Last night's celebration honoring America's Heroes sponsored by my Rotary Club and Operation American Heroes was a wonderful event. It was the first night of a two night event designed to raise money for our local servicemen returning home with problems and for our first responders.
You can support them at www.operationamericanheroes.org. The audience was full of people who believe service above self. We even had a man who fought at Iwo Jima.
The keynote speaker was retired General William Boykin, former commander of U.S. Army Special Forces and founding member of Delta Force. He was inspiring.
General Boykin asked all of us who had served in the military to repeat our induction oath. Part of which is to defend our constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. He reminded us that there was no expiration date attached to that contract we voluntarily agreed upon. He charged us
with continuing to fight and defend our great country.
General Boykin asked everyone to place God first and adhere to our values so that we may continue being blessed and proud to be Americans. The man was inspiring yet down to earth. He was humble and honorable. It was a distinct pleasure to meet him, shake his hand and thank him for his
service to our country and our world. He signed his new book for Mary and I, "Never Surrender, A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom".
I look forward to reading it.
Today, remember and honor our servicemen and women. Lower yourself to one knee and praise God. Be thankful for our freedoms. Spread peace and love wherever you go. But stay vigilant and ready to defend and fight for freedom.
9/11 ceremony was emotional on so many levels. I particularly liked Rudy Giuliani reciting Ecclesiastes, 3:1, A Time For Everything. Solid and true words to reflect on. Worthy of printing and keeping on the wall at home...
Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
I just watched Boatlift, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience on CNN narrated by Tom Hanks. You must see this, it's inspiring. 500,000 people rescued by boat from Manhattan in less than 9 hours! This represents who we are, and what we will and can do for each other!
Pray for peace, live in peace, live a life of love, but stay vigilent!
Blessings,
Dr. Rick Barrett
Sunday, August 28, 2011
This year's destination...Peru!
Our Austin based multidisciplinary team will be serving the impoverished people in Callao, Peru. We will be there from September 26 to October 6th.
Though I've participated in roughly thirty medical missions, I'm just as excited about this one as I was my first.
I look forward to catching up with my Peruvian friend, Ruth, who lives in Lima and works as a translator. She is going to join us and bless us with her translation skills.
We may also have help from the sister of Winston. (I told you he is going to walk 5,000 miles across South East Asia. Check out http://smiletrek.org) She is currently attending school in Lima. It's miraculous how people's lives cross and connect when giving and serving others in need.
While in Peru, I hope to keep you updated with photos and...if I can figure it out...a video posted to YouTube.
I know many people like to donate clothing, and medical supplies like crutches and wheelchairs. Unfortunately, it's difficult to travel that far with those types of supplies.
You can send me monetary donations if you like or donate at http://www.austincatholicmedicalmission.org. Any other donations, I can give to my other team traveling to Eagle Pass on the Mexican border in November.
As always, any donations are appreciated but please keep our entire team and our work in your prayers. I'll communicate more later.
Monument Valley, Utah is a place of haunting other worldly landscapes. It's staggering lithic monuments rise above the desert floor to kiss the sky. I fell in love with this magical place some twenty-five years ago, though I'd seen it many times before in movies. Of course, it's very recognizable. It's been the backdrop for many John Wayne movies.
This trip Mary and I were fortunate to get a special tour from a Navajo brother and sister team, Jessica and Quanah. They showed us places I had never been before. Places where they played as children and are very special to the Navajo. They shared stories of their culture and about the land the ancient ones, the Anasazi, once called home.
Touring us through the beautiful desert amongst majestic rock formations, our young guides showed us pictographs and petroglyphs and then took us to a rock formation they say represents a Hogan.
There Jessica instructed us to rest and lie down on the cool, smooth sloped rock base of a formation that made up a natural amphitheater. I wasn't quite prepared for what came next.
Quanah began to play a Navajo flute whose sound was amplified and enriched by the rock formations. I wasn't, as I said, prepared. I hurriedly took out my video camera to capture part of that unique moment. Then Jessica serenaded us with a touching Navajo song. It was a beautiful gift, befitting the surroundings and adding to the treasured experience in this magnificent Valley of Monuments.
I'd like to share a piece of what we experienced. I encourage everyone to visit this Natural Wonder of the World that the Navajo people graciously allow us to be a part of. If you go, look up Quanah and Jessica. They work for their parents at Majestic Monument Valley Touring Company. Check them out...you'll be glad you did! They will tell you "ya'at'eeh" (hello), welcome to Monument Valley, Tse'Bii'Ndzisgaii, (Valley of the Rocks)!
Immersing oneself in the pilgrimage experience means abandoning one’s normal life and embracing in totality all that the Blessed Virgin Mary…that God, wishes for that person. Once one says, “Yes” and commits to the journey, they must push themselves…their ego, out of their own way. Hence exposing themselves to the entire richness of the trip from the grand and obvious, to nuances and subtleties that weave together a powerfully fulfilling, rewarding and enduring spiritual experience.
Part of this means continual prayer. Silently…openly…individually…or in groups. Sometimes, casually and other times more formal.
For Catholics, “mass” is the ultimate formal gathering of the body of the church, to praise, worship, confess, speak utter gratitude and receive Christ in their lives. During the journey, we participated in daily masses in various churches and hotels.
Understandably, for many, this can be an overload. But after all, this is what we went for…to find the Blessed Virgin Mary, get closer to God and have a spiritual…a divine encounter.
A significant blessing for our group was having Father Roy Oggero, a Basilian priest, as our spiritual leader. Father Roy, as most people call him, has a beautiful, loving soul coupled with a lively and humorous personality. It’s easy to feel love, warmth and the presence of God when he is in your company.
Masses were celebrated by Father Roy, with the exception of a few, in which he was a con-celebrant with many priests such as in Medjugorje. I’ll share more of that with you later.
The Church of St. Blaise is a magnificent 18th century Baroque church dedicated to the patron Saint and protector of Dubrovnick, the beautiful ancient port city on the Adriatic Sea.
George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, described Dubrovnick as, “the pearl of the Adriatic”. Unfortunately, “the pearl” wasn’t glowing the day we visited. It was a rather gloomy day, punctuated with rain storms and yet, it was still magical and beautiful.
St. Blaise holding the city of Dubrovnik
Ancient religious treasures abound inside St. Blaise Church.
This day we brought our own treasure…Father Roy! (Knowing Father Roy as I do, he’ll probably think I’m calling him ancient when he reads this…)
Having video camera in hand, I was able to capture much of our adventure including many of the masses. Father Roy and our group were gracious enough to indulge me as I attempted to record forever our experiences during the Medjugorje pilgrimage.
I invite you to participate in the mass at St. Blaise celebrated by Father Roy Oggero and listen to his insightful sermon. I believe you’ll be captivated by his powerful message delivered in his usual gentle, loving but “cut to the chase” fashion, as he discusses the reason for our lives.
The video is an edited version which does not cover the mass in its entirety (so don’t panic…it’s not an hour long…only about five minutes).
You don’t have to be Catholic to glean some pearls of wisdom from this. I believe it can serve all. If nothing else, you’ll get a glimpse into the Catholic mass, and enjoy the beauty of the Church of St. Blaise.
My continued purpose with the Medjugorje Chronicles and accompanying videos is to expose and enlighten. To help all of us tap into our spiritual being and connect with God.
It’s nice to have a reminder of who we are, how we should conduct
ourselves in a civilized society or of what we believe in.
Some of the items may be religious in nature and others not.
They could be cards we keep in our wallets, rings or other pieces
of jewelry that symbolize truths we hold dear.
Of course, if love, spirituality, morals, ethics, integrity, or
compassion aren’t in our hearts, no symbol will be the magic
talisman that transfigures us into a better human being.
A gangster attending church simply going through the motions
doesn’t redeem himself or wash away his criminal behavior.
Rotarians have something we hold dear called the four way test of
the things we think, say or do.
I carry one in the form of a token in my pocket. And I have
another I keep on my desk. The obverse contains three
simple words:
SERVICE… ABOVE… SELF…
The reverse holds the words of the four way test of the things we
think, say, or do.
1) Is it the truth?
2) Is it fair to all concerned?
3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
I find this four way test to be a great reminder of how to conduct
ourselves throughout our daily lives…
…a standard by which to operate that transcends any potential
social, ethnic, or religious barrier.
I hope you benefit by those words and the obvious meaning behind
them as much as I do.
When I wrote Give to Live; The Real Secret to Manifesting Life’s
Rewards with Joe Vitale, it was with the intent of promoting the
idea of service above self and the magnificent rewards that we
automatically attract in doing so.
One way for me to serve others is by making this book available as
a free digital book. It can be read or downloaded free at www.givetolivebook.com
While on a very special trip to Peru, we decided to take the giving
and serving message to a new level giving more people the ability
to open their subconscious minds to giving. We created the Give to
Live Subliminal Manifestation DVD…you can check it out at www.givetolivedvd.com
I wrote several prayers and an affirmation of service that I’ve
given away to people around the world for many years. The loving
response has always humbled me. Inspired by this, I was guided to
convert the prayers into songs. You can read the prayers and hear
a sampling of the music in a free special report I wrote where I
share ideas on how to get closer to God. It’s all on the website
at www.attractmoregod.com
As always, my products partially fund our medical missions, the
Nahuathl Indigenous stove project and more.
I think you’ll agree they meet the four way test.
Even if you are not a Rotarian, I know you’ll find a use for the
four way test in your life. Likely you’re already intuitively
using it.
Please continue to be the change in you wish to see in the
world…share this with others!
Blessings,
Dr. Rick Barrett
P.S. Want to become a Rotarian? Check out www.rotary.org or contact me personally about the Rotary I belong to
Well, here's another story out of Mexico from Mom's birthday trip.
If you've ever had pico de gallo at a Mexican restaurant, you know how awesome it can be...or not, depending on the restaurant. Regardless of where I've ever had it, I've never had it made fresh at my table. That is until we ate at Los Zarapes in Mazatlan, Mexico.
Our host, Johnny, made us the best pico de gallo I've ever had in my life! (Remember, I live in Texas where there's a lot of Mexican restaurants!) But what's even better, Johnny taught me how to make it and I have it on video. I'm going to share the video with Johnny's special recipe. Believe me, it will be well worth your while to watch this short video.
Once you make your own pico de gallo, you'll be hooked. And no more buying that garbage so called pico de gallo in the grocery store. I guarantee it. Fresh vegetables always win...and they're healthier too. But you knew that.
Once you make the pico, it's up to you to decide what to do with it. Straight up on a corn chip is great, or mixed into a chili con queso...fantastico! Couple that with a smooooth margarita (frozen or unfrozen, salt or no salt) made with good tequila and even kick it up a notch by adding Presidente brandy. Now it's muy sabroso!
Enjoy the video and bon appétit...whoops, that's French...in Español...bueno apetito!
Some of you have asked about Rudy. Lately, I've had numerous inquiries about Rudy and the Nahuathl Indigenous stoves he builds. Rudy is in good health, but as many of you have heard, Mexico is a hot bed of controversy because of the drug cartels and the associated killings.
We have many friends that live in Mexico and many more who live in the United States, but still have family throughout Mexico. Some areas are affected more than others certainly. Caution and awareness are two words that spring to mind. There are dangerous places throughout the world. Many of the United State's large cities like Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, (to name a few) have areas that would be best avoided. I think the same is true in Mexico.
The good people, the uneducated, the helpless, the poor, and the average person trying the best they can to carve out a decent life for themselves are always damaged by the effects of the uncaring, the criminals, the evil people (if you allow me to use that term).
So the news from Rudy is that he and the people in the region have been greatly impacted in a negative way.
The following is from Rudy's latest e-mail:
"We've had some very hot and windy weather. The Nahuathl natives feel that we are in for a very dry season. The old natives say that this hot and dry wind is bad and they are right about it. All the creeks and streams are nearly totally dried. Not much water is left in water springs. Even our three rivers are way down in their normal level."
Rudy then went on to say in one of the towns where we do our medical missions; the local police station was under attack. Grenades were even thrown, but didn't explode! It's a very sad and troubling state of affairs in this once peaceful and beautiful region of Mexico.
Rudy goes on to say, "I am still doing what little I can to keep my work with the Nahuathl people. Stay well and healthy. May God bless you always."
Regardless of the hardships, Rudy always ends his correspondence with a blessing to everyone.
I'll be sending Rudy more donations this week to continue his work. I'm always happy to be the conduit to get funds to Rudy and to aid the Nahuathl people.
If you would like to donate please visit our Missions of Hope website at:
Please continue to send good intentions, beautiful, peaceful energy and prayers for the good people in Mexico and throughout all the troubled regions of the world.
Thanks for all your help!
Blessings,
Dr. Rick Barrett
P.S. "There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom and peace of mind. They are always attained by giving them to someone else." Peyton Conway March.
I flew a plane!! Dare I say it? It's really hard to believe, but here we go...
It's been 30 years since I piloted a small plane! Flying the small craft is not what is so amazing; it's that 30 years have gone by since I sat behind the controls.
Let me bring you up to speed. Like most guys, I've always loved anything that goes fast, sounds powerful, is powerful, is bright and shiny (especially red) and smells like gasoline and oil.
In the water,
on the ground
or in the air.
It's all good!
Sound familiar? Probably you know someone like this. Maybe it's you!
Mechanical things are wonderful. I've tinkered with just about everything, even rebuilding engines. I've driven just about anything with an engine from lawn mowers to bulldozers and road graders, to Ferraris and Lamborghinis and a whole lot in between.
I like speed. Especially if there is an engine involved. Planes fascinate me. As a kid, I always loved going to air shows(I still do). So when I was about 19 years old, I pursued flying.
I thought and dreamed that I might like to be an airline pilot one day. But eventually the idea of being stuck in a small room(cockpit) with a couple of other guys hour after hour, day after day, month after month...for years slowly began to play in my head like a bad Rod Serling episode of The Twilight Zone.
So, I joined the Navy (besides I couldn't fly in the Air force with bad vision). Okay, so maybe that wasn't so smart. (There were some good times in there.) I was a SEABEE and got to tinker on some really cool heavy equipment...diesel engines (though they didn't go really fast).
Where was I...oh yeah...
So, I interrupted my flying lessons, I was thisss close (You can't see it, but I'm holding my fingers really close together, like the size of a hair.) to getting my private pilot's license! Actually just a mere night flight and one cross country trip from completion.
I've always regretted not finishing and for all these years, I've longed to go back to it. Every time I see a plane in the sky. Perhaps now I will.
Well, why did I stop? You know how it is. Priorities--girls, cars,money, time, girls, cars, money, time...uh, oh, starting to sound like a Twilight Zone episode again.
Anyway, fast forward a few years. How I got back in the air was at the invitation of a patient, fellow Rotarian, and friend, Dana, who owns a flight school in Sugar Land, Texas. http://www.ansonair.com He graciously asked Mary and me to "go up" in one of his planes. I think he said, "Would you be interested in taking a plane up on Saturday?"
Of course, I intelligently replied, "No, I don't think so...duh!" He got my drift.
So, some how we picked one of the hottest Saturdays in a record heat month(August) in Texas to fly a small plane with no air conditioning!! (That's worth two exclamation points.) I believe it was 100+ with a heat index of 110. Did I say it was hot? Now I know what a crawfish feels like in the boil.
We finally got some cold air at 3500 feet...87 degrees!
As we were cruising over some beautiful countryside, Dana asked me if I wanted to take over the controls...another, "Oh, duh!" moment. I took the yoke and proceeded to do some hard banking, loop dloops, and barrel rolls...it was all coming back. (Well, that was running through my head anyway.)
No, I kept her steady and on course. He let me have her for a while, not too short, not too long...just enough to give me the bug again. I suspect Dana wants me to take lessons again.
All in all it was a great time. We all survived. My wife had it the worst though, she was in the back seat with less room than a Volkswagen full of circus clowns. And did I mention it was hot? I think Dana picked the smallest plane in his fleet. Back on the ground, Mary kissed the ground, hugged Dana and told me, "Next time you sit in the back!" We had a blast though. Well worthwhile and Dana runs a top notch operation. I think everyone should learn to fly. http://www.ansonair.com
Then there will be more room for me on the ground. Did I tell you I love driving cars? There are a few lessons in this story (not just flying lessons).
Live life to the fullest!
Pursue your dreams and passions...even just once!
Don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today! (I think someone said that before me.)
Don't spend all your time watching movies about other people living.
Live your bucket list now! (While you can ambulate reasonably well.)
Live more, love more, and give more... for tomorrow may never come.
Live in the present, live in the now, live in the moment!
Don't wait 30 years!
Dr. Rick Barrett
Author of Give to Live; The Real Secret to Manifesting Life's Rewards www.givetolivebook.com
P.S. The only thing missing (besides air conditioning) was a killer sound system playing Pink Floyd's song, Learning to Fly!
