The 4th Level Of Love

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