The topic is the focus of Dr. Metzl’s most recent, What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms, a book that, by looking at a racially-charged mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, reexamines how we as a nation should address gun violence.

Jonathan M. Metzl MD, PhD, is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his MD from the University of Missouri, MA in humanities/poetics and psychiatric internship/residency from Stanford University, and PhD in American culture from University of Michigan. Winner of the 2020 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book Award, the 2020 APA Benjamin Rush Award for Scholarship, and a 2010 Guggenheim fellowship, Dr. Metzl has written extensively about the relationships between guns, mass shootings, and mental illness. His books include The Protest Psychosis, Prozac on the Couch, Against Health: How Health Became the New Morality, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland, and What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. 

Michael Jerome Irvin was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is the 15th of 17 siblings. He attended Piper High School and became a football celebrity when he played at St. Aquinas High School.
He was recruited by the University of Miami which offered one of the top collegiate football programs in the country. Under coach Jimmy Johnson, he set several school records for career receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions. He made a legendary performance in Miami’s 1987 National Championship Team which propelled them into the National Championship Game. After leaving the university, he remains a supporter of the football program, giving tutorials to receivers and acting as a mentor off the field for younger players. He was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

Pro-Football

Film, TV and Radio
Michael joined the NFL Network broadcast team in 2009 and he can be seen on NFL Sundays and NFL GameDay Morning. He has also been featured in various commercials for the NFL Network.

He was a co-star in the 2005 remake of the The Longest Yard starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. He also starred in Jack & Jill in 2011. On TV, he played one of the “Pros” in an episode of Pros vs Joes.

Michael also hosted 4th and Long, a football-themed reality series on Spike TV. He appeared in an episode of Burn Notice in 2009 titled “Hot Spot”. He also hosted a radio show on Miami’s WQAM with Kevin Kiley which aired until 2012.

Family and Fatherhood
Michael married Sandy Harrell in June 1990 and he has four children.

When not working, Michael usually spends his days making fun memories with his family. He is enjoying fatherhood and has been gaining new insights about life and living in general, just from interacting with his kids and family.

Being an exuberant personality, he is always eager to share the lessons he has learned from his experiences and the values that helped him succeed in his career and his life in general. The drive to help his team win in his professional footballs days has not left him and he is still as enthusiastic to help out in any way he can.

Giving Back
With so many things that he wants to share about success and life in general, he has chosen to focus on sharing his insights about fatherhood. He is also giving back to the community by creating and participating in activities that give a portion of their proceeds to important charities and help support their cause.

Michael is also educating and inspiring people to change themselves for the better and live their life to the fullest through his training camps and speaking engagements.

For more news about Michael’s initiatives, activities and speaking events, or just stuff about what he’s been up to, you can also check out his blog where he shares what he’s been up to and where he’s been regularly.

Cindy began hearing the Collective in early 2009, when she sat down with her laptop to write a magazine article. Those conversations continue daily, although they did not name themselves ‘Josef’ until 2017.

Beginning in 2014, they revealed themselves as ‘Abraham’, channeled by Esther Hicks.  They explained, together, they would be part of the continuation of the expansion of the Abraham message.

In early 2017, during a session with Paul Selig, Cindy was relaying to Paul what she was experiencing with Abraham. He said, “I don’t think that’s how it works, but let’s go to the Guides.” They quickly responded, “There is a group who is trying to teach through her. She must ask for a name.”

Later that evening, during her daily conversation with them, asking for clarity of the session with Paul, Esther’s face appeared suddenly and clearly, in front of her, and as she was saying, to herself, “why am I seeing Esther?” They replied, “You are seeing the lovely Esther because we don’t have a face yet. We will reveal our name at the right time. We are Abraham.”

Two days later, she saw in front of her, a succession of towing planes like you see at the beach, towing advertising banners behind them. As she focused, she saw the first banner that read, “Seth”; the second banner read, “Abraham” and the third was blank. In that moment, they said,’That’s Us.” She understood then that this group was part of the evolving consciousness of Seth and Abraham and the name would come when they were ready, and it did. Later that year, they sent her to write the first book of the Allow Your Soul to Lead series, and when they signed the Welcome letter, she wrote, “We are Josef.”

Prior to 2009, Cindy spent 35 years in creative advertising and marketing. She was raised Catholic in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York and currently lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

She is called the “Georgia Gypsy” back home. Up-and-coming country artist Ashley Brooks, hailing from the North Georgia mountains, has been making waves with her distinctive country sound, powerful lyrics, and high-energy performances filled with attitude. Known as a the wild, barefoot, and fishing songwriter from North Georgia, Ashley Brooks is set to captivate audiences with her authentic charm. 

In the past year, Ashley Brooks has demonstrated her talent in over 60 performances in the South and has had the privilege of opening for acclaimed Nashville artists such as Confederate Rail Road, Billy Droze, Gary Nichols, The Oak Ridge Boys and Aaron Tippin. Ashley frequently travels from the Bible Belt of Georgia back to Nashville to collaborate with fellow songwriters and artists, showcasing her dedication to her craft and passion for music.

GREGORY and GAIL HOAG

Gregory Hoag, The Sacred Geometry Divine Toolmaker

Gregory Hoag, scientist, best selling author and artist, has researched Sacred Geometry and consciousness for 47 years. Following a major spiritual awakening (Kundalini) in 1982, he started creating energetic tools through Metaforms, that provide transformative tools to foster spiritual evolution and the expansion of Source. His land in the Colorado Rockies has numerous energy vortexes and strategically placed geometric forms for the purpose of activating the planetary grids and energizing some of the tools produced by Metaforms.

He is recognized as one of the leading experts on Sacred Geometric technologies for improving health, raising consciousness, reducing stress, manifesting intent and clearing emotional and electromagnetic interference.

Gail Hoag, Spiritual Steward

Gail Hoag is a health consultant, accomplished artist, spiritual advisor and businesswoman. Her study of light, color and energy in motion in her paintings, launched a deep understanding for creating transformative fields to expand consciousness. Developing her intuitive gifts as an artist, healer and spiritual counselor, she has assisted many people to embrace life more fully. Gail has also served as a business consultant and team building trainer in corporations.

Gail was an avid student of R. Buckminster Fuller and knew the intrinsic value of sacred geometry when she and Gregory met in 1985 and founded Metaforms, realizing their life’s mission to bring sacred geometric energy tools to the world.