Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn!
330. In the Haslam family, saying "330" carries a very special meaning. This is the 330th blog post of "Happy Friday." As I have logged in week after week and watched the count grow nearer and nearer to number 330 I knew exactly what this Happy Friday would be all about.
"Seven Words." That is what the shirt said, right below "3:30." I was a football coach -coaches love shirts! :) - at the time and my family & I were at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp. Brian Beltramo, then the Director of the Coaches Program and now the Arizona Director for FCA, had the shirts made for coaches. He then explained the meaning. One of the players for the Arizona Diamondbacks, when interviewed immediately following their World Series win in 2001 said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." He was quoting John 3:30 and when the Haslam family heard it, it resonated...deeply!
Let me give you the context of John 3:30. To fully understand we need to back up to John 3:22. Here is John 3:22-30:
"After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).
Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness - look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him." John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the briedgroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease."
You see Friends, the arguments over who is better goes back to the time when Jesus walked the face of the earth...and even before! John's disciples were in an argument with a Jew and concerned that people were going to Jesus to be baptized instead of to John. To all this nonsense John replies, "He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease."
Speaking to your heart at all? I know it does mine. While we may not outwardly say that we are better than Jesus, we - o.k., I know at least I - fight to be in control, to have the answers, pridefully refusing to surrender. I think that is why this reminder resonates so strongly and convicts so deeply for me. This blessed life God has given me is not about me but rather about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the work they want to do in me and through me. The only way this happens however is for Jesus to increase and for me to decrease. I can't be the one in control, the boss and have Jesus increase at the same time. It is an either or proposition with eternal consequences. That is why, in the Haslam family, when one asks, "What time is it?" almost assuredly someone will answer, "3:30." It is ALWAYS time for Jesus to increase and for us to decrease.
Is it a coincidence - spoiler alert, I don't believe in coincidences! :) - that I came across a couple of things this week that speak about or point to John 3:30? I want to share them with you this morning.
Earlier this week, Lysa TerKeurst shared this on social media:
"The Bible says that God must become greater, and I must become less. Simple words I would do well to challenge myself with today and every day.
Simple words reminding me it's not all about me or my comfort or my plans. Simple words that remind me of the way Jesus demonstrated humility and service through His life and His death. Simple words...He must become greater, and I must become less.
I'll be honest; I need these words. How about you?
As these words rush through my mind, I realize it's good for me to serve others. It's good for me to see how often I grumble and complain. It's good to see how much I need Jesus. It's good to feel His strength take over when I'm weak.
Yes, Lord. Less of me. More of you."
And then there is this quote from one of my favorite Pastors:
"The more my life is about me, the more unfulfilled I will be." - Chad Moore
So Friends, a new day - full of new hope, opportunity, promises, and yes, choices - has dawned! You and I now get to choose! For me, it's 3:30! :)
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, July 27, 2018
Friday, July 20, 2018
Happiness & Joy
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a beautiful, very hot & humid, day has dawned on the Texas Gulf Coast!
This morning I want to share several thoughts, ideas, pieces of information. This Happy Friday is not going to necessarily come back full circle with a pretty little bow on top. I am still learning, thinking, growing and I simply want to offer these things to you to give you the opportunity to do the same.
Early this week I heard someone on the radio say, "Happiness comes from the outside and joy comes from the inside." I thought a lot about that and at that moment I knew that this is what I wanted to write about with this Happy Friday. I assumed - yes, we all know the expression - "if you assume you..." :) - that joy is good, happiness is bad. In really trying to fully understand joy & happiness as opposed to just finding information that supported my assumptions - there is a Happy Friday in that statement! - I have had my assumptions challenged. Which means I still need to seek more knowledge & wisdom from the One who gives it! :)
O.K., so what I want to do here is share some excerpts.
The first excerpts I am going to share come from an article titled Joy-VS-Happiness by Sandra L. Brown M.A. which was posted on Psychology Today on December 18, 2012. You can read the full article at psychologytoday.com.
"Happiness is external. It's based on situations, events, people, places, things, and thoughts."
"Happiness is future oriented and it puts all its eggs in someone elses basket. It is dependent on outside situations, people, or events to align with your expectations so that the end result is your happiness."
"Joy comes when you make peace with who you are, where you are, why you are, and who you are not with. When you need nothing more than your truth and the love of a good God to bring peace, then you have settled into the abiding joy that is not rocked by relationships. It's not rocked by anything."
The second excerpts come from an article titled Joy vs Happiness by Psychologies which was posted on their website on September 1, 2015. You can read the full article at psychologies.co.uk.
"Joy and happiness are wonderful feelings to experience, but are very different. Joy is more consistent and is cultivated internally. It comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are, whereas happiness tends to be externally triggered and is based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events."
The following is by Rachel Fearnley, a lifestyle mentor, whom Psychologies asked to show us "how to finally find joy."
"Through my personal experience and lifelong studies, I've come to realize that there is a profound difference between joy and happiness. Aiming for joy is more beneficial, as it is less transitory than happiness and is not tied to external circumstances. So many of us have lost touch with that feeling, not knowing how to cultivate joy any more, so we resort to quick fixes like alcohol, drugs and addictive foods, or find fleeting moments of happiness from other places without truly experiencing it and cultivating it for ourselves..."
"It can be challenging for us to shift our mindset from one of negative thinking to one of joy, so here are three things you should do to increase the amount of joy in your life:
1. Quite you mind with meditation.
It's important to be able to tap into your heart rather than your head, your intuition rather than your thinking mind. Quieting the chatter in your mind and creating space within allows you to listen more closely to what brings you joy.
2. Cut down on social media.
We are so heavily influenced by what we 'should like/do/have/buy' that this is so often not in line with what truly brings us joy.
3. Keep a journal and practice gratitude for the things that bring you joy.
Cultivate gratitude wherever possible and even have gratitude for the things that challenge you, as these help you to grow and build strength. This also helps to define what brings you joy and what doesn't."
"Having an attitude of gratitude makes us more appreciative and trusting, gives us better self-esteem and helps us bounce back from stress. It allows us to view the world, and our situation within this world, in a more positive, healthy way."
These articles were validating my assumptions... and then I came across an article titled, Is There a Biblical Difference Between Happiness and Joy? Modern distinctions between happiness and joy are counterintuitive - and unbiblical by Randy Alcorn. The article was written on September 24, 2016. You can read the full article at onfaith.com. Here are some of the excerpts:
"John Piper writes, "If you have nice little categories for 'joy is what Christians have' and 'happiness is what the world has,' you can scrap those when you to to the Bible, because the Bible is indiscriminate in its uses of the language of happiness and joy and contentment and satisfaction."
"Here's a sampling of the more than 100 Bible verses in various translations that use joy and happiness together:
Esther 8:16 (NIV) - For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.
Jeremiah 31:13 (HCSB) - I will turn their mourning into joy...and bring happiness out of grief."
"The relationship between joy and happiness in these passages refutes two common claims: (1) that the Bible doesn't talk about happiness, and (2) that joy and happiness have contrasting meanings. In fact, the Bible overflows with accounts of God's people being happy in Him.
Depicting joy in contrast with happiness has obscured the true meaning of both words. Joyful people are typically glad and cheerful - they smile and laugh a lot. To put it plainly, they're happy!"
"A hundred years ago, every Christian knew the meaning of joy. Today, if you ask a group of Christians, "What does joy mean?" most will grope for words, with only one emphatic opinion: that joy is different from happiness. This is like saying that rain isn't wet or ice isn't cold. Scripture, dictionaries, and common language don't support this separation."
"Some claim that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not an emotion. But in Galatians 5:22, love and peace surround the word joy. If you love someone, don't you feel something? What is peace if not something you feel?"
"God created not only our minds but also our hearts. It's ill advised to pit happiness and joy against each other rather than embracing the emotional satisfaction of knowing, loving, and following Jesus."
"For too long we've distanced the gospel from what God created us to desire - and what He desires for us - happiness.
We need to reverse the trend. Let's redeem the word happiness in light of both Scripture and church history. Our message shouldn't be "Don't seek happiness," but "You'll find in Jesus the happiness and joy you've always longed for."
As I read these articles, and then reread them as I typed these excerpts for you, I think I have settled on 2 key points.
1. I am not so sure it matters whether you call it joy or happiness. I think the key is where you & I seek it. Who or what are we looking to for happiness and/or joy? That, I believe, is the real issue to decide.
2. As a Christian I should be happy...why wouldn't I be?!?! If I know I am created on purpose for a purpose, lacking nothing, by a God that loved me so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for my sins so I can be reunited with Him one day, why wouldn't I be? Yet many Christians walk around with such a sour countenance why in the world would anyone want to learn about their God? I don't think negativity, sadness, despair and the like are what Jesus had in mind when He said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations."
A couple of other things I have come across that I want to share with you quickly here before ending.
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 beautiful, very hot & humid, day has dawned on the Texas Gulf Coast!
This morning I want to share several thoughts, ideas, pieces of information. This Happy Friday is not going to necessarily come back full circle with a pretty little bow on top. I am still learning, thinking, growing and I simply want to offer these things to you to give you the opportunity to do the same.
Early this week I heard someone on the radio say, "Happiness comes from the outside and joy comes from the inside." I thought a lot about that and at that moment I knew that this is what I wanted to write about with this Happy Friday. I assumed - yes, we all know the expression - "if you assume you..." :) - that joy is good, happiness is bad. In really trying to fully understand joy & happiness as opposed to just finding information that supported my assumptions - there is a Happy Friday in that statement! - I have had my assumptions challenged. Which means I still need to seek more knowledge & wisdom from the One who gives it! :)
O.K., so what I want to do here is share some excerpts.
The first excerpts I am going to share come from an article titled Joy-VS-Happiness by Sandra L. Brown M.A. which was posted on Psychology Today on December 18, 2012. You can read the full article at psychologytoday.com.
"Happiness is external. It's based on situations, events, people, places, things, and thoughts."
"Happiness is future oriented and it puts all its eggs in someone elses basket. It is dependent on outside situations, people, or events to align with your expectations so that the end result is your happiness."
"Joy comes when you make peace with who you are, where you are, why you are, and who you are not with. When you need nothing more than your truth and the love of a good God to bring peace, then you have settled into the abiding joy that is not rocked by relationships. It's not rocked by anything."
The second excerpts come from an article titled Joy vs Happiness by Psychologies which was posted on their website on September 1, 2015. You can read the full article at psychologies.co.uk.
"Joy and happiness are wonderful feelings to experience, but are very different. Joy is more consistent and is cultivated internally. It comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are, whereas happiness tends to be externally triggered and is based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events."
The following is by Rachel Fearnley, a lifestyle mentor, whom Psychologies asked to show us "how to finally find joy."
"Through my personal experience and lifelong studies, I've come to realize that there is a profound difference between joy and happiness. Aiming for joy is more beneficial, as it is less transitory than happiness and is not tied to external circumstances. So many of us have lost touch with that feeling, not knowing how to cultivate joy any more, so we resort to quick fixes like alcohol, drugs and addictive foods, or find fleeting moments of happiness from other places without truly experiencing it and cultivating it for ourselves..."
"It can be challenging for us to shift our mindset from one of negative thinking to one of joy, so here are three things you should do to increase the amount of joy in your life:
1. Quite you mind with meditation.
It's important to be able to tap into your heart rather than your head, your intuition rather than your thinking mind. Quieting the chatter in your mind and creating space within allows you to listen more closely to what brings you joy.
2. Cut down on social media.
We are so heavily influenced by what we 'should like/do/have/buy' that this is so often not in line with what truly brings us joy.
3. Keep a journal and practice gratitude for the things that bring you joy.
Cultivate gratitude wherever possible and even have gratitude for the things that challenge you, as these help you to grow and build strength. This also helps to define what brings you joy and what doesn't."
"Having an attitude of gratitude makes us more appreciative and trusting, gives us better self-esteem and helps us bounce back from stress. It allows us to view the world, and our situation within this world, in a more positive, healthy way."
These articles were validating my assumptions... and then I came across an article titled, Is There a Biblical Difference Between Happiness and Joy? Modern distinctions between happiness and joy are counterintuitive - and unbiblical by Randy Alcorn. The article was written on September 24, 2016. You can read the full article at onfaith.com. Here are some of the excerpts:
"John Piper writes, "If you have nice little categories for 'joy is what Christians have' and 'happiness is what the world has,' you can scrap those when you to to the Bible, because the Bible is indiscriminate in its uses of the language of happiness and joy and contentment and satisfaction."
"Here's a sampling of the more than 100 Bible verses in various translations that use joy and happiness together:
Esther 8:16 (NIV) - For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.
Jeremiah 31:13 (HCSB) - I will turn their mourning into joy...and bring happiness out of grief."
"The relationship between joy and happiness in these passages refutes two common claims: (1) that the Bible doesn't talk about happiness, and (2) that joy and happiness have contrasting meanings. In fact, the Bible overflows with accounts of God's people being happy in Him.
Depicting joy in contrast with happiness has obscured the true meaning of both words. Joyful people are typically glad and cheerful - they smile and laugh a lot. To put it plainly, they're happy!"
"A hundred years ago, every Christian knew the meaning of joy. Today, if you ask a group of Christians, "What does joy mean?" most will grope for words, with only one emphatic opinion: that joy is different from happiness. This is like saying that rain isn't wet or ice isn't cold. Scripture, dictionaries, and common language don't support this separation."
"Some claim that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not an emotion. But in Galatians 5:22, love and peace surround the word joy. If you love someone, don't you feel something? What is peace if not something you feel?"
"God created not only our minds but also our hearts. It's ill advised to pit happiness and joy against each other rather than embracing the emotional satisfaction of knowing, loving, and following Jesus."
"For too long we've distanced the gospel from what God created us to desire - and what He desires for us - happiness.
We need to reverse the trend. Let's redeem the word happiness in light of both Scripture and church history. Our message shouldn't be "Don't seek happiness," but "You'll find in Jesus the happiness and joy you've always longed for."
As I read these articles, and then reread them as I typed these excerpts for you, I think I have settled on 2 key points.
1. I am not so sure it matters whether you call it joy or happiness. I think the key is where you & I seek it. Who or what are we looking to for happiness and/or joy? That, I believe, is the real issue to decide.
2. As a Christian I should be happy...why wouldn't I be?!?! If I know I am created on purpose for a purpose, lacking nothing, by a God that loved me so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for my sins so I can be reunited with Him one day, why wouldn't I be? Yet many Christians walk around with such a sour countenance why in the world would anyone want to learn about their God? I don't think negativity, sadness, despair and the like are what Jesus had in mind when He said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations."
A couple of other things I have come across that I want to share with you quickly here before ending.
"...we don't live our lives based on reality but rather based on our perception of reality. This perception is influenced by the story we tell ourselves and the role we play in the story." - Excerpt from Training Camp by Jon Gordon
"If there is really hope in the future then there is power in the present." - Dabo Swinney
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, July 13, 2018
What Do They See?
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! I saw a quote this week that said something like, "You should send a person a sympathy card who is coming back to work from vacation." Having spent a blessed week with my precious family in Destin last week and coming back to work this week, I totally get it! :)
The last series our church did was titled, "Life Passage." The various Pastors would share a scripture that was particularly meaningful to them and then elaborate. Bruce Wesley preached a sermon on June 24th that was titled, "A Friend of Sinners" and it was based on Matthew 11:19 which says,
"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."
You can see the full sermon if you would like by going to clearcreek.org and clicking on "Media." Though his sermon is not specifically what I want to talk about in this Happy Friday - a question he asked is - there were several nuggets I want to share with you before actually diving into this Happy Friday. Some things he said,
As I have thought about that question - "What do they see when they see me?" - I have wondered, do they see faith or fear? Do they see hope or despair? Do they see positive or negative? Do they see a friend or a foe? And I am very mindful of a couple of things...
1. It is in our actions, not our words. Faith, hope & friendship are verbs...they are things we do, not things we say.
2. We all - o.k., at least me! :) - try really hard to say & do the right things at the right time. You know, we try to put on the mask of what we want others to see. However, this is not really how this all works. You wanna know what they see...check the condition of your heart! Because as hard as we try to put on the spiritual & emotional make-up, it is who we really are, what we really believe that others see in our actions. You see Friends, it is incredibly difficult to separate who we really are from our actions. Oh sure, we can fool some people some of the time but over time our true selves will be revealed. It is then, in those critical moments, that we find out what our lives our really based on, what they see.
There are several quotes, excerpts & lyrics I want to share with you, to let you ponder what they see when they see you and me.
1. In his blog titled, "Preach the Gospel at All Times?", written on 7/1/12, Jamie Arpin-Ricci says this in conclusion:
"In the face of our increasingly post-Christian context, we must resist the temptation to fight to sustain our place of power and privilege. In truth, such a position has largely compromised our authority and credibility before a watching world. Instead, let us rediscover the radical life of peace, grace and love that was characterized by Christ and seek to live it. Perhaps then, in the light of a community of believers known for humility and love (rather than self-righteousness and bigotry), the words we proclaim will carry the credibility and authority worthy of the Christ we follow."
2. "I exist not to be loved and admired, but to love and act. It is not the duty of those around me to love me. Rather, it is my duty to be concerned about the world, about man." - Janusz Korczak
3. "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words." - Unknown
4. Lyrics from "Let Them See You" by Colton Dixon
"Let them see You
in me
Let them hear You
When I speak
Let them feel You
When I sing
Let them see You
Let them see You in me"
5. And these, quotes about children and parenting...well, as a man who views being a Dad as my second highest calling, after being a husband, they convict and inspire me greatly!
So Friends, the rhetorical question for all of us this week is this, "What do they see when they see 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 having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! I saw a quote this week that said something like, "You should send a person a sympathy card who is coming back to work from vacation." Having spent a blessed week with my precious family in Destin last week and coming back to work this week, I totally get it! :)
The last series our church did was titled, "Life Passage." The various Pastors would share a scripture that was particularly meaningful to them and then elaborate. Bruce Wesley preached a sermon on June 24th that was titled, "A Friend of Sinners" and it was based on Matthew 11:19 which says,
"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."
You can see the full sermon if you would like by going to clearcreek.org and clicking on "Media." Though his sermon is not specifically what I want to talk about in this Happy Friday - a question he asked is - there were several nuggets I want to share with you before actually diving into this Happy Friday. Some things he said,
- It is not until we develop relationships with people not like us that we get rid of the lies in our minds.
- The sin of religious people - thinking they are righteous.
- When we pray for people we are conditioned to love them.
- When God blesses us, He blesses us to be a blessing
- And my favorite nugget was this...it's about developing relationships with people.
BLESS (Bless people)
Be prayerful
Listen - Joys, struggles, pain - Listening shows love
Eat - Share a meal, throw a party
Serve - Find a way to serve them
Story - When is the right time to share a story? When you have a relationship with them.
- Our greatest joys have names attached.
Now, as a favorite Pastor of mine used to say, "That part was free!" That isn't exactly what this Happy Friday is all about however it is a pretty good start, don't ya think?!?! :)
What I really want to talk about this Friday is a rhetorical question Bruce asked during the sermon. He was outlining how many in the church are self-righteous, telling others what they should or should not be doing, etc. And then he said, "What do they see when they see you?" Pierced my soul with a deep conviction...
When people look at the life you & I live, what do they see? First, are we actually taking the time to become friends with them, to do life with them, so they can actually see how we live? Or are we so busy trying to hang out with other self-righteous people that the lost, hurting & broken - you know, the one's JUST like you & I! :) - don't even get to know us, or us them? Remember, Jesus was criticized for being a friend of "tax collectors and sinners." Do you and I have the honor of being criticized for the same? I will just leave that one right there...
As I have thought about that question - "What do they see when they see me?" - I have wondered, do they see faith or fear? Do they see hope or despair? Do they see positive or negative? Do they see a friend or a foe? And I am very mindful of a couple of things...
1. It is in our actions, not our words. Faith, hope & friendship are verbs...they are things we do, not things we say.
2. We all - o.k., at least me! :) - try really hard to say & do the right things at the right time. You know, we try to put on the mask of what we want others to see. However, this is not really how this all works. You wanna know what they see...check the condition of your heart! Because as hard as we try to put on the spiritual & emotional make-up, it is who we really are, what we really believe that others see in our actions. You see Friends, it is incredibly difficult to separate who we really are from our actions. Oh sure, we can fool some people some of the time but over time our true selves will be revealed. It is then, in those critical moments, that we find out what our lives our really based on, what they see.
There are several quotes, excerpts & lyrics I want to share with you, to let you ponder what they see when they see you and me.
1. In his blog titled, "Preach the Gospel at All Times?", written on 7/1/12, Jamie Arpin-Ricci says this in conclusion:
"In the face of our increasingly post-Christian context, we must resist the temptation to fight to sustain our place of power and privilege. In truth, such a position has largely compromised our authority and credibility before a watching world. Instead, let us rediscover the radical life of peace, grace and love that was characterized by Christ and seek to live it. Perhaps then, in the light of a community of believers known for humility and love (rather than self-righteousness and bigotry), the words we proclaim will carry the credibility and authority worthy of the Christ we follow."
2. "I exist not to be loved and admired, but to love and act. It is not the duty of those around me to love me. Rather, it is my duty to be concerned about the world, about man." - Janusz Korczak
3. "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words." - Unknown
4. Lyrics from "Let Them See You" by Colton Dixon
"Let them see You
in me
Let them hear You
When I speak
Let them feel You
When I sing
Let them see You
Let them see You in me"
5. And these, quotes about children and parenting...well, as a man who views being a Dad as my second highest calling, after being a husband, they convict and inspire me greatly!
"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you." - H. Jackson Brown
"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you. - Robert Fulghum
"Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be." - David Bly
"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while." - Josh Billings
"When you teach your son, you teach your son's son." - The Talmud
So Friends, the rhetorical question for all of us this week is this, "What do they see when they see 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
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Friends & Moments
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious Sunday morning has dawned on the Texas Gulf Coast.
So I am writing this Happy Friday on a Sunday morning. The timing is not off...it is just right! You see, this past week the Haslam family went on vacation to Destin, Florida. Friday I was fully present with my family, making new friends. Yesterday we were up early and drove the 9 hours back to our home. After a power nap I got all of my chores done - lawn mowed, truck washed, etc. Last night was more quality time with my family...and now here I am! :)
This morning I want to share a few things I came across this past week and a thought/perspective.
First I would like to tell you a little bit about Isaiah Pead. Isaiah played football at the University of Cincinnati where he was a standout running back. In 2012 he was drafted in the 2nd round of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. In November of 2016 he was in a car accident that resulted in him losing a part of one of legs, ending his NFL career. He is now training to be a Special Olympian. Last weekend there was a terrific article on the ESPN app about him and his efforts to be a Special Olympian.
I would strongly encourage you to search for the article and read it, it is very inspirational. I however want to share a couple of quotes from the article and share a little bit about each.
This was the rhetorical question Isaiah asked. Instead of being defined by his accident, being filled with coulda, shoulda and woulda's, he challenges himself with, "What do you want to be remembered for?" Will it be "poor Isaiah, he lost his leg, his NFL career?" or will it be something like, "Look at Isaiah, he is doing amazing things with his life." He can't change the accident, he can't change the fact that he lost a part of his leg and with it, his career as an NFL running back. The only thing Isaiah can control is what he does next. He can choose to sulk in self-pity or he can rise to the fullness of who he was created to be. That choice will determine the depth and quality of his life.
How about you and I? Aren't we EXACTLY the same?! I am sure there are things that have happened to you, just as they have to me, that weren't fair, weren't the way you thought things would happen, etc. So what will we be remembered for? The failing moment, the struggle, the challenge, the problem does not define you and it doesn't define me...or at least it does not have to. If it does it is because we chose to allow it to define us. And if that is you this morning I just want to remind you that you can choose different today. Maybe it has defined you for a day, a month, a year or many years...it does not have to do so a moment longer. You can choose different. Isaiah chose different...so did John O'Leary. There are millions of people who have chosen different...and we celebrate them and their lives. Please Friend, don't let a moment define you! You are created for so much more.
I also want to share a quote from Isaiah's Mom that spoke to me on two different levels:
Level I
No matter where you are, the struggles, challenges, setbacks, etc., it doesn't change what God has destined for your life. Please Sweet Friend, let that truth wash over you again and again and again. You may have deep, crippling spiritual, mental, emotional and/or physical wounds. I am truly sorry that you have experienced these things however please know, this has not changed what God has destined for your life. But you must choose to be fully alive. Please don't just live, allowing these things to define you. That is not their purpose and it is not your purpose. I promise you, if you will seek the greatness in yourself every day you will be used by God in powerful ways, ironically, because of what you went through. What will you be remembered for?
Level II
As a Dad this spoke powerfully to my heart! How does a 20-something year old man who has lost part of his leg, his NFL career and, in many ways, his identity, bounce back so quickly saying, "This isn't going to define me!"? And then you see a Mom, full of faith, not choosing pity or fear but rather great faith. Reminding her son that the tragic accident he had suffered did not alter the destiny God has for him. And I am reminded how powerful our actions and words are as parents. How whether our children are 2, 22 or 62-years old, they respond to our faith or fear and always, our actions and words. It inspires me and challenges me to continue to pursue being the best husband and Dad I can possibly be.
I also want to share another quote with you that was in another ESPN story. It was the story about a soccer ball. To explain briefly, Ellison Onizuka was an Astronaut serving as Mission Specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger. His daughter was on the soccer team at Clear Lake High School where Ellison and his wife also served as assistant coaches. The entire team had signed a soccer ball that Ellison was to carry into space with him on the ill fated Challenger. Amazingly, the ball survived the destruction of the Challenger and was returned to the Onizuka family who then donated the ball to Clear Lake High School where it sat in a trophy case for nearly 30 years. Thanks to Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, the ball did make it into space in 2017. It is a special story and again, I would encourage you to look it up and read it.
What I wanted to share with you this morning is a portion of a quote from Ellison when giving the commencement address at his high school in Kona, Hawaii in 1980.
Beautiful, isn't it? Be fully alive, give it your very best and the world will be a better place because you tried. Please note, he did not say "be a smashing success" or "win championships" or the like. He simply said make your life count - be alive! - and the world will be a better place because you tried. Each one of us can choose to make our life count and thus, each one of us can choose to make the world a better place.
As for my thought/perspective...
This past week was amazing...truly amazing! Not because of the beautiful white sand or the clear blue water...though not bad! :) No, this week was amazing because my family and I were blessed by friends, new and old.
Last year we met Rita & Danny, Tracy & Lonnie and their kids. They are from South Carolina. Last year we played tons of wiffle ball games and spent hours talking. It was great to see them again, to play a little more wiffle ball, to spend three hours at a dinner and to again, spend hours talking.
And Kavika...I told y'all about him last year. The first night we got to Destin this year, after hurridly putting everything in our room, we went down to the beach. When we saw Kavika we embraced, all of us happy to see each other again. Kavika has grown so much in a year, his faith greatly deepened, he now serves as a Youth Pastor. A truly amazing young man we visited about faith, fighting for our faith and the reminder that everything we do every day is, in fact, a ministry. We were smarter this year and got Kavika's contact information so we can stay in touch with him throughout the year. :)
And we got to meet some new friends, like Julie & Steve and their precious little boys. They are neighbors of Rita & Danny's in South Carolina. They got indoctrinated into beach wiffle ball games and they were a part of the infamous 3 hour dinner. It was awesome to meet them and we look forward to hopefully seeing them again next year.
Then there are our new friends from Haleyville, Alabama. What are the odds of three couples, all High School Sweethearts, all having boys, being placed right next to each other on a beach in Destin, Florida? With God, I would say pretty good! Missy & Randy and their 3 boys...plus the beautiful girlfriend of one of their sons, Tonya & Bubba and their son...truly amazing people and they blessed the Haslam families lives so richly! We played hours of cornhole games with them - if you ever run into a dude named Randy playing cornhole and he continually throws the bag in the hole, each time saying how lucky he is...DO NOT BELIEVE HIM and definitely don't believe Bubba when he tells you how good you are doing! - and just talking - about life, about college football, about making a difference in the lives of others. I smile thinking of our time with them...
But God wasn't done yet! On our last day, a new family was placed next to us. Joe & Lisa and their kids. Joe just retired after 36 years as a firefighter in Missouri. We got to talking and their beautiful daughter is going to play volleyball in the fall at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, KS...the place where I was once the Head Football Coach & Athletic Director. We had a great conversation and then, as I got up to go out into the water Joe says, "Have you ever heard of a guy named Zig Ziglar?" Poor Joe...this began a long conversation about leadership, intentionally seeking to pour positive into ourselves and to be a positive influence in the lives of others. He never stood a chance! :)
A couple of things...
1. It is the people we encounter in life that make life worth living! Yes, Destin is beautiful and our family had a wonderful time together however it is Rita & Danny, Tracy & Lonnie, Julie & Steve, Missy & Randy, Tonya & Bubba, Lisa & Joe and their amazing families that blessed each one of the Haslam's so richly. It reminds me that we must always value every person, every relationship and to be intentional in them. Our Alabama friends are about to learn what Kavika and our South Carolina friends learned a year ago...they are stuck with the Haslam's! :)
2. It is the moments that matter and we must live fully present in them. It is so easy to get caught up in where we are going, what we need to do next, work, etc. When we do this, we miss the present...and that is the actual gift. Let's not miss the moments Friends. Let's choose to fight for them! I don't know what will happen tomorrow, in a day, in a month or in a year. Heck, I don't know what will happen in the next few hours. I simply know that God has given me this moment I will must choose to live fully present in it.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for any of 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, 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 as a glorious Sunday morning has dawned on the Texas Gulf Coast.
So I am writing this Happy Friday on a Sunday morning. The timing is not off...it is just right! You see, this past week the Haslam family went on vacation to Destin, Florida. Friday I was fully present with my family, making new friends. Yesterday we were up early and drove the 9 hours back to our home. After a power nap I got all of my chores done - lawn mowed, truck washed, etc. Last night was more quality time with my family...and now here I am! :)
This morning I want to share a few things I came across this past week and a thought/perspective.
First I would like to tell you a little bit about Isaiah Pead. Isaiah played football at the University of Cincinnati where he was a standout running back. In 2012 he was drafted in the 2nd round of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. In November of 2016 he was in a car accident that resulted in him losing a part of one of legs, ending his NFL career. He is now training to be a Special Olympian. Last weekend there was a terrific article on the ESPN app about him and his efforts to be a Special Olympian.
I would strongly encourage you to search for the article and read it, it is very inspirational. I however want to share a couple of quotes from the article and share a little bit about each.
"What do you want to be remembered for?" - Isaiah Pead
This was the rhetorical question Isaiah asked. Instead of being defined by his accident, being filled with coulda, shoulda and woulda's, he challenges himself with, "What do you want to be remembered for?" Will it be "poor Isaiah, he lost his leg, his NFL career?" or will it be something like, "Look at Isaiah, he is doing amazing things with his life." He can't change the accident, he can't change the fact that he lost a part of his leg and with it, his career as an NFL running back. The only thing Isaiah can control is what he does next. He can choose to sulk in self-pity or he can rise to the fullness of who he was created to be. That choice will determine the depth and quality of his life.
How about you and I? Aren't we EXACTLY the same?! I am sure there are things that have happened to you, just as they have to me, that weren't fair, weren't the way you thought things would happen, etc. So what will we be remembered for? The failing moment, the struggle, the challenge, the problem does not define you and it doesn't define me...or at least it does not have to. If it does it is because we chose to allow it to define us. And if that is you this morning I just want to remind you that you can choose different today. Maybe it has defined you for a day, a month, a year or many years...it does not have to do so a moment longer. You can choose different. Isaiah chose different...so did John O'Leary. There are millions of people who have chosen different...and we celebrate them and their lives. Please Friend, don't let a moment define you! You are created for so much more.
I also want to share a quote from Isaiah's Mom that spoke to me on two different levels:
"It's the plan God has for you. It doesn't change what is destined." - LeShawna Pead on Isaiah's accident
Level I
No matter where you are, the struggles, challenges, setbacks, etc., it doesn't change what God has destined for your life. Please Sweet Friend, let that truth wash over you again and again and again. You may have deep, crippling spiritual, mental, emotional and/or physical wounds. I am truly sorry that you have experienced these things however please know, this has not changed what God has destined for your life. But you must choose to be fully alive. Please don't just live, allowing these things to define you. That is not their purpose and it is not your purpose. I promise you, if you will seek the greatness in yourself every day you will be used by God in powerful ways, ironically, because of what you went through. What will you be remembered for?
Level II
As a Dad this spoke powerfully to my heart! How does a 20-something year old man who has lost part of his leg, his NFL career and, in many ways, his identity, bounce back so quickly saying, "This isn't going to define me!"? And then you see a Mom, full of faith, not choosing pity or fear but rather great faith. Reminding her son that the tragic accident he had suffered did not alter the destiny God has for him. And I am reminded how powerful our actions and words are as parents. How whether our children are 2, 22 or 62-years old, they respond to our faith or fear and always, our actions and words. It inspires me and challenges me to continue to pursue being the best husband and Dad I can possibly be.
I also want to share another quote with you that was in another ESPN story. It was the story about a soccer ball. To explain briefly, Ellison Onizuka was an Astronaut serving as Mission Specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger. His daughter was on the soccer team at Clear Lake High School where Ellison and his wife also served as assistant coaches. The entire team had signed a soccer ball that Ellison was to carry into space with him on the ill fated Challenger. Amazingly, the ball survived the destruction of the Challenger and was returned to the Onizuka family who then donated the ball to Clear Lake High School where it sat in a trophy case for nearly 30 years. Thanks to Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, the ball did make it into space in 2017. It is a special story and again, I would encourage you to look it up and read it.
What I wanted to share with you this morning is a portion of a quote from Ellison when giving the commencement address at his high school in Kona, Hawaii in 1980.
"...Make your life count, and the world will be a better place because you tried." - Ellison Onizuka
Beautiful, isn't it? Be fully alive, give it your very best and the world will be a better place because you tried. Please note, he did not say "be a smashing success" or "win championships" or the like. He simply said make your life count - be alive! - and the world will be a better place because you tried. Each one of us can choose to make our life count and thus, each one of us can choose to make the world a better place.
As for my thought/perspective...
This past week was amazing...truly amazing! Not because of the beautiful white sand or the clear blue water...though not bad! :) No, this week was amazing because my family and I were blessed by friends, new and old.
Last year we met Rita & Danny, Tracy & Lonnie and their kids. They are from South Carolina. Last year we played tons of wiffle ball games and spent hours talking. It was great to see them again, to play a little more wiffle ball, to spend three hours at a dinner and to again, spend hours talking.
And Kavika...I told y'all about him last year. The first night we got to Destin this year, after hurridly putting everything in our room, we went down to the beach. When we saw Kavika we embraced, all of us happy to see each other again. Kavika has grown so much in a year, his faith greatly deepened, he now serves as a Youth Pastor. A truly amazing young man we visited about faith, fighting for our faith and the reminder that everything we do every day is, in fact, a ministry. We were smarter this year and got Kavika's contact information so we can stay in touch with him throughout the year. :)
And we got to meet some new friends, like Julie & Steve and their precious little boys. They are neighbors of Rita & Danny's in South Carolina. They got indoctrinated into beach wiffle ball games and they were a part of the infamous 3 hour dinner. It was awesome to meet them and we look forward to hopefully seeing them again next year.
Then there are our new friends from Haleyville, Alabama. What are the odds of three couples, all High School Sweethearts, all having boys, being placed right next to each other on a beach in Destin, Florida? With God, I would say pretty good! Missy & Randy and their 3 boys...plus the beautiful girlfriend of one of their sons, Tonya & Bubba and their son...truly amazing people and they blessed the Haslam families lives so richly! We played hours of cornhole games with them - if you ever run into a dude named Randy playing cornhole and he continually throws the bag in the hole, each time saying how lucky he is...DO NOT BELIEVE HIM and definitely don't believe Bubba when he tells you how good you are doing! - and just talking - about life, about college football, about making a difference in the lives of others. I smile thinking of our time with them...
But God wasn't done yet! On our last day, a new family was placed next to us. Joe & Lisa and their kids. Joe just retired after 36 years as a firefighter in Missouri. We got to talking and their beautiful daughter is going to play volleyball in the fall at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, KS...the place where I was once the Head Football Coach & Athletic Director. We had a great conversation and then, as I got up to go out into the water Joe says, "Have you ever heard of a guy named Zig Ziglar?" Poor Joe...this began a long conversation about leadership, intentionally seeking to pour positive into ourselves and to be a positive influence in the lives of others. He never stood a chance! :)
A couple of things...
1. It is the people we encounter in life that make life worth living! Yes, Destin is beautiful and our family had a wonderful time together however it is Rita & Danny, Tracy & Lonnie, Julie & Steve, Missy & Randy, Tonya & Bubba, Lisa & Joe and their amazing families that blessed each one of the Haslam's so richly. It reminds me that we must always value every person, every relationship and to be intentional in them. Our Alabama friends are about to learn what Kavika and our South Carolina friends learned a year ago...they are stuck with the Haslam's! :)
2. It is the moments that matter and we must live fully present in them. It is so easy to get caught up in where we are going, what we need to do next, work, etc. When we do this, we miss the present...and that is the actual gift. Let's not miss the moments Friends. Let's choose to fight for them! I don't know what will happen tomorrow, in a day, in a month or in a year. Heck, I don't know what will happen in the next few hours. I simply know that God has given me this moment I will must choose to live fully present in it.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for any of 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, enjoy the rest of your weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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