Fresh-Oil

Finding a friend in an unfriendly world. 

The book of Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 24.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly:

and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Friends

One thing I have seen and have truly learned in this path I am on is the unique thing of friendship.

We navigate this life and if we are paying attention. Certain people come into our way and their is a spark beyond mere acquaintance. There is appeal and self awareness of another likeminded soul. It's a soul thing and if you don't even understand your makeup biologically you may well miss the mark.

This is the start of the thing called friendship.

Many people don't know much about this relationship, many never know a real friend the entire time they live and walk upon this world.

The world isn't a friendly place today. It's hostile and getting worse. So what is a friend and how would you go about getting a friend and being a friend

Never mistake the notion that popular is friendship: many comedians and social personalities own popular, but they are often miserable, lonely and self confessed friendless. No one knows of this until they pass.

I've friends and I am a friend.

Learning about this gift to us in this world is not hard to do.

Of course, you need the Unknown Book to get the right eyesight and heartbeat of friendship.

Balancing the elements of friendship is neither difficult nor is it hard. But it is work.

This world has a friendship that it follows and the price is often more than you expect to pay until it is to late to stop. Now the Unknown Book lays out the whole picture of friendship.

If, and I certainly hope that is not the case with you, you are looking for a friend in this life. Go to the Unknown Book and in the pages there you will find out what the criteria for friendship is.

Follow the instruction.

Job done.

Friends show up.

Today, we are going to take a dander into the pathways of this friendship thing.

Defining friendship

When you look into the Unknown Book one of the greatest helps is a concordance: a book that lists all the verses together by alphabetical order, among other things. I use The Strong's Concordance. You can purchase it on Amazon for $10.00 and upwards.

Here is how the word shows up in the Book.

We will hang these verses on the nail of Provers 18:24

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly:

and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

The word shows up in 4 expressions of friend totaling 154 times. Here they are.

* Friend 99,

* friends 50,

* friendly 3  and

* friendship 2

As you read through the references you learn things. Usually more than you expect, but looking up the verses is an essential element of reading the Unknown Book. Tracking your reading is another thing. If you care to free fall into the Book of God.

Friends you find and friends who find you.

While we learn of the nature of friendship we are not without example of it as well.

When you find a friend or a friend finds you it may take a little while for trust to take place. But the facets of attraction are all there from the start. Time spent together is shared pursuits, support for each other during testing times and more all bring the friendship to fruition.

David and Jonathan

I pick this one for us because all the elements are there: respect for skill in life and battle, honor, integrity, loyalty, character, flaws and fumbles.

David: sets his tone by Goliath,

7 signposts you must consider when navigating the road you are upon

Show Notes

Unknown Tweets

This is the age of the instant comment or remark. So, here is a little section from time to time that I will put into the show to give you a little pointer of the insight and power of the Unknown Book.

I shall pop an Unknown Tweet into the show from time to time to keep you looking into the book if you dare.

Here is a first one:

There is a book within this Unknown Book called Proverbs. Long before tweets showed up in this book you could get a succinct and pointed few words, often less than the tweet limiter of twitter, that you could be guided by in navigating your life.

Nothing like it today exists in this life. If you have a mind here is the first one.

Go to the Unknown Book

open the index of the Book

Find Provers it's is between Psalms and Isaiah.

Good, now go to Chapter 1 and read verse 5.

Now that is a tweet.

You get your lists on how to do anything all over the silly pages, sites, apps and more.

Like I did say there is nothing like this.

Today I am going to be giving you a few principles that have been taught to me, tested by me and proven to be just as they say. If you can let them seep into your thinking and observing you will become a better navigator and a more informed one.

So lets get started...

How old you are has little to do with this navigating. Us peoples we are either avoiding the signposts or trying to understand how to take directions from them. Hey people even pretend that they are not there and go on blithely further down the road than they should go before all sorts of things go wrong.

 

The caution signpost often missed and the cause of many wrecked lives

You cannot fake a response

* Ever watch someone who laughs a few seconds late at at joke their boss tells?

* Ever watch someone congratulate a person when they believe they deserve the praise?

* How about not getting the award you thought you were a shoe-in for?

* Ever observe someone in love with another and it is not received?

* Ever get someone put you down and then claim they were joking?

Quote by Nate Saint

"Base envy withers at another's joy and hates the excellency it cannot attain."

 

The Bully Signpost Caution Bully on the loose.

The tough guy has the edge

In a fight of any kind, verbal, political, combat or other the guy who believes he is going to win because of certain conditions acts aggressively

* Ever have some want to fight you and act aggressive to you?

* Ever have your boss give you grief over trivia?

* Ever been bullied and the bully often has several 'friends' present?

* School teachers?

* Government works?

* airport officials?

Quote by George Michael

" I don't consider Americans bullies, but I do consider the American Government bullying"

 

The Stop signpost often missed by those speeding by looking for next

You will almost always do better if you wait

In this age of now, right now if you can wait the opportunity will either go away or be better.

* A great deal that you just can manage?

* Opportunity that will cost you something you don't want to give?

* Buying something that stretches you further than you can go?

* Jobs, clothes, cars, and things that you just have to have?

Quote by Anna Neagle

" But the important thing about learning to wait, I feel sure, is to know what you are waiting for."

 

We spend our years like a tale that is told... Psalm 90 verse 9

O.K!

This is a first attempt at telling my tale.

It is also the foundational work for leaving my story behind in book form, for my kids and grandkids to read.

Nothing like this was done for me with my family and I sure would have liked the tale told to me.

My Mom and Dad were interesting people.

My Dad was  a highly intelligent, well dressed, soldier, chauffeur, socially skilled, well read, insightful in the workings of human beings and a fierce fighter of men. He was a man's man. Handsome. He died of alcohol poisoning effects on his body. So did all his five brothers.

My Mother was savvy, a seamstress, silver service waitress, loom operator in a linen mill, socially skilled and a fierce defender of the forgotten. She was a woman's woman. Beautiful. She died from complications of bone diseases.

I have three siblings: Kathleen, then me, Samuel then Donna. It is commonly known among all my family and relatives that my Mother favored me. I was the blond haired, blue eyed boy and she would sing to me. She loved all her kids, but for some reason she knew she needed to love me a little bit more in different ways than the others.

As I tell my tale you may see why I say this, for in retrospect I was walking the tight rope way too often and needed care to keep me pulled in.

We lived as a family. Troubles, trials and all the intricate mechanics of love, rivalry, competition and blood between us all.

These two people gave me themselves in many ways. I am a product of their lives. I love them both to this day.

 

1st 10 - life for starters

Belfast, Africa, Germany and Belfast

A city to be born in and one always to come home to, no place like it anywhere on this earth. It always will be home...

Growing up in exotic places and visiting sites that chill the bones and grip the heart.

Africa - Libya and Germany - Hanover

sunshine, beaches, camels, desert sands, glass bottles of Pepsi at the square, noisy people busy places and smells that are still with me to this day.

Germany snow, autobahns, swimming naked, flying kites, multinational schools, knocked out, meeting polio, Belsen concentration camp that is still with me to this day.

Belfast the place I call home.

Streets of terraced housing that made the little house movement of today a late comer to my party.

Community, poverty, camaraderie, gas lights, cobbled streets and the love of childhood friends.

Traipsing around a city that was my playground, before the bloodletting.

Time to move on, as always...

Homes: 13 Gaffigan St. Belfast, The compound Tripoli, Some Straussa in Hanover and 86 Donegal Rd Belfast.

Dogs, friends of mine and fields I have layed me down to rest in.

I was not allowed a dog at home. But my uncle and I picked out a white German shepherd which my Grandfather raised. He was called King, I named him. I loved that dog. So did the people in the community of Sandy Row, my part of the city.

Friends of mine were both boys and girls. Many are still known to me to this day. thanks to the digital age and social media.

The fields were libraries, the botanic gardens, roofs of buildings, railway lines and parks all around my little burg.

 

2nd - 10 for the love of travel

Belfast, England, Scotland, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, England, Amsterdam, Caribbean Islands, Gibraltar, Greek Islands, Turkey, Malta, France, America, England, America

The Royal years, in the British Navy that is.

The greatest traditions Ganges and climbing the mast, sailors rituals,

Introducing the show

The new format

The Englishman introducing the podcast, I hope you like him.

The monologue about:

Pennies finders...

give the story about why and then tell the audience that they are encouraged to tell me their penny finders. If they find an American penny outside of the America or they have a cultural similarity then that would be great to hear about just as much.

Tell them how to submit their story:

use speakpipe, or send in a mp3 file of their own. I will put it on the show and share with our community.

More...

I will introduce more things

like this as the show grows and it becomes clear what would be a nice feature to bring on to this portion of the show.

So let's go back to a source that once held sway among the world.

The source is the Unknown Book.

In my eMails and other podcast episodes you hear me calling this book, the Unknown Book, as such.

After 40 years of reading it, and watching its effects upon myself and those who love it or hate it. I stand assured of one thing. You either love this book or you do not.

The main theme of this book is NOT what you think it is.

And, I am on purpose seeking to redress that viewpoint with all my might. It is used as the source for money making at the very deep expense to those that are rifled for what little they have. I despise this.

So let's start at the beginning. 02:47

Two lovers lived in a garden, they were made for it literally by a Creator. All was going well...

Everything was going along so well.

All they had to do was be obedient to the Creator, by choice, or they were just automatons following along without freedom to choose.

That statement is going to set the hair on some of the fatalists to frizzy!

These two were to take care of a garden, love each other and respect the roles given them by the Creator, that is all.

Lets read the text and learn more than you will ever get on the matter from any college curriculum or professor.

Text: The first book Genesis, the second chapter, verse on an on...

Genesis 1 verse 26.  Genesis 2 verse 8 and 9. Genesis 2 verses 15-17. Genesis 2 verses 19-25

Along came an educator to tell them more. 8:35

This educator was good, very good.

He goes to the woman and ask her the first question ever asked

There is first the question? Yeah, hath God said.

Positive, questioning, deceiving and more.

Text: The first Book Genesis, chapter three verses...

Genesis 3 verses 1-7

He is an environmentalist.

He is a humanist.

He is a sophist.

He is an educator.

He is a deceiver.

He is the first rebel.

There is so much more but that is for another day.

The two lovers made a choice and it was the wrong one.13:02

They had clear instructions and they choose an education over obedience to their Creator and its coming curriculum over their working job as gardeners.

This is a very important part of the Unknown Book so let's read this carefully. For others will not be so sure and careful. Be assured of that!

Their awareness changes instantly.

Their problems mount immediately.

The first of many reactions happen that their progeny repeat daily.

They are the second kind kicked out of their environment.

Their environment is changed to remind them of this act.

They face personal judgement for their act.

Text: The first book Genesis, Chapter three and reading on...

Genesis 3 verses 8-24.

If you take the time to read this. You will learn that nothing has been proven different than ...

 

I recently watched two tv dramatizations of war all the way through. The first was Band of Brothers and the second was Pacific. Why? Because I wanted to understand something in myself.

I'm no hero. For these people certainly were heroic in all they faced and went through in an intense period of time.

But today is delivering up conditions similar inside the head, hands and hearts of people all around the world.

What am I talking about?

 

The long stare

I finally understood that stare. The one you see these people have after engaging in life or death struggles.

I see the actors portraying the emotion that is essential to understanding what they just faced and survived.

It's all in that stare.

I don't know about anyone else, but for me, I see this and I understand it now.

Not because of being in the very same situation as them. No!

But because I have experienced the effects that reproduce that stare.

Here is what I am talking about.

My life has been one of providing for my family. The sole bread winner.

Things, lots of things, did not go as hoped for in the ambition of life, my life.

In fact nothing it seems ever works out like I plan, or set out to do.

I've been a care giver, bread winner, worker, supporter, teacher, planner, lover and more all balled up and rolled into the mess that is me.

Along my road I've taken care of my wife through cancer, surgeries, pain management, depression, constant illnesses and battles with other people who though they knew what I needed to do with my life.

I've raised my granddaughter, aided my daughter, in my late forties and through the my fifties. Through things I cannot talk of here.

My very essence has taken a beating. My values torn. But love held fast to keep these loved ones close to me and alive.

I used to shrug it all off. I could do this. But I can't, not without the help and comfort that a life a Christian can ask for from their God provides.

My friends have aided me, comforted me, encouraged me and supported me. I have been able to do the same for some of them.

Along the way I met the stare and wondered about it.

Not any more.

You see inside the stare I have found the following.

The modern conditions of living are like a battle for each of us.

With this battle comes the conditions that beat us down, hurt us, change us, force us into pain and more.

They are unseen forces that always task us, try us, test us and more.

Here are the  main ones I am talking about.

 

The stress of...

Others and their demands and expectations that they place upon you.

I am supposed to be able to do certain things, that others cannot. When I don't do them I come under pressure to conform. To deliver. To be that person they imagine.

The stress comes from the unending of it all, the expectations of others. All very real.

Self and the demands and expectations you and I place upon ourselves.

Since I am capable of more, I expect to be and do more, but I am getting to that place where I can't and don't want to at all.

Stress tears the soul, and we never see these tears until often too late.

 

The anxiety of...

Always being pushed to hard for too long without relief in sight.

Work, that place of swapping hours for dollars. Along with the attendant benefits that keep us coming back.

That work that creates anxiety and uncertainty in us all. Asking ourselves have we done enough, are we good enough and more.

Until the body starts to break down, and the attendant pains come on to warn you of other needs.

The anxiety is always present,

Sustainability meets Business

Mindy Kuth

Yr2 | Ep21

Specialties: Social entrepreneurship, sustainability, community impact, and eco-tourism development

Innovative business professional with expertise in sustainable business practices and strategic planning in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. International development experience with strong cross-functional business skills including strategic planning, financial analysis, communications, and organizational development. Analytical systems thinker with proven ability to manage multi-cultural teams and present persuasive analyses to diverse stakeholders. Fluent in English, advanced/professional Spanish.

 

Consultant - Strategic Planning

Centro de lnvestigación y Estudios Avanzados del lnstituto Politecnico Nacional (CINVESTAV)

January 2013 – May 2015 (2 years 5 months)Querétaro, Mexico

Facilitating team-focused, strategic planning process for materials science research center/postgraduate university. Working with the university director, faculty and staff to create the center's first strategic plan. Training in strategic planning steps including agenda setting, situational analysis, forming strategies, objectives, and evaluation metrics. Guiding operational planning and implementation processes including deployment of resources, assignment of responsibility, tracking and evaluation methods, and follow up around key issues/actions.

Consultant (contract): August 2013 - May 2015

Peace Corps Response: January - July, 2013

Small Business Specialist

Peace Corps, Mexico - Parque Nacional El Chico

January 2009 – July 2011 (2 years 7 months)Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico

Worked in sustainable business development in El Chico National Park, located 90 minutes north of Mexico City. Collaborated with small business owners to identify community resources and needs, establish business objectives, and incorporate sustainable practices into operations. Coached and trained entrepreneurs in core business competencies including financial management, market analysis, and environmentally sound business practices.Focus areas included eco-tourism, small-scale agriculture, and natural resources management.

Small Business Specialist

SEMARNAT (Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources) at Peace Corps, Mexico

June 2008 – December 2008 (7 months)

SEMARNAT is the Mexican federal agency that advances the sustainable management of Mexico’s environment, works to conserve biodiversity, and promotes sustainable livelihood/business development.

Conducted market research and analysis, developed management tools and indicators, analyzed internal business processes and technologies. Collaborated with university representatives and area youth groups to create state-wide youth movement for the environment.

This gift of life is yours to make the most of it, will you?

Today on the show I am going to go into the process that creates a life.

How about that for a topic.

Everything comes with a manual.

Most people don't use them but hey they are there anyway.

Just in case, right?

 

So...

I talk about navigating the human condition, what do I mean?

I also talk about coming to terms with the purpose of life, again what do I mean?

Lets go deeper on these two things and bring some clarity to them.

 

Preparation

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

Proverbs 16:1

 

The reality is this.

People are not that well prepared for life and it shows.

The generation coming along proves this so readily. They think that the unicorns are going to sprinkle jobs all around them.

They think that a politician who promises them the rainbow can actually deliver it!!

 

Mankind is in an altered state from his original condition.

This altered state alienates him from his Creator.

Without a change that is required on the inside the man is always at odds with himself ultimately.

Mankind cannot prepare for life properly without this change.

 

Perception

The wise man's eyes are in his head; bu the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 3:22

 

Reality is something entirely different to experience most people live with.

Nothing is going to alter that perception like the Unknown Book, nothing.

But how to bring that change?

We see more than we let on we see. It's what we don't want to see if you know what I mean.

 

 

Performance

Now therefore perform the doing of it: that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

2 Corinthians 8:11

 

The human condition is fraught with self doubt, fear, insecurity, lovelessness and more.

This condition is also full of joy, happiness, laughter, love, life and living.

Being able to perform, do things well, takes the practice of the serious. Life for too many is just haphazard: and this shows.

The accidental life is more common than the disicplined and prepared one.

But you get to choose more than you think you do.

 

Here is what I am aiming at today.

When you live your life you are dominated by these three stepping stones.

In fact when you look at the results you are chasing in your life the results are shaped and controlled by the way in which you pass over these stepping stones.

 

Preparing for life takes more than getting out of bed.

Work is involved at all and every stage of your development.

 

Perceptions of life are shaped by every stage of the work in your development.

How you see things after putting the years and the hard yards into something.

You learn the life lessons, and you make the adjustments.

 

Performance is a direct result of the preparations and the insights that come from the trials, trainings, learnings whateve it is that shapes you into the person you become. You can't fake a response, you just can't. You can try, but it is so obvious when it happens to us.

This is the problem with life, no hiding places except behind falsehood.

Ed is co-founder and creator of MDNA

and the rest of the institute's intellectual properties. He now works as a consultant and mentor for MDNA certified partners while exploring his passions as an executive chaplain. Previously he has worked as a venture capitalist, brand consultant and even an animation director. He is also an accomplished speaker, author, social business coach and an ordained reverend. After four years of social projects and humanitarian relief in Nicaragua, Ed now trains others to follow their passions and do the same in other countries. Ed is married to his wonderful wife Tae-Young and uses MDNA to raise his two boys Orlando (UCD) and Julian (IAF).

 

The MDNA Story...

 

Ed Kang - Creator of MDNA

At the beginning of 2008 I had, working as a COO successfully accomplished an item on my personal bucket list—taking a company public. While it wasn’t the grand IPO I had initially envisioned, I was satisfied with our penny stock holdings corporation. At the height of our self-made success, our market capitalization was $55 million.

Of course by the end of the year, the global economic recession changed everything.

Over the next 12 months, I went from fortune to famine. Our family’s net worth was completely wiped out and then some. As a company, we did everything we could to stop the bleeding. Our decisions only seemed to make things worse. Our stakeholders lost millions in assets. But the lowest point was telling my wife that our home was being foreclosed on by the bank. It was one of the most difficult periods of my life.

During my personal economic recovery, I began asking myself an important question, “Why do I do what I do?” My experiences and decisions during the economic crisis changed me—in both positive and negative ways. It was an important time for introspection.

This was when I was introduced to the psychographic assessment industry—otherwise known as “personality testing.” It started with the more popular assessments such as Myers-Briggs and StrengthsFinder. But through deeper exploration, I discovered more obscure yet accurate personality frameworks. My picture of self-awareness started coming together one puzzle piece at-a-time.

I had several “Aha!” moments through the hours of research, but there was something still missing for me. There seemed to be such a wide spectrum of opinions out there, from psychological to spiritual and cultural viewpoints, when it came to the human personality. I kept digging.

This is when I began dabbling in creating my own personality test trying to improve on what I was learning. I couldn’t help myself. It’s naturally who I am. I began testing my ideas on any pour soul that would agree to be subjected to my crazy ideas around the end of 2009.

Months later, as I continued my personal experimentation, I read the book Drive: The Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. I was introduced to the concept of intrinsic motivation and Self-Determination Theory. This opened up an entire new avenue of social science to explore. The power of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation was a no-brainer to me. But now I had the contemporary research to back it up.

I quickly realized that, at least to me personally, the most effective psychographic frameworks, touched on intrinsic motivation. Yet I could not find any specific assessments or systems (outside of paying thousands for training and certification that is) that really encapsulated what I was looking for.

This is when my previous “Aha!” moments turned into “Aha!” ideas, which eventually morphed into an entire “Aha!” vision.

I decided to combine all my research of personality tests and intrinsic motivation into one con...

The lamb, the shepherd and the sheep.

The Bible is a whole, and in its own interpretation there lies a first principle.

That first principle guides us through many places and things. It never lets us down.

Like all great narratives the story develops over time.

In this case the story takes thousands of years, but what a story!

Shall we begin then?

In the opening statements of man’s fall and the beginnings of his redemption: the purchasing back of what was taken away, the man and his freedom to choose.

We find something that God the author of the Book sets up and often goes unnoticed by the regular material that passes off for Bible study and education regarding the Book.

To begin the steps in the redemption of man.

God kills an animal Himself! God takes the life of an innocent creature to provide a temporary covering for the fallen man.

What was that animal and what was that covering?

let’s discover shall we, for in this single pursuit we are taken through the book right up to the very end. We find a pattern presented that keeps a consistent measure throughout the book. It does not ever change, and thus as we study this book we find that the pattern always matters. If we are paying attention to the book and not to the theological suppositions of men who have made up their minds regarding this book, we shall learn what the Author of This Unknown Book wished for us to find.

We shall always be able to locate where we are in the Book by this first of patterns. It will be able to timeline us and show us what place we are dealing with regarding how God is working in the redemption story.

We shall be looking for three conditions within this timeline

1. The lamb and its development towards fulfilling the redemption narrative.

2. The Shepherd and his relations to this development and His sheep.

3. The Sheep and how they are gathered into the fold at any of the given times under discussion.

This profound and revealing method will do more to teach you the Unknown Book than the piles of theological misgivings that are passed off on the masses today.

So let us take a look at this timeline we are going to use.

We will measure other time lines to it, and make comparisons that reveal yet more about the construction and contents of the worlds most unusual and neglected book.

The Time line of The Lamb as it marches through the Unknown Book.

The lamb - Typified - Genesis 3:21 and Genesis 4:2.

First: A lamb slain in a garden to cover the nakedness of the first two people who had violated God’s Holiness and rebelled against God’s Authority. More on this to come.

Look at how Cain and Abel approach God with their offerings, what they offer and what God accepts and rejects!!

I wonder in the animal world do they consider this beast of beginnings?

I know I do.

The lamb - Prophesied - Genesis 22: 5-8

Second: The lamb is prophesied to come and deliver from this fall that has occurred. It is descriptive in that it promises some to bruise the head of the serpent.

The first great promise given to us all.

But who would understand the path through the Unknown Book?

It is no surprise that nations abhored the one nation the raised these creatures.

 

The lamb - Applied - Exodus 12:1-11.

Third: One of the greatest single genocidal acts in the world takes place in a single night. A lamb is central to those who die and those who survive. This is most important to understand for it will have future relevance as we get near the return of the lamb to rule and being.

The first great application by all.

Nothing in history matches this event and its forbidding events.