Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself. – Thomas a Kempis

Each of us faces the battle within ourselves.

The choice to focus on ourselves and our own desires.

The chance to do something for others.

The choice to focus on the negative and look for the opportunities to complain.

The chance to think positive and be thankful for all the good.

The choice to accept the lies and confusion around us as the way things are.

The chance to stand on the truth.

We all face these choices and every day, with a chance to win in the battle of overcoming ourselves.

It’s worth it. The battle can be won. Over time. With Christ.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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On Sunday, Annie and I got to watch the last few holes of the Player’s Championship on TV.

It was a great finish with several players having putts to tie and make into a playoff.

Each missed their putt and ended up missing their chance.

The most heartbreaking of them all came from Wyndham Clark (great golfer name by the way). His putt literally went halfway down and around the cup only to end up missing.

Golf can be a game of good and bad bounces but to miss that putt on the last hole of an important tournament like this was a real tough one.

I imagine the majority of us would spend the next few hours not in a very good mood. At the very least thinking of all the things we could have done differently, or in my less mature moments maybe blaming it all on everything and everyone else.

Instead, a bunch of social media posts have made the rounds of Wyndham hanging around after the tournament signing autographs.

What a great example for the rest of us.

I imagine that today something will go differently than I wanted it to. I will feel slighted or treated unfairly. Maybe even in a way that is justifiable.

Instead I should do the right thing. Be thankful for those who do love and support me. Be prepared to meet them where they are and show them my appreciation in return. Regardless of what I feel like doing.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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"Boys are beyond the range of anybody’s sure understanding, at least when they are between the ages of 18 months and 90 years." – James Thurber

Oliver turns 11 today.

He’s at such an interesting age. Such an imagination and creative mind. He and his friends seem to be able to turn any situation into some kind of extended story that ends in laughs.

He can turn almost any situation into a reason to tell a story or ask a question about something seemingly unrelated.

The innocence and positivity (generally) of it all is something so wholesome it warms your heart (at least the times when I’m patient enough to listen and participate).

It’s a great example of life’s advice to slow down and pay attention to the important stuff.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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https://youtu.be/8WAy-ewByUM?si=spPQQ0niZu9OJc4F

St. Patrick’s Day this weekend!

Time to get together with all your favorite Irish friends and enjoy wearing green and singing some classic Irish tunes (or whatever you usually do on St. Patrick’s Day).

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success. – Swami Sivananda

The idea of doing your best in everything has always been a little tough for me.

In general, I’ve fallen into the “good enough is good enough” mode more than I should probably admit.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to get better at this.

Focusing in and getting the details right.

For me, I think it’s led to hopefully a healthy minimalism about some things. If you are going to take the time to do it right, you better have less stuff to do on your list.

But even more than that, I’ve tried to find more joy in the little things. To focus in and enjoy the moment.

I sure do still have a long way to go on this one, but progress is a win.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination. – Ralph Marston

Positive thought for the day – redirecting the frustration into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. – George Bernard Shaw

The Bible tells us that if we knock, we will find.

So many examples like this one about gardening surround us.

We hear about others who find God in their hobby or reading or some other pursuit.

The most important part is the seeking.

God will meet you there.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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“the best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.” – Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry

Great reminder on a Monday morning – doing our best today is the surest path forward.

When we give today our best – it distracts us from the worries and anxieties of the future.

It also increases the likelihood that the future is actually better.

What would this look like for you today?

A short, prioritized list of to dos that would make the most impact?

A journal entry of gratitude and appreciation for the gifts of today?

Increased focus on the task at hand?

Seeing today’s problems through to completion instead of letting them flow into tomorrow?

Make it a great day.

Jake

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https://youtu.be/LwVW4nUfTzI?si=4nAy3iPjFInKZJVW

Upbeat and happy start to Friday.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one. – E. B. White

This goofy quote is a reminder that we are imperfect and that part of our special offering to this world is our imperfections.

It’s easy to wish away our imperfections.

To hide them in a corner and protect ourselves from judgement and ridicule.

Some (not all) of them are meant to be shared. To be used in a creative way to aid others in their journey.

Wisdom is required here. If your imperfection is that you are a jerk – you should probably stop doing that.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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