Stu reminds us that it's about the "now".

EPISODE-LISTENING In this episode it’s time to unlock one of the keys to doing it little better…better listening. If we learn to listen to what’s going on around us with not only our two physical ears, but also with our “spiritual ears”, a beautiful symphony emerges. Deep stuff this week, Stu… Stu: “Namaste, all of you beautifully, exotic cocktails… Comment on Facebook, email us, we want to more of your stories! Article on Patheos by Tom Rapsas entitled, “5 Ways to Hear What God is Telling You.” Discernment: spiritual judgement and understanding, which comes from listening to God (i.e., the foundation of all life.). Allows us to sift through our impulses, motives and opinions. “IF GOD IS SPEAKING, HOW COME I DON’T HEAR IT?” PRAYER AND CONTEMPLATION Pondering is a lost art. Takes the focus off of “me”. Engage spiritual perception READING THE “BOOK OF NATURE” Feel the resonance with the universe. Appreciate beauty Enter into the rhythm Practice “oneness”. PAYING ATTENTION TO PEOPLE IN YOUR PATH Of course. There are no coincidences. Everyone is a channel for God to see the world. Namaste. Mainly look to primary relationships. Anyone can have impact and influence. Engage. ANALYZING THE EVENTS OF THE DAY “What might God be doing, here?” Look for confirming “billboards”. Take time to ponder both the welcome and the unwelcome events. Purpose to learn from the day. LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE DRAWN TO READ [written or audio] Look for the Divine Communication Look for patterns Flesh out new thoughts and concepts with others. Be open-minded. THE “THEREFORE…”: Using discernment results in: Our lives are less chaotic and less filled with drama. Less anxious and fearful. More comfortable with solitude and with accepting uncertainty Discover a deep, inner peace. Mystic MacNugget: “Behold life instead of merely observing it. Kind of makes the whole…holy, doesn’t it?” -Mac

EPISODE-FRAGILITY In this episode we’re going to talk about just how fragile everything is. In light of that, we want to come from a place of poise and not fear. Let’s talk about how to do that just a little bit better… Hey, Stu… Stu: “Namaste, all of you beautifully, exotic cocktails… Comment on Facebook, email us, we want to more of your stories! Play the clip: Saturday Night Lights, Season 1, Episode 1 “Give all of us that have gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable. And we will all, at some point in our lives…fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts. That what we have is special. That it can be taken from us. And when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested to our very souls. We will all now be tested… STRENGTH To acknowledge and face the uncertainties. Strength that transcends the physical but speaks to the emotional and spiritual. It must be cultivated. Individually and corporately. FRAGILE Circumstances. Our “certainties” Relationships (divorce) Institutions, religions, democracy(USA) Life VULNERABLE It’s impossible to live life without “casualties”. We want to minimize them, not eliminate them. Some occupations create more vulnerability(risk) than others. FALL We aren’t always going to get it right. Fall from comfort. Bad stuff happens. THE HEART Pain Guilt Sorrow IT’S SPECIAL Life is a gift. Appreciate it. Humanity and spirituality. UNCERTAINTY Clarity over certainty Build in flexibility Animated and directed for whatever is next. TESTING Natural flow of life, not by God Take time to evaluate how you are doing Purpose to make learning a lifelong habit. Takeaway: To cultivate wisdom, poise, resilience, humility and a perspective that can embrace all of it with dignity and peace. Mystic MacNugget: “I’m so much more than the bad things that happen to me.” -Nightbirde Rephrase and substitute “We” for “I”.

Mac sets the stage for this weeks episode from Friday Night Lights entitled, "Fragility".

EPISODE-HIDDEN MYSTERIES In this episode we’re going to talk about how true Christian doctrine and teaching is more universal than we have been led to believe. This can have a huge impact on how we view others, and in turn help us heal and encourage our broken world. Into the fire, once again, Stu… Stu: “Namaste, all of you beautifully, exotic cocktails… Comment on Facebook, email us, we want to more of your stories! We are celebrating our 40th episode! This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. Colossians 1:26-27, The Message The Mystery. “The Kingdom of God is at hand [within you!]. Start looking at salvation, death and resurrection as daily occurrences and not one-time events. We share it and there is enough for everyone. No one is excluded. Why are these kind of mysteries/truths hidden? How are they revealed? Not about religion but about humanity. How does a higher thinking and a deeper understanding effect change? Develop a more mature intuition, deeper wisdom, and sense of purpose. Mystic MacNugget: “It just has to be about something bigger than ourselves. Else, why bother…” -Mac

Stu cites an example from the animal kingdom on how, once we believe we can do it, we can.

In this episode we’re going to apply Wize wisdom to evaluating some of our sacred cow Christian religious beliefs. Into the fire we go, Stu… Stu: “Namaste, all of you beautifully, exotic cocktails… Comment on Facebook, email us, we want to more of your stories! https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Affirmations-Vision-Future-Christianity/dp/0787985783/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FN5SNA4PDXVNanddchild=1andkeywords=the+phoenix+affirmationsandqid=1629302972andsprefix=the+phoenix+aff%2Caps%2C181andsr=8-1 (“The Phoenix Affirmations”,) A New Vision for the Future of Christianity, by Eric Elnes https://www.amazon.com/Love-Wins-Enhanced-Heaven-Person-ebook/dp/B005ZF27XS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TPFDA5LASZYPanddchild=1andkeywords=love+winsandqid=1629303204ands=booksandsprefix=love+wins%2Caps%2C200andsr=1-1 ("Love Wins",) A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, by Rob Bell The Setup She went right on, “Why should I have to explain to people, ‘I’m a Christian, but I don’t think homosexuals are evil.... I’m a Christian, but I believe women are equal to men . . . but I’m concerned about poverty . . . but I care about the earth . . . but I don’t think people who believe differently from me will fry in hell for eternity . . .’?” Affirmation 1: Walking fully in the Path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity. WE AFFIRM that the Path of Jesus is found wherever love of God, neighbor, and self are practiced together. Whether or not the path bears the name of Jesus, such paths bear the identity of Christ. Affirmation 2: Listening for God’s Word, which comes through daily prayer and meditation, studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world. The Bible is an incredible compendium of other people’s relationships with God that were recorded to help us know how to seek our own relationship with God. WE CONFESS that we have moved away from Christ’s Path when we have claimed that God’s Word is restricted to what may be contained in a written document or that either the recording of God’s Word in Scripture or our interpretation of it is infallible. The Rule of Love WE CONFESS that we have moved away from this Path whenever we have denied God’s love for all people or have denied the effectiveness of God’s eternal will that all be saved. Affirmation 9: Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imagination—for eternity. WE CONFESS that we have moved away from this Path whenever we have denied God’s love for all people or have denied the effectiveness of God’s eternal will that all be saved. Mystic MacNugget: “If it’s irrefutable it’s domineering. Lighten up…” -Mac

In this episode we’re going to follow-up on Part 1 of our conversation on social media. This week we’re going to hit home a bit and talk about how addicted we are to the media, and then offer some suggestions on how to detox. Whoa, here we go, another big-time strap in time this week, Stu… What is the roguish way to alter the future? www.humanetech.com Addict: : “one exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity.” The Power Realize how powerless we are and have given over our power to SM et. al. Seek the strength of a higher power Better use of your time? Target your focus/relationships/conversations away from SM https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/ (The Social Dilemma documentary on Netflix) Turn Off Notifications Remove Toxic Apps Remove Facebook → Message friends with https://signal.org/en/ (Signal)‍ Remove TikTok → Send video messages by direct text or with https://www.marcopolo.me/ (Marco Polo)‍ Remove Snapchat → Get creative in Text instead‍ Remove Instagram → Use https://vsco.co/ (VSCO) for photography Download Helpful Tools Get more sleep and remove blue light →https://justgetflux.com/ (Flux)‍ Track your screen time and change habits →https://inthemoment.io/ ( Moment)‍ Reduce distractions → https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/news-feed-eradicator-for/fjcldmjmjhkklehbacihaiopjklihlgg?hl=en (News Feed Eradicator)‍ Stay focused on your goals → https://www.flipdapp.co/flipd-making-productivity-social (Flipd)‍ Practice mindfulness → https://insighttimer.com/ (Insight Timer) Eliminate Outrage from Your Diet We vote with our clicks. Don't support sites that pollute our cultural environment with vitriol via clickbait and outrage. ‍Unfollow outrage-chasing voices on Twitter → Use https://iunfollow.com/ (iUnfollow) to clean up your Following. Start fresh and intentionally choose the voices you expose yourself to‍ Unfollow outrage driven Facebook Groups →Check your http://facebook.com/groups (Groups) > Settings > Following‍ Remove sharply polarized media outlets from your news feed. Follow Voices you Disagree With. ‍Check news sites whose perspectives you disagree with → https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news (AllSides) gives readers a cross-partisan view of world events covered by the media, and sustains itself on a consciously created hybrid revenue model to avoid bias and clickbait incentives. Be Compassionate Pause → Remember there’s a real person behind the screen: Don’t be so quick to unfollow or publicly argue with someone who posts something you disagree with‍. Try a private message to ask why they feel that way, with genuine curiosity and a desire to understand. Set Boundaries ‍Clear your morning and evenings → Set clear bounded blocks of time without technology‍ Device-free dinners → Play a game where the first person to check their device does the dishes‍. Create a shared charging station at home → Charge your family's phones away from bedrooms overnight‍. Buy a separate alarm clock → Wake up without getting sucked into your phone first thing in the morning Fully Disconnect 1 Day Per Week ‍Pick a date and let your friends and family know you’ll be offline → Or better yet, invite them to join you Remember the Positive Take screenshots of the positive messages you receive to store in a folder on your phone → Let the rest go. Tech warps how our brains receive feedback, and we can fight back by remembering the positive. Practice cultivating gratitude for others and using technology to share your love → Send a special video to a friend with https://www.tribute.co/ (Tribute) or https://getmontage.co/ (Montage) Support Local Journalism Don’t force your local newspaper to play social media’s clickbait game. Support your local newspaper directly by paying for a subscription so that we can remain the customer, not the product. Democracy doesn’t work without healthy...

In this episode we’re going to talk about Social Media. We’re going to do this over two episodes as there is SO much about this topic that we think needs to be fleshed out in order for us to do it just a little bit…wait, no..let me clarify that..this might have the possibility of moving the needle a lot! Uh oh, here we go, big-time strap in time this week, Stu… “Namaste, all of you beautifully, exotic cocktails… Comment on Facebook, email us, we want to more of these stories! THE SETUP: THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.” — Sophocles The challenges are twofold: Content and interaction Addiction Mission statements: This is the intent. What is the actual reality? “Instantly media” instead of social media. Facebook: “Give People the Power to Build Community and Bring the World Closer Together” Twitter: “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly without barriers.” Instagram: “To capture and share the world’s moments.” Snapchat: “We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Our products empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together." TikTok: “To inspire creativity and bring joy.” Social Media...Good, bad, the ugly. Taught us to not communicate well. Loss of social graces. Undermines a life of order, harmony, and peace. Less empathetic, breeds confusion and misinterpretation. Resulting in more negative than positive outcomes. We didn’t have the wisdom to incorporate it well into our lives. Not our innate, normal way to communicate. Hot trend is ephemeral content. Constantly chasing the squirrel. Politics, race and religion are ripe topics for abuse. The Triple Filter Test Truth, goodness, and usefulness are the foundation of Socrates’ triple filter test. Socrates thought that a person must ask themselves the following questions before they say anything: “Am I sure that what I am going to say is true?”, “Is what I’m going to say a good thing?”, and “Do I really need to say it and is it useful?” Truth, goodness, and usefulness are the foundation of Socrates’ triple filter test. However, it’s not easy to define the true, the good, and the necessary. Regarding the truth: Do I know for a fact that this information is true? Can I bet on it? Will I be able to prove it to anyone? Am I willing to compromise my reputation over this? Regarding the good: Does it benefit me or the other person? Will it make them or me a better person and evoke positive emotions? Will the situation of those involved improve? Regarding the necessary or useful: By knowing this message, will that person’s life or my life improve? Can that person take any practical action regarding this information or message? In what way does not knowing this information hurt or affect the other person? Let’s forego the common. Part 2 next week will offer some practical ways to navigate the social media universe. Mystic MacNugget: “A better understanding is worth the temporary discomfort. You got this…” -Mac

In this episode we’re going to talk about the illusion of perpetual growth. What does that imbalance do to us? It can’t always be about MORE. This one might be a bit convicting, but it’s for your own good! Doing it a little better doesn’t always mean having just a little bit more… Uh oh, here we go, Stu… “Namaste, all of you beautifully, exotic cocktails… Comment on Facebook, email us, we want to more of these stories! [email protected] [email protected] THE SETUP Perpetual up and to the right is an illusion. Growth is not negative, it’s in the expectations. The struggle between more and enough. Where does contentment come from? We have been conditioned that growth is the goal. The opposite is unacceptable. Business sales$ + Units sold X price. What if either of these changes? Bank account Possessions Minimalist thinking. 30 items. Breathing room Obligation to do more. Where does it end? Pause that refreshes. Sometimes less is more. Good growth(?) Knowledge Understanding Abilities Wisdom The arc vs the line. Contentment. Not complacency. How we deal with crisis. "All religions try to benefit people, with the same basic message of the need for love and compassion, for justice and honesty, for contentment." -Dalai Lama "The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment." -Doug Larson Mystic MacNugget: “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.” -Bill Gates