LIVE YOUR CODE

On February 24, 2012 a new movie titled Act of Valor will be released in theaters. This film was directed using active Navy Seals as the actors. While this is just a fiction movie and not a documentary, the types of scenarios that these men endure are real. Within the movie, their code is imbedded throughout. Real life lessons are there for us to learn from and apply in our walk of life.

As Christians, we need to make sure we are also living as elite warriors, much like the Navy Seals. We need to make sure we are always ready to fight the good fight and die for what we stand for. “Until you put your life into the context of war, you will miss 95% of what happens to you.”

“Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare for war; stir up the mighty men; let all men of war draw near, let them come up.” - Joel 3:9

In October of 2011, at Elevate Life’s Ultimate Warrior Conference, we were blessed to have Jeff Bramstedt, Navy Seal, Ret., share the stage with our Pastor and a group of other retired Seals. These men shared stories of their past and linked them to their faith as Christian men. It was one of the most inspiring days of my lives and for many other men that I know.

I was recently introduced to a new website http://www.lifeofvalor.com/ that has excerpts from the new movie and footage of 2 Seals, Jeff Bramstedt and Clint Bruce, narrating what it means to live a Life of Valor. Below are my notes and I dare you to walk with me on this journey of life to live your life by this code:

· Loyalty
· Honesty
· Sacrifice
· Discipline
· Integrity
· Courage
· Self-Control

TRAIN RELENTLESSLY
“Relentless training makes men run into a firefight, not away from it.”
We need to train daily. We need to dive into the word. We need to pray for our families and for our church. We need to surround ourselves by other warriors so that we, can sharpen one another.

YOU NEED A TEAM
“Stick together as a team, you live. Go it alone, you die. It’s that simple.”
We need high expectations for the men in the church. We need self-accountability and team accountability from those in our circle… our THREE. So I ask you… “WHO are your THREE?”

DEMAND MORE OF YOUSELF AND OTHER MEN AROUND YOU
We need high expectations for the men in the church. When you see a man fall, don’t gossip about him or call him out publicly. Go to him, lift him up. Support him and together, you will both be better for it.

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS
PREPARE. PLAN. ACT.

FACE YOUR FAILURE
Admitting your failures to others gives you strength. It also allows others to learn from your past. Don’t forget to share your success, too. Others can learn from the pattern that helped you succeed.

I hope that today’s post has inspired you to consider the life you’re living. You need to think about the path you are headed towards. Are you “following the shoreline” or are you getting tossed around by the waves?

If you are living a life that God wants for you, then you can “Live your life that the fear of death cannot enter your heart.”

Striving to live by the code,
John Vakidis

Trust - The Key to all Relationships

As author of this blog, I am compelled to share what I feel is truth and what I feel can make a difference in your life. In addition to writing this blog, I also maintain a blog for my profession. I work for FranklinCovey, the global consulting and training leader in the areas of strategy execution, customer loyalty, leadership and individual effectiveness. Clients include 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. FranklinCovey provides professional services in over 140 countries.

One of our fastest growing leadership offerings is around content based on the best-selling book by Stephen M.R. Covey, The Speed of Trust. This is a must-read for all leaders who want to have more influence with their team and organization and to do business faster for less cost.

Order this book online here

A colleague of mine and consultant for FranklinCovey, Dr. Todd Wangsgard, recently wrote a 3-week series based on this content. Below are links to each post from the series:

· Post 1 Trust - The Key to Confidence
· Post 2 Relationship Trust and Your Behavior
· Post 3 Organizational Trust - Alignment

I highly recommend that you take a moment to read these posts. I think everyone can learn something from this content!

I also challenge you to begin your efforts of increasing trust in your life to begin with trusting the Lord. God’s word has a very specific plan for us. If we follow the patterns he has laid out for us, we will receive his promise. “Understand the Plan, Follow the Pattern, Receive the Promise” - Keith Craft.

So take some time to dive into the word. Join a bible study or a book study and see how God’s word can change your life! As of today, I have about 5 seats open for a 7 week book study that begins on February 7th: 7 Habits for Highly Effective Men.

Go online and register or contact me to learn more about the details. Download a PDF invitation here.

Strengthening families one man at a time,
John Vakidis

Becoming a Mighty Man

This morning I was privileged to be invited to join my Pastor, Keith Craft, and approximately 300 men from our church. We began our morning with a healthy breakfast of steel cut oats, fresh fruit and juice (as we are currently on a fast). Next, we kicked off with praise and there is something to be said about hearing 300 men “sold out” for God praise Him with such passion and honor.

After praise, we were blessed to hear a great word about how to become a Mighty Man. Pastor related to David and his Mighty men. David would not be able to accomplish what he did as a king without having men that had a heart for him and men he could call on for anything at any time.

Without giving away the whole session, here are a few points that stood out for me. A Mighty Man is…

… one who embraces resistance
… obedient to the unenforceable
… is loyal
… courageous

Being a mighty man requires to have an honorable spirit first. Without honor, being obedient, loyal and courageous is not sustainable.

As a man, do you have 3 men you can call right now about your most pressing problems? Will they stop what they are doing to come aid you to see you succeed? If not, maybe you should become a mighty man so you can be align yourself with other mighty men. Greatness invites greatness!

Consider visiting some of my other posts: HONOR, FELLOWSHIP, WARRIOR and others. Also, check out the pages: GET CONNECTED, RESOURCES and EVENTS. I pray that God speaks to you and you are able to take something from this site to become a better man, live a better life and find proper alignment.

Be Mighty!
- John Vakidis

INCREASE

This weekend was my church’s 12-Year Anniversary. Each year Pastor Keith Craft gives us a word a prophesizes over our congregation. This year in 2012, that word is INCREASE!

In a brief summary, Pastor let us know that Increase …

.. is the Way of God (Deuteronomy 1:10-11)
… is the Will of God (Isaiah 9:7)
… is the Want of God (1 Corinthians 2: 6-10)

God wants us to have Increase because He wants us to be greater. He wants us to take dominion over the earth and He wants us to live rich, abundant lives. By following His word, we can have Increase in our family, our finances, our relationships, our work and just about every other aspect of our lives.

I stand in agreement with Pastor Keith and the members of Elevate Life Church that 2012 will be our year of INCREASE. I believe that this can be a great year for you as well. Simply follow God’s word, get aligned with right-living people, get connected and you will see Increase in your life!

Believing God’s Best for You!
- John Vakidis

Increasing Favor

Recently, my Pastor Keith Craft spoke at Lakewood Church in Houston over the New Year weekend. He spoke about "How to Increase in Favor." In order to receive favor in your life, he taught that we must first live with a merciful heart. When we do that, this leads to showing honor to those around us.

When we live with mercy and honor in the forefront of our thoughts and actions, we receive build a path towards receiving God's favor.If would like to learn more, consider going online to www.elevatelife.com and watch the recorded podcast.Believing that 2012 will be a year of Increase and Favor for you!

Honoring Him,
John Vakidis

HONOR

One definition of honor is “honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions.” When I think of honor, I typically think of our US Armed Forces or maybe a movie like Gladiator.



#HONOR is a principle thing! It begins with your heart. You need to think about, “What do you value and cherish?” Here are some starter questions to get you thinking…

· Do you appreciate the life that God has given you? How are you taking care of your health?
· Do you value your relationship with your wife? Does she see this through your actions?
· Do you cherish your children? Do you speak words of encouragement over them daily?
· Do you value the income you receive from your employer? Do you give your job your best?

When you honor God and others you do relationship with, you will begin to THINK differently. It is an elevated way of thinking and when you begin with honor, you make different choices and end up with different outcomes than when you don’t.

If you are grateful for what you have, then you should show honor with your words and actions in all that you do. If you behave this way regularly, it becomes part of your DNA. Your wife will see you as a different man, your children will be grateful they have you as your father, your boss will see you as a different kind of employee and God will see your heart is aligned with His.

In this week ahead, you are surely to be busy preparing for Christmas and time with your family and friends. In these special moments, make sure to glorify Jesus (showing honor) and celebrating the real “reason for the season.” When you have some intimate time with someone you love or appreciate, let them know with a kind gesture, gift or even a card. Make time to honor those around you and see the blessings in your life unfold.

Believing God’s Best for You!
- John R. Vakidis

ELEVATE

As my first post, I want to show #HONOR and quote my Pastor, Keith Craft, “If you elevate your thinking and you will elevate your life.” While this sounds simple, it is quite profound. EVERYTHING we do begins with the way we think. Capturing your thoughts and controlling your attitude will determine your destiny.

I am looking forward to posting more quotes, articles, videos and more. At this point, I have 2 other pages developed: Introduction and Get Connected. More pages and posts will be coming soon.

If you would like to make comments on blog posts, you’ll have to become a member. If you want to connect outside of the blog, I can be found on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Begin to elevate your thinking and see what happens next. I can guarantee you that things can only get better!

God bless,
John R. Vakidis