This Photo was taken to not follow the Rule of Thirds, but it is actually stronger than the one that Madison took that did follow the Rule. The difference here is that the eyes are such strong focal points and they are in the upper third (although centered), the photos is balanced. Do you see how the cactus on the upper left balances with the one on the lower right? The rainbow (arch) in the back holds the frame together. It is a good shot by Madison.
In this photo Madison tried to follow the Rule of Thirds, but it is not as balanced or as comfortable a photo as the one above. The Rule of Thirds is a guideline that will really help in most cases, but sometimes it is ok to "fudge" it or change the rule a little to make the shot work.
Beautiful shot by Josh. It was taken not to follow the Rule of Thirds and works for that example. Use your hands and crop the photo so that the pineapple tree is not quite centered (take off some from the right and the bottom). That would make this photo a little stronger.