You

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 all fired up this morning Friends! My heart is greatly burdened - in a motivated, excited way - this morning for this Happy Friday. My spirit got a hold of me on this one early in the week, I have been praying about it, thinking about it, looking stuff up...it has been incredible! The cry of my heart this morning, what I desperately want you to understand, what I want to communicate to you is this; YOU are special! YOU are fearfully & wonderfully made! YOU are made for a purpose! YOU are perfectly equipped! YOU lack nothing to fulfill your purpose! How do I know this (I don't even know many of you personally)? First and foremost my bible tells me that each and every one of these statements is 100% true. You don't have to be a bible-believing person...I am and I have chosen to believe what my bible tells me. Second, in working with hundreds of thousand, possibly millions, of people in my life I have yet to find one piece of junk. Oh sure, some folks have lost their way, they are hurting, they are broken - aren't we all really?!?! - however underneath the lostness, the hurt, the brokenness, the pain is the special, fearfully made for a purpose, perfectly equipped, lacking nothing person they were created to become. Yes, I know this is true about YOU!

What I want to do this morning is share a bunch of quotes from many men and women. You will recognize some names, some you won't. You will see the names of athletes, politicians, philosophers, etc. and a whole bunch of people that I have no idea who they are. Please pay attention to the messages and let them speak to your heart. I am going to put a little thought of mine, how it strikes me, after them. Please don't let my thoughts/ideas get in the way of what your spirit speaks to you.

• "Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it." - Mahatma Gandhi
• There are no insignificant purposes...we all need you to become the best you are capable of becoming. One body, many parts...
• "Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." - Og Mandino
• You are planting something...are you going to enjoy the harvest?
• "Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are." - Julius Charles Hare
• You are so special! Be the unique you that you were created to become.
• "All the concepts about stepping out of your comfort zone mean nothing until you decide that your essential purpose, vision and goals are more important than your self-imposed limitations." Robert White
• Wow! Self-imposed limitations...may we all be set free from these today!
• "Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." Vince Lombardi
• "you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." Let that truth speak to your heart this morning Friends!
• "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as you can." John Wesley
• What if you and I truly lived this out today? What would this world look like?
• "Do your best every day and your life will gradually expand into satisfying fullness." Unknown
• Your best, every day...listen to your heart Friend!
• "Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will take care of themselves." Dale Carnegie
• Don't be afraid - do the little jobs well and the big jobs take care of themselves.
• "I can only tell you one thing I've learned. Enjoy the walk along the path you've chosen, Don't count down the days. Make the days count. For this is the true measure of success; not what you achieve but how you achieve it." Unknown
• Are you enjoying the walk down the path you have chosen Friend?
• "I come to the office each morning and stay for long hours doing what has to be done to the best of my ability. And when you've done the best you can, you can't do any better." Harry S. Truman
• Rest, truly rest in this truth.
• "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." Abraham Lincoln
• May we all have a teachable spirit each and every day of our lives.
• "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." Leonardo Da Vinci
• We must apply...we must do.
• "I have climbed several higher mountains without guide or path, and have found, as might be expected, that it takes only more time and patience commonly than to travel the smoothest highway." Henry David Thoreau
• The obstacles to fulfilling your unique purpose? Time and patience.
• "I want to be remembered as the guy who gave his all whenever he was on the field." Walter Payton
• How are you going to be remembered? People are going to remember you, this you can be sure of.
• "I've always believe that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results." Michael Jordan
• What are you expecting? Husband? Wife? Mom? Dad? Makes me shudder just typing it!
• "If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse." Walt Disney
• What is your dream? What is your mouse?
• "Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Make the most of you...please don't try to be someone else. It is YOU that is special, it is YOU that we want, it is YOU that we need!
• "Many times a day I realize how much my own life is built upon the labors of my fellowmen, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received." Albert Einstein
• Powerful...
• "No man fails who does his best." Orison Swett Marden
• Failure then is a choice...
• "Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself." Richard M. Nixon
• I honestly don't know what to say! The last two sentences are SO powerful. Please choose not to destroy yourself today Friends!

I have so many more to share however I am trying to be respectful of your time. Please live out today Friend who YOU are, what YOU are and what YOU were created to become. From the depths of my heart and soul I truly believe in YOU.

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

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

Kev

A Game Ball

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Friday morning and that an awesome week is coming to a close for you! This is going to be one incredibly special weekend; my oldest son turns 16-years old tomorrow (how is that possible?!), I have a great friend whose daughter is getting married tomorrow (he has to be asking himself the same question!) and another great friend whose daughter is getting baptized this weekend (praise the Lord!). Yes, this is going to be a special weekend indeed! Oh yeah, and it is supposed to be 100 degrees tomorrow for the first time this year...all of you who live in the Midwest and east, who I tease in the winter, can commence with the assault now!

I blew it. I had a failing moment as a Dad last Saturday. I recognize that it was but a moment, that I can learn from it and, if I am willing to have a humble, teachable spirit, I can grow & change from this experience. How come learning has to hurt so bad sometimes?!

I have the honor & privilege of serving as one of the coaches on my 12-year old sons baseball team. Last Saturday we were playing a game against the 1st place team in the league, a game we all really wanted to win. My boy was starting at pitcher for our team and the Haslam family was excited about the game all day long...the game was at 4:30. During the day my 15-year old (hey, tomorrow isn't here yet! gulp!) came to me and told me about some comments his brother had made that weren't humble. He was bothered and so was I.

The game started and I assumed my normal position - sitting on a bucket of baseballs, keeping the score book for our team. Throughout the game I yelled encouragement (to players on both teams) and instruction to our players. With every pitch I communicated to my boy - "throw inside", "keep it low", "move it around", etc. After the game was over I was picking up the bases as the Head Coach talk to the team. I heard him say, "usually when we win and the pitcher only gives up 2 runs I give him the game ball. Today however I am going to give the ball to (kids name)." He gave the game ball, deservedly so, to a boy who hasn't hit a lot and who hit a home run in the game. I thought nothing of it.

After the game my Beautiful Bride, asked my 12-year old, "Did you play good?" He said, "I don't know. Dad, did I play good?" That didn't feel right or good. As we were driving home he said, "Dad, I thought I would get the game ball. Did you?" I said, "Yes son, I thought you would get the game ball." Odd question; he usually doesn't even think about these things. Later in the evening he asked me, "Dad, do you think I deserved the game ball?" I assured him, "Yes, I thought you played great today." Clearly something was bothering him. My spirit was soon going to give me a wake up call.

I woke up Sunday morning early...and my spirit was greatly troubled. I fought through and read my bible, read my book and my spirit was killing me to move. I hurriedly went up stairs, got dressed and drove to Wal-Mart. I bought a brand new baseball (a real one made of leather, not synthetic leather...that is a big deal when you have 3 boys!). When I got home I wrote "Game Ball", the date, my boys pitching & hitting stats from the game and "Greatness is found within you" on the ball. And then I sat and anxiously waited for him to come down stairs. Wasn't easy...he is our sleeper! When he came down stairs he looked at the ball and then gave me a hug (I love weekends as when my wife and sons come down stairs they all give me a hug...even my 15-year old - WooHoo!).

This hug was different though, it last longer. It was in this moment that I realized my error. I had been more coach than Dad and, while it was his idea for me to help coach his team, what he wants, what he needs more than anything is for me to be his Dad. To love him, to support him, to care for him, to provide for him (in all aspects of his life), to lead him, to guide him unconditionally, at all times. In this area, real or perceived (which is what really matters) I had failed. It wasn't the game ball from his coach that mattered ,it was a game ball from his Dad that mattered. A symbol that his Dad loved him, that his Dad was proud of him...that he is my boy, I am his Dad and nothing will change that. 

Later in the day he and I had a nice talk. I apologized to him for my failure, we talked about "respecting all, fearing none" (addressing that issue of lack of humility) and I promised him I would change. This week, as I have had my time of prayer, I have begged God to lead him through me - especially during his games - and things have been different during the two games he has played. He looks lighter, there is a bounce in his step, he has smiled a ton (I love when I see that smile behind the catchers mask!), he is having fun and I have been his Dad.

A few thoughts/ideas I want to share with you:
1. Friends, we are all going to have failing moments in our lives. I don't like it, you don't like it...nobody likes it however they are a part of life. It is what we do after the moment of failure that is key! If you are a parent, you have had a failing moment. That moment does not make you or define you as a failure. It is the opportunity to grow to the fullness of what you were created to become. It is what your kid, my kid, needs whether they are 1, 15 (weeping!), 30 or 60. Please, do not let a failing moment define you.

2. Please listen to the convictions of your spirit. You know, I have never once in my life regretted listening to the convictions of my spirit...my regrets are all tied to when I went opposite of what my spirit told me to do. Trust me, running to Wal-Mart to buy my boy a game ball was not my idea...it was the conviction of my spirit which is how God speaks to us.

3. Who in your life needs a game ball? I would encourage you to go buy them one - your spirit will tell you right now, in this moment if you should. I simply want to encourage you to obey your spirit. Please remember, it isn't about outcomes...it is about them being yours, them doing their best, them knowing through a simple, silly symbol that you love them, that you support them, that you care for them...unconditionally, at all times.

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and cherish those precious families. I am going to go hug my 15-year old now!

Kev

How Do You Know?

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!

This Happy Friday is going to be interesting. I know what is on my heart, what I want to say and yet, as I think through the different points I want to make, my thoughts are jumbled, seeming incomplete. I actually thought about changing the topic however the conviction of my spirit would not allow it. I am going to go ahead and proceed the very best I can and trust God, and the Holy Spirit leading in you, to make sense of it all.

I once heard Pastor Ken Whitten from Idle Wilde Baptist Church in Florida talk about how one of the first people he wants to meet when he gets to Heaven is Peter. He talked about how Peter had denied Jesus 3 times, how he is often talked about and referred to in disdain inside Christian circles. You know, "How could he?!", "I wouldn't do that!", "If I was Peter, I would...", etc. Pastor Whitten went on to talk about things like 1) Peter was the only one of the disciples who was brave enough, who felt convicted to even attempt to get that close to Jesus at that time, 2) How he was reconciled to Jesus before he died, and 3) In an act of incredibly great humility he was crucified upside down at his own request.

How about David? Adultery. Murder. We have plenty of opinions about him as well don't we? How would we describe someone today if we knew they had committed adultery? How would we treat them if we knew they committed murder in an attempt to cover up their act of adultery? Would we look on them lovingly, with mercy & grace? It is interesting. David is described in the bible as "a man after God's own heart."

The world of college athletics has been buzzing all week about Coach Petrino at Arkansas. He crashed his motorcycle, was dishonest with his boss about who was with him, admitted that a female was with him at the time of the crash minutes before this was going to be revealed in a police report, later acknowledged an inappropriate relationship and ultimately lost his job. He is now being vilified throughout the media, social networking sites, etc. Everybody has an opinion about him, what he should have done, shouldn't have done, etc.

Back to Pastor Whitten, later in his talk he said, "would I steal a million dollars? I don't know, I have never had a chance to steal a million dollars." He went on to explain that while he certainly hopes he wouldn't steal a million dollars, he does not know if he would or he wouldn't for that opportunity has never presented itself to him. This is at the heart of what is on my heart this morning.

We live in a flawed, broken world. Life is hard. My bible tells me that while we are all fearfully and wonderfully made by God for a specific purpose for which we are perfectly equipped (please let that speak to your spirit!) we are all born with a sin nature, we are going to sin and that the only way to get to heaven is through the mercy & grace of God when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts as our Lord and personal saviour. What would life look like if we truly walked out that sentence?

Peter, David, Coach Petrino, every robber, crook, thief, etc. is fearfully and wonderfully made for a specific purpose for which they are perfectly equipped. Did they do things that we don't agree with? Absolutely! Do we hope that we would react differently if placed in those same exact situations? No question. Do their actions change who they were created to be, Who's they are? No Friends, they do not. They are still loved by God, they are still fearfully and wonderfully made and there is still a purpose for their life for which they are perfectly equipped. Maybe they have gotten off the path ordered and ordained for them, maybe they had a failing moment or moments, however this does not change who God says they are, how He feels about them and what He desires for their life...just like you and me Friends.

The point I want to really touch on this morning is how we react to these people, to each other. We, I, am so good at sitting back and saying, "I would do this" or "I would do that" or "That person is a bum. How could they..." How do we really know though? My Beautiful Bride and I will often talk about situations, get all fired up with things like I have noted above and then, convicted by my spirit, I will say, "Honey, we don't know how we would react in that situation. We only know what we hope we would do." We are really good at judging the actions of others, often - most often - in the absence of all of the information, in the absence of having been in the exact situation, etc. But how do we really know? Most critically, how do we prepare ourselves to react as we hope we will and how do we respond to others when they have a failing moment. Please remember, your failing moments do not define you as a failure. Likewise, the failing moments of others do not define them as failures either.

As for preparing ourselves, I believe there are a couple of keys. 1) Surrendering our lives to God. Truly accepting the Lord into our lives as our personal saviour and then pursuing Him every day. Our spirits will talk to us - encourage us, implore us, warn us - if only we will listen. 2) Determine our values. We all know how we hope we would react in a given situation however unless our values, what we truly believe and will fight for, are determined before we are in the moment, we will find ourselves "taking the test without having studied our notes." This is not a good or comfortable place to be! 3)  A friend used to say, "if you don't want to slip, don't go to slippery places." If David, the man after God's own heart, had not been on the edge of the roof at the time of day that he knew women would be bathing he would not have seen Bathsheba and he would not have begun his "slip." For each and every value you that you hold true, don't get on the slippery slope.

As for those who have failing moments, what if we lived out the the lyrics from "Courageous" by Casting Crowns that say "seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God"?

• "Seek Justice" - Justice is defined as "1. Just behavior or treatment. 2. The quality of being fair and reasonable." Hold accountable to laws, policies, etc.? Absolutely. Vilify, beat down, etc? I don't see a place for it here Friends.
• "Love Mercy" - Mercy is defined as "Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm."
• "Walk humbly with your God" - Humble is defined as "Lower in dignity or importance."

Yes Friends, I believe this would be a great place for us to be. Instead of casting stones let us be fair and reasonable in addressing the actions, not attacking the person. Let us show the compassion and forgiveness that we so desperately want in our lives when we experience our moments of failure. And let us lower ourselves in dignity and importance to God each and every day of our lives.

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

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

Kev

A Great Week

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day and a great week coming to a close for you. The MLB season officially started yesterday...love this time of year! One day into the 2012 season and, as a Cubs fan, the thought has already crossed my mind that we have next year. Unbelievable!

This was a great week. I had several things happen that I want to share with you. I truly don't know what to call them. They were moments where I really learned and saw things a little differently, some for the first time. I don't have any answers...I just want to share these things with you and let them speak to your heart, let you apply them to your life, as you will.

What's Really Important
Last weekend was awesome! On Saturday my family and I got all kinds of work done. Finished up some things for the H.S. Booster Club, did some work for "What Will Your Influence Be?", worked in the yard all day - trimmed all the bushes, mowed the yard - and got all the beds moved around to the boys rooms after my Beautiful Bride had finished painting the inside of the house during the week. Then that night the whole family went to the Salsa Festival. Family & salsa? Doesn't get much better! Sunday was church, nap (love the Sunday nap!) and then I wanted to wash my car to get ready for the week. My 12-year old asked me to join he and his brothers in a wiffle ball game. I told him I couldn't because I had to wash my car. I don't know if it was the look on my 12-year olds face, my yearning to simply be with them or what, however almost immediately I thought, "what is really important?" Listening to the conviction of my spirit I decided to play wiffle ball. The look on my boys' faces, the excitement in their voices when I told them I would play affirmed my decision. After getting the rules - left of that bush is a foul ball, left of that push is in play, hitting that house is an out, etc - the game began. We laughed. We made some great, and some pathetic, plays. We argued (just keepin' it real!). For nearly 2 hours we played and played. You know, not once this week did I regret not getting my car washed. I have however thought back on that wiffle ball game a number of times and a smile has crossed my face. I am looking forward to this weekends game and some redemption...my 12-year old is ready to trade me from his team and who can blame him? My 6-year old took me deep 3 times? What is really important Friend?

What Do You See?
Driving to work one day this week they were telling the story on the radio of a lady who decided, for one year, not to look at herself in the mirror. She had realized that she was basing her value of herself based on what she saw in the mirror. Please don't shake your head and get all cynical thinking this is impossible! They addressed all of the issues you would think of - make up, hair, etc. And still she did not look in the mirror. In that year she got married - a bride not looking at herself in the mirror on her wedding day to make sure she looks just perfect?!?! For a year she did not look into a mirror. During this time she really grew to love, value and appreciate herself. Not for what she looked like, not based on whether she was having a good hair day or a bad hair day, not for what she was wearing or any of the other false things we use to determine our value, our worth. No, she grew to love, value and appreciate herself because she chose to accept who God says she is; because she chose to believe that she is perfectly created, lacking nothing; because she realized her life has value, meaning and purpose and that it has nothing to do with appearance, money, job titles, etc. When the year was up she looked into the mirror and she genuinely love what she saw. What do you see when you look in the mirror Friend?

A Gift
This week I had a sweet, precious Friend give me a gift. The gift is nice, pretty cool however what spoke to my heart was not really the gift at all. What spoke to my heart was that this dear sweet Friend thought of me. She didn't have to...I never would have known about this thing, I would never have missed it and it certainly wouldn't have affected our relationship if she didn't get it for me because, well, I wouldn't have known about it. But she did think about me. Wow! How blessed am I? Is there someone in your life Friend who you too would blow away simply because you thought of them? Please remember, it is not the gift that is important...it's the thought.

A Note
In my job I have the honor & privilege of establishing relationships with folks and in turn facilitating their relationship with my organization. It is an awesome job AND they actually pay me to do it! One of the things I do before I reach out to someone for the first time is I send them a handwritten note thanking them for what they have done, letting them know that I am their contact to my organization and that I am going to be calling them to schedule a time to meet. This week I called a gentleman who has been involved with our organization for 17 years however nobody had ever contacted him. He stated that my handwritten note was the "first handwritten note I have received in 20 years." He went on to say how much it meant to him that I would take the time, how this was so unique in a  time when everyone wants to text, email, etc.

Each morning, after reading my Bible and reading a leadership book - I have to get myself right first! - I write my Beautiful Bride and my 3 Tender Warriors a note. I give them a scripture on the top of the page, I share with them a leadership thought/idea - my first, most important responsibility is to the leadership of my family! - and then, I write each of them a note specific to them. I sit and really think about each one of them, where they are in their life, what is going on that day for them, what their current hopes and struggles are, etc. It means the world to me. It is a time to sit back, really think about them, their wants, their needs, their goals, their dreams, their worries, their struggles. It is pretty neat to see each one of them come down stairs every morning and immediately go read their note. When/if I miss a day or two I start getting questions about where the notes are. You see, whether it is my Bride, my 15 - turning 16 in 2 weeks...Holy Cow! -year old, my 12-year old or my 6-year old, they all love and look forward to getting their note. There really is something special about getting a handwritten note. Whose life could you touch with a handwritten note today Friend?

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

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

Kev