Heard this one on the radio the other day and it made me think about current events.
It’s a reminder to be thankful for the solid things we do have in our lives.
Our friends and families.
If we’re lucky enough to have meaningful work that pays a good salary.
Our health.
The home we are sheltered in place in.
We have a lot to be thankful for.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Bonus song for those of who went to Sunday school and vacation school and learned this one:
Never mind what others do; do better than yourself, beat your own record from day to day, and you are a success. – William J. H. Boetcker
We all already know that there is no use in comparing ourselves to others.
The idea of “keeping up with the Jones’s” is something most of us know not to try to do.
But, we still get tempted.
Jealousy still rears its ugly head.
Focus on setting your own goals. Focus on what is meaningful to you.
Break your own records. Forget what everyone else is doing.
Make it a great day.
Jake
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell
I was trying to find a good quote to honor my good friend Erik on his big birthday today and came across this one.
It seemed particularly appropriate given all of our current circumstances.
The world’s gone a little crazy.
We’ve been stuck at home with little contact.
We’re going to come out of it to a new normal.
It might feel like the rest of the world has walked out.
But the real friends will be there after. For the part where we all walk out into the bright sunshine one morning and get to work on building a new normal together.
I’m glad to have Erik as a real friend (as well as many others on this list).
I’m thankful for him and for you.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Sunday would have been Master’s Sunday, but it has been postponed until November. I have been reminded a few times on social media about Tiger’s big win last year and so I wanted to resend the daily attitude email from last year about it as well.
Yesterday I watched most of the final round of The Masters (golf tournament) on the line.
In the end, Tiger Woods completed one of sports all time greatest comeback stories by winning after his fall from grace and many injuries that have kept him off his game for a long time.
What struck me most was the crowd’s reaction.
They celebrated.
They cheered.
They forgave.
Tiger is an imperfect champion who has done things most people would have a hard time forgiving.
But the crowd was with him. They forgave his transgressions and welcomed his show of excellence.
It seemed fitting to me that this would happen the Sunday before Easter.
God has done the same thing for all of us.
He knows all the little faults and transgressions. Each of them feels to Him as egregious as anything Tiger has done.
And yet….
Anytime we show up for Him with excellence he stands and cheers. Chants our name. Tears of joy cover His face.
At least that’s how I imagine it.
He’s a fan of the best of version of you. As if you were the only one playing the game.
Watching the crowd treat Tiger like that reminded me just how lucky I am to know a God that feels the same for me.
If you think I’ve taken too much a leap here in connecting all this to God (that seems like me), think instead about your closest loved ones.
Think about cheering like that for them.
Think about performing for them in a way that deserves cheering.
Make it a great day.
Jake
“Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord’s Prayer is about.” ― N.T. Wright
I don’t know about you, but I think I needed Easter more than usual this year.
It has been a rough start to the year. I had lots to complain about. Things weren’t going my way. Stress levels were out of the normal range.
I’ve been seeking a path to turning the page and trying to look forward with hope the last couple of weeks. Not even really realizing that Easter was on the way.
The first Easter was at the early church’s darkest moment. Their leader had been killed. He was not to become the King they had hoped for. They were sad, scared and hopeless.
Out of that darkness came the resurrection. The bright, shining sun leading the path towards the future, full of hope and joy.
I’m going to work to make Easter that moment for me this year (and would love it if you joined me).
We’ve had a rough start.
We will move forward with faith, hope and joy.
We have a lot to be thankful for.
We can and will lean on each other and work together on a brighter future for all of us.
Who’s with me?
Make it a great day.
Jake
Annie’s birthday today so she got to pick the toe tapper.
Seems appropriate as most of the time Annie’s a little ray of sunshine.
As we celebrate Annie’s birthday today, I’m going to focus on all that I have to be thankful for (especially Annie).
We are in uncertain times.
Life feels hard and uneasy.
But we still have a lot to be thankful for.
Including the laughter and joy of a certain 11 year old little girl.
Celebrate something your thankful for today.
Make it a great day.
Jake
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” – Winston Churchill
Distractions. They are a fact of life.
How many times in a day do you catch yourself thinking "what was I doing?"
Like most things in life, learning how to focus your efforts is a discipline, learned over time.
Decide to work on that discipline today.
Pick a period of time and focus on the most important to do on your list.
It might be 5 minutes or it might be 5 hours, but pick a time and stick with it.
And then do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And I think you get the idea after that.
Make it a great day.
Jake
“When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is a great description of our fears.
A scary looking man with a fake beard that immediately becomes a farce when confronted.
Think about what is holding you back from reaching your goals.
What are you afraid of?
Afraid of failure?
Afraid someone might laugh at you?
Afraid someone won’t like you anymore?
Afraid of losing control?
Afraid that it might actually work?
Take the first step today. Take the step through your fears.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. It’s choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy. It’s choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them. – Brene Brown
Meaghan found this quote and shared with me the other day.
It’s a great thought for these difficult times.
We’re all going to have plenty of chances to life a life of integrity over the next few months.
What will you choose?
Make it a great day.
Jake
This daily attitude from a while back seemed appropriate as we’re experiencing this new normal. Don’t let a week of neglect creep in to some important area of your life.
A week of neglect could cost you a year of repair. – Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn often talks about maintaining the important values in our lives. This short quote is an important reminder of what it could cost you.
A week of neglect of your marriage could cost you a year of repair.
A week of neglect of your integrity could cost you a year of repair.
A week of neglect of your attitude could cost you a year of repair.
The week equals one year part isn’t important. Five minutes of neglect could ruin a marriage.
This is why knowing your priorities and sticking to them is so important.
Imagine having a really nice car but a marriage that is falling apart.
Imagine being super fit but having no friends.
Imagine having millions of dollars but a poor attitude (not going to have any fun with that money).
Don’t neglect that which is most important to you.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Practical Steps for Friendship, Unity and Intimacy in Your Marriage
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