May 15 2012

Weed Is Not That Bad

Marijuana aka Weed, Pot, Mary Jane, Grass, Skunk or whatever you may call it has been an argument in the youth culture for years.  I can’t tell you how many times I have had young people come to me and say, “Jeremy, Weed is not that bad.”  There is this misconception that Weed is harmless and not really a drug.

The fact is that Weed is not only a drug but I also believe the statement that it is most definitely the “Gateway Drug” If you take Weed lightly it will take you over and I promise it will turn you into a “Pot Head.” Weed is not only bad but it could damage you for life.

POT HEAD

Have you ever met someone who has smoked a lot of weed?  They usually get the title of  “Pot Head” (refering to how slow their thoughts and actions become) If you notice they talk slower and seem to sometimes have a slow reaction to any thought.  The reason for this is the THC (the main drug in Marijuana)  THC naturally connects to the fat cells in your body.  When it connects to your fat cells, the easiest way to explain what happens is it slows these cells down.  I have heard so many people say they gained weight when smoking weed from all the munchies they had.  There is truth to the fact that you get hungry on a Weed high and tend to eat more than your fair share of Cheetos, but another reason for the weight gain is the fact that your fat cells have become slow due to THC connected to them.

The reason THC connecting to fat cells has anything to do with becoming a “Pot Head” is that 1/3 of your brain is made of fat.  When the THC connects to the fat cells in your brain it actually slows it down.  This hinders you by impairing thinking, reading comprehension and math skills.  It can also impair short-term memory, alter sense of time, and reduce concentration. Being a pot head is a reality that many don’t take as serious as they should.  The effects of THC can stay in the body for months at a time.  For frequent users your body and more importantly brain may never recover.

The fact is getting “wasted” may be more than just an event.  You could be permanently wasting your brain. In  the the re-hab world we called these people “water brains”  Basically nothing left to function in the world.  Their brain has been permanently destroyed.

WEED IS THE GATEWAY DRUG

Weed is made from the plant Cannabis Sativa.  Weed is a combination of mind altering ingredients called cannabinoids. THC is the main ingredient of the drug, the more THC the stronger the drug will be. Weed today is ten times stronger than what was smoked in the 1970′s. The fact is it is a mind altering drug that opens the door for many teenagers to start in the world.  If you meet a drug addict that is hooked on what we would consider the heavier drugs such as Heroin, Cocaine, Meth etc.  Most of them will tell you they started by smoking weed.  Weed is the second most used drug in the United states after alcohol.  It is easy to find and use.  The problem is most find themselves needing more of a high or at least more open to trying other things.  And with in a few years or less of trying weed they experiment with other drugs.

WEED IS NOT HEALTHY

I have youth all the time tell me that “Weed is not that bad” because it is healthier that cigarettes.  Well we do see so many advertisements on how bad smoking tobacco is.  But the fact is that Weed is not the healthier choice.  Weed actually contains more cancer causing agents than tobacco. Researchers report that Weed releases five times as much carbon monoxide into the blood stream and three times as much tar into the lungs than tobacco does.

Weed also lowers white blood cell production which lowers the immune system.  Frequent weed smokers will find themselves having higher rates of sickness.  You will get the flu more often and be more likely to get infections and disease. It also affects the chances of reproduction in both males and females.

WEED IS THAT BAD

It breaks my heart when I hear students who think they are safe smoking weed.  The lies of our society is secretly making a generation slow, unhealthy and opening doors to heavier drugs that bring death.  The fact is in this day and age that weed can even kill you.  The average student who is trying weed for the first time has no idea how to look and see what the weed has been laced with.  Many times weed is mixed with heavier drugs in a process known as being “laced”  This can kill a student who is unaware of what laced weed looks like and what all they are smoking.

The next time you hear “Weed is not that bad” I want you to remember all that it actually does to you and the fact that it is a drug.  You will see some articles online that try to dispute weed as being harmful, they want us all to think it is just a harmless plant used to inhance social events. But always remember to look and see if  their statements are medically proven.  The fact is there are many opinions that have not been backed up medically from a reputable institution.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

Personally I have been there done that.  I started with Weed and moved to heavier drugs in my life.  And I went through the process of healing my body from the effects that all of the drugs had on me.  I do remember going through the process and realizing that I was not functioning at my best.  It took many years for me to feel my mind and body where back.  I have also realized after giving my life to Jesus that no high is worth the high he gives you in life.   Trust me weed is that bad and there is really no reason to try it when you have the opportunity to try Jesus.

May 11 2012

www.WeWillWait.org

GUEST BLOG WRITTEN BY: Cole Zick, Youth Pastor at Capital Christian Center in Sacramento CA and founder of www.wewillwait.org

There has been a bounty put out on Tim Tebow’s virginity. There is an organization that says they will pay $1 million to any woman that will come forward and prove that she has had sex with Tim. This came in response to a press conference where Tim was asked if he was waiting until he was married, in which he responded, “Yes.”  That sparked a myriad of responses. Some saying he hasn’t, others saying he can’t, and still some saying he shouldn’t. This is outrageous! Regardless of your religious beliefs or background, we can all respect a person’s values. We all respect the authentic, and to this point, that is exactly what Tim Tebow has proven to be, authentic.

Many believe it has become a cultural expectation to have sex before marriage. It has become about safe sex rather than faithful sex. There are even some who believe fidelity is an outdated character value.  To many times it seems we see sex as an activity rather than an expression of love, and we are experiencing the results of these beliefs. Many people make decisions in high school or college thinking that those decisions will be isolated from their adult lives and marriages. Then one day find things falling apart because they were never able to conquer sexual habits that were created in the name of fun.  The term, casual sex, has become a generational icon.

Though we label it casual, to often our hearts and emotions know it’s anything but.

We believe the damage is greater than we realize and many times won’t be understood until we are in a marriage and fighting to remain faithful but struggling with habits that were built on a foundation of casual sex. Our hope is that our commitment to casual sex hasn’t robbed us of our ability to restore its value once in marriage, but it seems that it has. Because of what sex has become, many will struggle to experience the true love that it is meant to be an expression of. By the time we get married, the habit of it being an exercise in self-gratification will be so ingrained in our minds that our marriages will be built on selfish moments of lust only giving to receive. By making sex casual we have robbed marriage and the concepts of family long before people even get to that phase of life.

Even with these cultural realities, there are still some that choose to wait until they are married to have sex. Even more that know the pain of losing something that they can’t get back and have made the choice to start today and wait. There are some who choose not to “drink the Kool-Aid” and make a stand for themselves rather than bow to broken cultural beliefs. This is not a call to perfection but rather a focus on the value of an individual.

For those who know the pain of these decisions we encourage you to address your pain. Today you can make a choice to heal. For those who have yet to and are still virgins we encourage you to wait until marriage.

There is a movement standing up across America. One that says, “We Will Wait.” Not in a condemning way to those who think different but in an inviting way saying you to can guard yourselves. Because when you choose to wait you’re not just saving your sex for marriage you’re saving your mind for marriage. We believe that our best years are yet to come and we want to live for our futures, not the moment.

So what can you do?

#1 – Choose to join the movement, “We Will Wait,” by making a stand to wait until you are married to have sex. Regardless of your past choices today can be the day that you choose make a decision to put your future first.

#2 – Share your age, city, and choice to wait with the world. Using your social networking venues, www.facebook.com/wewillwait,   and by posting it on www.wewillwait.org get your message out. Create a video, write a blog, post a photo, or really anything that you can do to make a statement that you are choosing to wait. Join the thousands that have all ready made this decision and send a message to all who will listen.

#3 – Show your support for your favorite athlete, artist, or actor that you know also has chosen to wait. At the end of your video or blog simple say thank you to that person. Just showing them that they are making a difference will continue to give them strength to stand.

If we all come together this movement can make a difference to restore truth to this country and take the casual back out of sex.

May 7 2012

Tim Tebow Mania continues with “We will wait”

Check out the latest news story on the We will Wait movement on YAHOO NEWS.  This movement was started by my friend Cole Zick and I immediately got involved with helping.  We will Wait is in response to the bounty on football star Tim Tebow’s virginity.

This is your opportunity to use your voice to say thanks Tim Tebow, we stand with you in purity. This is your opportunity to be a part of fighting back against a culture that says it is not cool to stay a virgin.  Watch this video my friend Cole Zick and then head over to www.wewillwait.org and find out how to upload your video.

Apr 30 2012

Everyone loves Dopamine

Do you see a certain food you like and can’t resist? Is there a certain type of person you are attracted too? Do you feel great when you do something you love?  Or worse can you not resist smoking weed or taking a pill?  There is a reason for all of this it’s called dopamine and yes it is in your brain.

For a few years I have been a guest in high schools and taught about the chemical in the brain called dopamine which most people who use drugs have no idea they are altering.  Dopamine is what naturally tells the nerve endings in your brain that you are having fun.  Without knowing it you can train your brain to think it needs a certain thing for this dopamine to be released to your brain.  This is how addicts are created.  An addict is not a person who is just not willing to fight temptation.  An addict is someone who as altered their brain to the point where temptation can not be overcome.

This is how we get people addicted to porn, drugs, food, cutting whatever your choice of self medication may be.in life.  When you do something you like your brain actually releases dopamine and this in turn tells you, “You like this, keep it up.”  Turning your social event into a physically altering change which makes you feel the need for more.

When I learned about this in Rehab about ten years ago it helped me so much.  You see dopamine is a big part of the struggle of coming off of drugs or any addiction.  You literally have to retrain your brain.  When you first stop what ever it is you trained your brain is pleasure to you.  It can cause you to go into a depression and bring a feeling like you can’t live unless you get what ever you want.  What is happening  your brain is not releasing the dopamine because your brain has been controlled by your addiction and trained to release dopamine only during the experinece of the drug.

The truth of the matter is happiness will come back.  It will take some time for the dopamine to realize that there are other things that can bring you happiness.  But it will come. When you realize the effects of dopamine it will help you in whatever it is you are trying to quit.  Understand once you retrain your brain breaking through will get easier.

I just saw a great news story on the effects of dopamine on 60 Minutes. It explains a lot about dopamine. The part I don’t really like about the news story is they insinuate that it  may not be possible to fix the issue in the brain.  I do think there are extreme cases but for the majority there is hope and there is freedom.

I encourage you to talk to professionals on this subject if you are dealing with an addiction. This blog is to make you aware but your steps should be taken with people who have been trained to help you.

Another help to you will be my book “The Hard Way” being released in June.  @thehardwaybook

I know for me when I detoxed from the cocaine and other drugs I was putting into my system, I went through an extreme depression.  I didn’t know how to act or what to do.  When I learned what was happening with my brain I fought through the depression knowing I was retraining my brain.  This helped me so much.  Even today when I see an image of cocaine on TV or a movie it triggers something in my brain and I think how much I like that.  But I have trained my brain that I don’t need it.  I have found other things like snow boarding, basketball, boating, golf, making out with my hot wife etc.  All of theses things are ways my dopamine is now utilized.

Everyone loves dopamine, its our natural chemical that tells your brain, “Brain you are having fun!”  But you need to be cautious on what you train your brain with and know when you are dealing with these addictions it is not only your emotions messing with you and making it hard to fight. It’s not just your bad will power. Its your dopamine

You can watch the 60 Minutes story HERE

 

 

Apr 20 2012

I Feel Your Pain

That last few weeks have been very hard on people around me.  Just last week I woke up to my little brother crying in my living room, his best friend had taken his own life during the night.  It’s in those moments that many times we don’t know what to say, because really what is there to say.  We went through the day and got things together to fly him back to Alaska where my parents live and my little brother has spent most of his life.

On the drive down to Dallas where his plane was leaving from I desperately wanted my brother to know I hurt for him.  So I brought up the fact that when I was young I lost a few friends and then I said the line I think many of us say at some point when we don’t know what to say, “I feel your pain.”  After I said it I thought back to the times people said that to me.  It was always nice what they said and nice that they where trying to make me feel better.  But in all honesty it didn’t help.

After I said it I just sat and prayed, “God help me to really feel my brothers pain with him and not just look back to the past hurts I’ve had.” Then I paused and thought, ”God why do you allow things like this to happen to good people?”  After I thought that I felt in my spirit that was the wrong question to be asking, even though that is what most ask in these times. It really isn’t God letting anything happen to us.  As a father when my daughter gets hurt it’s not like I let it happen to her in fact I hate it for her.  The truth is the condition of this world brought the pain.  When the devil brought sin into the world it brought pain.  The question should not be “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” It should really be more of a statement.  “I am angry and hurt by the condition of this world and the Devil who brought it to us. I will fight to show the hurting Jesus the only one that can help them through their pain”

So many times we focus on trying to make a person “feel” better when bad things happen by relating to them with statementns like, “I feel your pain” or ”I understand how your feel”  What I am beginning to learn is that people are going to hurt not matter how many times we say, “I feel your pain.”   I pray that we do what I know Jesus does and that is hurt with them while warring against the originator of the pain the one who “comes to steal, kill and destroy.”

This week came more pain as many of the students in our youth ministry lost a friend who was hit by a train. (Tulsa World News)  I had met this young man once or twice and from what I remember he was a good kid who cared about people.  Many of my students where in deep pain this week as they saw the life of a sixteen year old full of life boy lose his life way to soon.

This time I handled things different.  I didn’t say “I feel your pain.”  relating to some past pain that I personally had.  I prayed to Jesus “Help me experience their pain and walk through this with them. Sit with them, cry with them and feel the hurt with them. I can’t fix their pain but I can point them to you.”

You see the only one that can help heal their pain is Jesus.  It’s true nothing I can say can truely help them when there is this deep amount of pain that they feel. No amount of me relating my pain to theirs will help.  Only Jesus can take away the condition of this world and the death we feel inside.

I pray as Christians we read this and are willing to not try to take away the pain but walk with people through it.   I pray everyday we live with an urgency and fight against the one who comes to, “steal, kill and destroy”   With all the pain around me the last two weeks it has brought a new awareness to what I do.  Youth Ministry is not about having a weekly service for students to come and look at the pretty lights.  It’s about having a place where we point people who have so much pain to the only one who can save them from it, Jesus and then walk with them through it and to him.

Jesus saved me!  I had pain that made me feel hopeless in the condition of this world. I wanted to end my life. But Jesus came and saved me from that.  We are too quick to think of salvation as just our ticket to heaven.  When in fact salvation is today!  Salvation is from our savior who is the only true person who “feels your pain”  The Bible says, “He himself has suffered.” He knows where your are and what hurt you have.   I pray to walk with you through it and continue to look towards a God who has the plan to defeat the condition of death in this world. I pray we all quit asking “Why God?” and start saying, “Why are we not doing everything possible to show the hurting people around us the only true answer for their pain, Jesus”