Brother Blue

Here is something from Ted Nicholas’ newsletter The Success Margin:

I love this. We are constantly programming ourselves with the words we use. Our subconciuce mind believes what we tell it. If you tell it we aren’t doing well it believes it. If we tell it we are doing “Better” or “Great” it will live up to that.

Over the last six months I have been changing the way that I make intercessory prayers. The change has everything to do with me, and very little to do with God. What I am trying to do is be much more mindful about what I am asking for, why I am asking it, and what role do I play in being the Body of Christ which responds to those prayer requests. The audio is less than eight min.
http://Monterastelli.com/audio/NewWayIPray.mp3

“People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest.”
-Hermann Hesse

In his book On Writing, Steven King contends that he has telepathy. He believes that from a different time and place he put a thought into your mind. So let’s give this a try.
Clear your mind for a moment. It is clear? Good. Pink Elephant. From my desk in Baltimore, MD early Monday night I have just placed a thought in your mind. When ever you read this, wherever you are.
We could debate weather or not that is really “telepathy”, but I know we can agree what I have done is communication. I have had a thought and I was able to communicate it, through a medium (the web) into your mind. That is basically what communication is. It is a sender, a mode of sending, and a receiver.
This is what we do all day, we communicate thoughts and idea to one another. We communicate instructions and direction. We share thoughts and perspective. In lots of ways.
Communication can break down in all three parts. The sender might not articulate their thought well. There might be interference in the communication (a noisy room, or a phone call being dropped). The person receiving the message might be distracted by what they are doing and not actively listening.
None of this is earth shattering. The reason I share it is because of a conversation I had over dinner. From it, I think I came to a new working definition for myself of “art”.
Art is a mode of communication in which more than a thought or idea is transmitted, but instead truth is communicated.
When I use the word truth I don’t mean, “to tell the truth” a simple fact, but something that is much deeper. The root of understanding. Maybe an example with help.
I can tell you that I am sad. You can understand the idea of sad. You have been sad, but you don’t truly understand the feeling of being sad. Music can communicate what if feels like to be sad. I spent a week years ago at a concertina (small squeeze box) school. There was this moment when our instructor, Nole Hill, would pause for just a half of a beat when he played “Eleanor Plunket” in which I could feel my heart break. He communicated, not the idea of sadness, but the truth of sadness.
I think that is what good art is. It is message (of a truth) transmitted by a medium (music, painting, story) that is received and understood by a receivers soul.

It is not going to change your life. It is not going to give you new insight into the world around you.
It is simply a well written, well acted, professionally made move. The script is tight. The performances are great. The director (Spike Lee) is able to comment on the world with out beating you over the head with his agenda.
Maybe I am slow, but I couldn’t see what was coming around the next corner. It was also plausible. Sometimes these stories are built to cleaver. This is not.
There is only one scene in the whole movie I didn’t believe. Without spoiling anything in the movie, the 4 wouldn’t have been in the black car.
Inside Man R, for language and some violent images

Surgery went well (albeit 3 hours late).
My father is resting and will be eating tomorrow.
Should be home in 5 days.
Thanks for the support!

40 years ago my father had extensive stomach surgery (as well as a number of other procedures). I believe he spent more than 100 days in the hospital over the course of one year. In some ironic way it could have saved his life, keeping him out of Viet Nam.
Over the past 40 years, unbeknownst to us, scar tissue has been building up in his intestines. This has started to cause some problems.
This morning at 930a MST he will be having surgery to have it cleaned out.
If you could spare an extra prayer or two for him, the surgeons, and my family I would be much obliged.

The power of the mind is an amazing thing. It is possible to put mind over matter. Here is a quick exercise you can do to demonstrate the power of your mind.
This isn’t some trick. This is just a small example of how powerfully you can change your life and your world with your mind.
This will take less than two minutes to listen to this small audio clip.
http://Monterastelli.com/audio/PowerOfTheMind.mp3

I know I am a little late coming to the party on this, but I was introduced to the third one last week. I am sure you remember Lazy Sunday from the folks at SNL (a pitch perfect lampoon of Dr. Dre). I would also be willing to bet you have seen the West Coast respons Lazy Monday (hitting Ice Tea’s “Colors”). So no-coast folks have thrown their hat into this east coast/west coast fight with Lazy Muncie (which samples more class rap than one can count and has a very funny apperance by Jim Davis).
This is why I love this country.

The British Jesuits have put daily prayer on mp3 that you can download. Each prayer includes:
1. Bells – the call to prayer
2. Opening music with a few words of introduction
3. Scripture for the day
4. Questions for personal reflection
5. Repeat of the scripture reading
6. Final reflection
7. Glory be
Each Thursday, all of the next weeks’ prayers are uploaded. You can download directly at their site or through an iTunes podcast subscription.
http://pray-as-you-go.org
[via rebecca's pocket]