“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I have been listening to Mere Christianity again in the car.

This quote reminded me a lot of the ideas sent out in these daily attitude emails every day.

A big part of changing for the better is letting go of what we are currently.

At some point we must be willing to tear down our current habits and idiosyncrasies.

It’s hard. It’s painful. It isn’t much fun.

We want to change, but maybe aren’t quite ready to let go of ourselves and our ego in the process.

But it has to happen in order to really change.

We are capable of much more than we ever dreamed.

We are capable of greatness.

If we are willing to be torn down in the process.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over. – Aneurin Bevan

This quote reminded me that progress requires decision.

We must decide in order to head in the direction of our dreams.

We must decide to walk away from our bad habits.

We have to decide.

Is there something in your life that just needs a decision in order to unblock things and move forward?

Make it and move forward.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have." – Henry James

Monday morning again.

Make a plan for the week.

Look at your goals.

Set your priorities.

Get started.

Make the most of the time you are still so lucky as to have.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/T3E9Wjbq44E

What if your heart was a stereo?

What kind of song would it be playing right now?

What kind of station would it be?

Play some positive music today. Get your heart pumping.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – There are more people who wish to be loved than there are who are willing to love. – Nicolas Chamfort

JW – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23

EB* – I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. Groucho Marx

MS* – "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." – John Quincy Adams

The Bible verse Jamie shared is one of my favorites.

Whether we are digging a ditch or playing a game, we can choose to do it with joy and love, as if we are doing it for God.

Life is full of the little stuff.

Doing dishes.

Driving to work.

Helping the kids with homework.

Talking about the week’s schedule with your spouse.

Picking up your cup of coffee in the morning.

It can all feel very mundane and unimportant.

But if we infuse our daily activities with love and joy, they transform into opportunities to serve and to make a difference.

Challenge yourself to look at your daily routine from a different angle.

How can you add something to it?

How can you work at it as if you are working for the Lord?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Monotony is the awful reward of the careful. – A G Buckham

If you ever find yourself getting a little bored maybe it is time to take a calculated risk.

We live in a time when we can create a life of comfort without having to really test our limits. So much is available to us without having to strive and push that we can fall into a sense of boredom and monotony.

Find a way to take on a little risk.

Find a way to push your limits.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"If your dream is to live a life full of happiness, bliss, and love, chances are what’s holding you from that kind of life is either your pride or your fear." – Ken Black

When you read that quote, what popped into your head?

Afraid of failure?

Too proud to admit a mistake?

Afraid of what others might say?

Too proud to say you are sorry?

Maybe the day to get over yourself is today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

STEP 6

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

The gospel reminds us that we are to be known by our capacity for love. The source of this love is God’s love. As we discover this source of unconditional love, we become more effective in all of our ongoing relationships.

In Step 6, we ask God to remove defects of character, and this removal requires that we die to old ways of being and acting. We must die to a false reliance on possessive and jealous human relationships. We must die to a narrow preoccupation with material wealth, power, or authority. We must die to our dependency on mood-altering chemicals or food as means of satiating spiritual needs.

The expression of the Holy Spirit within us can only be alive to the extent that we have died to our old ways. We seek to be thorough in this invocation of God’s help, for “half measures availed us nothing” (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 59).

I recently read a bible study based on the 12 steps in the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous.

This one stuck out as worth sharing.

At some point, we must die to our old ways of being and acting.

We must be thorough in our attempts to eradicate our old bad habits and thoughts.

Half measures will avail us of nothing.

What comes to mind from your life when you read this?

What needs to change in order for things to get better?

Make it a great day.

Jake

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Meaghan has this posted in the kitchen at home (if I was really cool I would have taken a picture of how cute it looks on the chalkboard paint stuff).

Seemed like a really good thought to start the week off.

We all fall short.

We all lose our way a little.

We all lose hope from time to time.

The changing season is a great reminder to push the reset button.

Reset your goals.

Restart your engines.

Pick one thing to knock out of the park before the end of the year and get started today.

The year isn’t over. Your story isn’t written. Start over if you have to, but don’t quit.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/fjwWjx7Cw8I

Make it a great Friday.

Jake