Category Archives for "Leadership"

When the spotlight is on you…

 

Some people seem to respond to attention differently than others, why is that?

First, there is something about the spotlight that says, “Hey, everyone, look at me!” From childhood we seem to have a thing about wanting to be noticed and desiring center stage. It is really all about identity! Interestingly, just a few years down the road many of us are now hiding from the light. Again, identity or perceived identity. When the light is shined upon us, often we transform into a make-believe version of who we really are. We act out the character we would like to be, but in reality, we are nothing at all like that person. We have learned to mask what we do not want others to see. It appears to us to be something that has fallen short of what we once pictured. We are disappointed in who we are, even ashamed. We move away from the spotlight, or we run to get in it and put on a performance trying to gain acceptance, approval, and identity. The more we are exposed to the spotlight, the higher the expectation of topping the last performance. We self-impose, and our audiences expect! A merry-go-round ride that has no good end! Running to the spotlight or away from it…. Neither satisfies our soul nor gives us the true identity we are so desperate to discover.

Second, the great confusion of our present day is all about identity! There are countless claims and agendas that try to gather people to support their causes and establish legitimacy to their claims to be the answer to all our problems. “Buy this; wear that; join up with us; you are really this way or that way; align with our agenda; identify with us, and you will find acceptance and identity.” Lots of choices! But, how many answers? It seems to me when people see the truth, they perceive it as unspectacular or archaic and therefore reject it! Others often overlook, or see it as too-good-to-be-true,,, or too simplistic and discard it. Sadly, because of this many people simply do not know who they are! They are not the same person all the time. They color their hair, mark their bodies, dress or cross-dress to identify, but rest to their souls never comes! Something is still missing! The true answer to, “Who am I?” remains elusive.

The Good News is this! You can know who you are and why you are on this planet! The truth is still available. You haven’t missed the greatest offer ever made! Yes, you have to give God your e-mail address before you get the download! It’s called EXCHANGE! You give God your identity, and He gives you His!

Being true to your own heart and knowing your true identity is so important because that was how you were designed to function. You actually are much more than you think you are. Don’t settle for the world’s identity. Your identity in Christ is much better!

We were made in the image of God, therefore, our true identity is to look and act like Him. That happens first in your spirit.

“In Him we live and move and have our being!”

In Christ, we move from trying to be in the spotlight or hiding from it to being the light of the world. When we find our identity in Christ, we find everything!

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

JOY

“Joy to the World” starts in you!

The leaves are falling, and harvest is in the air! A great time to be thankful and joyful!

A great time to be thankful and joyful!

There are tons of great scriptures about Joy. A few of my favorites are:

Psalms 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But Joy comes in the morning.

Psalms 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8,9 Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

God is Good and He is full of Joy!

Let me put these together for you.

Joy comes in the morning; it does not stay away for long! In God’s presence, there is fullness of joy. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace, and there is no law against it. We can stay as long as we like, and God will produce this wonderful fruit in our lives. God’s joy remains in you — never leaves — so that your joy can be full or complete! That joy remains because the kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Even though we do not see Him, we are believing. We rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls. We have no greater joy than when we see or hear that our children are walking in that same truth! JOY!

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

DIY-Life

 

It seems that DIY (Do It Yourself) is a big thing these days. Some examples I have seen are working and others, perhaps not. I enjoyed a video made of a young woman who had escaped a cubical desk job as a photoshop editor. She bought a camper-trailer and took her photography and photoshop skills on the road. Her travels take her all over the USA, and she seems to be complete and doing what she loves to do! she has less money and has no personal bathroom or kitchen, but she has the great outdoors. It might not be appealing to everyone, but for this DIY’er life is good!

The question that begs to be asked. DIY-Happy or Normal-boring? Sounds like an easy choice, but what risk is involved? Whom does this involve besides me? If it does not go well, do I have the time and intensity to recover?

Many people are struggling with what I call direction. They ask, “What should I do?” I think that is really the wrong question, however. I think the question most people should be asking is, “Who am I?” Discovering your own identity is the starting point. When you know who you really are, then understanding what you should do is much easier to discover.

I think the question most people should be asking is, “Who am I?”

Are you a DIY-Life kind of person, or not? Are you a business-minded person, a risk-taker, an adventure seeker? Are you full of ideas, energy, and determination? Are you willing to put your faith in you? I promise you, if you do not believe in you, no one else will either! On the other hand, if you always play it safe, like always being consistent and resisting change, the DIY-Life may not be for you. Knowing who you are is the prerequisite to knowing what to do.

If you were made to be a Lincoln Touring Car, you should not go to work for a High Country Hunting Expedition. That might be fun for a little while, but it is going to tear you up in no time at all! You are not a Jeep; you are a Lincoln! What you do needs to match with who you are. When that happens, you will find life very fulfilling!

There is a little book in the glove box that can help you! It is called the manufacturer’s handbook. It will tell you exactly who you are and what you were built to do! So nice!

Oops! You are not a car; you are a human! The good news is that we have one of those books, too! Your manufacturer took the time to write one just for you!

You were fearfully and wonderfully made! You were made in the image of God! Man plans his ways, but God directs his steps. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things you have need of knowing. There is a lot more good stuff about you in the Bible! It even tells you how to DIY with God’s really awesome YouTube Channel (Holy Spirit) showing you the way.

2 Corinthians 5:17 If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

Do It Yourself but only after you are in Christ!

The top shelf discovery you can make is this: Knowing Who you are in Christ Jesus!

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

Choices

 

We make them all day long in a million situations, so why are some choices so easy and some so hard? Complexity, weightiness, timing, cost, opinions, repercussions, collateral damage, so many factors can be in play. So how can we do this well?

The choices we make today shape the direction our lives take tomorrow.

Choices, big or small. We always want to make the correct call, right?

There are tons of factors and influencing voices involved in decision-making. All in all, they are still our choices to make. I remember a trip to Russia the summer after the wall came down. I was shocked at the almost total inability of the people there to make even the smallest decisions on their own. Seventy years of being told every single thing to do and never having the freedom to make their own choices had very obvious effects upon the people. They were very well versed in history, art, and science. All seemed to have some level of education in these areas, but in what we call common sense or decision-making, they were stifled or undeveloped. Today I see this same thing in overprotected children that never are allowed or encouraged to make their own choices. Today in the USA we have college-aged kids who do not possess the power of making good choices on their own. Like the Russians in the first years of freedom, these students are being exploited because of this inability to make wise choices. They soon have overwhelming student loans and credit card debt looming over their heads and hopelessness gripping their lives. They are not being prepared to make decisions at home or school. We have so many immigrants coming into our country who take the base level jobs. Our kids used to hold those jobs that developed their work ethic and decision-making skills.

Not that immigrants are bad, I am just saying that things are different today compared to even a decade ago. Therefore, we must work to train our children and ourselves how to make better and wiser choices. Decisions are not only in the daily things of life but also in spiritual things as well! Four decades ago most kids knew how to milk a cow. Today, most kids do not know that milk comes from a cow! They are afraid of it if it’s not “organic,” even though they have no idea what that means! We fill them with fear, not wisdom, or experience. Someone might respond, “Well, they all have the internet!” That may be a big part of the problem. If the internet was actually the infallible word of all wisdom that might work, but it leads them to a million and one bad choices while they are looking for the right choice! This brings me back to those spiritual things!

Most generations of Americans were raised with an understanding of one absolute authority that would never fail them. There is one real infallible truth that built our country’s base moral fiber and held us in a common unity up until the last few decades of American history. That truth was inscribed on the walls of our justice system and the halls of our Congress. It was written into our establishing documents and ratified with the blood of the brave men and women before us. The Truth! The Word of God! The Bible! The present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit! This is the ultimate standard by which wisdom is gained.

The Word of God is the one true source of how to live, love, invest, treat people, and win in life by making great choices. It’s your choice! What will you use to help you make the next choice? The internet or The Truth?

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; …… Your call! Today it is your choice! Your kids are watching! You also influence others; they are watching, too.

I am not trying to be condemning, I am trying to point the way to making great choices in your life and teaching others how to do the same.

Your Choices are so important! They link together and reveal your true heart and integrity. They define your destiny.

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

Life Changing Moments

Life Changing Moments

Stop and think of the real monumental moments of your life. How did they change things for you? Some are good, some not so much, but none the less, life-changing. How did you handle those moments?

As I am writing this post, the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and another massive “category 5” storm named Irma is aimed at Florida and bearing down on our coast. Grim reminders of how from moment to moment life changes, tragedy or triumph changes come. One day, one decision, one life-changing moment after another, we must rise to a level of courage to continue on, in spite of what we have experienced or what lies ahead! I think that when life puts the squeeze on us, it is a revealing experience. It will expose our hearts and minds revealing the hero or villain hidden within us, our true character on display. Life-changing moments can help us see who we really are and what we need to improve or build upon.

Life-changing, metal-testing experiences are coming. Are you ready?

Some will be big but seem so small; others will seem so small but become bigger than life! Life seems to know exactly how to throw curve balls we are not ready for, so how do you cope? How do you prepare against road rage, cheating, needing to be right all the time, late all the time or lying about everything? These seem small until… they become a life-changing moment.

We all need a super-hero! We all hope we will be a super-hero when the occasion comes. In that moment, will the good or the bad be revealed?

Matthew 12:34b says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks!

Would you really like to know what’s in your heart? Well, it is actually easy to know exactly what is in there. When life puts a little squeeze on you, just listen to what comes out. You can hear it in living color! If you are full of bitterness, envy, and strife, that is what comes out. If you are full of God’s Word, compassion, and love, that is what will come flowing out of your mouth.

Life puts the squeeze on us, and this is often when life-changing moments happen. What comes out of you? Remember what you say is what you sow. Your words are like seeds; they are ready to go out there and produce for you. What kind of harvest will they bring? I contend that sometimes we fail to recognize the real life-changing moments.

Moments of faith or frustration unleash our word seeds, and the harvest is planted.

When you were a child without a lawn of your own, it was fun to blow the dandelions and watch the seed pods flying in the air. One day you finally figured out what had been happening. Likewise, you need to understand that your words are like seed before you let them go. When you do, you become the one in charge of your life-changing moments. It can go a level above that when your word is the Word. When you speak the Word of God, and you are in agreement with Him, the Bible says that He is careful to perform His Word. The Word is more powerful seed than any other, and the caregiver is a cut above what you can do on your own. Talk about defining moments!

Load your heart and mind with the Word of God. When life pressures you, out will come seeds you want to see flying through the air and going out to start your next harvest! Life-Changing Moments. Even if you are standing in the midst of a mess, you decide how life will go from there!

Declare your destiny in the middle of the storm. Your words are filled with power.

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

Feelings of Insignificance

Feelings of insignificance

by Fred Hughes

Life has a way of presenting things that can cause you to see yourself as insignificant. The vastness of the outdoors or the complexities of the business community can be inspirational or be overpowering. Our perspectives can change quickly, especially if we do not have a healthy view of who we are. Confidence in knowing our true purpose and how we fit into this giant-screen movie called life is essential to every human on earth.

You were made on purpose, for an important purpose, to fulfill a purpose created just for you by God! In other words you are special! On purpose!

Psalms 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knoweth very well.

It is vastly important for us to have a right view of ourselves. To see you as God sees you is more important than how your boss sees you, or how your friends see you. What voice or voices you are listening to is also huge! What is God saying vs. what are all the other voices out there saying?

John 10:4-5, 17-18, 27 Basically, in these verses Jesus tells us that His sheep, or followers, know and can hear His voice, and no other voice will they follow. His followers, believers, then and now recognize and know when God speaks. This is how you learn who you are in Christ. You listen to His Word (Bible) and to your heart (Holy Spirit) speaking to you. As you do this, all of the other voices you may hear seem out-of-tune in comparison. If you are a believer you just know what the truth sounds like, and it is always confirmed by the Bible. (example: The voice will not say, “Take advantage of an opportunity to steal from the company,” because the Bible says, “Do not steal.”) The two will never disagree! When the voice of the Lord and the Word of God agree, you can have great comfort in knowing you are on the right track! Feeling insignificant will not be an issue because you know that you have heard from the Creator of the universe. That moves you into boldness and bigness, not insignificance.

Hearing God’s voice and knowing God’s Word will destroy the fear of insignificance.

Feelings come and feelings go, but the truth stands steadfast. The Truth will always trump feelings, emotions, and even facts in your life. Trust the Truth and His voice. Facts may tell you that you have cancer in your body, but the Truth says, “By His stripes we (were/are) healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 & 1 Peter 2:24) Which will you choose to believe? God’s Word or your feelings of insignificance because of the doctor’s report. The voice of your employer may have said, “You’re fired!” The Bible says, “God is your provider.” Whose report will you believe? (Isaiah 53:1 & Romans 10:16) It is not about how you feel; it is all about what you believe.

From the very beginning, you were created to operate from faith, not feelings. The Bible says, “You are more than a conqueror!” (Romans 8:37)

If you are having feelings of insignificance, exchange them for conquering faith!

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

Self-discipline

Self-discipline is a fruit you grow!

Listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as one of the fruit of the Spirit you find self-control. We gain benefit in disciplining the body so that it will profit a little (1 Timothy 4:8). How much more attention should we pay to development or growth of the fruit of God’s Spirit in our lives? In this case, we have a double benefit in developing self-discipline. Our bodies and our spirits advance. A true 2 for 1 sale! I, for one, like to work on them both at the same time! I love to pray in English and in the Spirit while I exercise my body!

Your body is designed to go and do! Your mind (what you think), will (what you do), and your emotions (how you feel) — these three comprise your soul. When you are Born Again (John 3:3,5,7) or born from above, you receive a spirit. So, you are Spirit, Soul, and Body.

Spirit, Soul, and Body

When you allow God’s Spirit to be in control or in the lead position, the Soul and Body will follow, and Christ will live through you as a believer. His plans are to see you at your very best! The car manufacturers include an owner’s manual, that will if followed, keep the car at peak performance levels. The Word of God is exactly that for the believer. It will help you develop self-discipline in all three areas of your life. The Bible will help you discover who you are and produce much greater results than just working on your abs! Don’t just punish your body, but grow some fruit! In fact, the whole list is in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (or self-discipline). Against such, there is no law!

That is really good news! You can operate in the fruit of the Spirit and not break any laws! Notice that fruit is singular! The whole list develops in you, and they all work by love (Galatians 5:6). Exercise your body, but don’t forget, self-discipline is a fruit you grow!

Blessings!

Self-Control – Titus 1:8; 1 Corinthians 7:9; 2 Timothy 3:3

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

Simplicity

The pure joy of life is found in simplicity! As a professional photographer, I have studied under some great masters of imagery. Without exception, the true artist in almost every expressive medium will tell you that simplicity is their most powerful and trustworthy tool. As musicians, artists, photographers, writers, we all understand the value of simplicity. However, it is the most often overlooked element in the creative process.

The power of simplicity is that it overcomes confusion and wisely communicates clarity. ~ Fred Hughes ~

Simplicity is not just reducing something to the lowest possible existence. It is much more akin to highlighting or bringing contrast to what is important. Identify the intended subject of the image, description, sound or concept. Simplicity skillfully presents clarity. The only major challenge with simplicity is that it is often dismissed or overlooked because it is so simple!

Just because something is simple does not mean that it is not complex or profound.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Simple, but very profound with huge impact! A seven-year-old child can understand and receive the benefits of this powerful but simple Scripture. This 67-year-old is still amazed by the depth of its meaning.

Simplicity: it clears the clutter and reveals the main focus, so the true value can be seen.

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

What is all the buzz about?

 

If you know me personally, you know that I am a big time want-to-be technology geek. Alas, I have to rely on four much younger and true geeks who are willing to put up with this old guy! Raymond, Dusty, Clint, and Ryan each help me keep my tech-itch scratched, poor guys! I love the buzz! I want to be in on everything that is happening.

Most people have one or two areas of interest they like to keep up with the latest buzz. What is it that draws you to the buzz? Technology, fashion, headline news, hot cars, cooking, stock prices, movies ….. what pushes your buzz button?

Five things to consider concerning your pursuit of the buzz:

1.) Is the buzz benefiting your life in some way? Entertainment can be a reason and benefit enough. It can also be a productivity thief. You have to weigh the cost and gain!

2.) Buzz almost always introduces something you do not have and is an enticement. How do you respond to the constant call to new acquisitions? The buzz can have a devastating effect on your finances and that can affect your relationships too!

3.) In many areas, the buzz can blind you to see things in a very biased way. Are you able to step away from it long enough to see from other vantage points or perspectives? What does it cost you to always follow the buzz: friends, family, money, time?

4.) Are you able to see trends and cycles in the buzz? Sometimes the opportunities are right there in the buzz! Can you successfully analyze and apply the information that you are gathering from the buzz that will assist you in making good choices?

5.) When do you need to be creating the buzz rather than listening to it? There comes a time where the buzz needs to be all about your leadership and directives. Most people are buzz consumers. Only a few people learn how to be buzz producers. These are the world changers.

The fish lays thousands of eggs at one time, the chicken lays only one or two, but she creates a lot of buzz about what she does! So, what kind of eggs did you have for breakfast this morning?

What is the buzz all about in your life? Surprisingly enough, it may be a healthy question to ask yourself.

Philippians 4 :6-8 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

Stand your buzz up next to Philippians 4:6-8. Measure it well and prosper, my friend!

Blessings,

Fred Hughes

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org

Worry & Hurry

Everyone already knows that stress is the leading cause of killer diseases, yet we seem to be unable to curb our appetite for worry and hurry.

Why is that?

I would suggest three key reasons why people ignore what seems to be reasonable thinking. We used to call it “Common Sense” operating from the assumption that every reasonable person would both know and practice this. One of the big reasons we miss it so sadly today is that our general population does not possess such practical knowledge anymore. Here are the three key reasons I believe we have so little in common.

We have an Identity crisis. We simply do not know who we are! What do all Americans have in common? As a country, are we united under any set of solid ideas that every single one of us would charge hell with a water pistol to uphold? Once common among us all were our morals, beliefs, standards, and basic values. What do we have in common today? Because we do not know who we are, we worry and hurry.

We live in an ocean of lies. Integrity is almost totally gone. Words mean nothing at all. There was a time in our history when someone gave you their word you could literally bank on what was said. Commerce actually transpired upon a man’s integrity to the point that a verbal contract was binding. Today it is accepted and expected that whatever is said means nothing! This desensitizes us to the truth and sets an expectation of deception and dishonesty. Trying to sort through all the lies, we worry and hurry.

We are self-centered to a fault. Our pursuit of rights instead of righteousness is refocusing the fabric of our nation. Selfless service and goodwill charity have become something more often scorned than praised. The attitude of the World War II generation versus today’s mindset is markedly different. One group united under hard times and rose up to a common cause and a world crisis. Would this generation be capable of the same? That thought is far from most people’s mind, yet our world is extremely volatile. Focusing on self is a way to ignore other issues, but it causes us to worry and hurry.

Please understand that I am not condemning our great country. I fully believe in our capability to rise to greatness, but I see the 3 things listed above as very destructive to us a nation. America was founded on unity, faith, and family. I am not suggesting that we return to those times (even if we could). I am suggesting that we return to some of those values and unifying principles the nation was established upon, grew and prospered under. I am sure of one thing: worrying and hurrying will not get us there.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? look as verse 27, Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Add one inch to your height.) verse 31, Therefore, do not worry…

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your cares (Worries) upon Him (God) for He cares for you.

Worry leads to hurry and hurry always makes the dumbest choices.

Don’t Worry! Don’t Hurry! Trust God … He will make a way, He really does care!

Fred Hughes, M.Photog.

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www.byfredhughes.com ~ www.decision1.org