Who Told You That?: Validating the Voices and Qualifying Your Choices

By Don Hand

So much more than a question, "Who Told You That?" delivers a profound, yet practical opportunity to stimulate and exterminate the covert operation of status quo thought. It's calculated provocation carefully positioned in the pages encourages both intentional honesty and uninhibited transparency, while providing inspiration, informatio

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Release date: Sep 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798885832243

Don Hand

Don Hand, author, speaker, coach, trainer, Kingdom Ambassador, Ally, Revivalist, and Ordained Bishop in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), possesses a profound passion to establish and expand the Kingdom of God by bringing an undeniable increased awareness of God's love, joy, peace, and freedom in every dimension of the Christian life. Throughout Don's extensive ministry of over 30 years, he has served as Senior Pastor, Revivalist, International Team Speaker to pastors/ churches/ministries, church pastoral staff, and a life and leader- ship speaker/coach/trainer. Many "Generals of the Faith" and sovereign moves of God throughout the history of Christianity have influenced and impacted both Don's life and ministry. His ministry has been noted for its intimate worship, life giving prophetic declaration and impartation, revelatory preaching/teaching, and strategic life, and leadership training. Don's ministry gatherings are prophetically punctuated with multi-dimensional times of encouragement and refreshing, renewed hope, signs, wonders, healings, miracles, deliverance, restoration, and an undeniable ignited passion for the principles and presence of God.Don's "first love" for spiritual revelation, impartation, and transformation goes undisputed. In addition, as a Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Leadership Team, when combining his diverse experience in both the ministry and the marketplace, he delivers timely and innovative leadership insights and influence to lead pastors, pastoral staffs, leadership teams, church congregations, entrepreneurs, local businesses, community organizations, and educational centers. With the accelerated changes taking place in both the Church and the Marketplace, there is no denying the pressing need for a collaborative process that seeks to recalibrate the mind, mission, and mode of operation within every organization. Don is married to his wife Robyn, and they have two children and four grandchildren.

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ENDORSEMENTS

Thousands of years ago the renowned Hebrew champion, poet, and king – the man we know as David, wrote in Psalm 26:2-3, from the intimacy of his heart directly to God, Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes: And I have walked in thy truth. In these few heart-felt words we hear the echo of our own hopes, aspirations, faith, and soul cries to God to help us, examine us, and guide us as we hope in Him. In Who Told You That?, author Don Hand expertly guides us through an essential self-journey of exploration, examination, and eye-opening honesty in which we take a deep search of our life, who we are, and who we are called to be. Don unflinchingly helps the reader to shine a flashlight of truth on our own self-imposed hindrances to understanding and becoming all that we are meant to be and do in this one precious life we live. He helps us to examine our hearts, see the corresponding results we witnessed in our lives and get beyond excuses and complacency and into the rich place of personal passion and life fulfillment! I’ve known Don Hand for many years and believe me when I say that he will lead you on a life-road with which he is personally quite intimate. It’s time for you to defeat doubt and self-sabotage.

—O. Wayne Brewer, International Director of Adult/Men’s Discipleship

Church of God International Offices

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Wow! Don has taken on the difficult and scary subject of self-reflection and introspection and turned it into a journey of exciting self-awareness and fulfillment. What an exciting help as we traverse the uncertainties of life.

—David L Frerking DC, MMD, DABCI

WHO TOLD YOU THAT?

Validating the Voices and Qualifying Your Choices

Don Hand

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Who Told You That? © 2023 by Don Hand. All rights reserved.

Published by Author Academy Elite

PO Box 43, Powell, OH 43065

www.AuthorAcademyElite.com

All rights reserved. This book contains material protected under international and federal copyright laws and treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the author.

Identifiers:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023910896

ISBN: 979-8-88583-222-9 (paperback)

ISBN: 979-8-88583-223-6 (hardback)

ISBN: 979-8-88583-224-3 (ebook)

Available in paperback, hardback, ebook, and audiobook.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Author Academy Elite, nor does Author Academy Elite vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

DEDICATION

Arriving to this place has certainly not been the equivalent of a light stroll through an oak canopied park on a cool afternoon. Rather, the result of the first half of one’s life meticulously composed by the One who is the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. Without question, every breath, thought, word, deed, and day that has been transacted up to this moment has been accompanied and accomplished by the constant love, grace, and mercy of God.

Though my life has been influenced and impacted by many people, places, and things, it would have all been moot without two special individuals, my parents. Thank you, Mom, and Dad, for the gift of life, a childhood of safety and security, and a steadfast love that has never been in question. Your example of love and faithfulness to God and one another has been the timely glue many times when I’ve not known what to do.

A myriad of song lyrics, catchy sayings, and heart felt expressions combined cannot adequately portray the love, honor, and gratitude, that I attribute to my high school sweetheart, my wife, the mother to our daughters, and NeNe to our grandchildren. Thank you for choosing to travel life with me. Your conspicuous investment of love, prayers, life support, partnership, leadership to our M&M’s, and encouragement to stay the course has been invaluable. When God made you, He must have been thinking about me being Stuck on You. I love you, Robyn!

From the flatland of Florida to the mountains of east Tennessee, time, photo albums, revisiting certain favorite places, and countless miles of memories alone will never be sufficient to articulate the love in my heart for our daughters, Maegan, and Morgan. Through all the loving and laughs, lessons learned, struggles endured, and unexpected battles overcome, your warmth, glowing smiles and rallying presence has served as an answer to the question I’ve asked myself on many occasions through the years, Who Told You That? The love of God, the love of your mother, and the love I have received from you, has sustained me to answer that question. Little did I know that a qualifying question tossed into some informal lessons with your children would become a handcrafted book for all to read. Thank you for loving me. I love you, Maegan. I love you, Morgan. I am so blessed by the gifts of you and yours.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART 1: EXAMINING / EXPOSING MY SELF

EXAMINING MY SELF: How did I arrive here?

Acknowledge: A Call to Attention

Accept: A Call to Ownership

Application: A Call to Action

EXPOSING MY SELF: What is this?

Be Vigilant: Sounding the Alarm

The Violation: Weeding Out the Problem

The Venue: The Meeting Place

Vision and Voice: Sights and Sounds of Status Quo

- What am I stuck in?

- How did I get stuck?

- When did I get stuck?

- Why am I still stuck?

- Who will help me get unstuck?

VICTIMIZATION: Minding Your Own Busyness

PART 2: EXCUSING MY SELF: I DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO NOBODY.

Flip the Switch: Asleep on a Roller Coaster

Preoccupation: The Priority of Obsession

Procrastination: Rewarded by Delays and Denial

Preservation: Permission Granted to Stay the Same

Passivity: Asleep at the Will

Participation: Popeye the Tailored Man

- Belief in Hearing: Don’t Do It.

-Blind Spots: Change Your Perspective.

- Breakdown (BBB) - Do you have the nerve?

- Breakthrough (BBB) - Internal Resistance

- Breakout (BBB) - Escaping is Beyond Skin Deep

PART 3: ENROLLING MY SELF: STEPPING UP AND LOOKING IN

Validating the Voices

- Mapping Out the Voices

- Mistakes Consciously Mistaken

Qualifying Your Choices

- Ignoring Your Invincibility

- Look in the Mirror

- Crutches in Your Closet

- If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

- No news is good news.

- Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Let’s Get Critical: Complacency Camouflaged

Justifying It: Consciously Creating Blind Spots to Remain Stuck

CONCLUSION

MINE-Sets are Lonely and Costly:

Why fight for the right to be wrong?

Reflection Questions: Who Told ME That?

Endnotes

About the Author

What’s Next?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To those special individuals who believed in me, encouraged me, and contributed financially to bring this writing project to print, Thank you. Your financial gift, encouragement, and prayers have been a true testament to God’s provision.

Thank you also to our Higher Ground Church leadership, family, friends, community, and ministry allies in Florida.

I would also like to extend my heart and hands to the following individuals, institutions, and organizations for their roles and relationships through the years.

—Lee University; Cleveland, TN; 1991-1994.

President Paul Conn, Campus Pastor Robert Sheppard, Bible and Christian Ministries

Faculty and staff, Behavioral and Social Sciences professors faculty and staff.

—North Cleveland Church of God; Cleveland, TN; Since 1991.

Senior Pastor Mitch and Sharon Maloney, Pastor Jack Smith, Dr. Hubert Seals, Dr. Wayne Brewer, Pastor Jim Milligan, Pastor Glen Procopio, Terry Pace, Pauline Justice, Evelyn Hicks, Debbie Burdashaw, Leigh Knight, and all NCCOG ministry, church family, and friends.

—Pentecostal Theological Seminary; Cleveland, TN; 1994–1996.

President Steven J. Land, and the entire teaching faculty and staff.

—Florida Church of God State Office; Tampa, FL.

—Church of God International Offices; Cleveland, TN.

—John Maxwell Leadership Certified Team; March 2017.

—Dr. David L. Frerking DC, MMD, DABCI, and office staff; Tavares, FL.

—Dr. David W. Thacker; Cleveland, TN.

Thank you to all my family and friends who have loved, encouraged, and supported me through the years.

To my father-in-law Stewart, my mother-in-law Freda, Earl, my sister Tawnia, Lou, and my son-in-law Aldo, I love you and so appreciate your resilient love, nudges of courage, and votes of confidence. To my grandchildren Zayden, Nina, Nella, and Nicolo, I love you, believe in you, and treasure the many life lessons God continues to teach me in and through you to keep me young, reachable, and teachable.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

INTRODUCTION:

Stop, Look, and Listen,

It’s All Up to YOU!

Though it seems like yesterday, the compiled evidence reveals the timeline is far more than a day or two. During my childhood years, like many others, I vividly remembering having constructed in my mind a picture of what I envisioned for my future. I remember dreaming about being a cop and being able to help people in various ways. Some days, I would spend hours at a time playing with my little matchbox cars on my bed, building a city scenario with imagined streets and buildings accompanied by my personally made city sounds that I would envision in those given moments. Those were some very fun times and memories for me. As I became older, my viewing field expanded considerably, and I found myself with more questions than I had answers. During my elementary school years, I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and took medication (Ritalin) that was intended to help me be less anxious (doctor’s term = hyper) and more focused in order to be successful in my schoolwork. Let me just add here that my doctor seemed to have had a much more advanced case of hyperactivity than I. He was always so amped up, singing when he came into the room, always talking fast, and seldom making eye contact. My annual physical exam always included a shot in the buttocks, and it was as if everything was in turbo mode during those visits. I look back on those fearful shot moments and all I can do is smile when I consider how often I donate blood now in my adult years.

Through my adolescent years, I would mow several lawns per week in our neighborhood and my dad was always so quick to encourage and support me with succeeding in my little lawn business. I would mow lawns, rake leaves, weed flower beds, and edge up driveways. At one point, I had gathered as many as ten lawn projects per weekend. I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I now realize those were some very formational years in my life. As I transitioned into my teenage years and began my high school journey, I found myself warring with the thoughts of staying in high school. So many things were on my mind, and I just wanted to be freed from the boring expectations and demands of the school scene. I remember my mom telling me one day with pointed persuasion how quitting was not an option and that I needed to get it together. Hearing her say that really did get my attention and served as a much-needed trajectory. Not long after, I applied for my first job at a local grocer (Food World) at the age of 14. Yes, I know it sounds rather young to be getting a job; however, I graduated from high school at the age of 17. This new responsibility started a brand-new chapter of character development and life explorations. Wow, this is only a brief overview.

Again, it seems only like a few days ago, during my 10th grade year, I met a beautiful young lady whose neon pink socks, neon green shirt, blonde hair, and dimpled smile captivated my heart. We spent time together at school, at church, at family outings, and our memories and stories just go on and on and on. We got engaged during our 11th grade year, and we recorded our I Do just a few months after we graduated from high school. I really had no idea in our initial months of dating just how long-lasting and impacting this young lady would be in my life. You just never know how meaningful and critical a potential newfound relationship can be in your life. I am convinced that meeting my wife when I did was another strategic building block in my successfully graduating from high school. Upon receiving my high school diploma, I remember saying to myself, Thank God this is over, I will never darken the door of another school. Well, have you ever chewed on some of your own words? On many occasions for me, the answer is yes, and I’ll painfully elaborate as we continue.

November 1, 1986, began a series of annual celebrations that my wife and I would share for years to come. We were in love with each other, working full time jobs, while loving and learning so much about married life. We were privileged to be employed by the same