brotherlylove

Hebrews 13:1

Here we are again, revisiting a topic that I know each one of you are only too familiar with.  You say, Preacher, isn’t there something else we can study besides this matter of love? Is there not some other treasure that you can unearth for us from Holy Writ? Brother, that’s like saying, we’ve had enough of you mining for gold, isn’t there something else you can unearth, like silver or tin, or a lump of iron or copper?  Well, I can, but you do realise that these other metals whilst important are not to be compared with the precious worth of gold?  As pertaining to that first commandment of importance, that “…royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Jms. 2:8), it has no equal...no rival by which to compare. It stands in a league of its own, chief among the metals!

Of all the many aspects of love, one could choose to look at, in this sermon we choose to look at the continuation of love seen in the exhortation given to the Hebrews, “Let brotherly love continue”.

If there is ever a story where you can believe the hand of God is maneuvering somebody’s destiny in unfathomable ways, then listen in today for Jason Flores’ tale. Leading what all would consider to be a very idyllic life, pursuing his dreams and working for a high end tech company, traveling extensively, Jason was on the fast track for the traditional sense of success. It wasn’t until he was in Iceland on a vacation, that a congenital defect reared havoc and completely course corrected the path Jason was on. He has a rare genetic defect that someone would carry from birth, where he had a blood vessel burst in his brain, altering his cognitive and physical abilities. It was so severe that he was immediately rushed to the hospital in Iceland and stayed there for months after brain surgery before having to go home where he worked extensively with physical & mental therapy, fighting his emotional depression, until one day he admitted to his parents that he was done. He was so distraught at having them take care of him, when he really aspired to take care of them, that it took the life out of him. It wasn’t until his parents' response to him, that left a tremendous mark in his life to this day, that they were so sorry for having done this to him that he realized he needed to get out of his funk.

By taking the reins and reevaluating his life after his near-death experience, Jason then realized that he needed to push himself to have a new experiences and let the universe guide him to where he needed to be and that’s when he found Mind valley that really resonated with him. Then that led him to their gathering called Afest, which after applying and being accepted, he was on his way to Bali. Jason experienced, like most of us can, incredible doubt about his decision to go but quickly realized that the beautiful people there & the connections were exactly what he had been looking for in his life. And even going to the next conference in Portugal, he found one of his closest friends now, had actually been in Bali, too. They had almost led parallel lives in finding they were in the exact same place in Singapore at almost the exact same time, live only minutes from one another in Southern California only to find that they had to meet in Portugal. A great example of divine synchronicity and connection in his life.

Jason has now come to realize that his life’s work is in service to others and he’s found his ability to do that through encouraging men in particular, to embrace their vulnerability as the strength it is rather than the weakness we’ve always perceived it to be. Within vulnerability, he finds life‘s greatest expression and that by conveying our feelings, we are able to release and experience life all encompassing, versus his trench analogy and constantly digging a hole and pretty soon finding yourself stuck down there because you’re trying to bury all those things that are uncomfortable. Vulnerability teaches us that the only way to deal with this pain is to go through it as he’s learned immeasurably in his own life. Now let’s listen in!

More information:

• https://aboutfaceyourself.com/
• https://www.mindvalley.com/

Note: The statements and opinions in this podcast are those solely of the individual being interviewed, and not to be taken as medical advice. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Seth Adam Smith and I talk about depression, his suicide attempt and his wanting to get better for himself. He talks about his brother, and how their dynamics changed after almost losing him to suicide. You may know this story from the "Sitting on the Bench" video that was widely seen online, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Seth talks about his alone time in the Grand Canyon, or at least he thought he was alone. He talks about holding his daughter for the first time, and seeing the light in her eyes. Seth talks about his family, and his love of the complete chaos. Seth Adam Smith is an author, blogger and advocate for all things suicide prevention. This is his journey, you won't want to miss it.

Seth Adam Smith and I talk about depression, his suicide attempt and his wanting to get better for himself. He talks about his brother, and how their dynamics changed after almost losing him to suicide. You may know this story from the "Sitting on the Bench" video that was widely seen online, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Seth talks about his alone time in the Grand Canyon, or at least he thought he was alone. He talks about holding his daughter for the first time, and seeing the light in her eyes. Seth talks about his family, and his love of the complete chaos. Seth Adam Smith is an author, blogger and advocate for all things suicide prevention. This is his journey, you won't want to miss it.