Influence

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day, that you had a great week and that you are looking forward to a wonderful weekend with your family & friends!

This blog, quotes on Facebook & Twitter are all centered around two, what I believe to be, simple truths and one great desire. The truths are 1) all of our lives - the things we think, say, do - are influenced by the things we choose to listen to, read, believe, the people we allow to speak into our lives, etc. and, 2) all of our lives influence - to some degree - every single person that we come into contact with on any given day. The desire, the great burden of my heart, is to reach out and be an intentional, positive influence in any life that chooses to read my blog or the quotes on Facebook & Twitter. Instead of complaining about the negativity that comes at us completely unsolicited on a daily basis, it is my hearts desire to give anyone who wants the choice of reading something positive, something that - if they choose - can potentially transform their life and play one small part in helping them become the best they are capable of becoming, what they were created to become. I truly believe that if one life is helped, encouraged, empowered by this blog, by a quote then all of the work, effort, etc. is completely worth it.

This week I want to drill down on what I consider to be the "2nd Truth" - all of our lives influence, to some degree, every single person that we come into contact with on any given day. I have often asked the question, "someone is influencing your spouse, your children, your friends, your co-workers. Is it you?" The answer to that question is yes...a resounding yes. Whether you are fully present, fully absent or somewhere in between, everything you and I say or don't say, do or don't do, is influencing our spouses, our children, our friends, our co-workers, any and every person we cross paths with. Does that cause you to pause for a moment? I believe it should cause us all to pause for a moment, to recognize the significance of our lives, the influence our lives have on other lives and to thoughtfully consider what that influence will be.

For the better part of the last month I have been reading Joyce Meyer's book "Change Your Words Change Your Life: Understanding the Power of Every Word You Speak" and I can tell you it has had a profound affect on me. It - along with asking the Lord to convict my spirit when I don't speak words that are pleasing to Him - have really made me aware of the words I am speaking as well as recognizing the impact of words...even little, mindless, thoughtless words. By the way, the little quip, the thoughtless comments are often the one's that do the greatest damage. What are the words we are speaking to our wives, our husbands, our significant others? Do they breathe life into their lives? Into our relationships?Do they give them hope? Do they encourage them? Are the words based on truth or on our pride? Are we fighting for our marriages, our relationships or are we fighting our marriages, our relationships? What is our influence? Do the words I speak to my Beautiful Bride lift her up? Do they encourage her? Do they come into agreement with what God says and who God says she is? My heart is truly heavy as I think about how different this world might be if we really just slowed down, really thought about the words we speak to our spouses/significant others.

And how about the words we speak to our precious children? How many goals, dreams, hopes have been broken by a careless word from a tired, broken, weary parent? Children are such a great blessing! When they are young they wake up every day excited for the adventures that are ahead of them that day. They don't necessarily know what they are going to do that day but they are excited for it. It's new, it's fresh, it holds great hope, opportunity and promise. And then, as time goes on, this wears away for many of them. Slowly. Sadly. Maybe you are sitting there reading this thinking, "that's not my kid. My kid is not excited for each day." I humbly, respectfully say to you, "what is your influence?" If these precious gifts, who take all of their cues from us as parents, are not excited about life, if they are not pursuing goals, if they do not have dreams, if they are negative, angry and frustrated...what are your words? Do your words encourage them in their goals - not yours or mine, theirs?! Do you encourage them to pursue their dreams? Are the words you speak negative, angry and frustrated or are they positive, joyful and hopeful?

What about our actions? I can say the right things however is there integrity between what I say and what I actually do? I can tell my Beautiful Bride I love her, I value her, I cherish her and I adore her but are my actions matching my words. Love sacrifices. Value & cherish protects. Adore honors. Are these my actions - sacrificing, protecting & honoring? I pray they are and I pray that God will lead me every day, that He will lead my family through me every day so these are in fact my actions. I know in my own power and strength I am puny...in Him I am strong. What about you Friends? What are your actions towards your spouses/significant others?

How about our actions with our kids? We can tell them to pursue their goals and dreams... are we showing them by pursuing ours? We can tell them that they are special, unique and that there life has purpose? Do our actions support these words? Are we there for them? Sometimes to say or do nothing...just to be there? Are we making time for what is important to them? Over and over again kids tell us that what they want is to be with us. That's it! There is no grand expectation of some event...they just want us and they want us to be present, fully.

Bottom line; your life is influencing other lives...every single one you touch every day. Please thoughtfully consider your influence beginning first with the most important people in your life - whether you realize it yet or not - your spouse/significant other and children.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your precious 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.

Kev