Chapter One--Theater of the Mind

A Sample Chapter in my book: Theater of the Mind

Available at http://www.brett-tipton.com/store.html

     You sit in the dimly lit theater not sure what to expect. Center stage stands a frail man with a small blackboard. At the back of the stage to your left is a large, five-paned window. To the right is a huge, blank screen. Underneath are several levers.

     “Mmmm, hmmmm! Prepare to be dazzled!” The frail man proceeds to walk to the back of the stage and stares out the window for several minutes.

     “Dazzled?” you think to yourself. This show has all the excitement of watching a snail’s race.  Your mind wanders off to the snail—smoke pouring off his shell as he leaves in a blaze. Now, THAT would be exciting!

     “Mmmm, hmmmm! Prepare to be dazzled.” The man walks to the chalkboard and begins to draw a cartoon with all the skill of a drunken monkey. You gaze at the stick figure on the chalkboard. You’re not sure, but he appears to be mowing his grass. Oh yeah! You feel dazzled!

     All of a sudden a dazzling display begins to play on the large screen. The sights and sounds are indescribably beautiful. “Well, that’s enough of that.” He walks up to the screen and flips a lever. The image flickers and then disappears into a small speck of white.

     You’ve had enough of this. Where are those images coming from? You quietly rise and slink towards the stage. You see a large cable coming out of the screen and into the wall behind it. You notice a small passageway that leads behind stage, which you sneak into.

     Behind the stage you see a brick wall with a large cable peeking out. The cable proceeds off into the distance down a small, dark path. You follow the cable for miles.

     You crest a hill and are greeted with a glimmering light. Ahead of you lies a huge warehouse. A sign reads, “IMAGINATION MOVIE STUDIO”. You quietly open the door and a world of wonder is before you.

     You see an orchestra without musicians playing the most soulful music. You see a cartoon universe filled with the most amazing sights. There are plants, trees, spaceships and creatures beyond your imagination. A smell permeates the air. It smells like roses only more intense and intoxicating. The smell permeates your being with warmth. You can taste beauty—oh, an unexpected bonus! You always wondered what beauty tasted like.

     You notice a large, golden door to the rear. Above it is a sign that reads, “SPECIAL EFFECTS”. You feel your feet moving, but it’s beyond your conscience control—almost like a dream. You push open the door, rrrrrrrrrrrr – PFOOOOM!

     A small Pixie stands in front of a bank of surveillance monitors. You glance at the monitors. They are playing scenes from the theater. “Prepare to be dazzled.” Oh, good grief. To the right of the bank of monitors is a larger monitor with a slot.

     The Pixie slips a disk into the slot. “I hope that frail fart let’s this one play!” You see a fantastical movie begin to play. It is indescribably beautiful. You notice on a surveillance monitor the “frail fart” moving towards the big screen. “Prepared to be dazzled”, you mumble in disgust and with the flip of a lever the big screen goes blank. The Pixie lets out a sigh and then removes the disk.

     “Who are you?” you ask inquisitively.

     “What? Oh, I didn’t see you. I am the spirit of this place—the architect of all the wonderment in this studio.”

     “Why won’t the man play your movie?”

     “Look at this monitor.” You look real close as the camera zooms in on the levers underneath the big screen. You see writing on the levers: FEAR, HATE, COMFORMITY, and EGO. “Let me ask you some questions, my friend?”

     You silently nod. What else could you do?

     “Can a heart filled with fear produce poetry?”

     “Um, well, I don’t know?”

     He leans in close and whispers. “Do you know what is the biggest fear that hinders poetry?” You are befuddled. “The fear of self. You don’t believe the imagination inside you is worthy. You don’t believe in me!”

     “What do you mean, don’t believe in you? Of course I believe in you. I see you with my eyes!”

     “Are the eyes the only means of seeing? How about hate? Can you produce music when your heart is filled with hate?”

     “Ah, well, um, . . . what if I hate injustice? What if I hate racism?”

     “Ah, he said. That’s a deep thought. Is that hate or is that love?”

     “Oh, well, I never thought of it that way. I’m not sure.”

     “Hate is hate, but righteous anger is a form of love. At times they might feel the same, but they’re very different things. Righteous anger can be a source of beautiful music. What about conformity? Isn’t conformity bad?”

     “Um, well, um, . . . when I drive through a red light, . . . ah, I hope the cement truck going the other way, like, conforms to the rules of traffic?”

     “Ah, yes. That would be a good thing.” He chuckles. “I also hope he’s conforming to the speed limit! So, I guess there is a type of conformity that allows us to live peaceful lives.”

     “You got that right!” You feel a little moment of pride.

     The Pixie looks at you inquisitively. “The purpose of society’s rules is liberation. Rules stop bullies from taking away our freedom of expression. When the rules become the bully they no longer serve their purpose.”

     A sarcastic grin engulfs your face. “So, I guess you’ve seen our leaders.”

     “That’s the conformity I’m talking about—of society bullying the individual’s self-expression. That conformity quenches creativity. Who does that type of conformity have power over?”

     “Um, well, . . . I guess those that pull the levers?”

     “Ah, so you are starting to understand. But, you still don’t see me.”

     And, you still didn’t quite comprehend.

     “Let’s consider that last lever, Ego? What is Ego? Hmmm. WHAT IS EGO?”

     In befuddlement you yell back, “EGO IS THE FRAIL MAN ON THE STAGE!”

     His eyes beam. “Exactly. It’s someone putting on a show. But, it’s more than just a show. It’s a lever. It’s also you!”

     “Me? Oh, no, it’s not me.”

     “He is you. But, I am also you!”

     “I don’t get it.”

     “Would the show on stage be more interesting if the Ego got out of the way?”

     “Yes! YES! YES IT WOULD! But, . . .” your brain sluggishly molds a thought, “Ah, um, does the frail man have to play Ego?”

     “Interesting? No, he doesn’t. In fact, when he’s not playing that character he is a brilliant chalk artist. Some of my most fiery ideas have come from the embers of his chalk.”

     “Really?”

     “Oh, yeah. He can take the ideas I present on the big screen and do wonderful things with them. When the two of us work together it’s quite a show!”

     An incongruent thought pops into your head. “How much is your electric bill?”

     “Electric! Oh, now that’s funny. This place doesn’t run on electricity. This studio, this theater and all the wonderment you see are powered by emotions. The heart is the engine of the mind.”

     “Huh, I never thought of that.”

     “Think about someone you love. You can’t stop thinking about them. The same is true for someone you hate. Whatever passion fills your heart fuels your thoughts—whether for good or evil.”

     “What about when you’re apathetic?”

     “When you’re going through the motions, you don’t give it much thought.”

     “I notice you don’t have any scripts. Why don’t you write stuff down?”

     “Why? Hmmmm. Inquisitive! My primary language is imagery. I work in sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings. I store all that on disks. I do write things down, but only when I share ideas with other theaters and studios. Words are merely a way for one person to share their inner imagery with another. If I sent you a letter, what is more important: the envelope or the letter?”

     “I suppose the letter?”

     “Our inner imagery is the letter. Our words are merely the envelope.”

     “I, I, . . . I still don’t understand this place. Explain it to me!”

     He looks at you with piercing eyes. “The stage is your conscious mind. The man is your Ego, but he doesn’t have to be. Do you know what the window is?”

     “Ah, um, his view on the world.”

     “That’s pretty close. The five-paned window is YOUR senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. How about the chalkboard? Have you figured out the chalkboard?”

     You stare emptily. All you can think is nails scraping across the chalkboard—rrrrrrr!

     “The chalkboard is a workspace for the man on stage—a way to play with ideas. Do you know what the big screen is?”

     “Ah, um, what in the world are you talking about?”

     “The big screen is your voice to the world when FEAR, HATE, CONFORMITY and EGO stay out of the way. Do you know what this studio is?”

     “Ah, um, mmmpphhh . . .” is the best you can muster.

     “This studio is the inner you. It’s your source of intuition, inspiration and enlightenment. It’s your subconscious—the place of your dreams.”

     You are dazed. You stare out into space and notice a huge window coming into view beyond the monitors.

     “Ah, I think you finally see it. That window is my view on the spiritual world all around us. I’m your spirit.”

     “What? I don’t get it. What do you mean you’re my spirit? Where are we?”

     “Ah, he said. You’re at the end of this journey—the final question. The theater, the stage, the frail man, this studio and me—all of this is the inner you.”

     You hear a blaring alarm. Brrrrrp! Brrrrrp! Brrrrrp! You feel yourself being drawn from your dream state into another world.

The Learning Factory

A Sample Chapter in my book: Learning is Fun, But Education Stinks

Available at http://www.brett-tipton.com/store.html

            Teaching methods ought to be based on the way people learn. That statement seems so obvious I almost feel ludicrous stating it, but it has to be stated. So much of what is done in the education system is completely contrary to this simple idea. So, as a starting point let me describe to you how the brain functions.

            The brain is like a giant computer connected to the body. Just like a computer, it has inputs devices. These input devices are our senses: touch, taste, sight, sound and smell. Sensory information is inputted to the brain. The brain processes that information. Then, the brain outputs what it has processed to the body. This simple cycle of input-process-output is the learning process in a nutshell.

            Let’s consider the brain as a learning factory. Just like a factory it has shipping and receiving. In an actual factory, the receiving department takes in raw materials. These raw materials will later be turned into a product. That product will then be sent to the customers by the shipping department. In many companies shipping and receiving are combined together into one department. In the brain it isn’t quite so simple, but these two departments are closely linked. Both are found at the point the brain intersects with the body and both deal with electrochemical impulses being sent through a great network of nerves.

            Obviously, I’m simplifying the function of the brain. No one fully understands how it operates. But, the shipping and receiving analogy is an accurate one and helps illuminate the learning process.

            In any factory, much occurs between when raw materials are taken in and when completed products are shipping out. I’m going to use common functions seen within a factory to explain what goes on between input and output.

            Our survival depends on our brain making sense of its environment. After it makes sense of things it has to figure out what to do with this sense-making. So, it has functions similar to research and development. This research and development could be broken down into two distinct phases: 1) Figuring out what the inputs mean—a making-sense-of-things function, and 2) Figuring out what to do with that meaning—a what-do-I-do-with-the-meaning function.

            At this point our factory has done three things: 1) Received inputs (a receiving function), 2) Made sense of the inputs (a research and development function) and 3) Figured out what to do with the meaning (another research and development function). So, our brain now has a blueprint or game plan on how to proceed.

            In a factory, would a blueprint be sufficient? Obviously not! Research and development could produce all kinds of blueprints, but until those blue prints are turned into a product no real production has occurred.

            In the brain the products being produced are ideas. An idea is a mental road map. It explains how the various roads (inputs) are connected. It also gives someone a useful guide of how to apply information.

            Having a roadmap is meaningless unless one takes a journey. The ideas in the brain need to be applied—which means that the production and shipping functions are closely connected. In order for deep learning to occur, ideas must be translated into experiences. As I write this, I am translating my ideas into an experience: writing my ideas down for the world to see.

            What we output also becomes an input. I see the words on my screen. So, our shipping and receiving functions are closely connected—they are both experientially oriented. We could view learning as a circle of: 1) experiences, 2) processing meaning to those experiences, 3) figuring out how to apply that meaning, and 4) creating new experiences, which loops back to number 1.

            Is day dreaming an output? I mentioned the receiving and shipping parts of the learning factory is experiential. This often means receiving sensing from the body and sending commands to the body. However, consider what experiential means from the brain’s perspective. It means sensory-oriented. When daydreaming the brain is creating an experience for the brain. The brain can create things the brain hears, sees, touches, tastes and smells without receiving those raw materials from the body or outputting anything to the body. Does this mean when the brain is daydreaming that it is engaged in the learning process? Consider Albert Einstein. He loved imagination and it was a big part of his process for investigating physics. Many of the things he was dealing with could not be directly sensed and yet he figured them out. He did this using his imagination. He demonstrated an extremely creative form of learning. Olympic athletes will often visualize the event before they perform the event. Why would they do this unless this active imagining was somehow helping them perform better? And, couldn’t better performance be viewed as learning? Daydreaming is the learning factory churning away.

            What does our system do with daydreamers? “Suzie! Suzie! SUZIE! Quit staring out the window and pay attention!” We squash daydreaming, but daydreaming is learning. Students daydream when their brains are longing for learning and they aren’t getting it from the classroom!

            There are a few key things to take from this: 1) Learning is output-oriented. What I mean by that is learning does not occur until the process has come full circle. Simply inputting information is not enough. The brain must make sense of that information and produce a product. 2) Creativity is a key component of deep learning. We could view creativity as a function of research, development and production. In a factory, raw materials received must be transformed into something interesting or useful. Creativity is the process of the mind transforming raw materials (inputs) into something interesting or useful. The deeper the transformation—the deeper the learning!

            One key problem with our education system is that the focus is primarily on the receiving end of learning. Students are often treated as empty receptacles to be filled. In many cases a great deal of raw materials are stacked on the receiving docks, but those raw materials don’t go through a radical transformation. In many cases those raw materials are later shipped out, but they are shipped out in the exact same form as they were received. The education system drops off a load of intellectual wood and then later comes back and receives the same load of intellectual wood. It’s a passive handoff of information. It looks more like a game of catch than an intellectual idea factory.

            What schools often give students is a pattern to duplicate or a set of procedures to follow. When this happens there is a small degree of production between shipping and receiving. The intellectual planks received have been unpacked and organized into neat little piles. This did require some effort by the mental factory workers and a small degree of learning has occurred. But, this is far different than someone taking the planks and transforming them into something new. What I often see in college freshmen is an inability to think. They can collect and organize the mental planks of other people, but they cannot come up with their own planks. They are not able to analyze ideas and create. They are following some paint-by-numbers approach. Their research and development department has received little challenge and training. Their production department has been trained to answer questions as opposed to asking them.

            Imagine for a moment working in a factory. Say your job only involved collecting wood and organizing it into neat piles. Would you find that job fulfilling? Obviously not! You would just be going through the motions, emotionally detached and filled with apathy. Because our education system put little emphasis on creativity, students are bored, passive and apathetic.

            Let’s say for a moment in this factory you were paid $100/hour. Would you miss work? Would you neglect to do one single function of your job? Obviously you would do exactly what is asked of you. But, does this mean your heart would be involved? No! You would still be going through the motions, but you would be doing it in a highly compliant fashion, because you desire that fat paycheck. External systems of rewards may make people compliant, but that doesn’t make them excited about what they are doing. In fact, in such a system you would be less likely to ask questions or challenge the system. You would quietly and compliantly do what is told even if it meant nothing to you. Do you think having workers simply meandering around compliantly following orders translate into the factory producing a high quality product? Obviously the answer is no. A creative, energetic pursuit of an exceptional product comes from a person following their passions, asking questions and being fully engaged in the process. Later I will show how specific tools of the system (like grades, tests, textbooks and a whole host of other excrement) actually work against the brain producing an exceptional product. Our system is based on external rewards that condition people to compliance as opposed to tapping into their internal motivations that produce creative output.

            For a moment, compare a five-year old to a high school graduate. The five-year old will be filled with questions. Give them a blank sheet of paper and a box of crayons and they will create art! Their minds are active explorers. Then that poor kid enters kindergarten and the slow, deadly process of socialization begins. He is taught what to think instead of how to think. A high emphasis is placed on putting mental planks on the docks and later having him give back those planks. A low emphasis is placed on the research, development and production components of his learning factory. Even when those components receive some attention it’s done through bureaucratic procedure as opposed to artistic exploration. At five, the kid was bright, energetic, asking questions, creating art and passionately involved in the natural, wonderful process of learning. By the time that kid leaves high school he is an uninspired slacker who wants to know the answer to only one question from his teacher, “What do you want me to say and how do you want me to say it?” The fault is not the kid. He’s been conditioned to think that way!

            While you wouldn’t know it from our education system, learning is fun. Consider a kid playing. Perhaps the child is making a fort, playing house or drawing with crayons. In all those cases the brain is receiving information from the environment, processing that information (the research and develop—making sense of things—as well as the production—translating that meaning into blueprints) and translating that into an output (where production meets shipping—experiential based: building a fort, having tea or drawing a dinosaur). A child at play is the learning factory in action. When children are engaged in this fashion they are squealing, laughing and fully engrossed in the process. It is a natural, pleasurable experience.

            Children are naturally wired to test their environment. The whole learning process of play I just described is really just a child poking, prodding and exploring the world around them. Often children labeled as having a learning disability are doubly wired to test their environment. Consider a child labeled with ADHD. Such a child will: eat dirt to see what it tastes like, throw the cat in the pool to see if it likes water or take apart the lawn mower to see how it works. A child with ADHD does not have a learning disability. Our system has a teaching disability! Consider—these children are most disruptive to the education system when they are most engaged in the process of learning (testing their environment).

            There are genuine learning disabilities. Sometimes the learning factory does not function as it should. Such students need appropriate help. What often happens is a student is smart and has a well functioning brain. They are just having problems fitting into the system. Is it naturally for young children to sit and quietly listen to lectures for six to eight hours a day? No! Adults have a hard time doing it and for the most part survive the ordeal because they’ve learned how to daydream. For a child or adult not fitting into a dysfunctional system is not a disability, but I’m afraid often one is labeled as disabled when there is nothing wrong with their learning factory. Such a label carries a stigma that can be damaging. A student can think something is wrong with them. Or, they can use that as an excuse for improper behavior later in life—“I can’t do such and such, because I have ADHD.”

            Consider an adult taking up a hobby. Say they are learning to play trombone. They receive information from their instructor or trombone lesson book. Their brain needs to figure out what that information means, how to apply that meaning and then put that meaning into actual production. You can’t learn to play trombone merely by reading a book or listening to a teacher. Your learning must become experiential—you need to play the trombone. When an adult plays, we call it a hobby, but the same learning factory is churning as a child at play. All the various functions of the mental learning factory are in full gear. Hobbies bring us joy, make us laugh and enthrall us. Hobbies are learning!

            Learning is a highly pleasurable experience. If one is bored in school, they aren’t bored with learning. They are bored because little learning is occurring.

Dorm Days

A Sample Chapter in my book: Stories I Wrote

Available at http://www.brett-tipton.com/store.html

            Mike pulls up his station wagon in front of the red brick building. "McKenzy Men's Dormitory" is stamped in granite above the door. As he begins to unload his clothes, he is unaware of the strange group of men that awaits him inside that door. He grabs a suitcase and heads to his room. The door of his room stands wide open. His new roommate, "Crank," stands in the doorway.

            Crank's real name is Mike. That is the only thing he shares in common with his roommate. Crank is about six feet tall. He looks like a slightly over-weight Drew Carey. His dim-witted smile suggests no more than two brain cells reside in the thick, bony structure that takes up space on his shoulders. It is a rare occasion these two brain cells work in tandem. Crank turns to Mike. His eyes sink deep in his head. A slight smell of sulfur can be detected as his two brain cells furiously try to construct a sentence. "Heh, Heh, Heh. Call me Crank." is the best he could muster.

            "Hi, I'm Mike. Nice to meet you."

            "Heh, Heh, Heh."

            It is immediately apparent to Mike that his roommate is no Einstein. He wonders to himself if Crank could match wits with Beavis and Butthead. Crank's two brain cells are no match for any form of higher brain functioning: cognizant speech, mathematical equations or even common courtesy. Mike will soon become aware that while Crank's mental capacities are limited, he has harnessed both brain cells into a tandem bent on destruction.

            Mike stands about six feet tall. He has dark hair and features. He is fairly good looking. His is extremely well dressed. His dark hair stands in a coif reminiscent of Ronald Reagan's. Behind his glasses resides the mind of a true intellectual. His rapier wit is more than a match for Crank. His only shortcoming is a complete lack of any athletic ability. He heads towards the back of the room to set down his suitcase on the unmade bed almost tripping on feet far too small for his six-foot frame.

            Outside the room a small mob begins to form. Crank has quickly found the criminal elements in the dorm. Mike looks outside and sees Crank, Damon and Carey talking. Damon bears an uncanny resemblance to Bob Big Boy. Carey is rather athletic looking. One would expect to see him on a beach not on a campus. "Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh," is heard coming from the three in unison. In a matter of minutes, three brains are molding into one. Neurons fire; synapses spark; electrical impulses collide. The thick smell of sulfur is in the air. A collective conscious is being formed. One good brain is emerging from the toxic byproducts of refuse gray matter. The motley crew of Beavis and Butthead wannabes is evolving into a sinister trio of evil.

            Mike makes several trips to his car. Soon his stuff is unpacked. He walks down the hallway to get a drink of water.

            "Hi, my name is Chris." Chris's smile enlightens the hallway. He stands about five and a half feet tall. He is petite, but his sinewy muscles suggest he may have been a wrestler in high school. His hazel eyes glimmer beneath his wire-rimmed glasses shaded by a mop of sandy brown hair.

            "Hi, I'm Mike." The two shake hands. Mike immediately likes Chris. “Why couldn't he be my roommate,” he thought to himself.

            Mike heads back to his room. After a day of driving and unpacking, he is tired. It is getting late, so he decides to go to bed. As he lay beneath the covers, somewhere between the dream world and reality, rustling is heard in the hallway. Mike dismisses the sound and dozes into a deep sleep.

            In the middle of the night he awakes groggily. His nose itches something awful. Plat! He gasps for air as shaving cream fills his nostrils. He bolts up in bed. Three dark shadows slither from his room. "Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh." He stumbles out of bed and runs into the desk. He grabs a towel and walks to the restroom to clean himself off. He returns and soon is fast asleep. Over the next two weeks stories of pranks abound in the dorm.

            After class one day, Bart (a guy from down the hall) walks into Mike's room. "Hey dude, how's it going?" Bart carries a box of brownie mix in one hand and a plate of chocolate chips in the other.

            "Hey dude! Things are going pretty good!" Mike and Bart have been best friends after coinciding romantic attempts with the same girl failed. Bart is short and stocky. A reddish-brown crop of hair sits atop his head, shaved short for his upcoming weekend retreat with the Army Reserve. His laid-back mannerisms hide his inner grit. While at times he is shy, he can be very blunt and forceful when the situation demands it. He wears a continuous smile from ear-to-ear. He is often the life of the conversation with people he feels comfortable with.

            "Those aren't for you!" snaps Bart as Mike reaches for the chocolate chips.

            "Take it easy, dude. Who they for?"

            Bart's eyes glimmer like diamonds. His smile turns into a devilish grin. His eyebrows perch high atop his forehead. "Damon's going to get it."

            "What are you talking about?"

            Bart quickly glances at the chips and then back at Mike. "Damon's about to get the colon cleansing of his life!"

            Mike's teeth shimmer as the impact of that last statement sinks into his cerebral cortex. "Ex-lax?"

            "A whole box. He pulled one too many practical jokes last night. I need to use your microwave."

            Like two little Keebler Elves, Mike and Bart bake their dastardly surprise. The smell of chocolate wafts through the halls. Mike pulls out a small box from his closet. "We must gift wrap our little present. Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh." The little chocolate morsels snuggle each other in the box.

            "We're almost there, but something is missing. How about a love letter from a secret admirer? Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh," says Bart.

            Mike grabs some stationery from Crank's desk. Bart nods in approval. The two feverishly begin to write the most syrupy anonymous love letter ever written.

My snuggly little Teddy Bear,

            I have admired you from afar since the first day of school. My heart patters at the very sight of your smile. You are the dream of my life. I know you haven't noticed me, but I have noticed you. I baked you these brownies as a token of my love for you. Sweet Dreams, my love.

                                                Your heart-struck secret admirer.

            Bart folds the letter and places it gently on the bed of moist chocolate. Mike finds a small pack of wrapping paper in Crank's desk and delicately wraps the gift. Bart places Damon's name clearly on the top. "I'll drop this in intercampus mail on the way to dinner," says Bart.

            "Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh."

            "Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh."

            The following day, Mike hears the phone ringing in Damon's room. He is good friends with Damon's roommate, Terry, and they often answer each other's phone. Mike walks over and picks up the phone. It's Terry's girlfriend, Gina. He and Gina are good friends, so they strike up a conversation.

            Damon walks in. His eyes radiate a silvery light. A smile engulfs his face. He proudly flaunts the package of brownies in front of Mike. "Alright!" he exclaims as he opens the box. He reads the love letter aloud. He begins to inhale the brownies. His cheeks look like a squirrel hiding nuts for the winter. Tiny particles of chocolate drip from his mouth. Crank walks in.

            "Wannna bow-na?"

            Cranks snatches one like an IRS man grabs a check.             "Brownie! Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh."

            The two look like a pair of trash trucks swallowing a load. Brown drool falls to the floor. Teeth clatter. Tongues heave. Throats bulge like snakes eating their prey. A rhythmic beat of gurgling, gasping and gulping echoes in the room. An empty box falls at Mike's feet.

            Maintaining his composure, Mike watches the feast in amazement. Never in his life has he witnessed such a vulgar gustatory spectacle. "Gotta go," Mike says to Gina. He hangs up the phone and calmly walks down the hall to Bart's room.

            Bart lies on his bed reading a book. His concentration shatters as his door swings open. Mike stands in the doorway. His jaw gapes in amused bewilderment. His eyes beacon forth a proclamation of good news. Mike and Bart's eyes meet. In a moment of sterling clarity Bart knows what has transpired.

            As the door swings shut, Mikes voice crackles in glee. "You should have seen it! Damon ate the whole box!" Mike and Bart exchange high-fives. "And the best part is Crank helped him!"

            "Two direct hits! Operation Betty Crocker is a success!! Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!!"

            "How much Ex-Lax did you put in those brownies?" asks Mike knowing the answer.

            "A whole box!" Barts grabs a marker and talks into the end like a microphone. "The National Weather Service has issued a severe storm warning for this evening! Tonight's forecast: strong winds followed by heavy down pours! Occasional mudslides! Expect flooding in low-lying areas! Hurricane Colon expected to hit shore late this evening!" Bart and Mike laugh hysterically.

            As the day closes, Mike and Bart lie still in their beds. The warm glow of victory wraps their bodies like cocoons. They drearily fade into blissful slumber. A calm quiet falls over the dorm.

            At seven Bart wakes to the sirening of his alarm. He shakes his head and grabs his towel and toiletries. He drags his body to the shower. As he opens the door to the shower room, a pungent smell permeates the air. A high-pitched peel of thunder cracks from the third toilet stall. Painful grunts roll out from underneath the door. A cacophony of splishes and splashes give melody to a porcelain symphony unlike any other. Hurricane Colon has landed.

            The door of the stall creeks open. Damon walks out. His deep black eye sockets contrast his ashen skin. His shoulders droop and his knuckles drag the ground as he slides forward. His white gym socks curl at his ankles. A five-foot tail of toilet paper hangs from his plaid boxers.

            "What happened to you?" enquires Bart innocently.

            "I think someone sent me some laced brownies."

            "Laced? What do you mean by that?"

            "I think they put Ex-Lax in them."

            "Who would do that?"

            "I think it was Lisa."

            "Who's Lisa?"

            "That girl I had the blind date with a couple nights ago. I think she might have done it."

            "Why would she do a thing like that?"

            "I don't know. I didn't think the date went that bad!" Damon hulks out of the shower room. His tail of toilet paper drags behind him.

            Mike walks in a second after Damon leaves. "Looks like Hurricane Colon has landed!"

            "I'd watch out for that third stall. She took the brunt of the blow."

            Mike and Bart finish their daily ritual of small talk and then prepare for the day ahead.

            "See you in about twenty for breakfast?" asks Mike.

            "Sure. I'll meet you in your room. I want to see how Crank's doing." Bart and Mike head to their respective rooms to get dressed.

            Bart walks into Mike's room. Mike is just putting the finishing touches on his coif. Crank has a towel wrapped around his waist. He holds a shaving kit in his right hand. To the naked eye Crank appears completely unaffected by Hurricane Colon. Mike and Bart watch Crank walk down the hall with baited breath.

            Chris comes out of the bathroom in a pair of blue bikini briefs. He runs right into Crank. Crank puts the poor little fellow into a headlock. Chris's muscular little body seems no match for Crank's sheer bulk. He throws him around like a cat playing with a mouse. Chris's wire-rimmed glass land shattered on the ground.

            Chris's face turns a deep purple. His eyes bulge. Blood courses through his veins. In a moment of uncontrolled anger he heaves Cranks like a limp ragdoll onto his small shoulder. The muscles in his stomach ripple. His small torso leans back and rotates like a pitcher unleashing a baseball. Crank is driven into the floor with an impact that shakes the dorm. Men appear from all corners of the building to see what has just transpired.

            Crank lies blubbering in tears on the ground. A pungent smell permeates the air. Crank's legs are stained in a brownish, syrupy fluid. Chris picks up his shattered glasses. He bends over and helps Crank to his feet. A small cheer begins to echo through the halls.

            "Chris! Chris! CHRIS! CHRIS!"

            Cranks runs into the shower room and sulks in the first stall. Tears pour down his cheeks. The cheers of victory rattle in his ears.

            Mike and Bart turn toward each other. "Hurricane Colon Lands!!" they proclaim in unison.

            "Two down. One to go," says Bart.

            "What do you think we ought to do to Carey?" asks Mike.

            "Let's talk about it over breakfast."

            After downing a couple of orders of biscuits and gravy, Mike and Bart put their thinking caps on. "Public humiliation would be nice," muses Bart.

            "Didn't Keith get hurt last night."

            "Yeah. What's that got to do with Carey?

            "He'll be starting Friday's basketball game. That'd be a great time for public humiliation."

            "What do you have in mind?" asks Bart.

            "How about Nair in his jock strap?"

            "Not Bad. How about Liquid Heat!"

            Mike thinks about it for a moment. "Why not both?" He ponders. "But, won't he start to feel it before he gets out of the lockers room?"

            Bart scratches his head. Mike had pointed out a clear problem with their brilliant stratagem. "What if we put it on the outside of his jock strap? He wouldn't start to feel it until he broke a good sweat!"

            "That's just crazy enough to work!" exclaims Mike.

            "We'll need to make sure the Liquid Heat is greaseless and odorless. It's certainly worth a try."

            Friday afternoon Mike and Bart sneak into the locker room before the game. Carey is taking a shower. Flies swarm around his jock hanging limp over his locker. He only washes it if the team loses and they haven't lost in three weeks. Mike grabs the slimy jock between two fingers. "I don't think he'll notice anything we put on this thing."

            Bart pulls the Liquid Heat and Nair from his pocket. He squirts a little of each into his hand and rubs it onto the jock strap. Mike hangs it back up on the locker. Mike and Bart quickly wash their hands and proceed to their seat in the stands.

            The game goes without incident until midway through the first half. Carey inbounds the ball and begins to run up court. At half court he stops dead in his tracks. The coach yells profanities at his frozen figure.

            Carey's visage changes. The hairs on his arms stand at attention. Steams pours out of his eyeballs. His face trembles and his jaw lies slack in his chest. His legs begin to twitch uncontrollably. In one motion he rips his shorts and jock strap from his body. He runs to the locker room screaming. The last thing the crowd sees is his pink buttocks wrestling beneath his jersey as the door of the locker room flies open.

            The crowd is completely still not sure what has just transpired. Coach runs into the locker run. The referees' faces sport a puzzled look. Carey's jock dangles from the nose of the mascot. As the ball is about to bounce out of play, the opposing coach screams, "Time Out!"

            With the silence broken a wave of noise overtakes the crowd.

            Bart turns to Mike. "Operation Flaming Jock, a success!"

            "Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh!!"

            "Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh!!"

The Harvest Principles

A Sample Chapter in my book: Biblical Keys to Success

Available at http://www.brett-tipton.com/store.html

            A great deal of wisdom stems from an understanding of the harvest principles as found in God’s Word. A clear application of these principles will improve your health, financial situation, relationships, career goals, and give peace about your current situation in life. All facets of life can be improved by a proper understanding and application of these principles.

            The principles of the harvest can be boiled down to a simple formula:

The harvest =what one sows X God’s increase

Two things become clear. First, the importance of individual responsibility and accountability is clear in the formula. In order to have a full harvest we must take the right actions. We must sow the right seeds. The second thing is that without God’s blessing our efforts are meaningless. An in-depth look into various passages in the Bible will help to illuminate this simple principle.

                One reaps what one sows. This is clearly found in Galatians 6:7-9 which reads:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (9) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

For about the past decade, I’ve been teaching college. In the classroom I end up preaching the same little sermons over-and-over again. “Work ahead. Study hard. Don’t give up.” Occasionally I’ll have a student that works really hard and only receives a C. However, as a rule this isn’t the case. Those that study hard, do their assignments, read their books, work ahead and give their best effort usually end up with a high grade. Even that hard working student earning a C in my class is receiving A’s in all his other classes. Those that sow the right seeds have success.

            Unfortunately, our education system is backwards on this formula. It teaches students to focus on the grade. They often care less about learning and more about the final outcome. They try to manipulate the output, “Can we get extra credit? Why do I have to show up for class as long as I write good papers? Well, that’s not my fault—we didn’t do that in high school.” Everything becomes an excuse or an entitlement. It’s all about manipulating the outcome instead of doing the hard work and sowing the right seeds. We’re being taught to control the harvest—the only part not under our control; instead of controlling the process of sowing seeds—which is under our control.

            The same is true of the American auto industry. Toyota overtook GM as the world’s biggest auto manufacturer. The American business model is focused on the bottom line—manipulating the harvest. The Japanese business model is focused on the process—building the best cars and taking care of customers. Society has taught us immediate gratification and focusing on outcomes. God’s word teaches us to focus on sowing the right seeds—it is process focused as opposed to outcome focus. We sow the seeds—the process; God takes care of the harvest—the outcome.

            Sowing to the flesh leads to corruption. This is seen in verse 8. This is evident in our modern society. Heart disease, diabetes, strokes, obesity, and osteoporosis are all clearly connected to lifestyle. The evidence is overwhelming that many illnesses suffered in modern society can be virtually eliminated by eating right, engaging in moderate exercise, and avoiding toxins such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco products.

            These principles should help us to understand that the underlying philosophy of Western medicine is wrong. The philosophy is to treat symptoms. Once catastrophe hits or is impending then the family doctor prescribes the magic pill or performs the miraculous surgery. This thinking is backwards—clearly against Scriptural principle. It is foolish for us to sow the wrong things, reap a bad harvest and then try to recover from the loss. However, this is the state of our modern, medical system. The emphasis needs to be changed to prevention. The only part of the harvest equation within our control is sowing. Prevention is a sowing-based philosophy. The only reason there is such a focus on treatment is that is where the money is at. The cure is in prevention, but the money is in treatment.

            If you’re following what I’m saying, you should begin to grasp one of our problems: the American way of doing things often contradicts the Scriptural way of doing things. Too often what we hear in church is more a reflection of American culture than Biblical truth. Improper thinking has been ingrained into us by our culture—a culture that has led to a failing education system, burgeoning national debt and broken families.

            Proverbs 26:2 states, “As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.” Bad things do not happen without reason. A bird will not come just by wandering. A swallow will not get to a destination simply by flying. My college students just don’t trip upon a D or F. And, I don’t give them a bad grade. They earn their bad grade through laziness, procrastination and academic dishonesty.

            But what guarantee can we have that if we do the right things we will reap a good harvest? These principles are based on God’s character. God guarantees them in His Word. In fact, God does something fantastic with what we reap.

            God brings the increase. A look into several Scriptural passages will clearly prove this point. In 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7 the Apostle Paul says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” In the context of this passage he is dealing with the founding and growth of the church in Corinth. This principle not only applies to the growth of the church in Corinth, but also applies to business, health and romance.

            There are enough examples to conclude that God does bring an increase to the things we sow. A good example is Psalms 67 which reads:

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.

God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. (2) That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. (3) Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. (4) O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. (5) Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. (6) Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. (7) God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

            In this passage there is a clear call upon God to bless. However, this blessing is seen as conditional. First the people need to praise Him. This is clearly seen as a call in verse 3, 4 and 5. Verse 6 is the key transition that shows that, “Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.” God does not simply give a bountiful harvest, but blesses after we praise Him.

            There are unconditional promises in God’s Word. Salvation is based on unconditional promises. However, the harvest principles are conditional. We must first sow what is right before God brings the increase resulting in an abundant harvest. The church at Corinth did not spring up on its own. Paul planted; Apollos watered. In Psalm 67 the yielding of the earth’s increase is after the people praise God.

            Notice 2 Corinthians 9:8-10:

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (9) (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. (10) Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

            This is an interesting passage. Notice, that Paul is dealing with God’s grace abounding and His children having sufficiency in all things. This is so they may abound to every good work. It is interesting that God ministers seed to the sower and multiplies the seed. He gives His children bread for food. He cares for His children, so that they have everything they need to sow the harvest. While He does not sow the seed, He does supply the seed. He also multiplies the harvest. God gives His children what they need, and when they use it properly brings about an increase on their harvest.

            Up to this point it is evident that when we sow positive things, God increases. It is also true that when we sow negative things, God increases. Notice Malachi 3:8-10:

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

            Notice that the people are not properly sowing the riches God has given them by denying Him tithes and offerings. However, if they give God His due, He will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing. This promise was given to the nation of Israel, which had a special covenant with God. God had promised them that if they obeyed, He would bless them beyond abundance. The New Testament believer cannot claim the same promises God gave to the Israelite. However, the way God acts throughout history reveals much about His character and the principles through which He governs the universe. Since the harvest principles are seen in both Old and New Testament, it is evident they are underlying principles of His governance.

            God’s promise to bless the Israelite under the Old Testament Mosaic covenant is clearly communicated in Leviticus 26:3-4 which states:

If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; (4) Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

            At this point the Biblical evidence is sufficient to prove the validity of the harvest principle. The principle that is being established is:

The harvest =what one sows X God’s increase

            All parts of this formula are seen in Genesis 26:2 which states, “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.” Notice Isaac sowed. The Lord blessed: He increased the sowing. Isaac received a harvest of a hundredfold increase.

            Isaac received the harvest in a short amount of time. However, this is not always the case with the harvest. The sowing always precedes the harvest, but in many cases the harvest comes months or even years after the sowing. Consider finances or losing weight. You cannot go from poverty to riches overnight and you can’t lose a hundred pounds in a month. It takes time and consistent effort. It may take years to lose the extra pounds, particularly if one has a great amount of weight to take off. It may take years to get out of debt and improve your financial situation. However, the harvest will come if the sowing is done.

            A great Biblical example showing a long period of time between sowing and harvest is Joseph. His story is found in Genesis 37-50. As a young man God blessed him by sharing with him plans for the future in dreams. In the dreams he foresaw a day when his father, mother and brothers would be under his authority. He shared these dreams with his family. Because of this, his brother became jealous and sold him into slavery. Imagine if God had shared with you His plans for the future and in sharing those plans you ended up in slavery. You may wonder why God would bring about such a harvest?

            Through this Joseph continued to be faithful to God, even though he ended up sold as a servant to Potiphar (a leader in Egypt). Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and promoted Joseph to being overseer of his house. Joseph caught the eyes of Potiphar’s wife. She wanted to have sexual relations with him. Joseph refused. One day when propositioning him, she grabbed hold of his garment. He fled from her and she was left holding his garment. She lied about the situation claiming Joseph had propositioned her. Potiphar cast Joseph into prison. You may wonder why God would allow such a thing to happen to a faithful servant?

            While in prison, Joseph was faithful to serve God. Pretty soon the keeper of the prison put the whole prison under Joseph’s authority. Joseph properly interpreted the dreams of the butler and baker of the king of Egypt. They were both in prison. The interpretation of the butler was that he would be restored to his position with Pharaoh (who was the leader of Egypt). The interpretation of the baker was that he would be killed. However, the chief butler did not bring remembrance of Joseph’s interpretation to Pharaoh after being restored. You may wonder why God did not allow his restoration at this time.

            Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. None of the wise men of Egypt were able to interpret the dream. The butler told Pharaoh of Joseph. He was called and interpreted the dream. He was promoted to being a leader of Egypt, only second to Pharaoh. He was 17 when he had his first dreams. When he was promoted by Pharaoh he was 30. A period of 13 years had passed.

            The dreams Joseph had interpreted for Pharaoh predicted seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. In the years of abundance Joseph led the Egyptians in storing provisions. In the years of famine people from other countries began to journey to Egypt to get food. His brothers end up coming to Egypt and appearing before him to buy corn. Joseph brings his father and brothers into Egypt. This is done in the 2^nd year of the famine. This would be 22 years after he was sold into Egypt.

            When his brothers find out they are buying corn from their brother, they fear for their life. Joseph sees God’s hand in the course of events. He says in Genesis 45:4-8:

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. (5) Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. (6) For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. (7) And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. (8) So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

            Between the original seeds sown and the harvest coming to full fruition was a total of 22 years. This was of God’s hand. Sometimes God brings the harvest immediately. Sometimes it may take years or even decade. Do not be discouraged. Keep sowing the right seeds.

            Another important thing the story of Joseph shows is that even when we sow the right seeds, we may experience setback. In fact, those setbacks may be no fault of our own. Keep on sowing! Keep the faith! Stay the course!

            Another detail to understand in the harvest is that the more we sow, the more we reap. 2 Corinthians 9:6 states, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” In the context Paul is referring to sowing spiritual things. He refers to a universal harvest principle in making his point. It is evident in planting a field that the more one plants the greater the harvest. This applies in agriculture, and Paul applies it to spiritual things. It also applies to economics, business and relationships.

            When applying the harvest principles to any area of life do not worry about the harvest. Do not worry about God’s increase. He has promised and He will supply. Just worry about sowing the proper seeds.

            Another issue has to be brought up. There are many that promote a philosophy that they can eat, drink, inject or smoke what they want. When God chooses their time to go, it is their time to go. If God determines them to have cancer, heart disease, or diabetes then they will be stricken with that illness. God certainly can take someone’s life at any time or allow them to be stricken with some illness. However, this is not how He normally operates. The principles of the harvest are underlying principles the Creator has established in His governance of the universe. People believe these principles are true in business, finance and romance but for some odd reason do not believe them to be true when it comes to caring for the body God has given them.

            The idea that God chooses the time of a person’s death is incorrect. A Biblically correct statement would be that God has appointed that every person should die, but the exact time of death varies depending on their actions. This statement should drastically change how one views the care of their physical body. Too many servants of the Lord have died prematurely because of illnesses caused by their own actions; or, have been seriously hindered in their ministry because of a lack of health brought on by their own actions.

            Since this concept is new to many people, I would like to show that it is Biblically accurate. Most Christians will readily accept the first part of the statement that God has appointed that every person should die. In fact Hebrews 9:27a says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die”. Clearly it is determined that every person is to die.

            The second part of the statement is the one that will make many uncomfortable. Some will balk at the fact that their own actions can either lengthen or shorten their life, rather than God setting a divine edict of the exact moment of death. Ephesians 6:1-3 says:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise); (3) That is may be well with thee, and thou mayest life long on the earth.

            The passage is very clear. The action of honoring parents extends life. One’s actions affect their lifespan! 1 John 5:16b says, “There is a sin unto death”. That means certain sins cause death. Again, one’s actions affect their lifespan.

            In 2 Kings 20 it records that Hezekiah (a Jewish king) was sick unto death. However, he prayed to God and because of that action God added fifteen years to his life. His actions had impact on his lifespan. Consider Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Because of their actions God snuffed out their life prematurely. Our actions impact our lifespan!

            God has determined that we will die, but our actions impact our lifespan. Certainly God can (and sometime does) providential protect someone’s life or takes someone’s life. However, the normal way he operates is in accord with the harvest principle. He allows one to reap what they sow. Those that take care of their physical body reap health and a longer life. Those that mistreat their body reap sickness and a shorter life. Do not allow your life to be cut short because of your own actions.

            Before moving to the next spiritual principle, let’s reiterate the harvest principle:

The harvest =what one sows X God’s increase