One of the many blessings in my life is getting to work with a great group of people. A group I call my friends.

CS Lewis writes a lot about friendship in “The Four Loves”. Below is one of my favorite quotes:

A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

The instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.

In our silliness and goofy meetings. Our jokes and awkward hugs, we are shown the beauty in God’s creation of another person who is on our side.

We stand side by side and look out at the world and work to make it better. We work to show the beauty of those special relationships in a way that brings light and crowds out the darkness.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I thought this old toe tapper was an appropriate follow up from earlier this week.

http://youtu.be/5xAwwQ_d0Ck

Jesus gave us a commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Love is also a choice.

Everyday we can choose to look at others in our life with love.

Today you can make that choice.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much. – Blaise Pascal

Let’s all spread some kindness around today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Last night we attended the end of the year Senior night for cross country.

They made one of those awesome (corny) slideshow videos with sappy songs and pictures of the kids from when they were babies until now (I’m not crying, you’re crying!)

I couldn’t help but think of the quote – a baby is born with a need to feel loved, and never outgrows it.

High schoolers don’t really let on to this, but they all have that same need to feel loved.

You could see it on their faces – from babies to 18 year old “grown ups” – they are looking to find who is in their corner and who loves them.

Christ suggested that we “love our neighbor as ourselves” – I think this is what he meant. That when someone looks at you to see if you are in their corner and if you love them they would be able to see a resounding yes.

Most of our interactions don’t go this deep. We’re used to living and operating at a superficial level. At guarding ourselves against the person or people who would take advantage of our “being in their corner and loving them”.

Christ’s challenge is to take that risk. To show that senior cross country kid that we love them and are in their corner.

It’s hard. It doesn’t always go well. It sometimes breaks your heart. You can and will get taken advantage of.

But it’s worth it (in my opinion – you get to decide for yourself).

Go past the normal. Take some risks. Give more hugs. Smile more. Be the person to step out let others know you are in their corner and love them.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention. – John Burroughs

Action!

We must turn our good thoughts into action.

Set ourselves up to crowd out all the bad with so much good.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Below is an email I sent out a few years back…

We in this country, in this generation, are — by destiny rather than choice — the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility — that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint — and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” That must always be our goal — and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: “except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

While in Dallas this time I wanted to make sure it made it to see the Texas Book Depository and the scene of that fateful event.

Near the museum they had the excerpt above. It was intended to be part of a speech the President was to give later that same day.

His words seem just as powerful today as I am sure they would have been during that time.

We are tasked with a great responsibility.

To protect and build upon the progress of previous generations. To take the sacrifices made by others and turn them into a better and brighter future.

Words like these are a great reminder.

That we have something to work toward. That what we do matters and adds to an already great legacy.

Be inspired as you go about your day today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I’ve thought of this song and the idea from this email from last year a lot….still needed today.

https://youtu.be/7CUKQxPTjpY

One of my favorite simple ideas for a better life is to smile – a lot. Like all the time.

This song/video is a funny, catchy reminder that even when life is hard we can choose to smile.

Life hasn’t been easy so far this year for many of us.

It hasn’t gone the way we would have wanted.

It’s been hard and upsetting and scary.

We can still smile.

“I know God is working so I smile”…..that’s my favorite line from the song and something I try to remind myself of constantly this year.

Hopefully you can find a smile today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.  

J. Calvin Coolidge,

30th President of the United States of America

In all the stories of success there is a moment when they decided to keep going.

Despite the odds and obstacles they pressed on.

I think the key to being able to press on is having big goals.

Big goals pull you through the problems you will inevitably face along the way.

Make sure you have big goals for yourself. Make sure it is big enough that you are almost embarrassed to say it out loud to your closest friend.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm. – Calvin Coolidge

Something I’ve been working on lately is to try and talk less.

Man, do I stink at it. I’ve always got something to say and in my head a lot of it is brilliant (until I hear it out loud).

I so often fall into the trap of trying to fill the dead air in conversations. Waiting (im)patiently for my turn to speak and not leaving myself much room for reflection and thoughtfulness.

My sincere hope in talking less is to listen more.

To listen more to those whom I’m wanting to be in relationship with.

To listen more to God’s voice.

To listen more to my own voice internally.

To listen more with an open mind and heart. Maybe my way or my ideas aren’t the best. Maybe some new opportunities exist that I haven’t thought of.

If you catch me talking too much – say something! I’ll do my best to listen.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS If you are also interested in talking less and listening more, maybe we could hop on a call and see who could talk the least.

“Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.” — Anonymous

End of year goal check in time….

Q4 started last Friday.

How are you doing on your goals?

If you didn’t set any, pick something now and get started.

Make it a great day.

Jake