But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

The last few weeks at church have been centered on this verse.

I’ve always liked the Bible verses that feel more direct and straight forward, so this has been one of my favorites.

It seems pretty clear to me – if you want all that good fruit you’ve got to fill yourself up with the Spirit.

I have a ways to go, but the fruit sure seems like it’s worth the work.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

The last few weeks at church have been centered on this verse.

I’ve always liked the Bible verses that feel more direct and straight forward, so this has been one of my favorites.

It seems pretty clear to me – if you want all that good fruit you’ve got to fill yourself up with the Spirit.

I have a ways to go, but the fruit sure seems like it’s worth the work.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

The last few weeks at church have been centered on this verse.

I’ve always liked the Bible verses that feel more direct and straight forward, so this has been one of my favorites.

It seems pretty clear to me – if you want all that good fruit you’ve got to fill yourself up with the Spirit.

I have a ways to go, but the fruit sure seems like it’s worth the work.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

https://youtu.be/l-O5IHVhWj0?si=VkUMDG1phEW4O-XW

Life sure can be tricky sometimes.

To know when to be patient or when to push.

To know when to live for today or when to plan for tomorrow.

To know when to give up and move on or when to persevere and push through.

To know when to hold a friend/child/loved one accountable to the higher standard you want for them or when to hug them and tell them it’s all going to be ok.

And some of these situations are not either/or but instead are both/and.

I sure don’t have it all figured out. I sure am glad I have people in my life that put up with me while I muddle my way through it.

And I’m really thankful that I have a Father in heaven who knew about all the times I would get it all wrong and He still sent His Son to die on the cross so that we could live together forever. In the end my hope and focus can’t be on getting all the little balancing acts just right – instead it needs to be on becoming the kind of person that brings glory to Him.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased. – John Steinbeck

Vacation season is upon us.

Many of us will be taking a trip over the summer – trying to make memories and relationships that live beyond the one week we are gone.

Each trip is an opportunity to come back changed a little for the better.

If you are taking a trip this summer – make the most of it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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I truly believe that everything that we do and everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents; we’re all teachers – if we’re willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door. – Marla Gibbs

One of the ideas behind having a growth mindset is looking at the happenings of our lives and thinking – what am I supposed to learn here?

To be patient or aggressive?

To be careful or take a risk?

To rest or get back to work?

We have the opportunity to learn these lessons in our own choices and results. To be sure – personal experience is the most impactful teacher.

But we can also watch and observe others – not to judge them or their character, but to judge whether those actions and choices might benefit us and our situation and circumstances.

Pay attention today, you might just learn something.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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

I don’t know about you, but I need to work on my contentment.

To be able to take a deep breath and find the joy in the moment that I’m currently in.

To be thankful for all my blessings.

If you hear me whining or complaining about anything – call me out on it.

If you even think I might be thinking about it – call me out on it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Childhood is a short season. – Helen Hayes

Not sure why but childhood and summer are intertwined in my mind.

The idea of this period that seems like it’s lasting forever while you are in the middle of it but it gone so quickly you find yourself wishing it would return.

Make the most of the summer!

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Another DAE from a few years ago….

https://youtu.be/3GwjfUFyY6M

Sunday will be our 13th anniversary so I couldn’t resist sending out this classic that has probably been played at more weddings than you can count.

Weddings and anniversaries are a great reminder of how lucky some of us are having found our wife or husband.

If you are lucky enough to have a spouse, give them an extra squeeze and “I love you” today.

If you haven’t found that person yet, keep looking. It’ll be worth the wait.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Another DAE from a few years ago….

“Grace is something you can never get but can only be given. There’s no way to earn it or deserve it or bring about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks.” – Frederick Buechner

Today marks Meaghan and I’s 19th wedding anniversary.

We’re getting up in years enough that sometimes people will ask questions along the “how’d you do it?” line of thinking.

While I’m busy pondering and over-analyzing things Meaghan usually answers with some form of “grace”.

Thinking the best of the other person even when they don’t deserve it.

It is great advice for all of our relationships and interpersonal interactions – from the waitress to our spouse our lives will be more full of joy if we choose to respond with grace as frequently as possible.

Grace is a great area to practice giving and generosity. The more you give and the more generous you are the more joy you will experience. It’s not an equation I can document or fully explain, but I’m convinced it is just how life works on this planet.

Thank you to Meaghan for being a great example in my life of showing grace (maybe it is because I give her so much practice?).

Make it a great day.

Jake

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