Brother Blue

On my prayer page yesterday and today I have this prayer.

Those words are chosen very carefully.
The problem I have when I try to solve a problem is I try and solve the problem myself.
I might pray for help, but what I am really asking for is strength and fortitude so I can do it myself, with my gifts and talents.
No mater what it is we want, there is already way for it to happen. We just don’t know what it is.
For every 2 million pieces of information that comes in to our mind through all our senses, we only process 2000 of them. This is done by the reticular formation in the brain. It’s job is to have you only pay attention to what is important to you.
For example, when you are in a crowded room, all of the sounds from all of the conversations are going into our ears and into your brain. You are able to filter out all the excess noise and only pay attention to the person you are listening to.
That is what is important to you.
But in the person in the conversation next to you says your name, then all of a sudden your focus will shift and you can hear the conversation next to you.
They aren’t talking louder. The reticular formation just found a piece of information that think is important.
If we have the faith we profess, then we believe that prayers are answered.
The problem I have is I miss them being answered because I ask for something, but also ask for the way that I think it can best be filled.
If we are open to the possibilities that our prayers could be answered in ways we never dreamed then when unexpected possibilities pop up the reticular formation will recognize it.
So we pray that we are open to the answer to are prayers in unique and different ways that we would never dream.
[ pray with | need prayer]

I know the media is a business. In some ways it gives us what we want, but…
I was saddened to see the front page of USAToday today. The Terrell Owens story received a bigger headline and more prominent placement than Bailey, CO.
[In a special way please pray with! (remember to refresh the web page to see today's prayers) | need prayer?]

E-mail from my mother:
I stopped by Walgreen’s on my way home to pick up some wrapping paper. While I’m there I wander around a bit….you never know what cool thing you might find in Walgreen’s (many you didn’t know you needed).
And I was not disappointed.
As I’m walking down the aisle, what catches my I but a rosary, nice wooden beads and a plain wood cross.
I stop to look.
It was an air freshener for the Car.
Auto Expressions; Spiritual Scent
Hanging there with the pine trees, hula girls and bright pink flowers.
It package warns…”Hang freely. To avoid possible staining, do not lean on any surface. Do not obstruct driver’s view”.
[ pray with! | need prayer?]

I have been working through some resources by NLP master and learning disability specialist Don Blackerby PhD.
At one point he introduces the NLP Logical Levels of Experience, which is nothing more than a hierarchy of the different ways we experience and understand who we are.
It looks like:
Spiritual/Greater System – Who and what do am I part of or serve?
Identity – Who am I?
Beliefs and Values – Why do I do what I do?
Capabilities – How do or how can I do what I do?
Behavior – What do I do?
Environmental – Where and/or when and/or with whom do I do what I do?
None of the levels exist in a vacuum. If something changes in one of the higher levels, it is going to affect all of the levels below it. An example for Don’s work would be, if a child (or adult) defines themselves as ADD then their beliefs about how they work, what work they can do, how they are suppose (and allowed to act), and where and when they work is going to be different from someone who believe that they were never taught how to learn or control their mind.
The first person believes there is something intrinsic about themselves that can’t be changed and thus can (and will) only act in one way. The second person can see that they are not doing things in the same way as those around them, but there are skills to be added that will allow them to do things in a different way (if they so choose).
One of the comments he made that rung true with me was (paraphrase), “Often times we will have a failing at the capabilities level and will then us it as feed back to define ourselves and the identity level.”
It plays out something like this:
* I don’t communicate well in one relationship and the relationship ends, therefore I am can’t have relationships because I am unlovable
* I fail a test in school, therefore I am stupid
* I show up late for a game, therefore I am unreliable for all things
In all of these cases a single event (how capable we demonstrate ourselves to be in one instance) is then used to define our self. And once we have defined our self at the identity level it has a trickle down effect to all levels below it.
We are not any one action we make (or the totality of all of the actions we make). Our action are how we acted in one moment of our life. Nothing more or less.
Those actions are our past, not our present.
They do not define we are. They are how we acted.
Who we are is defined by what we choose to be right now.
Sometimes changing the believes about ourselves (at all these levels) is hard, but it is something we can do.
[today's prayers]

From time to time I am tempted, particularly when faced with something that I don’t like, to say, “It has always been that way.”
When I say something like, it is really an excuse not to change what is in front of me.
Really, any generalization is like this. Especially when talking about myself.
Boys never…
Girls always…
Italians are…
I have never been able to…
In my family we always/never…
When I do this I have given up my choice and given into the choice of the group.
It is just a way of taking the responsibly from myself and saying it is out of my control.
Which is not true.
Now, when I make one of those generalization I make myself add a phrase to end, “…and I consciously choose this as my reality.”
All the choices I make about the world and myself are mine.
If the choice is mine, then I can’t hide from my circumstance. I can’t be a victim.
I must be in control of my own life.
[inspired by Caroline Myss | today's prayer]

“Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860)
Pray w/ me.

Prayer for this morning “I am ready for any and all doors which will open themselves to me today, no matter how unexpected or strange, which will allow my soul to live its dreams.”
My other prayers today.

While poking through an old journal I found this. As far as I can tell, the response is credited to Dr. Robert Anthony:

If we admit what we want and don’t have it, then we feel like we have failed. Sometimes it feels safer to hide from these feelings by saying we don’t know.
Some refuse to allow themselves to have more because they feel guilty for what they have or feel guilty for wanting more.
Again, to mollify guilt, we return to “I don’t know what I want.”
No ones life is so perfect it can’t get better.
It is okay to give yourself permission to want more.
We were made to have extravagant lives…
and to share that with others.
Don’t believe me? Don’t think, just the first thought that comes to mind.
What would you do right now if money was no object?
See, it could be better.
Also, stop worrying about how to do it. Just because you don’t see the path right now doesn’t mean it isn’t out there. Be open to the possibilities.
We were made for abundance.
Our God loves us that much, that God wants abundance for us.
It is not that the fates have cursed us, but we are not allowing what is our birth right.

I have a new web site. Please join me (and ask your friends and families to join as well).
It should be updated daily (or at least everyday I am on line).
http://monterastelli.com/prayer

The 24 hours leading up to mass yesterday was hectic. 450 mile drive (through rain and snow). Set up, perform, pack up. 60 more mile of driving. In bed by 11. Up at 3. 4 hours of waiting at baggage claim at the Houston airport.
By the time the opening song was being sung I was beat.
Sometimes fatigue makes peace and focus easier. Too tired to let the mind wonder.
Just resting in Peace.