The Greatest Love

Rick E. Meyer

Memorial Day

American Legion

Leigh, Nebraska

May 30, 2005

 

Members of the American Legion and members of the greater Leigh community, welcome. Memorial Day is a day in which we gather to pay tribute to those veterans who are no longer with us, and to honor those who are. I am honored and privileged   to stand before you today, you the true heroes - the creators of modem history.

I did not enjoy studying history in school, however historians inform us that history tends to repeat itself; there is much of history we hope is never repeated. 

However, there are pieces of history that should be repeated continually; ... America can and should  learn  a vast array about human performance from you, the Veterans of the United States Armed Services.

The Bible instructs us in John 15:12-13, we are to love others as Christ loves us; Christ says the Greatest love a person can display is laying down one's life for friends as Jesus did for us.  Jesus says "you are my friend if you do what I command". You, the Veterans, answered Christ's command, as every person who serves in defending our great nation is laying down their life for their Friends,   their fellow Americans and mankind around the globe.

My fellow Americans, each of these Veterans has laid down their life for Freedom & Liberation,   Freedom for America and all of the Free World. You have displayed the Greatest Love.

Yes, you who were blessed with life after the last shot in the last battle of the war you fought or served in; laid down your life.  Did you not give up months and years of your lives to serve?   Flint Whitlock in his recent book "The Fighting First"; tells the story of the Big Red One from Omaha Beach, to the hedge rows, Battle Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest to the Battle of the Bulge, states that over 60 years later the surviving veterans still have nightmares from battle.  

Perhaps some, if not all of you, still have nightmares from battle. The fact of memories lingering forever in your mind, whether from 60+ years or less than a month ago; are further evidence of laying down your life for mankind.

Naturally, some have or still do wonder why you survived while others did not.   The only answer I have  is that each day anyone awakens, regardless of age or state of health, God is saying "I have plans for you - today".  God has led his people into battle and victory, since nearly the beginning of time.

We are in constant pursuit of World Peace, which is World Hope. The Biblical definition for Peace is not the absence of negative, rather the presence of positive, the presence of HOPE. One of the names of Jesus is Prince of Peace; Jesus continues to bring hope despite the continual presence of evil.

While implementing the Greatest Love and spreading World Peace and World Hope, you have taught us priceless other lessons such as:

1. Listen to God
2. Power of Mind w/ Faith
3. Word is your Worth
4. Integrity Always
5. Avoid Paralysis of Analysis
6. Fall backwards: Faith & Thankfulness
7. Avoid Complacency
8. Liberation & Freedom
9. Chaplain John Burkhalter of Big Red One on Omaha Beach  ". ...Everything was to their advantage and to our disadvantage,   except for one thing:   the righteous cause for which we are fighting  - Liberation and Freedom. .." Fellow Americans, we must remember we fight for Liberation and Freedom everyday. We are only 6" from Liberation and Freedom, when we choose to live virtuously, living out the lessons you taught us; placing our Faith - Hope and Trust in Jesus Christ. Choices of thought we make daily in our lives. When we fight for this or any righteous cause nothing can stop us!

The men and women who have and are fighting and serving this great Nation deserve Americans to strive for more virtuous lives. The men and women who fought and served in North Africa, Italy, France and all of Europe, Pearl Harbor, Philippines, Japan, Mountains of Korea, Jungles of Vietnam, and the Sands of the Middle East; fought and served in order that we may Live, Live a life of Liberation and Freedom.

In Conclusion:

1.     America must readopt your lessons of World Champion Performances of 

2.     Listen to God

3.     Power of our Mind & Faith

4.     Word is our Worth

5.     Fall Backwards

6.     Avoid Paralysis of Analysis 

7.     Non­ Complacent in Fighting

8.     Liberation  and Freedom

However, most importantly, you have taught us that Life owes us absolutely nothing, ......... while we owe Life every ounce of energy we possess; expending that energy in answering - in responding, to the commands of Christ.

We will follow your example of laying down our life for our fellow man, loving others as our Lord loves us - you, the Veterans of the Undefeated World Champion  United States Armed Forces, exemplify The Greatest Love.

Mr. Commander.

Tangent Activities

(Originally written in 1997)

What is the shortest distance between two points? A straight line!

I did not excel in Geometry and Trigonometry in school, however this aforementioned principle has remained with me. The understanding of this principle has proven invaluable in each of the 400 to 500 cross country and road races that I have competed in.

Courses often curve, following the roads on which they are marked, especially in marathons. If you follow the center of the road while running, it can an add hundreds of yards to the length of the race. I am amazed that many of the best marathoners in the world follow the yellow line, the center of the road, versus running the tangent (the shortest distance between two points). Thereby expending excess time and energy, two vital components of your life. I have outperformed some of the world's top marathoners, who far surpassed my talent level, by running the tangents while they were following the yellow lines. I chose "Tangent Activities".

Running the tangent requires knowing your goals and objectives while looking ahead to the next turn. As we begin our race for achievements in 2012, we must be looking ahead to our desired goals and objectives, in the six main areas of our life:

1.     Spiritual

2.     Financial

3.     Professional

4.     Educational

5.     Recreational

a.      Emotional well-being

b.     Physical well-being

6.     Interpersonal Relationships

Any thought or activity that does not correlate with our stated goals and objectives is "running on the yellow line" instead of the "running the tangent". We must inquire if the thoughts occupying our minds, the words spoken from our mouths and the activities capturing our time are goal achieving? Everything we do and say begins as a thought! If our thoughts are not goal achieving we must change our thoughts, or reevaluate our goals.

For example "Does watching this T.V. program or possessing this thought assist in achieving my goals (recreational, spiritual, professional, educational, recreational or any other desired achievement)?" If you answer anything less than "YES!"
- Do not watch the program or allow the thought to linger in your mind.

Choose "Tangent Activities" creating a straight line from one desired objective to the next. By "running the tangents" in life you will achieve your desired goals and objectives; producing World Class results.

Congratulations on Choosing "Tangent Activities" in 2012!

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Fitness Benefits for Cancer Patients

Fitness Benefits for Cancer Patients

by David Haas (Guest Writer)

Fitness is increasingly been seen to have life-changing effects for cancer patients, whether they have just been diagnosed, are undergoing treatment, or are in remission. Physical fitness and healthy diets are potent weapons for cancer patients to use in their fight against this disease. Recent research has even prompted the American Cancer Society to issue new guidelines recommending exercise for cancer survivors.

One way that cancer patients can benefit from regular exercise is through its effects on their immune systems. Exercise makes the immune system more effective, partly by increasing the flow of the lymph system. The lymph system is helpful in carrying toxic materials out of the body, but it cannot move on its own like the bloodstream does. Instead, it moves when the body moves it. This can allow the body to detoxify and support the immune system.

Exercise also increases the activity of immune system components like natural killer T-cells. These important cells roam the body, looking for pathogens to kill. If they are able to identify cancer cells, they can kill these as well. Exercise helps increase both the number and activity of these immune system cells.

Another benefit of exercise is that is will raise your energy levels, even for patients undergoing mesothelioma treatment. Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can leave cancer patients feeling drained and fatigued. The fatigue can even last deep into the day. Instead of feeling tired only when asleep, the fatigue is spread out throughout the day, preventing you from getting your daily tasks done.

Exercise raises your metabolic rate and gives you more energy. This will help keep you awake and alert throughout the day, and help you sleep longer and deeper at night. It is the deep stages of sleep that are associated with the greatest degree of healing. Your body will need to recover from the effects of both the cancer and treatment, so proper rest is critically important to your full recovery.

Exercise can have psychological benefits as well as physical ones. Research has shown that regular exercise increases the neurotransmitters in your brain, like serotonin and dopamine. These important chemicals can be depleted in many cancer patients, but exercise helps restore them.

Serotonin and dopamine are produced by your brain to foster communication between brain cells. Dopamine also helps your brain execute motor skills and governs concentration and mood. Serotonin is used by your brain to regulate mood, body temperature, and appetite. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression. Dr. Simon Young, in the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, showed that physical exercise increases the building blocks for serotonin in the body.

Anxiety and stress are typical complaints of cancer patients. Having to undergo rigorous testing and treatment often leaves them feeling tired and irritable. Exercise fights stress and anxiety through the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Endorphins provide pain relief to the body and reduce stress and anxiety. The effects last for hours after your exercise is over.

Follow Mr. David Haas at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog

http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog

If Winning Were Easy... Referral

Jasmine Schmidt                                              May 7, 2012
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Maryville University
650 Maryville University Dr.
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter to highly recommend keynote speaker, Rick E. Meyer. Currently, I am a student at Maryville University of Saint Louis, Missouri. Here, I serve as president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Our organization is young and our campus is growing rapidly in the athletics.

While considering this, my team was praying for opportunities for campus outreach and Rick immediately came to mind. Two years ago, I met Rick as I was flying home from college. He struck up a conversation when he noticed that I was wearing a track jacket and being a runner himself, he wanted to ask about my team.

From this short meeting before our flights, I was inspired by how Rick relates to people. It is clear that his heart burns for Christ. From our short chat, I learned that he is a keynote speaker, who gives special focus on the competitive spirit and how we must fix our eyes on Christ to truly live.

This past March, my university hosted Rick to speak for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Our theme for our meeting discussed what it truly means to succeed. Rick presented his speech ‘If Winning Were Easy, Everybody Would Do It’. This event was truly a blessing; Rick speaks by the Spirit and lets the LORD define the direction of what is being discussed.

From this night, I learned an important and striking lesson: Rick Meyer is an excellent speaker because he is a careful listener. His passion to share Christ’s love with people is shown whether he meets just one person for a brief moment, or a large gathering for an anticipated conference.

In either case, Rick listens carefully for what Christ would have him share. I cannot express how much I enjoyed working with Rick to organize our event. He demonstrates humility, a speaking presence of the experienced and contagious joy. I highly recommend him and would absolutely host him at our university again.

Sincerely,

Jasmine Schmidt

Evanglism and Harvest

Bible Study this morning we discussed evangelism and the passage about the harvest is ready. The leader said their Dallas class had not previously heard a Kansas farm boy analogy: "Not everyone drives the combine at harvest. A successful harvest requires a bunch of people each performing their significant duties. If not, the combine eventually sits idle or has to unload the grain on the ground."

Imagination

Imagination: Destructive or Creative and healing. Depends on the image and how it is used. A positiveley powerful imagination receives and creates images correlating with and pleasing to the one whom created you in His image.

God sometimes speaks to us in images, yielding Powerful, Positive Imagination. Other sources lead to Powerful, Destructrive Imagination.

Blindly encouraging imagination, resembles randomly encouraging a driver via cell phone conversation, "Step on the gas."


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com

Wisdom and Winning

Keep the Faith! God's Wisdom far exceeds ours, and His Victories are often beyond the world's recognition and comprehension.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com

Words and Raindrops

The farmers’ smiles and optimism escalated as the gentle rain descended upon their farmland for several hours. “This soaking rain, answers our prayers.”

“Can’t imagine too much, if any, running off. We probably had a couple of inches” observes another—heads nod in agreement.

The minimal force with which the rain fell, enable soil pores to remain open. This factor optimized the soil’s rate of infiltration, which exceeded the rate of rainfall. Consequently, the soil absorbed all the rain—preventing run-off.

Absorbed rain provides a plethora of crop production benefits. The water provides moisture for seed germination, plant growth, herbicide activation, and nutrient uptake for certain plant nutrients. Water opens the double-layered clay soils, enhancing root-growth and nutrient availability of nutrients attached to the cations (cat-ions) in the clay soils.

This water loosens all soil, reducing or eliminating compaction and hard-pans to enable root penetration into the subsoil for additional water as well as benefit plant stability. Absorbed water during the winter months, provides freezing and thawing of the soil which increases it productivity through greater fragmentation.

These benefits occur with patience—let the rain soak in before driving or cultivating the soil, or lose some of the benefits. Steady, gentle rain produces more fruit, maximizing yield.

Conversely, a hard rain of the same volume often proves detrimental. Greater kinetic energy may result in a crust or surface seal, reducing or eliminating infiltration. This results in run-off of the rainwater, carrying productive soil off the field. Soil and water low in sodium results in reduced infiltration or less water absorbed into the soil. Jesus also warns about lacking salt, results rest in physical science as well as spirituality.

Intense rain reduces fruit production, minimizing yield.

Are you speaking a message of a soft, gentle, steady rain, yield much fruit? A soft absorbing message and a soft voice are two distinct factors. Tortures may whisper softly to their victims, while carrying a devastating message.

When speaking an intense message, regardless of volume, remember to include the salt of Jesus’ love, mercy, grace and forgiveness resulting from confession and repentance. Jesus’ salt, like appropriate sodium in soil, will open their pores to absorb your message. To avoid "run-off" and erosion, restrict the rate and volume of the message to the level of your audiences absorbtion rate--ability to comprehend and apply.

When carrying the message and love of Christ, your listeners will smile like farmers during a steady, gentle rain.



See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com

Holy Spirit and Albino Soybean Plants

Another excerpt from the same paper referenced below.

Jim also became the world’s first scientist to develop an albino soybean plant, I only heard of this from Dad as he relayed the story Jim shared with him. This achievement required an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 trials before attaining success. When I spoke with Jim last summer, he no longer recalled.

Unfortunately, fellow scientist(s) broke into his lab stealing some of his research data. This led to his departure from science within a few years later. Attaining a pure white soybean plant was nearly impossible for world’s best scientists, at least in the early 1980s. Albinos are rare in nearly all of nature.

This reminds us of the impossibility of our heart and soul attaining purity, represented by pure white, on our own merits. We must be born, injected with the genetics of Spirit and worship Him in truth.

As other scientist(s) applied every known distraction and deception to prevent Jim from creating the albino soybean plant, the enemy Satan attempts to distract and deceive man from attaining an albino soul through knowing Jesus Christ—His death and resurrection for our sins.

Satan also attempts to distract and deceive us from developing a full relationship with the Holy Spirit. This relationship includes speaking with and hearing Him through our heart, mind and soul. His voice’s correlation with scripture equals 1.0. God-the Trinity-must agree with His Word.

Any voice correlation less than 1.0, originates from someone other than God. John 14:16 refers to the Spirit with the Greek word, paraclētos or paraclete (Ferguson 1996, 36-56), these contain definitions similar with a defense attorney defending us against the accuser, diabolos (devil).

Additionally, Jesus explains the defense attorney, the Holy Spirit, converses with the God the Father, the Judge, and the Son (Letham, 58). In other words, we are caught driving the stolen car from the crime scene with the smoking gun whose ballistics match the killing bullet, additionally the entire crime-a digital video recorder captures our every action.

If we confess of our crime, admitting we have no hope of innocence on our own merit; we are defended by defense attorney who is the Judge’s triplet brother (not intended to represent a perfect analogy of the trinity, yet close), and who plays golf with Him daily.

God reveals this plant science, genetics, connection to me for the first time in thirty years while writing this paper. I spoke with Jim and Jerry on the phone last summer for the first time since the mid-1980s while completing my book Running on Faith, I called verifying information I wrote about them. They remain as friendly as ever all these years later.

The Holy Spirit, along with God the Father, and the Son Lord Jesus Christ, is eternally God. He provides birth and genetics of eternal life through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. He lives in our hearts, convicting us of our sin, helping, defending and comforting us as we seek to grow in our originally designed image of God.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve purity from Christ!

Rick

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com

Holy Spirit: Tomatos and Potatos

This is an excerpt from an assignment paper submitted for "Gospels" class.

In John 3:6 Jesus says that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, world-renowned plant scientists, Jim Shepherd and Jerry Uyemoto, from Kansas State University visited our farm in north-central Kansas.

Initially they conducted research, they and their families soon became our friends, staying in our home as guests to hunt doves and pheasants.

Even though my parents formal education consisted of a high school diplomas from small, rural schools; they enjoyed my parents humble, serving personalities and thought patterns.

In December 1981, Jim and his wife Flo invited us to Manhattan to watch Kansas State and Louisville compete in basketball. The previous spring Louisville defeated K-State in Elite Eight in a heart-breaker on their way to the national championship.

In the afternoon, before Jack Hartman’s quad defeated Denny Crum’s defending champions, Jim provided my dad and I a tour of his laboratory in Waters Hall on K-State’s campus. I looked through a $100,000 microscope, the absolute best at the time, at a bunch of cells.

Jim was the world’s first to develop a plant that was genetically 50 percent potato and 50 percent tomato. He combined the genetic codes of tomatoes and potatoes. That which was born of the potato genetics was potato, and that which was born of the tomato genetics was tomato.

This plant consisted of two fruits, yet one plant; equivocally believers are sinners and saints until we enter heaven. We are born with solely the genetics of the flesh, the genetics of sin.

Just as the Jim’s plant required a scientist to inject tomato genetics into the potato genetics, we need Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to inject the Spirit genetics into our flesh genetics. Neither the potato, a below ground vegetable of the earth, nor us can achieve this on our own—we depend on another! The above ground tomato is a fruit-fruits of the Spirit-and red—symbolically representing Christ’s blood.

How do we determine whether the tomato or potato produces the greatest yields?

Fertilizer and management determine the yield. If we fertilize and manage for the below ground potato, it will flourish while the tomato diminishes producing little if any fruit. If we fertilize and manage for the tomato, it will produce abundant fruit.

Equivocally, we must choose to fertilize and manage our below ground nature of the flesh, or our above ground fruit, the genetics of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom mandates Christians fertilize and manage for abundant fruits of the Spirit. Our nutrients arrive from scripture, prayer, worship, devotion, and relationships with other believers.

We open our roots to the uptake of proper water and nutrients. The plant fails in earning water and nutrients, rather accepts them as they interact with their leaves and roots; we fail earning being born of the Spirit, Spiritual genetics, other than repenting and confessing with His conviction, believing in Christ and accepting all the spiritual nutrients available in our environments.

One is unable to deceive a plant with improper nutrients; they arrive as truth. Plant health and yield depend upon physical and chemical soil environment congruent with the plant’s design. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit provide proper physical and chemical soil environment for our Spiritual health and yield, are truth we must worship, speak, and write in truth.

Submit to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, fertilize and manage for the Fruit of the vine / Spirit in your life.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com

Power of Light

I craved temporary death the last five miles of the Boston Marathon, seeking relief from the knife-piercing pain of dehydration.

Do you crave complete relief from the exhaustion of responsibilities pushing you to the edge of emotional, physical, and spiritual collapse?

Do you believe Christ desires great achievements in your life, yet you remain unsure how to complete them?

Where does the energy to achieve Christ’s plans for your life originate?

First, let us examine the components of energy. Albert Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity in the early Twentieth Century,
E =mc2 (E = Energy, m = mass, and c = speed of light).
This equation revealed all matter has the same energy per ounce.

For example, a ounce of straw has the same energy as a ounce of uranium. Mass equals matter, operating as wavelengths. Other forms of wavelengths include light, sound, and thoughts. Yes, the speed of light influences the quantity of your energy.

I studied this formula a multitude of times since junior high science. Recently, a new pondering came to light while reviewing the Theory of Relativity. Is all light equal? I previously believed all light molecules are equal in speed—670,616,629 MPH—thus equal in energy.

Conversely, molecules from created light pale in power to the Creator’s light, the Light of Christ, (C) (John 1:3-5,9). Christ contains the purest, brightest, and fastest light. E=mC>E=mc2

Energy = mass*Christ (Light of the World) > Energy=mass*speed of light2

Instead of receiving temporary death at Boston, my soul cried out those final five miles.
Lord, I need you!
I can’t, You can, we are.
It is not me, but Christ who is in me.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

Christ provided sufficient energy for my race completion. Despite nearly walking the last four miles, I placed forty-ninth overall in a dissappointing time of 2:27. I then recovered for over two hours in the post-race medical tent where I received two-liters of IV’s for re-hydration.

A newspaper reporter who interviewed me upon entering the tent uttered surprised as I departed, "Your're still alive?"

When seeking your source of energy to achieve Christ’s will for your life, submit your physical, emotional, and spiritual mass, your heart, soul, and mind to the Light of Christ who provides miraculous energy.

This submission invites Christ’s exponential increase of your existence, just as He also increased the mass—the filling power—of the fish and bread when feeding the crowds of five-thousand men, plus the women and children (Matthew 14:13-21). E=mC provides sufficient energy for the completion of your race, along with hydration from the water with which you will never thirst again (John 4:14).

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with the Light of Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
http://www.rickemeyer.com/

(Originally posted July 2011--recently submitted for Christian Jouranlism devotional at Dallas Theological Seminary)

Change: Babies Cry for it

People love change!

Babies cry for change of diapers, and a change from hunger to a bottle of warm milk.

Soldiers desire change from fighting to a victorious battle and war.

Business men and women love the transformational change of an idea to a profitable product or service. This change benefits their finances which changes their ability to provide for their family.

Beneficial and understood change appears as a rainbow following severe weather and heavy rain. We welcome beneficial and well explained change as we welcome our favorite meal at the end of a challenging day of work.

We frequently hear and read about people resisting change. If so, the change either lacks meaningful benefits or understanding by those resisting its arrival.

Most people welcome a change from hungry to full and cotton mouth to a quenched thirst. All beneficial change receives equal reception once understood. Are you explaining the benefits?

I believe it was Adolph Hitler who once said that if you tell a lie often enough, people begin believing the lie. Too many of us believe repeat the lie of, "People oppose change."

Consider and explain how your change will serve and glorify God.

For the cause of Christ, who may I serve today. ~ Charles Gibbs

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer