The iconic Catalyst “C” welcomed everyone to Labs.
Last week I was at Catalyst, one of my favorite things each year. It’s a chance for me to hear speakers I love, speakers I’ve never heard of, and get in some quality learning time. My friend, Daron, and I always start with the Labs on Wednesday, because you can never learn too much. This year, I was able to hear some people that I love, but have only admired from afar. It’s awesome when that happens!
So, here are my highlights from Labs. The theme for the conference this year was KNOWN, you’ll see a lot of identity talk both here, and when I post the main conference highlights. Good stuff, and great theme.
Dr. Henry Cloud, Author and Psychologist (Read Boundaries immediately, if you have not. It’s life-changing)
The brain forms who you are and what you do through the attention it gives and is given. Attention brings things to reality.
Grace and Truth still allow for failure, but also provide acceptance.
The brain runs on food, glucose and relationships.
You were only designed to control YOURSELF.
Jason Russell, Co-Founder of Invisible Children(I’ve admired this org for a number of years.)
Your life is BIGGER than your best dream for it.
What’s worth living for?
What’s worth dying for?
Jen Hatmaker, Author and Church Planter (Her book 7 was probably my favorite thing to read this year.)
Jesus never said to start a church. He said to make disciples.
Does our Jesus look like our church?
The Church is currently malnourished. Young adults want: community, social justice, depth, and mentorship.
Incarnational living is the front door to discipleship.
Ann Voskamp, Author and Devotional Blogger (Never heard of her before, but she was great.)
Everyone you know is fighting a daily battle, whether they show it or not.
Battle strategy: 2 Chronicles 20:20, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” Give thanks in all things. Give thanks for what He’s doing in your during the battle.
Count the ways God loves you, and you’ll learn one thousand ways to change the world.
Eugene Cho, Church Planter and Entrepreneur (Always enjoy him, and really excited for his new book!)
A study in Nehemiah Chapter 1.
How do I take my conviction from A to B? 1) Shut up and pray. 2) Have the courage to ask the hard questions. 3) Be committed to be an expert in what you start. 4) Clarify the vision/conviction. 5) Develop a strategic plan. 6) Build on the power of social capital.
If you take away free choice from someone, revolution will happen at some point.
Bob Goff, Recovering Lawyer, Philanthropist and Guy You Want to Know (Read Love Does.)
What if we stopped just agreeing with Jesus, and started acting like Him?
I’m trying to become love, and that’s really hard but worth it.
Everyone who stands at your door and knocks ain’t Jesus. Be careful who you let in and listen to.
These are just a few of my favorite things from Labs. If you want my full notes, let me know and I’m happy to share them once they get typed up. It was an awesome day, and probably my favorite of the three.
It’s been a fantastic birthday month! But, whew, a bit exhausting. Good thing it only comes around once a year!
Seriously, how can people only celebrate for one day—there’s just too much fun to be had! Here’s a quick recap of my month. You’ll see a few items below that, in reality, have very little to do with me and my birthday. But if they occur during September and are super fun, I consider them a gift. 😉
August 30-September 2:
Kicked off birthday month in Clarkesville, Tennessee, with Daron and Margaret, two of my favorite people. It was a relaxing weekend, and just what I needed. I always need more time with them, and adorable little Truman.
September 5:
Lunch with Jessica at Zoe’s Kitchen.
September 7:
Mani/pedi with Chianti! This is one of my favorite gifts I give myself for my birthday each year.
September 8:
Busy, busy day! Volunteered in the children’s ministry, then Amy and I headed south of the city to Serenbe for lunch at The Farmhouse and some shopping. Loved it there. Would totally recommend the drive, and I plan on heading back really soon. Then back home that night for Mark and Meier’s going away party. Really fun to see lots of friends that night, too, even if they weren’t there for me. 😉
September 10:
Dinner with Michelley at Marlow’s Tavern.
September 12-13:
Headed to Tampa for work as we began the Orange Tour. Coincidentally, had my three-year anniversary with Orange while there.
Any excuse to head to Dr. Bombay’s for chai tea is a good day, but we had a great discussion about the book, Half The Sky. If you get the chance, please read it!
September 18:
Lunch with Ben and Mark at Jim ‘N’ Nick’s. It was a good-bye lunch for Mark, but hey, still in birthday month!
September 21:
A favorite—the big screen re-release of The Wizard of Oz, one of my all-time favorites! It was amazing in 3D! Good thing it wasn’t crowded, because I quoted and sang to myself the whole time.
September 22:
Jana was in town, so I went with her, Kat and Damon to Passion City Church and dinner.
September 23:
Surprise—Karen was in town! Fun reunion with her, Michelle and Ben at Antico Pizza. Serious yum.
September 24:
Harmony at the Alliance Theater with Sara. Great show, co-written by Barry Manilow! My co-worker, Brandon, was in the ensemble, so it was really fun to see him on stage. We also went to an awesome vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Cafe Sunflower.
September 25:
Low key night of hanging out at my place with Amy. Always great conversation.
September 26-30:
Recouping from a fun and busy birthday month! Sheesh, does my apartment need cleaning!
Thank you to everyone who was a part of my birthday month! It was a great one for sure!
Fall brings so many delights with it—Pumpkin Spice Lattes, cooler weather, leaves changing colors. And to people like me, new series premiers! I love this time of year. There are always a few shows you say goodbye to in the spring, but fall brings new and renew. It’s a way to fill those little holes in your life, or at least in your TV schedule. 😉
Here’s what I’m really looking forward to:
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hostages
Intelligence
The Blacklist
The Michael J. Fox Show
Sleepy Hollow (dug the pilot)
Almost Human
Enlisted
The Tomorrow People
Here’s what I’m unsure about:
The Goldbergs—Didn’t think I’d like it, but the pilot was kinda funny. I’ll check out a few more episodes.
Trophy Wife—Was pleasantly pleased by the pilot.
Lucky 7—We’ll see. Saw the UK version.
Back in the Game—Disappointed in pilot. I’ll try another episode before making up my mind.
Betrayal—Don’t know enough yet.
Once Upon A Time in Wonderland—Not sure about the direction it’s predecessor is taking, but will give it a whirl.
Mom—Clips look terrible, but with these two, I’ll try it out.
The Millers—Same comment as above. Just not sure Will Arnett can find the AD gold again.
The Crazy Ones—Hmmmm, just not sure yet.
We Are Men—It’s going to get one episode to prove itself to me. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of hope.
Sean Saves the World—Same comment as above.
Ironside—Saw the pilot, but not hooked yet.
Dracula—Haven’t gotten into a vamp show yet, so we’ll see if this is the game-changer.
Dads—Would’ve listed it above until I saw the pilot. WAS NOT IMPRESSED. Very disappointed. And sad, considering how much I love Seth Green. Will give it one more episode, not counting on it.
And, of course, what I’m most excited to see return:
Castle
Modern Family
Scandal
Person of Interest
Elementary
Hawaii Five-0
The Good Wife
Grimm
Bones
Doctor Who
White Collar
Downton Abbey
Psych
Justified
What about you? What’s going to fill up your queue or DVR in the coming months?
I first talked about biofeedback on my blog back in October. It’s been a lifesaver for me the past year. And I’ve had so many conversations with people about it since then, I figured it was worth posting on here again. This is an updated version of my previous post.
After reading, you’ll see what a huge cheerleader I am for this technology. If you have ANY sort of health concerns or conditions, I would absolutely encourage you to check into it. It’s meant a lot to me, and now several of my friends are seeing the benefit as well.
I wanted to let you all in on a secret that should be shared with the world: biofeedback. I’ve done this at least half a dozen times now. The first time I did it was about two years ago to fix my gluten sensitivity (it worked, by the way). I started gain last fall because of all my health issues the past few months. (mono, kidney infection and gallbladder removal. It was a rough 2012.)
Anyway, I would love for those of you who have any kind of health issues (or simply are interested) to consider going. I plan to start going every year like a physical. After reading, you’ll probably think it sounds like magic, or too good to be true, but of course, I’ve seen it work on myself—more than once.
If you don’t live here, you can find biofeedback all over the country but they may each work a little differently. I go to Atlanta Medical Institute in Buckhead.
Here are some of the things I’ve already asked about with a few of my friends and family in mind:
Gallstones
Kidney stones/issues
Eczema
Food allergies
Indoor/outdoor allergies
Stroke
Autism
Diabetes
Depression and mood disorders
Fertility issues
Detox/cleanse
Liver issues
Heart disease
Hormones
Children’s issues (safe for kids/babies)
The process:
Sit in a recliner. While sitting in the recliner, she puts sensors on your wrists, forehead and ankles. These measure the electrical flow of energy in your body and look for problems. While monitoring on a computer screen, she looks for emotional, environmental, internal and physical issues. So, it’s kind of like seeing a bunch of different doctors all at one time, and in a much friendlier environment. Depending on how long of a session you book, this could be anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour. If you opt for a long session, the second hour she uses the biofeedback to help correct the energy blockages in your body. The first part is just for diagnosing. You can barely feel it. Then, if you tacked on the ionic foot bath, which I’ve done three times, you put your feet in a container of water with a little machine that sends ionic particles through the bath. This process pulls toxins out of your body through your feet. The water turns different colors depending on what its pulling out. It’s crazy. (I’ve even seen parasites in my water—yuck!)She always sees more than I ever tell her. She can see what emotions your struggling with as well as foods, environmental stressors and physical issues. I had told her about the mono, kidney infection and gallbladder. She also frequently asks about things I don’t bring up such as tooth pain or lower back pain or sleeping issues, etc. She could see how shot my immune system was, vitamin/mineral deficiencies and major lack of energy. And unlike my regular doc, she could explain why I had headaches when the weather changed for the past year or so. (Turns out it was when my gallbladder became swollen and sensitive to humidity, and that was the result. Since I’ve had the surgery, I haven’t had the weather headaches!)
The cost:
The long process I’ve done twice (outlined above) is $250. If you have to do follow-up sessions they are usually the one-hour sessions at $75, I believe. And then, depending on what she finds, you’ll have nutritional supplements as well. I took home six things supplements last time and it cost around $120. I’ve have to do multiple follow-ups to get my immune system back online since it was completely shot, and there are more supplements to complement the biofeedback each time. Usually the rounds of supplements are about 30-60 days, from my experience.
A lot of people ask about insurance, of course. Currently, I have an FSA card through Blue Cross Blue Shield. My primary care doctor can’t do anything medically for the immune system issues and mono, so she’s been very supportive. So, I pay for my biofeedback and supplements with my FSA card and then email my doctor what I had done/purchased. She then writes me a perscription which justifies the charge to BCBS. I fax that in, and that session is taken care of. I have to do that each time. It’s a hassle, yes, but the folks at Atlanta Medical Institute are super helpful in getting me receipts, and it’s important to me to have it paid for with my FSA card and not out-of-pocket each time. Why not? It’s money I’ve already set aside.
I know it sounds expensive, and maybe time consuming, and it is, for those of us without a lot of extra funds or who can’t get insurance to cover it. However, my only regret is not going back to her earlier so I could’ve possibly avoided some of these issues, or shortened the length of them. Several hundred could’ve saved several thousand, when I include the gallbladder surgery. And also I’d rather be on supplements for a while then all kinds of Rx meds, short or long-term.
I really do think this would benefit so many people. I can’t understand why more people don’t know about it! She had an answer for everything I threw at her. I know the process sounds a little crazy, though. I’d be skeptical if it hadn’t worked for me. For those of you who are not into the homeopathic thing, I’d encourage you give this a try if what you are doing now isn’t working or is only managing your issue and not curing.
The lady who does my biofeedback here locally has some really remarkable/amazing/unbelievable stories of how biofeedback can help others, both personally and first-hand as well as stories she’s heard. I named all kinds of afflictions and she had a biofeedback answer or story for them all.Quick story:
She did biofeedback on her brother, even though he was resistant. His heart area showed a lot of issues during her session, and she told him he need to go to a specialist right away. He told her he was feeling fine and put it off. She bugged him and he finally went to his general doc, who said he was fine. She kept telling him to see a specialist. So, he finally did, and was admitted to the hospital right away with a 95% heart blockage! He was a heart attack waiting to happen! She has all kinds of cool stories like that.
Final update:
I’d mentioned that she fixed my gluten intolerance, but since I started seeing her last year I have also gone off my allergy and acne medications! Let me repeat in case you missed—I went off ALLERGY meds LIVING IN GEORGIA! It’s amazing!
Other issues have, of course, come up during my treatment so health is always a process. Sadly, I’m not yet through with my mono, and it’s been almost 17 months at this point. But I’ve improved a ton. I was an absolute zombie there for a while. Unfortunately, after everything my body went through last year, I’m basically having to rebuild my immune system. It’s not uncommon to take this long. I’ll be way better on the other side, though, and in a much better place to move forward. With biofeedback, I’m not putting band-aids on symptoms like most other traditional medicine treatments. I’m working on repairing my body so it does what it was created for. It’s really quite remarkable.
Oh, and she also told me recently that several major Atlanta healthcare systems are now exploring the technology! That gives me great hope that this might be incorporated into regular medicine. That is super exciting to see the worlds of natural and traditional medicine intersect.
Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll answer anything I can, but I am a huge believer as you can tell.
Mental Post-Its 