Tag Archives: Knoxville

God's love, Jesus, relationships, Uncategorized

Living in the Present

I’m at a large, state-wide conference this week. At a dinner last night, we honored 5 individuals who have made a significant impact on our organization and the agricultural industry. It was awesome to hear their accomplishments and see their life’s impact.

As I was walking back to my room, I overheard two conference attendees talking about the awards. One asked the other: “How do you want to be remembered?”

The other responded: “I’m not so concerned with how I’ll be remembered. I’m more concerned with the example I’m showing while living.”

Wow!

We often talk about legacy… what we’ll leave behind and how we’ll be remembered.

But we need to remember that the best way to leave a lasting legacy is to focus on the now!


In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:6

My prayer today will be to seize each and every moment to love, praise and serve. And to do it without limits.

Please let me know how to pray for you. God bless!

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God's love, relationships

God’s Leadership Principles

My grandson, Wilson. Cutest cowboy that you ever did see.

I often over complicate my relationship with God.

The truth is that my busyness often clouds my pursuit of God. I spend my days toiling after earthy pursuits that have very little impact on my spiritual journey. My “to do” list contains very little about my relationship with Jesus. It leaves me tired with a weary faith. It also lets doubt fill my mind as to my purpose as a child of God.

I was reading Micah today and came across a powerful passage that provided incredible clarity as to what God requires of me each day.

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:6-8

It’s pretty clear:

Do justice.

Love kindness.

Walk humbly with our God.

What if our to-do lists included an example from each of these three categories each day? Lifting someone up who has been marginalized. Checking in on your elderly neighbor. Praying for the humility that we need to become so self-aware of the opportunities to show God’s love to someone in our path today.

My prayer this morning is to focus on these three things the remainder of the week. And to have the courage to act when God reveals an opportunity to show His grace, love and kindness.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. God bless you!

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Lessons about living from the dying

My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer on April 6 of this year. He died just 10 days later. In between those two events was a series of lessons I learned from my father that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

As we drove home from the hospital to begin hospice care at his cabin, dad told me that there were some people he wanted to call. Many of the names I knew, but others I didn’t. It was clear that he wanted to spend his last few days reconnecting with others.

And then he got on the phone. He called former students and fellow coaches. He called neighbors. Dad called people he hadn’t seen in fifty years.

His phone calls consisted of four key types of conversations.

-He told people he loved them.

-He granted forgiveness.

-He asked for forgiveness.

-He told them “thank you.”

Four simple messages he repeated over and over for 10 straight days. These messages brought tears, laughter, relief and goodwill. It brought people together.

My dad left this earth with a full heart and a clear conscience. And what a gift he left to those he encountered over his last 10 days.

I’ve thought about what I witnessed over the past couple of months. It’s shown me the importance of loving, forgiving, repentance and gratitude. And it’s something that we need to do often and intentionally.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

What if every day we pledged to try and love the person right in front of us? What if we showed grace, patience and love to all that we met?

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

My prayer this week is for awareness. I want to express more love. I want to grant more grace. I want the humility to ask for forgiveness more often. And I should seek more opportunities to express gratitude. My dad did a lot of this over 10 days, and I want to use that example to maximize the relationships in my life.

And please let me know how to pray for you. God bless!

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relationships

Attitude is everything

I was traveling early this morning on my way to a conference. As I prepared to land in Atlanta for my connecting flight, I realized that I had just enough time to grab a quick breakfast sandwich and coffee.

Everyone else had the same idea.

The line for the only open coffee shop was long and the customers were cranky and irritated. To top it all off, there were only two available employees working that shift. They were also out of about half of their menu due to supply chain issues.

But I noticed something as I waited in line. The woman who was working the cash register remained extremely positive. She greeted each customer with a smile and a heart-felt “good morning.” She repeated what items were available and apologized for the inconvenience and long wait. It was refreshing. No matter the temperament of the current customer- she stayed calm and pleasant.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

I was incredibly impressed with this cashier. Despite the circumstances and environment, she was encouraging and kind. It was an example that several customers commented on when they approached her at the register.

It’s an example of how my attitude can be an example…either for good or bad. If we have the love of Jesus in our heart, we need to SHOW it. Let’s commit to being that person who is full of hope and love.

We’ll never know what impact it’ll have on someone else.

My prayer this week is to be more intentional about being positive. And please let me know how I can pray for you.

God bless you.

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Uncategorized

Dehydration

I got diagnosed with dehydration this week.

I had been knocked down over the weekend with a stomach virus. The illness left, but I still didn’t feel right.  My head hurt.  My back ached. I was fatigued and had no appetite.

All I wanted to do was sleep.

A trip to the doctor showed that I had become dehydrated.  The virus had created a water deficit, and my symptoms were an indication that I needed to properly fuel my body.

It’s taken a few days, but I’m starting to feel normal again.

Have you ever been spiritually dehydrated?

I had an incredible men’s group that met each Friday when we lived in Knoxville.  We studied the Bible.  We prayed. We talked.  It was a safe place to learn, to stretch your comfort zone and be held accountable.

My family moved to a new city in 2017.  I lost my men’s group.

I didn’t realize it at first, but I missed the study. The discussion. The preparation. A group of men that held me accountable.

I was dehydrated.

As iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

I have recently started a men’s group out of my home.  We get together every Friday at 6am to study the Bible, pray and lift each other up.

This weekly gathering has reenergized my spirit. It’s sparked more exploration of the Bible.

I hadn’t realized how bad I needed that focus and accountability. Spiritual hydration.

My prayer this week is to continue to seek more opportunities to engage my faith with others at church, at work and in the community.

And please let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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Uncategorized

Naked on the Highway

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Our family took a seven day trip to northern California this past week.  We saw great sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, three National Parks and incredible architecture in downtown San Francisco.

But what our kids will remember most wasn’t on the itinerary.

We saw a naked man standing on the side of the road on US Highway 1.

Completely naked. In broad daylight. In plain view.

Traffic was at a standstill, as all the automobiles traveling along our path were slowing down to watch the police try to “contain” this man.

Needless to say- this incident sparked much conversation in our car.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Why’s he doing that?”

“Is he in trouble?”

While we don’t know the events that led up to that particular moment in time, we do know that the man was under much stress.  Great despair.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Psalm 34: 17-20

While you or I may never find ourselves naked on the side of the freeway, there are times when we feel vulnerable and unprotected.  Perhaps there is uncertainty in your marriage or in our family lives.  Maybe work has created an unsettling environment for us.  Whatever the cause, life can hit us with punches that we don’t expect and leave us reeling.

But when all else fails- remember that we have Jesus.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7

My prayer for this week is to let go of the stress and anxiety that life brings my way.  I need to focus on the calming, healing power of Jesus…and ask for his help immediately when faced with uncertainty.

Let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

 

 

 

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Uncategorized

One less plate at the dinner table…

It’s a habit.

When Hollianne makes dinner at the Carver house, we set the table for five.

Carson’s departure for college this summer has changed that scenario. 

We were eating spaghetti before church on Wednesday night.  Without thinking- I set the table for our meal…and out of habit prepared five plates.

Only four of us were home. 

It was a sad reminder of our new reality. We miss Carson being there. 

We’ll see her this weekend. And for a few days our “home” will be complete- whole- again.

That joy reminds me of Luke 15.  This chapter has two parables of seeking something missing…and the thrill of finding it. My favorite is the story of the lost sheep.

‭So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.  Luke 15:3-7

I can’t begin to fathom how much Jesus loves you and me.  He loves us unconditionally and wants us to draw near to him. Even when we are stuck in sin- Jesus still seeks us. 

We can’t run away from this love. He will always desire for us to come back. 

We’ll have five plates around our table this weekend at the Carver house. Our hearts will be full.

And I’m so grateful that Jesus will always have a place at his table for you and me.

Please let me know how I may pray for you this week.

God bless you. 

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Uncategorized

Everyday is Memorial Day


Like most of you, I’m spending this Memorial Day holiday with my family. It’s the unofficial start to the summer season.

We’ll also spend some time reflecting on the primary purpose of Memorial Day. Both Hollianne and I have many family members who served our country. We are grateful for their service- and want to honor the sacrifice that many service men and women gave to protect our country and to provide the freedoms that we enjoy everyday.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

It’s difficult to imagine. People fighting for our country even though danger and death are inevitable. It’s important that we tell our children these stories about our family members and friends who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

But everyday should be Memorial Day.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Jesus was sent to die on the cross so that we might experience eternal life with Him in heaven. He knew all about the sins of the world- our faults, our flaws and our every impure thought- yet He loved all of us enough to lay down His life for the forgiveness of our sins.

He died for those who cursed and spit on Him. He died for those thieves who accompanied Him on other crosses on Calvary. He died for you and me.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Enjoy and appreciate this Memorial Day. Honor those who laid down their lives for us. Also spend some time reflecting on the Cross- and be grateful that Jesus loved us enough to die for us…died for the sins of the whole world.

Let that soak in. He died for the sins of the whole world.

God bless you. Let me know how I can pray for you this week. I love you.

Reprinted from May 2015

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Graduation: 10 things I wish I’d known 20 years ago

I had the honor of speaking at a commencement ceremony at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville last week.  It was an exciting afternoon- with happy graduates, proud family members and smiles everywhere.

As I began preparing my remarks, I realized that it was the 20th anniversary of my graduation from UT.  It was an exciting time.  I had just accepted my first “real” job on a college campus, I was about to marry Hollianne, and we were preparing to move to Ohio to begin our lives as a married couple.

Looking back, I realized how much I’ve learned in those twenty years.  I decided to share ten of these life lessons with the graduates.

10 things I wish I’d known 20 years ago:

10) Every decision you make in life impacts someone else.  Think about the implications of every choice you make.  One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.  Proverbs 14:16

9)  The job isn’t ever just about you.  The opportunity to have your job is a privilege.  Treat your coworkers with care…as equals.  Success is earned by working together as a team.  Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

8)  When it comes to “being in the know”, those who talk a lot usually aren’t in the know.  Idle talk is useless in the workplace.  Be a part of the solution…not a part of the problem.  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  Ephesians 4:29

7)  Take tasks off your boss’ desk.  Leadership is a lonely activity.  Those that we serve in the workplace have numerous demands on their time, and they need to find people that they can trust.  Become someone worthy of that trust.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Matthew 5:41

6)  No task is too small for you.  Humility is a wonderful thing.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.  Luke 14:11

5)  You are replaceable.  No single person is essential to the success of a business.  You will never be bigger than the organization you serve.  When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2

4)  Everybody has a first name.  All people have worth.  All people deserve our respect.  It is essential that we know those people around us who are investing in the success of our organization.  Get to know their interests, their joys and their pain.  Invest in them.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Philippians 2:3

3)  Whatever task you are asked to do, do it with all your heart.  Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…  Colossians 3:23

2)  Dinner with your family is important. We are all busy.  We will never complete our to-do lists at the office.  But it is essential that we invest in those that we love…and that love us.  The work will always be there.  It’s important to build our relationships with those that bring us joy and renewal, too.  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

1)  When you don’t know what to do, remember to do no harm until you do.  Find good, trusted mentors and seek their counsel.  Wisdom comes from careful reflection and life experience- so seek help from those you trust when faced with difficult decisions.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  James 1:5

Let’s pray for all the new graduates- high school and college- this week.  May they find success and peace during this period of transition, and may they glorify God in all that they do.

God bless you.

(reprinted from May 2015)


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Fishing with your boys

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My daughter graduates from high school on Saturday.

I’m amazed at how the time has flown by.  It seems like only yesterday that she was headed off to kindergarten- and now she’s just finished her final day of her senior year.

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And I’m proud of her.

She’s made great grades.  She’s made great decisions. She’s become a bright, mature young woman.

But she’s leaving our home.  And I have regrets.

I wish I’d spent more time with her.

Yes- we have traveled a lot.  There have been countless road trips for AAU basketball and club soccer tournaments.

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We’ve hiked the Rockies and the Smokies.  We’ve traveled to the east and west coasts.

But I wish we’d done more.  I wish we’d talked more.

It’s not too late.  Hollianne and I will find new ways to invest in her.  We’ll pour love, attention and prayer into her during college.  It’ll be different- but it’s critically important.

But now for those boys.

We’re left with two sons in our home.  In a flash, they’ll be finishing up middle and high school and headed out into the world as young adults.

I was reading a book this morning and it told of a parenting seminar where Dr. James Dobson was speaking.  The writer said that Dr. Dobson finished his speech with the following quote:

“God only gives us so many times to go fishing with our kids…so don’t miss a one of them.”

Wise words.

I need to be intentional about pouring attention into my boys.  The need love, attention and investment.  They need my time.

And I’ve got to do better.  There are things that they need to hear from me.  There are things that they need to see in me.  I’ve got to step up and stand in the gap.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6: 5-7

Maybe you are in a similar situation.  Perhaps you have children at home…or grown children…and need to invest more time into that relationship.  Perhaps it’s a parent or a sibling- and you are looking for ways to spend more time with them.

My prayer is week is two-fold.  I will pray that Hollianne and I are creative with the ways to invest in Carson as she goes off to college.  And I pray that we are intentional about the ways we invest in our sons.  I don’t want to miss an opportunity to go fishing.

Let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.

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