Awesome Exemplified

 this series is inspired
by

RIDING
MOBY
DICK

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(a Bowfoot Peter Series)

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To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose.

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You would be on point thinking, 

as much as you have the deepest abiding respect for the courage, character and conviction of an icon who assailed insurmountable odds to place an enduring mark on this universe, that icon is not you.

You are different.

Your journey is different.

Your space is different.

Your time is different.

Your odds will never be the same as anyone else's even if both of you are bent on the same achievement.

living water

I am made in the image of God, not your image of God.

Pride Quotes from the Senior Pastor's Sermon

Each and everyone of us is wonderfully and fearfully and beautifully made.

And not one of us is left behind.

Every single one of us has a place at the table of God's Grace.

And that means that you and I must never deny that place at the table to any other human being, for if we do it in the name of Jesus then we are denying the very presence of God in this world.

We are called to be better than that.

We are called to be more embodied of Christ than that.

"You are loved just the way you are."

That is a cool thing our Senior Pastor shared.

What are the odds earth exists AND contains you entertaining this thought:
"Am I an Odds-Beater?"

Welcome to our new series, 'how they beat the odds - every time,' curated by your host Neville DeAngelou. We are exploring some of the world's most incredible events, achievements, individuals, schemes, and stories for actionable discoveries to test if we also can beat those odds.

Along our remarkable journey of life and learning during this launch of Mission Impossible we will share what we find. We challenge ourselves (and you) toward the reaches of our highest ideals: to be our best, do our utmost, achieve our finest wherever necessary and practicable redesigning the contours of possibility, reshaping human capability. Join our posse. Share your finding. We welcome your perspective. You'll see why.

"Nothing is Impossible." Everytime you are doing NOTHING you are proving YOU CAN DO the impossible. So there you go. Your first mission test is accomplished. Facetious? Let's kick it up a notch.

A penny for your thoughts!
    It's about to be tested.

Sperm Count

Revelation + Mystery. We are our stories. What is your story? What story intrigues and energizes you most? The most commonly repeated Genesis stories hint at three (yes THREE) viable ways human life comes into visible existence, i.e., inhabits this space where the drama of our universe is in full swing. You are probably aware of the most spoken about (commonly understood) means of how YOU came into being: the successful union of a keen sperm and a welcoming egg. Boom! Ergo YOU. Hello there. You are loved.

Let us examine that phenomenon.

Spectacular. So it is, in general and in like manner, you are now here (unless of course you - surreptitiously - journeyed and arrived by way of one of the other two hinted adventuresome possibiliities, which we'll explore in some other fascinating venue).

Congratulations. Welcome. Out of millions upon millions upon millions of sperm from a singular source you hit the jackpot. You are the olympic sperm that made it to this moment. You! You are the egg that accomplished its dream: an arsenal of processes in lethal readiness - intelligent life. Here comes our question: will you in light of that realization and in full confidence declare yourself a born odds-beater, a phenomenal work of art, a masterpiece?

You arrived right on time for this most exceptional of experiences: a battle for homeostasis through a jungle of viral extremes. How has it been for you so far? Where are you going? Along your journey there, how might you avoid being duped, hoodwinked, bamboozled - decieved? Obliterated? You'll need to see where you are going. How is your vision? Good? Let's press onward. Not so good? Lean on me for just a while. Let's see what we find.

Describe or define your vision.

your vision is what you are able to see outward from your physical being - beyond yourself

you can sharpen your vision (20/20) through the aid of applicable lenses

you can enhance or expand your vision using a telescope or microscope

you can project your vision deeper, farther, wider, by way of visualization and imagination

Done?

Now answer the following questions:

• Why that particular vision?
• Would you like to adjust your vision? (Recommended.)
• What is your new vision? Is this your sweetest itch?

Yes?

If so make a note of your vision. Smile. If not, try again.

Global outcomes reveal a wide differential in records of achievement, fulfillment, and-or lasting satisfaction between those who make a note of their vision and are clear about what it is and those whose vision are mere speculation or they are unclear about what theri vision is. This is a significant difference. Test it, you'll see. Be bold. Have a vision.

Don't be afraid to revise your vision. We're all works in progress - changing your mind is your prerogative! (Yes, I know, I know, I know - indecisive folks, wishy-washy folks, name-calling, name-calling, name-calling - but I'll leave it at that for now.) Remember: this is your life; only you can live it.

Describe or define your personal mission.

your personal mission is considered your undertaking, your task, your assignment, or the like, the intention and focus of which answer your calling, your vocation, your dream, your quest, your purpose, your function in life, your life's work, or the like

your personal mission is a reflection of your values and the value you bring to our universe, the world, your community, or the like

your personal mission cannot be personal as well as a reflection of your values nor of the value you bring into the communal space, if it is a mission forced onto you, co-opted by you, or executable under farce or fee, whatever form those may be

every mission has a sequence (or set of sequences) of progression: a "slave" with a vision beyond "slavery" must first get out of "slavery" or get rid of slavery (dismantle it), or stop dreaming

Clarify to your fullest satisfaction and comprehension the intention and focus of your mission - whatever it is. Good? Make a note of your personal mission.

Now do the following:

• Answer this: how does this mission accomplish your vision?
• Answer this: how prepared are you for a battle in defense of it?
• Action: stand before a mirror with those detailed responses in hand
• Action: read aloud your responses, observing your face
• Answer this: is your personal mission adequate to your vision?
• Answer this: is this where you belong, does this scratch your itch?

Aha! When all of the furrows across your face satisfy you, stamp your personal mission provisionally ready, then get set for the biggest question of your life, after which you will be drafted into the experiment live and in living color. Smile. You are awesome. Oh, yes, you are!

So, are you an odds-beater?

Not sure? Want to be one? Focus, my friend. Focus.

Discovery: Odds-beaters see things differently and are comfortable with that. They recognize patterns to which most are oblivious. They engage more of their senses than the average run-about. They know what they want.

Action Plan: Recognize who you are (this incredible body, this mind, this heart of yours). SHUT OUT THE NOISE - FOCUS - and begin training YOU in service of your VITAL mission. Start now. We've begun. I so want to get personal with you now and tell you a very personal story, but I'll resist. Regardless, how can I excite you to get personal with you. Here me out: unblock whateve' capabilities you locked away in order to be included where you don't belong. Unblock it. And find a path to where you belong. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. That's our finding. (What about you?) What have you uncovered? Share!

Breathe.
We are accompanied.
Balance - Focus - Rhythm

Are you a super sperm?

Toughest Question You Will Face!

"The moment a life enters this universe learning begins in the face of shuffling odds, but to what end?" _ Riding Moby Dick

Out from the vastness of our observable and as yet unknown universe there is, macroscopically, in view of all things known, a pebble, a mote of dust, identifiable to us as earth. On it exists, amongst known and yet undiscovered lifeforms, a remarkable blob of intelligence - the human. You! A person eager for a taste of the good life!

Yes?

Odds are - barring accidents - through a process of continual transformation you will enjoy 700 million breaths, experience 3 billion heartbeats, and through childhood, puberty, wonder, hubris and disgust, make 183 million steps to and from your bed. And you will need to feed your brain, which is structurally different from every other brain on earth. Oh yes. There is a name for this phenomenon: individual.

Yes, you. You are an individual.

Where did you come from?

Do you remember when you were just a sperm? No? You were! weren't you?

Don't worry about that, someone else will (soon). That person(s) will have a vibrant picture of that most precious of your moments. You will just have to trust that so far no one lied to you about how it was. There's no doubt about one thing though: you are here. Yep. Right at this spot right now!

Check this out.

Our average male will produce roughly 525 billion sperm cells over his lifetime. I did say billion. Our fertile adult male will release roughly between 40 million and 1.2 billion sperm cells each time he ejaculates. Yep. What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man! Let that sink in. Let the questions bubble up. You - the winner - top of the heap - a rise above 525 billion - here you are!

But wait a minute - not so fast.

Our average female is born with roughly 2 million egg follicles, the reproductive structures that give rise to eggs. By puberty, femaleness gets smart and her body says way too many - way, way, too many, and a majority of those follicles close up. About 450 will begin the process of releasing mature eggs, each ready for that olympic sperm. Let that sink in. You - the winner - top of the heap had to win over one of those! You hit the jackpot. Intelligent life. Oh, yes, you are!

Remember that moment?

Oh what a brilliant story you could tell if you could. Someone else will. Soon. Very soon. Breathe.

You deserve a breather.

Check this out.

Oh dear me! That was a weak moment of shameless self-promotion. Nevertheless, if you haven't yet you need to check it out. Click Here. Enjoy!

Where were we? Oh, yes, unraveling the amazing story of the Super Sperm, which enthralls us - grips us - awakens us to the reality of who we trully are. That's our story. We are not yet at the story of those other two hints of how some others may also have access this reality in a quest to this taste of the good life, or to join 'the battle' of our universe. (I said battle of, not battle for!)

Yes, that Super Sperm - a winsome engagement - though each sperm takes the same route, not all take the same path. Nope. Take a peek at these paths. See if any you opens a window to your early journey here, your special squeeze.

Mystery!

Our much anticipated amazing Super Sperm arrives right in the heat of a highly attended welcoming party. No time wasted. Even before first breath. Our amazing Super Sperm will never ever again be alone. Sweet? Let's meet the welcoming party.

Spermie gets a name. Many names. Spermie is named by every conceivable entity that wants ownership and-or notification of the progress of spermie's journey, but when spermie looks in the mirror spermie sees Super Sperm. Champion of champions. Constantly being revitalized and renewed.

A trillion cells constantly being regenated to upkeep for the arduous journey through this jungle of life. Where to? Super Sperm's impecable body needs constant repair and maintenance to sustain its necessity - homeostasis - for the task at hand.

Odds are:

• Super Sperm's skin is being replaced monthly
• Super Sperm's stomach lining is being repaced faster: every 2 to 9 days
• Super Sperm is growing new cells each and every day
• Super Sperm's lung's lining is being replaced every two weeks
• Super Sperm's red blood cells are being cycled out every 3 months
• Super Sperm gets new bones about every nine years or so

(Source: The Amazing Human Body, PBS.org)

An amazing body. And oh what a mind! Then the day comes. Super Sperm hears the sound some speak of - the sound no one can forget.

Trumpets.

No, not that trumpet, silly.

This trumpet has a name.

Mortality.

Hailed Champion of Champions. Undefeated. Indefatigable. One's final encounter. One's ultimate battle. Yep. That's the sound. Super Sperm hears it. And pauses. "Hold it." For you see Super Sperm also has never been defeated. Super Sperm shouts, "Time out! Unfair. I need my music too. If you and I are going to do battle, let's do battle: champion to champion. Even ground. No tricks." The sound stops. Super Sperm turns on the very path travelled to this ultimate battle gate to retrieve spermie's battle music, turns, and there it is, in the hands of someone spermie had never met.

"Here it is," the New One says, "your battle music."

"Who are you?" Super Sperm asks.

"I am your toughest question ever, the titled owner of your music now and its no longer for sale. It's a champion's trophy. You'll have to battle me to get it. No tricks. Fair play."

"I've never seen you before. What's your name?" Super Sperm asks.

"Yes you have. Many times. Like you, I metamorphose to survive the jungle. You sold me your music for a pittance in a sweet idle and hurried away. "

"I did? What's your name?"

"My name is as it always was and ever will be - your toughest question."

"Why Am I Here?"

"Your battle begins. Mortality is waiting. I've placed my odds."

Something To Consider

* * *

You are

What POWER!