https://youtu.be/cJqjlFGZxtE?si=WJii2Y_M_YpOq7P-

Part of the change from winter to spring and spring to summer are the beautiful mornings along the way.

Enjoy some of the sunrises and sunsets as the weather warms up and the sun shines a little more each day.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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"You should never be proud of doing what’s right. You should just do what’s right." – Dean Smith, former University of North Carolina basketball coach

A long time ago I read a biography of Dean Smith. What has stuck with me from that book was that he had a few simple rules and stuck with them.

It seems to me that part of his success was built by having unwavering discipline on certain things but flexibility in others.

Think about your own life and what is most important.

Maybe you make a rule limiting the amount of work hours each week so you can spend more time with your family.

Maybe you make a rule around physical activity or diet.

Maybe you make a rule to never let a month go by without doing a budget.

Whatever your rules, stick with them. Pick just a few, but don’t let them slide.

If you are having a really hard time with discipline, pick just one. Make just one simple rule and stick to it. Just for a day to start. Then for two, then for a week. Just get started.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.” – Louisa May Alcott

Meaghan and Annie have really enjoyed Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

I liked this quote from her because it reminded me of Meaghan.

She’s good at noticing the beauty in nature and the little things around the house and finding some joy in the work of an artist or God’s artistry.

We have all heard the phrase “stop and smell the roses”.

It’s easy to focus on the stop part. To think of slowing down our super busy, frantic pace.

Don’t forget the smells the roses part too. Find beauty in the humble things to make home happy and life lovely.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Try to be like the turtle – at ease in your own shell. – Bill Copeland

College visit with Maggie yesterday. Got to walk around campus and see all the students going from class to class.

This quote seemed appropriate to the college experience.

Trying to learn to be at ease in your own shell.

To learn and be ok with your place in the world.

To learn and grow to the point where you can leverage your uniqueness to be of service to others.

A warning I try to remind myself of when I hear the advice “be yourself” – unless you’re a jerk, then you should change.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. – Matthew 6:26-34

Any time I feel the anxiousness creeping in, I try to remind myself of the verses above.

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of worrying.

Our minds appear to have a natural tendency towards worry and anxiety.

But I believe God has a different plan for us.

Promises like joy and peace are there for us if we can renew our mind and put the right thoughts in.

If you’re feeling a lot of anxiety lately, read these versions again. Maybe every day. Renew your mind with these timeless truths.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Album drop today for T Swizzle….sure hope it goes ok for her….she sure could use a win…

Resending this toe tapper from last year.

https://youtu.be/OuFnpmGwg5k

This song has been stuck in my head the last couple of Sundays at church.

And isn’t it just so pretty to think

All along there was some

Invisible string

Tying you to me?

My sincere wish each Sunday is that more of us might realize there is an invisible string tying us to our Creator. That He is pulling on that string. That He wants us close to Him. Forever.

In the song Taylor tells the stories of the ups and downs of coming together with her love. She describes moments and how they now make it clear that the two are tied together. Maybe the same is true of our relationship with our Heavenly Father? All these little details and moments – meant to bring us close to Him.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – This may not be well thought out, but I think of the string as love itself. Love is what ties us to each other and to God.

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Never retreat. Never explain. Get it done and let them howl. – Benjamin Jowett

Probably not a perfect quote or even the best advice, but the sentiment is a good one.

Set your bias strongly in favor of action.

Not sure what to do….take some kind of positive action.

Not sure where to start….do something and adjust from there.

Get moving!

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Home is any four walls that enclose the right person. – Helen Rowland

One of my favorite things about Meaghan is that she makes our house feel like a home.

We might differ on how much minimalism to embrace (I’d like to maximize it) or what goes where, but when it comes to making everyone feel loved and like they are the right person, she’s nailing it.

Each day is an opportunity to make those around us feel like they are just the right person to make everything feel like home.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Resending this email from a few years ago…

This video is one I think about a lot. I know it is a little longer than usual, but it is worth watching.

https://youtu.be/pyHMRwrS1pc

This video is Les Brown’s story of getting into the radio business. Through telling this story, Les make’s one of my favorite points. “You’ve got to be hungry” is something that goes through my head at least a couple of times a week.

Think about your life and what you really want to accomplish. Are you hungry to accomplish your goals? Do you take no for answer? Would you work at a job for no pay just to get to your long term goal?

Want to make more money this year…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry!

Want to become a better father/spouse/friend……You’ve Got to Be Hungry!

Want to learn more…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry!

Want to lose weight…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry! (Sorry about the bad pun on that one, couldn’t resist).

When you are needing a little pick me up, just think of Les’s booming voice in your head.

Want to just watch TV instead of picking up a book? Hear Les….You’ve Got to Be Hungry!

Want to eat a bowl of ice cream before bed? Les booms…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry!

Want to take it easy today instead of giving your best? Focus on his voice….You’ve Got to Be Hungry!

Think about your goals and what you are hungry to accomplish. Get started on them today. If you are hungry, then it can’t wait until tomorrow.

Jake

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The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more. – Kin Hubbard

This reminds me of two sayings that often go through my mind –

Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.

A gentleman never takes an advantage.

We must actively work to curb our appetites. To work against our natural tendencies toward greed and gluttony.

Not in a “rich people and business are bad” kind of way, but in a way that allows us to minimize the distractions from life’s more important elements.

The opportunity to have and be more is an opportunity to give and serve more, not a chance to consume everything in an endless chase of temporary pleasures.

I’ve had the good fortune to have had generous and kind parents who (despite my best efforts) instilled some of these same values into me. We’ve worked to consistently tithe as a family and the lesson I’ve learned from doing so is that we are better off for having given away those tithes.

Our lives are better when we give and serve more.

Find a way to give today. Not out of guilt or shame, but from a desire to honor our role in this world.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Bonus point/reminder – it’s not about you (or me)! It’s about others. Every single time.

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