A man is what he thinks about all day long. – Ralph Waldo Emerson    
Monday morning reminder – watch your thoughts.
Just because you think it – doesn’t mean it’s true.
We become what we think about. Fill your thoughts with good.
Make it a great day.
Jake

https://youtu.be/nJq7J2uzSlc?si=cARvO7SVKmp4u4AK

Annie has spent the last couple of week practicing and performing her flute in the local production of Guys and Dolls.

We’re often admonished on both sides for “rocking the boat”.

We’re encouraged to break from the status quo and change things up.

We’re encouraged to not change things that have always been and to stick with what works.

Life is full of choices like this. To rock the boat or not.

Andy Stanley suggests asking yourself “What would a wise man do?” in response to these situations.

Wisdom can be sought after and used to know when to change things up and when to stick with it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. – Lao Tzu

Reading this quote I imagined a meandering creek or river, lazily taking its time moving water from one place to another.

This week, work to hurry less.

Take a deep breath.

Relax your body.

Take the time to do it right the first time.

Make it a great day.

Jake

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough. – Lao Tzu

The endless pursuit of more and better stuff is bad news bears….

It’s not good for you on the soul level.

Stop it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Sorry for the old man rant. This is probably mostly a message/reminder for myself.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” – Luke 15:20

This line from the story of the prodigal son stuck out to me on a podcast I listened to recently.

The prodigal son had to take the first step – to admit he was better off in his father’s house and to head that way.

But his father saw him “while he was still a long way off” and went to him. The father met him more than halfway.

Our Father in heaven wants to do the same for us.

The first step is up to us. We must admit that we are better off in His house.

I believe this principle works in other areas too. Take the first step and you’ll be met more than halfway, most of the time.

Monday is a great day for first steps.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/NADx3-qRxek?si=2wUEVM8uN30QjKyx

One of the greatest blessings in my life is that I was lucky enough to meet Meaghan at a relatively young age.

Tomorrow marks our 23rd anniversary and I still frequently think something along the lines of “God only knows where I’d be without you”.

Hard to speculate what would be different – but I know for certain it would be worse.

I have never once come up with a version where things would be better.

It’s likely we all have people in our lives who fall into this category – God only knows where we’d be without them.

Come up with somebody who made that kind of impact in your life and tell them – today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. – Indira Gandhi

In order to experience life’s blessings we have to be open to them.

We miss out on so much when we have our fists clenched.

I’m sure we all have a story about some hurt or transgression that caused the clenched fist.

And I wouldn’t suggest we should be open to all the experiences that come our way (should probably skip trying cocaine…).

A little wisdom would go a long way here – choose carefully, but be open to the good that might come your way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. – Psalm 37:23-24

I was listening to a podcast yesterday and they were talking about this verse.

I immediately had the picture of walking with the kids when they were really little.

Imagine a little kid holding their parents while they walk over rocks or in the woods or something.

They are constantly tripping, unstable and in need of their parents hand to “uphold their hand”.

Often they beg to let go of that hand immediately fall headlong into the rocks, brush, etc.

For those of us who are Christians – what a great way to picture walking with God.

We also have relationships in our lives that lift us up like this.

We weren’t meant to spend our lives constantly falling headlong into the rocks. We were meant to walk together, holding hands and keeping ourselves from falling.

If you aren’t holding somebody’s hand – reach out!

Make it a great day.

Jake

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

All have “failed”.

We spend much of our lives avoiding failure. Obsessing over what people might think if we were to come up short.

This verse is a reminder that ALL of us are going to fail.

We are all going to come up short.

If we’re lucky it will be something small. If we’re a little less lucky it will be something big.

Either way, it’s coming.

Isn’t this supposed to be a positive email?

It is.

We have the power to respond to the failure. The bigger the failure the more power in the response.

AND the God of the universe loves us so much He sent His son to die so that we can be forgiven all of failures, large and small.

Don’t be afraid of the failures. Embrace it when you have a chance to respond to a failure in your life.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – I know this is easier said than done and that I don’t know your situation. God does and He still loves you so that is good enough for me.

PSS – I don’t think this means we should seek out failure or give a lack of effort or care in our lives. We must do our best.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11

Monday morning reminder – discipline is good.

It’s no fun at the time, but in the long run it pays off.

Make it a great day.

Jake