Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day on this beautiful Friday evening from the Texas Gulf Coast. Additionally, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.
You wanna know how awesome my last week has been? I woke up this morning and did not realize it was Friday!!! What?!?! I have been to a bowl game, a movie, to Dave & Busters, had a bonfire...just wonderfully blessed times with my family. I committed to being fully present and have done so. And I about had a heart attack this morning when I realized it was Friday!!! Got the lights down, played a football game with my boys - I am now affectionately known as the "Flying Walrus", a date with my Beautiful Bride and now here I am! :)
Having just passed Christmas and now going into the new year I just want to offer two, simple, quotes.
This first quote I shared on Twitter on Christmas Day.
"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" - Bob Hope
Why do we have to wait? I think we all know the answer... we don't. The bigger question perhaps is, "Will we actually do it?" Think about it; the calendar turns to December 1st and all the sudden we start thinking of ways to love on and bless others. What if we lived our lives that way every day?! Can you imagine?! I want to challenge you to join me in living this out every day...to love on and bless others. It really is just an attitude of our hearts which reflects the condition of our hearts. I don't think when Jesus was born the idea was that we would live this out on one highly commercialized day of the year. I am pretty sure He did not die on a cross for that one day either. The wonder, joy and excitement of Christmas does not have to only exist one day or season of the year...it can exist in our lives every day of the year if we choose to let it do so.
The second quote I came across a couple of days ago on Facebook.
"What will the new year bring us? 365 Opportunities." - Unknown
There it is. You and I have 365 opportunities before us in this new year. It is completely up to each one of us as to what we will do with them. I hope and pray we will choose to be intentional, to be positive, to choose faith over fear, to choose hope over despair, to pursue the greatness that is within each one of us and to never ever, ever quit! Regardless, I recognize that I must choose each and every day to seize the opportunity that is before me, to win the day. I just wanted to make sure you know you have this same wonderful choice to make! :)
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, a Happy New Year, and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
Friday, December 28, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
It's About Relationships
Happy Friday Friends!!!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday morning! :)
As we enter this magical season of Christmas, as we are scrambling to get "perfect" presents, as we are rushing off to different places, and working tirelessly to bake, decorate, etc., I want to remind us all of something we know...it's all about relationships! It's not about about the presents, the places we go, the cookies or the decorations, it is about the people we are blessed to do this life with.
I want to look at this from a couple of different perspectives...
The first perspective is the perspective of religion. Perhaps the greatest, most impactful sermon series I ever heard was titled, "It is against my relationship to have a religion." Religion, the legalism of men, has caused a lot of hurt, pain, death, and it has turned a lot of people away from God and Jesus Christ. Let me speak this truth to you Friends; there isn't a set of rules that must be followed, there are not specific things you have to do, to one day go to Heaven. And there is nothing that you can do to make God love you more, or less. Jesus was very clear; accept Him as your Lord and personal Savior. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life and have a relationship with Him. It isn't about what you and I can or cannot do; it is what Jesus Christ did for you and I when He was crucified. It is love, mercy and grace...we simply have to accept it. And the only thing Jesus wants from you and I in return is a relationship with us. To seek Him continually, to talk to Him, to share your your thoughts, hopes, goals, dreams, worries and fears with Him and to let Him lead, guide and direct your life. It's not hocus pocus, it is not hard to understand. As with any relationship, we simply need to spend time with those we want to know and understand. You are enough, you have nothing to prove, you have nothing to earn, you don't have to speak special words...you just need to be you and seek a relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray that we will all walk in the freedom of these truths.
The second perspective I want to discuss is the people we will, or could, spend this Christmas with. I wonder what our lives, and this world, would look like if we focused on our relationships with others and not so much on the presents, food, busyness, posts, etc. If we genuinely poured ourselves into others, without selfish motives, and simply focused on having a relationship with them. Enjoyed them for who they are and allowed them to see who we really are...the good, the bad, and the ugly - we all have some of each! :) What would this life be like if we all truly lived that way? If we truly valued every person for who they are, without trying to tell them who they should be, what they should do, etc. This is what matters most...people and the relationships we have with them. Chances are you are agreeing with me, perhaps even shaking your head yes as you read these words. The question is, will we live like we really know it?!
And someone is sitting there right now saying, "But you don't know my situation. You don't know how hard it is to be around them, let alone like them." You are right, I don't know YOUR situation. I can only testify to mine. I know physical & emotional abuse. I know rejection. I know having nothing ever being enough. I know the deep, soul searing pain of a boy that just wanted to be enough for his Dad to love him. And through years of prayer, Bible study and promptings of the Holy Spirit, I learned that God doesn't hold me accountable for how other people act or respond, He only asks me to do what I know in my heart is right. This led a young man to pick up the phone after more than 7 years of zero communication and ask his Dad to go to breakfast. This also led a young man to understand that forgiveness of the fathers sins, though not asked for, was one of the greatest gifts the son ever received. And finally, the son learned that he could love the father to the best of his ability, have great peace in his spirit about, regardless of how the father responded. I want to encourage you to really think about it Friend. It is not about the other person, it is about you and what God has called and created you to do. I found, for me, when I removed my expectations of my Dads responses from the equation, I was free to be and do what God called and created me to do. Perhaps this year you can receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas, true freedom.
And about that "perfect" present? It is your presence. This is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Put down the phone, don't worry about the next thing that has to happen. Be fully present in each and every moment. Enjoy the people you are with, the moments you are living. This is the perfect present...one that will be cherished to the depths of your soul for the rest of your earthly life. Merry Christmas Sweet Friends!
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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday morning! :)
As we enter this magical season of Christmas, as we are scrambling to get "perfect" presents, as we are rushing off to different places, and working tirelessly to bake, decorate, etc., I want to remind us all of something we know...it's all about relationships! It's not about about the presents, the places we go, the cookies or the decorations, it is about the people we are blessed to do this life with.
I want to look at this from a couple of different perspectives...
The first perspective is the perspective of religion. Perhaps the greatest, most impactful sermon series I ever heard was titled, "It is against my relationship to have a religion." Religion, the legalism of men, has caused a lot of hurt, pain, death, and it has turned a lot of people away from God and Jesus Christ. Let me speak this truth to you Friends; there isn't a set of rules that must be followed, there are not specific things you have to do, to one day go to Heaven. And there is nothing that you can do to make God love you more, or less. Jesus was very clear; accept Him as your Lord and personal Savior. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life and have a relationship with Him. It isn't about what you and I can or cannot do; it is what Jesus Christ did for you and I when He was crucified. It is love, mercy and grace...we simply have to accept it. And the only thing Jesus wants from you and I in return is a relationship with us. To seek Him continually, to talk to Him, to share your your thoughts, hopes, goals, dreams, worries and fears with Him and to let Him lead, guide and direct your life. It's not hocus pocus, it is not hard to understand. As with any relationship, we simply need to spend time with those we want to know and understand. You are enough, you have nothing to prove, you have nothing to earn, you don't have to speak special words...you just need to be you and seek a relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray that we will all walk in the freedom of these truths.
The second perspective I want to discuss is the people we will, or could, spend this Christmas with. I wonder what our lives, and this world, would look like if we focused on our relationships with others and not so much on the presents, food, busyness, posts, etc. If we genuinely poured ourselves into others, without selfish motives, and simply focused on having a relationship with them. Enjoyed them for who they are and allowed them to see who we really are...the good, the bad, and the ugly - we all have some of each! :) What would this life be like if we all truly lived that way? If we truly valued every person for who they are, without trying to tell them who they should be, what they should do, etc. This is what matters most...people and the relationships we have with them. Chances are you are agreeing with me, perhaps even shaking your head yes as you read these words. The question is, will we live like we really know it?!
And someone is sitting there right now saying, "But you don't know my situation. You don't know how hard it is to be around them, let alone like them." You are right, I don't know YOUR situation. I can only testify to mine. I know physical & emotional abuse. I know rejection. I know having nothing ever being enough. I know the deep, soul searing pain of a boy that just wanted to be enough for his Dad to love him. And through years of prayer, Bible study and promptings of the Holy Spirit, I learned that God doesn't hold me accountable for how other people act or respond, He only asks me to do what I know in my heart is right. This led a young man to pick up the phone after more than 7 years of zero communication and ask his Dad to go to breakfast. This also led a young man to understand that forgiveness of the fathers sins, though not asked for, was one of the greatest gifts the son ever received. And finally, the son learned that he could love the father to the best of his ability, have great peace in his spirit about, regardless of how the father responded. I want to encourage you to really think about it Friend. It is not about the other person, it is about you and what God has called and created you to do. I found, for me, when I removed my expectations of my Dads responses from the equation, I was free to be and do what God called and created me to do. Perhaps this year you can receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas, true freedom.
And about that "perfect" present? It is your presence. This is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Put down the phone, don't worry about the next thing that has to happen. Be fully present in each and every moment. Enjoy the people you are with, the moments you are living. This is the perfect present...one that will be cherished to the depths of your soul for the rest of your earthly life. Merry Christmas Sweet Friends!
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
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Show Up & Learn to Ride Your Bike
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Saturday afternoon on the Texas Gulf Coast! :) A little late with my Happy Friday this week...
I want to share just a couple of thoughts/ideas with you. Both have been at the forefront of my mind this week and I thought perhaps they would be useful for you too! :)
Show up, just show up. Do you feel like doing the things you need to do every day? Most of us don't. Show up. Do you feel like pouring into your spouse/partner/kids every day? Most of us don't. Show up. Do you feel like helping others all the time? Most of us don't. Show up. Do you always feel like reaching out to someone who is sick or who has just lost a loved one? Most of us don't. Show up. Life is not about how we feel, life is about showing up. Show up, be fully present, and be the best version of yourself that you can be in that moment. We spend way to much time paying attention to our feelings, justifying our failure to do the things we know we should be doing based on the way we feel at the moment, and far too little time showing up and doing the best we can in the moment. Let's be different. Let's show up. Let's honor every commitment, duty and responsibility. Let's be there when we are needed, and even if we are not. Let's show up and simply be the best versions of ourselves. This Friends, will move the world.
Now, you might laugh at me on this second one...that's o.k., I laugh at myself all the time! :) Earlier this week I had a failing moment. And then I saw the most beautiful quote that spoke to the depths of my soul. The quote said, "You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike." I can't tell you how much that silly little quote means to me. I bet you I have repeated to myself hundreds of times over the last few days and it immediately shifts my perspective. Crazy, after all these years of beating myself up over failing moments and this little quote finally made it all click for me.
You make a mistake/do the wrong thing as a wife, husband, mother or father? You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike. You make a mistake/do the wrong thing at your job? You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike. You make a mistake/do the wrong thing in pursing your life purpose? You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike. I don't know about you Sweet Friends, but for me, repeating those eleven words reminds me that I don't have to be perfect, I am learning. I am learning how to be a Godly man. I am learning how to be a husband. I am learning how to be a Dad. I am learning how to be a friend. I am learning how to be a leader. I am learning... I didn't fail, I am learning how to ride my bike. And Dear Friends, the same is true of you! :)
Please don't hesitate to contact me 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, enjoy the rest of your weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Saturday afternoon on the Texas Gulf Coast! :) A little late with my Happy Friday this week...
I want to share just a couple of thoughts/ideas with you. Both have been at the forefront of my mind this week and I thought perhaps they would be useful for you too! :)
Show up, just show up. Do you feel like doing the things you need to do every day? Most of us don't. Show up. Do you feel like pouring into your spouse/partner/kids every day? Most of us don't. Show up. Do you feel like helping others all the time? Most of us don't. Show up. Do you always feel like reaching out to someone who is sick or who has just lost a loved one? Most of us don't. Show up. Life is not about how we feel, life is about showing up. Show up, be fully present, and be the best version of yourself that you can be in that moment. We spend way to much time paying attention to our feelings, justifying our failure to do the things we know we should be doing based on the way we feel at the moment, and far too little time showing up and doing the best we can in the moment. Let's be different. Let's show up. Let's honor every commitment, duty and responsibility. Let's be there when we are needed, and even if we are not. Let's show up and simply be the best versions of ourselves. This Friends, will move the world.
Now, you might laugh at me on this second one...that's o.k., I laugh at myself all the time! :) Earlier this week I had a failing moment. And then I saw the most beautiful quote that spoke to the depths of my soul. The quote said, "You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike." I can't tell you how much that silly little quote means to me. I bet you I have repeated to myself hundreds of times over the last few days and it immediately shifts my perspective. Crazy, after all these years of beating myself up over failing moments and this little quote finally made it all click for me.
You make a mistake/do the wrong thing as a wife, husband, mother or father? You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike. You make a mistake/do the wrong thing at your job? You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike. You make a mistake/do the wrong thing in pursing your life purpose? You didn't fail, you are learning how to ride your bike. I don't know about you Sweet Friends, but for me, repeating those eleven words reminds me that I don't have to be perfect, I am learning. I am learning how to be a Godly man. I am learning how to be a husband. I am learning how to be a Dad. I am learning how to be a friend. I am learning how to be a leader. I am learning... I didn't fail, I am learning how to ride my bike. And Dear Friends, the same is true of you! :)
Please don't hesitate to contact me 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, enjoy the rest of your weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
Friday, December 7, 2018
We Choose
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful new opportunity that is beginning to dawn! :)
This morning I want to put some more tools in our toolboxes to help us build the masterpiece we are each creating - the life we live! Just as a hammer does not drive a nail by itself, the thoughts and ideas that I will share are useless unless the carpenters - that us!!! :) - utilize them for the purposes they were intended. You and I get to choose Sweet Friends...we WILL choose! :)
I want to start off by sharing an excerpt from an article that appeared in an IndyStar article on December 5, 2018. The article is titled, Tyler Trent: Here's why I'm grateful this holiday season. Tyler, who last night won the Disney Spirit Award at the College Football Awards, is a twenty-year old sophomore at Purdue University. He is currently undergoing bone cancer treatment. 2 1/2 months ago, his doctors gave him 3 months to live. Here is a part of what Tyler had to say:
"Though I am in hospice care and have to wake up every morning knowing that the day might be my last, I still have a choice to make: to make that day the best it can be. To make the most of whomever comes to visit, texts, tweets or calls me.
Yet, isn't that a choice we all have every day? After all, nobody knows the amount of days we have left. Some could say we are all in hospice to a certain degree.
So why don't we act like it? Where is your gratitude? With Christmas coming, what are you thankful for? I had to write my will recently, and I'm just thankful I can give my family Christmas presents, maybe even for one last time. Let's not forget that my doctors gave me three months to live almost two-and-a-half months ago. So why can't we live grateful lives? Why can't we make every day count like it's the last?"
Wow!!! Anyone else feel like they have been hit right between the eyes with a 2 x 4!!! Unbelievable...
Three things really jumped out at me:
1. "...a choice to make: to make that day the best it can be." We might not be in the circumstances or situations we want - I am fairly certain that if he could choose, Tyler would not choose this...come to think of it, didn't Jesus pray for His situation to change? - however we still get to choose to make the day the best it can be. Wow!!!
2. "To make the most of whomever comes to visit, texts, tweets or calls me." I haven't ever thought of it that way, have you? To make the most of whomever is right there, in the moment. What if we approached the calls, visits, texts, etc. from our spouses, children, friends or as Tyler says, "whomever," like that? To "make the most of them." What a different world we would live in!
3. "Some could say we are all in hospice to a certain degree." Never thought of it but he is exactly right! Each one of us is a day closer to our last on this earth. Maybe we are not in an actual hospice facility or on home hospice but in reality, we are all in hospice. If you look up the definition of hospice it says, "a home providing care for the sick or terminally ill." I think that kinda describes us all - sick or terminally ill. We know that none of our earthly bodies will live forever and we also know that we do not know which day or hour will be our last. As Tyler said, "So why don't we act like it?"
The toolbox is getting full this morning! One more thing I feel convicted to share this morning. Last Sunday my Beautiful Bride and I were watching a sermon online. The Pastor had a guest on stage who is blind. They were talking about his "disability" - I put that in quotes because we are ALL disabled in something, to some degree...we just don't all realize it!!! :) - and how he feels about it. People feel sorry for him, say "awww" when they hear he is blind, etc. The thing is, this gentleman does not see it as a curse but rather a blessing. He knows he is blind and needs to rely on the Lord while many of us with physical sight are completely blind and have no clue! Let that sink in for a moment Sweet Friends! Every last one of us is "sick," "broken," and in hospice care...in some way, to some degree or another. And yet each and every day we get to choose to rely on the Lord and seek true sight, to make each day the best it can be and to make the most of whomever is before us! :)
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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful new opportunity that is beginning to dawn! :)
This morning I want to put some more tools in our toolboxes to help us build the masterpiece we are each creating - the life we live! Just as a hammer does not drive a nail by itself, the thoughts and ideas that I will share are useless unless the carpenters - that us!!! :) - utilize them for the purposes they were intended. You and I get to choose Sweet Friends...we WILL choose! :)
I want to start off by sharing an excerpt from an article that appeared in an IndyStar article on December 5, 2018. The article is titled, Tyler Trent: Here's why I'm grateful this holiday season. Tyler, who last night won the Disney Spirit Award at the College Football Awards, is a twenty-year old sophomore at Purdue University. He is currently undergoing bone cancer treatment. 2 1/2 months ago, his doctors gave him 3 months to live. Here is a part of what Tyler had to say:
"Though I am in hospice care and have to wake up every morning knowing that the day might be my last, I still have a choice to make: to make that day the best it can be. To make the most of whomever comes to visit, texts, tweets or calls me.
Yet, isn't that a choice we all have every day? After all, nobody knows the amount of days we have left. Some could say we are all in hospice to a certain degree.
So why don't we act like it? Where is your gratitude? With Christmas coming, what are you thankful for? I had to write my will recently, and I'm just thankful I can give my family Christmas presents, maybe even for one last time. Let's not forget that my doctors gave me three months to live almost two-and-a-half months ago. So why can't we live grateful lives? Why can't we make every day count like it's the last?"
Wow!!! Anyone else feel like they have been hit right between the eyes with a 2 x 4!!! Unbelievable...
Three things really jumped out at me:
1. "...a choice to make: to make that day the best it can be." We might not be in the circumstances or situations we want - I am fairly certain that if he could choose, Tyler would not choose this...come to think of it, didn't Jesus pray for His situation to change? - however we still get to choose to make the day the best it can be. Wow!!!
2. "To make the most of whomever comes to visit, texts, tweets or calls me." I haven't ever thought of it that way, have you? To make the most of whomever is right there, in the moment. What if we approached the calls, visits, texts, etc. from our spouses, children, friends or as Tyler says, "whomever," like that? To "make the most of them." What a different world we would live in!
3. "Some could say we are all in hospice to a certain degree." Never thought of it but he is exactly right! Each one of us is a day closer to our last on this earth. Maybe we are not in an actual hospice facility or on home hospice but in reality, we are all in hospice. If you look up the definition of hospice it says, "a home providing care for the sick or terminally ill." I think that kinda describes us all - sick or terminally ill. We know that none of our earthly bodies will live forever and we also know that we do not know which day or hour will be our last. As Tyler said, "So why don't we act like it?"
The toolbox is getting full this morning! One more thing I feel convicted to share this morning. Last Sunday my Beautiful Bride and I were watching a sermon online. The Pastor had a guest on stage who is blind. They were talking about his "disability" - I put that in quotes because we are ALL disabled in something, to some degree...we just don't all realize it!!! :) - and how he feels about it. People feel sorry for him, say "awww" when they hear he is blind, etc. The thing is, this gentleman does not see it as a curse but rather a blessing. He knows he is blind and needs to rely on the Lord while many of us with physical sight are completely blind and have no clue! Let that sink in for a moment Sweet Friends! Every last one of us is "sick," "broken," and in hospice care...in some way, to some degree or another. And yet each and every day we get to choose to rely on the Lord and seek true sight, to make each day the best it can be and to make the most of whomever is before us! :)
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
Friday, November 30, 2018
Doubt
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! It's gonna be a great day...I feel it!
This morning I am going to give us some tools for our tool box, the tool box of life. Perhaps more accurately, I am going to provide you with some information. You, and I, must then decide what we are going to do with the information we have.
You ever have doubt? Question if you are good enough? Question if it is all really going to be o.k.? Question if you really have a purpose? Question God? Yeah, me too. For years I would get caught in the vicious cycle of faith->doubt->beating myself up over having doubted
->faith->doubt->beating myself up over having doubted, and on and on. And there was also a good measure of fear thrown in amongst the doubt! :) So before diving into this Happy Friday let's get one thing perfectly clear; doubt does not mean you lack faith, don't believe in God, are not a "good" Christian - what is that anyways?!?! - or any of the other lies that Satan would have you believe. It took me hearing many pastors talk about this to truly understand it. Doubt, when acted upon properly...that is the key, will actually purify our faith, strengthen our faith, reaffirm our belief in God, and actually help us become all we were created to become. So, if you have doubt know that you are not alone and that it doesn't mean you lack faith. Let's not beat ourselves up. Let's not cower down in the corner. Let's fight with our faith! You and I are more than conquerors! Let's do some learning and get ready for the battles that are surely to come! :)
I am reading a book by Mark Batterson titled, Play The Man: Becoming The Man God Created You To Be. I want to share several excerpts from Chapter 4 which is titled, The Three-Headed Dragon.
"The Dragon of Doubt breathes fire, but we have the shield of faith. We don't live by logic; we operate by faith. We don't play the victim; we are more than conquerors. We defeat this dragon by not listening to his lies. How do we tune him out? By making sure the Holy Spirit is the loudest voice in our lives."
"The enemy disguises his packages and uses different formations, but if we study the film carefully, we will discover that his first trick play is planting seeds of doubt."
"The Dragon of Doubt plants seeds of doubt, getting us to second-guess what God has said. He's a liar, but most of those lies aren't bold-faced lies. He's too crafty, to cowardly. Most of his lies are half-truths. And Adam is exhibit A. The enemy exaggerated the restrictions God had placed on Adam. The enemy fooled Adam into thinking his playground was actually a prison. And he'll do the same thing with our marriages, our jobs, and our churches too!"
"Doubt is buying into the enemy's lies, believing them to be truth. And if we choose to believe the lie, we're not just buying a bill of goods; we're also calling God a liar!"
"When we reverse engineer the first temptation, it's rather obvious that the enemy is trying to get Adam to doubt the goodness of God. That's the chink in the armor. If we doubt His goodness, then we doubt His love, His power, and His grace."
"Jesus encountered the Dragon of Doubt during His forty-day fast in the wilderness. He defended Himself by dropping truth bombs on the devil. Scripture is a double-edged sword. If you want to win the duel with doubt, you have to wield your sword every single day."
"Now, let me zoom in on this seed of doubt the enemy planted in Adam. 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden.' That isn't what God said, is it? It was only one tree that was off-limits! So what the enemy tries to do is make obedience seem harder than it really is. He tries to make it seem impossible, unreasonable."
"Resisting temptation isn't easy, that's for sure. And I'll be the first to admit I've lost many battles with pride, lust, greed, and anger. But it's a winnable war. The problem is that most of us feel defeated before the battle even begins. Why? Because we can't imagine winning every battle, ever day. After all, who bats a thousand?"
"All you have to do is focus on winning the day! Quit worrying about tomorrow. Don't focus on next week, next month, or next year. Win the day. Leverage today's victory tomorrow. Minimized the losing streaks by not letting bad days turn into bad weeks, bad months, or bad years. Then string some wins together. Before you know it, the momentum will shift and you'll be playing offense again."
Subtle little lies. The first play in the playbook of the devil. But the thing is Sweet Friend, we now know. When doubt creeps in we can wield the sword of truth. We can search scripture to see if the doubt lines up with what God says. We fight doubt with faith, bolstered by the Word of God. And by the way, the day I read the above I was filled with doubt that night. It hit me like a tsunami. It almost made me laugh...the attack. It was predictable. Standing on the truth of God's word I prayed in faith and got a great night of sleep! :)
I also want to share several scriptures about doubt.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." - Proverbs 3: 5 - 8
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." - James 1: 6
"And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen." - Matthew 21: 21
"Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'" - Matthew 14: 31
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41: 10
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1: 7
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11: 1
"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" - Psalm 27: 13 - 14
Do you see it Friends? Trust, faith, fear, hope...these are all choices! Will the feelings of doubt, of fear come? Absolutely! We will feel these things. This does not, however make them truth. It is in these moments, the moments of doubt and fear, that we must choose, we will choose. We can feed the doubt and fear and sure enough it will grow. Or, we can choose to trust, to have faith and to hope! And which ever we choose will determine the life we live.
I also want to share a few quotes I found this week as I studied doubt.
"Faith is a choice, not a feeling. It means choosing to trust God even when life doesn't seem to make sense." - Dave Willis
"Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose!" - Bob Proctor
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." - William Shakespeare
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." - Rosalynn Carter
"Doubts in your mind are a much greater roadblock to success than obstacles on the journey." - Orrin Woodward
"Many were the steps taken in doubt, that saw their shapeless ends in no time. Those who travail in faith today will triumph in joy tomorrow. Let faith lead the way." - Israelmore Ayivor
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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! It's gonna be a great day...I feel it!
This morning I am going to give us some tools for our tool box, the tool box of life. Perhaps more accurately, I am going to provide you with some information. You, and I, must then decide what we are going to do with the information we have.
You ever have doubt? Question if you are good enough? Question if it is all really going to be o.k.? Question if you really have a purpose? Question God? Yeah, me too. For years I would get caught in the vicious cycle of faith->doubt->beating myself up over having doubted
->faith->doubt->beating myself up over having doubted, and on and on. And there was also a good measure of fear thrown in amongst the doubt! :) So before diving into this Happy Friday let's get one thing perfectly clear; doubt does not mean you lack faith, don't believe in God, are not a "good" Christian - what is that anyways?!?! - or any of the other lies that Satan would have you believe. It took me hearing many pastors talk about this to truly understand it. Doubt, when acted upon properly...that is the key, will actually purify our faith, strengthen our faith, reaffirm our belief in God, and actually help us become all we were created to become. So, if you have doubt know that you are not alone and that it doesn't mean you lack faith. Let's not beat ourselves up. Let's not cower down in the corner. Let's fight with our faith! You and I are more than conquerors! Let's do some learning and get ready for the battles that are surely to come! :)
I am reading a book by Mark Batterson titled, Play The Man: Becoming The Man God Created You To Be. I want to share several excerpts from Chapter 4 which is titled, The Three-Headed Dragon.
"The Dragon of Doubt breathes fire, but we have the shield of faith. We don't live by logic; we operate by faith. We don't play the victim; we are more than conquerors. We defeat this dragon by not listening to his lies. How do we tune him out? By making sure the Holy Spirit is the loudest voice in our lives."
"The enemy disguises his packages and uses different formations, but if we study the film carefully, we will discover that his first trick play is planting seeds of doubt."
"The Dragon of Doubt plants seeds of doubt, getting us to second-guess what God has said. He's a liar, but most of those lies aren't bold-faced lies. He's too crafty, to cowardly. Most of his lies are half-truths. And Adam is exhibit A. The enemy exaggerated the restrictions God had placed on Adam. The enemy fooled Adam into thinking his playground was actually a prison. And he'll do the same thing with our marriages, our jobs, and our churches too!"
"Doubt is buying into the enemy's lies, believing them to be truth. And if we choose to believe the lie, we're not just buying a bill of goods; we're also calling God a liar!"
"When we reverse engineer the first temptation, it's rather obvious that the enemy is trying to get Adam to doubt the goodness of God. That's the chink in the armor. If we doubt His goodness, then we doubt His love, His power, and His grace."
"Jesus encountered the Dragon of Doubt during His forty-day fast in the wilderness. He defended Himself by dropping truth bombs on the devil. Scripture is a double-edged sword. If you want to win the duel with doubt, you have to wield your sword every single day."
"Now, let me zoom in on this seed of doubt the enemy planted in Adam. 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden.' That isn't what God said, is it? It was only one tree that was off-limits! So what the enemy tries to do is make obedience seem harder than it really is. He tries to make it seem impossible, unreasonable."
"Resisting temptation isn't easy, that's for sure. And I'll be the first to admit I've lost many battles with pride, lust, greed, and anger. But it's a winnable war. The problem is that most of us feel defeated before the battle even begins. Why? Because we can't imagine winning every battle, ever day. After all, who bats a thousand?"
"All you have to do is focus on winning the day! Quit worrying about tomorrow. Don't focus on next week, next month, or next year. Win the day. Leverage today's victory tomorrow. Minimized the losing streaks by not letting bad days turn into bad weeks, bad months, or bad years. Then string some wins together. Before you know it, the momentum will shift and you'll be playing offense again."
Subtle little lies. The first play in the playbook of the devil. But the thing is Sweet Friend, we now know. When doubt creeps in we can wield the sword of truth. We can search scripture to see if the doubt lines up with what God says. We fight doubt with faith, bolstered by the Word of God. And by the way, the day I read the above I was filled with doubt that night. It hit me like a tsunami. It almost made me laugh...the attack. It was predictable. Standing on the truth of God's word I prayed in faith and got a great night of sleep! :)
I also want to share several scriptures about doubt.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." - Proverbs 3: 5 - 8
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." - James 1: 6
"And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen." - Matthew 21: 21
"Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'" - Matthew 14: 31
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41: 10
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1: 7
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11: 1
"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" - Psalm 27: 13 - 14
Do you see it Friends? Trust, faith, fear, hope...these are all choices! Will the feelings of doubt, of fear come? Absolutely! We will feel these things. This does not, however make them truth. It is in these moments, the moments of doubt and fear, that we must choose, we will choose. We can feed the doubt and fear and sure enough it will grow. Or, we can choose to trust, to have faith and to hope! And which ever we choose will determine the life we live.
I also want to share a few quotes I found this week as I studied doubt.
"Faith is a choice, not a feeling. It means choosing to trust God even when life doesn't seem to make sense." - Dave Willis
"Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose!" - Bob Proctor
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." - William Shakespeare
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." - Rosalynn Carter
"Doubts in your mind are a much greater roadblock to success than obstacles on the journey." - Orrin Woodward
"Many were the steps taken in doubt, that saw their shapeless ends in no time. Those who travail in faith today will triumph in joy tomorrow. Let faith lead the way." - Israelmore Ayivor
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
Friday, November 23, 2018
What Will You Be Known For?
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins! I also sincerely hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This weeks "Happy Friday" is going to be short and sweet. Hopefully a thought provoking message that you, and I, will choose to act upon every day of our lives.
What will you be known for? At the end of your life, when your family and friends gather to remember the life you have lived, what will you be known for? The Pastor posed this question at the beginning of the sermon last week and I have thought often about that question throughout this past week.
When the question is asked, it has nothing to do with status or some accomplishment. It's not about starting some great business, making a lot of money or setting some record. Those very well might be things you do, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with striving for them, however your status and accomplishments do not define who you are, nor do your failures and setbacks. It is much bigger than any of those things!
Many people struggle or question when reading in Acts 13:22 that God made David King because he was "a man after my own heart." A man after God's own heart? The murderer? The adulterer? David? Agapebiblestudy.com says it well, "When David sinned, he always repented and returned to God. He completely committed himself to the will of God." So while David killed the lion and bear, while he conquered Jerusalem, while he defeated Goliath and yes, while he committed murder and adultery, what he is known for is being a man after God's own heart.
David's life kinda sounds like, well, life doesn't it? God has a plan and purpose for his life. He goes from tremendous successes to tremendous failures and back and forth. He wants to do good and tries to do good and yet, he continually finds ways to stumble and fall. Before we get all judgmental this morning, perhaps we should look in the mirror! :) I pray that whoever and wherever you are this morning you will find encouragement in the life David lived. If a man who committed murder and adultery can be known for being a man after God's own heart, don't you think God has mercy, grace, and a purpose for your life as well? Be encouraged Friends, be encouraged! :)
So, I am going to put myself out there this morning. As I have thought and prayed about what I want to be known for this week I have come to two things:
1. I want to be known as a man of great faith. I don't want to be defined by my circumstances, my reactions to them, my successes or my failures, but by my faith in God, by my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, and the continual leading of the Holy Spirit within me. I could tell you all of the times I have failed, of where I feel I fall terribly short in these areas or I can believe that my faith is being worked out until the day the Lord returns, as the Bible tells me. I can follow the example of David and every time I sin I can repent and return to God, just as the Bible tells me to do. Yes, I, or more accurately God, has a lot of work to do however I fully intend to continue to pursue God and my faith every day of my life. First and foremost, I pray that I will be known as a man of great faith.
2. I want to be known as a man that genuinely cared about others. I believe to the depths of my soul that God placed my on this earth to encourage, empower, and equip others to become the best they are capable of becoming. I pray that God will give me the knowledge, wisdom, strength and courage to fulfill this purpose in the life of every person I am blessed to cross paths with. I pray that I will not see with earthly eyes but spiritual eyes that allow me to see the greatness and goodness in every person. That I will truly seek to serve and to not be served. That I will always be willing to help anyone and everyone in need that I can. If my epitaph is "Kevin was a great man of faith who genuinely cared about everyone" I will consider this to have been a life well lived, and incredibly blessed! :)
This morning, Dear Friends, I want to encourage you to seriously think and pray about what you want to be known for. It is critically important that we determine who or what we want to be or we will wonder aimlessly. None of us can hit a target or goal that we don't know, that we have not defined. Don't worry about how far you are from something, how daunting or impossible it may seem...if you feel a conviction in your spirit go for it! Regardless, whether you heed my advice or not, you WILL be known for something. What will you be known for?
And then, once you have determined who or what you will be known for, start working this out in your life every day. It hit me as profound when I typed it earlier - "the life you have lived." It's that last word, "lived." Successes/failures, good days/bad days, happy/sad, etc. It's life! But are we really living it?! Are we really striving for the greatness that God has placed in us? Are we really seeking God? Are we really striving to do His will? Or are we simply saying I would like to be or do this or that without putting any intentionality to it? Are we alive?! I want to live, each and every day, to the fullest! Goals or purposes with no action are as useless as no goals and no purposes! We were not created to be useless! We were created to live, for His glory and to serve others! Oh Dear Friends, I pray that each and every one of us will be fully alive!
Ultimately, all of this, what we will be known for, whether or not we will truly live this life, etc., is purely up to each and every one of us to decide. Nobody can tell anyone else who or what they should be. We must all choose...we will choose. And the consequences of those choices do have eternal consequences.
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 cherish your precious families, and Go Coogs!
Kev
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins! I also sincerely hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This weeks "Happy Friday" is going to be short and sweet. Hopefully a thought provoking message that you, and I, will choose to act upon every day of our lives.
What will you be known for? At the end of your life, when your family and friends gather to remember the life you have lived, what will you be known for? The Pastor posed this question at the beginning of the sermon last week and I have thought often about that question throughout this past week.
When the question is asked, it has nothing to do with status or some accomplishment. It's not about starting some great business, making a lot of money or setting some record. Those very well might be things you do, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with striving for them, however your status and accomplishments do not define who you are, nor do your failures and setbacks. It is much bigger than any of those things!
Many people struggle or question when reading in Acts 13:22 that God made David King because he was "a man after my own heart." A man after God's own heart? The murderer? The adulterer? David? Agapebiblestudy.com says it well, "When David sinned, he always repented and returned to God. He completely committed himself to the will of God." So while David killed the lion and bear, while he conquered Jerusalem, while he defeated Goliath and yes, while he committed murder and adultery, what he is known for is being a man after God's own heart.
David's life kinda sounds like, well, life doesn't it? God has a plan and purpose for his life. He goes from tremendous successes to tremendous failures and back and forth. He wants to do good and tries to do good and yet, he continually finds ways to stumble and fall. Before we get all judgmental this morning, perhaps we should look in the mirror! :) I pray that whoever and wherever you are this morning you will find encouragement in the life David lived. If a man who committed murder and adultery can be known for being a man after God's own heart, don't you think God has mercy, grace, and a purpose for your life as well? Be encouraged Friends, be encouraged! :)
So, I am going to put myself out there this morning. As I have thought and prayed about what I want to be known for this week I have come to two things:
1. I want to be known as a man of great faith. I don't want to be defined by my circumstances, my reactions to them, my successes or my failures, but by my faith in God, by my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, and the continual leading of the Holy Spirit within me. I could tell you all of the times I have failed, of where I feel I fall terribly short in these areas or I can believe that my faith is being worked out until the day the Lord returns, as the Bible tells me. I can follow the example of David and every time I sin I can repent and return to God, just as the Bible tells me to do. Yes, I, or more accurately God, has a lot of work to do however I fully intend to continue to pursue God and my faith every day of my life. First and foremost, I pray that I will be known as a man of great faith.
2. I want to be known as a man that genuinely cared about others. I believe to the depths of my soul that God placed my on this earth to encourage, empower, and equip others to become the best they are capable of becoming. I pray that God will give me the knowledge, wisdom, strength and courage to fulfill this purpose in the life of every person I am blessed to cross paths with. I pray that I will not see with earthly eyes but spiritual eyes that allow me to see the greatness and goodness in every person. That I will truly seek to serve and to not be served. That I will always be willing to help anyone and everyone in need that I can. If my epitaph is "Kevin was a great man of faith who genuinely cared about everyone" I will consider this to have been a life well lived, and incredibly blessed! :)
This morning, Dear Friends, I want to encourage you to seriously think and pray about what you want to be known for. It is critically important that we determine who or what we want to be or we will wonder aimlessly. None of us can hit a target or goal that we don't know, that we have not defined. Don't worry about how far you are from something, how daunting or impossible it may seem...if you feel a conviction in your spirit go for it! Regardless, whether you heed my advice or not, you WILL be known for something. What will you be known for?
And then, once you have determined who or what you will be known for, start working this out in your life every day. It hit me as profound when I typed it earlier - "the life you have lived." It's that last word, "lived." Successes/failures, good days/bad days, happy/sad, etc. It's life! But are we really living it?! Are we really striving for the greatness that God has placed in us? Are we really seeking God? Are we really striving to do His will? Or are we simply saying I would like to be or do this or that without putting any intentionality to it? Are we alive?! I want to live, each and every day, to the fullest! Goals or purposes with no action are as useless as no goals and no purposes! We were not created to be useless! We were created to live, for His glory and to serve others! Oh Dear Friends, I pray that each and every one of us will be fully alive!
Ultimately, all of this, what we will be known for, whether or not we will truly live this life, etc., is purely up to each and every one of us to decide. Nobody can tell anyone else who or what they should be. We must all choose...we will choose. And the consequences of those choices do have eternal consequences.
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 cherish your precious families, and Go Coogs!
Kev
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Above All Else...
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast!
Before diving into this weeks Happy Friday I would respectfully like to ask you all to be praying for those impacted by the fires in California. The devastation, the loss, is unimaginable. Thank you.
What a past 72 hours it has been! Thursday night was Senior Night for the University of Houston Football, it was the last home game of the 2018 season. With this, Payton ran out onto the field for the last time. My Beautiful Bride, my other two Tender Warriors and I were out on the field waiting for him, along with the other families of our seniors. While very emotional, I did not experience a feeling of sadness. I felt a sense of great gratitude - to God, to Payton's coaches & teammates - and an unexplainable admiration for a young man who cherished a dream in his heart since he was a little boy, who had the courage to pursue it and who gave fully of himself to attain it! His example has preached a powerful sermon to me and for this I am so very grateful!
The other part of all that is we got home a little after midnight Thursday night/Friday morning so Happy Friday did not happen yesterday morning. So here I am now!!! :)
Last week during the sermon I watched, the Pastor made a passing comment about guarding our hearts. While it was only briefly mentioned it hit me, well, right in the heart. I have thought about "guarding our hearts" several times during the week. This week I want to talk about guarding our hearts, and give us some tools to do just that.
Proverbs 4:23 tells us, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Please think about that for a moment. Why do some people look at things positively while others seem to only see the negative? Above all else, guard your heart... Why are some people always joyful, regardless of the circumstances, and others are often discouraged and crushed by circumstances? Above all else, guard your heart... Why are some people always willing to help and others seem to almost run away when their help is needed? Above all else, guard your heart... Why do some people fearlessly pursue the goals & dreams of their hearts while others are afraid to live? Above all else, guard your heart...
Faithgateway.com posted on August 3, 2018 a brief lesson that captures it beautifully.
"Have you ever said something and wondered where that comment came from? Or maybe an idea crossed your mind that you wouldn't tell your best friend about - and exactly where did that come from? Or maybe you did something completely out of character and ask yourself, What was I thinking? We read in Proverbs that everything - our words, our thoughts, our choices, our decisions, our priorities - comes from our hearts. When a heart is full of God's love, beautiful words and ideas flow from it. Are you paying attention to your heart? The wise writer of Proverbs warned us to guard our hearts. We need to protect our hearts against bitterness, impatience, and greed, against jealousy, idolatry, and anger. These traits will overtake our hearts if we let them."
Before sharing a few tools to actually guard our hearts, I feel compelled to also share 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
That lines up completely with society, right? Hardly! We are so concerned with status, likes, etc. that we give very little thought to the heart of the person. And we wonder why things happen the way they happen, why there is so much evil in the world. Perhaps if we became more concerned with the spiritual condition of our hearts and less concerned with our status, this world would become a little better place.
Instead of simply saying, "Guard your heart" and wrapping this thing up, I wanted to give us some practical tools in how to do so. Mike Mobley wrote an article, which I found at beforethecross.com, titled, "7 Ways to Guard Your Heart." I am going to share some excerpts here and I would encourage you to go to beforethecross.com and read the full article. As for the excerpts:
"Vigilance is defined as the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger and difficulties. That's exactly what God calls us to do with our hearts. We are to pay extra attention to our hearts and watch them closely. There will be dangers and difficulties we will for sure face in this life, and we should be ready."
"The springs of life...where someone does all thinking, feeling, and choosing doesn't come into our hearts from external circumstances, but rather flows out of our hearts through the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day, what you do reveals your heart."
"Here are 7 ways to guard your heart:
1. Protect Everything That Comes In
We need to use to use wisdom in what we allow into our hearts. We only have a limited
time each day to make much of God, so what are we being influenced by, listening to, or
looking at?
2. Persevere In The Face Of Difficulties
There will be times that you don't feel the Lord's presence or feel like He is listening to
your prayers. Persevere! Trust that He is always completing a good work in you. Believe
that the Lord will prevail, in all things. As you persevere, you will continue to grow in
Godliness and your heart will be strong.
3. Follow What The Lord Is Leading You To Do
What is God asking you to do? What do you desire and just can't stop thinking about?
How do you want to serve the Lord with that desire? Chances are, that's the thing God is
calling you to do. Trust Him and go for it! The longer you quench that desire, the more
strain you are putting on your heart.
4. Cultivate An Atmosphere Of Community
Your heart needs people constantly pouring into you, and you need to be pouring into
people. There's a constant flow coming in and out as you love and serve others. People
need to hear about Jesus and you need to grow in the Lord with your family that you'll
be with for all eternity.
5. Keep Priorities High And Do Not Compromise
Yes, we love and serve one another, but not to the extent of compromising the priorities
and values the Lord has given us. Once you make a little compromise here or there, you
begin to add toxicity to your heart. The good news is that if you keep them, you heart will
grow in wisdom.
6. Trust The Lord With Rest
Whether you need to start observing the Sabbath, or just need to take a deep breath and
let the Lord do the work instead of you, be encouraged to trust Jesus and rest. Let your
heart rest. The yoke is easy...the burden is light.
7. Preach The Gospel To Yourself Each Day
This last one sums up everything above and couldn't be more important. The Gospel
isn't just a "one time" thing and a ticket to heaven, but something we all need each and
every day...really every minute. The second we take our eyes off of the cross we forget who
we really are. Our hearts need to be reminded that while we still sin, we are forgiven,
redeemed, and are children of God!"
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for your 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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast!
Before diving into this weeks Happy Friday I would respectfully like to ask you all to be praying for those impacted by the fires in California. The devastation, the loss, is unimaginable. Thank you.
What a past 72 hours it has been! Thursday night was Senior Night for the University of Houston Football, it was the last home game of the 2018 season. With this, Payton ran out onto the field for the last time. My Beautiful Bride, my other two Tender Warriors and I were out on the field waiting for him, along with the other families of our seniors. While very emotional, I did not experience a feeling of sadness. I felt a sense of great gratitude - to God, to Payton's coaches & teammates - and an unexplainable admiration for a young man who cherished a dream in his heart since he was a little boy, who had the courage to pursue it and who gave fully of himself to attain it! His example has preached a powerful sermon to me and for this I am so very grateful!
The other part of all that is we got home a little after midnight Thursday night/Friday morning so Happy Friday did not happen yesterday morning. So here I am now!!! :)
Last week during the sermon I watched, the Pastor made a passing comment about guarding our hearts. While it was only briefly mentioned it hit me, well, right in the heart. I have thought about "guarding our hearts" several times during the week. This week I want to talk about guarding our hearts, and give us some tools to do just that.
Proverbs 4:23 tells us, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Please think about that for a moment. Why do some people look at things positively while others seem to only see the negative? Above all else, guard your heart... Why are some people always joyful, regardless of the circumstances, and others are often discouraged and crushed by circumstances? Above all else, guard your heart... Why are some people always willing to help and others seem to almost run away when their help is needed? Above all else, guard your heart... Why do some people fearlessly pursue the goals & dreams of their hearts while others are afraid to live? Above all else, guard your heart...
Faithgateway.com posted on August 3, 2018 a brief lesson that captures it beautifully.
"Have you ever said something and wondered where that comment came from? Or maybe an idea crossed your mind that you wouldn't tell your best friend about - and exactly where did that come from? Or maybe you did something completely out of character and ask yourself, What was I thinking? We read in Proverbs that everything - our words, our thoughts, our choices, our decisions, our priorities - comes from our hearts. When a heart is full of God's love, beautiful words and ideas flow from it. Are you paying attention to your heart? The wise writer of Proverbs warned us to guard our hearts. We need to protect our hearts against bitterness, impatience, and greed, against jealousy, idolatry, and anger. These traits will overtake our hearts if we let them."
Before sharing a few tools to actually guard our hearts, I feel compelled to also share 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
That lines up completely with society, right? Hardly! We are so concerned with status, likes, etc. that we give very little thought to the heart of the person. And we wonder why things happen the way they happen, why there is so much evil in the world. Perhaps if we became more concerned with the spiritual condition of our hearts and less concerned with our status, this world would become a little better place.
Instead of simply saying, "Guard your heart" and wrapping this thing up, I wanted to give us some practical tools in how to do so. Mike Mobley wrote an article, which I found at beforethecross.com, titled, "7 Ways to Guard Your Heart." I am going to share some excerpts here and I would encourage you to go to beforethecross.com and read the full article. As for the excerpts:
"Vigilance is defined as the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger and difficulties. That's exactly what God calls us to do with our hearts. We are to pay extra attention to our hearts and watch them closely. There will be dangers and difficulties we will for sure face in this life, and we should be ready."
"The springs of life...where someone does all thinking, feeling, and choosing doesn't come into our hearts from external circumstances, but rather flows out of our hearts through the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day, what you do reveals your heart."
"Here are 7 ways to guard your heart:
1. Protect Everything That Comes In
We need to use to use wisdom in what we allow into our hearts. We only have a limited
time each day to make much of God, so what are we being influenced by, listening to, or
looking at?
2. Persevere In The Face Of Difficulties
There will be times that you don't feel the Lord's presence or feel like He is listening to
your prayers. Persevere! Trust that He is always completing a good work in you. Believe
that the Lord will prevail, in all things. As you persevere, you will continue to grow in
Godliness and your heart will be strong.
3. Follow What The Lord Is Leading You To Do
What is God asking you to do? What do you desire and just can't stop thinking about?
How do you want to serve the Lord with that desire? Chances are, that's the thing God is
calling you to do. Trust Him and go for it! The longer you quench that desire, the more
strain you are putting on your heart.
4. Cultivate An Atmosphere Of Community
Your heart needs people constantly pouring into you, and you need to be pouring into
people. There's a constant flow coming in and out as you love and serve others. People
need to hear about Jesus and you need to grow in the Lord with your family that you'll
be with for all eternity.
5. Keep Priorities High And Do Not Compromise
Yes, we love and serve one another, but not to the extent of compromising the priorities
and values the Lord has given us. Once you make a little compromise here or there, you
begin to add toxicity to your heart. The good news is that if you keep them, you heart will
grow in wisdom.
6. Trust The Lord With Rest
Whether you need to start observing the Sabbath, or just need to take a deep breath and
let the Lord do the work instead of you, be encouraged to trust Jesus and rest. Let your
heart rest. The yoke is easy...the burden is light.
7. Preach The Gospel To Yourself Each Day
This last one sums up everything above and couldn't be more important. The Gospel
isn't just a "one time" thing and a ticket to heaven, but something we all need each and
every day...really every minute. The second we take our eyes off of the cross we forget who
we really are. Our hearts need to be reminded that while we still sin, we are forgiven,
redeemed, and are children of God!"
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for your 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
Friday, November 9, 2018
The Space
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious, soggy, Friday begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! :)
This week I want to share a couple of thoughts/challenges with you. A few weeks ago my sweet sister, Tammy, sent me a text encouraging me to listen to the sermon that the Pastor at her church had preached. I did listen to that sermon, and the next one! This Happy Friday is based on that 2nd sermon.
The Pastor is Waylon Sears, and he is the Lead Pastor at Victory Worship Center in Tucson, AZ. He is currently preaching a sermon series titled, King Me: Lessons From The Rise, Fall and Triumph Of A King. The sermon I am referring to is titled, "King of Encouragement." You can find listen to the sermons at vwcaz.org.
Pastor Waylon started off the sermon speaking about the fact that we all face discouragement and get discouraged. That is a part of life, a part of being human. As Pastor Waylon noted, all of us are either in a storm, coming out of a storm or getting ready to go through one...it's just a part of the honor & privilege of being on this journey called life. The question is not whether or not the storms of nature and/or life will come; the question is what will we do with them?
Pastor Waylon threw out a statement that I thought was profound - not really sure where it fits in all of this so I will put it here...the luxury of being the one writing Happy Friday!!! :) He said, "If we focus on our circumstances, we will become fearful." So the question is, where will you get your encouragement? Or, what will encourage you? Discouragement strikes us all. Some look for encouragement in people - flawed just like you and me, alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. Sadly, these paths often lead to death and destruction of spirit, mind, body and/or family. But there is another option for us. Let me briefly share a part of 3 separate translations of 1 Samuel 30:6:
- "but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." (KJV)
- "but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." (ESV)
- "but David found strength in the Lord his God." (NLT)
So the question Sweet Friends, is how are YOU, and I, encouraging, strengthening and finding our strength? It is a choice we have to make, will make, and the consequences of those choices do, in fact, have eternal consequences.
The second part that I want to share with you this morning is what Pastor Waylon referred to as "the space." The space is that season of time between when we feel we have heard God tell us something, we feel a conviction of something in our Spirit and the season when that hope or dream that was planted in our hearts comes to fruition. Ever been there? You know in your heart of hearts that you are supposed to do something, you step out in faith according to this conviction and then...crickets! Nothing seems to be happening. You start questioning yourself and, perhaps, God. You get mad, angry, frustrated. Ever been there? I know I have.
And then Pastor Waylon gave a perfect, beautiful illustration. Would you go out today, plant an apple seed and then go out tomorrow and pull lush apples from a fully matured tree? Would you expect to do so? Of course not! That would be foolish. So why do we expect the seeds planted within the deepest recesses of our hearts to bear fruit instantly. As Pastor Waylon said, it is easy to understand in terms of agriculture, very hard to walk out in life.
Just as the seed planted in the ground has to be watered, fertilized and nurtured to grow to become all it was created to become, so do you and I. The things we are going through after we have the seed planted in our hearts are the water and fertilizer we need to grow to become all that we were created to become. For days, weeks, months, and even years, it can seem like nothing is happening and yet the seed buried in the heart is germinating...if only we will allow it to do so.
And, Pastor Waylon made another great point; have you ever noticed whether you plant grass in your yard or put in rocks, weeds always grow. Always! Why?! You don't have to plant and nurture them, they just show up! Just like we have to pull weeds from our yards - at least those of us who want our yards to look nice do!!! :) - we have to pull the weeds that try to crowd the harvest of our hearts. The weeds of the heart are discouragement, worry, regret, fear, and the like. While you don't have to intentionally plant them, they will show up. If we don't get rid of them, they will choke out the beautiful seed that has been planted.
So, the 2nd question/challenge, is what are you doing with the space? Are you growing and maturing so you can be the fruitful tree that you were created to be? Are you growing your faith, or your fears? Absolutely not easy; absolutely essential to produce your beautiful fruit!
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your precious 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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious, soggy, Friday begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! :)
This week I want to share a couple of thoughts/challenges with you. A few weeks ago my sweet sister, Tammy, sent me a text encouraging me to listen to the sermon that the Pastor at her church had preached. I did listen to that sermon, and the next one! This Happy Friday is based on that 2nd sermon.
The Pastor is Waylon Sears, and he is the Lead Pastor at Victory Worship Center in Tucson, AZ. He is currently preaching a sermon series titled, King Me: Lessons From The Rise, Fall and Triumph Of A King. The sermon I am referring to is titled, "King of Encouragement." You can find listen to the sermons at vwcaz.org.
Pastor Waylon started off the sermon speaking about the fact that we all face discouragement and get discouraged. That is a part of life, a part of being human. As Pastor Waylon noted, all of us are either in a storm, coming out of a storm or getting ready to go through one...it's just a part of the honor & privilege of being on this journey called life. The question is not whether or not the storms of nature and/or life will come; the question is what will we do with them?
Pastor Waylon threw out a statement that I thought was profound - not really sure where it fits in all of this so I will put it here...the luxury of being the one writing Happy Friday!!! :) He said, "If we focus on our circumstances, we will become fearful." So the question is, where will you get your encouragement? Or, what will encourage you? Discouragement strikes us all. Some look for encouragement in people - flawed just like you and me, alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. Sadly, these paths often lead to death and destruction of spirit, mind, body and/or family. But there is another option for us. Let me briefly share a part of 3 separate translations of 1 Samuel 30:6:
- "but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." (KJV)
- "but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." (ESV)
- "but David found strength in the Lord his God." (NLT)
So the question Sweet Friends, is how are YOU, and I, encouraging, strengthening and finding our strength? It is a choice we have to make, will make, and the consequences of those choices do, in fact, have eternal consequences.
The second part that I want to share with you this morning is what Pastor Waylon referred to as "the space." The space is that season of time between when we feel we have heard God tell us something, we feel a conviction of something in our Spirit and the season when that hope or dream that was planted in our hearts comes to fruition. Ever been there? You know in your heart of hearts that you are supposed to do something, you step out in faith according to this conviction and then...crickets! Nothing seems to be happening. You start questioning yourself and, perhaps, God. You get mad, angry, frustrated. Ever been there? I know I have.
And then Pastor Waylon gave a perfect, beautiful illustration. Would you go out today, plant an apple seed and then go out tomorrow and pull lush apples from a fully matured tree? Would you expect to do so? Of course not! That would be foolish. So why do we expect the seeds planted within the deepest recesses of our hearts to bear fruit instantly. As Pastor Waylon said, it is easy to understand in terms of agriculture, very hard to walk out in life.
Just as the seed planted in the ground has to be watered, fertilized and nurtured to grow to become all it was created to become, so do you and I. The things we are going through after we have the seed planted in our hearts are the water and fertilizer we need to grow to become all that we were created to become. For days, weeks, months, and even years, it can seem like nothing is happening and yet the seed buried in the heart is germinating...if only we will allow it to do so.
And, Pastor Waylon made another great point; have you ever noticed whether you plant grass in your yard or put in rocks, weeds always grow. Always! Why?! You don't have to plant and nurture them, they just show up! Just like we have to pull weeds from our yards - at least those of us who want our yards to look nice do!!! :) - we have to pull the weeds that try to crowd the harvest of our hearts. The weeds of the heart are discouragement, worry, regret, fear, and the like. While you don't have to intentionally plant them, they will show up. If we don't get rid of them, they will choke out the beautiful seed that has been planted.
So, the 2nd question/challenge, is what are you doing with the space? Are you growing and maturing so you can be the fruitful tree that you were created to be? Are you growing your faith, or your fears? Absolutely not easy; absolutely essential to produce your beautiful fruit!
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your precious 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
Friday, November 2, 2018
It's Not About You, Or Me
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day is dawning on the Texas Gulf Coast! I am so excited for this day - I took the day off and I get to spend a special day with my Beautiful Bride! :)
I want to start off by sharing several short stories with you.
Last weekend was the Black & Gold World Series for Gehrig's baseball team at Tyler Junior College and Payton & the University of Houston Cougars were taking on the University of South Florida. So, how does a Dad be there for both of his sons? Let me break down what I did. I went to work and honored my commitments at a function we had over lunch. As soon as my commitments were fulfilled I hoped in my truck, went to the house, loaded up the truck for the trip to see Gehrig and took off. GoogleMaps was clutch! I was rerouted and rerouted and after a nearly 4 hour drive, 0 stops - had to monitor the sweet tea intake! :) - I arrived at the stadium exactly 10 minutes before the 1st pitch. The game then went 11 innings - wasn't counting on that! At a little before 11:00 p.m., Gehrig and I got to go out to dinner together. We had a great time, talking about life, school, baseball, etc. We unloaded the stuff from my truck into his and then I took off for the hotel and he went to his dorm. Sometime a little after midnight I checked into the hotel and took a quick nap. Up at 4:30 a.m. I was on the road a little before 5:00 a.m. Arrived back home around 8:45 a.m. and started helping Kath pack for our tailgate. At 10:00 a.m. we took off for the game. At exactly 12:30 p.m., we were standing outside TDECU Stadium to greet the Cougars as they arrived at the stadium for Cougar Walk - the first time Payton had actually gone through the walk. The game kicked off at 2:30 p.m., a great win for the Cougars and we got back home around 8:00 p.m.
Here is the thing, and I realized it while it was happening, none of this was about me. It was about two men, I am honored to call them my sons, and making sure both of them knew that they mattered and that I would do anything to be there for them. Everything came together perfectly, I did not get tired, I was not grouchy...in fact, I wasn't thinking about me. I was only concerned about lifting my boys up. And I also have to testify to the power of prayer. I had several people, knowing of my journey, praying for me. I don't know how else to explain everything happening as it did other than to acknowledge that God's hand was on me.
I work with a lady who oversees a program to train doctors to be kind, compassionate and caring in their practice of medicine. Most of us have encountered a doctor who talked to us as though we did not really exist - that we were really just a sickness, a disease or an injury. They often talk in a language we do not understand, are abrupt and when they leave we are left with way more questions than answers. They seem to not see us or value us as people. As this incredible woman was telling me how this program came to be, she explained that she was working in neonatal intensive care and one day she had to disconnect 6 babies from life support. As her eyes glistened with tears at the memory she told me, "I thought, there has to be more to it than this."
I told her it was my perception that doctors delivered news they did not want to deliver, and patients certainly did not want to hear, in such an abrupt manner and then quickly walking away without showing any emotion is because it is a defense mechanism. She confirmed that my perception was right.
She then flipped the script. Instead of looking at it as something a doctor does not want to do, look at it as the honor & privilege it is. These people, the patients and their families, will never forget this day, this moment. The doctor then has a choice to realize it is not about them, it is about those they serve. They can follow the old routine of callous, seemingly uncaring - which it isn't really, they are just trying to protect their own hearts - or they can be kind, compassionate, living fully present in the moment, realizing that it isn't about them and serving others selflessly.
Several years ago, when I was a head football coach, I had two brothers that played on my team. They had a grandfather who they loved deeply who was in hospice care. Their parents had called and asked me if they could please call me when the grandfather passed away so I could deliver the news to their sons in person, so they would not be alone, so they would not have to hear the news over the phone. My first thought was, I don't want to do this! At that point in my life I used to say, "I am not good at that," referring to death. I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do and I definitely don't feel comfortable with it. Through a lot of prayer and reflection, years before meeting the wonderful doctor I referred to above, my Spirit convicted me with the fact that it is not about me! Novel concept! It is about these boys and their family. The realization hit that they would not forget that day. That it would be an honor & privilege to be with them during one of the darkest moments of their lives. That when they looked back at that moment they could feel deeply loved, they could experience deep compassion, if only I could get over myself. Praise God, that is what happened.
Several years ago there was a University of Louisville basketball player who suffered an absolutely horrific leg injury during an NCAA Tournament game. The stadium was packed and their was a national TV audience. Most everyone looked away, moved away from him - it was truly horrific to see. There was one player however that went to him. I don't recall either players name but I will never forget what the player who went to him said when asked after the game why he went to him while seemingly everyone else was so repulsed. He said, "I didn't want him to be alone." This remarkable young man got what most of us never do. It wasn't about him, his uneasy feelings, etc. It was about someone who was experiencing a horrible moment and making sure that he knew he was not alone.
And then, just yesterday, I heard the story about Alex Cora. He is the manager of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. You know what this man did? During contract negotiations after being named manager last year, he asked for one thing; "He asked the team if they could provide a plane for relief efforts in his native Puerto Rico for those who were affected by Hurricane Maria back in September/October. For those who are unaware, Hurricane Maria was the worst natural disaster ever recorded in the history of Puerto Rico." (source is barstoolsports.com) So here is this man, this incredible man, who has just been named as a Major League Manager. He is negotiating his contract and he does not ask for more money, country club memberships, car allowances, or any of the other things that coaches often ask for. He asks the team to load a plane with supplies and send it to people who are suffering. Wow! If we are looking for someone to aspire to be like, might I suggest that Alex Cora would be a great one!
Do you want to tell someone they are dying or their loved one has died? Do you want to reach out to someone as soon as some tragedy has befallen them? Do you feel comfortable doing so? For the vast majority of us the answers would be no, no and heck no! Sweet Friends, it is not about you, or me. Please let that sink in for a moment. You don't have to know what to say or do...most of us don't. All you have to do is genuinely care and then act from that place. God, love, mercy and grace will then take care of the rest.
Of course I have to share some scriptures and quotes for you to consider.
"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." - Hebrews 6:10
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." - Galatians 5:13
"The greatest among you will be your servant." - Matthew 23:11
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." - Romans 12:9-13
"The measure of a man's greatness is not the number of servants he has, but the number of people he serves." - John Hagee
"Faithful servants never retire. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God." - Rick Warren
"The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" - Martin Luther King Jr.
"Greatness lies, not in being strong but in the right using of strength." - Henry Ward Beecher
"You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving." - Amy Carmichael
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." - Henry Drummond
"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." - Peter Marshall
I pray Dear Friends, that we will remember again and again, it's not about you, or me.
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.
Kevin
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day is dawning on the Texas Gulf Coast! I am so excited for this day - I took the day off and I get to spend a special day with my Beautiful Bride! :)
I want to start off by sharing several short stories with you.
Last weekend was the Black & Gold World Series for Gehrig's baseball team at Tyler Junior College and Payton & the University of Houston Cougars were taking on the University of South Florida. So, how does a Dad be there for both of his sons? Let me break down what I did. I went to work and honored my commitments at a function we had over lunch. As soon as my commitments were fulfilled I hoped in my truck, went to the house, loaded up the truck for the trip to see Gehrig and took off. GoogleMaps was clutch! I was rerouted and rerouted and after a nearly 4 hour drive, 0 stops - had to monitor the sweet tea intake! :) - I arrived at the stadium exactly 10 minutes before the 1st pitch. The game then went 11 innings - wasn't counting on that! At a little before 11:00 p.m., Gehrig and I got to go out to dinner together. We had a great time, talking about life, school, baseball, etc. We unloaded the stuff from my truck into his and then I took off for the hotel and he went to his dorm. Sometime a little after midnight I checked into the hotel and took a quick nap. Up at 4:30 a.m. I was on the road a little before 5:00 a.m. Arrived back home around 8:45 a.m. and started helping Kath pack for our tailgate. At 10:00 a.m. we took off for the game. At exactly 12:30 p.m., we were standing outside TDECU Stadium to greet the Cougars as they arrived at the stadium for Cougar Walk - the first time Payton had actually gone through the walk. The game kicked off at 2:30 p.m., a great win for the Cougars and we got back home around 8:00 p.m.
Here is the thing, and I realized it while it was happening, none of this was about me. It was about two men, I am honored to call them my sons, and making sure both of them knew that they mattered and that I would do anything to be there for them. Everything came together perfectly, I did not get tired, I was not grouchy...in fact, I wasn't thinking about me. I was only concerned about lifting my boys up. And I also have to testify to the power of prayer. I had several people, knowing of my journey, praying for me. I don't know how else to explain everything happening as it did other than to acknowledge that God's hand was on me.
I work with a lady who oversees a program to train doctors to be kind, compassionate and caring in their practice of medicine. Most of us have encountered a doctor who talked to us as though we did not really exist - that we were really just a sickness, a disease or an injury. They often talk in a language we do not understand, are abrupt and when they leave we are left with way more questions than answers. They seem to not see us or value us as people. As this incredible woman was telling me how this program came to be, she explained that she was working in neonatal intensive care and one day she had to disconnect 6 babies from life support. As her eyes glistened with tears at the memory she told me, "I thought, there has to be more to it than this."
I told her it was my perception that doctors delivered news they did not want to deliver, and patients certainly did not want to hear, in such an abrupt manner and then quickly walking away without showing any emotion is because it is a defense mechanism. She confirmed that my perception was right.
She then flipped the script. Instead of looking at it as something a doctor does not want to do, look at it as the honor & privilege it is. These people, the patients and their families, will never forget this day, this moment. The doctor then has a choice to realize it is not about them, it is about those they serve. They can follow the old routine of callous, seemingly uncaring - which it isn't really, they are just trying to protect their own hearts - or they can be kind, compassionate, living fully present in the moment, realizing that it isn't about them and serving others selflessly.
Several years ago, when I was a head football coach, I had two brothers that played on my team. They had a grandfather who they loved deeply who was in hospice care. Their parents had called and asked me if they could please call me when the grandfather passed away so I could deliver the news to their sons in person, so they would not be alone, so they would not have to hear the news over the phone. My first thought was, I don't want to do this! At that point in my life I used to say, "I am not good at that," referring to death. I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do and I definitely don't feel comfortable with it. Through a lot of prayer and reflection, years before meeting the wonderful doctor I referred to above, my Spirit convicted me with the fact that it is not about me! Novel concept! It is about these boys and their family. The realization hit that they would not forget that day. That it would be an honor & privilege to be with them during one of the darkest moments of their lives. That when they looked back at that moment they could feel deeply loved, they could experience deep compassion, if only I could get over myself. Praise God, that is what happened.
Several years ago there was a University of Louisville basketball player who suffered an absolutely horrific leg injury during an NCAA Tournament game. The stadium was packed and their was a national TV audience. Most everyone looked away, moved away from him - it was truly horrific to see. There was one player however that went to him. I don't recall either players name but I will never forget what the player who went to him said when asked after the game why he went to him while seemingly everyone else was so repulsed. He said, "I didn't want him to be alone." This remarkable young man got what most of us never do. It wasn't about him, his uneasy feelings, etc. It was about someone who was experiencing a horrible moment and making sure that he knew he was not alone.
And then, just yesterday, I heard the story about Alex Cora. He is the manager of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. You know what this man did? During contract negotiations after being named manager last year, he asked for one thing; "He asked the team if they could provide a plane for relief efforts in his native Puerto Rico for those who were affected by Hurricane Maria back in September/October. For those who are unaware, Hurricane Maria was the worst natural disaster ever recorded in the history of Puerto Rico." (source is barstoolsports.com) So here is this man, this incredible man, who has just been named as a Major League Manager. He is negotiating his contract and he does not ask for more money, country club memberships, car allowances, or any of the other things that coaches often ask for. He asks the team to load a plane with supplies and send it to people who are suffering. Wow! If we are looking for someone to aspire to be like, might I suggest that Alex Cora would be a great one!
Do you want to tell someone they are dying or their loved one has died? Do you want to reach out to someone as soon as some tragedy has befallen them? Do you feel comfortable doing so? For the vast majority of us the answers would be no, no and heck no! Sweet Friends, it is not about you, or me. Please let that sink in for a moment. You don't have to know what to say or do...most of us don't. All you have to do is genuinely care and then act from that place. God, love, mercy and grace will then take care of the rest.
Of course I have to share some scriptures and quotes for you to consider.
"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." - Hebrews 6:10
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." - Galatians 5:13
"The greatest among you will be your servant." - Matthew 23:11
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." - Romans 12:9-13
"The measure of a man's greatness is not the number of servants he has, but the number of people he serves." - John Hagee
"Faithful servants never retire. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God." - Rick Warren
"The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" - Martin Luther King Jr.
"Greatness lies, not in being strong but in the right using of strength." - Henry Ward Beecher
"You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving." - Amy Carmichael
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." - Henry Drummond
"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." - Peter Marshall
I pray Dear Friends, that we will remember again and again, it's not about you, or me.
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.
Kevin
Friday, October 26, 2018
Encourage
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! THIS is going to be a great day! :)
This "Happy Friday" is not going to be anything new or profound. This is going to be a gentle reminder, perhaps a reawakening of the soul, to rise to be all we were created to be.
Earlier this week I was reading my book, Mentor Leader, by Tony Dungy. He was talking about the things a leader needs to do and on the list was "encourage others." And in that moment I went, "oh, yeah." You see, we all know we should be doing it - it is right and true...more on that in a second - however in the busyness of life, the struggles of day to day living, etc. it is easy - so very easy - to let things fall off the plate. Hopefully, this morning, we will all have an, "oh, yeah" moment! :)
Two things that are critically important before encouraging you to encourage others:
1. Where are YOU getting your encouragement? What things are you reading, listening to, studying to find encouragement? "What's in the well always comes up in the bucket." You can't give what you do not have. If you are not encouraged, finding real, meaningful encouragement in your daily walk, you can want to be an encourager all you want however you will be like the car with no gas. I can sit in that car and want it to go however until there is gas in the tank I will simply sit there and wish.
2. We must be intentional. We can't wait until we feel like encouraging others to do so. We need to act our way into feeling. It is a choice - which again, is something we do intentionally. In fact, doing something or nothing is an intentional act. I pray we will all choose to be encouragers. Yes, this is counter-culture today, sadly. The thing is, you and I were not called to be like the rest of the world. We are called and we were created to be the best we are capable of becoming to lift up and serve others. Let us be encouragers!
So I am going to lay this out real simply. Instead of just giving you my opinion and hoping it speaks to your heart, I am going to share some scriptures with you and then some quotes. Ultimately, you will then have to choose the life you want to live.
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"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 2:9
"Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." - Romans 15:2
"And we urge you brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." 1 Thessalonians 5:14
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" - Hebrews 10:24
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:31-31
"What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelations, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up." - 1 Corinthians 14:26
"So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding." - Romans 14:19
Please note what the Bible does not tell us to do - judge, criticize, tear down, etc. In fact, the Bible specifically speaks against each of these things. We are called, and created, to be encouragers! I pray we will honor this calling!
And some quotes to ponder...
"Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be." - Stephen R. Covey
"Instruction does much, but encouragement everything." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"One word of encouragement can be enough to spark someone's motivation to continue with a difficult challenge." - Roy T. Bennett
"The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body; use yours to lift someone up today." - Terri Ann Armstrong
"God is never a God of discouragement. When you have a discouraging spirit or train of thought in your mind, you can be sure it is not from God. He sometimes brings pain to his children - conviction over sin, or repentance over fallenness, or challenges that scare us, or visions of his holiness that overwhelm us. But God never brings discouragement." - John Ortberg
"Encouragement is like water to the soul, it makes everything grow." - Chris Burkmenn
"When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their self-confidence, make them work harder, life their spirits and make them successful in their endeavors. Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. Be an encourager. Always." - Roy Bennett
"How can you love people without encouraging them?" - Unknown
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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! THIS is going to be a great day! :)
This "Happy Friday" is not going to be anything new or profound. This is going to be a gentle reminder, perhaps a reawakening of the soul, to rise to be all we were created to be.
Earlier this week I was reading my book, Mentor Leader, by Tony Dungy. He was talking about the things a leader needs to do and on the list was "encourage others." And in that moment I went, "oh, yeah." You see, we all know we should be doing it - it is right and true...more on that in a second - however in the busyness of life, the struggles of day to day living, etc. it is easy - so very easy - to let things fall off the plate. Hopefully, this morning, we will all have an, "oh, yeah" moment! :)
Two things that are critically important before encouraging you to encourage others:
1. Where are YOU getting your encouragement? What things are you reading, listening to, studying to find encouragement? "What's in the well always comes up in the bucket." You can't give what you do not have. If you are not encouraged, finding real, meaningful encouragement in your daily walk, you can want to be an encourager all you want however you will be like the car with no gas. I can sit in that car and want it to go however until there is gas in the tank I will simply sit there and wish.
2. We must be intentional. We can't wait until we feel like encouraging others to do so. We need to act our way into feeling. It is a choice - which again, is something we do intentionally. In fact, doing something or nothing is an intentional act. I pray we will all choose to be encouragers. Yes, this is counter-culture today, sadly. The thing is, you and I were not called to be like the rest of the world. We are called and we were created to be the best we are capable of becoming to lift up and serve others. Let us be encouragers!
So I am going to lay this out real simply. Instead of just giving you my opinion and hoping it speaks to your heart, I am going to share some scriptures with you and then some quotes. Ultimately, you will then have to choose the life you want to live.
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
"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 2:9
"Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." - Romans 15:2
"And we urge you brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." 1 Thessalonians 5:14
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" - Hebrews 10:24
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:31-31
"What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelations, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up." - 1 Corinthians 14:26
"So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding." - Romans 14:19
Please note what the Bible does not tell us to do - judge, criticize, tear down, etc. In fact, the Bible specifically speaks against each of these things. We are called, and created, to be encouragers! I pray we will honor this calling!
And some quotes to ponder...
"Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be." - Stephen R. Covey
"Instruction does much, but encouragement everything." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"One word of encouragement can be enough to spark someone's motivation to continue with a difficult challenge." - Roy T. Bennett
"The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body; use yours to lift someone up today." - Terri Ann Armstrong
"God is never a God of discouragement. When you have a discouraging spirit or train of thought in your mind, you can be sure it is not from God. He sometimes brings pain to his children - conviction over sin, or repentance over fallenness, or challenges that scare us, or visions of his holiness that overwhelm us. But God never brings discouragement." - John Ortberg
"Encouragement is like water to the soul, it makes everything grow." - Chris Burkmenn
"When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their self-confidence, make them work harder, life their spirits and make them successful in their endeavors. Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. Be an encourager. Always." - Roy Bennett
"How can you love people without encouraging them?" - Unknown
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
Friday, October 19, 2018
Seek to Understand
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! Early morning is soooo exciting...yes, seriously! :) We don't have to drag the failures, setbacks and challenges of our yesterday's into this day - actually, I would strongly advise against it! No, the dawning of a new day represents the dawning of the opportunity for new hope, new opportunity, the chance to do things differently...if only will choose to do so! :)
On Wednesday I was listening to Focus on the Family. Their guest was Dr. Ed Stetzer. Ed is the executive director at the Billy Graham Center and is also the dean of the School of Mission, Ministry and Leadership at Wheaton College. Additionally, he is the interim pastor of Moody Bible Church and is the co-host of the radio show, Break Point This Week. He was on Focus on the Family to talk about being a Christian in today's society, a society filled with hate, anger, and divisiveness. He has recently written a book titled, "Christians in the Age of Outrage."
I don't think I really have to make the case for us living in an age of outrage. If you have watched TV, looked at your cell phone or interacted with another human being, I am pretty sure you know that there is a lot of outrage in the world today. I am not here this morning to make a case for any cause, to talk about who is right or wrong, etc. What I want to share briefly, what I want to talk about, is what our influence will be in this world we live in. It is a choice - our influence - and we will have an influence, either for good or bad.
Before going on I feel I must point you back to my inspiration for writing this Happy Friday. You can go to www.focusonthefamily.com and you can listen to the broadcast I heard on Wednesday. Ed has some absolutely incredible thoughts and insights.
In listening to the broadcast and then going back and reading the transcript of it, I want to boil this all down to two key takeaways.
1. Ed was sharing a story about one of the issues he outlines in his book, a controversy that is still raging in our country today, and he said, "You know, we should listen to the comments. We should listen to the concerns that [he says the name of the person here which would immediately alert you to the specific controversy. I have edited it because I believe this statement applies to every situation, issue & person] raises. I think there are important things that are actually being discussed. We should listen to why people are responding this way."
Novel concept, right? We should listen and try to understand why people are saying/doing what they are saying and doing. What would happen if we actually did that?
There is so much yelling and screaming going on that nobody hears what anyone else is saying. Look, I am not the brightest bulb on the scoreboard, however I know that I don't know everything. In fact, my perspective is very limited in scope. I have the perspective of, well, me. That's it! Unless I am talking to someone who has walked the exact same path I have walked in this life, with the relationships, experiences, trials, victories, etc., then there is something I can learn from everyone. I can learn their perspective, seek to understand their wants, worries and concerns. But I can't do that if all I am doing is telling them what they are doing wrong, how they should be doing it, what they should be thinking, etc.
I fully realize that I can't make you or anyone else do anything...and honestly, I don't want to. I have simply decided in my heart & mind that I am going to focus on relationships, getting to know people, genuinely caring about them and seeking to understand their thoughts, feelings & concerns. I know I won't agree with everyone and heck, I might not even like everyone - trust me, I know everyone won't like me! This doesn't mean that I can't try to understand them, their thoughts, feelings & concerns. That, the desire to understand, is completely up to me. Perhaps you will join me in this commitment too! :) (Remember, new day - new opportunity!)
2. The 2nd thing I want to share is a scripture that they shared during the radio broadcast on Wednesday. In a world full of thoughts, feelings & opinions, I believe it is wise to go back to the great book of instruction, the Bible, to seek truth. The scripture I am going to share is 2 Timothy 2: 22 - 26. It says,
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
Just a couple of quick things that hit me:
- "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace" - Please notice, it does not say to pursue being right, having your way or getting your point across.
- "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." - 'Nough said!!! :)
- "must be kind to everyone" - Didn't say to those who agree with you, belong to your political party, are like you, etc. We are called to be kind to everyone. Our kindness is our choice and has nothing to do with the other person.
You and I have a choice each and every day as to how we will live this life. We are going to go through it one way or the other. The thing that we must decide this and every day is "What Will Your Influence Be?"
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
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! Early morning is soooo exciting...yes, seriously! :) We don't have to drag the failures, setbacks and challenges of our yesterday's into this day - actually, I would strongly advise against it! No, the dawning of a new day represents the dawning of the opportunity for new hope, new opportunity, the chance to do things differently...if only will choose to do so! :)
On Wednesday I was listening to Focus on the Family. Their guest was Dr. Ed Stetzer. Ed is the executive director at the Billy Graham Center and is also the dean of the School of Mission, Ministry and Leadership at Wheaton College. Additionally, he is the interim pastor of Moody Bible Church and is the co-host of the radio show, Break Point This Week. He was on Focus on the Family to talk about being a Christian in today's society, a society filled with hate, anger, and divisiveness. He has recently written a book titled, "Christians in the Age of Outrage."
I don't think I really have to make the case for us living in an age of outrage. If you have watched TV, looked at your cell phone or interacted with another human being, I am pretty sure you know that there is a lot of outrage in the world today. I am not here this morning to make a case for any cause, to talk about who is right or wrong, etc. What I want to share briefly, what I want to talk about, is what our influence will be in this world we live in. It is a choice - our influence - and we will have an influence, either for good or bad.
Before going on I feel I must point you back to my inspiration for writing this Happy Friday. You can go to www.focusonthefamily.com and you can listen to the broadcast I heard on Wednesday. Ed has some absolutely incredible thoughts and insights.
In listening to the broadcast and then going back and reading the transcript of it, I want to boil this all down to two key takeaways.
1. Ed was sharing a story about one of the issues he outlines in his book, a controversy that is still raging in our country today, and he said, "You know, we should listen to the comments. We should listen to the concerns that [he says the name of the person here which would immediately alert you to the specific controversy. I have edited it because I believe this statement applies to every situation, issue & person] raises. I think there are important things that are actually being discussed. We should listen to why people are responding this way."
Novel concept, right? We should listen and try to understand why people are saying/doing what they are saying and doing. What would happen if we actually did that?
There is so much yelling and screaming going on that nobody hears what anyone else is saying. Look, I am not the brightest bulb on the scoreboard, however I know that I don't know everything. In fact, my perspective is very limited in scope. I have the perspective of, well, me. That's it! Unless I am talking to someone who has walked the exact same path I have walked in this life, with the relationships, experiences, trials, victories, etc., then there is something I can learn from everyone. I can learn their perspective, seek to understand their wants, worries and concerns. But I can't do that if all I am doing is telling them what they are doing wrong, how they should be doing it, what they should be thinking, etc.
I fully realize that I can't make you or anyone else do anything...and honestly, I don't want to. I have simply decided in my heart & mind that I am going to focus on relationships, getting to know people, genuinely caring about them and seeking to understand their thoughts, feelings & concerns. I know I won't agree with everyone and heck, I might not even like everyone - trust me, I know everyone won't like me! This doesn't mean that I can't try to understand them, their thoughts, feelings & concerns. That, the desire to understand, is completely up to me. Perhaps you will join me in this commitment too! :) (Remember, new day - new opportunity!)
2. The 2nd thing I want to share is a scripture that they shared during the radio broadcast on Wednesday. In a world full of thoughts, feelings & opinions, I believe it is wise to go back to the great book of instruction, the Bible, to seek truth. The scripture I am going to share is 2 Timothy 2: 22 - 26. It says,
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
Just a couple of quick things that hit me:
- "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace" - Please notice, it does not say to pursue being right, having your way or getting your point across.
- "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." - 'Nough said!!! :)
- "must be kind to everyone" - Didn't say to those who agree with you, belong to your political party, are like you, etc. We are called to be kind to everyone. Our kindness is our choice and has nothing to do with the other person.
You and I have a choice each and every day as to how we will live this life. We are going to go through it one way or the other. The thing that we must decide this and every day is "What Will Your Influence Be?"
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
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