Encouragement

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Super Bowl Sunday! A little more than 1 1/2 hours to kick off...let's see if we can get this Happy Friday hammered out.

I was in Seattle all last week - talk about a city, a state, supporting a team!! Everywhere you look you see "12." It was so awesome, so beautiful, driving from Yakima to Seattle late on Thursday night. Driving across Interstate 90, fog and low hanging clouds, it is completely dark outside. Then all of the sudden, way up on the side of the mountain, beautifully illuminated...12. Now that has nothing to do with this Happy Friday however it was truly a beautiful sight and I just had to share it with ya'll. :) Oh, and by the way, I am a huge Patriots fan...something I only revealed twice all of last week! :)

O.K., back on point, something happened, I honestly don't recall what it was, early last week and it made me think about "encouragement." Many times throughout the week I thought about encouragement, our - all of us - need for encouragement, our opportunity to encourage others, etc. This, encouragement, is what I want to talk about today.

When I Google the word encouragement it says, "the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope."

Let's break that down:
Action - Dictionary.com defines action as "something done or performed; act; deed."
We can think, feel or say whatever we want...it is the actions that we take that speak to the hearts of others. We have to go from thinking, feeling and saying to actually doing Friends. Without action we fail to encourage others. Let us be men & women of great action!

Giving - Dictionary.com defines giving as "to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow"
Love this definition! To voluntarily, for no reason other than your heart speaking to you, do something while expecting nothing in return...nothing! Feel the weight of that Friends, feel the weight!! Will you, will I, on our own accord pour into the lives of another without expecting anything in return?

Support - Dictionary.com defines support as "to sustain under trial or affliction; to maintain by supplying with things necessary to existence; to provide for"
There are really two different components here:
- To sustain under trial or affliction - Every one of us has been there and will most likely be there again. I bet anything you remember the person, the people, that were there for you, that helped you get through it. We ALL have seasons where we need someone we can lean against, when we are tired & weary, when we need someone to help us just a little bit. Will you, will I, be that person to someone?
- Maintain by supplying with things necessary to existence; to provide for - We always think about the big, grandeous things...how about the small, day to day, matters? To see someone that is not in a trial or affliction but is just chugging along, doing the very best they can each and every day...will we lend support to that person? Perhaps if we looked outside ourselves just a little bit and supported others in this manner we wouldn't have such the crisis' of trial & affliction. Just a thought.

Confidence - Dictionary.com defines confidence as "full trust, belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing"
Have you ever looked someone in the eye and pure-heartedly said, "I believe in you"? If you have, you know the look that comes across their face...it is truly priceless. If you haven't, I would encourage you to look for opportunities to pure-heartedly tell someone...you won't regret it. And please don't forget how this whole thing started...by taking action. When possible act out the confidence you have in another...show them.

Hope - Dictionary.com defines hope as "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best"
Without hope, what is left? It is pretty bleak. Sometimes we get beat down & worn down, we are tired & weary. Sometimes we are so deep in the thickness of life that we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. A word of hope spoken into the heart & soul of another can not only change the trajectory of that persons life but can literally reverberate for generations to come. Yes Friends, hope is really that big of a deal.

I now want to share a few quotes about encouragement before wrapping this up:

"Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Will you, will I, be that person? Will we help someone see what they could become?

 

"Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be." - Stephen R. Covey

How do we treat people - as they are or as they could be?

 

"Encouragement requires empathy and seeing the world from your spouse's perspective. We must first learn what is important to our spouse. Only then can we give encouragement. With verbal encouragement, we are trying to communicate, "I know. I care. I am with you. How can I help?" We are trying to show that we believe in him and in his abilities. We are giving credit and praise." - Gary Chapman

Love this quote. The one thing I would say is we could take out the word "spouse" and put "son", "daughter", "friend", "coworker", "colleague", etc. Read it that way with whoever is on your heart...

 

"Encourage yourself, believe in yourself, and love yourself. Never doubt who you are." - Stephanie Lahart

So powerful, so true! Encourage yourself. You cannot give what you do not have. To encourage others you have to be encouraged. Be the best you that you can be Friend - and please believe in & love the amazing you that God created!

 

"...You can do something extraordinary, and something that a lot of people can't do. And if you have the opportunity to work on your gifts, it seems like a crime not to." - Morgan Matson

Yes, you...

Encouragement...we all want & need it. I want to challenge (yes, I typed encourage at first and then changed it! :) ) each of us to intentionally be encouragers this week. Please start in your own home and then work out to your areas of influence.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, enjoy the Patriots win and cherish your precious families!

Kev

Change & Priorities

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day on this beautiful Friday morning! It is cool and rainy on the Gulf Coast as this amazing new opportunity, uh day, dawns!

This morning I want to share some excerpts and a thought with you.

The following excerpts come from an article titled Change Can Be Tough So Be Tougher by Dr. Richard Norris. You can read the entire article at leadingmenonly.com.

Whatever the change, there is always an opportunity to grow one way or another.

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

If you're alive, you will have faced change. The question is how you face it?

Few face it and embrace it. It's these few who most often are the ones who lead and succeed.

Like running into the wind, resisting change is harder.

The truth is that it's better for you to see change as your friend not your enemy. A friend wants to help you. An enemy wants to defeat you.

In the face of change, we must always respond for the best.

Whatever your own situation, you are the solution. Don't look somewhere else. Your best help starts with you. You must take ownership.

Change can be tough but it's the doorway to your greater self.

Change pushes us beyond our comfort zone. Our comfort zone nurtures our existing habits. Such habits come naturally. Such habits, however, keep us where we are at. They won't lead us to where we can ultimately be. Unless we have the mental toughness to boldly go where we haven't gone before, we'll recoil quickly back to our old ways and habits. Change requires new habits. New habits bring growth. New habits take time and effort. For new habits to replace old ones we must overcome our internal resistance. That demands focus on what is possible. It requires commitment to make it happen. It requires belief that you can.

Our ability to endure and thrive through and as a result of change relies on us being mentally tough, physically durable, emotionally resilient and spiritually strong. Our toughness needs to be holistic. In most instances, when I've not succeeded at something, it's because I lacked the mental toughness to see it through. My commitment was not 100%.

The mind is a battlefield. It's a battle that wages afresh every day. Your ally is you. Your enemy is you. Both are your inner voice. One is rooting and working for you. The other is condemning and working against you. Whichever you listen to most will win the day. Your prevailing voice will determine how change will affect you. Be mindful each day which side you are on.

Human will and determination can turn the impossible into the incredible.

One way to ensure that you come through change stronger is through managing the associated stress - be it big or small. How you manage your stress is up to you.

No matter what direction change comes from, realize that you are ultimately in control of its effect.

Maintain the right attitude and you build resilience in the face of adversity and change.

For you to deal with change, you must first deal with yourself. When you change who you are it's easier to change what you do.

Wow! There was so much great stuff presented by Dr. Norris. Going back to last week, what will we do with this information Friends?

I also wanted to speak briefly about priorities...or maybe it's values...or integrity. Oh boy, its going to be one of those days!Ultimately, here is what is moving my spirit this morning; it is really easy to say what your priorities are, what you value, however do the things you say and do on a consistent basis show that these are your priorities, your values? Are you walking in complete integrity?

A few things:
1. It is absolutely critical that we determine on the front end what our priorities are, what we value. If we wait until the "moment of truth," we can hope & pray that we will respond in accordance what we profess to be our priorities & values, however we stand very little chance of walking this out if they are not our true priorities & beliefs.

2. The true test of what our priorities & values are is how we respond in times of adversity. In complete calm it is easy to say we value something, that it is a priority however it is when the difficult decisions have to be made that we truly find out if this is true.

3. The test is coming. It is not a matter of "if", it is a matter of "when". If you don't determine your priorities & values, if you don't walk these out in small matters, you stand very little chance of passing the "big test."

4. Nobody can determine your priorities & values but you. And, nobody can say what the appropriate priorities & values are for another. I think this is where a lot of the problems truly stem from. We want to say the "right thing." We want to please our spouse, friends, boss, etc. so we say something is a priority or that we value something however if we truly don't, our actions will ultimately betray our words.

5. It is impossible to consistently act in a manner inconsistent with our true priorities & values. If our actions do not match our words we do not have integrity.

What Will Your Influence Be...?

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.

Kev 

Will We Learn?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day as the beautiful, fresh, new day dawns! I can't say bright as the sun has yet to shine this month on the Gulf Coast!!!

Wow! It has been 4 weeks since my last Happy Friday. The last month has been a complete blur...and pretty exhausting.

• On December 23rd I worked half a day, picked up the family, hopped in the car and drove 16 straight hours to Arizona. We arrived at 4:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve morning. The drive was awesome. The Haslam 5 talked, laughed, fought...we were a family. I cherish those times.
• The next week was a blur of family, friends & football. There were so many great conversations, it was great to see family & friends we hadn't seen in months...a truly blessed time.
• New Years Eve was a blast. My Beautiful Bride was asleep by 9:00 p.m., Payton was with his precious girlfriend and their friends, Gehrig was with his buddies...this left me and Landry to ring in the new year. I had no idea what was in store for me. Yes Friends, that was Landry & I running up and down the street at midnight with sparklers in hand. Yes, that was also us running to the park, to the next street over, to the end of the street...you get the idea, to get a better view of the fireworks we could hear but could not quite see good enough.
• New Years Day was filled with football & naps...I love those naps! (yes, multiple!) :)
• January 2nd I was awakened a little before 6:00 a.m. by my cell phone ringing. I had left it in the living room and I could hear it from the room where my Bride and I were sleeping. I jumped up and ran to the phone. I got there in time to see it was my Mom calling however I did not answer it in time. I picked up my phone and headed back to the room. Just as I got to the room Kath's phone started ringing. It was my Mom...somethings wrong. Kath answered the phone and we learned that my Mom's husband Dennis had passed away late at night on New Years Day. A wave of emotions...
• The initial plan was for me to go out to the house we own in Arizona, do the yard work I had to get done, come back to get Kathy & the boys and head to Mom's. As Payton and I drove out to do the yard work we learned that a bad winter storm was moving into New Mexico where my Mom lives. The plan was changed to us driving back to Texas the next day and then going to see Mom.
• Another 16+ hour straight drive. We got back home a little after 2:00 a.m. I got some sleep on Sunday and then flew to New Mexico to be with my Mom last Monday.
• My Mom & I had a truly remarkable time last week. I was able to get some things done for her around the house and we talked & talked & talked. I cherish those talks.
• Last Saturday I had the honor & privilege of officiating the memorial service for Dennis Davis. It was a truly special day. After much prayer I knew that the message that would be delivered was God's message.
• A couple hours after the service Kath, the boys & I hopped back in the car - they had driven to New Mexico on Thursday - and began the drive back home. We drove about 5 hours Saturday and then drove the remaining 7 hours on Sunday. We got home in time for Payton to see the 4th quarter of his beloved Packers win - the rules say it wasn't a catch by the way!
• It was back to work Monday and now, here I am! :)

I am sorry, I did not intend for all that to be so long but as I said, it has been a busy last few weeks!

Here is the thing I really want to talk about this morning.

• Did you know that your life has meaning, a purpose for which you have been perfectly equipped to complete? Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,"
• Race = Purpose
• Marked out for us = Indicating that it is all set up. The purpose is clear and you are equipped. God would not ask you to do something that you cannot do with Him...the key is with Him.
• The very next verse begins, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
• On January 1, 2015 Dennis Davis completed his race. As God revealed to us at his service, there are three great lessons to be gleaned from his life:
• We are all different. The key is, what do we do with those differences? Do we love people and embrace them for who they are? Or do we use differences as an excuse to ignore them and to treat them poorly? Romans 12:10, "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."
• Dennis truly epitomized "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." How did he do it? Philippians 4: 6 - 7 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
• Dennis was a master craftsman...dude could straight build anything! He used this gift to serve others, to help others as they run their races. 1 Peter 4: 10 tells us, " Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."
• On January 4, 2015, Stuart Scott, a beloved sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, completed his race. In July Stuart was honored at the ESPY awards. He said in part,
• "When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live."
• I completely understand and get Stuarts point however I think his incredible, God-inspired words of wisdom could, should, be stated more broadly.
• In honor of Stuart I would say this, "When you die, it doesn't mean you lose. You win by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live."

Here is the thing that keeps bouncing around in my mind; what do we do with the lessons gleaned from the races others run? Each man, like each of us, fought incredible battles in their life. Each man sought God and got to a point where, though the physical body was broken, crossed the finish line in full stride. Do we say, "oh that was nice" and just go on. If Dennis Davis could find complete peace & contentment though at times in his life he had nothing to eat should we perhaps not learn from him? If Stuart Scott can have his body ravaged by cancer and yet in peaceful eloquence tell us how to live, wouldn't we be wise to listen? Most Happy Friday's I speak about our influence on others lives. This week I propose we thoughtfully consider the influence we allow others to have in & on our lives.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev