by David Hayward | Jan 2, 2020 | David's Letters, I'm okay
EMPOWER YOURSELF IN 2020 Happy New Year my friends! Let me tell you a story. For Christmas this year, my daughter Casile got me the book, “The Courage to be Disliked”. We laughed because I already seem to have that courage. But it’s a good book. Not what I expected....
by David Hayward | Dec 25, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm okay
I just wanted to write you guys and wish you all a happy holidays. This time of year is difficult for some of us. I respect that. Know that you are loved by the rest of us in TLS. TLS has been going for seven years since I launched in in 2012. It has hovered around...
by David Hayward | Dec 16, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm confused, I'm okay
I was at an event recently where the speaker acknowledged that because of the thousands who were there, each one might have a different name for the Other… “God”, “Universe”, “Source”, “Great Spirit”, etcetera, or nothing at all. It felt comfortable and no one felt...
by David Hayward | Nov 27, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm angry, I'm scared
WRITE THAT LETTER The other day I wrote a letter to an old friend. The last time we met he said things that were very hurtful. I immediately wrote him at that time and told him so. He dismissed it. So I decided to let the relationship lie dormant for a while. But the...
by David Hayward | Nov 17, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm confused
THE BOREDOM OF PERSONAL GROWTH I went for a run this morning. Half way through I felt like walking for a bit. An argument ensued: Keep going! No, walk! Keep going! No, walk! So I tried to figure out what was happening: I felt good. I wasn’t winded. I wasn’t sore. I...
by David Hayward | Nov 6, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm confused
BRUCE LEE and THEE I was thinking about Bruce Lee, considered one of the most influential martial artists of all time. Why was he so unique? How did he build an entire life, career, and philosophy upon his distinctive style? He gave these four pieces of advice that I...
by David Hayward | Oct 31, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm okay
I’m finally back home and starting to feel half normal again. I was sleep deprived and completely exhausted. I took care of my dad as he transitioned from the hospital back into his home. It took two weeks. But he was stable enough for me to leave. What I found...
by David Hayward | Oct 23, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm okay
Hi guys. Another update because I know you care. I regret to interrupt our regular programming with this crisis I’m involved in. I’m with my mom and dad. I’m returning home Sunday. I could stay longer but my work suffers, I miss my family, and I’m completely...
by David Hayward | Oct 17, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm sad, I'm scared
I’M USING A COMMODE CHAIR I’m at my parents’. Dad just returned from the hospital and I’m here to help him transition into his home. I’m already exhausted. Sleep-deprivation is a thing. We’ve installed a commode chair over the toilet. Rather than switching back and...
by David Hayward | Oct 9, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm angry, I'm sad
I’m reading Frederick Douglass’ first “Narrative…”… his journey from slavery to freedom. It’s such a powerful read with so much insight. One of the things he observes is that religion, specifically Christianity, was used as an excuse for slavery. Let me explain. His...
by David Hayward | Sep 27, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm scared
BELIEVING IN SOMETHING YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN Years ago when our children were small we read them a children’s book about the Inuit. They told a story to their children about a monster who lived under the ice, and if you fell through it would eat you. We know that story...
by David Hayward | Sep 19, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm confused
OBSESSION Okay, I’m going to get personal. I worry a lot about my weight and appearance. I experienced a lot of body-shaming when I was growing up. I possess the notorious “Hayward Gut”… where the Hayward men don’t gain weight anywhere but right underneath their ribs...
by David Hayward | Sep 8, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm scared
ARE YOU MEETING OPPOSITION? Yesterday I offered to answer questions from my followers on Instagram. They could type their question and I can video my answer. It lasts a day. I didn’t expect to be so busy! There were lots of questions. But I noticed a common theme:...
by David Hayward | Sep 3, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm confused, I'm scared
YOU DON”T HAVE A GUN TO YOUR HEAD I remember the first time I said this to myself. I had left the ministry (again) in 2003. After a couple of years I decided to try to plant another church. I gave it a few months, realized I hated it, but refused to feel trapped. So I...
by David Hayward | Aug 27, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm okay
BE NOBODY’S VICTIM, INCLUDING YOURS Empowering others is important to me. What I mean by this is not that I give them power, but that I help them recognize, tap into, and exercise theirs. Even yesterday I was speaking with someone. They said they were...
by David Hayward | Aug 18, 2019 | David's Letters, I'm okay
WHY TLS IS DIFFERENT I’m not saying there aren’t other groups out there like TLS. I’m just saying I don’t know of any. I think it’s because our core value is that we entrust each person to their own journeys… whether we call them spiritual or otherwise (when I use the...
