Larry L. Haynes, Ed.D.
Author & Storyteller
2018
Googling God
Everyone else in his class picked normal topics: Peyton Manning, Florence Nightingale, Charles Lindburgh, Neil Armstrong, Queen Victoria, Martin Luther King, Davy Crockett, Mother Teresa.
But when Nicholas Teller chooses to write his 6th grade "famous person" report on God, he opens up a surprisingly big can of worms. From discovering that God likes naked people, to befriending a rabbi, priest, nun and a homeless guy named Luke, to realizing that everyone deserves a second chance, even the teacher's pet Violet Kinlaw, nothing about his report is what Nicholas expected. But that, it turns out, is the best part.
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2019
The First Circle
All leaders have a circle of influence. It is unavoidable. Do the messages you send every day invite people into your circle or drive them out? Influence never straddles the fence. Very few new school administrators truly know what they don’t know. Too many times, they are thrown into the deep end and expected to swim. The problem isn’t a lack of effort—they’ve just never been taught HOW to swim! Educational administration can be brutal business. The hours are long, pay is minimal when compared to other degreed professions, and gratitude is in short supply. But for those who have the heart, there is no better place to be! The reality is that despite all of the enthusiasm and energy, school administrators, especially newer ones, are going to make a lot of mistakes. That’s normal. But who’s encouraging them to keep on keeping on? Who’s reminding them that 99.9% of their mistakes are not fatal? What if we stopped assuming that new administrators already knew what they were supposed to do? What if we decided to give them some valuable tools before they needed them? The First Circle provides administrators— current practitioners and aspiring leaders—with encouragement and real-world advice. The chapters are short, easy to digest, and include personal reflection questions. Are you ready to grow your first circle?
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2021
The Cradle Maker
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Dennis Pryor is a rising star with Sweigert Industries. His upward trajectory takes a nosedive when his hours are cut because of poor job performance. He and his wife Sidney were hoping to seek fertility treatments, but their new reality puts those plans on hold. Dennis looks for part-time work to help offset his loss in salary. After finding nothing that fits his skill set, his wife directs him to an ad for a woodworker’s helper. Dennis answers the ad and finds out that the job is to assist Joshua Lehman, an aging cradle maker, fill his orders. Everything Dennis thought he knew about leadership and living with a purpose is challenged. Dennis soon comes fact-to-face with the toughest person he has ever tried to lead—himself.
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2022
The Bucket Rules
Stan Britton is off to a rough start as the new principal of Oakview Elementary School. The initial adrenaline rush of getting the job wore off before the first report cards were sent home. Reality has set in. Achievement scores are woeful. Staff morale is about a 2 on a scale from 1-10. The parents complain about anything and everything. Stan feels overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. His family life is unraveling before his eyes. It takes the wisdom of his head custodian, Walt, to teach him the Bucket Rules: Own Your Bucket, Fill Your Bucket, Carry Your Bucket and Empty Your Bucket. Stan is hesitant at first. He has two, almost three college degrees. That’s two, almost three more than Walt. What could he possibly learn from a custodian?
Stan’s life is at a crossroads. Figuring he has nothing to lose, he embraces the bucket rules. In time, the blinders he’d been voluntarily wearing for years come off. Stan soon learns the secret to living a life that will outlive him!
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2024
The Vigil
The summer of 1984 is drawing to a close in the sleepy little town of Maple Hill. At 12, Travis Denton is dreading another year of school and everything that goes with it. His parents are just hoping he’ll find Jesus at the upcoming revival meeting. But school and Jesus aren’t the only things stressing Travis out. His life is soon turned upside-down as he loses one friend and gains another. He never dreamed how hard it would be to have a girl for a best friend, especially a girl like Laura Andrews. Just when his life is finally starting to make sense, the rug gets yanked out from under him again! And the stakes have never been higher! Travis faces some of the hardest realities that he’s ever had to face—about school, Jesus and Laura Andrews. For the first time in his life, Travis realizes that there are some decisions that only he can make for himself.
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