Gary Mintchell

Author Archive

Body As Temple

February 1, 2024

The Apostle Paul writes to the Jesus-followers in Corinth “don’t you know that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit…” The context was to teach people living in a society that celebrated immorality (sound familiar to Americans?) to be intentional about what they do with their bodies because that connects to the spirit.

Some religions and philosophies consider the two separate. That was a major competitive philosophy/religion at the time of Paul. Unfortunately for us in the West, the philosophy of Rene Descartes became way too influential in our thinking divorcing spirit from rationality. Almost divorcing spirit from everything. Look around. Can you see it?

The longer I live, the more I find the truth of integrating body, mind, and spirit.

That is why my daily practices as much as possible include spiritual reading, meditation, physical training, and reading/thinking. I recommend as much for everyone to the best of their ability within any limitations.

I’ve recently begun receiving a daily positive thinking newsletter from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Usually there are three different recommendations in each brief communication. You can check it out here.

Posted in Disciplines, Physical | Leave a Comment »

Finish What You Start

January 31, 2024

Consider this story told by Jesus.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

I heard someone say that there are many books and teachers instructing with tips on how to begin. You know, get busy and get started.

How often have we been taught how to finish?

How often are we like the first three “seeds” in Jesus metaphorical farm?

We get an idea—write a book, cook a meal for someone, do a project—then the idea flits away like finches in the bush.
We get an idea. We’re going to take up painting. Or write that novel. Or prepare that meal to take to someone. We purchase the supplies. We’re all set. Then, something else comes to mind. All those supplies gather dust while we, well, flit off like those same finches.
We get an idea. Friends, neighbors, relatives, strangers even, tell us we’re crazy. We can never do that. We worry we’re not good enough. We never finish.

Jesus was right—again. We must learn to finish what we start. That makes for a satisfying life. Don’t be like the shoe slogan—just do it. Be more like—I did it, and I’m happy that I did. Now, what’s next.

Posted in Attitude | Leave a Comment »

Awareness Is Such a Good Thing

January 30, 2024

I don’t know all of my weaknesses. But I know some important ones.

I can easily be addicted to computer games. I had a little handheld football game in the late 1970s. I was on that a lot. Gloria Mark in her recently released book Attention Span says that can be a good way to relieve cognitive stress. But, games have become so immersive that I’ve avoided them for many years.

My emotions are easily aroused. I’ve learned (mostly) not to reply to lies spreading around social media. But awareness tells me to severely limit my exposure. My mental health and stability have been greatly improved.

I am aware of the state of mind of people around me. I learned that at a very early age thanks to an emotionally unstable home life. That’s often a good thing. I can respond appropriately. On the other hand, sometimes I can misinterpret (see above about emotions).

Developing awareness has improved my life a bit at a time. I’m aware when I’m with God and when we’re apart. I’m aware when I’ve become too withdrawn and need to interact with others.

Awareness is a beautiful thing. It helps me live a better life and probably makes things better for those around me.

Posted in Awareness | Leave a Comment »

Fooled By Randomness

January 29, 2024

Nassim Nicholas Taleb wrote a series of books on preparing to survive random events. The book is part philosophy of life and part investing in the markets. I’m rereading Fooled by Randomness: The hidden role of chance in Life and in the Markets.

Reflecting on the book, I thought of all the random events in my life.

I entered graduate school thinking about getting a PhD in political philosophy. The faculty voted half-way through my first semester to close the graduate program.
I wandered into a job in the recreation vehicle industry. Then came the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 and then hyper inflation.
I landed a good engineering position, then a random article in Consumer Reports (I’ve never read a thing in that publication since) tanked our market.
I answered a random ad in a trade magazine and wound up in a new career, which led to a second position and then a good life working for myself. But the random events along the way prepared me to make the best of new random events.

Perhaps you can think of random events from near and far that changed everything. But your preparations could make all the difference.

We purchased a coffee mug when we visited the Will Rogers estate a couple of years ago. It says, “Live your life so that whenever you los, you are ahead.”

Here are a few suggestions:

Learn something from each event
Limit financial risk to what you can afford to lose
Develop spiritual practices that give solid inner strength

Posted in Awareness | Leave a Comment »

What They Thought I Wanted To See

January 26, 2024

Facebook leaders were concerned people were only looking at posts from friends and not spending enough time on the app looking at ads. They told engineers to develop rules that would search the entire database and present people with posts that Facebook thought you want to see.

Twitter executives faced a similar problem. They wrote similar rules, called algorithms, to keep you on the app longer.

So, I wondered about our spiritual reading—the Bible and other writers. Do we allow someone to determine what parts we read and spoon-feed us just their point of view?

I have spent little time on social media for several years. What they thought I wanted to see was not congruent with what I really wanted to see.

Fortunately, there is no app filtering what I should see in the Bible or in my other spiritual reading. I read out of curiosity and out of desire to refresh my poor memory.

Things like the thought I just heard, “He’s God. I’m not.”

Things like, “The first is to love the Lord your God… and the second likewise is to love your neighbor…”

I need those reminders to keep me on the right path and likewise to guide my reading.

Posted in choosing, Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

Decisions, Decisions

January 25, 2024

It began early.

The first decision—should I get up or stay in bed?

To decide whether or not to have coffee.

To decide to sit in that particular chair where I read something spiritual and helpful and then meditate or pray.

Shall I have porridge to start the day healthy by eating something that lowers cholesterol or perhaps an egg (an almost perfect food) or perhaps that jelly-filled doughnut because I feel weak and want a treat?

Shall I go out for a workout and exercise?

Our day is filled with decisions. Each decision defines us. What sort of person do we wish to be? Our decisions, whether made with intention or by emotion, determine the story.

I love the line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where the old Crusader says in a dry, flat voice as Indiana Jones chooses which of the chalices was the one that held Christ’s blood according to myth—Choose wisely.

Posted in Deciding | Leave a Comment »

When Love Meets

January 24, 2024

When love meets pain, it becomes compassion.

When love meets happiness, it becomes joy.

Joy is an expression of the awakened heart, a quality of enlightenment. When we live in the present, joy often arises for no reason.

When I came across these thoughts, I was compelled by the spirit to pause and consider. I love that thought of “when love meets…” What a powerful picture.

And I thought about how joy is a fruit of God’s Spirit according to the Apostle Paul.

Then I remembered this little folk song from the time when I sold my electric guitar and bought a nylon-stringed acoustic one and sang folk songs. Many from Catholics in the mid-to-late 60s. Like this one written by Sister Miriam Therese Winter, Joy Is Like The Rain.

I saw raindrops on the river, Joy is like the rain.

Bit by bit the river grows, till all at once it overflows.

Joy is like the rain.

Perhaps today I can rest in joy.

Posted in Love | Leave a Comment »

To Do Righteousness and Justice

January 23, 2024

Reading through the Proverbs in January. Trying to start the year on the front foot. Here is an example of a theme found throughout the Hebrew and Christian texts.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

The closest we can come in modern American (and other) culture is that it is more acceptable than going to church.

Not that you shouldn’t gather together with others. A social life is good for both body and soul.

Maybe the rest of the proverbs can be condensed to those personal characteristics–one who lives out righteousness and justice.

What if we all made this the year of righteousness and justice? What a wonderful world it would be!

Posted in Attitude, Disciplines, Justice | Leave a Comment »

When Today Is Done

January 22, 2024

When you begin a day, preferably with reading and meditation, where do expect the day to end? How will you spend the next precious 15 hours? Where will your focus and attention take you?

I hope that you don’t have a calendar filled with what to do every 15-minute time block of the day. That is stifling. It fails to allow for thinking and serendipity.

I do hope for you and for me that we place our attention on what good we can do as we travel through the day. That we are aware of what surrounds us and meets us such that we can show kindness and service.

And when we perform our evening Examen we can say that today we have done some good for the world.

Posted in Awareness, focus, Service | Leave a Comment »

Sit and Think

January 19, 2024

How have you used your precious time and attention so far today? This week? What will you do tonight?

Have you ever been in the shower and forgotten whether you have shampooed your hair yet because you’ve been lost in thought?

I remember I think it was second grade. So I was maybe six. We were sent outside for an extra recess. There were men cutting down a tree and then cutting it into pieces. I was totally focused on what they were doing and how they did it. I have no idea how long it was before I realized that there were no other kids around. Strangely, I just went back to the classroom and found my seat. I don’t recall any comments.

There is a story, this could have been me but it wasn’t, of a little boy in elementary school. He was staring out the window totally lost in thought. As each classmate and then the teacher noticed the room grew noticeably quiet. This brought the little boy back to present reality.

“What were you doing?” asked the teacher. “Thinking,” said the little boy. To which the teacher responded perhaps a little too quickly, “Don’t you know that you’re not supposed to think in school?”

Is this not an important part of the well lived life? To sit and think. Ancient people had time in the evenings and perhaps mornings to sit and think. Modern life of the past two hundred or three hundred years has robbed us of that time.

Remember, even Jesus went off to be alone to sit and think and rest in God. That is a good example for us.

Posted in Thinking | Leave a Comment »

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