You know I could not resist this one.  Lions.  Some of you may think because I am from the midwest that I MAY right about the Detroit Lions, very much the BAD NFL team, and a study in futility.  WRONG.

It’s the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.  Surprised?  I am a Christian, not just a suggestion or a once-in-a-while act I put on.  I heard the word at the age of 38 or 39 I believe after some varied exposure and after preparing by being involved in very selfish, destructive, and somtimes major sin for years.

I believed the Word, again, after much messing up in my life, I guess God said, this one’s ready to do some work for me.  Having owned a Bible for years but developing a layer of dust on it as I packed it up and moved it from place to place, never to open it.  I really went after it, and studied the Bible with some of my peers who knew what it meant and lived what it said.

I repented, having done things wrong for so long, I had to make a strong effort to reverse course and move away from the behaviors, thoughts and atitudes that had me in the dark.  I was serious and welcomed the assistance of the others who now were geting to know me.  They started to hold me accountable.

I understood what I studied, asked questions and certainly answered a lot of them as I made my way through studies.  I drove an hour each Sunday and worshipped with other believers.  I noticed the diversity of the fellowship, the joy and the zeal to hear the Word and implement it in the disciples’ lives.

On that important night, and following some extra soul-searching and thought and prayer, I confessed “Jesus is Lord!” as I acknowledged that He lived, died and was crucified, and then resurrected on the third day for the forgiveness of all of our sins. 

And then I got baptised, fully immersed, and shot up out of the water.  My sins were washed away, forgiven and I was added to God’s Kingdom!  I received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Wow. 

I understand that some of you (is anyone left?) may not believe that all of these steps are necessary.  Heck, just say a prayer, or ‘have something emotional happen.’  My Bible says to do what I did and that’s what they did in the first century after the Day of Pentecost, when Jesus’ disciples were still alive. 

So, that’s what I did and if you want to take your chances by following a teaching that came about in the 18th Century in England or here in the US…let me know how that works for you.

PS To any who are curious or serious about studying the Bible let me know and I can perhaps arrange for that to happen.

Rick Emmerich

   Thank God I had a heart attack.  It changed my life, and I have a life now, of immeasureable gratitude.  My goal is to be grateful every day and express that to God and to others.  This arena helps, of course.

   Whati is your Thank God experience?  What can you add at the end of that little phrase that is real for you and you can share with the world?  John Demarrtin ihas taken me through the Breakthrough Experience several times where we ‘confront’ and process situations in our lives that were challenging and that shaped our current situation.

   Many are not pretty.  Many of us became victims, and were quite ready to tell eveyone how bad the world was treating us.  I could see and sense my impoending doom and ‘knew’ that my health was in danger 5 years ago.  It took the heart attack to shock me into change.  Now, I am not 100% where I want to be.  I am a work in progress for sure.  But lots has happened, and Lots CAN happen when we get disatisfied with where we have brought our lives.

   Go from Victim to Victor.  John’s books share his teachings and his magnificent and intense Breatkthrough Weekends may be coming to a metropolitan area near you.; He loves to come to Honolulu, but it’s not what you think, or what I had thoought.  Since his mission or purpose it to travel the world speaking to as many as possible and to get paid handsomel;y for it, this guy never seems to enjoy the scenery when he’s here. It’s work work work.

   But that’s his passion.  What is yours?  Or what would it be if you could do anything you wanted?

   Thank God I is a community of like-minded people and authors, (not that we have any non-people authors.)  Anyone can visit and I especially urge those who have the talent to write to share your experiences.  Heck, you may even be a part of a book one of these days.  John Castagnini, the founder of Thank God I (no relation to John Demartini has the passion to share this project and help empower others and enlighten thousands in the process.

   Npw this is not the right place to give you an in-depth sudy of Dr. John’s techings, it’s much too small to do them justice.  Nor have I devoted enough time to really tell about Thank God I, but you can research both, and I recommend that.  John says a few things that I repeat often and here they are;  “I am perfect the way I am”  “Whoever I am and what ever I have done, I am worthy of love.”  (I may have paraphrased that one.)  “I do what I love, and I love what I do”

   The idea is that we can stand up and scream “Thank God I” and then fill in the blank with that terrible thing that happened, the pain that we have had for years, or the situation tha was up-til now holding us back.

   If you are intrigued, go to http://www.thankgodi.com/184.html   In early 2010 Thank God I will have our 3rd book on the shelves and I expect to be one of the authors.  Also some previews are at http://rickemmerich.com

At this moment I am not going to rehash my heart attack, even though it is out there, and in the rolls of this blog, of course. “Thank God I Had a Heart Attack” HOWEVER, based on the fact that I did most things right the second I became aware of the heart attack, I do recommend this one. Among other things I grabbed 1 or 2 aspirins from my desk and took them before I moved myself out to the front area of the office I was in.

HEART ATTACK ~ THE NEW ASPIRIN

Something that we can do to help ourselves. Nice to know.

Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve under the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets.

Why keep aspirin by your bedside?

About Heart Attacks

There are other symptoms of an heart attack besides the pain on the left arm.
One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating, however these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack. The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep, did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.

If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards:
- phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by
- say “heart attack!”
- say that you have taken 2 aspirins..
- take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and…
~ do NOT lie down ~

A Cardiologist has stated that, if each person, after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life can be saved!

I have already shared the information- – What about you?

Do forward this message; it may save lives!

“Lanikai Oh Lanikai”, sung to the tune of Galveston, by Glenn Campbell.

It’s unbelievable here.  It’s now 2 AM and I am typing this in my loft office as the breezes dominate the sounds outside, rather than the old H-1 and 16th Ave. noises my wife and I were used to.  Around 11PM and sometimes midnight every night, it seemed there would be the extreme blasts of the fast cars or motorcycles on H-1.  I figured it was the exact time of shift change for HPD.

Honolulu seems like a distant memory to me already.

None of that here.  I guess the mansion next door has automatic sprinklers, cuz they just kicked in.  My wife would think it was raining.

For those of you who don’t know Lanikai, stick around.  When we were first offered the chance to stay here for a short while, I told Malia NO, and went over the list of reasons, so matter-of-factly, so logically.  I was Ben Franklin, with the legal pad with the pros and the right and the cons on the left.  By the way that method is over-rated, we all know we can manipulate the process. 

Anyway, like many things, talking about Lanikai Beach, connected to Kailua Beach, is just NOT good enough.  It has to be experienced.  You could notice, some night in the area, how extravagant the moon and stars look through the tops of the palm trees, but chances are you’d miss it. 

You could ‘luck out’ and catch a photo with the fading available light as the sun dips behind the mountain here.  You know, it is more of a hill, but mountain sounds good, doesn’t it?

You may catch a nice picture of the Mokes, (the Mokulua Islands), but not really ‘get it.’

There is really nothing like the daily “hey, I’m on vacation” feel here.  It is incredible to catch the various shades of shadowy light in the evening and snap as many ‘perfect’ pics as you want.  And I can’t wait to catch another unique sunrise from behind the Mokes.  In 3 more hours….ouch.

The beach is slowly eroding or disappearing….choose your word.  Even knowing that, it remains one  of God’s masterpieces.  It is great to join the tourists on the beach and just chill.  No one will bother you, and this whole area is filled with athletic or not-so-athletic types that are always jogging, swimming, boarding or paddling.

Our time here may be limited.  If this is heaven, God, I DO want to stay here forever.  Just wanted to get THAT out there.  We are so blessed.  Thank God I married wisely….. 

Of course I will show pics soon.  But give me a minute, we just got the computer set up today.  So it’s me and the cats off to bed for now…………aloha 

It’s here, and as usual I don’t care.  I am about as patriotic as the next person, but isn’t Memorial Day for that?

My wife (Dr. Malia) and I are chillin’ like villians and I could use a day off, but we really are hoping that there are some stores open when we go to run errands.  It has been a good year.  I guess this is the half way point isn’t it?

I have so much to be grateful for.  I live in Hawaii.  I now have a fantastic job.  I am slowly getting used to the fact that I now work 40 hours at an office rather than from home.  Give me a little more time on that.  The job will really reward me for the skills I have been developing over the years and I am a bit surprised still that it all came about. 

I am in sales at Your EZ to Use Island Pages, an independent directory here in Hawaii.  We are part of a huge company, Ogden Directories that runs many newspapers and telephone directories and even owns the Pittsburgh Pirates.  (I know, I know, I wouldn’t brag TOO much about the Pirates’ season, but it’s a small fraternity of people that are Major League Baseball team owners.)   Who do ya know that needs Yellow Pages advertising? 

I have my Zrii business, and I am ratcheting it down just a bit.  My wife and I are healthier because of this tremendous liquid nutritional and I get a check.  I will still make calls but the bulk of my non 40 hour work time THIS weekend is aimed at my new job. 

Zrii = http://www.rickemmerich.myzrii.com

My Holy Tea business is chugging along.  I am in profit and I have lost 20 lbs since last Christmas.  People are getting healthier becasue of it.  That’s a win-win, so adding in a bit of profit is gravy.  www.holyteaclub/rickemmerich

I have a new business that I feel is going to be a very timely operation.  Xziex makes water from the air, or atmosphere.  Just think about that for a minute. 

Anyone who lives in an area that has problems producing water from their aquifers, or wonders about its quality, read on.  Anyone who is concerned about the health hazards that come from posioned water, or who is concerned about terrorists targeting our water, pay attention.  If you think that we put FAR too many plastic bottles from the bottled water we drink into the landfills, this may be for you.  If you question the quality of tap water that is ‘purified’ by bottlers, like I do….check this out.  (I think I covered everyone there.)

Xziex = www.rickemmerich.myxziex.com

Thank God I am writing this today.  My life took a left turn about 4 years ago and in 6 weeks I will celebrate the 4 year anniversay of my heart attack.  Yes you read that correctly.  Thank God I had a heart attack.  You can read more about it at this blog site.  http://rickemmerich.com   I will be a part of a book that we expect to publish early next year.  It is Thank God I Had A Heart Attack.   Right now the first book of the series is out.   Thank God I…   To pick up a copy, go to http://thankgodi.com/?idAff=4

The real reason that I am NOT that excited today is that I am not a huge fan of fireworks-never have been.  My wife and I have two cats.  They like them even less.  So we may have to bundle them up and head to her office where they will not have to hear the noises that remind us all of ‘the bombs bursting in air.’  What good did those bombs bursting in air do anyway?  

Thank God I had a heart attack

I am a heart attack survivor. There are no letters after my name, but I WAS smart enough to marry a Dr. I want to highlight life changes that came about as a result of my heart attack. I hope to help others by letting them tell their story, which should enrich all of our lives.

We are all survivors of something and it is NOT what happens to us that is important but how we respond, rebound, regroup, revive, flourish and become remarkable, following our heart incident.

Thank God I had a heart attack!  We will release a book of the same name later on this year…..

My life before.

I am truly grateful that I had a heart attack. I did it to myself without a doubt. See How to Have a Heart Attack in 9 Easy Steps   at  http://rickemmerich.com    I did everything wrong, and did it over and over again.

Some of you may relate. We thought we were in good shape. We USED to be in good shape. Back in the day I bounced at the hot night club, did aerobics, free weights, golfed, played other sports and took saunas, even rode 26 miles round-trip on my 12 speed to and from the factory job I had.   And it was 12 hours each shift.

But that was then.  (20 years ago.)  4 years ago, I had BIG issues.
1. A painful, rather sudden divorce, out of left field.
2. 2 Room mates that were crazy-yes really crazy you’ll see.
3. Bad financial dealings: bad decisions, and over-spending my earnings.
4. A condo in a state of disrepair, sliding its worth downward from the level I refied at. (Upside Down)
5. A stressful job that I did not handle well in my stressed lifestyle.
6. Lack of sleep and no quality sleep even when I did rest.
7. Terrible diet, enough said.

OK, stop, breathe, don’t focus on the negative I just threw at you. Unless you see your present life in the descriptions.

This is the first of 3 in THIS series and can also be viewed at http://www.squidoo.com/ThankGodIhadaheartattack  check it out, rate it, share it.  To order the first book in the series, Thank God I….called surprisingly enough,   Thank God I……  go to http://thankgodi.com/?idAff=4    

Previous in series Next in series

Yes I am qualified to train people on this.  August 21, 2009 was the 5 year anniversary of my heart attack.

 1.  No matter what, DON’T exercise.  Relax on the couch as much as possible.  It’s exercise to type on the keyboard and surf through all those exhausting miles on the net.  Rush hour traffic in Milwaukee/Honolulu/Insert your city is burning some calories too, for sure.  Run up to work when you get there 3 minutes after 8AM, it gets the blood moving.

2.  Hold in that stress that comes from financial dealings.  In fact, make sure that you are flying by the seat of your pants all the time.  Make sure EVERY car payment and mortgage payment get in just before the penalties are assessed.  Heck, having a mortgage these days is stressful enough isn’t it?

3.  Make sure that you really raise your voice when you talk to Customer Service people and bill-collectors.  They are evil.  Some of them are in India and the Philippines.  Those people not only speak a diferent brand of English, but they may have stolen one of your friends’ jobs along the line.  They don’t like you and get a kick out of sticking it to you, because they can.  The ones in the US are easeier to get to by pushing their buttons.  Make sure you win every argument and conversation with these people.  Let them and everyone else, for that matter know what a victim you are.

4.  Always keep your plate full and when necessary, get more plates.

5.  Keep your home environment in a constant state of confusion-THAT burns calories as well.  Find people that will contribute to that chaos and get them to move in,  it helps with the mortgage payment.  Extra points if you find anyone that is a compulsive liar, compulsive hoarder, an addict or thinks he is Jesus Christ.

6.  Keep up the illusion that you are as healthy as ever.  Ignore all reasonable suggestions from well-meaning friends, especially those with healthcare backgrounds.  Always play softball on the church league so that you exhibit your athleticism to as many people as possible.

7.  Use a ton of caffeine.  It gets you going.  It is your friend.  Caffeine has other helpers, usually found in soda and Snickers.  The resulting sludge that used to be called your blood is of no concern, heck you are only in your 40s.  Drink energy drinks, they keep you going, keep you young.

8.  Diet.  Make sure that you eat plenty.  WHAT you eat is of no real concern since you take daily vitamins.  You’re a fast mover and fast food fuels your lifestyle.  Try NOT to eat fast food more than 3 times a day though, that would be overdoing it.  Eat regional foods, support local businesses.  Wisconsin Cheese-heck, put cheese on everything.  Cows, they are dairy, right?  Eat a lot of red meat.  When in Rome….Eat a lot of bratwurst, you’re German aren’t you?  Pizza is good-eat a lot, you really like to eat don’t you.  Skip fruit and vegetables, too much trouble.  If you eat too many hotdogs, stop for a while when you develop gout.  Then you can restart after it clears up.

9.  Sleep?  Sleep is a sign of weakness.  Only sleep when you have to.  Your bed is better than using your keyboard as a pillow, however.  Make that necessary sleep from 4-5 hours tops.  (That way you have more time to enjoy your wonderful life.)  Make sure when you do pop out of bed, you hit the ground running.

The author, Rick Emmerich is a heart health enthusiast.  Once is enough.   Having practiced the above techniques and attained the result, he has now made MANY changes, including marrying  Dr. Malia.   http://rickemmerich.com, twitter: @hearthealthguy    www.holyteaclub.com/rickemmerich     www.rickemmerich.myzrii.com    facebook, and the other usual hangouts.  This entry is a small portion of a future Thank God I book series publication, Thank God I had a heart attack.   To order the first book of the series     click here   http://thankgodi.com/?idAff=4              rick   808 371-6501