I Saw God

It’s the Holiday Season and Christmas is right around the corner! I really love this time of year because I get to spend a lot more time with my family, eat great big, wonderful meals, and exchange gifts with people I love and care about. But also at this time of year, I tend to look at… and see things a little differently.

We lost several family members in the past two years due to cancer and covid. So my focus on the important things in life, like friends and family, and people in general, is now heightened. Maybe it’s my age, but I don’t want to take anyone for granted, ever again, because I know I have. So these days, when I am with someone I try to look them straight in the eye. I want them to see that I am connecting with them and that I am listening to them. People want to be “seen”, so I make it point to let them know that they are “seen” by me, and that they matter to me.

Funny thing is, the more I look at the world around me and the people that are in it, the more I see God. In fact, I saw God the other day when I witnessed a friend of mine donate a kidney to a complete stranger. I saw God when I noticed my son was picking up stray trash off the ground and throwing it away. I saw God when I witnessed my wife working for hours in the kitchen, preparing to host our “Family Baking Day”. Last night I saw God when my granddaughter crawled up next to me on the couch and ask me to read her “Riddles for Kids” book with her. And I especially saw God last week when a homeless man who was really upset, approached me because he lost his backpack with all of his clothes in it. And I felt God speak to me and suggest I give him the coat off my back. And I for sure saw God when I watched a brilliant, orange sunrise burst over the top of Saddleback Mountain earlier this morning. I am pretty sure God is everywhere… if we just make the effort to see Him!

     “And that’s the real meaning of Christmas – Charlie Brown!”

Burger Queen

I admit I have a few bad habits and one of them is that I love to eat hot dogs and hamburgers. Somehow it’s just been programmed into me over time. And what makes it really bad is that I am constantly on the road, so I tend to go to a lot of fast-food restaurants where the food is probably not all that healthy. But hey, there are worse things in this world.

Lately, when I’ve gone to fast-food places I’ve been extremely disappointed. There is no longer a human being at the counter to take your order. Instead you have to go up to a machine and try to punch the right buttons to get your food order placed. It doesn’t work well and the last time I tried it, the machine didn’t work at all. So I went up to the counter and stood there for over 5 minutes waiting for help. A line started to form behind me and after 10 minutes, I gave up and left telling the people behind me, “I quit, and I think the people that work here must have quit too!”

Last week, I went to a Wienerschnitzel Restaurant and was greeted at the drive thru by an “AI” person. Or maybe “person” isn’t the right word. I think it’s actually called “Chatbot”, and I have to say that the “Chatbot” actually did a good job of taking my order. But driving away, I felt more like I had just bought a sandwich from a vending machine rather than buying lunch at a restaurant. I know it sounds stupid, but I miss the “human” interaction.

But yesterday was different! I needed to wash up after working, so I stopped at the McDonalds off of Lake Forest Drive and went inside. I was greeted with a big smile and a friendly hello from an older lady behind the counter. (I say older, but what I really mean is someone my age.) She took my order right away, asked me the appropriate questions, and really seemed to enjoy her job. After I paid and glanced down at my dirty hands, I started towards the restroom. She said, “I will keep your drink cup here for you for when you come back.” Just a small thing, but she was doing her best to be extra helpful and considerate. And when I got my food and was leaving, she said with a warm smile, “Drive safe” and “I hope you have a great day”. Funny thing is, I believe she meant it!

Those seemingly ordinary moments when we care enough to notice the needs of others and do what we can to brighten someone’s day… are not ordinary at all. And I definitely don’t think we can program a Chatbot to do that!

Kindness can be the greatest gift that you can give a person. 

Especially when they are not expecting it.

 ~ Anonymous

The Invisible Man

I stopped and just stood still for a moment. The visible world around me was spinning like crazy! Hundreds of people going places, popping into restaurants, shopping for Christmas presents, buying groceries, filling up their cars with gas, and busy… so very, very busy.

It’s a typical Saturday morning in December in the city of Irvine. I am at a large Retail Shopping Center simply doing my job inspecting parking lot light poles for corrosion. I’m pushing a heavy tool cart loaded with a bright array of equipment, including hand tools, an impact driver, and a sophisticated and expensive Ultrasonic Thickness Gage Machine. I am even wearing a bright yellow safety vest. But yet, I am invisible.

I will be working for 6 straight hours today and hundreds of people will walk by me, jog by me, or drive by me, (sometimes way too close) and not ever truly notice me. They are too busy, and rightfully so, because for most people the Holiday Season is the busiest time of the year. But I do exist, I am a real person, and before the day is over, hopefully I will be seen… and not run over!

And then there appeared this cleaning lady. She was pushing a heavy roll cart loaded with cleaning supplies, and like me was wearing a yellow safety vest. As we passed on the sidewalk, she gave me a smile, and I waved back with an enthusiastic, “Good morning!” About an hour later, I was approached by a security guard, also in a yellow vest. He asked me what I was doing, I explained and asked him how his day was going. He responded with one word, “Busy”. Later, as I got to the perimeter of the property, I came across a landscaper, also wearing a yellow vest, diligently spreading mulch in the planter. He was working hard pushing a very heavy wheelbarrow, and never looked up at me until I was right next to him. I told him the planters looked so much nicer, and he smiled at that comment. I think he mostly smiled because a stranger took time to notice him.

When I got home from work and sat down for dinner, my wife made an interesting observation. She said, “What I like about you is that you “connect” with people. You take time to look them in the eye and listen to them. People need that and appreciate it!” First, I am really glad there is at least one thing she likes about me. Second,  it’s not always true! Too many times I have ignored the waiter who filled my iced tea before it was even empty, the gardener who kept my yard trimmed during the hot summer months, and the mailman who delivered my mail like clockwork six days a week all year long.

You know that old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” It’s true because busy people usually figure out how to get things done. So from now on, I am going to be that busy guy… who figures out how to get things done… like turning the invisible into visible!

The Invisible Man

You’ll never get more attention from people than when you are listening to them.

                                                                                  ~ Robert Brault                                              

Extraordinary

Earlier this week I was with a couple of buddies when one of them said something interesting. He said, “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because we get to be with people we love, hang out, eat good food, and watch football…and we don’t gotta screw around buying stupid presents.” Okay, so his grammar wasn’t perfect, but he made a good point. The things we are most thankful for don’t come wrapped with a bow...and I find that kind of extraordinary.

For almost 49 years now I have gotten up early every day and jumped into a truck. I head out onto a freeway loaded with thousands of other 3000-pound missiles driving 70+ miles per hour to get who knows where. I’ve seen some bad accidents and I’ve had a few mishaps (one that was life changing) but I have always made it home safe and sound. For that I am thankful… and I find it extraordinary.

For many years I worked at an office filled with people who are true heroes. I constantly watched the people I worked with show up early, stay late, and work as if they owned the business themselves. They were determined to provide a better life for their families, and they didn’t compromise their integrity to do it. I was honored to be on their team and thankful for their inspiration…and I found it extraordinary.

Still to this day, I come home to my own loving family. For years I was able to tuck my four children into bed, often carrying the youngest on my shoulders. Most nights I would say their prayers with them and then peek into their rooms after they fell asleep. Their faces always looked so precious and peaceful as I pulled their covers up and remembered how blessed I am to be called “Dad”. How a clumsy, forgetful chump like me could ever be blessed with four such awesome children (and now seven grandchildren) I don’t know. But I do know one thing, I am very thankful…and I find it extraordinary.

Even more surprising is how each and every night I get to end up in the arms of the most beautiful and loving wife a man could ever want. She is everything I ever dreamed of (and I dreamed a lot when I was young). But she deserves a much better-looking man than me and yet she tells me I am her prince and her warrior, and she makes me believe it. She makes me want to be the best I can be and for that I am very thankful…and I find it (and her) extremely extraordinary.

In addition, for a few minutes each day I get to sit down with a really good book. It’s a book that was created by the One who created me and blessed me with my life on this earth. I am honored to hold that book in my hands, so I try hard to focus on the words, soak in their meaning, and learn how to live in a way that honors Him. To have a Creator who will patiently await my personal development is something I am definitely thankful for…and I find it more than just extraordinary.

Tomorrow morning I will do it again. I will get into the same truck, go do the same job, call on the same customers, read the same Bible, and crawl into bed with the same awesome woman. And yet I couldn’t be more thankful for all of it… and I definitely don’t need a bow on any of it! Extraordinary!

If the only prayer you ever said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. 

                                                                                       ~ Meister Eckhart                                                            

I Believe

Last week I wrote about a friend of mine who lost a kidney. Well, he didn’t really lose a kidney, he gifted it to someone in need… and potentially saved his life! This week I would like to write about another amazing friend of mine who also lost something… his life.

Let’s call him Robert (because that’s his actual real name) and let me start off again by saying that I admire Robert very much, especially for the way he worked so hard to serve others. Robert was a loving father and a devoted husband. Unfortunately his four children were still very young when he passed away, but yet he had already accomplished a great deal of good in the world. He owned a very successful law firm, served on local City Councils, and was the Mayor of Laguna Niguel. Robert was also President of the Laguna Niquel Military Support Foundation, helped launch the Bonner Institute for the advancement of Choral Music, and was Chairman of the Board of Stoneybrooke Christian Schools. He was also extremely active in his church and incredibly somehow found time to write and publish an exciting novel called “Awakening the Solider”. Like I said, Robert accomplished a great deal of good in his short lifetime, primarily serving others.

Sadly, Robert lost his life in a single engine plane crash. He was the pilot, the only one on board.

At Robert’s funeral his wife handed out a thank you letter to every person that attended. The letter included Robert’s own personal “Faith Statement”. I came across that letter this past week and re-read it once again. It is clear, concise, inspiring, and quite profound. In fact, so profound that it inspired me to write my own “Faith Statement”. Robert may have lost his life on this earth, but his spirit lives on in the many people he served and cared about… like me.

 Joe’s Faith Statement

I believe that God is the true essence of love and that He created us out of love, in his image. Therefore, the best way for me to honor God is to do my best to love and serve others. I know it can be hard at times. Life itself is really hard at times. But I am okay with that because struggles strengthen my character, and when I fail I usually learn, grow, and become a better person. More importantly, my deep and abiding connection with God assures me that He is always with me and will never leave me. I believe that to know God is to experience truth, love, and happiness.

My Amazing Friend Robert

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn overcomes the night.

~ Joseph Thrailkill

Human Kindness

I see a lot of commercials on TV advertising movies with superheroes. They are eye catching and exciting, but what really caught my eye was a clever commercial on TV this week that was all about human kindness. I have to admit that there are times I feel like human kindness is something hard to find. But then again, last week a friend of mine proved to me that it is definitely alive and well.

Let’s call him Roger (not his real name) and let me start off by saying that I admire Roger very much. Why? Well, he’s a good father and a great husband. A real family man and extremely active in his church. He’s somebody who has worked hard all his life but has also made sure to carve out time to coach and mentor young people. I guess those traits alone are admirable for sure, but his other endearing gift is his quick wit and never-ending sense of humor. When we golf together, he keeps us all laughing and smiling no matter how crappy our golf swings might be.

But recently, Roger had a calling that most people would never answer. He found out someone that he knows, not a family member or even a close friend, needed a kidney. Roger is in his sixties, but he is still healthy and strong… and his faith is stronger than ever. So he signed up, showed up, endured the surgery, and saved a stranger’s life.

And that got me thinking… The real heroes in this world are actual real humans who get their superpower from the size of their heart! (Or in this case, their kidney!)

It is in the heart that the values lie.

~ Mark Twain

Three Things

I believe there are three things that can help us enjoy life more consistently. However, we can only control two of them.

The first is communication. With every one of the four companies I have owned, I’ve preached over and over again that communication is the single most important factor that leads to success. Why? Because if you think about it, most problems in life are caused by a lack of communication. And that includes communication problems in business and in our personal lives.

The second thing is regarding relationships. When I was training new salespeople, I would always explain that you cannot make a sale until you establish a relationship, preferably a relationship based on trust. The same thing applies to our personal lives because making the effort to build solid relationships with people will always enhance your quality of life. In fact, scientific studies have proven that social interaction is a basic human need, just like food and water.

The third thing is timing… which we cannot control. However, I often feel like God takes care of the timing, and proof of that happened to me again yesterday. It was just something simple, but it sums up my theory about the “Three Things” mentioned above. Let me explain.

I went to Staples to buy some clipboards and a large box of copy paper. When I picked up the box of copy paper I discovered it was super heavy. Duh! I know I’m getting older, but seriously, that box of 12 reams of copy paper felt like it weighed 50 pounds! As I wheeled my shopping cart next to my truck in the parking lot, a man approached me and said, “I can help you with that box if you’ll give me that shopping cart.” I said, “Sure”, and together we lifted the box into the back of my truck. I gave him my empty cart and he headed back to his car. As I backed up, I noticed that he had a heavy box of copy paper in the trunk of his car that he was returning to Staples. So I stopped and said, “Hey, you need help with that box?” He said, “Sure”, so I jumped out and returned the favor. We talked for a few minutes, and it felt like I had made a new friend.

And that got me thinking… Communicating with people can lead to relationships, and with a little help from God with the timing, relationships can sometimes lead to friendships, trust, and happiness. Three things! I wonder if that is what God had in mind when he came up with the idea of the Holy Trinity?

When we put our cares in His hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.

~ Anonymous

Good Byes

I wasn’t able to write and publish a Monday Message yesterday because I was too busy with work. Okay, the truth is that I didn’t write a Monday Message because I had my priorities all wrong yesterday! Work should always be down the line, and that line should start with God, Family, Friends, and then work.

Fortunately, my wife has her priorities straight. So she stepped up and wrote a Monday Message for me today… but she wrote it from a place of sadness.

The tears flowed. The hugs were tighter than before. The hugs lasted longer, but not long enough. My heart ached. I really didn’t want to say goodbye. His big brown eyes looked long at me, wondering what was happening. His ears relaxed back and his tail was still. He knew something was up.

I was saying goodbye to one of our beloved family dogs. Sanders doesn’t know it, but he is leaving Orange County tomorrow, relocating to Colorado to be with our grandson Jared, and girlfriend Emily, who are really wanting to take him in. Sanders and Jared are tight, they grew up together, and they’ll grow older together, at least for a few more years.

So my goodbye is the beginning of a new adventure for Sanders. Sanders deserves all the love and attention he can get. He was rescued at 6 months and has been a loyal family protector and a sweet love to anyone who wanted to get to know him for more than 8 years. It’s so easy to get close to dogs, all they offer is love, companionship, and fun.

We all say goodbye many times a day, a week, a month, and most times we never think twice about it. Except when it hurts. When it hurts your heart, at least you’ve been blessed to have what you are losing. At least you know that you had something special. So that’s good. Bye.

Dog is God spelled backwards.

~ Anonymous

A Whole Lot Brighter

Ever had a bad day? I sure did this past week and although I’m not normally one to complain, some days almost nothing goes right!

My wife asked me if there was a way to raise the folding table in the garage where she packs suitcases for her charity for Foster Kids. Bending over a low table was hurting her back, so I bought some fancy wood pieces that I thought would work, but they were difficult to drill, and my hand kept slipping, so after two attempts I gave up.

Next, I decided to switch gears and change out an old ivory outlet in the living room. I wanted to replace it with a new fancy white Decora outlet. Normally it’s a quick 10-minute job, but while installing it, my hand slipped again, and I got a pretty serious jolt of 120 volts. If that wasn’t bad enough, after finishing up I noticed that several outlets in our kitchen were no longer working. So I had to go check the breakers and reset the GFI to get things working again.

Finally, I had been putting off installing a new overhead light in our dark garage because I didn’t have some of the parts I needed. So I put $150 worth of gas in my truck (sheesh… that certainly didn’t cheer me up any), made the trip to Home Depot, and got the electrical parts and a motion sensor that I needed to complete the installation. It wasn’t easy and it took me a lot longer than I expected. Plus it was a really hot day, so I was sweating up a storm. As I stood on a ladder attempting to screw the assembled unit into the ceiling, my hand slipped yet again, and the whole friggin’ thing fell to the floor and disintegrated.

Lastly, I figured nothing else could possibly go wrong. But sure enough, after putting my tools away, and watching darkness descend over our neighborhood,  my sweaty hands slipped once again, and I dropped my brand-new cell phone on the hard concrete driveway. I was sure it was broken beyond repair, but I was surprised to see it was still intact. And as I surveyed it for damage, I noticed my daughter had just texted me some new photos of my one-year-old granddaughter, Blakely Rae. Looking at her picture, I realized two things. 1) Babies are God’s best invention and 2) When I hold that precious child in my hands, my hands never slip, and the world just seems to get a whole lot brighter!

Life is a flame that is always burning itself out; 

but it catches fire again every time a child is born.

~ Bernard Shaw

Some Things Never Change

Yesterday I was super low on gas and was sure I was going to have to walk the entire length of the earth to find a gas station. Fortunately, I found one but was astonished at how high gas prices are. I can’t believe that the pump cut-off automatically at $100 and my tank was only half full. The other surprising thing was reading yesterday that fast food workers are going to be paid a minimum wage of $20.00 per hour from now on. Things sure are changing!

When I was 16 years old, I worked at two different gas stations. They were run by two different men who could not have been more opposite. And the things I learned at both places were incredibly important in how they shaped my view of life and my character.

My first gas station job was working 4:00pm to midnight after school. It was a Mobil Station at the corner of Hwy 76 and Hwy 395. Gas was only $35.9 cents per gallon, but then again, my pay was only $1.75 per hour. The owner, Gus, was a rough, cruel man who cussed and drank and beat his wife. (I know that I because I witnessed it one evening.) At that gas station I learned about dishonesty, drugs, alcohol abuse, spousal abuse, and how to cheat customers on pricing and then steal from them when they left their car overnight. Needless to say, I didn’t work there for very long.

The second gas station I worked at was on Main Street in the tiny town of Fallbrook. There was only one top sign on Main Street, only one store in town, and only one gas station. The owner, Eddie Mahr, was the exact opposite of Gus. He treated his employees and customers with a great deal of respect. He even gave me a raise to $2.00 per hour after I was there a few months. I know it doesn’t sound like much of a raise, but it made a huge difference to a lonely kid living on his own. He taught me how to provide great customer service and the importance of being on time, and to always be dressed neat and clean. He also taught me a ton of mechanical skills that I still use to this day. When I quit working for Eddie to head to northern California for college, Eddie gave me a gift of 4 brand new tires and wheels for my truck. That’s right, he gave me a gift… when I quit! But the best gift he gave me was an awesome example of how to treat people right, bringing joy and happiness to everyone around you.

It seems like things have changed a lot in the last 50 years… and maybe not so much for the better. If you do the math, the new minimum wage is 10 times more than I made in 1972, but gas is now 20 times more expensive! That’s definitely an unwelcome change. But you know what hasn’t changed, and never will, the importance of doing right by others. It is as valuable today as it was when Jesus walked the earth more than 2023 years ago.

“It is our choice of good or evil that determines our character, not our opinion of good or evil.

~ Aristotle

 

The Key

I was lying in bed last night trying to think of a good idea for a Monday Message and couldn't think of anything! It’s frustrating because I committed myself many years ago to write a short story or create some kind of positive message every Monday, but sometimes I just draw a blank.

However, I received my inspiration early this morning. I was at a Shopping Center in Irvine across from the UCI Campus, doing an ultrasonic pole inspection when I noticed the security guard approaching me. I often get questioned by security guards when I’m working, but I recognized this lady. She’s a bit older than most security guards, but the same tall, thin, woman I’ve seen at that Shopping Center every year. She appears to be a bit rough and tough, as most security guards need to be, but she also has a great smile.

I’ve never really said more than a few words to her, but today she recognized me and stopped to talk a bit. She asked me about my job, and I explained what I do and that I find it really fun and interesting, although also very challenging at times. She replied, “Yeah, my job is challenging too, but I don’t really like it so much. There are too many spoiled young kids in this area that go into Albertsons every week and steal things.” She went on to say, “It makes me both sad and mad, cause kids shouldn’t be that way.”

I agreed with her and suggested that maybe the parents were part of the problem. She laughed at that. But then she also mentioned that there’s a job she’s had her eye on for over a year. A better paying job with a private company. But she said she’s been too afraid to apply for it because she knows she’ll get turned down. My first response was, “How do you know if you don’t try?”

But then I started thinking… about something my wife said to me after we first got married. I was going through a really tough time, struggling over whether or not to take my business in a new direction, one that would be very risky, but that could also pay off in a big way. Debby said to me, “I read something recently that I think applies to your situation.” Her words of advice are shown below, and when I remembered her giving me that advice, I decided right then and there to share it with the security guard. She didn’t respond immediately, but after a few moments, I saw that bright smile appear and I knew I had an idea for a Monday Message.

“The door to my life is within me.

I hold the key. And no one else does.”

       ~ as told to me by Debby Thrailkill, circa 1995

Only One Thing to Fear

As a man, it’s embarrassing to admit that sometimes I get scared. I’ve always seen myself as this big, strong, tough guy, who ain’t afraid of nuthin! But last week, I got scared, super scared, three times!

The first time was Monday. I left my house in pitch-black darkness headed south to San Diego. At the first intersection I approached, I needed to turn left and the lights up ahead were all green. It was early, I was thinking about all the work I needed to get done, and I guess a bit distracted. As I started to turn left, I heard a noise, just a slight whisper of a sound. Not sure what it was but it woke me up to see that the left turn lane light was bright red… and a huge Sprinter Van was about to barrel head on into me. I swerved at the last second, narrowly avoiding a major collision, my heart absolutely beating out of my chest!

The second time was a few days later. My wife and I were at a friend's beautiful beach house that sits high above Strand’s Beach. The view of the ocean, looking down at the white sandy beach and rolling blue waves will take your breath away. However, the stone steps that lead down from the patio towards the beach are super steep and a bit treacherous. My wife and I were talking and laughing, but when I got up to go move the umbrella, I stepped awkwardly on the first step and started to fall backwards down the stone staircase. It all happened so fast, but it was like there was momentary pressure on my back, and somehow… I regained my balance. Had I fallen, I would have been very seriously injured, but instead I just stood there with my heart going a hundred miles an hour, scared out of my head once again!

The third time was Friday and a total precursor to Halloween. I had a big job to do in Camarillo, so I picked up my son, David, at 5:00am and headed north on the 5 freeway. It was dark out and traffic on the freeway was light, but my night vision isn’t so great these days. So after driving only a few miles, I heard a voice in my head saying you better clean your glasses. But when I put them back on, I noticed something that set my heart racing once again! A huge, nasty spider was hanging from a thin web only inches in front of my face. I screamed out to my son, immediately swerving over to the side of the road, and jumped out yelling SPIDER! My son bailed out of the truck but not before noticing the giant black arachnid just above the steering wheel. Somehow, despite my heart going crazy, I was able to grab a wad of napkins and “escort” the nasty creature out of my truck. But what was also scary was… if I fail when I go for him, that creature is going to hide somewhere in my truck, and I will have to live the rest of my life in fear of him!

And that got me thinking… about fear and failure. Where did that slight whisper, that momentary pressure, and that voice in my head that saved me from disaster come from? I’m not sure, but because I feel connected to God, I choose to believe that He is with me, helping me and guiding me at all times. I’m not saying that bad things won’t happen, they do. But more importantly, I don’t think I should ever live my life in fear or even worrying about failure for that matter, because in the Bible it says that there is only one thing we need to fear… failing to receive God’s grace.

Be careful that no one fails to receive God’s grace.

~ Hebrews 12:15

Change The World

I am not embarrassed to say that I am a hard worker. I always have been, and it has served me  well in my life. I think that’s why I admire “working class” people so much. In fact, I try to carry around $5 bills and In-And-Out Gift Cards with me everywhere I go so that when I catch someone working hard and/or doing the right thing, I can give them a small but usually meaningful reward. I also have to be a hard worker because my wife is a hard worker… and I can’t let her show me up!

At our house we share the chores. My wife does the laundry and being such a hard worker, she does the laundry almost every single day. My job is to help her and often times I will make the bed after she washes our sheets. And when I do, I make it right and pull it tight, in order for it to look perfect. I’m not really sure why I do that, but recently I read something written by a Navy Seal and it explains why making your bed is so important. Who knew!

"Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors (all Viet Nam veterans) would show up in our barracks room and the first thing they did was inspect your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard, and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack - that’s Navy talk for bed.

It was a simple mundane task. But every morning we were required to make our bed-to-perfection.  It seemed ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real battle-hardened warriors, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day.  It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. Let’s face it, if you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made, that you made… that gives you the encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

Bottom line, if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed!”

So… this morning I made the bed! Then I stopped and looked at my wife and a thought came to my mind. If you truly find the right person to share your life with, and you make it your goal to treat them with perfection, you just might change their world!

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

~ Aristotle

Relationships

My two favorite sports are baseball and golf, and they were both on display in a big way yesterday. As much as I love to play both sports, watching them being played can be equally inspiring and thrilling, especially when they exhibit the rollercoaster of ups and downs that life often brings to each of us.

I watched the FedEx Cup “Tour Championship” final round first yesterday. Two of my favorite golfers, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, who are #1 and #2 in the world were supposed to win, but both fell behind on Sunday. Instead, a young 25-year-old Norwegian, named Viktor Hovland, playing brilliantly, fought his way to the top of the leaderboard and ended up winning. When Viktor was interviewed after winning the biggest prize in golf, all he could talk about was what a great “team” he had including his caddie and coaches. He mentioned how those relationships make all the difference.

When I watched the Little League World Series, a local team from California was playing against an international team from Curacao. The team from Curacao was at the Little League Championship Game last year, and almost won it, so they were heavily favored having several returning stars on their team. But the El Segundo California also had some stars of their own including Louis Lappe, a strapping 6’-1" tall 12-year-old who could really hit. California got out to a huge lead at 5-1, but Curacao managed to get a grand slam in the 5^th inning to tie the game. Unfortunately for them Lappe stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 6^th inning and crushed a walk off home run to win the game for El Segundo. When interviewed after the game, 12-year-old Lappe spoke about the great relationships between all the players on his team, including his coach. As he spoke, his coach was crying his eyes out standing behind Louis, and then grabbed him and hugged him tight.

And that got me thinking… I have some great relationships in my life, but I don’t always give them the credit that they are due. I think I need to make the effort to give them a huge hug too!

Shared joy is a double joy, shared sorrow is half a sorrow.

~ Swedish Proverb

Being Led

When I was young, I was lucky to have a loving father who was very wise. He would often give me advice and as I look back, I see something interesting. When I was a young child, I listened to my father’s advice and followed it without hesitation. When I was a teenager, I only listened to his advice some of the time. And after leaving home as a young man, I stopped asking for his advice altogether, which led me to make a lot of painful mistakes that robbed me of my joy.

Why is it so hard for most of us to listen to the advice of others? Especially when the advice comes from someone who loves us. And what if the advice is coming from our heavenly Father? How can we recognize that it is happening, and how do we really know we are being led in the right direction? That’s a question my wife posed to me recently after we came home from spending time with a friend we hadn’t seen in a while.

The friend I speak of is someone who has lived a good life and has always been a good person. He treats people with respect, has been very successful in business, and has a ton of friends. And yet he has always seemed to have a lot of stress and worry in his life. Recently, he told us he connected with God on a much more personal level, and now believes he is being led by God. He was happy and smiling when he told us, and he seemed more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. Happy, smiling, relaxed, and very excited about the new direction in his life. Just listening to him made my wife and I smile because his passion and enthusiasm were infectious.

And that got me thinking… We won’t always know if the advice we are being given is good advice or not. But if we consider the source, such as a loving spouse, a wise mother or father, or especially our heavenly Father, and if we listen with an open mind powered by a loving heart, we just might become infected… with joy!

God enters by a private door into every individual.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ordinary to Extraordinary

Ever have a bad day, or maybe even a bad week? You know, where everything seems to go wrong, problems keep popping up, people keep disappointing you, a friend lets you down, your boss blames you for something you didn’t do, and even your dog snubs you? It happens. It happened to me last week. 

When that happens, it’s easy to get sad and think the world sucks. But just when you think life stinks, somebody will surprise you. It happened last week. It happens a lot! Two examples:

My wife and I went to visit a friend we hadn’t seen in a very long time. He lives out of town but has a beach house here in Orange County. He cooked us hamburgers, mixed up some great margaritas, and we talked for several hours while the sun set over Catalina Island. On the way home, my wife noticed he venmoed her a very generous donation for her charity. She didn’t ask for a donation, in fact, quite the opposite. She mentioned how well her charity was doing.

This past Saturday night was our family’s quarterly “Poker Tournament”. For years we would meet in person to play poker, but since we now have family living in Washington, Colorado, and Nevada, we play poker online. It’s really fun and the winner usually gets around $250-$300. My wife’s brother almost always joins in. Although speaking of “life stinks”, he lost his wife to Covid about a year ago and as you can imagine, has had rough go of it ever since. Her brother ended up winning the Poker Tournament Saturday night, but instead of accepting the trophy and the money, he donated the money to my wife’s charity.

And that got me thinking… If you ever begin to feel like the world sucks, stop for a moment and look around you. You just might find an ordinary person… doing something extraordinary!

Surround yourself with good people and you will surround yourself with positivity.

~ Martin Luther King

Murphy's Law

Have you ever gone to the car wash and spent a lot of money to have your car cleaned? When you’re done your car looks good, and it feels good to drive it! But then of course, a couple days later it rains and turns your beautiful car into a rolling clump of muddy muck.

That situation has a name. It’s called, “Murphy’s Law” … Whatever can go wrong will go wrong!

A couple of days ago, I spent a lot of money to have the carpets cleaned at our house. And then…

Why do I appear happy, you ask? Because at my age, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected and embrace it with a smile, which by the way, really pisses off old Murphy!

      The effort of trying to save a falling object by catching it will always cause more destruction                                   than if the object had just been allowed to fall unobstructed in the first place.                                               ~ Murphy’s Law #16   

Top 20 Murphy’s Laws

 

1.     If anything can go wrong, it will.

2.     Nothing is as easy as it looks.

3.     Everything takes longer than you think.

4.     Doing it the hard way is always easier in the long run.

5.     Your superiors will always think they are better than you, despite the law of averages.

6.     The truth shall get you fired.

7.     If you cannot convince people, confuse them.

8.     If people listened to themselves more often, they would talk a lot less.

9.     Trust only those who stand to lose as much as you do when everything goes wrong.

10. The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.

11. In any organization there will always be one person who knows what is going on. This person must be fired, or at least avoided at all costs.

12. A knife too dull to cut anything else will always cut your finger like a razor.

13. After your hands have become extremely dirty, your nose will itch.

14. Leftover nuts never match leftover bolts.

15. The length of a minute depends on what you are waiting for.

16. The effort of trying to save a falling object by catching it, will always cause more destruction than if the object had just been allowed to fall unobstructed in the first place.

17. The number of people who happen to be watching you will always directly proportional to the stupidity of the thing you are doing.

18. Things always get worse before they get better.

19. If it jams, force it. Then, if it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

20. When you try to prove to someone that a machine doesn’t work, it will always work perfectly.