Show Up

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!

 

The thought/conviction of my Spirit, “Show Up,” keeps running through my mind. I think I am going to write a book with that title – seriously!

 

Show up for what?

·       Life

·       Your marriage/significant relationships

·       Your kids

·       Your extended family

·       Your friends

·       Your job

·       Church

·       Anything and everything where someone or something – as my sweet Chocolate Lab walks over to me – is counting on you!

 

Yes, life is hard. Yes, there are challenging days, seasons, months, and sometimes, years. What do you do? Show up! You got knocked on your rear – figuratively, and perhaps literally! What do you do? Show up! You got in a fight with your spouse/significant other. What do you do? Show up! Your kid is not doing what you want them to do, or try this one out, they are the kid who will get in the game last or sing the worst. What do you do? Show up! And you let them know that come hell or high water, you will be there for them so long as the Lord allows you to walk the face of this earth!

 

Friends, my hope and fervent prayer for all of us is that we will show up. Great each new day as the glorious, great gift that God intended it to be. Let us learn from the past, look forward to the future with hope, and live each day fully! No matter what else you do, show up!

 

I will end with a few quotes for you to consider.

 

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” - Calvin Coolidge

 

“Showing up is essential. Showing up consistently is powerful. Showing up consistently with a positive outlook is even more powerful.” - Jeff Olson

 

“The worst thing that happens in life is not death. The worst thing would be to miss it…I think the great danger in life is not showing up.” - Rachel Naomi Remen

 

“We need not wait for the world to become more mystical; the world is mystical. Our problem is not that the world lacks magic; our problem is that we don't believe in its magic. We do not show up fully for life and then wonder why life is not showing up more fully for us.” - Marianne Williamson

 

Please feel free 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@whatwillyourinfluencbe.com.

 

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

 

Kev

The original, "What Will Your Influence Be...?"

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, I learned that, while I readily acknowledged it was inspired by the Spirit, What Will Your Influence Be…? was actually addressed by the Apostle Paul around 48 A.D. Some original idea I had!

 

In his letter to the Christian churches in Galatia, Paul wrote the following:

 

Galatians 5:19-23

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

There it is – controlled by the flesh vs. controlled by the Spirit; fruits of the flesh vs. fruits of the Spirit. What Will Your Influence Be…?

 

I am not here this morning to tell anyone how they should live their lives; I can only testify to how I have chosen to live mine. What I will encourage us all to do is to take a look at the fruit that we produce in our lives. If we don’t like what that looks like, we would be wise to consider how we are living our lives. As Luke stated in Chapter 6: verses 43-45:

 

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

 

I chuckle as I type this; I had truly never seen What Will Your Influence Be…? in Galatians 5:19-23 until this past weekend. And as hard as we might want to make life, it is really rather simple. Good in, good out. Bad in, bad out.

 

What Will Your Influence Be…? Truly Friend, you don’t have to say a word. We can all see the fruit.

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

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

 

Kev

What If

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! Additionally, I sincerely hope you have been warm, safe, and with power during this challenging week for so many in our country. Please continue to pray for those who are being negatively affected.

 

I want to start off by sharing a couple of quotes and a scripture. I will then share a few thoughts and challenges for us all.

 

Last Saturday, I came across this quote:

“Treasure this day and treasure yourself. Truly, neither will ever happen again.” – Ray Bradbury

 

Then, during his message last Sunday, Pastor Steve said, “Imagine a place where every person has high value.”

 

On Monday, I was listening to Pastor Craig Groeschel’s Sunday message, titled "Choosing Unity in a Divided World." At the end of his message, Pastor Craig cited John 13:35, which says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 

So Friends, what if we lived like these quotes and scripture were true? What would our world look like then?

 

Treasure this Day…it will never happen again.

What if we simply lived this day to the fullest? What if we didn’t live in regret, shame, or whatever of yesterday because the reality, Friends, is that we cannot change any of it? And, what if we didn’t live in worry or fear of tomorrow, which may or may not arrive, and the things we worry about and fear may never happen? What if we just embraced and cherished this day with everything that is within us? If we were to live it to the fullest, hindered neither by the past nor the future? Just fully alive today! Let’s make Psalm 118:24 the daily declaration of our lives: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

 

Unconvinced? Here is the reality, Friend: this day will come and go, never to be seen again. The choice to live or survive, be positive or negative, is yours and yours alone. You live it however you choose, just be mindful that it will never come again and you are literally exchanging a day of your precious life for it.

 

Treasure yourself…your life will never happen again.

The Bible says that each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, created on purpose for a purpose for which we are perfectly equipped, lacking nothing. Oh, Sweet Friends, I pray that we will all truly realize how valuable, how precious, each and every one of us truly is. God thought enough of you and me to create us. He wanted to have a relationship with us so badly that He sent Jesus to die for our sins that we may be in a right relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus. Shouldn’t we at least honor the One who created us and the One who suffered so we may live? Please, be very careful and thoughtful of the words you speak over yourself, for when you criticize yourself, you are literally criticizing the handiwork of the One who created you.

 

Look, as a guy who has spent, and if I am honest, still spends, way too much time criticizing myself, I get it. The truth is, we all have flaws, challenges, and struggles. Do we really think that the God who created us doesn’t know it? You see, Friends, it is these very flaws, challenges, and struggles that cause us to rely on the One who created us. I am fully aware that in my strength, I am incapable of becoming the Godly man, husband, father, leader, and friend that He created me to be. He, however, is the God of the impossible. When I lay my life at the foot of the cross, allow Him to lead, guide, and direct every step of my life, I honor Him and the life He has blessed me to live.

 

So what if we stopped criticizing and beating up God’s masterpieces – ourselves? As with the day, our lives are also ebbing away. We have one to live, and we get one shot at it. None of us is going to extend our lives by speaking life or speaking death over ourselves; however, the quality, depth, and breadth of the lives we live will be directly impacted by the words we speak over ourselves. Since our words and actions have the potential to reverberate in eternity, we would be wise to carefully consider them. What if you and I agreed with what God says about us?

 

And now, we pivot: “Imagine a place where every person has high value.” Truly Friends, we don’t have to imagine it; we simply have to recognize and appreciate it. Everything stated above about you and me is true, and it is true of everyone else, too. The real problem, I believe, is our lack of recognition, respect, and appreciation for it!

 

What if we treated everyone like they had high value? Just as God created you and me, God created them. Just as Jesus died and rose for you and me, He died and rose for them. It isn’t a matter of someone having high value; it is a matter of us honoring them and the high value they possess.

 

And finally, what if we were really known by our love? In the same message where he cited John 13:35, Pastor Craig also cited Proverbs 6:16-19:

16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

If the Lord hates something or finds it detestable, wisdom tells me we should listen. He also tells us to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” Should we listen?

 

So Friends, what if we genuinely – gonna need help with that! – everyone? How different would our world be? And this quote has also challenged and inspired me: “Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I need it the most.” - Jay McLean

 

This is a very challenging Happy Friday – to write, to read, and most importantly, to live. I will again testify that I have found in my life that the only chance I actually have to treasure my life and each day I am blessed to live, to recognize that everyone is valuable, and to love everyone is through the wisdom, discernment, power, and strength of the Holy Spirit. What if we allowed Him to truly lead our lives every day?

 

Please feel free 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

Your Most Valuable Possession

Happy Friday, Friends!

 

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

 

Last weekend, during the message at our church, Pastor Steve asked a question: “What is your most valuable possession?” That question hit me like a ton of bricks. This morning I simply ask you the same question – What is your most valuable possession? If everything were stripped away and you were left with only one thing, what would it be? I offer you no deep words of wisdom or thoughtful insights; I simply encourage us all to ask ourselves that question and then honor the truthful answer to it by bringing everything we are, say, and do into alignment with it.

 

I also want to share something that I found on Facebook this past week that I thought was awesome. It is from Clint Riggin, and it is titled Biblical Leadership. Now, Clint had made this into an awesome graph…I will NOT be doing that this morning. I do want to share the powerful message, however, as I think these are good tools to have in the leadership toolbox.

 

BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP

How Jesus defines leadership

 

In the center:

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve…”

 

The 5 spokes, if you will:

Go First

1 Corinthians 11:1

“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”

 

Humility Before Authority

Philippians 2:3-5

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition…have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

 

Faithfulness in the Work

Luke 16:10

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”

 

Shepherd the People

1 Peter 5:2-3

“Be shepherds of God’s flock…not lording it over those entrusted to you.”

 

Presence Over Position

Matthew 20:26

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

 

Lead by Example

John 13:15

“I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

 

LIVE IT. MODEL IT. MULTIPLY IT.

 

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

 

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

Kev 

Serve

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 Happy Friday chased me down! Please, allow me to explain.

·       Last weekend, my Beautiful Bride and I watched the movie Soul On Fire. It is a true story based on the life of John O’Leary. I would strongly encourage you to read the book of the same title and watch the movie.

The Hall of Fame baseball announcer, Jack Buck, had heard about John’s plight (trying not to spoil the book or movie for you!) at a dinner party and went to the hospital to see him. He went again and again and again. Upon John’s recovery, he had the St. Louis Cardinals host John O’Leary Day, as he had promised while John was in the hospital. In the movie, an adult John asks Jack why he did it, and while I can’t remember the exact line, he said something like, “Because you needed someone.” Jack didn’t know what to do, but he knew he could be there for a horribly injured, scared little boy and let him know he was not alone.

·       Also over the weekend, I saw On the Road with Steve Hartman. He featured a gentleman whose car was badly damaged, yet somehow still drivable. Many, many people posted pictures on social media making fun of the car. But one man said he had to learn more. What did he learn? That it was the man’s only means of transportation and that it made it difficult for him to get to doctors' appointments. So, rather than make fun of what he saw, he started a GoFundMe page, raised money from more than 500 donors, and got the gentleman a 2019 truck. At the end of the segment, the gentleman gets emotional not about the truck but by the love shown by so many people.

·       On Sunday, I went to church, and the sermon was on serving others.

·       And while this one didn’t happen over the weekend, it has always stuck with me. In a study, young children were asked, “If you are playing a game and someone gets hurt, what do you do?” Almost dumbfounded, the children answered, “You help them.” Duh!

 

Why do we make life complicated? We all have struggles, challenges, and times when we need help. Every one of us has had a moment where someone doing something as small as smiling at us meant everything. In that moment, we knew everything was going to be o.k., that we were going to be o.k. What a great gift!

 

Friends, the hope, prayer, and opportunity are really simple; that we would have eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to care, and hands and feet willing to be moved to love, care for, and serve others. It does not have to be something grand! Hold the door, say hello, help someone carry a bag of groceries, etc. Just be available and willing to help another human being. Whatever the need may be, if you have the conviction to meet it, do so. The opportunities are limitless, and the impact could reverberate for eternity. Besides, if you can make a positive difference in the life of another, why wouldn’t you?

 

I will close with a quote and a scripture.

 

Matthew 20:26

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant

 

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

 

Please feel free to contact me anytime if there is anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you in 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 stay well!

 

Kev

To Be Known

 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.

 

I am currently doing a Bible Study titled God Outside the Box. It is written by J.R. Hudberg, and it is a study of the Book of Job. I can’t say enough about Impactus, a global men’s ministry. I would highly encourage every man to look into their Bible studies and resources. I have found them incredibly helpful. You can learn more about them at https://www.impactus.org.

 

Earlier this week, I was doing day 2 of this 7-day study, and the message shook me! I knew right away I wanted to share with you all. Here is this phenomenal, incredibly challenging study.

 

When God’s Words Surprise Us

We all know we should not put God “in a box,” to prescribe what He can or would do.

 

But if we’re honest, we usually think of that in terms of not limiting God’s goodness. Not underestimating His grace and generosity.

 

But we keep Him in a box in far different ways than that, and Job’s story reminds us that our knowledge of God is perhaps shaky.

 

The opening scene of Job is jarring. Satan enters the heavenly court, and after the Accuser speaks, God calls his attention to Job: “Have you considered my servant Job?” (Job 1:8 NIV).

 

It is not Satan who points at Job; it is God.

 

That is surprising, even unsettling. We might expect God to shield Job, to hide him from Satan’s gaze.

 

Instead, God highlights Job’s faithfulness. Job is God’s trophy. Job becomes the example—he is “blameless and upright,” a man whose integrity reflects the fear of God.

 

But with that commendation comes testing. It is God who puts Job on Satan’s radar. It is God who gives permission for Job’s suffering.

 

What do we do with a God like this?

 

For men, it can be uncomfortable. We want God to protect us, to insulate us from suffering—indeed, to act as Satan says God has toward Job (see verse 10).

 

Yet this passage suggests something deeper: God’s purposes are bigger than our comfort. Job is not chosen for ruin but for revelation. Through Job’s life, the heavenly court—and eventually Job himself—will come to see that integrity and devotion to God cannot be dependent on blessing.

 

If God were to point us out—if He were to say, “Have you considered my servant?”—would we be ready for the weight of being known by Him?

 

Our instinct is to equate blessing with favor and suffering with abandonment. But Job’s story breaks those categories. Sometimes, God entrusts men with hardship not because they are weak, but because He knows their faith can bear witness to His worth.

 

This doesn’t make suffering easier. But it reframes it.

 

When our identity is rooted in God’s declaration, we may find ourselves walking paths we never would have chosen. Yet in those very places, our lives speak most clearly of the God who calls us His own.

 

The surprising truth is that God may not hide us from the test—but He never forgets us in it.

 

Prayer: God who knows more and better than I do, thank You that my understanding is not the end of the story. Help me to look for You and Your purposes in the circumstances of my life. Amen.

 

Difficult? Yes! Challenging? Yes! If I am completely honest, a little scary? Yes! But I have to tell you, I find it inspiring as well. It is this sentence right here – “Sometimes, God entrusts men with hardship not because they are weak, but because He knows their faith can bear witness to His worth.” I pray for faith that can bear witness to God’s worth! I aspire to be that man!

 

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

Are You the One?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious first Friday of 2026 in my Sweet Home Alabama! Additionally, I sincerely hope you gave and received the gift of presence this Christmas!

Are you the one?

I have a great friend, a Godly man, I am very blessed to have in my life, whose father states, “Every young man has the opportunity to be the first.” My friends goes on to explain, “the context is when a young man has experienced sins of the father, and they doubt their ability to change that.” It is in those situations that my friend's father reminds young men that “every young man has the opportunity to be the first.” Great, faith-filled words of hope and inspiration.

While I believe this statement to be true, I do not believe it is limited strictly to men, nor do I think it is limited solely to “sins of the father.” While I am broadening the statement's context, I am confident my friend and his father would agree with my message this Friday afternoon. I believe it can be expanded to all people, and the message can include anything less than what God created the individual to become.

Perhaps for you, you had an absent father. Are you the one to be present?

Perhaps for you, you had a controlling, manipulative mom. Are you the one to love unconditionally?

Perhaps for you, nobody in your family has ever pursued a higher education – a 2-year or 4-year degree, or perhaps graduated from a trade school. Are you the one to do so?

Perhaps, for you, your family has always lived and made decisions out of fear. Are you the one who lives and makes decisions by faith?

Perhaps, for you, no one in your family has ever been financially independent or responsible. Are you the one to do so?

Are you the one?

My hope is not to make an expansive list but instead point you to the wisdom of my friend's father; just because you grew up or were raised in a particular situation or set of circumstances, it doesn’t mean you can’t be the first one in your family to do it differently. I can’t remember who said it, but it is very wise; when we take responsibility, we have response–ability.  

 As so many are making New Year’s Resolutions this time of year, I want to encourage us to pray, reflect, and look more deeply. If everyone in your life that you care deeply about consistently believed what you believe, lived as you live, and did what you do, would it lead them to a life of growth and prosperity? If not, perhaps you are the one. 

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 evening, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev