Awesome Exemplified

 this series is inspired
by

RIDING
MOBY
DICK

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(a Bowfoot Peter Series)

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Electric light did not come from continuous improvement of candles.

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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.

Pastoral Quotes

Generosity Is Inspirational

We are calling ourselves to pay attention to the generosity of God and allow that generosity to be a part of our lives - not just around giving to the budget of the church, but to live into the generosity of what life is.

Some of the happiest people we know are generous.

If you look around in the world, that sense of generosity, of giving of our lives, of being an example, a role model to those around us, they are some of the happiest people, and not always are they the wealthiest of people.

So often we see as we move and have our being in the world, people have perhaps come to you, one on one, and said, I see such joy in your life.

And those are the folks I believe who have found the secret of living in the abundance of God's Grace, that sense of wonder, that sense of awe, that sense of knowing that no matter what our circumstances of life might be, that God is with us, and God is moving through us.

That is a cool thing shared.

Mission Impossible

Some folks approach life or a particular period of their life with a certiain kind of daring; they are all in for the adventure: the greater the odds the louder the calling. What is in these that makes them seem so fearless?

Welcome to 'how they beat the odds - every time,' Episode 5, 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 on Mission Impossible we 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. O - M - G !!! Look what we stumbled into. We already knew heading into this phase of our journey a number of reasons some of us gravitate to extreme adventure: a push to overcome fears (courage & freedom); motivated by tough challenges (pure fun); reckless abandon (a dopamine rush); do or die (there is only one way out); the ultimate quest (a great big reward at the end). It almost seems we are all trying to get to where good things are happening - a place that fulfills the grandeur of our imagination. We presumed all of that going in. Then came this! Spice. Holly Moly. This is not our grandmama's nutmeg farm; this is a game-changer. Travel along. Let's check this out. It's bound to be an adventure. What say you? What did you uncover?

why do we dream such fantastic dreams
- which holds the map to our future -

an enormously enriched life

Revelation + Mystery. Ideas rule our world. Don't they? Money is an idea. A perfectly wonderful idea to those who have lots of it. A fantastically beautiful idea to those with easy access to it. In fact it is one of the biggest stories we have universally socialized ourselves into. An empowering story. An energizing story. A memory maker. A game-changer. But to those for whom there is no access, to those from whom it is easily taken away, it is an absolutely miserable idea, in fact, so miserable an idea, it seems downright evil. A device of the devil. True? That's got to be a story mammon castaways tell themselves. No? And what about those not so sure about that buy-line. For certain, we do not live in a binary world - mostly - and whatever stories are otherwise told some must fit those trapped smack in the tangle of what-is-to-be-will-be - God is in control. The lottery. You see? So, here we are. A story. We are the stories we tell ourselves. We are the stories we value. And so we experience life, beholding each other and ourselves, through the lens of what we've come to value - our way of thinking!

“I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am.”

Chief Justice Thomas Cooley -
popularized by Jay Shetty.

There's a whole lot of truth there.
And our stories are intertwined.

When I was a little boy I loved playing with my marbles. (Don't go there!) A wee-little boy. I accumulated lots in a short space of time. I was rich. (In my mind. No one told me otherwise.) I could escape. (Like that! No one told me differently.) And I used to think - (oh, btw, thank you Jesus the men in white coats in the white van I heard of but never did see didn't discover this real fact about me back in the day when facts were real, oooh-wee, lucky me!) - I used to think that supposing this entire universe is nothing but a bunch of beautiful marbles of all colors and sizes just like the lot in my hands but in the toss of a boy and a girl or boys or girls playing Galactical GAM (gam is a game in which I knock your marbles out of commission with my marble so that I could roll my marble into each of the hidden holes in our rugged backyard in order for my marble to get to the end of the yard before you roll your marbles into all those very holes and out-pass me before we lose our breath - yeah, that's a game! - kinda like golf without a stick, but you don't get to move your white ball from where it landed on the lush green grass; I get to knock it out of my way. M-hm! Sweet.) and I used to wonder back when I was a wee little boy what if that awesome boy and girl or those boys or those girls were playing this very game way out in the brilliant blackness and had no idea that on this one particular marble (or likewise on a whole bunch of marbles) each speck of dust, as it would appear to a childish galactic eye, is really a whole mass of us peoples killing and screwing each other mercilessly like idiots, and I used to squint my pupils steering out through our dust into the blue yonder trying to locate that other boy out beyond swirling galaxies to seize his attention and shout out, "Hey, let me in, I want to play your game; I don't like the one down here." (Well, like I said, thank you Jesus my lips didn't move back in those days.) for - you know . . .

“I don't know who one would think I am; time is too short to wonder that now. I know what I am.”

A boy gathering marbles out of muddy holes.
And your story and my story are intertwined.

Our hands are a mess.

You see?

The power of imagination!

Magnificently created human beings, we are! And we are about to embark on a phenomenal thought experiment.

Astronaut Leland Melvin said, "Life is really about storytelling. We are all making those stories as we go along in our journey."

And who it is that said, "There is no pleasure greater than plunging into a book, being taken away from your life, and going somewhere else on a wonderful journey. It enriches your life"? (Lesley Stahl. The Great American Read.) Immediate transport. Instant gratification. Magic. Journeys that open up ideas we hadn't thought of! Solutions we had not contemplated. Fitting resolutions. Just outcomes. And who would not want a future that is better than the present and our past?

The person who has it all?

Who is that?

Our stories tell us.

Some of us build our stories in the expanse of a limitless universe. Some of us build our stories in a limiting corner of a carved out space. Some of us build our stories, humbly, in a littie-ittie-bittie tiny blip of swirl. Unenviable. Some of us build our stories, prayerfully, out of reach, but for the breath of God.

Our stories tell us where they want to be.

And we put them there.

They rule.

And we fight for them. Great big armies. Blood on the streets. Hearts eaten. Souls on fire. Spirits wounded. Rebuilt in slippery alleys. For the glory of belief.

And here we are.

We are our stories. Angels amongst us. Heroes beside us. Children everywhere around. Creating newer and newer stories weaved from shreds of worn memories. Oh, how we love to tell such stories. Stories born out of grand ideas. Stories swirling through our being! But with what will we buld these? What material is available to soiled sore hands? What talent? What abilities? What currency? Hm? I have an idea, since imagination plays a massive role architecting the grandest triumphs of history, let's autocorrect our reality with a newer story - rendered in joy - created in beauty - boiled with the heartaches of ancestry. Many stories! With scents of a spice from a land they will show us and with the brilliance of a light we once beamed. What do you think? Let's try.

You know, from a broad sweep of history, if an alien should want to choose the best time to sample the finest state of humankind, this would be the moment to arrive, but for many individuals right here right now (millions upon millions) their particular lots are a far-far cry from any good dream from any slip of time. This is our challenge. Perhaps mine. Perhaps you will be the lead - handheld by the divine.

Saddle up, my friends. Fear not! Across the dust plains we ride. To the land of spice where memory-makers reside and game-changers perform miracles. Or for long loud laughs and cute smiles. Bring your measuring sticks. Let's tap rocks; see what we find.

unflinching conviction of human potential

Beacon Lights. We do not see our dots - those pivotal moments - while pressing forward. We connect them after the fact from blotches across a canvas of memory-makers, which bear seeds of growth and evolution, and which bear trace splatters from exploded mines we stepped on or held unwittingly while we were playing. Looking outward - upward and onward - we see beacons. Gratitude fills us when we see these, each of them, for their varied shapes and sizes and colors and particular glow. We are blessed with beacons all along our way, highly visible on our press forward or at a glance in awe at how we came so far. They shine through clouds and rain - night and day - with unmatched brilliance. What about you? How are beacons along your journey? Aren't they awesome? (See RMD)

Joy Light. The way some folks we know experience joy, they cannot give it to us; they can but bring it to us and at our own will freely share its gleam. The gift of joy is in being; its immense value rising ever so much richer at it being shared. Isn't that awesome? What have you found? (See RMD)

Sun Light: On a hot summer's day, some travelers, worn out by the heat of the sun, noticed a plane tree and rushed toward it. Once they arrived, they threw themselves down on the ground and rested in the shade of its wide spreading branches. As they were lying there, one of the travelers said to the other, "What a useless tree the plane is. It bears no fruit, and there is no other way man can put it to use." But the plane tree answered them: Ungrateful creatures! At the very moment you are benefiting from my existence, you deride me as if I were good for nothing! Ingratitude is as blind as it is base. (Aesop) (See Riding Moby Deck).

An epiphany!

Situations as in the fable above are quite common in life: one travels beyond the confines of one's world where one is acccustomed to experiencing things operating a certain beneficial way, then comes upon another world (group, individual, culture, community, entity) where things are behaving so differently in broad daylight, as to be considered barren, fruitless, useless comparatively. There upon such a traveler begins to judge it, condemn it, berate it, quote scriptures snobbishly at it, snicker at it, and never come to realize this is in reality a learning moment - a bright light shining upon a gem of discovery. A shower of enlightenment. What else is a tree for? In what sort of soil does this tree thrive? What function does a tree perform here? What kinds of trees are there beyond our great customs and good soils? What if this tree were not here? What an awesome opportunity for REAL DISCOVERY. For real engagement. For an expansion of one's mind. Oh, ingratitude - sharper than a serpents tooth, stronger than a traitor's arms. Monstrous! What say you in this light? What have you found so far? Do Share.

noble

faithful

relaxed

honest

focused

uncommon

wake up

envision

activate

get up

embody

re-create

stand up

encourage

celebrate

"Aaaaagh! Aaaaagh! Aaaaagh! Shut it. Lock it. What in hell is that? You said, everything is familiar. Good God, Lord Jesus, what was that?"

"Breathe. Breathe. Calm yourself. Breathe."

"What was that? What the - you said everything is familar to me."

"They are. Breathe. Your eyes are only now opening, on account of your journey. Breathe. Nothing is new to you here. Nothing."

"I can't go there."

"You must. You can't turn back now. My journey is onward. This is your dream."

"Oh, No!"

"Oh, yes. Breathe. You must. It's the only place you belong, unless and until you reach Spice. Are you ready?"

"No!"

"Your eyes are opening. Nothing is new to you here. You are beginning to see more clearly. Let me show you something."

"No!"

"Breathe. Press that button. You will see what you need to recalibrate yourself, for when I unlock the voyager gate again, and I must, you will step out into your world the only world you know - you must - and if you choose, find your way to Spice. You have the key."

Smile. Live. Love. Laugh. Look. Listen. Learn. Be awesome. You are powerful beyond measure. You are not alone. You can do all things. I am you. You are me. We are one. Keep Sharing.

So, are you an odds-beater?

Not sure? Where are you now?

Discovery: Odds-beaters adopt beliefs, build relationships and create environments that enhance opportunity for success for their Big Ideas.

Action Plan: Be an effective leader of your mission purposed to achieve your vision. Learn and apply effective leadership skills. (DISCARD LIMITING BELIEFS. DUMP DAMAGING EXPECTATIONS. KNOW THE GAME YOUR ARE PLAYING - INSIDE OUT.) You will notice beacons along your path to success. Acknowledge them. Follow them. Be grateful for them. Don't be diverted by distracting elements. Attract energy drivers. Sidestep energy-suckers. (How about you?) What leadership skills do you find valuable for your mission?

Breathe.
We are accompanied.
Balance - Focus - Rhythm

The Sun Is Still Shining

 

"Memory makers are life's flashcards - jotted reminders, ticklers, pings, signs, markers, cheat-sheets - notes the traveler ought never to ignore - life's black-box." _ Riding Moby Dick

It's been raining cats and dogs of late. I'd be utterly surprised if this latest spout is not record-breaking. And who knows what that means. Nevertheless, it reminded me of flying out through rain, experiencing our plane ridiing bumpy through our clouds to float above. And there it would be, as happy as a peacock - the sun.

Still there.

This always made me smile.

Memories you see.

Never mind the specifics.

That is an easy case. Not so easy to reflect upon such philosophical assurances when stuck in a hole under thundering rain. Not so easy. Isn't life strange? Yet that truth remains the same.

As part of a four-year research, I used to play a game across our city, throughout my travels, and on my podcast and radio show, a game that is part of our SBL Dramatized Audio Book Series. It is probably time to bring that game back on our show. Yes, I think I will do that.

I often titled the game Three Hands & A Deep Hole. Occasionally, I highlighted it with its pivotal question: Which Hand Will You Choose? Especially, knowing we are all sorting ourselves through this life which is pocked with cons and scams well disguised to confound even the smartest among us, it is one of the reasons I encourage engagement with different perspectives - for isn't it that much easier to be duped, hoodwinked, bamboozled, decieved, obliterated, when stuck in the echo-chamber of a singular view? We need broad ranges of authentic views - yes, I know - it puts on us the burden to sort it all out. Brain work, huh? Yep. Unless, of course, we are hitch-hiking to life - dangling somewhere out there!

What do you think?

I wonder what you would do were you stuck, as in our fun little game. Well, let's play an old episode - let you choose! See if you can climb back out into the sunshine. Enjoy it.

SBL Series - Book One - '2:26 AM - The Gathering'

So tell us, how much does it help during rough and rainy times to know that the sun is still shining? Does it help at all? Even a smidgen? Does that depend on the measure of the Big Idea that is driving us? Is that measure money, academics, athletics, leadership, religion, politics? Do we put one kind of measure atop of another. So when the clouds roll in, is there any measure that is harder to relate with the sun is still shining? And how do you recover?

Dare to lead your mission. Check this out - Be the best that you can be!

Every new era is marked by a challenge that reveals the true nature of its character, its soul, its heart, our very being; a challenge so pervasive, so corrosive, so corrupting, it indulges our need for respite; a challenge that demands a new breed - A Breed Beyond The Hero.

Something To Consider

* * *

You are

What POWER!