I Love Being A Dad

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Additionally, I sincerely hope that you all have been enjoying a very safe, happy and blessed Christmas season.

I am not really sure what, if anything, you will glean from this Happy Friday. I have tried to argue with God about it - you see, the Happy Friday's I write each week are truly just the overflow of my heart, what I feel my spirit is leading me to write about - however like every other time my spirit convicts me to do something, as much as I want to argue or do something else, the conviction is so strong I have to follow it...I have to follow the One leading my spirit.

What is on my heart this week is that I truly love being a Dad. I understand the awesome responsibility I have, the accountability I have and the fact that the consequences of my action, or inaction, as a Dad will reverberate for generations and into eternity. When I first came to realize this it scared the heck out of me, I instantly saw my inadequacy. I, in my own knowledge, wisdom, strength & courage, am painfully inadequate. I have found however that I am completely adequate in God's adequacy when I choose to make Him the Lord of my life and I allow Him to lead my life and my family through me. This point is made beautifully in the song "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real.

What I have really been thinking about, and noticing, however is how much these three blessings - the one's I am to lead, guide & protect - are teaching me. I am telling you, they challenge me...and I mean that in the most humble, God honoring way.

• Is it o.k. that a 45-year old aspires to have the obedience of a 6-year old? That I truly stand amazed at how he will do something I ask him to do even though everything in his precious little body wants to do something completely different. Crocodile tears filling his eyes, he faithfully does what I ask him to do because I asked him to do it. My spirit convicts me. I catch this visual of God telling me what to do and me - everything in my body wanting to do something completely different - doing what I want to do.
• Is it o.k. that a 45-year old aspires to have the kind, gentle spirit of a 13-year old? If someone is hurting, needing help, etc. he never misses it. How? How does he see these things? Why don't I see them all the time? He will point them out to me and then ask me if we can help them. AND, he never forgets. When he was about 6-years old he had talked to one of my colleagues about a problem one of her family members was having. About 2 months passed and he saw my colleague again. He asked her about her family member. He was 6-years old!!! I catch a glimpse of how we are supposed to think of others above ourselves and again, my spirit convicts me.
• Is it o.k. that a 45-year old aspires to have the calm spirit of a 16-year old? I have always been one whose highs are really high and whose lows are really low. God blessed me with a son whose is calm & steady in his spirit, regardless of the situation. Again my spirit convicts me, reminding me to not be changed by my circumstances but to remain strong, steady & confident in the One in whom I have chosen to place my life, my hopes, my dreams and my responsibilities.

Yes, I believe all of these things are o.k. In fact, I believe that this is not an accident or a coincidence. I believe that God is using these precious blessings to help teach me, to help me grow to become the man he has designed, called & created me to become. And I KNOW that my life is blessed because each one of them is in it!

I also feel compelled to share  a couple of scriptures with you:

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. - Psalm 127: 3 - 5 (NIV)

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. - Luke 18:16 (NIV)

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, a safe, happy & prosperous New Year and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

A Week In Seattle

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Only 4 more days until Christmas Day! The excitement in the air is palpable.

This week I just want to share a few thoughts/insights from the week:

• I still can't get my mind around what happened in Newtown, CT last Friday...how can you? How do you explain or understand the loss of sweet, precious, innocent lives - young & old? I feel a searing sorrow to the depths of my soul. My heart literally aches. Initially I have a lot of questions for God. How? Why? Where were You?! My Pastor talks last Sunday about how he felt the same things. He said doubt is o.k. and, if there were no doubt, there would be no faith. This makes sense to me. I still don't understand. I still hurt. I still believe that God is in control and He will use all things for good...sometimes saying and believing these things strictly by faith. I think of and pray for the families, for the loss, heck, for the whole town, numerous times during the week.
• I was on Facebook earlier this week putting my daily quote on there and I see a post from one of my former players. He says that he is dumb because he failed a test. He is one of the smartest, hardest working people I have ever met in my life. I am reminded that we all fail the tests that we don't prepare for. Whether in life, in the classroom, on whatever field you play, if you don't prepare you will fail. This does not make us failures, these are simply failing moments. Question to self; are you preparing for the test that certainly lie ahead?
• I am walking through the streets of downtown Seattle - down 6th Avenue to be specific - on the way to a dinner. It is raining. It is cool. People are bustling around everywhere. I look up and see big trees with beautiful white lights, in the distance the Space Needle. I am struck by the beauty. The rain hitting my face feels good. The cool air feels refreshing. I wonder how come I don't always notice these things. I see little kids in the window at Nordstroms sitting in Santa's lap. I think of the kids in Newtown...I pray.
• I have a friend, who for two weeks has known that on the 20th he will find out whether or not he will keep his job or be laid off. I pray for my friend, his bride and their daughters. I pray more than anything that God's peace will be upon them, that they will truly trust and believe that God is good, that He has a plan for their lives, that He will take care of them. I pray this for my family and I. On Wednesday night the 19th I am climbing into bed. My heart feels heavy for my friend and my spirit convicts me to get up and reach out to him. I email him, I tell him I love him, I share some scriptures with him that I feel might be meaningful to him and I pray for him, typing it as I pray. On Thursday morning I pray for my friend several times. I look at my watch several times between 10 - 11 in Seattle. His meeting started at 10 Seattle time. Each time I look at it I think, "he should know by now." I don't try to guess what might or might not be happening...I pray. A little after 11 I receive a text from him...he still has his job. I smile, I thank God.
• During the week I receive an email from a friend. She had taken a great leap of faith in her career because she felt it was the right thing to do. She waited patiently, faithfully for the job she felt was right. She was emailing me to let me know that she had in fact found a great job and that she would be starting the next day. Her walk, her testimony of faith, speaks to my heart. My heart is genuinely happy for her. I thank God that she had the strength, the courage to walk it out faithfully.
• Still reading Joyce Meyer's book about the words we speak, being mindful of breathing life or death with each one. As I workout and pray, asking God to lead me, guide me, give me the right words, my spirit convicts me. I don't want to just say the right things or not say the wrong things. No, I want to think the right things. I claim the truth of God's word when He says He will renew our minds. Yes, this is what I ask Him for. I want to see what He sees. I don't want to just say nice things I really want to see the good in people, in situations. I pray more.
• I love Seattle...it is so beautiful. You want to talk about the rain? Why do you think it is so green? I had the privilege of talking to so many neat, unique people this week. What a privilege! I fly home. As much as I really do love Seattle, Phoenix is home and my heart genuinely feels happy as my plane slowly descends. I hustle to baggage, to the shuttle, drive home as quickly as I can. I see my Beautiful Bride and 3 Tender Warriors...yes, this is where I belong. This is my calling. I truly am blessed.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great night, a wonderful weekend & a very Merry Christmas. And, if you are a praying person, I respectfully ask that you pray for peace, strength & courage for those in Newton, CT. Cherish those precious families and friends!

Kev

Naughty or Nice?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Technically this is a Happy Thursday Night however I figure it is Friday somewhere and besides, I have written a couple of Happy Friday's on Saturday so I am good going a few hours early!

Earlier this week I was getting in my car after an appointment and the timing was perfect. The radio announcer was talking about Christmas. She talked about how since we were little kids we have been asked, "Have you been naughty or nice?" You go sit in Santa's lap and he says, "Have you been a good boy this year" or "Have you been a good girl this year" and then, and only then, after making sure we have been good, he wants to know what we want for Christmas. It is the beginning of establishing the misguided belief that I have to be "good" - a very subjective term by the way - if I am to get what I want. She then went on to talk about how many - possibly most - of us believe the same thing in our relationship with God. Wow! A powerful thought. The announcer went on to speak the truth of God's word - if we confess our sin it is not only forgive, it is also forgotten. It is washed away...completely. We are healed, renewed and restored.

Dang that spoke to my heart! I don't know about you however I have had times - still do - where I have prayed for forgiveness for something I have done wrong over & over & over & over (you get the point) again. However, if I stand on the truth of God's word, it was forgiven & forgotten, I was completely healed, renewed and restored the first time I asked for forgiveness if I truly did it with a repentant heart. Can't you almost see God sitting there with a quizzical look on His face (I am not being sacrilegious, just hang with me for a second...I realize that God knows everything!) the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. times I bring it up as He goes, "What the heck is Kev talking about? That was forgiven & forgotten, I healed, renewed & restored him a long time ago."

So here are the two things I want to share with you this week:
1. Are you still carrying around baggage of some mistake, mis-spoken word, hurt, etc. that you have placed before God? Friends, if you have truly asked for God's forgiveness, with a pure, repentant heart, it is no longer yours to carry. Claim the truth of God's word Friends, please. You are forgiven, God has wiped the slate clean, you are healed, renewed & restored. If you are a bible believing person, this is Truth. That being said, where do you think the reminders of past failures & mistakes, the feelings of inadequacy, the shame, the guilt, the sorrow come from. Let's see, God says He will forgive, wipe the slate clean, heal, renew & restore you. Guess it's not coming from that Guy. So it must be coming from the other guy, the one who is known as the Deceiver...think about it. Oh how I pray we will all (me included...doubly so) receive this truth in our hearts. That we will believe, live and continually walk out the glorious life that our Heavenly Father desires for us to live. You have made mistakes, you have failures, you have shameful moments, moments you regret? Of course you do, we ALL do. God knows this. He also knows that we can't be "good enough", that we can't make the "nice" list...that is why He sent his Son to die for our sins Friends. Once (read the word, re-read the word - once, singular, uno...don't know how else to say it!) we ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart it is forgiven, forgotten, we are healed, renewed & restored. WOW!

2. This next one has really been challenging me as a husband (my highest calling), as a Dad (my second highest calling), as a friend. God forgives, forgets, wipes the slate clean, heals, renews and restores. He sent His Son to die for our sins. I surrender my life to God, I accept Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and personal savior and the Lord lives through me - leading, guiding & directing my life. So how am I on the forgive, forget, slate wiped clean, heal, renew, restore? (Deep breath, swallow hard - repeat). How many times have I brought up a past offense...the one I said I forgave? How much do I hold my Beautiful Bride or one of my Tender Warriors in the past - the past that includes forgives, forgotten, healed, renewed & restored if they sought God's forgiveness? Me, the one who asks God daily to lead them through me, how much am I actually fighting against God because of my own pride, resentment, wanting my way, etc.? Oh boy, I really don't like this mirror! I once read that the image a lot of us have of God is our own Dad's. God is our Heavenly Father, our Dad's are our earthly fathers. The way my Dad acts, treats me, handles my failures, faults and shortcomings...this must be the earthly image of God, right? My heart hurts!!! How many people are leading broken lives because of the failings & shortcomings of their Dad's? A lot of grace here Friends...they are humans just like us. Still the pain, the image, the brokenness is very, very real. I don't have the answers, I simply have a challenged Spirit. I respectfully ask you to think about it. How will you treat your husband, wife, children, friends, co-workers, the stranger on the street? We know how God handles OUR sins, failures, shortcomings, etc. How will we treat theirs? Do our thoughts, actions, words & attitudes line up with His?

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.

Kev

The Decision

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day!

Gonna try to keep this short. I have a date with my Beautiful Bride and I am so excited! I cherish my time with her and, sadly, there has not been enough of it lately. I am literally giddy to go out with her tonight!

I wanna share one thought with you and one excerpt from a book (yes, I have been traveling again!). Before sharing the thought, I have to tell you that I don't have all the answers...heck, I don't have any answers. I do want to testify to you what has been placed on my heart and you can then choose how you will live your life, what you will believe.

Last week I shared with you a struggle I have had - praying for myself. As I thought about that message afterwards, and talked to several people who I am blessed to do life with this week, I kept coming back to one thing. In my mind I have thought of it as "the problem" or "the challenge." Over and over again it came back to the same thing - am I going to walk out the faith I profess to have or not? Do I really believe that God has a plan for my life or not? Do you? You see, most of us are fine with how things turn out so long as they go how we want them to go. But what if God's plan is different? What if what I want, what if my hopes, goals & dreams are not what God has ordered and ordained for my life? Uh-oh, right?!?! I am thoroughly convinced this is where a lot of Christians get in trouble, a lot of trouble. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Do I really believe what the word of the Lord says? Do you? Most importantly, are we willing to walk that out, each and every day of our lives, until the day we meet God face to face? In seasons of prosperity most of us give out an enthusiastic, "Absolutely!" How about when things aren't perfect or even good, according to us? What then? This therefore is not our challenge or our problem, it is our decision. Will I, will you, make the decision to believe & walk out the word of the Lord or won't we? We are going to go through our problem, struggle, issue, etc. regardless of what we choose. How we go through the problem, struggle, issue, etc. will be determined completely by what we choose. Think about it Friends. Please, think about it.

By the way, here is a little gift for you on this beautiful Friday. Please fill in the blanks with your name:
"For I know the plans I have for _________________," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper _____________ and not to harm _________________, plans to give __________________ hope and a future."
Let it speak to your heart Friend. After all, it was written for you.

I am gonna share a quick excerpt from Joyce Meyer's book, "Change Your Words Change Your Life: Understanding the Power of Every Word You Speak." Again, I am just gonna share the message, you decide how it speaks to you and what you will do with it.
"Never underestimate the power of your words and deeds. With a few kind words, you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way."

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

I am off on a date...WooHoo!!!

Have a great night, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

A Struggle

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust that this post finds you all having a great day and an awesome week coming to a close for you! The week can seem really long after having had a long weekend the previous week can't it?!

I have had a struggle for quite a long time. You see, I have absolutely no problem praying for others - interceding on their behalf, asking God to bless them, coming alongside them in their prayer requests & petitions, etc. I do this quite regularly (my spirit convicts me to do so), I believe that God loves them, I believe that their lives have great meaning & purpose, that He is working on their behalf and that He will lead, guide and protect them. I truly believe these things to the deepest recesses of my heart.

My struggle has been praying for myself. While I have not problem praying for my wife, sons, family, friends and even strangers, when it comes to praying for me I struggle. If you were to tell me your goal/dream I would not pause for a moment in asking God to bless you richly, to bring people into your life to help you accomplish your goal/dream and I would have a very high expectation that you will in fact accomplish your goal/dream. When it comes to praying for my goals, my dreams, my hopes, etc. I have often found myself pausing, hesitating, not sure what to say. I have spoken with God about this and I have also shared it with several Godly men in my life.

Earlier this week, during my prayer time, God and I were again having this conversation...again. Then came this great moment of clarity..."what are your putting your faith, your hope in Kevin?" I have been told several times in my life that I can be too black & white on issues - it was made explicitly clear to me that this is a completely black & white issue. Are you putting your faith in God, in life, in hope, in biblical truth or are you putting your faith in the world, in death, in despair, in lies? Wow! This rocked my world. While I don't know that all my goals & dreams will come true I certainly have determined in my life that I will choose God, life, hope and I will strive to live each and every day by Godly, biblical truth, allowing my spirit to lead me at all times. Yes, this felt good in my heart, this made sense. I have a long way to go to grow to full maturity in this new found wisdom, I know that. I also know where my faith is anchored and I am trusting Him to work this out in me fully until the day He brings me home.

As I was thinking about this Happy Friday this week, as God spoke to my heart, I realized that this struggle that I have had is why I will often get tears in my eyes, my heart will get very heavy, when the song "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns comes on the radio. This has happened to me for a long time, the song touches my heart deeply and my wife & sons know that this is a song that is to be played at my life celebration. Well, as I am sitting here typing this Happy Friday for you, while I am in the 3rd paragraph, shortly after typing "When it comes to praying for my goals," guess what comes on the radio sitting next to me? "The Voice of Truth." A quick smile crossed my face and then tears...a lot of tears. Face wrinkling, shoulder shaking tears. Yes, I do believe in God, I do believe He loves me, I do believe that my life has value & purpose and I do believe that He cares about my goals, dreams & hopes! This Friends I will fight for and choose every day.

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, have a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

Giving Thanks

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day, that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, perhaps a Happy Black Friday (yes, I believe there can be such a thing!) and that you are ready for a great, relaxing weekend.

Yesterday many of us celebrated Thanksgiving...a day set aside to intentionally give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Some of us struggle to come up with these blessings we are supposed to be celebrating as we are so caught up in situational/circumstantial stuff... if this happens we are happy but if that happens we are sad.

On Wednesday, the day before our celebration of blessings, I got two great reminders of how blessings, and our recognizing them, is not based on situations or circumstances, but rather the condition of our hearts.

• There was an article in the Arizona Republic on Wednesday morning. You see Wednesday was the 1 year anniversary of a horrific plane crash in Arizona - a crash that took the life of a mothers 9-year old daughter (Morgan), 8-year old son (Logan), her 6-year old son (Luke) as well as her ex-husband (Shawn) and two other men (Russel & Joseph). It was honestly hard for me to begin reading the article. I remember sitting on my couch a year ago, watching the "Breaking News" coverage of a plane crash into the side of the Superstition Mountains and feeling this sense of grief, knowing someones life - perhaps several lives - had been forever altered by whatever had just taken place on the side of that mountain. I really didn't want to read about the heartbreak, the struggle...hoping in the deep recesses of my heart that I would never have to experience such a thing. Thankfully, something made me read the article anyways.

          This was not an article of great grief though the mother, Karen Perry, stated, "Grief is not
          something that goes away, it's something that stays with you but it basically transforms -
          in the way that I view what's happened, in terms of acceptance, in terms of viewing life
          from a different perspective. I see a bigger picture than before, that there's a higher
          purpose than just our everyday going to work, going to school, paying our bills. Our
          everyday grind." No, this was an article of strength, perseverance and mostly gratitude.
          Listen to these strong, powerful words - great words of wisdom - spoken by Karen
          exactly 1 year after losing her three precious children; "Life can be very painful at times
          but there's a lot of beauty to be seen if we open our eyes to it and if we pay attention to
          what's going on around us. And if we're grateful for what we have...I have a lot of things to
          be thankful for. I really do. I'm thankful that I'm here. I'm thankful that my kids didn't suffer
          when they died. I'm thankful that my daughter doesn't have seizures anymore [Morgan
          had severe epilepsy and suffered five brain surgeries that left her legally blind and
          disabled]. I'm thankful that so many good things came out of such a tragedy. She
          continued, "I can see the beauty around me and I can enjoy the time that I have and at
          least enjoy the memories that I have of my kids. I feel very grateful that I had them at all."

          A heart of great gratitude, having experienced loss far greater than anything I have ever
          experienced or can comprehend. Yes, I believe this is the heart of truly giving thanks.

• On Wednesday night my 13-year old had a club ball baseball game. My Beautiful Bride and I were talking to the Mom of another player on the team. This Mom is a pretty special lady. About 5 years ago she was in an accident on an ATV that left her paralyzed from about mid-chest down. We talked about all kinds of things that night - the moment she realized she couldn't get up and walk (anger), the moment the doctor told her she would never walk again (great, great sorrow), the daily battle she wages to get up out of that chair and walk, etc. Somehow, somewhere during all of this she told my Bride and I about a blog she has written detailing her journey. I quickly pulled up the blog on my IPhone and we all began looking at the pictures. And then there was this picture - she is standing - beautiful & radiant - hugging her husband. You see, if she stands up and is wearing her braces, she can hold onto her husband and remain standing. She said, "That is my favorite picture. I am so thankful for the times I can stand and hug him." If you have a lump in your throat right now it's o.k.; I did then and I do now. Again, I was blessed to see a heart of true gratitude.

I am amazed by these two remarkable women. I pray that I will have a heart of gratitude even a fraction of theirs...and I don't mean that in a defeated or "whoa is me" way. They inspire me, they challenge me to get out of my self-centered thinking - what I want thinking - and to truly see the countless blessings that I do have. Frederick Koenig said it well, "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great evening, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

Four Powerful Thoughts

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and a successful week coming to a close for each one of you.

This week Friends I want to share four powerful thoughts/ideas with you, taken from John C. Maxwell's latest book "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live them and Reach Your Potential":

1. "The right motions outwardly with wrong motives inwardly will not bring lasting progress. right outward talking with wrong inward thinking will not bring lasting success. Expressions of care on the outside with a heart of hatred or contempt on the inside will not bring lasting peace. Continual growth and lasting success are the result of aligning the inside and the outside of our lives."
2. "When we fail to make the right character choices within us, we give away ownership of ourselves. We belong to others - to whatever gains control of us. And that puts us in a bad place. How can you ever reach your potential and become the person you can be if others are making your choices for you?"
3. "Pastor and radio broadcaster Tony Evans says, "If you want a better world, composed of better nations, inhabited by better states, filled with better counties, made up of better cities, comprised of better neighborhoods, illuminated by better churches, populated by better families, then you'll have to start by becoming a better person."
4. "If we desire to grow and reach out potential, we must pay more attention to our character than to our success. We must recognize that personal growth means more than expanding your minds and adding to our skills. It means increasing our capacity as human beings. It means maintaining core integrity, even when it hurts. It means being who we should be, not just being where we want to be. It means maturing our souls."

Wow! These are so powerful. They hit me when I read them, re-read them, re-re-read them and typed them. I trust that they will speak to your heart, that you will gain wisdom from them and I pray that we will all move forward in our lives accordingly.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, a Happy Thanksgiving and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

Who Do You Spend Time With?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great night! I also hope that you had a great week and you are ready for a wonderful weekend with you family and friends as we celebrate those who have served our country.

This week I want to share a few quick excerpts from John C. Maxwell's book, "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential." The excerpts are taken from Chapter 6 which is titled, "The Law of Environment: Growth Thrives in Conducive Surroundings," and the section titled, "3. Change Who You Spend Your Time With."

• "According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McCleland of Harvard, the people with who you habitually associate are called your "reference group," and these people determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life."
• "Enquist has espoused the 33 Percent Rule. She says you can divide people in school, on your team, at work, or anywhere else into the bottom, middle, and top thirds, and they always have the same characteristics: The bottom third suck the life out of you because nothing is ever good enough for them. They take energy and motivation out of an environment. The middle third are happy and positive when things are going well, but down in times of adversity. Circumstances dictate their attitude. The top third maintains a positive attitude even in tough times. They are leaders, influencers, and game-changers."

          According to Maxwell, Sue Enquist "has been called the John Wooden of women's
          softball. She played fro UCLA from 1975 to 1978, returned in 1980 as an assistant
          coach, and then served as head coach from 1989 to 2006. As player and coach, she
          helped win a total of eleven NCAA softball titles. She retired with a career coaching
          record of 887-175-1 - an .835 winning percentage that puts her among the top five
          NCAA coaches of all time."

• "What kinds of 'larger" people should we spend our time with? People with integrity. People who are positive. People who are ahead of us professionally. People who lift us up instead of knocking us down. People who take the high road, never the low. And above all, people who are growing. they should be like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau whose question for each other whenever they met was, 'What have you learned since we last met?'"
• "The most significant factor in any person's environment is the people. If you change nothing else in your life for the better than that, you will have increased your chances of success tenfold. So think long and hard about who you're spending the most time with, for wherever they are headed, so are you."

Some great thoughts to consider Friends. Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great night, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your family and friends. And to those who have served our country, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Kev

A Few Reminders

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and a wonderful week coming to a close for you.

There are a few things that are really on my heart this beautiful Friday morning.
1. There are a lot of folks who are really struggling out there. I really could argue that all of us are dealing with something. I know folks who have issues in their marriages, with their kids, in their jobs, with themselves...and so do you. I want to pause for a moment and remind us all of the words in Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (NIV) Please let these words - sweet, sweet words of promise, hope and truth - speak to the depths of your heart, of your soul. I don't know who you are, where you are or what battles/struggles you may be facing. I do know that we all have them, I do know the weight of stress, worry, fear, regret can be debilitating and I just want to encourage you with everything that is within me to not give. Keep you hopes & dreams alive, do whatever it is you do to the very best of your ability and listen to your heart as it guides you in what is right and what is wrong. There may be dark clouds in your life right now in this moment however the sunshine is coming. Please keep doing good Friends and never give up. Your life has so much value, meaning & purpose! Claim this truth, speak it to your heart and faithfully walk it out every day!

2. I want to remind us all that our lives are influencing other lives. Period. Not if, not when, they are. My hope for all of us this morning is that we will all be acutely aware of the great influence we have each and every day. While we all do have battles/struggles we are fighting, so does everyone else. You have no idea how much a kind word, thought or gesture on your behalf can literally alter the trajectory of another life forever. If you have a thought, idea, something you want to do for another I want to encourage you to do it. You have no idea the impact it could have in another life. You see Friends, your life is a gift to this world. Who you are, where you have been, the battles/struggles you have fought, where you are in this moment...they are all things that can be used to pour into the lives of another. You are special, you are unique and someone - more than likely many someones - need you. Please be aware of your influence, the opportunities for great, great good that you have and choose very carefully what your influence will be.

3. So I am getting ready to head out of town on a business trip. My little 7-year old Preacher and I were talking as I was taking a shower. He says, "I am going to miss you Daddy." I tell him I am going to miss him too. He says, "I am going to miss you more than you miss me." Oh no he didn't... it is on! I tell him I am going to miss him more than he misses me and then, in all my great wisdom as a Dad, sure I am going to win the point, I say, "besides, you have it better than me. You have Mom and your brothers and I am going to be all by myself in a hotel room." Sweet, sweet victory! Dad wins! Dad's everywhere can celebrate, it is one for us! Woo Hoo! All of the sudden I hear the sweet voice of the Little Preacher as he says, "You are not alone Daddy, you always have God with you." Silence...More silence...Whose kid is this anyways?!?! And Friends, the Little Preacher is right. You and I always have God with us. No matter the miles, the storms, the battles, the struggles, the hurts, the pains, the regrets, no matter...He is with us, He loves us, He cares for and about us, He is there for us always, if only we will reach to Him.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.

Kev

Perspective

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and an awesome week coming to a close for you! I am simply amazed at how time fly’s; tonight is the last night of the regular high school football season. Unbelievable! I am not ready for it to end. I have truly cherished these past 10 weeks – watching my son play (I absolutely love watching my boys play!), the time with family, the new friends, the fun, the wings at Buffalo Wild Wings after the games (at least I am honest!), etc. A blessed life indeed!

On Monday I had lunch with a great man. He is one of those guys that when we get together I always leave enlightened, energized & challenged. I just love getting together with him.

I don’t remember exactly how we got on the subject however he gave two examples that really resonated with me. I, unlike all of you I am sure, get agitated sometimes when I am driving down the road and someone cuts me off. Living in the Phoenix metropolitan area one gets a lot of opportunities to get agitated! Anyhow, here are his two examples:

1. My friend asked me, “if you were driving blindfolded (neither this wise friend of mine nor I advocate for driving blindfolded though it appears a number of people in Phoenix do drive this way…sorry, I am trying to be nice!) and someone cut you off in traffic; would you be irritated then?” I immediately replied that I would not be irritated because I wouldn’t know it happened. He pointed out that the event was the same – the other car had cut me off – however because I didn’t see it, I did not get mad, angry, agitated, etc.

2. My friend then said, “what would you do if you knew the person that had just cut you off was in a hurry because they had a child dying in the hospital and they had exactly 10 minutes to get there to see their child one more time?” He didn’t wait for an answer and continued, “you wouldn’t care then would you?” I was trying to say no, however he was on a roll and continued, “you would even get out of their way wouldn’t you?” Again, the event was the same – the other car had cut me off – but because I knew the circumstances, I knew why they had cut me off, all of the sudden I felt compassion, I wanted to get out of their way, I wanted to do anything I could to help them, to make sure they made it to their child’s bedside, one more time. Wow!

On Monday night my Beautiful Bride had a meeting so it was just me and my 3 Tender Warriors at home. My 16-year old and I were in my room talking and all of the sudden my 7-year old came into my room, huge crocodile tears running down his face, threw himself face down on my bed, everything about him saying he is completely broken. I am stunned as I just left him 30 seconds earlier in the kitchen happily painting a picture. I asked him what is wrong. He sat up, trying to talk (you know what I am talking about…when you are trying to talk but you are crying so hard, your heart is so heavy, that you can hardly speak) and said, “the whole thing is ruined.” The “whole thing” was the picture he was painting for his little buddy at school.

Perspective…All of these things are about perspective. My friend’s first example was all about what we see or don’t see...perspective. His second example was about what we know or don’t know…perspective. My son was all about what is important to him, how he perceives he has performed, what he perceives the outcome to be…perspective.

As if to complete my lesson for the day, I walked into the kitchen and looked at the picture. From MY perspective it was not ruined at all. There were a couple of water drops in one spot and a color that had run into another. Perceiving – thank you Lord! – how important this was to my Precious Son, I picked up his brush and had fixed the “ruined” picture in about a minute. My sons perspective – based on his knowledge & experience – is that the picture is ruined. My perspective – based on my knowledge & experience – is that the picture can be easily fixed. We are looking at the same picture and yet seeing completely different things. He is devastated (please don’t minimize this and tell me it is only the picture of a 7-year old. My Mom once so wisely said, “their problems are as big to them as your problems are to you.” Did she ever get that right! Maybe it wasn’t something that I felt was a big deal however to him it was every bit as important to him as the most crucial, devastating events are to me.) and I, filled with love and compassion for my son, see a picture that can easily be fixed. Same event, two totally different perspectives. I also feel compelled to tell you that after this had all been fixed my Spirit spoke so strongly to me; this is how it is with you and God. We have this mess (maybe a specific event or perhaps how we perceive our entire lives) that so devastates our hearts, we are broken, perhaps crying big crocodile tears and He lovingly, with great compassion fixes our messes if we will only run to Him, throw ourselves down and say “the whole thing is ruined”, ask and allow Him to fix it.

Perspectives…we all have them. They are born from everything that makes us…well us. No two perspectives can be exactly the same unless two people are exactly – and I mean 100% exactly – the same. We could have what I would call “situational perspective” – I have experienced the exact same event as you, therefore I could share a perspective with you however depending on what lies beneath the surface – everything that makes us unique – we may very well experience the exact same event and have a completely different perspective of it. From the time we are born, to the parents we are born to, to the siblings we have or not, to the friends we have or not, to every single experience we have had– failures, successes, hurts, joys, etc. – they all shape our perspectives. Thinking about, realizing and respecting not only our perspective but also those of others is very enlightening and empowering. I encourage you to think about perspective – yours and others – and allow what you learn, with your spirits leading, to guide you. We may not share the exact same perspective but I can surely know & respect that you have one. You may not share my perspective but you can surely know & respect that I have one. I honestly don’t know what the outcome will be if we do this. I am however willing to take the chance. I want to have a heart to see and try to understand what you see, to care about what you care about, to have compassion when you hurt, to help you when you think I can, to do whatever I can to make your life journey better, more fulfilling and to help you become the best your are capable of becoming in fulfilling your life purpose.

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families & friends!

Kev

Today

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and a wonderfully successful week is coming to a close for you!

So how did it go? Last week I challenged us to encourage one another - so long as today is today - for one week. Did you? If so, how was your week? If not, how was your week? Funny isn't it, either way we are making a choice. Even if we choose not to make a choice we make a choice...Wow!

There are two things that have been on my heart this week that I want to share with you:
1. On Wednesday I was driving along highway 520 in Washington heading from Seattle to Woodinville...stunningly beautiful! The thought, the idea that today is all the matters was heavy on my heart and mind. The Bible says that the Lord's mercies are new each day. If you have ever been awake as dark turns to dawn you have witnessed the near miraculous renewal as the world wakes up again. Yet, how many of us truly live this out...the renewing, the refreshing, the opportunities, the hopes and the promises that each new day brings?

So often we get caught up in the faults, mistakes & failures of yesterday that we don't allow ourselves to live fully in today. It is really sad. How many times have I insured failure today because I was so caught up, hung up, trapped - whatever you want to call it - in what happened the day before...a day, time and events that I can no longer do anything about? Each morning when you and I wake up everything begins anew. Please, pause and think about that for a moment. When you and I wake up tomorrow morning we have made no choices, we have made no mistakes, we have had no failures in that day. It is all new and fresh. There is great hope, great opportunity and great promise in each and every day. Oh how I hope that we will all let this truth penetrate our hearts, minds & spirits! Our pasts do not define us. We each will choose, each and every day, how to approach that day - fresh & new or tired & weary. We will either sprint towards the hope, opportunity & promise that each day brings or we will drag the baggage of regret, sorrow & shame into the day. We - you, me, everyone - will choose. We will choose every day. I challenge us to choose the hope, the opportunity & the promise that will call our names as our world comes alive each and every morning.

2. I don't know why this has been on my heart lately. I remembered having read this poem several years ago and for some reason it has been heavy on my heart. Thanks to the internet I was able to google a few key words and find it. I wanted to share this incredible poem with you and let it speak to you, to your heart, however it will.

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost!
That’s why I chose this way”

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble -
needing God to be my guide

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed
and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible
but God believes I’m worth it

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache
which is why I seek His name

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved

Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.

Kev

Only As Long As Today Is Called Today

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and a wonderful week coming to a close for you.

You all are going to get tired of me traveling with my job...flying 5 or so hours a week gives a guy a lot of time to read and think! I am reading a book titled "Leadership Secrets from the Bible: From Moses to Matthew - Management Lessons for Contemporary Leaders" by Lorin Woolfe. As I was flying to Portland on Wednesday I read the following; "In Hebrews 3:13, the early Christians are urged to 'encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today." The full text of Hebrews 3:13 (NIV) is "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." My Spirit jumped as I read it. My eyes jumped back..."encourage one another daily" and then "as long as it is called Today." I looked up the full text using Mobile Gateway Bible and again my eyes jumped and I felt strongly compelled..."encourage one another daily"..."as long as it is called Today"..."none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

I love Pastor Phil Tudor of New Life City Church in Safford, AZ. A big, bald (so good looking!) cowboy, he used to say, "what part of the bible do you believe?" You naturally want to say, "All of it!" however his wry smile let you know that you were gonna get drilled if you gave the "Sunday School" answer. He would then say, "You believe the parts you actually live." Ouch!

So here, taken from the greatest book (my opinion) ever written, is a very simple leadership principle: encourage one another daily. For how long? When? Oh, only as long as today is called Today. If you wake up tomorrow and it is not Today, don't worry about it, your off the hook! :)

But will I? Will you? A couple of weeks ago I wrote about four short, simple words: I - Believe - In - You. Telling someone these four short, simple words is certainly encouragement however that is not the only form of encouragement. Squeezing your wife's hand or holding her softly when you know she is stressed, concerned, worried, etc. is encouragement. Standing beside your husband, gently rubbing his back or arm...this is encouragement. Showing up at your son/daughters practice, game, recital, etc...this is encouragement. All of these, without ever even saying a word, is encouragement. It screams I love you, I am here for you, I am yours & you are mine, I believe in you...we are doing this together.

It is ironic isn't it; we all long for and crave encouragement (even if we don't want to admit it!) and yet we do not give it near as freely as we wish we could receive it. This is my challenge for all of us this week - yes, week. Not a day, not for a few days but rather for the entire week...as long as each day is called today that is!! Let's be intentional. Let's notice the other person - our spouses, our kids, our co-workers, the person you don't know however you can tell by the look in their eye, the body language that they just need some form of encouragement. It doesn't have to be some magical word or cute phrase; it just has to come from the heart. To let another tired, worn and weary soul, striving valiantly in this sinful, deceitful world that you recognize them, that you know they have value, meaning and purpose and whether through word or action encourage them to keep going. Let's commit to it for one week and see what happens...we just might in fact change the world.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for any of you or you precious families.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families and friends.

Kev

A Blessed Life

Happy Friday on a beautiful Sunday Morning!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day, that you had an awesome work week last week and that your weekend has been incredible & refreshing!

I want to quickly share with you my last 72 - 96 hours:

• Thursday, 5:00 p.m. club baseball doubleheader for my 12 (turning 13 this week...holy smokes!) year old. Done, home and to bed at 11:30 p.m.
• Friday, 7:00 p.m. varsity football game and then post-game dinner with players, parents and coaches. Home and to bed at 1:30 a.m.
• Saturday, 6:00 a.m. wake up. 8:00 a.m. club baseball tournament starts. Games at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Second game ends at 12:30 p.m. Rush everyone to car, get home, take a nap, wake up at 3:00 p.m., back to the ballpark at 4:00 p.m. Third game of the day is supposed to start at 5:00 p.m. Game before runs over, third game starts around 5:40 p.m. We are up to bat, bottom of the 7th (last) inning. We are losing 2 - 1. If we win we play tomorrow (today) at 12:30 p.m. If we lose there are no games tomorrow. Talk to Beautiful Bride and ask her if it is o.k. to cheer against our sons team...heart won't let me do it. Our team wins with a walk-off single...Yes! Dang it! I mean Yes! Coaches buy pizza for players after game, check tournament board for what field we play on Sunday, get home at 8:30 p.m. From 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. fight to stay awake to talk to 16-year old who is at Homecoming dance. Wake up somewhere around Midnight on the floor snuggling 7-year old, see 16-year old sitting on the couch watching the West Virginia - Texas game I recorded and was trying to watch before I fell asleep, try to ask him about his night, have no clue what he said to me however I know he is home and he is safe...nothing else matters.
• This morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. I have read my bible, a leadership book, the newspaper from front page to back page and at 8:21 I start typing Happy Friday.

So now you understand why you are getting Happy Friday on Sunday morning however that is not what is really on my heart. Here is what is on my heart; I am so blessed and I love my life! Somewhere around the 3rd inning of the 1st game on Thursday night, knowing what was in front of me and my precious family over the next 3 - 4 day, wanting to feel sorry for myself, wanting to dread the running all over the place, there was this great clarity - this is my  life, my oh so very richly blessed, wonderful life. I have an incredible wife - very beautiful on the outside and even more so on the inside - who I have the honor & privilege of experiencing all of this with. I have a 16-year old young man who I will hug after a tough loss on Friday night, who I will sit out on the back porch and talk with until 1:00 a.m., who I will watch walk away on Saturday night to go to the Homecoming Dance, trusting, knowing that he will make good decisions, that he will be responsible. I have a 12/13-year old who will peek at me from 2nd base, look at me over his glove on the pitchers mound, stick his head around the corner of the dugout - just to make sure I am still there, who will say "right Dad?" countless times as we rush home to take a nap as we analyze the first 2 games of the tournament...and then repeat the process all over again as we rush back to the ball park for the evening game. I have a 7-year old Tender Warrior who will sit and snuggle me at the 12/13-year olds baseball game, coming to life when his brother comes up to bat...cheering for him, who will snuggle up next to me, as close as he can and fall asleep on the floor trying to watch a football game that we both already know the outcome. This, all of this, is my life. I love my life! I can't believe how blessed I am! I thank God for my life, for His love, mercy, grace & perspective and for this precious, oh so precious, family that he has blessed me with. While sleep would be nice, I wouldn't want to miss a single moment of what I have lived in the last few days.

Our lives - your life, my life - they are blessed Friends. The question, the challenge I think is to realize the blessings, to live blessings and to truly cherish each moment. I don't want to live a life of regret, of dread. As I told my Beautiful Bride, we are going to go through this - the hectic schedule of the past 4 days - one way or another...we get to choose how we go through it. Are we going to embrace the day, the moment, live them fully or are we going to dread it, have a negative attitude, missing out on so much that each experience has to offer? I don't want negative, dread, discouragement...I want positive, excitement, encouragement. I want to be alive and to live - so many are alive without truly living, I don't want to be one of them!

I don't know where you are or what you have going on today Friend however I want to challenge you to find the blessing(s) in this day and to live your life fully. I promise you, if you will truly embrace this day, truly live this day, you will find great joy & fulfillment. You very well may collapse in bed tonight, completely exhausted however I promise you there will be great peace in your spirit, their will be greater depth to your relationships and you will find that you would not have lived your life any other way.

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, please live your life fully today and please cherish your precious families and friends.

Kev

Four Short, Simple Words

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and that you have had a great week!

“I believe in you.” Four short, simple and yet incredibly powerful, potentially life altering, words. Think about it; when is the last time that you pure heartedly spoke these words into the life of another? More importantly, when is the last time that you spoke these words into your own life – not in a spirit of conceit or arrogance but rather in acknowledgement that your life has value, meaning & purpose. The incredible power of four short, simple words.

Earlier this week I was talking with a dear friend about these four short, simple words. I was telling her a story about my 16-year olds football game a couple of weeks ago. His team is small in terms of total number, full of great young men rapidly gaining valuable experience as many of them fight through the rigors of their first season of Varsity football. Predictably there are times when you can see doubt cross their minds in the way their bodies move. Can I beat this guy? Can I make this play? Will I ever break through? Have you ever been there Friend, when doubt crosses your mind? Have you ever wondered if you were good enough? Have you ever wondered if you could finish the job? Did you ever wonder when the climb would end and, if only for a brief moment to catch your breath, you could ride along the plateau or stand on the mountain top? I am pretty sure, if we are perfectly honest and don’t feel the need to put on a mask, we can relate.

As my sons team came out to start the 2^nd half I had this strong…I don’t know what to call it, urge, desire, to stand up and shout, “I believe that we will win.” I quickly looked at my Beautiful Bride and told her that I was going to embarrass her. I then told a couple of other parents right behind me what I was going to do and respectfully asked them to yell the same thing back when I yelled it. Now, in full disclosure, this is a chant that you will hear sometimes at high school football, led by the students. I have never heard the parents lead it, let alone have one parent stand up, unsure of what everyone else would do and shout it, simply wanting these young men to know that I believed in them even if I had to humiliate myself to prove it. So when the team got to the sideline I stood up and yelled, “I believe that we will win!” A few parents yelled back the same. We did this over and over again throughout the 2^nd half – whether we scored a touchdown or gave up a touchdown.  While the words we were yelling were, “I believe that we will win,” what we were really saying is, “we believe in you.” The moment we yelled it for the first time several players down on the field looked up into the stands, a look of excitement, relief, thankfulness and yes, belief all crossing their faces at the same time. Ultimately we lost the game, the other team kicked a field goal with 10 seconds left, however the players left the field that night believing in themselves and knowing that their parents believed in them. Please don’t rush over the last part…knowing that their parents believed in them. I wonder, as many parents talk about the difficulties of the teenage years, how four short, simple words might renew and restore a relationship and put a life on a completely different trajectory.

I think these words, “I believe in you”, are four short, simple words. I am amazed however at the reactions to them and how infrequently, sadly infrequently, they are spoken. The only other time I have ever done anything like I did on that Friday night was when my 12-year old was 8-years old, playing All-Star baseball with kids two years older than him. He was struggling to get a hit. We were at a critical point, in a critical game in the All-Star tournament. He came up to bat, there was a lot of yelling and commotion. He got 2 strikes on him. Suddenly that urge, that desire…I wanted my son to know that no matter the moment, no matter the outcome that I believe in him and nothing is going to change that fact. So, I yelled, “I believe in you son.” You would have thought I yelled an obscenity, a threat or something. The whole place went completely quite. People turned and looked at me, their mouths agape. My little 8-year old slugger looked at me also, a very slight smile crossing his face – remember, he was now a big bad ballplayer. I don’t really know the outcome of that at bat; I just asked the now 12-year old slugger and my Beautiful Bride and I got two different responses. He said he got a hit, she said he didn’t. Here’s the thing; while neither of them know the outcome they both recalled clearly the moment I was talking about. Is it possible that the outcome really wasn’t that important? Is it possible that what really mattered was a boy heard four simple, life giving words spoken into the depths of his tender little heart at what was a very big moment in his life at that point from his Dad? I think the answer is pretty clear.

As my friend and I talked about those four short, simple words we – o.k., me more than her – got all fired up about the power of those words. We talked about what it would be like when you are having a tough day at work to have your boss poke his or her head in the door and say, “I believe in you.” How what our kids need to hear, only surpassed by “I love you unconditionally” – heavy, heavy emphasis on unconditionally – is “I believe in you.” My heart can’t help but wonder what would happen if we pure heartedly spoke these words into the life of our spouses. I know that when my Beautiful Bride has said to me, “I believe in you” I feel like there is truly nothing that I could not accomplish. The power, the life-altering power, or four short, simple words.

Please take a few moments Friends and think about the people you are blessed to have in your life. Is there someone that needs to hear these words from you? Please be authentic and at the same time keep it real. If your Spirit is convicting you, and it will, please follow it’s leading. Please don’t say it just to say it as this will do greater harm for this would be outward deception. AND, from this point forward, I would like to challenge us all to be more mindful of the power of these words. To speak them more freely – to ourselves and others – on a regular basis. These words do give life Friends…four short, simple words. “I believe in you.”

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families and friends.

Kev

What's Your Story?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and an awesome week coming to a close for you!

Earlier this week I was walking from one building to another at work and the thought, the idea - could it have been the Holy Spirit? - came to me; "Everybody has a story." It was kind of weird. There were a few people walking by me, nothing significant...right now I can't even remember their gender let alone what they look like. What did stick with me though is "everybody has a story." As I flew to Salt Lake City this week for work, walked through two international airports, stayed at a hotel, visited a new city, came back home, went to my sons baseball game...over and over again I would think "everybody has a story."

I really don't have some earth-shattering thought, idea, etc. (do I ever?!?!). I just stand amazed at the lives around me; I stand in awe of the incredible purposes; I look into the eyes of someone whose light appears to be flickering; I look into the eyes of a precious little boy, wobbly as he is taking his first steps, innocent, full of hope, love, wonder, love, excitement, love; I look at people who don't have the same physical abilities as me - some better, some worse; the same can be said for mental abilities - many more better, perhaps a few worse. :) Everybody has a story.

As we go through life we experience different seasons, if we think of all of this as one big story, we move from chapter (season) to chapter (season). Yes, I overanalyze things...a blessing or a curse depending on your perspective! Just as one chapter does not make an entire book, neither do our current or preceeding chapters make our story. The chapters that are yet to be written will be influenced, to some degree, by the choices that we make today, and then again tomorrow and the next day and the next day and... Please note the "to some degree." I realize, recognize and appreciate that bad things happen to good people, things happen that seem, no are, so mean, so cruel. I don't want to make light of these at all - please hear my heart! - however these are circumstances, circumstances in a flawed and broken world. We do have a choice how we will react to those circumstances. These too, like the mean or cruel act, ability or disability - we should say degree of as we are all abled and disabled, just in different areas - will be a part of our story.

In our lives we have all experienced success and we have all experienced failure. We have all experienced joy and we have all experienced heartache. Each of these moments, chapters, are a part of our story however they are not the whole story. Just as a moment, a chapter, of defeat does not make us a failure in life, a moment, a chapter of success, does not make us a success for life either. These things are carved, crafted & created each and every day to be determined finally, as we breathe our last breath.

So I guess in all of this what I really want to say to you this week is two things:
1. Your life is a great, big wonderful story. Please live it fully, pursuing that burning purpose that I know lies deep within the depths of your heart, not allowing victory, defeat, ability, disability, circumstances, etc. to define you, to tell your story. Live each day to the fullest, embrace it, pursue it...this world is a better place Friend because of your story.

2. May we all recognize that every life has a story, every life. May we all look upon those who we deem to be in victory & defeat, in ability & disability, in moments of prosperity & in moments of dispair with great love, mercy, compassion & grace for we too, as we live our story, will inevitably walk through these same chapters.

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I would truly consider it an honor, a privilege to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.

Kev

What Are You Communicating?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and an awesome week coming to a close for you!

Earlier this week I came across something in Ed Hindson’s book, “Trusting God When Times Are Tough” – have ya’ll figured out I love this book yet?!?! Here is what it said:

            “We are all in the process of communicating something. We may be

            communicating warmth, love, and acceptance, or anger, bitterness, and hostility

-  all of which originate from our inner feelings. What we need to ask ourselves is

whether we are helping or hurting others by what we are communicating.”

Please note that whatever we are communicating – whether it is good or bad, helping or hurting – originates from our inner feelings. It is really easy to say the right things, to give the right answers, to act a certain way at times, etc. however what we really believe, what we really feel at the heart level will ultimately be revealed in what we communicate – verbally and/or non-verbally. It is impossible Friends to consistently violate our spirits and our communications will ultimately reveal our true selves.

·        My 7-year old Preacher was watching a movie on his little DVD player this week. I interrupted him, asked him to turn it off and come be with Dad. Without even a second of hesitation he turned it off, came over, sat down beside me, said “I love you Daddy. What do you want to do?” If only I was half the communicator as this Precious Blessing!!! AND I am not talking about the words he spoke. While my heart is genuinely touched when I hear this 7-year old voice say, “I love you Daddy”, it was what he communicated through his actions that overwhelmed me. He communicated love, respect, a desire to be with me…all by simply turning of a DVD player immediately when he knew I wanted to spend time with him. I was his priority. Period. He communicated this loud and clear. How many times have I had to “respond to a text real quick” or told him that I would come see something that he was excited to show me “after this play.” What did those actions on my part communicate to him? Oh heart be still! Lord please forgive me! Precious Baby Boy please forgive me! Lord PLEASE lead this Beautiful Woman and these three incredible boys through me!

·        Yesterday I was walking out the door to go to work and my cell phone rang. It was my 16-year old son, calling at a time he wasn’t supposed to be calling me. I answered and he said, “Dad, can you come here.” This is not good when he left less than 5 minutes prior to drive himself to school. He then said, “I have been in a car accident.” I calmly replied – thank you Lord for answering my prayer of leading this family through me!!! – “Are you hurt?” He said, “No.” I said, “Is the other driver hurt?” He said, “No.” “Praise the Lord” I silently prayed and then responded, “I will be right there.” I pulled up and saw my 16-year old son, suddenly looking much younger than the man he is becoming, sitting in his car and a 20-something year old, who was noticeably shaken, sitting in his car as well. In this moment I was very aware that my every word, look and action was going to communicate something to both of them. Funny how God always prepares our hearts isn’t it? My spirit was incredibly calm, I felt genuine compassion for both of them and my love – genuine, unconditional love – for my son was growing deeper by the moment. Interestingly I really didn’t say much at all. I asked both of them if they were o.k., I helped them both fill out their accident reports after the officer arrived and I answered “no, I am just thankful your o.k. son” to my son 15 to 20 times as he repeatedly asked, “are you mad at me?” My body language, my disposition, my look and my words all communicated to both of them that I genuinely care about you, I am genuinely thankful that you are o.k. and I will do anything I can to help either one of you in this moment. They all communicated this because that is truly what I felt. Thank you Lord for leading me through those moments.

So my question, my challenge, for all of us – starting right now in this moment – is what are we going to communicate? Know this Friends; we are communicating something…all the time. Is it warmth, love & acceptance or is it anger, bitterness & hostility? That is a choice Friends that you and I are going to make every single moment of every single day. It begins with the condition of our heart and is released through our words, our disposition and our actions.

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for any of you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families & friends.

Kev

19 Things...

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day & a very fulfilling week coming to a close for you!

This week I wanted to share 19 excerpts from 2 different books and let these quotes/thoughts/ideas speak to you however they may.

From “Trusting God When Times Are Tough” by Ed Hindson:

1.    “We are not yet what we shall be but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished but it is going on; this is not the end but it is the road.” – Martin Luther

2.    “God comforts us in our troubles, not necessarily from our troubles (2 Corinthians 1:4). In fact, suffering and troubles are His method of shaping our lives and our character.

3.    “Rarely do we learn the deep lessons of life when everything is going well.”

4.    “Wrong attitudes express our inner frustration with life and our bitterness toward God for allowing problems to come into our lives in the first place. They are symptoms of our refusal to believe that God is really in control of our lives. Ultimately, wrong attitudes push us away from God instead of drawing us to Him.”

5.    “The key to handling our problems is learning to trust what God tells us to do with them. Too many people want to make their own decisions and then ask God to “bless” what they have already decided. Instead, we need to figure out what God wants us to do and do it with the confidence that He will bless it. Our obedience to His commands places us in position to receive His blessings in our lives.”

6.    “Halfhearted commitments will not help you solve your problems. Either God can help you or He can’t. Either you trust Him or you don’t. It is that simple.”

7.    “Even when you don’t know what to say or you cannot speak, God is there with you.”

8.    “How we respond to our challenges tells people what we really believe. This is where our faith is put to the test – in the crucible of life itself.”

9.    “A crisis doesn’t have to defeat you. God can help you learn valuable lessons from it that will make you a better person in the long run. Don’t give up because you’re facing a tough time; the crisis you are in right now may be the most important opportunity and growth advantage you have ever experienced.”

10.  “Selfish and insecure people get angry and are easily offended. They often try to compensate for this by trying to make people think they are more important than anyone else.”

11.  “You can do anything that is right; God always empowers us to do what is right. His grace is always sufficient, no matter how difficult the task.”

12. “Whenever we become discouraged, defeated, or embittered by our circumstances, we are really questioning God’s sovereign control over those circumstances.”

13. “Fear is much more damaging than failure. If you’ve failed, admit it and start over. Forgive yourself and learn to forgive others. Don’t be controlled by what has happened to you, but rather be motivated by where you are trying to go. Focus on your goals, not on your failures. Move ahead with determination, for nothing worthwhile is accomplished without some risk. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1: 7 NKJV)”

14. “Accept yourself for what you are, and you will be able to accept God’s will for your life. All the worry and fretting in the world cannot change the color of a single hair. If you can trust God to save you, then you can trust His plan for your life.”

15. “Comparisons only produce one of the following: pride or self-rejection. With pride, we assume our “sphere of influence” is bigger than it really is. With self-rejection, we conclude our “sphere of influence” is worthless and insignificant. Both attitudes are displeasing to our Lord, who want us to work and bear fruit where He has put us, finding fulfillment in doing His will.”

From “Take The Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success” by Rory Vaden:

16. “You are responsible for your results. It is time to throw off that cloak of apathy, to let go of the desire to blame, and to begin being willing to commit to making a meaningful change in your behavior.”

17. “The truth is that success comes from being tested in the fire, being pushed to your limits, and having your character and confidence shaped by challenging circumstances. Successful people view problems and challenges as setbacks or hindrances, but they know that the more challenges they have, the higher the likelihood that they will develop the character required to become great.”

18. “The Rent Axiom – Success is never owned, it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.”

19. “If you’re not maximizing your potential where you are, then you can never know if you should leave because you haven’t experienced all that it has to offer.”

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be happy to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please, cherish your family and friends.

Kev