Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Elevate your Life with 30 days of Holistic Optimal Soulful Living in June 2013 at King of Kings Lutheran Church


As your pastor, it is my dream and passion to inspire and encourage you to explore the wonders of His Abundant Life. He has invested His living presence in you. Experience Him to your fullest! I wish you soulful prosperity, vital health and true lasting wealth.

MY PLEDGE   Elevate is a portal into divine life. It is an invitation to explore God’s goodness and care. With consciousness and purposeful intention, Elevate can set separation between you and your rut.
Elevate is a voluntary 30 day program. It’s aims are peace, joy, healthy self-love, mobility, deep listening to God, inner freedom, self-discovery and elevated levels of divine presence. Elevate seeks to create a venue for individual optimization.
What if you took all of your good intentions, all of your fantastically creative ideas and your current understanding of health and activated them into full consciousness for 30 days of soulful living?
Step outside your self-created box. Watch the magic of abundance come and greet you.
“When Christianity devolves into small huddles reading books and preachers preaching only to the choir, then what was once called Christianity will begin to known as Christianity lost.”
The message of Jesus Christ unequivocally affirmed that the Abundant Life was God’s will for His children. Heaven is not just a location waiting on us up ahead. The reign of Heaven is here, it is now. His Kingdom HAS come. The specifics of abundant living express God’s divine work of restoration. He restores His children on three unique levels of being; soul, mind and body.
Felt oneness with God in Christ is the basis of true health and a never ending wealth. Our everlasting riches are in Christ. We never loose our riches. We just miss the call to use our inner wealth. Elevate is a 30 day experience of a holism that integrates the best of traditional religion, a Big and Definite Grace, Divine riches, along with the best of contemporary spirituality.
You are heartedly invited to join with us. Participation is voluntary. Choose any level. It’s OK to pick and choose. Choose according to your interest. Choose according to your felt need. Elevate is a soulful program that aims at common sense soulcare using a holistic model. If you have any questions if Elevate is for your lifestyle, please consult your family physician. Elevate does not contravene your doctor’s advice.
Read the options below. Each option has a symbol. We’re keeping it fun and creative. Each symbol calls to mind God’s awesome creative power for abundant living. Elevate is about creating a new standard of abundant living in our life. Read through the options. Pick and choose. Pick all of the symbols.  Pick none. Or you can pick as many as you choose. Circle or underline the option package that will you want to engage for 30 days of optimum soulful living.
SUN is Prayer. Elevate isn’t for me at this time but I will commit to offering prayer support for everyone in my church and everyone in Elevate. There are some options in Elevate that won’t fit my situation but I do love to pray and I am choosing to devote ____________ minutes a day, for the month of June, in personal prayer and meditation.    
OCEAN is The Word. I will memorize 4 Bible verses during Elevate and I accept the use of a Scripture accountability card which will be provided by Elevate.
SEQUOIA is Fake Food Collection. I will symbolically cleanse my kitchen. I will involve my kids. I want them to be more aware of making “real food” choices. I may choose to keep my fake food. I may choose to keep only some. I will be creative. I may choose to a 30 day quarantine on certain sections of my cabinets. I know that I can choose to bring some of my fake food to the Fake Food Collection table in the narthex on the first Sunday in June.
I’m not sure that I can spot every form  of fake food so I will use my common sense. I’m pretty sure that apples are more real food than are my sleeves of Oreos, corn chips and the jar of gooey cheesy queso sauce. Take your kitchen cleansing to any level you choose. Remember, your symbolic cleansing expresses your conscious choice to love God and your family by eating as healthy as you know how. Your family wants you to live long and prosper!
MARIGOLD is Dr Charley Cropley. Thursday. June 13. 7-9 PM. I want to discover something new about God’s awesome system of keeping my body healthy and feeling vital. I really hope to bring a friend to this two hour session.

Dr. Charley Cropley at King of Kings, June 13 from 7 – 9 PM.
Dr Cropely graduated from National College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1979. He has been a practicing Naturopathic Physician, teacher and author in the Boulder/Denver are for the last 25 years. He has trained hundreds of doctors in his methods of nutrition and Self-Healing. He is the author of numerous articles, several books and an array of audios and videos. He has been a frequent lecturer at the colleges of Naturopathic Medicine, and is widely regarded as one of today’s leading thinkers and teachers in the philosophy and practice of Self-Healing. His methods of Self-Healing are compatible with and strengthen all forms of medicine and therapy.
Dr. Cropley no longer prescribes any medicines. He teaches his “students” to heal all manner of health problems by strengthening their skill and self-control in four areas: Wholesome nutrition, strengthening exercise, positive thinking and developing honest, caring relationships. His students learn how to master their illnesses by mastering themselves. He practices what he teaches.
Charley teaches how to heal illness by healing ourselves, our own sick thoughts, words and deeds. He emphasizes that “Self-healing IS self-mastery”. The “enemy” is ourselves, not so called “diseases”. We must master the ways we eat, move, think and relate with others. The real work of Self-healing is gaining freedom from drugs, sugar, coffee, overeating, sedentary living, laziness, anxiety, depression, moodiness, irritability and on and on. Mastering oneself is the most challenging and… incomparably satisfying of all human endeavors. We heal the roots of sickness in ourselves not through force and self-coercion but through wisdom and compassion… by learning to love ourselves wisely through our most ordinary, everyday activities.


GRANITE is Purging.  I am willing to soulfully contemplate my relationship with these items:
Tobacco
Cannabis
Alcohol
Caffeine
refined sugars
fake sugar
Sodas & diet sodas
Candy
Candy drinks
And energy drinks.
This list is not exhaustive. We suggest that you follow your conscience. Ask yourself, “do I drink enough water? Can I enjoy the taste of water? Do I have an emotional or physical dependency?” I may choose to limit my exposure to these items in Granate. I may choose to merely pray about them and let it go from there. Or I may choose to abstain while I participate in Elevate. I can choose my level of commitment.
You may choose to fast from one or more of these items. You may choose to fast from an item that is not on this list but it is one that you feel might be an issue. The goal of fasting is not focused on giving something up. When you give something up, you will miss it. The goal of fasting is to convert moments of missing something into moments of seeking satisfaction from another source. Fasting is an ancient procedure for seeking moments of deeper fellowship with the Lord.
*Bear in mind. GRANITE is not focused just on the conscious choice of cutting back or abstinence. GRANITE also asks deeper questions of the heart. At times, we develop silent dependencies unawares. The discomfort of giving up something that we have come to depend on can be a time to seek the Lord’s presence in the place where we now feel a void. **Don’t go into guilt tripping. God loves you deeply and consistently. Whether or not you drink Dr Pepper, Red Bull or Gin. Abuse, no use, is the key question. How much of a bad thing is too much?   
SWORDFISH is Keeping it natural. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try uncooked, unsalted nuts. Drink plenty of water. Be aware of the methods used to farm and harvest your meat sources.      
NORTH STAR is Mobility. I am interested in the mobility component in Elevate. I am interested in participating in the fun run/walk 3K on Sunday, June 9, at 2 PM. Following the 3K walk/run, I am interested in meeting Zach Wilson. I understand that Zack is a fitness professional. I understand he is offering a series of simple exercise sessions at a special rate. Stretching and flexibility are key targets. I understand that Zach will focus on movements that are appropriate for me. I hear that he loves to make it fun. I want to meet him and hear him. Zach Wilson will join us in the basement following the 3K. The first visit with Zach on June 9 is free. If I choose to participate in his program, the fee is $45 per person for 7 sessions, $30 per person if a couple and their children 12 years and above. I understand that most of the sessions will be at Zach’s Crossfit Undeniable beside Carrabba’s Grill on the corner of 92nd and Old Wadsworth. *Apart from the mobility sessions in Elevate, on my own, as an individual, I want to set aside a set time to engage an exercise regime for the 30 days of June. I will exercise daily on my own for 30 days.    

Get fit with professional training from Zachary Wilson
 
 Hello King of Kings. I am Zachary Wilson. I am a native of Colorado. I live in Westminster. I spent five years in the Marine Corps. And I own Crossfit Undeniable.
I am excited to join you and Pastor Miller – and your friends from your community – in ELEVATE. I will be bring to ELEVATE over three years of my experience training, coaching, teaching and competing in CrossFit. I am passionate about empowering people to celebrate their God designed bodies for living life, loving large and enjoying the abundant health.
My background is CrossFIt but ELEVATE is not CrossFit. My presence in ELEVATE will bring a unique program that is tailored to the Forever Family at King of Kings.   
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your body is your companion for the entire length of your mission here on earth. Stay fit. Stay well. And learn how your body can be your best friend.
I am looking forward to meeting you. No matter at what stage you are at in your journey of physical health, I have simple and appropriate stretches and exercises for you. Everything that we do together is designed to be a complimentary fit with where you are at now.
Think about it, what does the word health mean to you? 
Do you feel as though you are in good health?  How important is your mental health? Do you understand the relationship between stress and health? Obviously, your spiritual health is important to you. But HOW important is it? Health is more than an idea. It is simple steps of action. Health requires a holistic approach to life. Just imagine feeling less stressed with life and feeling more abundant health for 30 days.    
Being mobile actually de-stresses you. Is it difficult waking in the morning? How about climbing out of bed?  How about putting on those socks and shoes?  Can you bend over and touch your toes?  How about doing it with straight legs?  What if I told you most of those aches and pains could be reduced or completely eradicated by simple stretching and mobility exercises?
I hope you will join me in ELEVATE. In 30 days I can help you become more mobile and less stressed.


As you can see, there are many ways and many different levels open to you. This is Elevate. You choose. You decide. Giving things up is not the chief concern with Elevate. Elevate is more balanced than that. Elevate focuses on expanding your experience of the Abundant Life in Christ. Everyone has great ideas and inspirational intentions. Put them into practice for 30 days. Read through the levels. Prayer over them. Make a commitment that best fits you. Keep the commitment to yourself. Or share it. You can give a copy to your Pastor by signing this pledge and simply leaving it on his desk. To share, all you have to do is take a pen or pencil and circle the symbols that define your level of commitment. Pick one. Pick none. Pick them all. It’s that simple.  (Print out your pledge. Create a hard copy. Share your pledge.)

Date__________________________   Sign _______________________________________





What is Real Food?

Great question. Elevate is a means to nourish insightful education about the foods you eat. Elevate will elevate your daily awareness of the many, many awesome ways God has built a system to promote and protect our health. Your journey into holistic soulful living is about to step up into the next exciting level of abundance. To begin to answer your question, here is a simple illustration.
Imagine that you jumped a fence and gumshoed onto a Hollywood backlot. It happens that you stepped into the very lot where they filmed the movie, Back to the Future. Way, way in the back, parked underneath a brown tarp, is the famous time traveling De Lorean. You roll back the brown tarp. You can’t believe your shock. You see that the keys to the time machine are still in the ignition. You know exactly what your next impulse will be. Get in!
Let’s say that you sit behind the wheel and set the time register to 100 AD. Once that particular date in back-in-time time is punched in, you go on to perform step two in time travel preset. You carefully choose your new location. The location you choose is somewhere in a place you know as Kansas – or what will someday become known as the state of Kansas. You close the gulf-wing doors, turn the ignition and blast off leaving behind in your wake those really rad parallel fire tread paths.
Imagine you are now touring life with an indigenous tribe of people who are living almost two thousand years ago.During your visit, you are very careful to observe the kinds of food that you see them eat. What do you see? What are they eating? Where does their food come from? How processed is their diet? Use your imagination. How active are they? Add what you know about American history, the American plains and what you can remember from college classes about pre-industrial cultures.
After a while, it is time for you to slide back inside your time machine and make your return to present day 2013. But there is a surprise twist of fate. You make a life changing decision. It’s an impulse. It’s crazy. (But that is why we are using our imagination.)  You decide to take something, or someone, back with you.
Imagine if you took a member of the indigenous tribe forward in time two thousand years to present day Arvada. ( I know. I know. Who would want to do such a thing?)  Imagine your time machine screaming across the edge of the front range. You come in to land in the parking lot of King Soopers. Bear with me. I realize that at this point you might be thinking that this scenario is getting pretty loopy. Imagine inviting your new friend to leave the time machine and to accompany you into the grocery store. Imagine escorting him up and down the aisles. Take him through the different departments. Watch his face. His sense of wonder. His sense of bewilderment. Ask yourself, “What items would my new friend recognize as being real food? What food items would he not recognize as being edible?”
This imaginary parable can kick start your thinking about food and the ways our culture creates and packages our food.
  
You are so gifted! You have been equipped to rise to every challenge. You already know your dream. What you lack is confidence. When you step outside yourself, when you face your fears, He will bless your obedience and trust. His reward is in his hand. He is waiting. Choose to obey. Step out in faith. You are the embodiment of so many awesome ideas. Dealing with procrastination in a grace way can Elevate your experience of your own giftedness.   - KDM



There are many ways to avoid success in life, but the most sure-fire just might be procrastination. Procrastinators sabotage themselves. They put obstacles in their own path. They actually choose paths that hurt their performance.
Procrastination can be an obstacle to Soulwerk. When shame, guilt and fear reach toxic levels, procrastination can be an ego defense. There are times when we are told what to do by other people; spouse, employer, doctor or teacher. In special circumstances, we hear the voice of our Shepherd. He speaks to our mind through our soul. The feeling that Jesus is calling you to do something for Him is a common experience for believes. When Jesus calls, it is imperative that we respond immediately. When heaven calls, do not delay. Procrastination can actually hinder the answers to your own prayers. Sometimes, our own actions will be the way the Lord provides us with His answers.
Poor health can be an accumulation of years of putting off acting on God’s good ideas.
Two of the world's leading experts on procrastination: Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago, and Timothy Pychyl, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada answer some questions on procrastination.
  1. Twenty percent of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators. For them procrastination is a lifestyle, albeit a maladaptive one. And it cuts across all domains of their life. They don't pay bills on time. They miss opportunities for buying tickets to concerts. They don't cash gift certificates or checks. They file income tax returns late. They leave their Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve.
  2. Procrastination is not a problem of time management or of planning. Procrastinators are not different in their ability to estimate time, although they are more optimistic than others. "Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up," insists Dr. Ferrari.
  3. Procrastinators are made not born. Procrastination is learned in the family milieu, but not directly. It is one response to an authoritarian parenting style. Having a harsh, controlling father keeps children from developing the ability to regulate themselves, from internalizing their own intentions and then learning to act on them. Procrastination can even be a form of rebellion, one of the few forms available under such circumstances. What's more, under those household conditions, procrastinators turn more to friends than to parents for support, and their friends may reinforce procrastination because they tend to be tolerant of their excuses.
  4. Procrastination predicts higher levels of consumption of alcohol among those people who drink. Procrastinators drink more than they intend to—a manifestation of generalized problems in self-regulation. That is over and above the effect of avoidant coping styles that underlie procrastination and lead to disengagement via substance abuse.
  5. Procrastinators tell lies to themselves. Such as, "I'll feel more like doing this tomorrow." Or "I work best under pressure." But in fact they do not get the urge the next day or work best under pressure. In addition, they protect their sense of self by saying "this isn't important." Another big lie procrastinators indulge is that time pressure makes them more creative. Unfortunately they do not turn out to be more creative; they only feel that way. They squander their resources.
  6. Procrastinators actively look for distractions, particularly ones that don't take a lot of commitment on their part. Checking e-mail is almost perfect for this purpose. They distract themselves as a way of regulating their emotions such as fear of failure.
  7. There's more than one flavor of procrastination. People procrastinate for different reasons. Dr. Ferrari identifies three basic types of procrastinators:
    • arousal types, or thrill-seekers, who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
    • avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
    • decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.
  8. There are big costs to procrastination. Health is one. Just over the course of a single academic term, procrastinating college students had such evidence of compromised immune systems as more colds and flu, more gastrointestinal problems. And they had insomnia. In addition, procrastination has a high cost to others as well as oneself; it shifts the burden of responsibilities onto others, who become resentful. Procrastination destroys teamwork in the workplace and private relationships.
  9. GOD LOVES PROCRASTINATORS. YEA! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? IT MEANS THAT PROCRASTINATORS CAN CHANGE.

Taken from an article in Psychology Today.



Kirk D Miller, pastor