Finding Truth at Cookson Hills

Happy Friday Friends!

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

This morning we have a very special guest blogger, Mrs. Megan Gormley Edwards. Megan is a truly remarkable young woman and, she is largely responsible for "What Will Your Influence Be...?" As I shared this crazy passion to pour into others lives - to encourage, empower & equip them to intentionally choose positive influence, both for & through their lives - Megan was one of MY biggest encouragers. As she shared the story of her trip to Cookson Hills it was quite clear she had lived a "Happy Friday." I asked her if she would share her story and, setting aside doubts & fears in an effort to make a difference in others lives, she wrote this absolutely beautiful message. I know y'all are gonna love it! :)

Megan - Wow...just Wow! I am so proud of you! Keep pursuing your greatness Friend...God is, and will continue to, use you in very powerful ways. Thank you so much for sharing your heart. I am very grateful for you & your friendship.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for any of 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

 Halfway through my first mission trip, I received the famous ‘Kevin Haslam text message’.  A positive, encouraging ray of sunshine that is always perfectly timed.  While talking to Kevin afterward and describing my experience in Oklahoma, he challenged me to share my thoughts with all of you…

Last week, myself and five friends traveled from Louisville, Kentucky to Kansas, Oklahoma where Cookson Hills is located.  Cookson Hills is a community that helps troubled kids find a stable environment, therapy to cope with their past, an accepting school that helps get them caught up and eventually graduate, and a Christian home.  We were there to put on a volleyball and basketball camp (two sports I have never played) and left with much more than we came with.  The community is comprised of about 80 kids who get placed there, roughly 60 employees, and 50 buildings including a school, gym, dining hall, grocery store, horse stables, and family homes.

Going into the week, I had no idea what to expect but felt like I was pretty well prepared for a mission trip.  I’ve been going to church, attending weekly bible studies, reading Christian books, letting people merge into my lane during rush hour traffic – essentially I thought I was doing everything I could to be the person I was made to be.  And then I met the staff at Cookson Hills.  Eight different families sold their homes, moved to a very rural community in Oklahoma, and are the house parents to 10 kids that do not legally belong to them (whose ages range from 5-17).  Some of the kids will stay for a year or two and some will stay until they turn 18, so the families are constantly adapting.  It was truly amazing seeing the dynamics of these homes and how accepting and supportive they are of each other.  I wish I could say my sisters and I were that accepting of each other’s differences and flaws when we were growing up!

As we spoke with these parents, they all said this life is something they were called to do and all eight families seem to be thriving amongst the chaos. As someone who hits the snooze button six times in the morning and likes to unwind after a stressful work day with yoga and wine, I couldn’t wrap my head around living in this environment.  Everyone had a different story, different way of living, different daily routine, and these people quit their jobs and chose to live in a house with 10 kids?  They are on duty 24 hours a day and get four days off a month.  The selflessness was overwhelming and I started questioning my cushy life and priorities.  I kept comparing my job to theirs – asking myself how many people am I really impacting on a daily basis.  And since I don’t have current plans to tell my husband we are moving to Cookson Hills, how can I live more like them in Louisville.  Its made me question my daily actions and really think about how I spend my time and money.  It is so easy for me to get wrapped up in the latest and greatest everything (clothes, electronics, cars, vacations) and forget about what actually matters in life.  And on day one of our trip, it hit me dead in the face – people.  People are what matter.  And the people of Cookson Hills know this and don’t seem to forget it.

We had a morning volleyball session with middle schoolers, followed by some manual labor cleaning out storage spaces in their gym, a volleyball session with high school girls, and a basketball session with high school boys.  Having never played either sport except for gym class, I was nervous for what to expect and how I would be judged.  If someone came to my town, put on a camp, and was terrible at the sport – I’d be seriously questioning them.  Thankfully the kids of Cookson Hills are full of grace and I don’t think anyone even noticed the number of layups I missed (6 in one game).  By watching them show up for a camp with six people they have never met and had no idea of what to expect, I was inspired to stop living in so much fear.  Fear of not knowing what to do, fear of not being the best, fear of the embarrassment that will come with a mistake, fear of what others will think.  I can guarantee you that I am the only one who remembered my missed shots.  No one else cares – so I need to stop caring too.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the positivity in these kids and how the vast majority of the 80 kids on campus were so appreciative to be there and thankful for everyone’s help.  I’d like to think I would be able to overcome tragedy and act the same, but I don’t know if I could recover with such poise and confidence in God’s plan as the youth we met.  The Cookson Hills staff who devote their life to giving these kids the opportunity to learn and grow and be truly loved (sometimes for the first time in their life) is something that I wish everyone could see first hand.  They are saving 80 lives at a time and giving them the keys to life.

In between camp sessions, we ate meals in the dining hall with the families where we met the Executive Director, and found he was a kid at Cookson Hills when he was young.  Both him and his twin brother spent their childhood in this community and while one brother is now the Executive Director, the other is on the Board of Directors.  Numerous former Cookson Hills kids have gone on to have successful careers and families and given back to Cookson Hills, including the town doctor who spent years there in his youth and moved back to open a practice in town.  To me, that says everything about what Cookson Hills has been able to provide.

Traveling back to Louisville with our newly braided hair from their expert stylist (14 year old), we were filled with hope and challenged to really live out our truth like the people at Cookson Hills.  What are we really doing every day that is helping other people?  I am not saying we should all take in more kids than a mini van can hold.  And I am not saying we should all move to Oklahoma (no offense to Oklahoma).  I challenge everyone to increase our impact where we live.  Maybe that means volunteering in something you have been wanting to do but haven’t acted on.  Or maybe you already have something you do regularly - could you give another hour to your current commitment?  My promise to you is I will choose a different volunteer project every month to find what I am most passionate about and then stick with it.  And I know I can’t back out of this because Kevin will hold me accountable.  I need that, we all do.

If you have the chance to go on a mission trip, I hope you take it.  I procrastinated for years and used every excuse for not going, but these few days in Oklahoma were some of the best I have ever lived.  And if your travels take you to Cookson Hills, please call me and I’ll meet you there.

Megan Gormley Edwards

Here is more information on Cookson Hills

https://cooksonhills.org/

Do Your Good

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day dawns!

This weeks Happy Friday is going to be short & sweet however it will carry with it a challenge, a plea, to follow through. Earlier this week as I was driving to work listening to the radio, the announcers were talking about all of the strife in our world today, how it can cause fear, how it can seem so overwhelming, etc. They also pointed out that it can seem like nothing that any of us can do really matters, however this is not true. They then encouraged all of their listeners to do their good, whatever it is, wherever they are at. That is my challenge for each of us this week, to do our good wherever we are at.

You know, there is a guide for us. It is found in Romans 12. Here is what is says:

Romans 12 (NIV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e]

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

A few things:

1. I want to respectfully ask you to really read this verse - dare I ask each of us to do so every day for a week?! - and let it speak to your heart.

 

2. I have shared this with you before however it is really a burden on my heart this morning; a Pastor of mine once asked, "What part of the Bible do you believe?" The "Sunday School" answer is all of it; the truth is it is the parts that we actually walk out. We can be really good at picking and choosing which parts of the Bible we will quote, follow, etc. Please realize, the same God that said, "We have different gifts" also said, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone." Please let ALL of this scripture speak to you - fill your mind, heart & spirit with these precious words.

 

And then...

 

3. Do your good where you are at... God will take it from there.

 

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, please do your good & please, cherish your precious families.

 

Kev

What Matters Most

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious Sunday morning dawns on the Texas Gulf Coast!

What a week! My heart is full! I got to spend the past 6 days with my precious family in Destin, Florida on vacation. More specifically I got to:

- Ride 18+ hours total in my truck with my Beautiful Bride & Tender Warriors. The conversations, songs sang and yes, arguments, are priceless.

- Attend a Mobile Bay Bears baseball game - eat "baseball food", talk about who amongst the players on the field we think will make it to the Major Leagues and watch Landry sprint as fast as he could across the outfield, trying to beat all the other kids, because his two older brothers promised him $5 each if he won...he came in 2nd and swears that the kid who came in first took off early! :)

- Go snorkeling, tried to find crabs, tried in vain to catch some little fish in a net, played Frisbee & football in the surf (the Haslam's always end up playing sports!) and watched as Landry proudly drove our boat back into the harbor.

- Go jet skiing - the 2 older boys had their own jet ski's, Kath had one and Landry & I rode together. We saw several dolphins and as my Beautiful Bride putted along on hers, much to everyone's dismay, a sweet little dolphin decided to swim alongside her for a long time - perhaps the empathy of one mother to another.

- Watch my Beautiful Bride check an item off her bucket list as she swam with, got pulled by, hugged & kissed a dolphin. The thought of that special day makes my heart happy all over again...and it was really incredible to watch as 3 boys realized, in actions & words, that the day was not about them...it was about their sweet Mom and something she has always wanted to do.

- Spend a glorious evening on the beach behind The Back Porch restaurant. This was actually Payton's idea and it was simply awesome. The boys played volleyball, swam, played football, played Frisbee, etc., as Kath & I sat on towels, enjoying appetizers & margarita's, talking about life. That night ended too early...

- Spend an incredible day on Crab Island with our special friends, the Moore's. Not only did we got to spend the day with them, we got to meet & spend time with others members of their family. We swam, played volleyball, talked about life, paddle boarded, played on a jungle gym in the ocean and then suddenly, this time ended to soon too...

- Have more incredible meals than one deserves to experience. Yes, the food was amazing but it was such more than that. It was sitting with my Beautiful Bride & Tender Warriors on the upper deck of The Back Porch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, talking. It was sitting with the Moore family, all 16 of us, talking about hopes, dreams, struggles, etc. It was sitting with Kath & the boys at Harbor Docks restaurant, again overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, watching the charter boat come in with all the fish they had caught, watching the fireworks, talking, just enjoying being together...truly incredible.

It was funny; as we packed to head home yesterday I felt great peace in my heart. Yes, I had an incredible time and was so very blessed by each member of my family. Yes, I was very grateful for every incredible experience that we had shared. And at the same time I did not wish for more. I neither wanted to stay longer nor did I want to be home right now. It was at this moment that I caught, and fully understood, contentment.

This week I stayed on top of my daily quiet time - reading, writing notes to my family, putting a quote on Twitter & Facebook every day, etc. A few days I woke up very early, without the alarm clock, feeling refreshed & ready to start my day. On Thursday I came across a quote on Facebook that I want to share with you:

 

"When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want? Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn't they matter most now?" - Max Lucado

Beautiful, and perhaps challenging, isn't it? You see, it wasn't the things that we did - though we are blessed beyond measure & I am extremely grateful for our experiences - that made this vacation so special. It was the invest in each other and in others. It was the countless conversations, the listening, the investment in others, the being fully present that made this vacation so very special. Without realizing it at the time, we were living out this beautiful quote.

This is my challenge for each one of us this week Friends, that we would truly live out this quote. It is so easy for each one of us to get caught up in life, in stuff, however at the end what will matter most is people & our relationships with them. Let's make people - starting with those closest to us and working out from there together - our #1 priority and focus on our relationships with them. While I can't guarantee this will mean you "win the game", get the promotion, get the dream house, etc., I do guarantee that you will experience a peace & contentment that is indescribable. I also guarantee you will never regret pursuing people - and let's not overthink it, I am not talking about the unhealthy stuff here - while the pursuit of careers, money & possessions at the expense of people, is a road filled with regret, disappointment, anger and brokenness - broken lives & broken families.

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 kevn@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, enjoy the rest of your weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev

A Night on The Pier

Happy Friday Friends!

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

This morning is a little tough...the heart is both full & heavy. We are once again faced with the senseless loss of life. Before diving into what I intended to write this Happy Friday about, I wanted to share my post from Facebook this morning. I respectfully ask that you give it some thought and please, pray for all those who have senselessly lost their lives and the families & friends left grieving - regardless of race, religion or occupation. Here is my post:

“Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice. Divide and conquer! We must not let that happen here.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

“Your judgments about another person say more about your own character than the character of the person you’re pointing a finger at.” - Alaric Hutchinson

 

YOUR thoughts, YOUR attitude, YOUR words and YOUR actions matter. Are there evil people? Yes. Are there great people? Absolutely! Anytime we judge and assign labels to any segment of society based on the actions of a few - be it blacks, whites, police, Muslims, Christians, athletes, etc. - we are not only wrong, we are proving our total ignorance. AND, we are placing ourselves on the same level of those we seek to condemn as their despicable actions are born largely out of ignorance. We get to choose today...our thoughts, our attitudes, our words and our actions. Will they be uplifting, encouraging, helpful, breathe life or will they tear down, discouraging, hurtful and breathe death? You will influence those within your circle, for good or bad...there is no indifference.

 

What Will Your Influence Be...?

 

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 

Romans 12:15 (NIV)
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

 

I want to share with you this morning the remarkable, blessed beyond measure, day I had on Wednesday - into Thursday morning - with my youngest Tender Warrior, Landry. I am not sure exactly what the "message" will be in sharing it with you however my heart is incredibly full and I feel compelled to share it here.

 

My three boys and I love to fish. I wish we were better at it however we aren't. A number of times we have gone down to Galveston and fished one of the piers. Inevitably my two older boys grow tired of fishing and want to go home while Landry & I want to keep fishing. After pushing it another hour or so we always leave. Landry & I had talked about, and vowed, that one day we were going to go to that pier and fish all night. With me being on vacation, we determined that Wednesday would be that day.

 

Wednesday morning Landry & I had to get ready for our adventure. Our first stop was to the sporting goods store. With it only being Landry & I, we needed to purchase a drop net - a net you let down over the side of the pier, attached to a long rope, to bring up the larger fish we catch. We might not be good but darn we are optimistic! :) In addition to buying the net we bought two lawn chairs, more fishing tackle and a bigger cooler to hold all of our fish - optimism reigns!

 

We then headed to the grocery store because if you are going to fish all night you need snacks of course. I decided going in that I was going to let Landry get what he wanted with very little interference. It is amazing how good a boys choices can become when given freedom. Yes, we bought the Hot Tamales (for him) and Mike & Ike's (for me) however, he also chose beef jerky & sunflower seeds. I was the one who added the Lemon Drops! :) We were really bummed to not find any Bubble Yum however, we settled for some Hubba Bubba. Loaded with our snacks we went and checked out.

 

We went home and got everything ready. Snack bag packed. Tackle box loaded - appropriately labeled "Scooter 1", as Landry's nickname has always been "Scooter" (nobody recalls how or why this is his nickname) and we affectionately say we are "Scooters." Fishing poles ready to go. After a light lunch it was time to take a nap...we figured this was gonna be key if we were going to stay out fishing until our time on the pier expired at 5:00 a.m. Landry actually, surprisingly, had much more success with his nap than I did with mine.

 

The original plan was we would get to the pier at 10:00 p.m. - we figured the later start would give us the best chance to make it until 5:00 a.m. After waking from our naps we decided we would go at 9:00...or maybe 8:00 p.m. The excitement was rapidly building and we couldn't contain it! At 5:00 p.m. we decided we should go to Steak & Shake, get dinner and then head on down to Galveston.

 

Landry was very determined that I should get the Bacon Lovers hamburger with Cajun fries...he had gone with a friend to Steak & Shake, this is what he had and he just knew I would love it. When we sat down and the waiter came to our table I asked Landry to order for us...and he did like a Boss! :) He was quite proud telling the waiter that we would both have the Bacon Lovers hamburger with Cajun fries. He did allow me to choose my own shake. It was very sweet, at least 5 times during dinner - which we rapidly ate...the excitement of fishing continuing to build - he asked me if I liked my dinner. He wanted to make sure that his Dad really did like what he had recommended...it was very important to him.

 

After dinner we hoped in the truck - did I tell you all I had gotten a truck?!?! - and headed south down I-45...only two more stops to go until we hit the pier. We stopped by Buc-ee's to get ice for our fish we would be putting in the cooler. We were in & out in 5 minutes. We then headed to the Bayou Bait Shop right off exit 1 as we entered Galveston. We grabbed our shrimp bucket and headed in. We got a quart & pint of shrimp (this would prove to be more than needed) as well as a pound of squid. The kind young gentleman who always helps us stated that folks have been catching a lot of sharks between the pier on 61st street and the pier on 91st street - the one we would be going to. The excitement is now palpable as it has been a dream of mine to catch a shark. We pay and head out to the pier.

 

As we drive, shrimp water sloshing all over Landry as he holds the bucket between his feet, we talk about the possibility of catching a shark. We also talk about the fact that if people are catching sharks at the pier on 61st street and at the pier at 91st street that must mean there is a lot of sharks between 61st & 91st street...were people are swimming as we drive by. We decide we won't think, or talk about, that any more.

 

We park and load up our wagon. We owned it Friends! We had our tie downs, wagon and we got all our gear to fit in one trip. Once we have paid to enter the pier I let Landry pick were we will spend the night. I do note that we are walking by a whole lot of spots were others catch fish...he is focused and picks a spot about 3/4's of the way down the pier. He also picks the side we never fish on... At about 7:45 p.m. after getting everything set up, we finally get our lines wet. The sun is still up so we hope to catch some Sheephead fish. They are a beautiful fish & great to eat. They tend to hang out by the pillars on the pier. I kid you not, within 10 minutes of starting we both get our lines hung up...at the exact same time! Augh! We can't get them loose & ultimately have to cut our lines. I am back in my chair resetting up our riggings. We agree that we don't want to fish for Sheephead anymore! :)

 

About 15 minutes later a fish hits my line, and almost immediately, Landry's. I real mine in quickly, a catfish too small to keep, and help Landry with his. His is a beautiful big whiting, a keeper! :) You see y'all, we needed the cooler & ice!

 

The next couple of hours pass. We fish & talk, enjoying a truly beautiful night. At one point Landry says, "Dad, how come you haven't been writing your notes?" Every morning, after reading my Bible & a leadership book, I write my Beautiful Bride & each of the boys a note. It just gives me time to really think about each one of them, about what is going on in their lives and to offer encouragement & support any way I can. Being on vacation, I hadn't written a note in all of 3 days. I explain this to Landry and he says, "Dad, I look forward to those notes." Note to self, love, encouragement & support don't take a vacation and the little things mean so much more than we know.

 

At about 10:45 p.m. I was FaceTiming with Gehrig, my 16-year old. My oldest two boys are playing in a softball league this summer and they had a game that ended at 10:00 p.m. I was getting the run down on how the game had gone. I was holding my phone in my right hand and my fishing pole in the left. Suddenly my pole jerked violently and the line took off hard towards the right. The pole had a very significant bend in it. I tell Gehrig to hold on, I have a fish. I set the phone down in the cup holder and stand up along the edge of the pier. Landry & I are excited...this isn't just any little fish. I begin reeling it in. Right when its head breaches the water Landry yells, "It's a shark!" Now put your visions about Jaws away, this is no Great White. It is a Bonnethead Shark, a member of the Hammerhead Shark family, and it will ultimately measure a little more than 2'. Just the same, it is a shark! The next several minutes are a blur as we get the shark up on the pier, take the hook out of it's mouth...very carefully, show Kath & the boys the shark on FaceTime, etc. By the time it is all said and done we realize we forgot to take a picture. Doh! Landry keeps telling me over & over again how happy he is that I finally caught a shark.

 

Another story I have to share with you is absolutely hilarious. I had caught a couple of whiting in a row and Landry was becoming a little discouraged because he had not caught anything in a while. I told him to rare back and cast his line as far as he could towards the left...to the spot I was catching fish. He reared back and casted as far as he could...You know the expression "hook, line & sinker?" Yeah, we lived it! Landry's line snapped and his whole rigging went flying out into the bay. We both sat there, mouths agape, and then we heard the faint splash as his rigging crashed out into the water. And then we laughed hysterically. He then informs me that we will never cast as far as he can ever again.

 

At some point after Midnight Landry asks if we can move further down the pier. This is no small feet as we have 4 fishing poles, a wagon, two chairs, a cooler, a tackle box, a snack bag & a drop net. After reminding myself that it is about him, not about me, I tell him to choose another spot. In three trips we have everything moved and we are back to fishing.

 

I would guess it was sometime around 1:15 a.m. or so that Landry proclaims we will make it until 5:00 a.m. At this point we have caught a shark, eaten a little of each snack, except the Lemon Drops and caught 7 or 8 keepers...and too many pesky crabs to count! Fast forward to 2:30 a.m. I had casted out and I could tell by the angle that Landry had cast, his line had crossed mine. When we reeled our lines in it was a tangled mess. There was no choice but to cut our lines, save the riggings, re-set up the lines and start over. Landry looked at me and said, "Do you think it is time to go?" We agreed it was.

 

We packed everything up & headed to the truck. As we were walking Landry stated he was starving. I told him I had one more surprise for him if he stayed awake. We got everything loaded up in the truck and headed for home. As we drove we relived all the fun we had, talked about the shark and began the debate about when we would clean the fish. I tell Landry that perhaps this is the beginning of a new tradition. He asks what I mean. I tell him that every year on my vacation we will take one night and go on a fishing trip. He protests, "We are only going to do this once a year?!" At about 3:15 a.m. we pulled into Denny's - what is a night out without a trip to Denny's?!?! We are getting goofy now...we are exhausted. About half way through dinner, or is it breakfast, perhaps just a snack, we agree that the fish will be cleaned after we wake up. We wrap up our meal, get home, take showers and are sound asleep at about 4:15 a.m. A glorious day has ended.

 

There are so many stories, so may memories, I honestly don't know what to say is the point of this Happy Friday. I will simply encourage this; whatever is your pier, whatever is your shark, whatever is your special time with your son or daughter - no matter the age - please pursue it. I promise you, while you may be very tired, you will not regret it.

 

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



It Never Ends...

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as this beautiful new day dawns! It truly makes my heart happy just typing those words. A new day...it represents new hope, new opportunity, new promise! I pray that we will all embrace this day!

Last week my Beautiful Bride shared a quote on Facebook. Here it is:

"We don't grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges." - Joyce Meyer

One of her sweet friends posted a comment, "Do the challenges ever end?" We can all relate to that question can't we? I know I can. We get worn down by the challenges, we get tired and above all else, we just want things to be nice, smooth & easy for a while. I want to share a couple of thoughts about this question this morning.

I don't believe the challenges ever do end, and this is not a bad thing. You see Friends, the problem is not the challenge(s) it is how we perceive the challenge(s). If we viewed our challenges as opportunities as opposed to burdens, we would more easily accept them. If we would accept them, we would face them. If we would face them we would grow in the area of that challenge. And finally, if we would grow in the area that was once a challenge, it would no longer be a challenge, at least to the degree it is currently...we will have grown beyond what was once a challenge.

Let me give you a sweet, simple example. When we were babies we could not move, we did not have the strength. As each day passed we began trying to push ourselves up and eventually we developed the strength to crawl. After we were crawling for a while we began developing the strength to pull ourselves up on things. After doing this for a while we would try to take a step after pulling ourselves up. And then we would take a couple of steps. One day we wobbled a few steps without holding onto anything...we were now walking. Now, you might be saying, "Kevin, that is a silly little example, we can all walk." Perhaps your right, it is silly. However, it is only silly because it is a challenge that most of us have overcome. To the little baby today, the challenge is very real. To those with certain disabilities, it is a challenge that they continue to fight every day.

I don't know what your challenges are, I only know that we all have them. It might be in the area of finances, of relationships...the possibilities are endless. I only know Friends that until we face them we will not grow in that area. Just as we wobbled when we first tried to walk, you can expect some wobbles as you face your challenge(s), however if you will keep pushing & pulling yourself up, eventually you will be able to walk, and then run, in the area of your challenge. This is my hope & prayer for all of us today, that we would face our challenges with hope & optimism, knowing that with each step taken we are growing into the fullness of what we were called & created to become.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that it is critically important to consider where, from whom you get the strength & courage to face your challenges. I have faced many challenges in my life that I know I could not have faced in my own knowledge, wisdom, strength & courage. For me I look to God, to the redeeming life of Jesus Christ and through the daily leading of the Holy Spirit in my life. I believe that God does exist, that He created me on purpose for a purpose and that He will lead, guide & direct my life if I allow Him to do so. This Friends, you will have to decide for yourselves. I am certain of this however, we are all drawing knowledge, wisdom, strength & courage from someplace.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your precious 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, Happy 4th of July and please, cherish you precious families.

Kev