Day 3,667

Growth:

Appreciation was the main theme of toady’s sermon at church and it was a winner! Father John shared examples of how this past week had been a series of struggles, unexpected obstacles in what was planned to be a relatively relaxed week. Throughout those challenges he did as much as could, controlled as much as he could, and then finally have to give in and allow space for help. While he focused on that being the space in which God helped, I saw it slightly differently.

After he tried to do something on his own it was only after he failed when he asked for help. When the help was provided he found gratitude in that space, an appreciation for the help. How true this is in so many ways! What if we all learned to accept help sooner in order to work through a difficulty?

Another note that caught my attention and resonated with the concepts fo so many of the books and stories I’ve read lately – we grow most and have the most to be thankful for when struggle, when we face adversity. That is when we are pushed to grow, to receive help, to see we are not alone, and to be grateful.

So much to take away from this one, I’m glad it is recorded so I can go back and re-listen and absorb it more deeply.

Appreciation:

This afternoon I skipped the Packer game and focused on working on my dream list. Rather than taking in a game I realized my time would be better spent ensuring I was working on the right goals for the upcoming years. It started off a bit uncomfortable, I struggled to get the list up and running. With each successive dream recorded I gained momentum. The sunlight on my face while sitting on the deck, the music playing quietly in the background, and the fresh air provided the perfect environment to stay focused on shaping my future.

While I typically wait until the beginning of the year to reset my dream list I realized last year that there was a benefit to getting this rolling early as I start my annual planning process for 2026. Crazy to think that 2026 is only two and a half months away! If I want to live into my best life I need to remember to put the focus on intentionality and planning. Glad I did both this afternoon!

Presence:

While Becky and I had our mini-date on Friday and Saturday I had a nice pocket of one on one time with Gavin today. Nothing crazy, eating lunch together while watching football. Joking around and playing some cards. No real deep conversation, just enjoying each others company.

There are not too many of these times left, I remember how quickly Dominic’s senior year flew by. The inertia of time somehow continued to increase throughout that school year and was gone before I knew it. To have the opportunity share a pocket of time with Gavin like this was sublime!

Thanks!!!