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9 Things for You

March 2, 2011 in Featured, Leadership with 0 Comments

Today I am sharing with you the main points from one of my favorite leadership books.  You really should go and buy this book, it is awesome.  Enjoy…

9 THINGS A LEADER MUST DO
by Dr. Henry Cloud

  1. Excavate Your Soul – “Leaders explore their deep hearts and invest in their inner desires and drives.”
  2. Yank the Diseased Tooth – “Leaders do not allow negative things to take up space in their lives.”
  3. Play the Whole Movie – “Leaders evaluate their decisions in the present based on how they will affect the future.”
  4. Put Superman out of a Job - “Leader continually ask themselves, “What can I do to make this situation better?”
  5. Embrace Your Inner Insect - “Leaders achieve big goals by taking small steps over time.”
  6. Earn a Black Belt in Hate - “Leaders develop the ability to hate the right things well.”
  7. Forget about Playing Fair – “Leaders give back better than they are given.”
  8. Quit Self-Exaggerating – “Leaders do not strive to be or to appear more than they really are.”
  9. Ignore the Popularity Polls – “Leaders do not make decisions based on the fear of other people’s reactions.”

Each of these principles are life-changing.  Have a good time reading the full version.

Live 511 Now

February 28, 2011 in Featured, Life with 0 Comments

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”

I love this!  Encourage and build up others; in other words, stop putting people down.  Today, you have the chance to make a huge difference in someone’s life by speaking great things to them.  Maybe your spouse, your child, a co-worker, or a friend; it really does not matter who, it matters what (you say or do).  What you do today matters to someone somewhere.  Think about ways to encourage and build up others.

Who do you need to encourage right now?

Make the phone, write the email, send the text, or go visit them.  You never know, you can be the reason that they continue a work or a marriage or a friendship or even a life.  Encourage and build up others!

Passion

February 23, 2011 in Devotionals, Featured with 0 Comments

What are you passionate about?

For most of my life, I have been a person who gets passionate about really crazy stuff.  For instance, in my early twenties, I went through a phase where I became very passionate about the Oklahoma City 89ers.  For those who do not remember this baseball team; they are now called the Oklahoma Redhawks.  They are our minor league baseball team here in OKC.

The OKC 89ers were on a major loosing streak and because I was so passionate about them doing well, my friends and I would often dress up in crazy clothes, paint our faces with blue and red and go out and act like fools at the games.  Our goal every game was to not only entertain people, but to get on the news.

I remember one night when we were dressed crazy; there was a double header.  For some reason between the two games the entertainment had canceled and the 89ers needed a show.  I do not remember how it happened, but it happened.  Because of our passionate support of the team, some people form the 89ers office asked my friend and I if we would go out and entertain the crowd between the games.

They said, “they would place some music and all we had to do was dance and act crazy.”  We could not believe we were being asked to get the crowd fired up.

So being young and dumb, I mean passionate, we said yes.  It had to be the worse entertainment acts ever.  We went out on the field, ran around the bases, danced really badly, and before we knew it the fans were laughing and cheering for us.  After we got done dancing and performing, little kids were coming up and asking for our autographs on baseballs.  Because of our passion, we became celebrities for a night.  It was so awesome!

Passion is a game changer.  Passion causes people to spend money they normally would not spend.  Passion leads people to learn things they normally would not learn. Passion drives people to endure things when they would typically give up.  Passion creates energy, helps people accomplish what seems impossible, and drives people to even embarrass themselves on a baseball field in front of a few thousand people.  Passion is so important when it comes to living.

I guess this is why God is so serious about passion in our lives.  In Romans 12:11, the Bible reads, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Zeal, passion, intensity; they all matter to God.  Over and over the Bible makes it clear that we are to have passion.

When we seek God, we shouldn’t just do it halfway; no we are to “seek God with all our heart, and then we will find him.”  When we trust God, we don’t do it with a halfhearted effort; instead the scripture challenges us to “trust in the Lord with all our heart.”  When we love God, it is not a feeling kind of love; it is an all in love.  We are to “Love God with all our heart, soul and mind.”

Passion, it really matters in your walk with God.  So, what are you passionate about?

I Hope it is about serving the Lord.

Lost Honor

February 21, 2011 in Convictions, Featured with 0 Comments

Last week I got to take my four year old to her first ever NBA basketball game.  Here in OKC we had a ton of snow and so because of the fear of the freezing temperatures and snow, I got two free OKC Thunder tickets.

During the opening of the game when everyone stands for the singing of national anthem, the craziest thing took place. There was an old fashion quartet singing the star spangled banner and so people just were not that interested.  Although the majority of people placed their hand on their chest and look down at the American flag; many were still talking, drinking beer, and some were still eating their food.  To me, it was weird to watch people casually approach a moment that was meant to honor our country and the men and women who serve.  We were in the middle of honoring freedom and for the most part it was ho-hum, no big deal.

This got me thinking.  In our culture, in our country, in our homes, and even in our churches there is such a lack of honor.  We no longer value the hard work of others, or the leadership positions of others, or even our parents that gave us birth.  When it comes to honor, it is all about placing value on something or someone, and for the most part we have forgotten how to do that.  The only time we tend to honor others is during a one-hour service after they die.  It is called their funeral, yet then is too late.

Honor, for the most part, is lost in our culture, but should it be lost in the person who believes in God. The Bible flies in the face of our culture.  It says that when we as believers are living transformed lives, honor is vital.  Honor is a way of life.  Honor is something we do daily.  Look at Romans 12:10.

It reads “Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.”

Who do you love?  What do you love?  This week honor them; take time to put them above yourself.  Take time to show them value.

What do you need to do to honor someone in your life this week?

Don’t wait until it is too late!

Accept

February 18, 2011 in Devotionals, Featured with 3 Comments

Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

Everybody needs acceptance. Why?  Because none of us are perfect!

We all have struggles and issues.  We all have preferences and opinions.  We all have shortcomings and failures.  Yet when we overlook things and really accept one another, we bring praise to God.

Why?  Acceptance is part of loving.  God is love.

Do you accept people or judge people?

Dora the communicator

February 17, 2011 in Featured, Ministry, Teaching with 0 Comments

I recently watched Dora with my two little girls.  It was really fun, but as I watched this cartoon, Dora taught me some valuable lessons for communicating and teaching.  See if any of these help you as you prepare to teach others.

1.  Know your audience –  Information is just that – information.  I can go anywhere and get information.  Communication is so much more than just information.  It is about connecting with those you are speaking too.  In order to do that, you have to know your audience.  One of the best things I heard years ago was this, it is the teacher’s job to go to the audience and lead them where you want them to be.  Dora brings the information on a level where children can get it.

2.  Repeat and repeat.  Let me repeat that.  Repeat and repeat.  If you want someone to get what you are saying, keep repeating it.  Obviously you do not want to sound like a broken record, so find creative ways to repeat information over and over as you communicate.  In Dora, many different characters say it, sing it, and show it over and over.  For example, my children say “o man” about a million times after watching Dora.

3.  Help your audience.  Dora is so helpful.  Her adventures are usually centered around going out and helping someone who is in trouble.  If you want to be a good communicator, make sure what you are teaching is helpful.  Help your audience go somewhere, solve something, or add something of value in their life.

4.  Make it memorable.  In order to do this, you have to use visuals, songs, questions, and different tones to communicate.  One of the best things Dora does is show a visual while singing or repeating something.  Or she will ask a question and then pause.  This gets the audience involved.  Audience’s will remember what they are involved in.  Keep people involved.

5.  Take them on a Journey.  Dora is all about adventure.  Communication is best when you feel like you are going somewhere with the speaker.  I love when I am listening to someone and it feels as though time flew by.  It means they captured my attention and took me somewhere.

6.  Have fun.  When all is said and done, make sure you had a little fun.  Dora has fun while teaching lessons.

7.  Make your point clear.  What are you trying to say?  Dora is clear.  Clarity is a speakers best friend.  In you cannot understand what you are trying to say, how will anyone else in the audience.

So that is what Dora taught me.  Now it is time to try and apply these lessons as I teach this week.

Washer Wisdom

February 16, 2011 in Featured, Leadership with 0 Comments

Over the last couple of months, we have had a lot of issues with our washer.  I will spare you of the details, except to say this, yesterday was the day we got a brand new one from the box.  I had to drive an hour and half to pick it up, but it is well worth it!  I finally got it hone, un-boxed it and began to set it up.  I have set up many washers in my life since I used to be a washer and dryer delivery boy when I was in college.  No big deal, Right?  Maybe or maybe not, it depended on me.

Yesterday I did one thing many people would have skipped, believe it or not, especially with all my washer experience, I choose to read the instruction manual when I set up this washer.  This made all the difference.  This new washer needed me to remove certain packing bolts, make sure the right hoses were used because of pressure regulations, and even check the level of the machine a certain way.  Not only that, I was to run a cycle through without clothes for the first test.  I learned all of this by READING the instruction manual.

Here is the wisdom, “what you READ changes your life outcomes.”  Most people who had set up a washer many times would have skipped the instructions.  It would have been a big mistake for me.  This reminded me about what reading does for me as a person and a leader.

1.  Reading helps me grow. My imagination grows, my intelligence grows, my spirit grows, and my process of thinking grows.  When I read as opposed to watching TV, I actually have to be involved.  I can veg-out while watching something, but when I ready I think and therefor I grow as a person.

2.  Reading helps me learn. Yes we get a lot of stuff via TV, but when I actually sit down with a book and read, I tend to process the information differently and I challenge my thinking.  Again when I watch or hear, I move quickly through the information and really do not think as much.  As I read I think, therefor I learn.  (An aside, parents who read to their children at least 20 minutes a day help their kids grow smarter, quicker, and do better in school.  Just something to think about.)

3.  Reading deepens me spiritually. When I read it causes me to think emotionally, mentally, intellectually, but also spiritually.  How is my relationship with God and others improving and growing?  How am I growing as a complete person?  What area of my life needs work?  This is why I always recommend the Bible as a part of your daily reading.  It is your instruction manual to life.  You need to read it to understand you.

4.  Reading helps me to relate. The more variety of topics I read, the more people I can relate to.  I like to read many different types of book.  I read leadership, business, spiritual, and even a few fiction books.  Reading books help you to read people.

So you want something to change in your life, go READ.  What you READ changes your life outcomes!  Our washer is running great!

New Blog Design

January 25, 2011 in Featured with 0 Comments

Tommyhaines.tv blog is changing. Sometime this week my blog will be receiving an updated design and will be switching to a new blog host. The blog will be down for a while during this transition. If you follow via RSS, please check to make sure that the feed is transferred after the blog is back up. Thank you for taking time to read my blog.

A Favorite Prayer…

January 19, 2011 in Featured with 0 Comments

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Be Genuine

January 17, 2011 in Featured with 0 Comments

When I was a kid my family was into rodeos.  For those of you who know me, the thought of seeing me on top of a bust’ in bronco is either very humorous or quite scary.  Believe it or not, every Saturday during the summer months I was trying to stay on a horse while it did it’s best to throw me off.  More often than not the horse would win.  I just was not a very good cowboy.  Matter of fact I was a pretender.

In life, many people just pretend.  They try their hardest to be something they’re not.  Everyday they work in a job where they pretend, they live in a marriage where they pretend, and they associate with people all while pretending.  They do not know what it means to be genuine.

Being genuine is about learning to be comfortable with you.  Not faking it until you make it, but instead striving to be authentic in all you do.

In an effort to be genuine, I encourage you to evaluate the following…

Your speech – Do you speech how you feel or do you say what others want to hear?  Do you say things to sound impressive?  Do you try to make yourself look good?  (Sometimes at the expense of others.)

Your life – Do you live what you say you believe?  Are you doing things you love?  When you commit to something, do you stick it out?  What could you do better?  Are you being true to your own personal convictions?

Your friendships – Are you able to have good and bad days with those you call friends?  Are you able to express a different opinion and stay close?  Do you hide your faults in fear of rejections?

Your direction in life – Are you headed where you feel God wants you to go?  Are you able to use more of your gifts and talents?  Are you staying true to the vows you have made to God and others?

Life is too short to pretend.  The good news is that when we are willing to evaluate ourselves, we can slowly become more and more genuine in how we live our life.

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