yulmbutler

Great article - takes away excuses

2011-08-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

What a great story!

Jeff Hawkins' Olin Commencement Remarks...

2011-05-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

"Commitment, integrity, and a driving curiosity are far more important than working long
hours" -- Jeff Hawkins
http://commencement.olin.edu/includes/Jeff_Hawkins_Commencement_Speech%202011.pdf

Trial by FIRE!!!

2011-04-21T20:00:00.000-04:00

As my favorite Uncle; The Reverend Doctor Charles William Butler used to eloquently say, "...every now and then, The Good Lord renews your testimony... ."

Last week we had a fire in our living space. We are living out of a single suitcase; sleeping in a double bed and eating with a $30 daily stipend. We are living well in other words...

Given what we see and read in the USA Today newspaper delivered to our door each morning [in the dead of night], we have more than most and more than most to be grateful.

While I miss my local gym and my favorite instructors for yoga, aqua yoga, aqua Zumba, Pilates mat--I am struck by, as my Dad says, "...how well with us, things are...' I am grateful noone was injured and for yet another lesson on how to learn to turn inconvenience into convenience.

My wife remains one of the strongest, most loving, most resilient women I know. I only hope to live long enough to show her what she means to me... .

Journey Photos

2010-12-30T22:25:00.000-05:00

Keeping the body guessing

2010-09-18T10:38:00.001-04:00

Recently discovered Auqua Zumba and Kickboxing with Laurel, TRX, kettleballs and other great things to keep my body guessing and of the plateau.

Mercy Healthplex has instructors who are committed to their career and most importantly to the Members who benefit from great intsruction and now with Yoga two to three times with Alison; The Voice as our resident Yogi, what an amazing time.

Jacqui and Heather at Wellington Dance Medicine keep my Pilates Reformer sessions interesting/challenging/fun using isolation techniques with soccer balls, Bosu and 10lb free weights always pleasantly stressful :-)

My life goes along as it should with my return to part time work with a great company:

Apple Inc. ...

Auntie Visit April 2007

2010-09-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

8 april 2007 we visited Auntie at the hospital. while her condition was grave, The Holy Spirit revealed to me that it was not unto death. she would live to see her 72nd birthday; the day Abba had preordained her room to be ready in the Mansion of Grace. The Holy Spirit also revealed to me that i would be asked to sing, i began preparing His Eye is on the Sparrow--i would be asked to sing, If i can help somebody...i knew the call would come because of this revelation!

my heart aches for my dear Mother-in-Law; for my cousin Earline and her daughters as they brushed, carressed, fed and comforted Auntie, my heart is torn as i consider my brothers-in-law and how they lovingly set aside their schedules to visit and lovingly feed Auntie--my wife and my sisters-in-law how much it must hurt to have surrendered Auntie from the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ to His Resurection escort to Heaven...for surely He has bourne our griefs and carried our sorrows

as my Mom & Dad age, my Dad speaks of Father Time and the balance which is being biased towards Heaven [my words; not his as he notices his diminishing equilibrium and balance]

Anniversary Day Photo 2010

2010-09-18T10:21:00.000-04:00

Axiom

2010-09-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

The beauty of the past is that it is...past

random thoughts along the journey

2010-09-18T10:19:00.000-04:00

i never thought i'd see the day i was free o'back...

Book concept on sensible, sustainable life change

2010-07-23T22:47:00.001-04:00

i am working diligenty each day to average one completed page each day to complete a book concept to assist 50+ year olds, sick and tired of being overweight and feeling powerless to change. persons who, like me, have worked behind a desk, behind their steering wheel or in business waiting rooms, eaten poorly and exercised little--if at all and want to take diligent small steps to improve their health.... .

yul

One Brand Coconut Water tastes just like spinach

2010-07-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

Heaven's Gain...

2010-07-06T21:45:00.002-04:00

Heaven's Gain--Mr. Brazeal Dennard has passed from labor to reward:
What a Magnificent Man of Music, Man of God, Servant Leader!i grew up in utter wonder of The Chorale and Mr. Dennard--after procrastinating about auditioning, he simply said, "...Meet me at my home..." He plaid his piano, i sang, he said, "...rehearsal is..." i was in shock, i could not believe that i would be graced to sing under his great leadership and be called out by my initials, as only he could do, my initials of course being, "Yul Meade Butler" He made me a musician...
http://www.freep.com/article/20100706/NEWS08/100706038/1010/Chorale-founder-Dennard-enriched-lives-with-music

One of my many training grounds

2010-07-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

2010-06-28T12:53:00.011-04:00

sweat the small stuff –

the stewardship of small things

April 2008 before image

what i've learned about weight loss:
on 3/07/08 i decided that i had had enough!

My Mom and Dad had been married 62 yrs--yes to each other...i know, amazing right?! Never a harsh word, never apart. They have never struggled with weight.

i being a good boy always cleaned my plate and never via the house pet.

since ~1987, i have struggled with weight, ballooning to 270lbs on a so called "husky" frame, at least that is what it was called in the 60s.

i had called a friend to ask him to work out with me and we agreed on a venue, Theodore Berry International Friendship Park, Cincinnati OH, 7:00 AM,

We started walking ~15 minutes M-F for ~ two weeks using my Marmot Precip for warmth, wicking and wind resistance. Week three and four we upped it to 30-minutes M-F. Week four i invested in some new Brooks Addiction 7 running shoes in silver and yellow :-) [the midsoles of my Brooks GTS4 pair were shot], though i was walking, i wanted as much protection and insulation from possible injury as i could find [i had back surgery in 1980—weight is not my friend] and visited the #1 running shop in the county Bob Roncker’s Running Spot—they Rock! Fit, Service, Selection Great Staff--No wonder they earned the "#1 Specialty Running Store in the

USA

!" recognition.

As time went on we had challenges, challenge 1 travel, challenge 2 weather...for travel we agreed to work out independently for weather we chose an indoor circuit comprised of downtown Cincinnati buildings linked by a network of linoleum tubes one story above street level that included steps, escalators and multiple surfaces, doorways, varied temperatures and some gradual ramps.

As my workout partners business began to experience greater and greater success, we would face challenge 3, having to workout independently more and more often, throughout weeks five through 12. We had upped our mileage and time to three and a half to four miles depending upon the day, maintaining our five day schedule, Monday through Friday.

Wk12 was a character builder, i had to decide, "why was i was working out?! Was it the comradery, was it vanity? Was it social, my workout partner is a gifted fine artist turned entrepreneur." i pressed on and prayed on...

Wk13 began a renewed discipline, walking four miles and adding bridges with their associated steps:

Purple People Bridge

Taylor Southgate Bridge

John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge the bridge which appears much like the Brooklyn Bridge, but predates it. Walking it from the Kentucky Side towards Cincinnati provides a commanding view of the Crown Jewel, should you ask me--the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

At Wk13 i also adopted my Dad’s weight program, “…push back from the table son…”

i drank water before, during and after meals, taking in nearly a gallon each day and for variety sake, a teaspoon of PUR pomegranate juice or Tropicana not from concentrate and i added 2-3 evening walks at a local park with my upstairs neighbors a nice, shaded hilly four mile course they mapped out using the 50 Million Pound Challenge pedometer. Orange Juice and each morning a cup of oatmeal most often with frozen organic berries—usually Driscoll’s blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, counting four or five berries per serving. i also discovered NOW Whey protein powder, flaxseed and local honey and bee pollen from a beekeeper about a mile away--a great help in managing my seasonal allergies.

Wk20 was traumatic, i finally realized my workout partner would not return. Health problems and workload—i pressed and prayed on both for him and for me.

Plateaus!

Through week 20 i was averaging a pound each week in weight loss and then stuck for two weeks at 235lbs

Challenge4 SMOG! Cincinnati had the topography of a bowl and barring a good storm, the air does not clear—i had to find a gym, i don’t mind rain and wet feet, i don’t mind cold—i do have Asthma and need my lungs for the next 75-years. i joined Mercy Healthplex [Diane would counsel me to join and to "...keep your body guessing by varying your workouts to ward off the dreaded 'plateau'..."]and running in their warm water pool for up to an hour each smoggy day and working the plan given to me by my trainer two to three days per week. The Pilates reformer classes under the instruction of my great friend Jacqui Haas, Director of Dance Medicine at Wellington Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine would be key to achieving a goal of a 40 inch waist on my way to a 38 inch waste, goals i had set for my 50th birthday—achieved ahead of schedule…had to reset my goal.

Challenge5 Jobloss, 10/2008, brought the loss of one amazing career and challenge

Today, at 202lbs i continue to set new goals, next up, 175lbs and a 30-inch waist.

i would limp along with my gym membership and cut my Pilates reformer classes back to once each week, down from three time each week continue to walk two to three evenings with my neighbors upstairs.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009

oh my, Black Rice, with just roasted Sesame Seeds for breakfast!
down to 187lbs and looking for ways to share what i have been graced to learn--"the stewardship of 'small things', as it were..."

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009

194lbs!

now is the time to begin running and prayerfully blast the way to the goal--19lbs to go...then maintenance...
i have much to learn.

Heaven help...

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009

so, at 188.60lbs and 13lbs from goal, my next goal seems to reasonably be to be more flexible physically and within my relationships and work [or marketplace, as i like to call it]... .

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2010

interesting remark from a Sister's blog she relates to losing wait, gaining it back and more and trying to rise again:

Isaiah 43:18-19.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"

With cholesterol and bp within normal limits, supplemented with hypertensive meds, and a statin to address my cholesterol i am called skinny and told i look like a different person, all i did was pray and …press on…

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2010 Two Year Anniversary

an 8-week biggest loser's contest at work resulted in:

week #1 result of 0.8lb weight gain

week #2 result of 6.0lb weight loss--15.0lbs to goal

the difference between week #1 and #2

upped the protein {Now Brand Rice Protein powder at breakfast & frozen edamame at lunch], dropped the carbs after 6pm
not more than 1cup of complex carbs per day and always before 6pm

just under 10lbs to goal and maintenance--then teach others...

down to 187lbs and looking for ways to share what i have been graced to learn--"the stewardship of 'small things', as it were..."

What i know for sure:

Fitness is a journey of steps faithbuilders
How your feel and how your clothes fit over time matters more than your weight from dady to day or week to week
Muscle weighs more than fat
BMI is a great guide +/- 5lbs
Drink more H2) than you think you should
Read labels [partially hydrogenated vegetable oil-means transfat--even when the label says no transfat!!, monosodium glutamate [MSG]; these ingredients are not healthy...avoid them like the plague they are
Sugar substitutes tell your body it's ok to have another serving
Organic and natural labels don't mean turn your brain off--read the label and think!
All servings are not created equal

Snacks:

Organic green leafy vegetables, raw with fresh ginger and mint leaves, fresh fruit--especially berries, bananas and frozen organic grapes :-P, walnuts. almonds, cashews, pistachios, flaxseed

celery, green, yellow, red pepper slices

Breakfast:

Steelcut oatmeal [full flavored and yummy!]

Egg white omlettes cookeed with EVOO [extra virgin olive oil] or pam spray

Steamed black rice with oven roasted sesame seeds keep you satiated

Boiled egg whites boiled on Sundays in filtered water with baking soda-thanks to Dr. Michael Eads and Tim Ferriss:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2gYHJNT3Y

Spices [key to making eating healthy interesting and tasty]:

Cinnamon

Fresh ground petter [black, red, white]

Wasabi

Fresh Ginger

Fresh Cucumber

PUR Pomegranate and Blueberry juice

Electrolytes:

Coconut Water!

Drinks:

H2O, H2O, H2O

Soy Milk, Almond Milk, Goats Milk, Skim Milk as long as you are able to digest it

Cucumber/Lime Aid:

2 english cucumbers
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 cups h2o
4 limes, zest and juice

Peel cucumbers-save peels
Grate cucumbers on box grater
Medium sauce pan bring agave nectar and h2o to boil
When sugar dissolves + grated cucumber and lime zest and simmer until cucumber is tender ~10mins
Remove from heat and let cool slightly to form syrup
In a blender puree reserved cucumber peel and cucumber syrup until smooth
Line a strainer with cheese cloth & hold over bowl
Strain cucumber mixture then gather cheesecloth in 1 hand to squeeze the remaining juice
Pour into a pitcher and + lime juice
Chill~1hr and serve over ice

2010-04-28T14:23:00.001-04:00

Sprint Premier Blogger Alert!
http://premier.sprint.com/evo/

2010-04-27T23:20:00.001-04:00

2010-01-16T18:26:00.002-05:00

interesting remark from a Sister's blog she relates to losing wait, gaining it back and more and trying to rise again:
Isaiah 43:18-19.
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"

2010-01-16T12:07:00.000-05:00

Eliot's "Murder N T CaTdral." 4give us, O Lord, we acknowledge ourselves as type of T coMon man, Of T men & women who shut T dOr & sit by T fire; Who fear T bleSng of God, T lonelNeS of T night of God, T suRender required, T deprivation Nflicted; Who fear T Njustice of men leS than T justice of God; Who fear T h& at T wNdow, T fire N T thatch, T fist N T tavern, T push Nto T canal, LeS than we fear T love of God. We acknowledge our trespaS, our weakneS, our fault; we acknowledge That T sN of T world is upon our heads; that T blOd of T martyrs & T agony of T saNts Is upon our heads. Lord, have mercy upon us.

2010-01-16T11:45:00.003-05:00

oh my, Black Rice, with just roasted Sesame Seeds for breakfast!

down to 187lbs and looking for ways to share what i have been graced to learn--"the stewardship of 'small things', as it were..."

2009-11-15T21:43:00.002-05:00

so, at 188.60lbs and 13lbs from goal, my next goal seems to reasonably be to be more flexible physically and within my relationships and work [or marketplace, as i like to call it]... .

2009-10-31T08:30:00.005-04:00

down to 190lbs and the challenges have changed radically
sublimating--my wife's travel schedule along with butter lover's microwave popcorn & late nights...

an 8-week biggest loser's contest at work resulted in:
week #1 resukt of 0.8lb weight gain
wee #2 result of 6.0lb weight loss--15.0lbs to goal

the difference between week #1 & #2
upped the protein {Now Brand Rice Protein powder at breakfast & frozen edamame at lunch], dropped the carbs after 6pm
not more than 1cup of complex carbs per day & always before 6pm

really rooting for The D-Meister to take the biggest loser contest by storm--gently spirit the guy, huge talent...so deserving!

2009-07-18T22:52:00.002-04:00

194lbs!

now is the time to begin running and prayerfully blast the way to the goal--19lbs to go...then maintenance...
i have much to learn.

Heaven help...

2009-05-22T14:17:00.007-04:00

what i've learned about weight loss:
on 3/07/08 i decided that i had had enough!

My Mom & Dad had been married 61 yrs--yes to each other...i know, amazing right?! Never a harsh word, never apart. They have never struggled with weight.

i being a good boy always cleaned my plate and never via the house pet.

since ~1987, i have struggled with weight, ballooning to 255lbs on a so called "husky" frame, at least that is what it was called in the 60s.

i had called a friend to ask him to work out with me and we agreed on a venue, Theodore Berry International Friendship Park, Cincinnati OH, 7:00 AM,

We started walking ~15 minutes M-F for ~ two weeks using my Marmot Precip for warmth, wicking and wind resistance. Week three and four we upped it to 30-minutes M-F. Week four i invested in some new Brooks Addiction 7 running shoes in silver and yellow :-) [Brooks GTS4 pair was shot], though i was walking, i wanted as much protection and insulation from possible injury as i could find [i had back surgery in 1980—weight is not my friend] and visited the #1 running shop in the county Bob Ronker’s Running Spot—they Rock! Fit, Service, Selection Great Staff--No wonder they earned the "#1 Specialty Running Store in the USA!" recognition.

As time went on we had challenges, challenge1 travel, weather...for travel we agreed to work out independently for weather we chose an indoor circuit comprised of downtown Cincinnati buildings linked by a network of linoleum tubes one story above street level that included steps, escalators and multiple surfaces, doorways, varied temperatures and some gradual ramps.

As my workout partners business began to experience greater and greater success, we would face challenge 2, having to workout independently more and more often, throughout weeks five through 12. We had upped our mileage and time to three and a half to four miles depending upon the day, maintaining our five day schedule, Monday through Friday.

Wk12 was a character builder, i had to decide, "why was i was working out?! Was it the comradery, was it vanity? Was it social, my workout partner is a gifted fine artist turned entrepreneur." i pressed on and prayed on...

Wk13 began a renewed discipline, walking four miles and adding bridges:

Purple People Bridge

Taylor Southgate Bridge

John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge the bridge which appears much like the Brooklyn Bridge, but predates it. Walking it from the Kentucky Side towards Cincinnati provides a commanding view of the Crown Jewel, should you ask me--the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

At Wk13 i also adopted my Dad’s weight program, “…push back from the table son…”

i drank water before, during and after meals, taking in nearly a gallon each day and for variety sake, a teaspoon of PUR pomegranate juice, Tropicana not from concentrate and i added 2-3 evening walks at a local park with my upstairs neighbors a nice, shaded hilly four mile course they mapped out using the 50 Million Pound Challenge pedometer. Orange Juice and each morning a cup of oatmeal most often with frozen organic berries—usually Driscoll’s blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, counting four or five berries per serving. i also discovered NOW Whey protein powder, flaxseed and local honey from a beekeeper about a mile away.

Wk20 was traumatic, i finally realized my workout partner would not return. Health problems and workload—i pressed and prayed on both for him and for me.

Plateaus!

Through week 20 i was averaging a pound each week in weight loss and then stuck for two weeks at 235lbs

Challenge4 SMOG! Cincinnati had the topography of a bowl and barring a good storm, the air does not clear—i had to find a gym, i don’t mind rain and wet feet, i don’t mind cold—i do have Asthma and need my lungs for the next 75-years. i joined Mercy Healthplex and running in their warm water pool for up to an hour each smoggy day and working the plan given to me by my trainer two to three days per week. The Pilates reformer classes would be key to achieving a goal of a 40 inch waist on my way to a 38 inch waste, goals i had set for my 50th birthday—achieved ahead of schedule…had to reset my goal.

Challenge5 Jobloss, 10/2008, brought the loss of one amazing career and challenge #

i would limp along with my gym membership and cut my Pilates reformer classes back to once each week, down from three time each week continue to walk two to three evenings with my neighbors upstairs.

Today, at 202lbs i continue to set new goals, next up, 175lbs and a 30-inch waist.

With cholesterol and bp within normal limits, supplemented with hypertensive meds, and a statin to address my cholesterol i am called skinny and told i look like a different person, all i did was pray and …press on…

2009-05-22T14:09:00.002-04:00

What i have been graced to learn about career searching:
1. Forgivenance is key, sometimes you must forgive yourself.
2. Prayerful study of The Book of James for Divine Wisdom [ This is about Godly Wisdom, which is free, as long as you ask and don't doubt!], especially during this time. I know the path you are one--quite well...please be encouraged. God is concerned and knows how you feel.

3. Recommended reading daily and/or weekly;
a. The Business Section of The Cincinnati Enquirer [ www.enquirer.com ]. The CEO profiles are often insightful.
b. The Cincinnati Business Courier [ http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/ ] online is updated daily, print is available on Friday afternoons with quarterly publications, too.

The objective here is to find CEOs and other high level contacts whose story resonates within you spirit, prior to researching their company and contacting them, via email and/or phone.

4. Lastly, tools within the Excel spreadsheet are various resources, I would like to draw special attention to the "Aggregators" or job boards for job boards, essentially one stop shops for jobs from direct employers, agencies and other job boards—please see the attached spreadsheet—This is about controlling what you can control, which is utilizing tools to actively search. [let me know you want to see the spreadsheet and i will email it to you...]

You will more likely than not, find your next career through a friend…do not lose Hope…
Please be sure to let me know that you received this and any questions you may have?

* I highly recommend that you register on www.linkedIN.com to reconnect with persons you respect whom you may have lost contact with over the years. Please list everyone you know and search for them on linkedIN, once you have completed your profile [on linkedIN] and also do a "vanity search" using first name, last name and any term that distinguishes the person, like yul butler healing center cincinnati.

You will likely find your next career like I did, from a job referral--from a friend or family member--be strong and courageous and don't lose heart!

2009-05-06T14:52:00.006-04:00

i never thought i'd see the day i was free o'back...