Happy New Year

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day! Additionally, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed quality time with your family & friends!

As we are on the eve of New Year's Eve, I simply want to speak to you from the heart and close with a scripture that speaks powerfully to me...perhaps you will find it useful as well.

A few things from the heart:

• Please don't give up on your hopes, goals & dreams. Fight for them! Do whatever you need to do to keep that fire burning, even if it is the tiniest of embers. I can't promise you that this hope, goal or dream will come to pass...I can simply tell you that you will come to the greatness that is within you only when you pursue it.
• Live life to the fullest each and every day. I am not talking about wild and crazy things here...I am talking about being fully present in every situation, every day. Those you are privileged to do life with, and privileged to have you in their life, need you - all of you, all of the time!
• To husbands & Dads - Please be there and try. You don't have to have all of the answers. You don't have to be perfect. You simply have to care and then act...God will take care of the rest.
• Please look for the good in others! It is so very easy to find the bad...let's take the difficult road of finding all of the good despite the bad. And here is a hint, people will in fact rise to the level of our expectations of them.
• Please thoughtfully consider the things that you will pour into your heart, mind & spirit every day. They will in fact shape your thoughts, words & actions. Perhaps if you don't like all that is going on around you it would be best to look in a mirror instead of out a window. 
• Please thoughtfully consider the influence you will have in the lives of others. And let's be clear once again Friends, you will influence every single person you cross paths with on your life journey. Positive or negative, you will influence them. You will find your influence aligns more with what you want it to be if you will determine in your heart, mind & spirit beforehand what you want it to be.
• Fight for, not against! Fight for your Faith! Fight for your spouse! Fight for your children! Fight for your influence! Fight for your hopes, goals & dreams! You might not always feel it however a feeling has nothing to do with choosing to fight for these things. And ultimately, we will achieve what we fight for...think about that for a moment, please. 
• We can get caught up in the "New Years Resolution" thing...I however would like to point out that what we really need to do is make daily resolutions! A quote by Arthur Gordon that changed my life profoundly when I first read it, and has since become a life mantra, says, "Nothing is easier than saying words, nothing is harder than living them day after day. What you decide today and commit to today, you must re-decide and recommit to tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you." 
• And finally I simply want to tell you I believe in you. There might be a ton of dirt & rust that needs to be removed however according to my Bible you were created on purpose for a purpose. That you are fearfully & wonderfully made in God's very own image. That you are worth so much that God sent His one and only Son to die for you. No, I don't necessarily know you or your story however I do know the God who created you and I believe what His word says about you. Yes Friend, I believe in you!

I want to share a scripture with you that has been particularly meaningful to me. Isaiah 41: 10 (AMP) says,

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

I wrote this scripture on a piece of paper and keep it on my desk at work. I can't tell you how many times I have read this scripture...it is hundreds. When moments of stress, worry or fear come, I simply read this scripture and remind myself of God's sweet promises. Without fail I feel a deep abiding peace come over me every single time.

I am really digging this new Amplified Version of the Bible that I recently got. In it Joyce Meyer writes "LIFE POINTS, drawing a straight line between the words of the text and experience of the reader." Here is the Life Point immediately following Isaiah 41: 10:

"If there is something we are supposed to be doing, the Lord will give us the ability to do it. He will not lead us into a situation and then leave us there to face it alone in our own weak, human power. No, because as Isaiah 41: 10 reminds us, He is with us. He is our God; He will harden us to difficulties, help us, and uphold us with His hand of victory."

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.blogspot.com.

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

Kevin

What About You?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn! What an exciting day! It's Christmas Eve eve! Yes, there is such a thing...at least according to a Dude I work with! The excitement is building, I can't wait! My Beautiful Bride shared a picture on Facebook that makes perfect sense to me. It said, "One thing might beat being a kid at Christmas...Being a Dad at Christmas." Yes!!! My poor family...they have to put up with me!

Earlier this week I finished reading Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God by Francis Chan. As I was reading I came across something that made my Spirit move. It said, "What will people say about your life in heaven? Will people speak of God's work and glory through you? And even more important, how will you answer the King when He says, 'What did you do with what I gave you?'"

It's that last part - "What did you do with what I gave you? - that kept, keeps actually, pulling my eyes back to it and my heart forward to act. My hope is the exact same as Erma Bombeck's when she said, "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" This is my hope & prayer for myself and for you. 

When I read my Bible, Jeremiah 1: 5 (AMP) ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations") and Ephesians 2: 10 (AMP) ("For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above - spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]."), it tells me that you & I are not mistakes. You & I were created on purpose, for a purpose, lacking nothing. We have been given the knowledge & wisdom, talents & abilities, temperament to fulfill the purpose He has for our lives. God goes before us, He planned this all...let's just leave that right there.

What are the talents & abilities God has given you? What are you doing with them? Are you maximizing them, pursuing the greatness that God has placed within you? May I please tell you Friends, whatever those talents & abilities are, we all need you to strive to be the best you can be to empower us to be the best we can be. With your God ordained purpose, you are truly irreplaceable. No, the world will not necessarily end if you choose not to pursue your greatness...none of us are that important. We are not God, just soldiers created by Him to carry out His great purposes through us. It will not however become all it could have become had you become all that you were created to become. It will be left, labeled potential, unfulfilled for eternity. Yes, you are that important. After all, He did send His one and only son to die for you...just sayin'.

And let's beat an old drum again; yes, you have disabilities - things you are not able to do - however you also have great abilities - things you were created to do. Some people are so busy arguing and fighting for their disabilities that they never recognize their tremendous abilities, let alone pursue them. Let's not be those people! Let's recognize & be thankful for the talents & abilities we have been given - they are gifts! - and then praise & worship the God who gave them to us by standing before Him one day saying, "I used everything you gave me."

It should be noted that being a loving God, He is not going to make us do anything. He is going to allow us to choose. This brings us full circle back to the question, "how will you answer the King when He say, 'What did you do with what I gave you?"  For me, I commit - a decision I realize I must remake each & every day - to being able to say "I used everything you gave me." What about you?

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families and Merry Christmas!

Kev

The Heisman

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day dawns! It is so awesome...when you get up early you can almost feel the hope, opportunity & promise in each new day as the world wakes up!

Last Saturday, Lamar Jackson from the from the Louisville Cardinals - shout out to my special friends in Louisville! :) - won the Heisman Trophy. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Heisman Trophy, the Heisman Trust Mission Statement says, "The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The winners of the trophy epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work."

This morning I don't want to talk about Lamar Jackson, though he is an absolutely phenomenal athlete & according to a friend an even better person, the process, college football, etc. What I want to talk about is what the gentleman who presented the Heisman on behalf of the Heisman Trust said just before announcing the winner. I tried to confirm who presented the trophy, I am pretty sure it was Mr. Sanford Wurmfeld, and/or exactly what he said. There are so many opinions, views, etc. that pop up when I tried to Google it that I couldn't find the facts...there is a lesson in that by the way.

Anyways, what I want to share is what this gentleman said as he described the trophy. He said something like, in his left arm he clutches what he cherishes most (the football) as he pursues some goal while he has his right arm extended to keep away any threats. It was profound to me. I knew almost immediately that this beautiful description would be this weeks Happy Friday. As I was praying & thinking about it this week I felt this strong conviction in my spirit to not elaborate, to just present it and let y'all do with it what you want, or hopefully, feel convicted in the spirit to do. So here goes:

• What is it that you cherish most, that you are clutching tightly to your chest? (Is it a coincidence that the ball is in the left arm and we most often associate our heart with being on the left side of our chest?)
• What is the goal you are pursuing? (In football the touchdown doesn't count if you reach the goal without taking what you cherish most with you!)
• Is your right arm extended to thwart attacks on what you most cherish? (It should also be noted that he is also looking to the right, anticipating attacks.)
• Will you & I pursue excellence with integrity on our life journeys? (Integrity has been defined as words & actions line up.)

And one more thought; in the Bible Romans 12: 15 says to "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." If you want to see a beautiful picture of what this looks like, please go to YouTube or whatever and watch Lamar Jackson's speech. Seated in the front row to the far right is Jabrill Peppers from Michigan. He has just found out that he lost the Heisman Trophy and yet he has the most joyful, peaceful look on his face as he watches Lamar. He is quite clearly genuinely happy for him. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

The Lights Are On

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day on this beautiful clear, crisp Saturday morning from the Texas Gulf Coast!

This week I want to share two things with you. It is kinda interesting, I know that I am to share both of these things with you however I really only know why I am sharing one of them. I just feel a conviction for the other without the understanding of it's purpose. What I have found is that when these times come I need to get out of the way, let God do His thing and things tend to work out pretty well. So here goes...

1. The last two weeks have been an incredible journey to get the Haslam family Christmas lights & decorations set up. Yes, it took two weeks. There are a combination of factors that led to this crazy long time most notably, our desire to decorate the house in such a fashion that the folks at the International Space Station can see it (sadly, being 3 miles from NASA I heard an astronaut interviewed on the radio the other day and he stated that they cannot see lights from space...Kath & the boys are going to be so devastated!), nearly 10' of rain spread over 5 - 6 days and the fact that I had to do this at night when I got home from work, starting at about 7:00 p.m. and ending usually around 10:00 p.m. . Yes indeed my Friends, it has been an adventure.

So I think it was a total of 6 days, perhaps 7, that we were actually doing stuff. And a ton of things happened from the scary to the funny to the frustrating to the joyful. One little dude was with me every step of the way... until the very end - Landry.

Day 1 was putting lights on the barn garage. Nothing much to report. Having learned from last year, we knew the outlets to use, how to put the clips on the roof, etc. What defined this night was 80 degree temperatures with 80+ % humidity. Nothing like dripping with sweat as you put up Christmas lights. Welcome to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Day 2 was the lights around the lower portion of the house. Landry was amazing and had the lights out and strung together when I got home from work. Seeing things start to come together we struggled with focus however we did manage to get it done.

Day 3, I think it was day 3, I took a few hours of vacation time to try to get some good work done as the rain was coming the following day. It's day 3, I am tired of climbing up and down a ladder...things are starting to get interesting now.

I figured I would get the trees in the front yard wrapped, the inflatables (we have 4) up and the lights in the bushes. How is it that I can't remember things from year to year?!?! Crazy me; I was thinking I would hammer this out in the afternoon and that we would shut it down by 7:00 p.m. or so...you know, enjoy a family night.

So I started wrapping the two pine trees we have in the front yard. When I tell you wrap the trees, I take the strand of lights and wrap them around the trunk about 1/4' apart, go high up high into the tree and then work out on each branch as I come back down the tree. It is really pretty at night...and a complete pain in the rear to get done!! There are several quick snap shot moments of this day I want to share with you:

• It's pretty cool when your 20-year old son comes home from work, brings his lunch out into the front yard and sits and visits with you while you work in the tree.
• It was during the tree wrapping venture that we have to make the first, and actually only...some kind of Haslam family record, "emergency" run to Wal-Mart for more lights. It seems I got caught up in the moment and went higher than usual into the tree. Payton & Landry made the run and got back just as I finished the first tree and was ready to begin the 2nd tree. This is great.
• The "greatness" ended abruptly about 20 minutes later as said 20-year old and 11-year old were playing "Wall Ball" as Dad was up the extension ladder in the pine tree. Have you ever heard a head hit concrete? If so, it is a sound you don't forget. As soon as I heard it I started flying down the ladder. In my mind I looked like one of those firefighters who don't even really use the rungs...they just glide down. In my mind this is what I looked like - I realize reality is much different, just leave me alone! Anyways, I start running towards Landry who is coming towards me with a knot on his forehead that is expanding out by the millisecond. I am looking for blood...there is no gushing blood, just the scrape variety. We are good. We go in, put ice on the head and Landry sits out for 20 minutes. He is bummed he can't help me with the lights. I tell him he can after the 20 minutes of ice. When he comes out we talk about what had happened. He said after crashing into our brickhouse he just wanted to get to me. He said all he was doing was looking at me to see how bad it was. I asked him what I was doing. He said I was just looking at it and that my calm demeanor told him it was o.k. There is a lesson in that...
• Back up in the tree an hour later my Beautiful Bride comes out and says, "You are still in the same spot! I would've thought you moved by now." Let me just suggest, DO NOT say something like this to someone on the 3rd day of putting up lights. The quote, "Never criticize someone making progress, no matter how slow" comes to mind.
• There was a pretty cool moment later in the night where Knot Head, I mean Landry, and I are up on the extension ladders on opposite sides of the tree, passing the lights back and forth as we wrap the tree. We had some neat conversations and he felt so big being high up in the tree.
• I asked Landry to wrap one of the little trees - yes my Friends, we wrap a total of 4 trees - for me. He took his time and wrapped it beautifully. I am reminded that the only way to learn is to do and that those we are privileged to lead will do great things when we allow them to do so.
• We finally got all the trees wrapped, inflatables put up and the bushes wrapped. Did I mention that we have to cover all the plugs with plastic and duct tape? Yes, we live on the Texas Gulf Coast and rain is a certainty. And when water gets to the plugs/outlets the electricity kicks off. Who in the heck wants to put all these lights up and then have no lights on?!?! Everyone disappeared during this most fun task, except Landry. Always the Warrior. Kinda touches your heart when you say, "You can go in eat and get ready for bed" and he says, "I just want to be with you Dad." A lot to learn from him.

Days 4, 5 & 6 were lost to the rain.

Days 7 & 8 were lost to a business trip.

Day 9, oh day 9! I had kinda been dreading this day and yet it is the day that signals the end...or at least should have. This is the day I have to climb up to the top of our 24' extension ladder and hang lights from the top of our 2 story house. Up the ladder, 3 clips, hang the lights, move over about 10' and repeat. This goes on all the way around the house.

One of the really difficult parts is the back part of the house. Because of the garage, I can't use the ladder. This requires me to get on the roof, climb out to the edge, reach out, put on the clips and then string the lights. I am doing this while gravity is attempting to pull me down to the ground. A little stressful...

A couple of pretty cool reflections from this night:

• It was pretty awesome talking to my two oldest Tender Warriors as we strung the lights around the top of the roof. Them feeding the lights to me as I reached out on the edge to put the lights up. We laughed, had serious conversation...pretty awesome.
• It is a really cool experience when you are on the top of an extension ladder and you hear your 3 boys below singing Christmas carols, very proudly and way too loud. I am not sure the neighbors found it quite as neat, especially considering we didn't end that night until 10:30 p.m.
• And guess who stayed outside the entire time, though he couldn't get on the roof? Yes, Landry. He sat out in the backyard and listened for the yell of, "we need more lights!" and then he faithfully brought them to us. I am reminded that we all have jobs to do, some more glorious than others, however all critically important.

The house is finally done! WooHoo! We are so excited we leave all the lights on all night. When I wake up the next morning I see that the lights at the top by the driveway are out...I am not happy. We have blown a fuse on the light strand.

Day 10 - there is not supposed to be a Day 10! - is fixing the blown fuse on the light strand and creating a new power source down the line. This is the only time Landry does not come out to help. The two oldest boys help and we get it done in about an hour.

As I reflect on this Haslam family adventure I am reminded that all of this, life, is about the journey and the people who are on it with us. I want to encourage you that whatever your project/adventure, please take those in your life with you. Enjoy the time with them. There are priceless moments that we will never get back. Let's simply live them fully.

2. The 2nd thing I want to talk about briefly is progress, specifically mine & yours, as we are on our life journey's. My family and I watched a wonderful sermon a couple of weeks ago by Joel Osteen where he preached about taming the tongue. Our little family watched that sermon and talked a lot about it. I am blessed by many things in my family heritage and, as with all families, there are also a couple of curses. One of them is a sharp tongue. The words I speak sometimes do not line up well with my spirit...this is a curse I really want to break.

Is it funny, ironic or just God being God that we watched that sermon before the above mentioned "light adventure" took place?! Anyways, there were plenty of opportunities over those 10 days to have a sharp tongue. This morning I don't want to focus on the moments where the tongue was sharp - yes, there were a few - but rather the moments when I did in fact hold my tongue. Praise God, there were several.

I took it seriously when we watched that sermon and I really do want to break this curse. I have prayed for God to help me, to give me the strength and to break this curse. The first time I realized I held my tongue it was surreal. I realized it and I was like "Whoa! Normally I would say _______ and I didn't." I then thanked God. But almost instantly there was this condemnation that came over me. "No, you didn't say something this time but an hour ago you said__________." I thought a lot about that. How often do we focus on our failures rather than our successes? No, I am not perfect however I am making progress. The Bible tells me I will never achieve perfection however I will keep making progress - provided I seek God and allow Him to lead my life - until the day I go to Heaven. This my Friends is what we need to focus on - God and the good He is working out in our lives. Conviction comes from God and condemnation comes from Satan. If we focus on our progress, spurred by conviction, we are answering to God. If we focus on our failures, spurred by condemnation, we are answering to Satan. I hope & pray that you and I will focus on God, answer 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 help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

Love

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful, soggy, day on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is? Most of us have. It was very profound to me several months back when reading a book - I am sorry, I don't recall which one - and the author stated quite simply our purpose in life is to love God and to love people. Since that time I have heard several pastors say the same thing. Luke 10: 25 - 27 tells us:

"On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 

He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

Go figure!! All this time I was trying to figure out, "Am I supposed to be a football coach?", "Am I supposed to be an athletic administrator?" or "Am I supposed to be a development professional?" I am pretty sure God doesn't care what we do vocationally, He simply wants us to love Him and love the people He has placed in our lives in whatever professional capacities we serve. It was a "Wow!" moment for me, perhaps for you too.

So what does this look like? 1 John 3: 18 tells us this:

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

Ah, I see. Love is a verb. I can tell anyone and everyone that I love them - very simply, not much cost involved. But when we get down in the mud and do life with them, when we really love on them, we are walking this out. This is what we are called to do, to love people - action involved.

Right now I am reading the book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God by Francis Chan. I want to share an excerpt with you, along with a challenge. Francis writes:

"God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love. In our culture, even if a pastor doesn't actually love people, he can still be considered successful as long as he is a gifted speaker, makes his congregation laugh, or prays for "all those poor, suffering people in the world" every Sunday.

But Paul writes that even if "I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2-3 ESV). Wow. Those are strong and unmistakable words. According to God, we are here to love. Not much else really matters.

So God assess our lives based on how we love. But the word love is overused and worn out. What does God mean by love? He tells us, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends...faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 14:4-8, 13 ESV

But even these words have grown tired and overly familiar, haven't they?

I was challenged to do a little exercise with these verses, one that was profoundly convicting. Take the phrase Love is patient and substitute your name for the word love. (For me, "Francis is patient...") Do it for every phrase in the passage.

By the end, don't you feel like a liar? If I am meant to represent what love is, then I often fail to love people well."

So how about it Friends, you up for the challenge? The Haslam family did this last week, promising one another that we would read it each day this past week. I will make it easy for you...here you go (simply write your name in the blanks):

____________  is patient and kind; ____________ does not envy or boast;

____________ is not arrogant or rude. _____________ does not insist on his/her own

way; ________________ is not irritable or resentful; ________________ does not

rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ________________ bears all things,

believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. _________________ never

ends...faith, hope and __________________ abide, these three; but the greatest of these

is _________________.

Challenging? Aspirational? Convicting? Yes, yes & yes!!! That's o.k., we aren't called to be perfect. We are simply called to love God and love people. When we do these things in this order God will take care of the rest. Suddenly, perhaps surprisingly to us, we will find ourselves being patient and kind, not envious or boastful, etc. Please remember Friends, the changing of hearts - yours & mine included - is the work of God, not man. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

Thankful

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as this beautiful new day begins to dawn! I also hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. I was just talking to my Beautiful Bride about this earlier this week. I think it all really hit me about 9 years ago. My little family had just gone through a season of great trial and, as always, God had delivered us in a miraculous way. We were gathered around the Thanksgiving table, surrounded by our extended family, and I was just grateful...so very grateful, for them. Since that time I get all emotional around Thanksgiving thinking about people that God has placed in my life, in awe of how richly He has blessed my life. That is what I want to write about this Friday, the people. I don't mean this list to be an exhaustive one...the list would be impossibly long as my life has truly been blessed beyond measure. Further, every time I think about another season of life there are tons and tons of people that come to mind who God used powerfully to help me, mold me & shape me into the man I am today. I however don't want to let the fear of excluding someone, of hurting someone's feelings, to stop me from recognizing anyone. So here goes...

I am grateful for:
- A God who loved me enough to create me on purpose for a purpose. Who made me in His own image and who has promised to never leave me nor foresake me. It is the belief in Him and his promises that has carried me through so many days of my life.
- Jesus Christ who walked the face of this earth providing the blueprint for how I am to live my life and then died on a cross for my sins & rose again so that I may enter Heaven when my earthly vessel dies. 
- The Holy Spirit which leads, guides & directs my life every day. When He is in control, we are all good. When I am in control...well, that's not good!
- My Beautiful Bride, Kathy. Wow, just wow! God has used you more powerfully than any other person in my life. I have no clue where I would be without you however it would not be good. You inspire me to be a better man, husband, father & leader every single day. I love, value, cherish & adore you with all my heart.
- My son, Payton. Everything changed the day you were born. Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of love, I got it. God used you to help me understand what I am called to be as a man, husband, father & leader...you literally changed my life. You have been, and always will be, my Buckaroo.
- My son, Gehrig...appropriately, my gameday baby. You have a heart & spirit that truly amazes me. You see things in others that nobody else sees. I have learned so much by watching you, by seeing the love, mercy & grace you extend to everyone. Serving others, dealing with difficult situations...you are always there. You are different son - this is a GREAT thing! - and God is using you in profound ways.
- My son, Landry. My great Tender Warrior! I have no idea why you believe in me as much as you do however I hope I grow up to be half the man you think I am! :) You are the perfect picture of a great warrior and at the same time such a tender, loving spirit. I am thankful for each and I pray that you will develop both of them, with God's leading, to the very best of your ability.
- My Mom. You poured so much into my life! When I was a boy you would read daily devotionals to me with me only half listening. You never gave up though...never! It was profound to me Mom when I realized it the other day; I don't like to leave the house without Kath reading to me from Jesus Calling - the book that you loved so much and that ultimately became your ministry in giving it to others - each morning as I eat breakfast. God gave me two great women when he chose you to be my Mom and Kath to be my wife...and you handled that hand-off so beautifully - loving Kath as though she were your own daughter. I miss you every single day and I strive valiantly to honor you by putting a smile on my face, a bounce in my step & making each day a great day.
- My Dad. We were so different however I would not be who I am if you were not who you were. I believe to the depths of my soul that you did the very best you could do and above all else, that is all we can expect from anyone. I am so grateful for the life we created together the last several years - God is so good! - and that I got to see you at complete peace.
- My sister, Tammy, brother-in-law, John, and nephew, Adam, spending this Thanksgiving with us in Texas. It has been such a blessing having you here with us, creating new memories, just being together. This time has been so special and I am so very grateful. I am so thankful to have you - as well as Jake & Michelle - in my life and I love you.
- My brother-in-law, Phil. You are such a critically important part of our family and we love you with all our hearts.
- My father-in-law, Sal, and my mother-in-law, Mary. You gave me the greatest earthly gift anyone could give me when you allowed me the honor & privilege of marrying your daughter. I know no other way of expressing my deep gratitude other than leading, guiding & protecting her with deep love & admiration, with God's leading and to the very best of my ability, every day of my life.
 - The Godly men God has placed in my life - Mark Linder, AJ Taylor, Bobby Dean, Jason Wright, Kevin Minnifield, Jason Stearns, Rob Pickles, Stephen Ponder, Steve Hettinga to name a few. We have leaned on each other, prayed for and with each other. I am grateful for each one of you.
- My college football teammates. They believed in me. Specifically, they thought I was smart way before I thought I was...seriously. They started talking about how smart I was and all the sudden I felt like I had to try really hard in class to be who they thought I was. Because of them a kid who limped into New Mexico Highlands University with a GPA hovering around a 2.0 never got a grade lower than an A- all the way through my Masters Degree. All because some people believed in me.
- George Martinez, Dennis Wagner, Steve Stanard, Mary Beth Kennedy, Pete Chapman, Al Fleumer, Jim Bagnall, Paris Watts, Stephen Ponder, Dave Willis, Margo Wolanin & Betsy Clardy - You all believed in me and gave me an opportunity. 
- My former players. You have no clue how richly you have blessed my life. It was truly an honor & privilege to be your coach. 
- Deb Souza & Joyce McBurney - Your belief in me, and non-stop encouragement, has inspired me to strive to be the leader you think I am every single day. 
- Stephen Ponder - The opportunity you gave me changed everything! I am also so very grateful for that great, pure heart that beats within your chest.
- Dave Kinard & Megan Gormley Edwards - Thank you for believing in me and for encouraging me. "What Will Your Influence Be...?" would not exist if not for the two of you.
- Margo Wolanin - You believe in me. I sure hope I grow up to be all that you think I am! :)
- The countless men & women I have had the honor & privilege to meet through my work as a development officer. I have met great physicians, lawyers, engineers, business leaders, pilots, athletes...it is crazy! Me! How? Why? I decided a long time ago to stop questioning why God has chosen to bless me so richly and simply be fully present in each and every moment...and take a lot of notes!
- The countless men & women I have had the honor & privilege of serving. I am so thankful for the love, mercy & grace you have extended to me...and patience too! Please know that while I am not yet all that I can be, I am a lot more than I used to be and it is due in large part to each one of you and the role you have played in my life.

I need to end this because I could literally sit here and write all day - plus my Beautiful Bride & Tender Warriors are up...and the biscuits & gravy are almost done! :)

Two things I want to end with:
1. It doesn't escape me that so many people I am grateful for are the one's who believe(d) in me. Friends, let's look for the good in people, no matter the amounts of dirt we have to move to find it. We can literally change the trajectory of a life simply by the words we speak into the life of another.

2. I want to encourage you to write out a list of the people you are grateful for - whether it is mental or on a sheet of paper. It changes your perspective on a whole lot of things when you think of reasons to be grateful.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

What's In The Well?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new day is beginning to dawn! We are 6 days from Thanksgiving, we have a full day of college football tomorrow & the #5 team in the country has already gone down (apologies to my Friends in Louisville!)...a blessed life indeed!

Last week I wrote about the things we choose to believe - how we are defined, in who or what we put our faith & hope. This week I want to take the next step, to talk about the things we fill ourselves with - the things we pouring into our well (the heart) for these things will determine what  comes out in our thoughts, words & actions. A few things on the front end to emphasis the importance of what we so often leave to chance or comfort, if we even think about it at all.

"Your beliefs become your thoughts,

Your thoughts become your words,

Your words become your actions,

Your actions become your habits,

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny." - Mahatma Gandhi

You see Friends, it is sequential. If you believe like Gandhi & I do, everything begins with what we choose to believe. I think it is also worth noting that Gandhi said,

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." 

- Mahatma Gandhi

Sadly, his statement is very accurate. And I am pretty sure it is due to the things that get poured down into the well. While the initial belief might be in God, if the things that are poured down into the well are not Godly, it is impossible to think, speak & act in a Godly manner.

I have shared this quote before and I will continue to do so as it resonated with me so deeply when I first heard it:

"What's in the well will always come up in the bucket." - Pastor Ken Whitten

Maybe quotes and thoughts of others don't speak to you. Let me give you this example; do me a favor and go get a glass. Please pour your favorite soft drink in the glass. Now take a nice long drink of water from that glass. What?!?! Quit looking at your computer screen like that! If it doesn't matter what is poured in, take a drink of water out of the glass you just filled with a soft drink. You see, what is poured in is always what comes back out - literally & figuratively!

And let me please offer you some encouragement on the front end. Now that you have a glass filled with a soft drink that you really didn't want - you shouldn't be drinking soft drinks this early in the morning anyways! :) - please go get a glass of water. Please do this over a sink our out in the yard. Now pour the water into the glass filled with the soft drink. Yes it is going to overflow...keep pouring, it will take a while. Keep pouring and pouring until the water has replaced the soft drink (for maximum affect, use a Coke or a Pepsi). Eventually the clear, refreshing water will replace the soft drink. If you have been pouring bad stuff down your well, it is going to take a while for the clear, life giving stuff to fill your well. Don't be discouraged and don't give up! As surely as the water replaced the soft drink, life-giving thoughts, words & actions will spring from your well when you repeatedly fill it with life-giving stuff!

Perhaps words of wisdom and examples aren't your thing...let me give you a couple of scriptures:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." - Proverbs 4: 23

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1: 27

If you aren't convinced now, I give up. Just know this, God never will! :)

So let me ask you Friends, what are you pouring into your well?

1. What are the things you look at and read? Is it positive? Encouraging? Is it based on truth, real truth? Does it make your spirit come alive or does it make you feel bad? Down? Dirty? Does it teach you to love, value & respect everyone - including yourself! - or does it teach you to judge, look down on others, put others down, etc.? What's in the well will always come up in the bucket!

The things we look at and read do affect the heart. We don't need to read everything that is out there and we must diligently guard our hearts as Proverbs teaches. I am not saying that we are blind to what is going on around us...I am saying that we need to thoughtfully weed the seeds that are dropped into the gardens of our heart. And by the way, while I don't need to read the details of someone else's failure, I can pray for them. We can choose to read things that help us grow to the fullness of who we were created to be instead of reading junk about someone else's life that somehow makes me feel better about mine. I can choose to look at and read things that are positive, encouraging & life-giving or I can choose to look at and read things that are negative, depressing & death-producing. The choice is mine, just as it is yours, however we are not free from the consequences of that choice. What's in the well will always come up in the bucket!

2. What are the things you are listening to? Same questions as above apply! Don't want to answer them all simply do this; listen to yourself. What are the words you are speaking? They will be a direct reflection of the things you are listening to.

Words are so very powerful! Have you listened to us?!?! We love to sit around and just pick someone apart! Why?!?! Do we really think it is good to sit around and listen to someone tell us how bad, horrible, pathetic, etc. someone else is? The reality is we are all bad, horrible & pathetic anyways! :) The only thing listening to this stuff does is affect the way we then act towards the person of the attack. We might not even know that person or ever had a negative interaction with them and yet, because of what someone else said - what we listened to - we treat them poorly. What's in the well will always come up in the bucket!

The Bible has a whole lot to say about words. And please remember, communication has two components - speaking & listening...look & listen for both components in each of these scriptures.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." - Proverbs 18: 21

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." - Ephesians 4: 29

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person." - Matthew 15 :18

"But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth." - Colossians 3: 8

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6: 45

Look Friends, all I am saying is your life is way to valuable & precious to fill it with negativity, death & destruction. God created you for so much more and Jesus was crucified so you don't have to live that kind of life. Please thoughtfully, intentionally choose this day - and every day that follows - what will fill your well.

Earlier I shared Proverbs 4: 23 (a Haslam family favorite!) with you. I want to close by sharing verses 24 - 27:

Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or left; keep your foot from evil.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

What's Your Source?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds y'all having a great day on this beautiful Saturday morning!

Most "Happy Friday's" I write from the perspective of ,"what will your influence be on others?" This week I want to come at it from the other side; "what will you allow to be the influences in your life?" More specifically, what are you pouring into your heart? For what you pour into your own heart determines what your words & actions will be and this then determines what your influence will be in the lives of others.

I believe it is only fair that I am upfront with you from the very beginning. I believe in God; that He created everything - including you & me - on purpose for His purpose; that He is completely Holy, without sin; that the punishment for sin is death & complete separation from God; that we, as human beings, are flawed with great sin; that there is nothing you or I can do to save ourselves; that God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins; that by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior we are forgiven of our sins; and that through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior we are able to cross the great chasm that exists from this life to Heaven. You may or may not believe what I believe and I certainly respect your right to believe whatever you choose to believe. I don't think I am better than you and I certainly don't feel I have any right, or reason for that matter, to judge you or to be critical of you, your values or your beliefs. I simply share my beliefs on the front end as they shape the perspective from which what is on my heart this morning will be shared.

Who or what do you allow - “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt - to define you? Is it a person? Is it a career? Is it a gift or ability? If it is any of these things Friends, I want to urge great caution. People are flawed and broken, we all are in some way, to some degree. Careers end and can be taken away in an instant. Gifts & abilities fade and there is always someone a little more gifted or talented. These things, by which so many establish their value, worth & identity, eventually fade. There is however God, who never does. Will you allow Him to define you? Will you dare to dive into the Bible and read what the Word of God says about you? Each one of us will choose someone or something that we allow or use to define us. How are you defined?

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;"

- Psalm 139: 14

"We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you..."

1 Thessalonians 1:4

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

- Luke 12:7

Who or what are you putting your faith & hope in? We are all placing it in someone or something. Either ourselves, another person, a group of people and yes, some even place their faith & hope in God. How about you? This is a critically important question to answer because it will then determine how we view the things that are happening around us. If we are putting our faith & hope in ourselves or other people, we are going to have great stress/anxiety when we or they stumble, lose, struggle, etc. We view this as a threat to our future, to our hope. If however our faith & hope is in God, who never stumbles, loses, struggles, etc., then we know that the victory has already been achieved. In reading the Bible we know that struggles will come, that there will be difficult days however we also know that God has promised to never leave or foresake us, to strengthen us and to uphold us. How about the people we place our faith & hope in? First I must say, they aren't even capable of doing these things. Not that they might not want to, they very well might wish they could. They however are human and incapable of saving you & I...only God can do that. And even if they promised to do these things, they will not be able to do so because they are, well, human - flawed, broken & imperfect, just like you & me. Please, thoughtfully consider in who, in what, you will place your faith & hope.

"Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing." 

- Psalm 146: 3 - 4 (NIV)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

- Isaiah 41:10

"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."

- Jeremiah 29:11

I guess for today I am going to leave it there, respectfully asking you to consider how you are defined and in what you will place your faith & hope. I also want to respectfully encourage you to pick up a Bible and begin reading the New Testament, to read what God's word says about you. Please remember, the things we pour into our hearts & minds - the things we listen to, read & look at - are going to create the quality of water that flows from our well, the heart.

I began this post by telling you the things I believe - Who defines me and in Whom I place my faith & hope. I am going to close by telling you a few things I believe about you. I believe that you are priceless! That you are a unique, one of a kind miracle, created on purpose for a great purpose. I believe that you lack nothing to fulfill your earthly purpose. I believe that I am called to serve you in any way I can. I believe that above all else I am called to love you. Please note these beliefs have nothing to do with your race, religion, sexual orientation, political views, etc.  They have everything to with God and what the Bible tells me about you.

Oh yeah, and one more thing:

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

- Luke 6:37

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can contact me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

The Little Things

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Friday!

This week I want to share a few thoughts/ideas about little things.

1. Earlier this week while listening to the radio, the announcers were talking about the scriptures that tell us to be joyful at all times, to give thanks in all circumstances, etc. If you have ever read 1 Thessalonians 5:16, chances are you have found this scripture challenging, to put it mildly. Most times however what we are doing is thinking of the "big stuff." What about when a child dies? When anything bad happens to someone we deem to be good? The perspective shift the announcers offered was profound to me.

Instead of talking about the "big stuff," they talked about the little things, the minor annoyances that we let blow up and try to make into big stuff. They said for example, instead of getting upset the next time you are stuck in traffic, look at it as an opportunity to spend more time with your kids. Instead of getting upset with someone because of the way they are acting, talking, etc., look at it as an opportunity to show love, mercy & grace. I got it. This made complete sense to me...perhaps to you too.

2. So being all fired up about the "little things" this week, I thought about the things that help us achieve our goals. We all want to win, however "win" is defined in your chosen vocational endeavor. However it is all the little things we do, day in and day out, that create the "win." If we simply focus on the "win" our chances of achieving it are greatly diminished. If however we focus on the little things, the process, that creates the "win," our opportunities for success increase ten-fold. 

3. And to wrap this whole thing up as people, it is the little things in our daily interactions that make the greatest differences. The people in your life don't want the things you can buy them, they simply want you, fully present. Instead of trying to buy peoples love, affection & happiness, what if we did all the little things to daily walk out our love, value & appreciation of them? You see Friends, we chase the big things in our relationships too, when in fact it is the little things, placed one on top of the other, that build the relationships we all want.

I thought I would wrap up this little message with a few quotes/thoughts for us to ponder as 
we learn to see the significance in the little things.

"One word can end a fight; one hug can start a friendship; one smile can bring unity; one person can change your entire life!" - Israelmore Ayivor

"Without water drops, there can be no oceans; without steps, there can be no stairs; without little things, there can be no big things!" - Mehmet Murat ildan

"Do the little things. In the future when you look back, they'd have made the greatest change." - Nike Thaddeus

"Find magic in the little things, and the big things you always expected will start to show up." - Isa Zapata

"Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains." - Marilyn French

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev

Just The Way You Are

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast.

This morning I want to share two things, one a reminder and the other I believe is something we are talking about for the first time. I was inspired to share both of these by things I heard on the radio this week.

J.J. Moses is a former NFL football player who now serves as an Ambassador for the Houston Texans through their Community Programs. He was telling his story. At 5'6" he was not highly regarded as an NFL prospect coming out of Iowa State University. Just the same he continued to work hard in preparation for Iowa State's Pro Day, the day NFL scouts would come to evaluate all of the draft eligible players on Iowa State's team. J.J. performed very well that day. At the end of the day an NFL coach came up to him and said, "Congratulations J.J., today you made it in the NFL." J.J. talked about how after hearing many, many times that he would never make it there was this great moment of clarity that it is not people that decide who we are or what we will be but rather it is God, who created each one of us, who has given us different talents, gifts & abilities who will ultimately decide how, where & when those talents, gifts & abilities will be used.

I want to share a couple of scriptures with you this morning and briefly elaborate on each.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10

You & I Friends are the very workmanship of God. Let that sink in for a moment... You & I are not some random chance occurrence. God created you & I on purpose for a purpose. We lack nothing for the good works He has prepared for us. What if we walked in that truth today?

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4: 10 - 11

I think this is where many of us struggle. There are two key points:
1. God created each one of us on purpose for a purpose as noted above... to bring glory to Him. He didn't do these things so we could be rich, famous, etc. He did these things so we can bring glory to Him. When we are more focused on ourselves than on bringing glory to God, we can become discontent with our talents, gifts & abilities, with the lives we live. 

2. The gifts are given to us to serve one another. It is in serving others that we bring glory to God. We weren't given our talents, gifts & abilities so we could be comfortable, be famous or make a whole lot of money. 

My prayer for each of us is that we will fully embrace who we are, who we were created to become and that we will be fully alive in our purpose. I can't guarantee that you will play in the NFL, that you will be a famous writer or anything else. I can simply guarantee that that if you will purse God with all of your heart, mind & spirit, that if you will strive every day to become all that He created you to become, He will use your life in powerful ways to serve others and that you will have a deep abiding peace in your spirit that goes beyond all understanding.

I also want to share another scripture that moved me greatly when I heard it again this week. It comes from the story of David & Goliath. 

"David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that that Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him." 1 Samuel 17: 45 - 48

I want to specifically highlight two things:

1. As we battle our giants, we all have them, let us remember that the battle is not ours, it is the Lord's. In reality, you & I cannot win these battles in our own strength, just as in his own strength, David could not defeat Goliath. The Lord however can and will, if and when, we seek Him, acknowledge Him and give the battle to Him. This does not mean we sit passively and wait for the Lord to defeat our enemies. Just as David had to pick up the stones and throw the stone, we will have to pick up and hurl our own stones. We must never forget however that the battle is the Lords, not ours.

2. If you are like most of us, you do not run toward your giants, you run from them. More than likely this is because we are trying to fight the giants in our own strength, knowledge, wisdom & courage. When however we remember that the battle is the Lord's, we will have the confidence that David had and we will charge towards our giants. Yes, let that be who we are...Giant chargers!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

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

Kev