Great Photos to Share with You

Here are some great photos of Cierra, Christian, Grayson, Emily & Evan. Tricia and I are so blessed. I just sit back at times and watch them and think I love my life! I am truly blessed and successful.

Creating the Ultimate Life

For the next two nights (June 28-29 at 7pm) my good friend, Dr. Dave Martin will be speaking on his new seminar series entitled "Creating the Ultimate Life" here at Love and Truth Church in Adamsville.

In this powerful seminar Dr. Dave Martin will take you on a journey of discovery into ancient wisdom for creating the life that you have always dreamed about. It was established at the beginning of time that you were to be a success in life. There is a divine blueprint that was placed on the inside of you before you were formed in your mother's womb. The wisdom contained at this event are designed to help you live the ultimate life. You will uncover timeless wisdom on subjects such as self-esteem, passion, favor, attitudes, focus, and so much more. If you are tired of making a living and you are ready to make a life this is the system that will lead you to the shift. Hundreds of thousands of people have profited from the wisdom in Creating The Ultimate Life. When you listen to this landmark system you'll be awestruck by the simplicity and timelessness of Dr. Dave’s words and ideas.

A Lesson Learned at the Mall

This was from my friend David Finch's blog. It is worth blogging again.

You can never underestimate the value of people. The investment that we make some times takes constant work, patience and the willingness to let things happen organically. Marketing geru, Seth Godin blogs about a lesson learned at the mall when it comes to investing in people. Seth writes,

"Retailers that spend on real estate, win.

The most expensive real estate in my county is a mall filled with stores. And those stores are jammed with shoppers. Almost none of them fold, none of them appear to be struggling. Almost all of them are expensive.

Two blocks away, independent stores, stores that cheaped-out on their real estate investment, those guys are struggling.

Well, you're not in retail, maybe, or you're virtual, so what difference does this make to you?

Question: what's your "real estate"?

For most of us, it's people.

Expensive people are just like expensive real estate. If you invest in them, you may just find they pay off. Some businesses work as hard as they can to pay people as little as they can (witness the fights over the minimum wage). What sort of growing business wants the minimum wage? If your business is people-based, as opposed to machine-based, why wouldn't you want people who command more than the minimum?"

Cracking the Solomon Code

I began teaching last week on a new series I have entitled, "Cracking the Solomon Code". I read the book of Proverbs daily. I have consider its words of wisdom of the utmost value to life, happiness, wealth, success, etc...

Solomon was born in 974 BC. He was installed as King at the age of 12 years old. In I Kings 3:11-13 Solomon could have pursued wealth, fame, fortune, etc... But when God spoke to him and asked him what he wanted, Solomon asked for Wisdom. Wisdom was his obsession. Because he asked for wisdom God gave him everything else. He was considered to be the richest man who ever lived. A Trillionaire to be exact. His Gold reserves were worth hundreds of billions of dollars. He had over 4000 stalls for his horses and chariots. Over 12,000 horseman on his payroll. Rulers of nations sought his advice and paid greatly for it.

The first sunday I spoke on Wisdom. Wisdom is the Law of God applied accurately to your life to solve a problem. Proverbs 4:5-8 speaks of the value God places on wisdom. We are to keep in it first in importance. Why? Because it is the rule, the standard, the law. (Proverbs 3:13-18).

The next lesson is on Avoiding Foolishness.....A FOOL is one who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding. Someone who acts unwisely. We must make an effort to remove all traces of foolishness from our lives.

What determines a Fool. Simple:

1. They don't believe in God - Psalm 14;1
2. They despise Wisdom - Proverbs 1:7
3. They Hate Knowledge - Proverbs 1:22,32
4. They Slander & Gossip - Proverbs 10:14,18
5. They do Mischief - Proverbs 10:23, 11:29
6. They are quick with their anger & temper - Proverbs 12:15-16
7. They Despise a Fathers Instruction - Proverbs 15:5
8. They do not plan ahead, and live only for the moment - Proverbs 21:20

William James wrote, "The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be." (Proverbs 23:7) Don't be a fool.

A few of My Favorite Books

Below you'll find some of my favorite books ... and books that I highly recommend for your "must read" list. Go over right now to the Love & Truth Bookstore in Adamsville and purchase them ASAP, if Lori does not have a certain title in stock she will order it for you. If you want to order right now at this very moment, then Click on the links below and purchase the book from Amazon.com.

I am a firm believer that Leaders are Readers. The more you read the more you grow, the more you grow the more valuable you become to the marketplace. Roy Smith said, "A good book contains more real wealth than a good bank." Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Many times the reading of a good book has made the future of a man."

1. The Bible. I especially like the KJV/AMP version. For just reading I enjoy the New Living Translation. This book lets you know where you are in life and then lights road for your direction. It is the answer to your questions, and gives the prescription for eternal life. Read it, memorize it, speak it, pray it, and hide it in your heart.

2. Divine Strategies for Success By ME. Ok, here is what a Logistics Manager from Knoxville, TN said, "Rob Yanok gives the reader of this book the invaluable gift of a road map for success in every area of your life. Specifically in the business world, our techniques, methods, and processes change often. But success comes from consistent application, in current day, of biblical prinicples because they do not change. If you are interested in your life's journey being successful at every turn; get this book, read it, and internalize it's teachings."

3. Success: The Glenn Bland Method By Glenn Bland. This has to be simply one of the best self help books out there. It focuses on How to set goals and make plans that really work. Glenn Bland's ingredients for success include spiritual, financial, educational, and recreational balances. I read this book at least ONCE a year.

4. Rich Dad, Poor Dad (What the Rich teach their kids about Money - That the poor and middle class do not! By Robert Kiyosaki. Personal-finance author and lecturer Robert Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective through exposure to a pair of disparate influences: his own highly educated but fiscally unstable father, and the multimillionaire eighth-grade dropout father of his closest friend. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his "poor dad" (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his "rich dad" (that "the poor and the middle class work for money," but "the rich have money work for them"). Taking that message to heart, Kiyosaki was able to retire at 47. Based on the principle that income-generating assets always provide healthier bottom-line results than even the best of traditional jobs, it explains how those assets might be acquired so that the jobs can eventually be shed.

5. The Fourth Dimension Vol.1 By David Yonggi Cho. This was actually one of the first books I read completely thru. It was given to me by one of my closest friends, David Finch. The author Dr. David Yonggi Cho, pastor of the world’s largest church, reveals in greater depth the faith secrets that enable him to build his church. Then he shows how to develop dynamic faith, have true communion with God, overcome all spiritual obstacles, and destroy all spiritual barriers. What Dr. Cho has done in the area of faith is possible for any Christian, whether in the ministry or not. Faith works! Great faith works great things! Here is the book that tells how to obtain that faith!

Happy Father's Day

I am so blessed today to have my Dad still alive. I honor & love him more than ever. There is not a week that goes by that I don't talk to him although he is 12 hours away up in Ohio. He has been such a great example of what a Dad and Husband should be. I hope my kids will say the same about me. I have no horror stories about growing up, nothing to blame my parents for. They did the best they could with integrity, honesty and character. The person I am today is because of the things my parents passed to me.

I thank God for my wife Tricia, God put us together, we fell in love & decided to stay in love and because of that, we have 5 beautiful, fearless, faithful, successful kids who have an incredible future ahead of them. Cierra is 15, Christian is 11, Grayson is 5, and Emily & Evan are 2 1/2.

WOW! When I look back on my life I want to be remembered as a man who was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, a faithful husband who loved & honored his wife, and Dad who loved, and who was committed to the growth, spiritual & personal development of his children, who loved & was passionate about living life, and that He inspired and empowered people to achieve their destiny through building their faith and giving them hope. I want to leave the world a better place than I found it, for my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on......

So to all the Dad's out there...Your purpose in this life is right in front of you. It is your son(s) or daughter(s). You make the world a better place by becoming a better Dad. No matter how old your kids are, you are still Dad! Happy Father's Day!

Gloryroad

Just finished watching "Gloryroad". WOW! What a movie. MOtivating, Inspiring, and such an enjoyable flick! It was the story of the 1966 Texas Western Miners coached by Don Haskins winning the NCAA Championship against University of Kentucky, coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp.. Here are the editorial reviews:

Amazon.com
One of the greatest basketball games in NCAA history is immortalized in Glory Road, an engaging sports movie that dramatizes a pivotal milestone in the racial integration of college athletics. While it may not be as rousing as similar movies like Hoosiers or Friday Night Lights, this fact-based drama gains depth and substance from the groundbreaking achievement of Don Haskins (well-played by Josh Lucas), who coached the 1965-66 team from Texas Western University to the NCAA championship, using the first-ever all-black lineup in the championship game and forever changing the rules of college basketball. Texas Western's underdog season is followed from anxious start to glorious finish, as Haskins recruits many of his black star players from the North, including Bobby Joe Hill (Derek Luke) and Willie Cager (Damaine Radcliff), and this typically wholesome Disney film doesn't flinch from the harsh realities of racial tension (including player beatings and vandalized motel rooms) that Texas Western's black players had to struggle against as their victories began to draw national attention. Jon Voight (under heavy makeup) makes a memorable cameo appearance as legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, whose favored all-white team was no match for Texas Western, and Haskins' unforgettable achievement is celebrated in an end-credits sequence that demonstrates the positive ripple-effect of his color-blind coaching. Glory Road relies a bit too heavily on sports-movie clichés, but its shortcomings are easily overlooked in favor of its greater historical significance. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description
The studio that brought you REMEMBER THE TITANS now delivers another winner with this exciting and inspirational true story of the team that changed college basketball -- and the nation -- forever! Josh Lucas (SWEET HOME ALABAMA) stars as future Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins of tiny Texas Western University, who bucks convention by simply starting the best players he can find: history's first all-African American lineup. In a turbulent time of social and political change, their unlikely success sends shock waves through the sport that follow the underdog Miners all the way to an epic showdown with all-white, #1 ranked Kentucky for the National Championship!

10 Secrets to Success

I really enjoy reading "Investors Business Daily". My favorite section is "Leaders & Success". The $1.25 is worth the price, unless you subscribe to it, it is more cost effective. IBD has spent years analyzing leaders and successful people in all walks of life. Most have 10 traits that, when comebined, can turn dreams into reality.

1. HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING: Always be positive. Think Success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.

2. DECIDE UPON YOUR TUE DREAMS AND GOALS: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3. TAKE ACTION: Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started. Just do it.

4. NEVER STOP LEARNING: Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.

5. BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never Give up.

6. LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

7. FOCUS ON YOUR TIME AND MONEY: Don't let other people or things distract you.

8. DON'T BE AFRAID TO INNOVATE; BE DIFFERENT: Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.

9. DEAL AND COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

10. BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: Otherwise, Numbers 1-9 won't matter.

Turtle, Turtle

Just had to share this one.....A turtle showed up in our yard the other day, so....I had to introduce him/her to the kids. Of course, Grayson, Emily & Evan were quite intrigued with this slow little creature. They just couldn't understand why it would pop its head out. :-)

Seed + Time = Harvest

Tricia wanted a Garden this year, so Thanks to Don & Bama Conaway who tilled it, we now have a garden. I have been teaching on the Kingdom of God, and so Tricia is living it. The ground is right, seed is sown, it has been watered, now is coming the harvest. It really is exciting. She planted tomatoes, watermellon, squash, corn, cantelope, cucumbers, and my favorites, peppers and Ocra. We are really getting used to Tennessee living!

Our own paradise

We live in Southwest Tennessee, and the weather here is fantastic. It has usually been in the 80's & 90's this summer so far. Last year we put in a new pool thanks to Wayne Rogers), well this summer we were able to add on a new poly vynl deck. It is simply awesome. thanks to Wayne Mast & Rick Lee. They did an outstanding job.

It is really awesome that I can come home from the office and put my swimming attire on, grab an iced tea (sweet), and sit and relax and swim. WOW! I just love it!

I took a photo of our back yard because right underneath the tree is going my new Hammock! :-)

Ten Biblical Rules for a Happy Marriage

“Live joyfully with the wife whom you love
all the days of your life…” (Ecc. 9:9)

Below are 10 rules every couple should abide by in order to create a happy marriage and home:

1. Avoid bringing up mistakes from the past. Stop criticizing others or it will come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)

2. Your mate will eventually offend you so learn to forgive. I am warning you, if another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him. (Luke 17:3-4)

3. Don’t neglect each other, but nurture your spouse and your relationship. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? (Mk. 8:36)

4. Never meet without an affectionate welcome. Kiss me again and again, your love is sweeter than wine. (Song of Solomon 1:2)

5. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled. And don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. (Ephesians 4:26)

6. Rejoice in every moment that God has given you, despite your circumstances. A bowl of soup with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. (Proverbs 15:17)

7. If you have a choice between making yourself or your mate look good, choose your mate. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. (Proverbs 3:27)

8. Don’t use faith, the Bible, or God as a hammer. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:17)

9. At least once a day, try to say something complimentary to your spouse. Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)

10. Let love be your guidepost. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. (I Cor. 13:4-5)

Gotta See this Movie

While Tricia has been gone in the Bahamas, Christian is at Church Camp in Tulsa, and Cierra went with the youth group of our church to a Diamond Jaxx game in Jackson. Soooo I took Grayson, Emily and Evan to go see the Movie "Cars". Great Movie! We laughed and I enjoyed my time with them tonight. We went and ate Pizza at Little Pete's and just had a great evening.

Tricia is in Atlantis

Well today Tricia flew out of Nashville to meet her sister Michele in the Bahamas. They will be staying at the Atlantis Resort. Her sister has recently been through a great ordeal but God bringing her through. She has been truly blessed and thus been a true blessing. They both traveled First Class all the way. So for the next 4 days they will be enjoying the sun, and being pampered in the tropics. Have fun sweety!

9-5 We Won!

Tonight was awesome! Christian's Baseball team won...9-5. They played like Champions! They had the "Want to" tonight. On the way to the game Christian said to me, "Daddy I have a feeling in my stomach that we are going to win tonight, I really believe it". He went on to say that he visualized himself hitting the ball and catching it. Well it happened. 1st inning he caught the ball that was hit to right field to end the inning. Then he had a base hit center field and advanced a runner to home, then he scored with the next hitter. His second time up to bat, BAM down the third base line! a Double! And advanced another run. His third time up he socked deep into left field and the fielder barely caught it. It was truly an amazing game. The parents were yelling and cheering, and Coach Joel Jumped up and down. Way to go boys! You truly are champions. I knew you had it in you to win!

2nd Year Pastoral Anniversary

Well this past weekend we celebrated two fantastic years as being Pastors of Love and Truth Church in Adamsville, TN. It was a great weekend. We hosted two services with my dear friend Dr. David Forbes, Senior Pastor of Columbus Christian Center in Columbus, Ohio and Spirit of Life Church in Roanoke, Virginia. Above is a photo of Dr. Forbes & his wife Tracy and Tricia and I that was taken a few years ago in Ohio. They have been a blessing and a source of motivation, inspiration and encouragement to walk in the covenant that God has established for us. David preached two dynamic messages this past sunday, "The Code of Faith" and "Decoding your Faith". It was a powerful word on Mark 11:23-24. Love and Truth truly was blessed and it was the beginning a great relationship for our church. If you are interested in ordering the CD's, please call the Church Bookstore at 731.632.4999.