbor – Help One

You don’t need to be a psychological expert to read a face; you were born with the gift. In fact researchers developing facial recognition software are hard pressed, and may never be able to read a face as well as a baby does.

Here is an experiment. Watch a baby check out people’s faces and then watch when she recognizes her mother. It is amazing.

This special gift of facial recognition has long been used by psychologist and researcher to determine mood, truth, and other telling aspects of emotion.

But you use it every single day, whether you know it or not. You are already an expert face reader. You have a real good idea about what is going on in and with people just by watching their face. You know why people suddenly turn their face away, don’t you? They don’t want you to see the depth of their emotion; it is like they are naked before you and they cover up.

As a spiritual people we use information we get from people’s faces for Godly purposes. We cry with those who are crying, we rejoice with those who are rejoicing, we question with those who are questioning and we love with those who love.

Facebook, is revealing also. I often hear comments from and about people who are emoting on FB. You can read their Facebook just as easily as you can their face. What I noticed about many well meaning people is that they don’t know what to say or how to respond. Most of the time it has to do with being uncomfortable with the feelings expressed. Their sadness and pain triggers sadness and pain in us, we get uncomfortable, and say weird things trying to make it better. Fortunately the emoter usually understands and just appreciates the response.

Your spiritual exercise for today is two fold:

#1. Take time to read faces. Let them speak to you about the inner life of your friend. Then respond with kindness and love. DON’T TRY TO FIX THEM, JUST LOVE THEM WITH KINDNESS. Give that a try and get back to me about how that works for you

#2. Take time to read Facebook. There is a lot of emotion on that screen. If you can check out my responses to people and tell me what you think. Then respond with grace and love to your emoting FB friend. Facebook is fun, but there is more than just fun happening there.

My point is this. There is a whole lot of loving that needs to happen and it is right before our eyes. Let’s seize the opportunity to love and change the world one face at time.

I love you – Bryan

 Tim got back from Haiti Saturday night. Sunday morning he was at our church telling about his medical service there.

Tim Miller, who is an RN, and my nephew, went with his brother Thomas, a former Army medic, and a medical team from Fresno last week to help victims of the earthquake there.

His report was a moving and disturbing account of the devastation and chaos there. The photos he took were sobering.

Tim is a big man, imposing, sometimes intimidating and an experienced ER nurse… he has seen it all. So when he got choked up in the telling of the story you know that something powerful was going on… it was about the suffering of the children there. Many kids lost parents, limbs, and the road ahead for them will be tough. We all cried.

The beautiful aspect of Tim’s story is how it all came about. The opportunity arose and Tim seized it. In a matter of a few hours the obstacles had all be removed, Tim help organize a medical team and they were on the ground in Haiti.

There they faced difficult challenges but were able to set up a clinic, help out in a Hospital, and treat a lot of suffering people, many of them kids. I admire and respect what that team did. They were amazing.

There is an important lesson for everyone in it. Seize the opportunity! Seize it even when you think the odds are insurmountable.

If the door of service and help is there don’t wait for it to open for you. Don’t knock… just open the door and walk through it. Watch the miracles unfold.

I’m not just talking about big things, like going to Haiti. I’m talking about everyday little things. When you get the opportunity to help… you never know what transformation may occur, who will be helped, what lives will be touched, who will be blessed… because you chose walked through that door.

This week be alert! Look for the chance to act. Then go for it.

Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Thanks Tim and all your team, for doing the right thing.

Check out local TV websites for videos of interviews with the team.

I love you-Bryan

1. You have to understand and be convinced, more than anything else, that depression is a brain chemistry problem and not a matter of choice or a moral issue. It is a disease just like diabetes or heart problems. Nobody wants to be depressed.
2. You must be empathic because depression actually hurts much like a broken bone, it is painful, so be caring.
3. Be hopeful because depression is one of the most treatable diseases.
4. One of the best treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy. Help your friend find a competent cognitive behavioral therapist. Seeing a MD might help too.
5. Reading and focusing attention can be very difficult for people suffering depression, nevertheless refer them to positive hopeful books. I found portions of David Burn’s Feeling Good to be excellent, especially the sections on common cognitive distortions and thought records.
6. Share your stories of hope. I have had two episodes of major depression; one when I was a teen ager and another in my thirties. I learned a lot about depression then, but I’m still afraid when I have two or three down days in a row. But 98% of my days are totally awesome now!
7. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. The more love you pour out on your depressed friend the better they feel. Hug them, kiss them, and tell them good things.
8. Tell them to actively fight the depression and keep moving forward. Climbing out of the pit is hard work.
9. I think King David is a good example of a coping with depression. He had major mood swings and deep depressive episodes. Jesus struggled with emotional issues too. In fact some Presidents, major leaders and extremely successful people have struggled with depression. It just kind of normalizes depression to realize that.
10. Take your depressed friend out on a date to the movies, to coffee, help them get out and live a little. It’s better than sitting at home alone.
11. Depression is the root of a lot of problems. Alcohol masks depressions, for instance. I just think that is interesting and helps me understand people better.
12. Don’t expect your depressed friend to respond the “right” way. Remember, depression is a brain disease. Everything up there is not firing on all six cylinders so be patient.
13. Keep praying for your depressed friends. Your love, prayers, and friendship are the best medicines. Healing is just around the corner.

I love you-Bryan

Fingerprints of God is Barbara Bradley Hagerty’s book about “the search for the science of spirituality.” She recounts the story of Sheri Kaplan who discovers she has HIV. “At first I thought, How could God do this to me, make me the leper of society?” she said. “Then I realized, I was chosen. The message was, I was chosen so I could help create social change, so I took this as my role. I realized God didn’t want me to die, or even get sick.”

Back in those days the average life expectancy for those diagnosed with AIDS was a year and a half. Kaplan has lived more than a dozen years, without medicine or treatment, just the conviction that God has chosen her for a reason and making her the subject of studies about the relationship between spirituality and science.

Researchers have discovered, according to Hagerty’s own work, that “turning to God rather than rejecting God appears to boost your immune system and stave off the disease nearly five times as effectively.”

Also, she writes, “People who believed God loves them maintained the cells (the CD4 tumor and virus fighting cells) three times as long as those who felt God did not love them.”

Do you want to know how to help troubled people?

1. Assure them that God loves them.
2. Love them yourself. Tell them you love them, hug them.
3. Model the helping loving life. Actively engage in your own God given role as a chose one.
4. Always believe, always have faith, always have hope, always love.
5. Laugh and sing a song.

This is God’s will for your life!

I love you — Bryan