Yes to one is no to another

Happy Friday, Friends:

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! This day is a blessing! Today, we get to pursue our purposes, strive to fulfill our potential, and love, care for, and serve others! Let’s cherish and honor this great gift by choosing to live it fully!

I recently read, and have been re-reading, a book titled, Play The Man: Becoming The Man God Created You To Be, by Mark Batterson. This morning, I am going to share a quote and a few excerpts from Chapter 8, No Man’s Land.

The quote:

“To say yes to one thing is to say no to the other.” – Andy Stanley (from his book titled, Choosing to Cheat)

A few excerpts from the same section:

“At the end of the day, I want to be famous in my home. But it’s hard to be famous in your home if you’re never home!” (To say yes to one thing is to say no to the other.)

“If you want your heart to turn toward your children, you have to spend time with them – quality time and quantity time. There are no shortcuts.” (To say yes to one thing is to say no to the other.)

“Here’s what I mean by family first: if a conflict arises between family and anything else, family comes first.” (To say yes to one thing is to say no to the other.)

Pretty powerful. How many of us have said yes to one thing or another without realizing that this also meant saying no to something else? How many times have we mindlessly made those decisions?

My encouragement and challenge for all of us this morning is to think it through. To say yes to one thing is to say no to the other. Is the yes and no leading us to the life we want to live? We can do anything, but we can’t do everything. To say yes to one thing is to say no to the other. Let’s not mindlessly make those decisions, Friends. Let’s be intentional and let’s be consistent… our yeses and no’s are shaping the lives we will live.

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

What is your message?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn! This day is going to be a great one – I believe and declare!

“You never know who you’re inspiring or uninspiring. People notice more than you think.” – Amaka Imani Nkosazana

I shared that quote on social media a few days ago, and I have thought of it several times since. What if we didn’t know where or when people were watching us? Would we inspire or uninspire? What if we didn’t get the opportunity to explain ourselves? Would we inspire or uninspire? In culture today, we are so good at putting on masks, using filters, etc., to always present ourselves in a perfect light; however, it is in the unscripted moments of life that give the image of who we really are, what we truly believe, and what we are living for. Is it inspiring or uninspiring?

Lorrin L. Lee once said, “Your life is your message to the world. Make it inspiring.” What is your message, Friend? Is it one of faith, hope, and love; is it one of fear, dread, and hate; or is it somewhere in between? Whatever you and I choose, it is our message.

Two points I would like to touch on briefly:

1. Pastor Ken Whitten once said, “What’s in the well always comes up in the bucket.” We all want to be our best when our best is needed; however, it is what we consistently do that will ultimately determine the lives we live – that will inform, shape, and create our messages. Knowing this, we would be wise to thoughtfully consider the things we allow into our hearts and minds.

2. In my life, I have found that it is in moments of adversity and challenge that the message of my life is amplified. We, as human beings, are really good at trying to look good – however you want to define that; for whatever circumstance or situation we are trying to impress others – however it is in the moments that aren’t going our way, we aren’t in control, etc., that our true selves are revealed. Pastor Whitten got it right, and no matter how badly I want to act one way or another, what will come out in moments of stress is who I truly am. Archilochus said it succinctly, “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” Wisdom would be to thoughtfully consider how we are training our Spirits, hearts, and minds.

People are watching and being influenced by each one of us every moment of every day. Each one of us will choose what our message will be. Instead of asking the question of whether we are inspiring or uninspiring, let me say it a different way: what are our lives inspiring others to?

“Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you are saying.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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, cherish your precious family, and stay well!

Kev

Pretty Simple

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! This is going to be a great day – football season is here!!!

 

Earlier this week, I listened to a phenomenal message from Victoria Osteen titled, Be Good to People. It originally aired on October 30, 2022. I strongly encourage you to watch or listen to it – it is only 12 minutes and 50 seconds long, but packed with great content.

 

So simple, right? Be good to people. Shouldn’t we all do that?

 

I am going to paraphrase a few points that Victoria made that stood out to me.

 

·       People don’t care what you say; they care what you do.

·       Our purpose is to further the gospel, not to give our opinion.

·       Faith acts before it feels.

·       If someone is mean, nasty, or rude to you and you act the same way to them, nothing changes.

 

That’s it. Pretty simple. Be good to people.

 

What will YOUR influence be…?

 

Proverbs 11:17

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

 

Proverbs 19:11

11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

 

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

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

 

Kev

What will you choose?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

Each of us has a great gift and a choice to make; we have been given this brand-new day, and we will choose how to live it! My hope and prayer is that we will be intentional, positive, and encouraging.

Will we choose to live intentionally, or will we live by our feelings, which are so fickle? Are we on autopilot, or are we taking response-ability (think about it!) for the lives we are living? Let’s be intentional with the things that we allow to be poured into our Spirits, minds, and bodies; what’s in the well always comes up in the bucket. And then, let’s make the courageous choice to be intentional in how we interact with those we are blessed to have in our lives.

Each one of us will choose the attitude we will bring to this day; does it align with the life we want to live? While we cannot control many things that happen around us, we are free to choose what happens within us, which, in turn, will determine how we live this day. If we want to have a good day (who doesn’t?), it begins with a positive attitude, something each one of us can choose! I read a great quote by John C. Maxwell this morning: “So often, what people say their problem is really isn’t their problem. Their problem is the attitude that causes them to handle life’s obstacles poorly.”

Straight fact: you and I will influence every person we interact with today. Yes, Friend, you are that powerful! Will we choose to be encouraging? It does not have to be some grand gesture or some profound word of wisdom; to someone who is barely holding on, a smile from another human being can mean everything. What will your influence be?

So, what will you choose?

"To live intentionally is to live with purpose, not by chance." – Olivia Carter.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” – Viktor Frankl

“The truth is... everything counts. Everything. Everything we do and everything we say. Everything helps or hurts; everything adds to or takes away from someone else.” - Countee Cullen

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well.

Kev

Get In The Game!

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

Last week, I came across a quote that I find inspiring.

“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.” – Jackie Robinson

Let’s get in the game, Friends! In all aspects of our lives!

What would our world be like if we showed up for our spouses/partners and children every day? It is so easy – with horrible consequences! – to do nothing. I implore us, Friends; instead of just watching what is going on, let’s get involved in the lives of our spouses/partners and children, let’s be there for them every day, and let’s do all we can to encourage, empower, and equip them to be all that they were created to become.

What about work? Are we just showing up to get a paycheck, or are we invested, doing all we can to make a positive difference? I don’t care what our vocations are; there is something we can do to make a positive difference in the lives of other human beings! Everyone needs encouragement, unconditional love, and just to be seen.

What about the goals and dreams that are in our hearts? Are we pursuing them? I have discussed this before in Happy Friday; many people are walking around, living a life far less than the one they were created to live, because they are fearful of striving to become all they are capable of becoming. To me, it is twisted logic; however, these folks believe that if they don’t try, at least they won’t fail. While that is technically true, I have a rhetorical question this morning; while they won’t perhaps every experience a failing moment, aren’t they failing because they are failing to become all they are capable of becoming?

How about the lives we live in our communities? It is easy to cast stones, point out faults in others, or make suggestions about how others should be doing things. Have you ever noticed that the ones who are being critical are usually the ones who aren’t doing anything or they have no accountability for the outcome? If we aren’t willing to get into the game, to truly understand the challenges and problems, what right do we have to critique those who are trying to accomplish something?

I implore us all this morning, Friends, get in the game! Don’t sit in the grandstands and watch this beautiful thing called life go by! You matter, and the things you do, or don’t do, matter greatly!

I will close with a couple of quotes…

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, if he wins, knows the thrills of high achievement, and, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

― Theodore Roosevelt 

“Everyone wants the result of greatness but avoids the work required to get there. It’s boring. It’s a sacrifice. A commitment to show up every day, do the work, and live the standard. It’s preparing for the moment so you’re prepared in the moment. The work is the shortcut.” – Kevin DeShazo 

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Who Owns It?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

Last Sunday, our Pastor, Steve Huskey, preached a phenomenal sermon titled, “Own It All.” You can listen to the sermon here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TYDh25SSvNJ7ns7FEBQqD?go=1&sp_cid=c33515483950b9f293e130fef8aaba9b&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=6ed690e73bd84314

The point is really quite simple; sanctification is the ongoing process where God takes over and transforms every part of our lives. So, who owns:

·       Our attitudes? Negative to faith-filled…where are we on the continuum?

·       The entertainment we listen to and watch? Quantity and quality; in the world, not of it.

·       Our talent? Working as though we are working for the Lord, not man.

·       Our finances? We are only stewards.

·       Our relationships?

·       Our worry?

·       The words we speak?

·       Our time? The most valuable resource we have…does how we use it reflect the faith we profess to have?

And then on Wednesday, I was listening to a message from Pastor Joel Osteen titled, “Who’s The Boss?” You can watch the message and read the transcript here: https://sermons.love/joel-osteen/3397-joel-osteen-whos-the-boss.html

The point of the sermon is this; are we going to be led by the flesh or are we going to be led by the Spirit?

So, other than pointing you to these two great sermons, I simply want to remind us all that we have a choice to make every day…

I want to close with a few scriptures:

Romans 8:6

6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Matthew 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow 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, please cherish your family, and please stay well.

Kev 

Which Is It?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious new day in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

This week’s Happy Friday is going to simply be an observation. I have no words of wisdom, no answers…just thoughtful reflection.

 

Earlier this week I was talking to someone I love dearly. They had not slept well the night before, having troubling thoughts. I referenced the Bible, stating, “God promises to give us peace when we cast our cares on Him.” The person then said something like, “I tried that; it didn’t work.” And then it hit me; either this person didn’t cast their cares on the Lord, or what God has promised is not true. Which is it?

 

Have you ever been there? Are you there? I know I have been a ton of times!

 

I once heard it said something like, “The problem is we place things at the foot of the cross and then turn around and pick them right back up.” I get that! I once heard Pastor Craig Groeschel say, “At some point, you have to decide if you are going to allow God to be God or are you?”

 

So that’s it, just an observation; are we not living out our faith, or are the promises of God not true? Oh, another quick observation; I have also found that we all have different things that we will live out by faith, and those we won’t. I once heard it said that your greatest fear is where you trust God the least. Just a couple of things to think about this morning…

 

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

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

 

Kev

Appreciate Differences

 Happy Friday, Friends!

 

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

This morning, I have three quick hitters I want to share with you all.

1.      Each week, I have a memory verse. A couple of weeks ago, the verse really spoke to me and has become a daily prayer for me:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.” – Psalm 51:10

It gets me every time! My daily prayer and commitment is to live each day of my life with a pure heart and a steadfast spirit! I thought it might mean something to some of you as well!

2.     Earlier this week, I was speaking with a friend and thanking her for something very kind she had done for someone else. She stated, “That’s what I do.” It wasn’t proud or arrogant, just factual. And then it got me thinking about all of you; there are things you do every day in just being you that make a difference in someone else’s life. What you do matters, and I hope you understand the truly significant difference you make by just being you.

3.     I am reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey. Earlier this week, I was reading Habit 6, Synergize, and the section was titled "Valuing the Differences." I want to share a few excerpts that I found particularly profound with you all.

 

“And the key to valuing those differences is to realize that all people see the world, not as it is, but as they are.”

 

“The person who is truly effective has the humility and reverence to recognize his own perceptual limitations and to appreciate the rich resources available through interaction with the hearts and minds of other human beings. That person values the differences because those differences add to his knowledge, to his understanding of reality.”

 

“And unless we value the differences in our perceptions, unless we value each other and give credence to the possibility that we’re both right, that life is not always a dichotomous either/or, that there are almost always third alternatives, we will never be able to transcend the limits of that conditioning.”

 

“So when I become aware of the difference in our perceptions, I say, “Good! You see it differently! Help me see what you see.”

 

“If two people have the same opinion, one is unnecessary. It’s not going to do me any good at all to communicate with someone else who sees only the old woman also. I don’t want to talk, to communicate, with someone who agrees with me; I want to communicate with you because you see it differently. I value that difference.”

 

To illustrate the importance of valuing differences, Covey then shared the parable of The Animal School by G.H. Reeves.

 

The Animal School

Once upon a time, the animals decided that their lives and their society would be improved by setting up a school. The basics identified as necessary for survival in the animal world were swimming, running, climbing, jumping, and flying. Instructors were hired to teach these activities, and it was agreed that all the animals would take all the courses. This worked out well for the administrators, but it caused some problems for the students.

 

The squirrel, for example, was an A student in running, jumping, and climbing but had trouble in flying class, not because of an inability to fly, for she could sail from the top of one tree to another with ease, but because the flying curriculum called for taking off from the ground. The squirrel was drilled in ground-to-air take-offs until she was exhausted and developed charley horses from overexertion. This caused her to perform poorly in her other classes, and her grades dropped to D's.

 

The duck was outstanding in swimming class - even better than the teacher. But she did so poorly in running that she was transferred to a remedial class. There she practiced running until her webbed feet were so badly damaged that she was only an average swimmer. But since average was acceptable, nobody saw this as a problem - except the duck.

 

In contrast, the rabbit was excellent in running, but, being terrified of water, he was an extremely poor swimmer. Despite a lot of makeup work in swimming class, he never could stay afloat. He soon became frustrated and uncooperative and was eventually expelled because of behavior problems.

 

The eagle naturally enough was a brilliant student in flying class and even did well in running and jumping. He had to be severely disciplined in climbing class, however, because he insisted that his way of getting to the top of the tree was faster and easier.

 

It should be noted that the parents of the groundhog pulled him out of school because the administration would not add classes in digging and burrowing. The groundhogs, along with the gophers and badgers, got a prairie dog to start a private school. They all have become strong opponents of school taxes and proponents of voucher systems.

 

By graduation time, the student with the best grades in the animal school was a compulsive ostrich who could run superbly and also could swim, fly, and climb a little. She, of course, was made class valedictorian and received scholarship offers from all the best universities.

 

What would our world look like if we truly valued the differences? That, my Friends, is my challenge for each of us: to truly value the differences in one another. While the fable is funny, when it becomes the reality we are living, it is no longer funny; it is tragic.

 

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

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

 

Kev

Be Real

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday afternoon in my Sweet Home Alabama!

I have a couple of things I want to share with you all briefly this afternoon.

The first thing I want to talk about briefly, I actually shared in the June 28, 2025, Happy Friday titled, “Woe. Woe. Woe.” In that Happy Friday, I shared excerpts from Pastor Craig Groeschel's newest book titled, The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead to A Richer Faith. I want to reshare a specific excerpt I shared – in that Happy Friday, I shared a bunch – and really focus on it. Here is the excerpt:

“He already knew that, just like every other human, they were sinners. The problem he was addressing was their constant attempts to cover it up. They presented a false exterior, manipulating the impressions of others. To Jesus, their deception was what made the Pharisees hypocrites.”

I have given a lot of thought to that excerpt and had a couple of conversations with others about it over the past few weeks. It is key; it is not that they sinned…Jesus already knew that they were sinners. It was the attempt to cover it up, and perhaps most intolerable was that it was done to manipulate the impressions of others. THAT was the hypocrisy that Jesus spoke so strongly against.

Anyone besides me feeling convicted right now? I have been there, a hypocrite. I did things that I shouldn’t have done, and then I hid it because I didn’t want others to know I did/was doing something I shouldn’t be doing. Perhaps that is a good gauge or litmus test for all of us; if we have to hide it or can’t tell everyone about it, we probably shouldn’t be doing it! Think about it; would you be ashamed to tell someone you helped someone, volunteered, saved an animal in distress, etc.? While you might not like the idea and would prefer not to draw attention to yourself, humility, you wouldn’t feel like you had to hide it because you are concerned others would think worse of you because of it. Now, how about watching pornography, getting drunk, etc.? Would you feel like you had to hide it? Right about now, the defense mechanisms kick in: “It is none of your business!” “I can do whatever I want!” The points are correct; however, if someone is hiding what they are doing to manipulate others’ impressions of them, by definition, they are a hypocrite – that includes me and you.

Let’s take off the masks and be real, Friends. We all sin, and there is great wisdom in accepting the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus, which we can only do by acknowledging our wrongdoing. Everything gets ratcheted up to a whole new level when we try to manipulate others by hiding those sins, the times we fall short. Let’s be the real, authentic people we were created to be. If we make a mistake or sin, let’s own up to it, apologize, and repent as appropriate, learn from it, and then move forward. Don’t waste the lesson by denying or hiding the wrongdoing, and at the same time, don’t camp out there for the rest of your life – it was a lesson, not a life sentence. As Pastor Craig regularly says on the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, “People would rather follow a leader who is always real than a leader who is always right.”

I want to close by sharing a profound quote I came across this morning:

“The day you find out who you are is when you look back and realize that it was never the words, rather your actions that defined you.” – Shannon L. Alder

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev 

I Don't Know

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

Like you, I have been heartbroken over what transpired along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. Let’s continue to pray for all those impacted by this unimaginable tragedy.

Earlier this week, I got a call from a good friend who serves in vocational ministry. He shared his frustration, perhaps anger, at what happened. He shared that he knew God could have stopped this if He wanted…why didn’t He? And he wanted to know what I thought he should tell the people he serves when they ask him why God allowed this to happen. I will tell you what I told him: “I don’t know.” I share the anger, frustration, and heartbreak.

There are a few things that I shared with my Friend.

1.  Sometimes we think we must have all of the answers, say something to fix the hurt, but the reality is none of us can answer that question, and no words can heal the pain. It is o.k. to say, “I don’t know.” Keep it real. It is indescribable, unexplainable, and it hurts. Other than being honest, the only other thing I would suggest in dealing with others is to apply the wisdom of Romans 12:15 and “mourn with those who mourn.”

2. I shared the story with my friend that I shared with all of you last week in Happy Friday about the gentleman whom Mother Teresa had asked how she could pray for him. He stated he wanted her to pray for clarity; she said, “No,” and told him that clarity was the last thing he needed to let go of. He stated he thought she had always had clarity. She said that she had never had clarity, but she always had trust. She then told him that she would pray for him to trust. Isn’t this what we are talking about here? We want answers. We want clarity. We want something that makes no sense to somehow make sense. But it never will. So, each of us must decide: Will we trust God and His promises?

3. I pray we will all fight for our faith. Faith is not a feeling, and it is not based on what we can see. It is an intentional decision to trust (there is that word again)! I totally understand how hard it is to have faith in God when something like this happens, however, I want to encourage you to fight for it with whatever amount of strength you have. Jesus will meet you there and bridge the gap from whatever faith you have to God.

4. Share your heart, honestly, with God. He can handle our feelings, anger, and frustrations. Please take them all and place them at the foot of the cross. Do this as many times per day as you need. He cares, He understands, He loves us, and He is with us.

Other than honestly telling you that I don’t know why God allowed it to happen, pointing you to Jesus and encouraging you to trust God and fight for your faith, I have nothing. This is how I have chosen to live my life.

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well.

Kev

Trust > Clarity

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Sunday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama! I am on the struggle bus…getting this out two days late, however, here I am!

Some seasons of life are difficult. Sometimes it is hard to keep the faith. Sometimes the darkness is so thick that nothing can be seen. Sometimes the heart is so heavy it feels like there is a stone in the chest. Sometimes it is hard to simply breathe. Ever been there? I am now.

We are all going to turn to something when we are in difficult seasons of life. I like to listen to Christian radio, read books, search scripture, etc., during these times. In the last 24 hours I came across 4 different things that I want to share with you all that are helpful to me during this season of life.

When I was listening to Christian radio yesterday, the announcer talked about the very type of season I described above. She then talked about Psalms 23 and encouraged everyone to read it every day for a week. She stated she had done this previously when she was in one of those seasons of life and it made a profound difference for her. I plan to take her counsel and thought you might want to as well.

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The song Flowers by Samantha Ebert really speaks to my heart. I would encourage you to read the lyrics and listen to the song. My favorite version of the song is Samantha Ebert featuring Seph Schlueter.

Flowers

Well, blue skies and hillsides feel so far away

And I wrote in my notebook that I've seen better days

Than the ones as of late

I can't bear the weight

The rain won't stop pouring out my windowpane

And I haven't left my bedroom in 76 days

I wish something would change

'Cause I'm losing faith

So I brought it up in a desperate prayer

Lord, why are you keeping me here?

Then He said to me, "Child, I'm planting seeds

I'm a good God and I have a good plan

So trust that I'm holding a watering can

And someday you'll see that flowers grow in the valley"

So whatever the reason, I'm barely getting by

I'll trust it's a season knowing that you're by my side

Every step of the way

And I'll be okay

'Cause I brought it up in a desperate prayer

Lord, why are you keeping me here?

Then He said to me, "Child, I'm planting seeds

I'm a good God and I have a good plan"

So trust that I'm holding a watering can

And someday you'll see that flowers grow in the valley

Mm, mm

When I'm on the mountain and looking down below

I'll see a valley of flowers that needed time to grow

And I'll thank you for the rain

The hurt and days of pain

And I'll bring it up in a grateful prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for keeping me there

You know just what I need, and you've planted seeds

'Cause you're a good God with a real good plan

And you hold my world in a watering can

So I can have peace 'cause flowers grow in the valley

Last night I was reading another section of Pastor Craig Groeschel’s book The Benefit of Doubt. I read this excerpt, which spoke deeply to me.

“John Kavanaugh was a professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University. He spent a year searching for purpose in life and then moved to Calcutta, India, to help Mother Teresa in her ministry of serving the poor. One day she asked Kavanaugh, “What can I pray for you?” He thought, This is it. My moment! So he asked Mother Teresa to please pray for clarity. She said no, telling him, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” He was taken aback and sputtered out, “But you seem to have clarity. Why won’t you pray for me to have clarity?” Mother Teresa stated, “I’ve never had clarity, what I’ve always had is trust. That’s what I will pray for you. That you will trust God.””

Finally, when I was searching for quotes about faith this morning, I came across the following:

“Faith is not a feeling. It’s a choice. You choose whether to walk in fear or faith. And when you choose to walk in faith, God walks with you.” – Eve M. Harrell

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 Sunday, please cherish your precious family, and stay well.

Kev

Woe. Woe. Woe.

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day on this glorious Saturday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!

I am reading a great book by Pastor Craig Groeschel titled, “The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead To A Richer Faith.” Earlier this week I was reading Chapter 6, Why Believe in Jesus When His Followers Are Such Hypocrites? and I just knew I had to share some excerpts with you. I want to strongly encourage you to add this book to your reading list – powerful.

Here are the excerpts that I thought you might find thought-provoking and useful:

“Instead of being known for love, as Jesus commanded, his followers can be known for what they hate and what they are against, and for being exclusive, hypercritical, and antagonistic.

1.      Jesus commanded us to our enemies (Matt. 5:44), but today people claiming to be his followers relentlessly attack their enemies on social media.

2.     Jesus taught that we are to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9), but Christians today scream hate-filled words at their protests and rallies.

3.     Jesus said only those without sin can cast a stone, leading the people who wanted to punish a guilty woman to drop their weapons (John 8:1-11), but today Christians quickly and easily pick up “stones” and throw them at the guilty, and sometimes the innocent.”

“Turns out Jesus didn’t like it when people claimed one thing and lived another.”

“Jesus called them hypocrites. You’ll find the word hypocrite seventeen times in the Gospels. Every time, it was Jesus who spoke the word. And every time, he used it to describe people who “do not practice what they preach…everything they do is do for people to see” (Matt. 23:3).”

“Before Jesus used it, the word hypocrite had been used exclusively for actors, who, back then, would wear masks onstage because the same actor would plan several different parts. For each character, a different mask was worn. So hypocrite means, “one who wears a mask.”

Jesus was the first person to ever use the word outside the theater context. By applying it to the Pharisees, he accused them of wearing masks, pretending to be something they weren’t.

And what did Jesus say to them?

Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe.

Whoa! Jesus had a zero-tolerance policy for hypocrites.

Jesus was calling them out on their show. He already knew that, just like every other human, they were sinners. The problem he was addressing was their constant attempts to cover it up. They presented a false exterior, manipulating the impressions of others. To Jesus, their deception was what made the Pharisees hypocrites.”

“They’re described this way in Titus 1:6: “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.”

Just to clarify:

·       Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.

·       Attending a Bible study doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.

·       Believing in God doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.

·       Getting baptized doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.”

“Jesus was accused of hanging out with “sinners” who also didn’t know any better yet. He met people right where they were at the time. And he still does.”

“While salvation is a one-time event, transformation is a lifelong journey. The Holy Spirit may come to us in a download, but, through him, change happens day by day. that means every Christian is at a unique place in his or her walk of faith.”

“We are all imperfect, in-process Christians.”

“No matter how mature you are, you’re still vulnerable. And if you think you’re not, you are even more vulnerable. Pride often comes before a fall (Prov. 16:18).”

“That is a cognitive bias we all have called the fundamental attribution error, which means this:

·       When we fall short, we blame our circumstances.

·       When other people fall short, we blame their character.

·       When I sin, I might say, “I didn’t mean to, I was just tired and under a lot of pressure. And, really, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, you know my heart. I’m not that kind of person.”

·       When someone else commits the same sin, we say, “That person’s so bad. I doubt he’s even a Christian. What a hypocrite!””

“We are quick to point fingers and accuse others of hypocrisy. But when we blame our circumstances while shaming someone else’s character, isn’t that hypocrisy? Doesn’t it make us hypocrites too?”

“God-fearing”doesn’t necessarily mean Jesus following.”

“If you’ve been hurt by people and it led you to lose your faith in Jesus, is it possible your faith was in people when it should have been in Jesus?”

Pretty powerful, thought-provoking stuff, isn’t it? I hope and pray that you and I will take off the masks and live the authentic lives we were created to live.

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

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev