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Today's meditation comes from Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13. Introduction For the first thirty years of Jesus' life, He did nothing that the gospel writers saw fit to record, save for the one episode where He remained behind in the temple at twelve years of age, listening at the teachers' feet and astounding them with His wisdom (Luke 2:41-52). He otherwise appeared to be a normal young man, until He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and received power from on high. This marked the beginning of His ministry. He had the power to do miracles at this point, but He had never yet performed one. Strangely, the first thing the Holy Spirit did was lead Him into the wilderness, to be tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1). The Holy Spirit actually intended for the temptations to occur. Yet we know God never leads us into temptation (Matthew 6:13, James 1:13); Jesus was a special case, for this too. Why?  In my retelling, Jesus recited to Himself the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, believing that His own time in the wilderness was a parallel of theirs. They left Egypt (the life they knew), just as He left His old life of obscurity behind. They had never before known power, and then suddenly they were delivered with great signs and wonders. Then the Lord drove them into the wilderness, where they confronted daily needs, and with them, temptations to doubt the Lord's goodness and provision. The story in the Old Testament does not record that it was Satan stirring up the people against the Lord, but then, the Old Testament had (almost) no doctrine of Satan. Presumably he was there, though, and the Israelites gave right in, every time. In order for Jesus to be our perfect sacrifice and substitute, He needed to be tempted in all ways as we were, and yet remain without sin (Hebrews 4:15). So the first temptation, according to both versions of this story in Matthew and Luke, was turning stone into bread. This parallels the temptations of the Israelites in the wilderness: much of their grumblings against the Lord had to do with lack of food and water. Notice that Satan waited to offer this temptation to Jesus until he'd been fasting for forty days, and was literally beginning to starve. Bread was not a luxury, but a legitimate need at this point. Yet would He trust in the Father to provide, or take matters into His own hands? If He did the latter, it would demonstrate potentially two things: lack of trust in God's provision, and also doubt in His own identity.  It's interesting that Satan begins two of his temptations with “If You are the Son of God.” These would not have been temptations if Jesus had no inclination to doubt who He was. Yet after thirty years of doing nothing remarkable, how could He not? Giving in to this doubt would have been sin, though, as “whatever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23), and the root of all sin is unbelief (John 16:9).  The order of the second and third temptations varies in the two accounts in Matthew and Luke, though the content was the same. According to 1 John 2:16, there are only three areas in which Satan tempts us: the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” The temptation to turn stone to bread was lust of the flesh: putting the needs of His body above following God. He responded to this temptation by comparing God's Word to bread: no doubt this was exactly what the original manna in the wilderness was meant to represent.  Pride of life would have been showing off by jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple, just to prove to the Jews (and to Himself) that He had the power to call angels to His assistance. Satan even tried to twist scripture to convince Jesus to fall for this one, adding to and omitting portions of Psalm 91 to suit his purposes. Satan's version of Psalm 91 made it sound as though God had promised carte blanche: complete protection under any and all circumstances. But Jesus understood that His power was not to be spent upon His own lusts (James 4:3)—and indeed, He did not benefit personally from any of the miracles He performed (unless you count taking His portion from the food He multiplied when feeding the 5000 and the 4000). Here too, Jesus responds to the temptation by quoting from Deuteronomy, as He does with all three. As Paul tells us, the Word is a sword, our only offensive weapon against the enemy (Ephesians 6:17). The last temptation according to Matthew's account was the lust of the eyes, as He beheld all the glittering kingdoms of the world. Luke's gospel records Satan's assertion, “this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). Notice that Jesus didn't contradict this: the earth and all its kingdoms were Satan's, and they both knew it. Jesus had come to earth, in part, to regain the authority that Adam had lost. Here, Satan offered it to Him freely. I doubt Satan realized that the alternative was the cross, since Paul tells us that if he had understood this, he would never have crucified Him (1 Corinthians 2:8). But Jesus knew it, which presumably made the offer all the more enticing. Yet even if Satan had kept his end of the bargain (which is doubtful), regaining authority for Himself only was never Jesus' goal. He wanted us back, and there was only one way to get us. If Jesus had sinned, He could not have become the perfect Lamb of God, our substitutionary sacrifice. He could not have ushered in the New Covenant.    Fictionalized Retelling (from Jesus' POV) It was time.  I had, from time to time over the last six months, lingered some distance away from the Jordan River as my cousin John baptized the hoards of Israel who came to him seeking repentance. I watched smiling, laughing, and sometimes weeping as the prodigals came home.  “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” I murmured aloud on more than one occasion, bursting with pride in my cousin. But I had never revealed my presence to him over the past six months. His fame grew, though I remained in obscurity.  Until now.  My heart hammered in my chest in a blend of excitement and anticipation as I made my way right down to the banks of the Jordan this time. John was waist deep in the river, helping a middle aged man plunge beneath the waters and come back up again, his nose plugged and eyes closed while everyone around him cheered. Grinning, John released him.  “Bear fruit worthy of repentance, friend!” John shouted after the man as he waded toward his friends, arms thrust into the air in victory and face streaming with water. John turned to see who was next, and our eyes locked. His smile froze while mine widened. Understanding struck him.  “Of course it's you.” He was too far away and the rushing water was too loud for me to hear him, but I saw his lips form the words and his eyes fill with tears. Then he started laughing, even as the tears spilled over onto his cheeks. Answering tears pricked in my own eyes. I had always imagined this moment: how John would react when he realized that I was the Messiah. The reality was better.  “Behold!” John bellowed to everyone around him, making a grand sweeping gesture to me with one hand as he wiped his cheeks with the other. “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” My chest felt like it might burst with love for My cousin. I waded up to him as he spoke, positioning Myself to be baptized as the others before Me had done. His expression changed from awestruck to appalled, and he held up his hands in protest.  “I need to be baptized by You,” he protested, “and are You coming to me?”  “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” I told him. He shook his head, but in wonder, not refusal. I knelt down, plugged My nose, and closed My eyes, as My cousin took hold of my shoulders and lowered Me below the chilly rushing waters. He lifted Me out again, and I shook My hair and beard, water streaming from My face as I wiped it away. The sky above us was cloudless that day, but even so, it seemed to part like a pair of blue curtains. Beyond it, I saw the scene Ezekiel had described: a still sapphire sea, and a throne surrounded by an emerald rainbow. The One on the throne was all flame and rainbow, more glorious than the sun.  “Father,” I whispered. It was the first time I had ever seen Him with My human eyes.  He rose to His feet, and threw something in the air. As it descended through the parted sky, I could make out the form of a gleaming white dove. It landed on My shoulder. “Holy Spirit!” I breathed, like embracing an old friend. He burned Me, but without pain, as Moses' bush had burned without being consumed. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” My Father declared.  With that, the sky rolled back across the heavenly scene like a scroll. The dove too had vanished, and the burning faded—but He was upon Me still, just like He had come upon the prophets of old in power. I knew He would be with Me from now on, until My mission here was complete.  I turned to John, curious whether he had seen and heard what I had, or whether that had just been for Me. His awestruck expression, still turned toward the sky, told Me all I needed to know. Then he looked back at Me.  “How long have You known?” he murmured.  I smiled back at him. “As far back as I can remember.”  “And yet You never told me!” It was an accusation, but then he held up a hand and said, “No no, I understand. It was better this way. I'd have asked far too many questions, though by all rights I should have guessed.” He shook his head and added to himself, “I must have been intentionally blinded until now; it's the most obvious thing in the world—Jesus! where are You going?”   I was wading back to the banks, and already the crowds had parted to make way for Me. I pointed up to the heavens. “The Spirit compels Me away from here just as surely as if He tugged Me by the hand. I must go.”  “Where?” John called after me. “I'll come with You!”  “Into the wilderness, and I must go alone,” I called, giving him an apologetic glance. “You, meanwhile, still have work to do here.” I cast him one more grin, and made my way through the crowds gazing at Me with amazement on the banks, My robes streaming with water and gathering mud at the hems.   I walked out into the lonely places of Israel, as the chatter of the crowds grew distant behind Me. My clothing dried and stiffened with the sediment from the Jordan as the day progressed. Wild animals heard my footsteps and fled as I drew near. The Holy Spirit pulled me deeper and deeper into the wilderness.  Yet there was another presence here too, besides Him and Me. I felt, though I did not see him yet. His hatred pulsed all around Me, like the heat radiating from the sun. It was almost tangible.  I made camp that first night after the sun went down, and lay My head upon a flat stone for a pillow. I closed My eyes. It was then that I heard the first whispers.  You imagined it all, Satan taunted. There was no open heaven, no Father, no Holy Spirit. You suffer from delusions of grandeur. What are You but a poor dead carpenter's son? I huffed and turned over. “It just happened today,” I said aloud. “At least have the decency to wait a few days before you try to make Me doubt it.”  He fell silent for perhaps an hour. Then when I hovered in that space between sleep and waking, he whispered, You're not the Messiah. You've never done any miracles in your life. John is greater than You are!  I groaned, mostly annoyed to be disturbed out of slumber. Aloud, I countered in a voice thick with sleep, “Born in Bethlehem, of a virgin, from the tribe of Judah and of the line of David. I was called out of Egypt, while Herod massacred the children two and under at the time of my birth. My cousin, also born of a miracle, came in the spirit and power of Elijah and has been my forerunner for six months…” I kept quoting prophecies I had fulfilled already until I sensed that Satan had given up for the night. Then I breathed a sigh of relief, and drifted off at last. Day and night, this cycle repeated—intensely for the first three days, when I was hungriest. By the third day, my hunger receded, and so did the whispers. After that, Satan's daily temptations seemed almost halfhearted, and he gave up easily. “Isn't that just like you,” I panted to him aloud as I crested a hill with a large tree where I could rest in the shade. “Not one to waste your efforts in a battle you know you cannot win!”  I knew I would not feel hunger again for the most part until I literally began to starve, which would happen around day forty. I did not know how long the Holy Spirit intended for me to spend out in the wilderness, though I guessed forty days and nights—that number recurred throughout scripture. The hardest battle would come near the end, when I was at my weakest, both physically and emotionally.  Until then, I walked, I rested, and just when I could stand my thirst no more, I came across streams and springs where I slaked my parched tongue. I quoted the Pentateuch to Myself aloud. I sang the Psalms, inventing melodies for some of them that had never been set to music in My day. I talked to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, though I got no more audible or miraculous responses as I had in the Jordan.  What are You doing out here? What is the point? Satan whispered several weeks in.  “Symbolism,” I informed him, as much for My benefit as for his. “The Israelites left their old life in Egypt, were ‘baptized' as they passed through the Red Sea, and entered the wilderness, where they learned trust and dependence upon God day by day, despite constant opportunities to doubt. Forty years for them; forty days for Me. Then they entered the Promised Land, through the Jordan at flood stage. Jordan means ‘destroyer,' which symbolizes you, of course. The waters of the ‘destroyer' parted and were cut off all the way back to the city called Adam. It was, for them, as if the fall had never happened, as long as they remained on the right side of the covenant. You had no power over them anymore. Only then did they began their work of taking territory and slaying giants. In the same way, after I defeat you in the wilderness, then My ministry will begin. Then I will take down your ‘giants' of sickness, death, and disease, set the captives free, and proclaim the good news of the kingdom.”  If this is Your wilderness experience like what the Israelites experienced, then where is your manna? Satan sneered. God fed the Israelites, but He's happy to let You starve. You know why? You're not really His son. He'll let You die out here like the blasphemer You are. I rolled My eyes at this attempt, though in truth, My stomach responded differently. It growled at the thought of manna.  The awakened hunger persisted after that. At first upon is return, it gnawed here and there and then quieted for the rest of the day. It was worse on the days when I did not come upon a stream. A belly heavy with water could soothe the ravenous beast for awhile.  By day forty, though, the hunger was constant and nearly unbearable. I hardly felt the Holy Spirit's presence at all, but Satan's whispers seemed always just behind Me.  I squinted against the glare of the midday sun, not sure if My eyes were playing tricks on Me. But surely if I were to see a mirage, the shriveled, misshapen being before Me is not what I would have conjured.  “Satan,” I greeted the creature. I had never seen him before with My human eyes, yet I recognized him at once. I looked him up and down, noting the leathery skin like that of a bat, the emaciated features, the beady flashing red eyes. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” I commented. My human eyes had never beheld him in his pre-fall glory either, but I knew the story from Isaiah.  His lip curled at this, returning the inspection. “I could say the same of You, if You truly were who You claimed to be. But You and I both know You're not. At least I once glowed brighter than the morning star. You, on the other hand…” he gave a wheezy laugh. “A delusional carpenter whom God will permit to die of starvation in the wilderness, whose carcass will be picked clean by the vultures.”  “How well-named you are,” I retorted. Satan meant accuser.  “If You are the Son of God,” he returned, circling Me like one of the vultures he had referenced, “command that these stones become bread.” He gestured at a large boulder at my feet.  Immediately My stomach gave a loud, painful growl. Unbidden, I saw the hot loaf in My mind's eye, dripping with butter, sweetened with honey. My mouth flooded with saliva I could ill afford to spare: I was dehydrated enough.  But I had not quoted the Pentateuch for forty days and nights for nothing. I knew the stories: God gave Moses the rod that he used in power to deliver the Israelites from every one of their challenges, and yet he was only to use it as God had prescribed. He could not bring water out of any rock, nor could he do it by any method he chose. When he forgot this, he had forfeited his own right to enter the Promised Land. In the same way, the power of the Holy Spirit was Mine, but I could not use it when and how I pleased—lest I forfeit My Promised Land.  “It is written,” I panted back, swallowing back the saliva, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” Satan knew the reference as I did: it was from Deuteronomy. His beady eyes flashed, but he tried to control his expression. I should have felt a flash of triumph, but all I felt was hungry.  Satan circled Me, and fastened his reptilian hands upon My wrists. In a whirl of wind and the blink of an eye, he spirited us together to the pinnacle of the temple of Jerusalem. My eyes widened and I took a step back from the ledge, as down below I saw the bustle of the crowd of worshippers, or priests bearing lambs or goats they had just bought and washed for sacrifice. They did not seem to see us—yet.  “Prince of the power of the air,” I murmured to Myself, amazed. It was an impressive trick.  He smirked at me, and gave an exaggerated little bow. Then his proud expression hardened and he took a step closer to me—too close. “If You are the Son of God,” he hissed, and gestured at the ledge casually, “throw Yourself down.” His words again conjured a clear picture in my mind: the gasps, the cheers, the crowds flocking to Me in amazement. What a spectacular way to announce My ministry! Satan shrugged and added, “For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” I gnashed My teeth together. That was a misquote of Psalm 91. Technically it was correct, but it was completely out of context. It angered Me how subtle his lies were, though less for Myself, and more for all those precious ones whom I knew he would lead astray with exactly this kind of deceit throughout the ages. I retorted, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God!'” This was also from Deuteronomy. “Don't play this game with Me, Satan. You think you know the word better than I do? I am the Word. You cannot win.”  “Oh, can't I?” he whispered back, clutching My wrists in his fists once again. I did not know where he planned to take Me now, but I knew he would choose a different tactic this time. He couldn't make Me doubt My identity, so— I caught My breath. We were at the top of a snow-capped mountain, well above the clouds, though I did not feel cold. This was a vision, I realized. I looked down, and all around me I saw—time. All of it. From the beginning to the end, every glittering kingdom of earth merged with one another, their rising and falling, their wealth and their greatness. But even more than this, I saw the people in those kingdoms: great and small, young and old, good and evil. My heart ached. They were why I had come. I longed for them, so desperately—My sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, all lost and hopeless and hurting without Me! Satan leaned so close to My ear that I could feel his breath upon My neck.  “All this authority I will give you, and their glory. It has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. If You will fall down and worship me, all will be Yours.”  I whirled on him, horrified at the longing I felt. Adam gave the authority of all the earth to him, and he offered it back to Me now. It was precisely what I had come to reclaim, and he now offered Me a shortcut—without the sacrifice.  Without the cross.  “Away with you, Satan!” I snapped. “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve!'” His expression sank into a deep scowl, and he bared his pointed yellowed teeth at Me. Then in a whirlwind, he was gone. I found Myself alone in the wilderness once again, on My hands and knees, panting.  Then I felt a hand on My shoulder. I jerked back, expecting to see Satan once again, but I softened when I saw a beautiful face I somehow also recognized.  “Gabriel?” He smiled at me tenderly, and gestured behind him. There, I saw a cake sizzling upon a stone, and a jug of water. My stomach gave an answering, painful growl. I thought at once of the story of Elijah in the wilderness as he fled to Mount Sinai, and an angel met him along the way with just such refreshment as this.  Gabriel hovered just behind me as I wolfed down the repast, closing My eyes in bliss as I savored the flavors. The cake was smaller than I would have liked, but I also knew better than to break such a long fast with a large meal. Nevertheless, had I had the option, it would have been hard to resist.  When I had finished, I turned back to Gabriel.  “I wonder that I have never met him before,” I said, meaning Satan. “But then, I've never drawn attention to Myself before.”  The angel nodded, and pointed at the sky with a slight smirk. “That got his attention, I think.”  I laughed, and then grew thoughtful. “Yes. But I needed it, too.” Of course, I literally needed the power of the Spirit to begin My ministry—but what I meant was that I had emotionally needed the open vision and the Father's voice, too. After thirty years of obscurity, I had not doubted My identity per se, but the overt confirmation had certainly been a relief. Gabriel understood this.   “That has always been the struggle,” Gabriel agreed. “Physical manifestations of power alert Satan to where the battle is.” Then he added, “He gave up for now, but he'll be back, whenever he thinks You're at Your most vulnerable. He's like the Amalekites in that way.”  I gave a short laugh, catching the reference to the tribe that had first attacked the Israelites in the wilderness by picking off the weak and stragglers among them. “Of course he is. The Amalekites got that strategy from him.” I sighed and mused to Myself, “I'll have to be careful. Anything I say plainly or do in the natural realm is double-edged: he can see or hear it just as surely as those for whom it is intended. Which is why so many of the prophets spoke in mysteries and dark sayings.”  Gabriel sank down to the ground beside Me, mimicking My posture with his arms around his knees. “He never understood any of the prophecies about You until it was too late,” the angel agreed. “Oh, he knew vaguely of course: Seed of Eve, line of Abraham, and that kind of thing—so he did his best to corrupt the earth, keep Abraham's line barren until there were too many of them to bother with that strategy, and then kill or corrupt the Jews in general. But if he could have narrowed it down to Your exact line…” He shook his head. “Even at the time of Your birth, the best he could do was inspire Herod to kill all the babies two and under in Israel. He didn't understand that—” “‘Out of Egypt I have called My Son,'” I finished, quoting from Hosea.  Gabriel nodded. “Right. He was looking for you in the wrong country. The truth was written in black and white—” “But in a dark saying,” I agreed, and bit My lip. I thought of David's seemingly superfluous musical gift of the harp, which turned out to be his ticket into Saul's palace. I, likewise, had a gift for story telling. Now I understood why. I looked up at Gabriel.  “I am to teach the people in parables,” I realized. “So that ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding'…”  “Except for those whose hearts have been prepared to perceive and to understand,” Gabriel agreed.  “By My cousin.” I gave a short laugh, and then sighed. “Even then, I'll have to be careful what I say. He'll be watching Me very closely from now on.”  Gabriel stood and brushed himself off, which was also My cue that it was time to head back to Capernaum.  “Yes,” he said, “I daresay Satan won't take his eyes off of You for a second, from this moment on.” 

Introduction For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for…

Introduction For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall…

See all the Healthcast's at https://www.biobalancehealth.com/healthcast-blog/ Introduction: For many years I have advised my patients to abstain from alcohol while they are working on losing fat and to achieve their ideal weight. There are three reasons behind this advice, first because I have observed the effect alcohol has on the progress of my patient's weight loss over 30 years of medical practice, second, I have read thousands of research papers that test the different ways people lose fat as well as the studies that reveal the roadblocks to fat loss, and finally I have been taught the basic physiology of the way our metabolism works and what slows it down. Because of my daily experience, medical research and scientific knowledge I can tell you that drinking alcohol while you are attempting to lose weight will block fat loss and sabotage any diet plan! How the Body Metabolizes Food: Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins Let me start by explaining some facts about how humans metabolize foods, the names of hormones involved and what each of them does. Some of our hormones increase fat loss and some slow fat loss. Hormones of Weight Loss and Weight Gain: Insulin: This hormone is produced by the pancreas in response to eating. If you produce too much insulin your body becomes resistant to it and it literally can't get into your cells to burn calories. Insulin is supposed to carry blood sugar through the cell wall of each of your cells and produce energy. If it can't get in the cell it is carried to the fat tissues and it makes more fat.  High insulin is generally because of a high carb diet, lack of exercise and this condition is called Insulin Resistance. Cortisol: This hormone is produced in the cortex of your adrenal gland and its production follows a diurnal or daily cycle. Cortisol is highest at 8 am and lowest at 3 am. Cortisol is called the stress hormone because when you are anxious, scared or depressed, the stress you are feeling causes cortisol to increase.  Cortisol increases blood sugar levels; insulin levels and breaks down muscle tissue to increase the blood sugar available for fight or flight reactions.  Cortisol is called a catabolic hormone because it breaks down tissue to produce blood sugar. The only tissue that grows under the influence of cortisol is fat! Thyroid hormones/iodine speeds up the metabolic process and burns calories, burns fat, causes weight loss and increases energy production, while it speeds the body temperature, blood pressure and pulse. Without Thyroid hormones you don't burn calories, so you gain weight and swell with extra water weight. Testosterone: is a hormone made in the ovaries and testes. Testosterone stimulates the growth and strength of muscle tissue, the thickness of bone and connective tissue, and stimulates the maintenance of neurologic tissue, brain and peripheral nerves, and keeps the sexual tissues young and health just as they are when we are young. Testosterone increases muscle tissue while breaking down fat. These hormones must be sufficient, not too low or too high to facilitate the burning of fat during weight loss.  It is not desirable to lose muscle mass while losing weight which is what happens when you fast (not intermittent fasting). Before embarking on a weight loss program, I always make sure that my patients have normal levels of all of the hormones listed to assist in their metabolism so they can lose fat, not muscle and they can be healthier when they get to their ideal weight. Roadblocks to Fat loss: Alcohol consumption! So far, we have talked about how hormones play a key role in the physiology of weight gain and loss. The next step is devising a plan for food or “fuel” intake and exercise.  Under the heading of food intake, we always discuss coffee, soda and alcohol intake during the time my patient is attempting to achieve ideal weight.  I have listened to whining, crying and begging when I tell my patients they cannot drink alcohol if they want to successfully lose fat and maintain muscle mass.  Remember I didn't make the rules I am just the coach trying to help my patients reach their own healthy goals!  Why does Alcohol Prevent Weight Loss? It is true that alcohol of any amount has no place in weight loss.  But why? Alcohol is not a carb, a fat or a protein, it is categorized as a “TOXIN” (a poison).  By looking at the content of carbohydrates in an alcoholic beverage you cannot calculate the damage it will do to your weight loss progress.  Because alcohol is a toxin your body prioritizes it to be broken down in the liver before food or any other type of drink you swallow.  The liver is how our food is broken down and metabolized so the liver basically halts the metabolism of all the food you have eaten in the recent past and spends its time getting alcohol out of your system. Having just one drink can stop all the fat burning your body would normally be doing for days!  Your exercise or lack of calories doesn't cause weight loss after alcohol intake because your body is busy removing a deadly component of alcohol called acetate, not burning fat. The bottom line when it comes to alcohol while on a diet is “Don't Do it!”.   How should I socially drink and what type of alcohol can I have after I have achieved my fat-loss goal?   First pick an alcoholic beverage that is low on calories and that is not mixed with a carbohydrate mixer (like sugared soda, or marguerita mix, or bar syrup). Space out your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water, one for one. Don't eat carbohydrate snacks with alcohol of any kind, eat protein snack like nuts, not chips! Limit your number of drinks per social event to 2. That means 2 half full wine glasses of wine or 2 mixed drinks with one jigger of alcohol each.   I am always asked,” What are the best types of alcohol to consume when it comes to not gaining weight from drinking?”  Well, I can tell you that Ale, sweet wine, and drinks mixed with bar syrup are the worst choices.  Here is the list of Types of Alcoholic beverages, calories and number of grams of carbohydrate that each drink contains.  You can read this and make your own choice.   TYPE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CATEGORIES OF ALCOHOL CALORIES/SERVING CARBOHYDRATES/SERVING BEER LIGHT BEER 100 5 GMS/12 OZ   REGULAR BEER 150 10 GMS/12 OZ   ALE 240 22 GMS/12 OZ WINE DRY RED 150 4 GMS/SERVING   DRY WHITE 125 3 GMS/SERVING   DRY SPARKLING 110 2 GMS/SERVING SPIRITS VODKA, GIN, WHISKY, TEQUILA, SCOTCH 95 CAL/SHOT 0 GRAMS OF CARB—BT MIXERS ARE USUALLY ALL CARB!   Before you gain all your fat back after a successful diet by drinking vodka every night remember that any alcohol shuts down your fat burning metabolism and can cause fast and ugly weight gain! Alcohol of any type also increases your appetite and lowers your ability to say no to more and more food and alcohol. I think the “best” drink for calories and low carb is a greyhound, which is fresh squeezed grapefruit juice plus vodka (no sweetener or bar syrup) or sparking water and vodka or club soda and vodka.  Margueritas are usually around 600 or more calories a drink and the larger ones are even more! In summary if you need to lose fat, replace your testosterone, and if you're a woman, replace your estradiol as well with pellets. If your thyroid is low replace your thyroid hormone to normal and if you are pre-diabetic/insulin resistant, then take Metformin Extended Release along with abstaining from alcohol while you are losing weight.  When you are on maintenance after you have reached your goal, be careful to only drink low calorie, low carb alcohol so you don't regain it all too quickly. Remember success with fat loss is only success if the fat stays off!

Introduction: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 Luke 2:14 - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" When Jesus is My Prince of Peace: I am at peace with God . Romans 5:1, 10 - Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. I am at peace in my Heart . John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Philippians 4:6-7 - do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I am at peace with Others . Romans 16:20 - The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Romans 12:18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Isaiah 9:6What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?Give a Biblical definition of peace. What does the Bible mean when God speaks of peace?Explain how the peace Jesus gives is different from the peace the world gives (John 14:27).Tell of a time you experienced the “peace that passes understanding” during a personal crisis (Philippians 4:6-7). How would you encourage another believer to experience this during their crisis?BreakoutPray for one another.

Introduction: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 You Will Call Him... (Isaiah 9:6) How Can a Baby Be an Everlasting Father? Everlasting: Born , but without Beginning . Luke 2:25-32 - ...waiting for the consolation of Israel......revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ....my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, John 8:56-58 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." Father: Unique , but Exactly Identical . Hebrews 1:2-3 - ...the exact imprint of his nature" Colossians 1:15-19 - in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell... ...you do know him and have seen him." John 14:6-10 - Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." What Do We Need from a Father? Provider (Luke 11:9-13) Role Model (Eph 4:32-5:2) Selflessness Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Isaiah 9:6What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?Do you think of Jesus as eternal? How has your understanding of Jesus’ eternality increased as you have matured in Him?If available, read different translations of Isaiah 9:6 (HBC uses the English Standard Version, or ESV). How do those translations differ, if at all? How does the present tense of the verb “to be” (used in the Hebrew text) affect your understanding of Jesus?In what ways are we helped by knowing Jesus is “the exact imprint” of God? How does that affect your understanding of God?What are ways Jesus models God the Father for us?If you do not or did not have a positive relationship with your earthly father, how can Jesus as your everlasting father transform and satisfy your need for that essential relationship?BreakoutPray that Jesus will reveal Himself to you as your everlasting father.

Introduction: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 You Will Call Him... (Isaiah 9:6) My God . Romans 10:9 - Jesus is Lord John 20:31 - Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God John 8:24 - unless you believe that I am (he) Matthew 12:32 My Mighty God. 2 Chronicles 14:9-12a 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 - For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Isaiah 9:6What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?Why is believing “Jesus is God” necessary for salvation? Why can't someone be saved by believing “Jesus was just a great prophet and example for mankind”?What is “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 12:32)? Why is that an unforgivable sin? How do you know when someone has committed that sin?Name some ways people look to other avenues for help instead of seeking the Mighty God’s help. Why are we so prone to do this?BreakoutPray for one another, specifically to seek the Lord to fight your battles, instead of enlisting other help.

Introduction: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 Three Reasons Why Jesus is The Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6): His counsel is Timeless . (Isaiah 46:9-10) His counsel is Personal . (Hebrews 2:17-18 | Hebrews 4:15) His counsel is Life . (John 12:46 | John 8:12 | Matthew 11:27-30) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Isaiah 9:6What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?Why are we prone to take counsel from “experts” whose perspective is limited?Does the timelessness of Jesus’ counsel affect the value you place on it? Why or why not?Can you recall a time when Jesus gave you counsel, e.g., through the Scripture, through a sermon, during prayer, etc.? What was that counsel, and what did you do in response?Light and darkness are recurring themes in Scripture. What does light make possible? What does the light of Christ do to or for us? (John 12:46)What is the relationship between light and counsel? (see John 8:12)BreakoutPray that God will illuminate the Scripture and your mind more and more to better understand and apply Jesus’ wonderful counsel.

Luke 21:25-38 Introduction For those of you who are sports fans, you may know the anxiety of whether your favourite team is going to win. The situation may be that your team losing by a significant margin and you are hoping for a last minute comeback or it may be a very close game which… Read more

Welcome to EPISODE #31, this is Andrea Samadi, a former educator who has been fascinated with understanding the science behind high performance strategies in schools, sports and the workplace for the past 20 years. Today we have a flashback interview from 2016. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing some of our high-level interviews that are hosted in our online learning portal for schools and the workplace. These interviews are eye-opening with some of the most powerful insights from world leaders, and high achievers from around the globe. This interview was audio only, but there are some visuals on YouTube of Nik's work.Today I want to introduce you to The Thrillionaire® Entrepreneurial Alchemist, Civilian Astronaut, Extreme Adventurer, and Keynote Speaker. Nik Halik is the founder and CEO of Lifestyle Revolution and 5 Day Weekend®. He became a multi-millionaire and amassed great wealth through savvy investments in property, business and the financial markets. Nik’s group of companies have financially educated and life coached over 1 Million clients in over 57 countries.Nik has trekked to over 157 countries, dived to the wreck of the Titanic to have lunch on the bow, been active as a mountaineer on some of the world's highest peaks, performed a HALO skydive above the summit of Mt Everest in the Himalayas, climbed into the crater of an exploding erupting volcano [1,700 Degrees Fahrenheit] for an overnight sleepover and just recently, entering the hermit kingdom of North Korea to expose a sweat shop factory operating illegally for an American conglomerate. To learn more about Nik Halik visit www.nikhalik.com or find him on Twitter @nikhalik or Facebook Nik Halik. He was the back-up Astronaut for the NASA / Russian Soyuz TMA-13 flight to the International Space Station in 2008. He currently remains in mission allocation status for a future flight to Earth's only manned outpost in orbit– the International Space Station with the Russian Federation. Andrea Samadi: He has a crazy background. If you look him up, you can see, and when you get to know Nik, you learn that he's humble down to earth with zero ego. He just wants to do as much as he can to help others. Take a listen to what Nik has to say. His story is so powerful, it will blow your mind on how he's taken his vision for his life and created a screenplay for that vision and how he's living that out now.QUESTIONS NIK WILL UNCOVERQuestion 1: I’ve never seen anyone who has set and achieved such high goals for themselves. What was the situation that ignited your passion to live life to its fullest?Question 2: How did you heal your body so you could go out into the world and accomplish your goals?Question 3: Nik, you make everything look so simple. Was what you have done difficult? How do you approach the obstacles you have faced?Question 4: Do you still count down each day in your life so you live each day to it’s fullest? NOTE: The ticker website is no longer working, but the concept or idea is valuable.Question 5: What do you do in your down time? Do you watch tv and if so, what are you watching/learning from these days?Introduction: For the first decade of his life, Nick Halik was medically confined to his bedroom, so at age eight he drafted the screenplay of his life, including his top 10 list of goals. At age 14 he opened up his very first business. At age 17 he relocated to Hollywood, California to perform live on stage. At age 19 he bought his very first investment property. Five years later, he became a multimillionaire. Now he owns private homes in the most beautiful places on earth, nature versus the planet and pursues exciting how your adrenaline and Epic adventures. He has summited the highest mountains in the world and visited over 100 countries. He's dived down five miles and had lunch on the bow of the ship wreck Titanic. He empowers thousands of individuals, passionately sharing his life story and insights on how to live a true life. In 2009, he wrote an additional goal to create and inspire 1 million new thrilling airs across the globe and to sell fund the building of educational schools in poor remote villages across South America and Africa. Nik became a flight qualified and certified civilian astronaut. Now he's set to rocket to outer space, live on a space station and with future plans to walk the lunar surface of the moon, completing the remainder of his original top 10 list of goals. Let's give a warm welcome to global wealth strategists, successful entrepreneur, national speaker, astronauts, high adrenaline adventure and best selling author.Andrea Samadi: Nik, we are thrilled to speak with you today where we reached you today.Nik Halik:  I'm just basically, you know, in a airline lounge right now. I've just been traveling around the world. I've been in Iran, Italy, and Brazil the last,  10 days. I've been in a whirlwind tour. And, right now I'm just making my way to Asia and Australia the next few days.Andrea Samadi: So exciting. Now, Nik, the purpose of this call is to inspire young people who study the Jumpstart to Success program. So they're motivated and empowered by your story to create their own exciting ethic following your lead in example. Now I'm going to give a quick background for those who are listening and have not heard of Nik Halik yet, but if anyone goes on Google and just looks up your name, you'll be blown away by what he has accomplished in his lifetime. Now, Nik, I've never heard of people who've set goals like this. Can you go and explain to our listeners what situation influenced you to set such extraordinary goals for yourselfNik Halik: Definitely you know, like, I mean for the first 10 years of my life, for those who are not really privy to my life story, but,  I was medically confined to my bedroom. I had chronic allergies, debilitating asthma, and I pretty much led that the boy in the plastic bubble type life kind of thing. I never really joined academia until about age 10. So I believe my initial conditioning was somewhat different because I sort of grew up, I mean my, my initial mentors where the encyclopedia Britannica and the world of Tintin who was this animated cartoon hero, this Robin reporter going into most craziest adventures around the world. And it's amazing how sort of reflect on my life. I mean there's the articulate side, but there's also the, the, there's also the,  the kaleidoscopic adventurous side gang on wakey crazy adventures and all sorts of this kind of things.Nik Halik: So for me, I sort of grew up differently because the world, to me, that, I will never be able to lead, live a ordinary life. I mean, I'll always be played by medical complications, medical hurdles or whatever. So for me, I've, I just changed the polarity on the whole world. I mean, I just changed my whole map of the world. In fact, you know, basically everybody knows, I just perceived it as a temporary. Yes and I just, I kind of, I just changed the polarity of my thinking. So an actual fact as opposed to being tired, I was going to live a very ordinary lifestyle. I knew that I to extract more out of my life in order to live a more extra ordinary type life. So at age eight, I drafted the screenplay to my life and those top 10 list of goals, is basically consumed over 32 years of my life and I'm still acting out those goals, those very same goals.Andrea Samadi: Wow. What a story.That's just amazing. I can understand how it happened because I'm a mom and I had a daughter who was ill, very ill, young, and so I'd had to pull her out of school so I understand how it happened, but in my head, at age 10, how did you, did you heal yourself, do you think?Nik Halik: Here's the thing, I mean, I was placed in an incubator round about 30 days old and I mean I was, I was actually born a 10 pound five ounces and I, and I lost a lot of weight. I got really sick, was in and out of hospitals for like for the first, you know, the first eight years kind of thing. And that was tough and for a long time there, you know, in incredibly paranoid parents as you can imagine. But here's the thing, you know, say pharmaceutically,  doped, you know, addicted and it wasn't around until about age 10 that I basically just stopped taking all the pharmaceutical drugs. You see. The thing was my immune system was so addicted. These debilitating and chronic allergies and asthma.Nik Halik: What have you, I mean, You are so weak that I'm even a sick of dust and in cental Poland. But, I stopped, I changed the polarity thinking I stopped, I refuse to go the doctors and the hospitals and I refuse to take the medication. And, it wasn't like an overnight turnaround. But, it was a gradual process and I just, you know, I mean, I really healed. But here's the thing, I, I believe that the doctors and the pharmaceutical industry had sabotaged my health and all I basically did was, you know, I gave life to that particular you know, mindset I guess. And I, I had personally altered that particular paradigm and change it. So I can just, I can do things more on my terms as opposed to being dictated to by the pharmaceutical industry.Andrea Samadi: absolutely. So you really did find and prove the mind body connection,Nik Halik: And it's like a particular frequency. Once you dial into it, it's like bottles of the bag. It's like there was just, you know, there was a whole world that that appeared to me kind of thing. And, for me, what really kept me going was when I, when I sort of digested and absorbed every page of the encyclopedia Britannica, I knew there was a world that that existed outside my bedroom windows kind of thing. And that was the one of those that was that captivating, caliber budding type energy though that kept me going because I wanted to like, you know, live their life that existed in the encyclopedia Britannica. And I knew that all's all up to me and that's an actual day. And the crazy thing was a, I wrote down my top 10 list of goals and as I reflect on our same top 10 list of goals, inadvertently what I did was I drafted the screenplay to my life because, and, and since age eight, you know, I've been the actor, the producer, and a director of my top 10 screenplay that I wrote down as an eight year old.Nik Halik: And you know, I'm still accountable to their young eight year old. They're still resides in my heart because here's my coach and I'm still the student because it's the little, this little eight year old kid still inside me, they're still dictates and drives my life.Andrea Samadi: Wow. Nick, it's such a powerful story when, when I read what you've accomplished, I was curious how you got past and healed your body to start blowing out all your goals so at age 14 opening your first business. It couldn't have just happened. Like it seemed like it was so easy for you.Nik Halik: I mean, trust me, I've had every medical, every medical hurdle and obstacle. I mean, I'm going to want, I embrace obstacles. I love obstacles. I look, I seek obstacles where most people actually feel and a deterred by them. For me, it's the only way to grow and for me. And so I'm so fortunate, even though I had all these, I had all these medical dramas, I'm so fortunate to have had that type of experience because it extracted more out of my life. It extracted more out of me because, you know, being pharmaceutically addicted, I lost my faculty of thinking. Whereas I claimed ownership on my thinking and you know, and you know. And an interesting thing was, you know, those top 10 list of goals. I didn't view it as a, as a bucket list because I don't believe in bucket lists.Nik Halik: I think, I think buckle is a very negative because you know, why have a buckle list and you know, and then you know, be told you've got terminal cancer and then one day decide to live a life. I mean, I became the assessment on my own life. In other words, they become this. I became like an assassin going out there to make sure that I extract the most kaleidoscopic adventures and just add as much color into my life and nothing because I was deprived of that in my first book and using my life. Trust me. I mean, you know, I've just, life has just reciprocated with interests for me.Andrea Samadi: Absolutely. I actually saw an interview that you did on 21st century TV with Lou Hardy that you mentioned that you had somewhere a ticker. Do you still do that Are you still, um, timing each day as if it's your lastNik Halik: yeah, I've actually got a, I'll put up a website a number of years ago and it's basically my, my countdown clock to my life expiry enough basically every day. I mean, I'm, you know, I, all my life I've always, I've always done the most extreme things, but I've always polarized and changed the polarity of how I basically view life. NOTE: The ticker is no longer on Nik's website, but the idea is still valuable.Nik Halik: I mean, look, there are statistics out there that basically tell how long I'm going to live for, for example, a female in America is about, uh, about 81 and for a male 77 is the average. Well, here's the thing, why do people buy into this? What do people bind to these statistics? And what I view, you know, these are invested interests, is, is there an agenda. And it turned out to a lot of individuals when they do retire with continues in retirement, most people tend to die because they've lost it. They've given up a purpose led life a lot without purpose, basically all you're doing is you'll, you'll, you're retiring and you'll find your job securing preparation to dichotomy. So for me, I love life because I knew that the first 10 years of my life were very, very young and very tumultuous kind of thing.Nik Halik: So for me, I love live and I've gone to great lengths to make sure that I loved my life and live my life each day as if it's my lines kind of thing. And genetically wise, looking at my family tree, my great, great grandparents, my grandparents, and you know, really exemplary the family tree and examining my culture, the foods that I eat, how I live my life. I sort of worked out a particular age that I see foreseeable in relation to my light's expiring date. And I created a, I created a countdown clock.Nik Halik: I've got a thousand of clients who are using my philosophy and they've taught me that the productivity levels have skyrocketed over 200% because they're getting more done on the day. They're this, they're smiling, they're more happy each day because they're approaching age days. If it's the last day. And think about it, if today was your last day, what would you do differently You'll extract more out of it. You'll tell people that you love them, you know, your contact friends they haven't seen in years, and take them out to lunch, you'll go down and do dates, point of vigils without the accolades kind of thing. You'd go in there and make a difference. So that's exactly how I approached my life on a daily basis. So, I mean today, I've got you can, you can probably, I'll tell you exactly how many, how many thousands of hours I've got to go.Nik Halik: Um, It's probably about, I mean, you've probably got a NikHalik.com you could probably say for yourself, but it's a very, very unique social experiment that's really had a great impact on my clients.Andrea Samadi:So there is no television watching on your end? I see you don't waste your time?Nik Halik: I'll look, I'll watch probably television at nighttime kind of thing. But for me it's gotta be, um, it's going to be educational. It's gonna be something, it's going to be insightful. And it's unfortunate. I mean, I live in the United States in an 85% of American television is all reality TV. I mean, you know, there's, here's the thing, the system right now, the way it works, there's, there's a, there's an agenda right now about the dumbing, the dumbing down and the numbing, the numbing down on the world's population. Because when you dumbed down the population, you keep them in field and then capitalism kicks in and you make sure that, um, uh, society basically takes on way too much debt.Nik Halik: Now they live in fear of losing their house, their job, their car, and whatever kind of thing. And now you're, you're dumbing down the population. You feed them crap on television, which means you're now able to control the population. It control the faculty of their respective thinking. And what happens People die on time. Why Because it's, it's, I mean, look, there's, there's a lot of thinking around this. And the way I look alive is I'm not gonna allow anybody else to dictate their perception of me. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna allow anybody else to define my reality. In other words, I've drafted my own screenplay of my own date, my own expiry date. Uh, in life. There are two rules. One of the one, there are no rules. One, number two is don't forget rule number one. And that's pretty much how I view live.Nik Halik: And I, I can control anything in the world except the weather and traffic. But I want to, I want control. I want total dominion about everything in life. And for me, it's all about I'm living, love my own terms and conditions at all times.Andrea Samadi: Absolutely, did anyone discourage you or laugh when you showed them your goals?Nik Halik: You know what, And it only served the purpose of energizing me further. And I love it. I, NASA is a lab dream still is. A lot of individuals are say no because I perceived a person's no as a temporary. Yes. Because ultimately I will always get in my way. Right. You know, you know, I'll negotiate my way out of any particular circumstance in life. I'll always get to my way because, you know, for me it's, it's, it's, it's not about changing my life.Nik Halik: I want to impact other people's lives because in the words of Socrates, Socrates said in life, and let it be measured by your contribution. You know So for me, I view myself and my teachings as a bottle break for, you know, for freedom seeking free spirit of visionaries, change agents, rebels, rockstars, entrepreneurs and pioneers. And that is my why. That's what defines me. That's what drives me and me. That's what I'm, you know, that's what really calibrates me because there are individuals just like me who says they are different, you know, I mean, you know, I mean, I've cut a part of my life now to the highest order right now. You know, why Because I sensed the disturbances in the fabric of human society and I knew there was something there. And I'm new and I'm, and I view my teachings and my, my, my role as a leader right now, you know, uh, I'm a big enough light, Illumina and a path for others to follow. I want to be a lighthouse. I want to inspire them so they in turn can inspire the next generation and the next generation kind of thing. Because, you know, the way I look at it, there's a brain rewarding neural pathway, which gives access to that reckless life quality that produces this particular calibration of energy.Andrea Samadi: Absolutely.  How did you, who mentored you to get to this level of thinking I know the adventures of Tintin on television, the Britannica, but, who, who got your mind to this level?Nik Halik: Yeah. Well, here's the thing, right Um, you know, for the age of the men, I've always been inspired by a lot of individuals. I've always been inspired by a lot of individuals, um, historical figures who then became part of my virtual mastermind in my teenage years. I used to have cutouts on my virtual mastermind individuals from the history. And I would always, I would always recount back to them and go, what would he say What would he do What would they say So I had my virtual mastermind. They were pretty much a part of my life and my teenage years. But it wasn't until I arrived in the United States as a teenager that I'm Bob Proctor's teaching. Bob, we had a great kaleidoscopic influence I have in my life kind of thing. And, you know, Bob gave me a set of You Were Born Rich and Bob Proctor also exposed me to Napoleon Hill or all in the same year.Nik Halik: And mind you, I was only a teenager at this particular point. And the funny thing is being exposed to Napoleon Hill's work by Bob Proctor, I'm now an advisor for the Napoleon Hill Foundation. I've actually partnered with them and I've been involved at a couple of projects with them, in a couple of their, products, which is, which has been a great, a great testimony to their particular calibrating mindset kind of thing. But being exposed as a young teenager and now being an advisor for their sane Napoleon Hill Foundation,  and absolute buzz. But definitely I actually, Bob Proctor is my, in a Bob's like the alkaline battery of the personal development industry kind of thing. And Bob Proctor, you know, I call him my godfather, but, he's had his, an amazing impact on my life too. And I love the guy. I mean, I'm going to be with him in a couple of months time. We'll be speaking together in Toronto, in Canada. But, he truly is an Epic individual.Andrea Samadi: Absolutely. We share the same mentor. He's behind the whole Jumpstart to Success program through videos. And he's definitely the one that I met in my late twenties that changed my path.Nik Halik: Right. Definitely. It like, you know, he drills deeper than anybody else in the industry kind of thing. And like is a, is it really is a, it's just a, is this a wonderful noble individuals, a wonderful person.Andrea Samadi: Exactly. Now, Nick, what are you doing now with your time What's your next stepNik Halik: Well, for me, I'm, I'm on this constant quest to basically, visit every country on the planet. I've now been to 135 countries. I've got 63 more countries remaining. You know, I've climbed the highest mountains in the world. You know, I've had lunch in the Titanic, I've rocketed into space. You know, I've, I've explored the deepest caves with the largest crystals on the planet. So for me, it's all about adding more color to my life, you know, and I've got, all those remaining 10 goals that are right down as a young eight year old, eight down, two to go. I've got to fly to the international space station in the coming years that I've already negotiated with the Russian government. And the bigger hurdle, which will be number one, will be toward the lunar surface of the moon. And, um, I've got a backup plan if my life was to expire for whatever reason, I've already paid an American consortium to rock and my crematory remains to the literal sense of the moon.Nik Halik: That way I will get to walk an event because on the moon there is no atmosphere, no rain, no wind, meaning where my ashes are sprinkled on the moon, I will get to walk on the moon irrespective, I guess, you know. So for me it's all about, um, you know, um, there's so much I want to do and it's like I'm, I'm just, you know, I'm, I'm blessed to live this life and I don't waste each day. I, man, I make each day count, you know, I want to impact people's lives on a daily basis kinda thing. And for me that's, that's what's really, um, as what's calibrated very, very strong in me ever since I was a young boy kind of thing. And, you know, ultimately it's my responsibility to leave the world a better place. You know, it's the legacy, it's the footprints that I'll leave behind and I want to keep that big and of light, still illuminating for the next few centuries. That isAndrea Samadi: absolutely. Well, Nick, you're incredibly inspiring and we want to follow you and keep up learning from you as you keep moving forward. What's the best way for people to learn and watch you?Nik Halik: Definitely www.nikhalik.comAndrea Samadi: Well, you're such an inspiration, Nick, and I want to thank you so much for taking the time as you're traveling on the road and all over the world to speak with our students that will study the Jumpstart to Success program. We're going to follow you and I'll keep everyone updated on where Nik is and we just want to thank you so much. You're an amazing individual, so inspiring and you're definitely making an impact on the world.Nik Halik: Thank you so much. Definitely. So, you know, in passing, just, you know, dare to dream, Liberty, passion, define your smile and just monetize your passion and monetize your life. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time.  

Recovery Happy Hour celebrates inspiring stories of recovery from alcohol addiction and gray area alcohol abuse.  Hosted by Tricia Lewis, we look at life beyond the bottle and what's current in sober culture. Introduction: For the Families Interview: Tom Harrison, Co-Author of "The Complete Family Guide to Addiction" Links: Buy "The Complete Family Guide to Addiction"

  INTRODUCTION For this episode we welcome a show favorite, John Cribbs. John, along with co-founder Christopher Funderburg, manage and contribute to the long form movie review, discussion, archive and analysis website 'The Pink Smoke' www.thepinksmoke.com one of the greatest film website situations on this godforsaken planet. The film we are discussing tonight was introduced to me and Dan Pullen (aka 'fucking Dan Pullen'), by John and is a first view for both of us. The movie does not include our usually amount of blood and mayhem... or any of Dan's favorite subjects (Demon Fucking) but it does have a darkness and subversiveness to it that lends itself well to our Four Brains One Movie compendium of questionable material. Tonight's film is Noel Black's 1968 film "Pretty Poison", starring Anthony Perkins and Tuesday Weld. We had a great time with John and learned a lot as usual when he is on the show. Give the show a listen, and when you are done with that, let us know what you think on Twitter.... links:   @danpullenbooks @BradleyjKornish or  @4brains1movie and then when you are done with that, follow: John Cribbs C. A. Funderburg and of course The Pink Smoke

Introduction For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you…

There's risk of being disconnected, there's risk of not actually getting ideas out to the world, and good grief we get one shot at this life time. Not harnessing the tools of technology right now to amplify what you learn or what your mentors have taught you, and what your education is giving you, is a huge mistake. Introduction For this week's podcast we are excited to feature Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson (twitter:@SeattleMamaDoc). Dr. Swanson fulfills many roles in addition to being a pediatric physician. She is the Chief of Digital Innovation at Seattle Children's Hospital, author of the Seattle Mama Doc blog, labeled one of Time Magazine's Best Twitter Feeds of 2013, and even appears on television regularly providing medical information on Seattle's King5 news. We discuss a broad area of topics within this podcast such as: Dr. Swanson implementing social media and digital media in her practice to aid in patient education, purchasing shoes on instagram and the removal of "friction" within business, how she takes care of herself when she is stressed, and much more. She explains how she created a new position in her hospital which helped her become a leader in her community, and how we can take responsibility in our life and profession without 'breaking the rules' of the system. Let's learn from this amazing next guest, Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson and don't forget to check out Dr. Swanson's blog, Seattle Mama Doc, by clicking here! *** Join The Happy Doc Team! Link in to the social media, subscribe to the podcast, and join the e-mail list on the sidebar! Facebook       Instagram      Twitter Link Link *** Sample of the conversation: Removing friction in healthcare I think what's so remarkable about that space [social media], is that the digital interface is right in the consumer space and completely taking friction out of it. So Starbucks for example, and this is data from over a year ago, but over 30% of their customers are using their app. And this is not a Starbucks advertisement, but if you've used the Starbucks app, what you find is that not only is there a kind of loyalty program built in where I can get a free salad every twelve coffees I get, but ultimately I can pre-order my coffees.   I'm walking towards the hospital, I can click on the latte, I walk over there, and it's just sitting there for me. I upload with my fingerprint and basically it takes me away from the money. The friction from what takes time in the interface for me to actually consume is gone. So I think when I look at this from an ethical standpoint or public health standpoint, everything and anything we do in some ways, I think should it make it easier for us to get information to patients and families at the right time, and at the right place, that they deserve. On creating Seattle Mama Doc and crafting a new position in her hospital I didn't let the system tell me how I was going to do [my job]...I basically wrote a purpose and goals document based on the strategies of what the hospital was saying were priorities and then fitting in what I thought could help...People are writing mommy blogs...And it was just like wait, moms are reading mommy blogs and they're learning about vaccines there? Wait they're not only learning about it from their pediatrician? Then I need to write a mommy blog, which is when I started writing Seattle Mama Doc...this isn't a hobby, this is part of my job as a clinician, and a communicator, and a pediatrician. The importance of the Digital Fingerprint You know with medical students residents and trainees, we talk so much about making sure they're making their digital footprint. Making sure, that what they've left behind, is careful and thoughtful and  it's professional, that it represents who they are in the professional sphere. But nobody really talks about.. not the footprint but the fingerprint. The idea for me that I think, the reason you should be using social media and connecting online and putting your bio up (not only on LinkedIn but Doximity) and on any other profile that you possibly can, that it's the beginning of you telling the world what you uniquely care about and what you're good at. That ultimately it doesn't matter if you're a researcher or you're an entrepreneur, or you're a primary care doctor or you're a cardiovascular surgeon, that people are going to look who you are online, and they're going to make opinions about you before they even know you. And you can kind of start knowing your patients families and colleagues whatever it is by that fingerprint. Everything you put online, is not to be so worried about, it's just this profound opportunity, to say here's what I'm learning about, here's the unique quilt of where I did my undergrad, here's what I did research in, here's the non-profit I worked for... and now [for example] I'm training in OBGYN and I care about sexually transmitted infections in teenagers. And the journey of how you got there and what you say is the beginning of how you create trust and you create leverage to solve the problems that you ultimately want to solve.  So I think, you know there's always ways to look at the things that we do and use in the digital sphere as risk, and there is risk,  but there's also risk in not using them. There's risk of being disconnected, there's risk of not actually getting ideas out to the world, and good grief we get one shot at this life time. And not harnessing the tools of technology right now to kind of amplify what you learn or what your mentors have taught you, and what your education is giving you, is . a huge mistake. For more of the conversation, listen to the audio!

大部分创业者、运营狗和产品狗们都需要面对一个让人苦恼的问题：如何让我的产品用户量（销售量、阅读量）增长？传统的做法，狗熊已经在那篇没有节操的文章里总结过：如何让 公众号 / app / 初创产品 拥有100000个用户？ (http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5MDgyMDQyMA==&mid=208018098&idx=1&sn=b8cfbf6de0ba938d203f5c1502492402#rd) 而除了这种拼臂力的笨办法之外，其实还有一种四两拔千斤的方法：使用「增长黑客」技巧，可以使用很低的成本，让销售实现巨大的增长。有人说，增长黑客就是现代互联网的「黑魔法师」。 什么是增长黑客？真的有花很少的钱就实现增长这样的好事？哪些公司曾经使用过增长黑客技巧？成为增长黑客需要什么能力？带着这些问题，大狗熊请到了畅销书《增长黑客》的作者，帅哥范冰（@xdash）老师作客「狗熊有话说」，和大家聊聊关于增长黑客的那些事儿。 嘉宾介绍：范冰，网名 XDash，88 年生人。北京乐游星空科技有限公司合伙人，二次元动漫项目「高能贩」产品总监。曾任职盛大创新院，担任「WiFi 万能钥匙」产品经理。中国最早的个人站长及共享软件开发者，科技博客「同步控」创始人，业余是自由设计师、开发者和网络营销机构顾问，亚马逊营销类 Top 1 畅销书《增长黑客》作者。 book http://img4.douban.com/lpic/s28225947.jpg xdash_thumb http://liqi.io/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/XDash.jpg 维基百科关于增长黑客的介绍： Growth hacking is a marketing technique developed by technology startups which uses creativity, analytical thinking, and social metrics to sell products and gain exposure. It can be seen as part of the online marketing ecosystem, as in many cases growth hackers are using techniques such as search engine optimization, website analytics, content marketing and A/B testing. Growth hackers focus on low-cost and innovative alternatives to traditional marketing, e.g. utilizing social media and viral marketing instead of buying advertising through more traditional media such as radio, newspaper, and television. Growth hacking is particularly important for startups, as it allows for a "lean" launch that focuses on "growth first, budgets second." Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Airbnb and Dropbox are all companies that use growth hacking techniques. 相关链接 | Links 图书《增长黑客》官网 (http://www.zengzhangheike.com) 范冰个人博客 (http://www.fanbing.net) 增长黑客的维基百科介绍页 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hacking) Introduction: For the entrepreneurs, product managers and other people involved in startup projects, there's a question that always haunts them: How to grow the saling, pageviews or users? There are some traditional ways, and you knew those way and I don't wanna talk about them. There's a terrific way to make the growth happen: Become a growth hacker. What is a growth hacker? Which companies did growth hacking? How to become a growth hacker? Fanbing, the arthor of the book: Growth Hacker, will answer these questions in Beartalk. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to do some growth hacking!

The Speculative Grammarian Survey of Grammar Writers—Phonology; by Morris Swadesh III; From Volume CLXVII, Number 1, of Speculative Grammarian, April 2013 — Introduction / For the past 40 months, Speculative Grammarian’s Office of Linguistic Documentation has conducted an extensive survey of linguists who have published descriptive grammars. Over 600 grammar writers responded to our extensive questionnaire, covering all areas of data-gathering, analysis, theory, and the processes of writing and publishing. (Read by Tuuli Mustasydän.)

   2 Corinthians 5:17–21 Thesis :: Mission is not something the church does, but it is something the church is. It is not what we do but who we are.  Introduction For the past 4 weeks we have had guest speakers and special presentations bent specifically towards mission, missions, and missionaries. This morning I have […]