This is a favorite St. Patrick’s Day song at the Davis house.
St. Patrick’s Day is a great reminder of the uniqueness of the US.
On St. Patrick’s Day – everyone’s Irish.
We can all come together and celebrate the culture of a country that has been a (mostly) positive influence in America.
We can come together as friends and fellow Americans.
Make it a great day.
Jake
"Let no one or anything stand between you and the difficult task, let nothing deny you this rich chance to gain strength by adversity, confidence by mastery, and success by deserving it. Do it better each time. Do it better than anyone else can do it." – Harlow H. Curtice
What if we could look at the difficulties in our lives as opportunities?
Think about what is going on in your life.
Is there something you are staying away from because it seems too difficult?
Is there something you are falling short on because you aren’t giving it your all with a positive attitude?
Think a little differently and you’ll get different results.
Make it a great day.
Jake
“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder
Today is Oliver’s 7th birthday.
I’ve been thinking of this quote a lot in response to all of the uncertainty we’re all facing.
I wanted to send it out on Oliver’s birthday as the day reminds me even more of the importance of leaning in to what really matters.
We have a sweet, funny, happy little boy who is going to enjoy a day spent with his loving family celebrating him and making him feel special.
We will work to forget about all the craziness around and focus on loving on Oliver.
And if we do a good job it will bring joy to all of us.
A joy that will put our worries to the side.
Find some joy today.
Focus on the real things in your life that aren’t changing.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Today is St. Patrick’s Day.
Amid the coronavirus lockdowns that are going on here and across the world, the parties and usual St. Patrick’s Day festivities won’t be happening.
Maybe this year we can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by remembering some of the other unique traits of the Irish.
In my experience, Irish people are uniquely kind, nice and hospitable.
With all that is going on around us, the world could use a little more of those three things.
Be kind to those your interact with.
Be nice to all who come across your path.
Be hospitable to your family, coworkers and friends (and maybe even some safe looking strangers).
We are going to get through this difficult time.
We might as well do it the Irish way.
Make it a great day.
Jake
“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
— Marianne Williamson
What a great reminder – you were meant to shine.
Not in a way that puts others down or takes away from them – they were meant to shine as well.
The first sentence sets the stage perfectly – we were made to serve the world (God).
For some reason, it’s easy to miss this idea and buy into bad thinking.
Either the thinking that you are worthless and aren’t made to shine or that you are in competition with others and to outshine them you must diminish their efforts or somehow exalt yours.
We let fear and selfishness dominate our thoughts and diminish our impact.
When we let go of our fears and lean into our God-given gifts and talents for service we inspire others to do the same.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Found this old toe tapper from a few years ago and wanted to send it out again before St. Patrick’s Day.
Not sure I caught all the lyrics, but it sure sounds happy.
Someone mentioned this song on the FaceBox and I found this Irish version that reminded me of our families adventure to Ireland last year around this time.
Figured while I am thinking about it I would share a couple of good pics from Ireland.
One of my Irish lass and our oldest and one a collage of the wee Irish lasses in their flower girl get ups.
Make it a great Friday.
Jake
irish lasses
Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. -John DePaola
I have also heard success or happiness described as a butterfly. You can run around all day long trying to catch the butterfly, but only when you slow down and stay still will it come to you and rest on you.
This is another of life’s great mysteries. You must continually move forward in the direction of your dreams but at the same time be calm, peaceful and slow down in order to attract the results you want.
Think about some of your life goals, maybe there are one or two that require you to slow down a little.
Maybe you need to slow down a little and enjoy some slow moments with your small child before they aren’t so small anymore.
Maybe a coworker needs you to just slow down and listen for a little while.
Maybe you need to slow down and spend time with your spouse or a close friend just talking about nothing in particular.
Maybe you need some quiet reading and reflection time to get through a tough time or problem.
Maybe you need to lighten your schedule a little so you can make those wise food or money decisions needed to meet your goals.
I am sure we all have something that if we would just slow down it would come right around and catch us.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Here’s a great reminder for the day:
"Slow Me Down Lord"
Slow me down Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal march of time. Give me amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the eternal hills.
Break the tension of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory.
Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art of taking MINUTE vacations, Of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines of a good book.
Slow me down Lord and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.
Author: Wilfred A. Peterson
Make it a great day.
Jakeu
To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us. Timothy Keller
I’m convinced more and more as I get older that the above quote summarizes a lot of human behavior.
We all want to be fully known and fully loved.
God created us this way and He alone fills this completely.
We were also designed to fill a portion of this need for those loved ones we are lucky enough to be this close to.
We get into trouble as we try to navigate our way through relationships – figuring out where on the spectrum this relationship puts us and how much to risk along the way.
We push some people away because we don’t want to risk the rejection.
We bring some people too close too soon and get our hearts broken.
We take the easy route and keep things superficial.
Be aware of those around you. They are all working through this in their own way.
Some in an obvious and dysfunctional way.
Some in a scared and quiet way.
Reach out – pay attention to where you are on the spectrum above and be the one to reach out to the next step in your relationships.
Risk the vulnerability (appropriately and wisely) and allow yourself the opportunity to be fully known and to know someone else fully.
Embrace God’s special place for you in all of this. Both with and through Him and in the special relationships in your life.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Life is given to us, we earn it by giving it. – Rabindranath Tagore
One of life’s great mysteries is that we have a better life by giving ours away.
All that has been given to us – money, talent, time, the capacity for love, etc. has been given so that we can give it away.
Nothing is meant to be kept for ourselves locked away tightly for only our own uses and desires.
What does this mean for you today?
Does it mean taking out the trash at home?
Taking an extra phone call or two at work?
Sending a nice note to a friend or loved one?
Find something to do today to give your life away. Then do it again and again and again…..
Make it a great day.
Jake
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