I felt like I got punched in the face today. Ever had a day like that? I had a plan of what I was going to get done. I had goals that were going to be achieved. I was going to finish early so I could sit back and be impressed with the day. Did any of that happen? No.

Within 5 minutes the direction of my whole day turned on a dime. David, we are seeing this issue. David, could you take a look at this. David, why is this doing that? Part of my job is solving problems. I really enjoy it. I just don’t want to solve all of them at once, because I will then solve nothing at all.

What do you do on days like that? I have three steps for you. Of course, there are way more than three, but these usually do the trick for me.

1. Find a space and let your mind go quiet. When all of the noise and all of the voices are demanding attention, sometimes the best thing you can do is take a step back and find some quiet. Breathe. Let your mind slow down for just a few minutes and you will be amazed at how it makes sense of things for you. Just like it was designed to do.
2. Spend time with those closest to you. For me, that is my wife and son. Nobody can calm me down like they can. Hugs and laughter. It does the trick.
3. Most importantly, prayer. I believe that God is here with me. All I have to do is stop long enough to talk with him. Express my frustrations and give him them to him. I am then reminded that He is in control and I can relax and do what I need to do.

It is my sincere hope that days like this are few and far between for you. However, I know the reality you face is much like mine. Sometimes it is a daily affair and the only way through is to have a plan.

What works for you when you feel like you have been punched in the face?

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness (cancer) in his bones.Proverbs 12:4 ESV

I have a friend who went through a divorce a few years ago. He did what he could, but his now ex wife would not relent and left him. Their marriage had been rough. They were married for well over 20 years. He had wanted to find life in their marriage, but she would have nothing to do with it.

I remember sitting in his office as he worked through the frustrations and the pain. Although there were hard times, this was a man who did not want to give up. It was only after he had exhausted all available avenues that the end finally came. I respect him greatly for the effort he put in. Many men would not have done it.

Fast forward to this year. He met a good woman after his divorce. They attend church together. They are trying to make good choices. I have had the chance to see a man who was riddled with a cancerous relationship now find a woman who is his crown.

I got the pleasure of attending their wedding. I witnessed two people who have been though their share of hurts and frustrations act like young kids in love. They were so excited to stand in front of the crowd. They were excited to exchange their vows. They were giddy when the ceremony was complete.

The verse above is so true. This man is night and day different than he was a few years ago. I am proud to know him. I am proud of the way he has persevered. I am so happy for the friend he has found. She is his queen and his crown.

I married my excellent one almost 24 1/2 years ago. I know how it feels.  

It’s day eight of my 100-day strong journey, and I’m finally starting to feel a sense of normalcy again. It’s a pleasant feeling, but I can’t afford to become complacent.

I’ve been reflecting on why this attempt is different from my previous failures, and I’ve come up with a couple of thoughts I’d like to share:

1. The first crucial step is getting into the right mindset. The first time I successfully completed the 100-day strong challenge, I had reached a breaking point with my circumstances. I not only recognized the need for change, but I felt compelled to change. When I tried again earlier this year, my motivations were unclear, and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. However, that has changed this time around. I’m back to viewing this as a necessary endeavor that must be accomplished.
2. Being in the right mindset also means having clearly defined reasons for pushing forward. Over the past few months, I allowed some of my practices to slip and noticed I had become a bit complacent. I regained some weight I had previously lost. Considering these factors, my reasons for pursuing this challenge have become much clearer.

I believe that a key to success lies in failing and getting back up quickly. It’s irrational to think that we’ll never encounter failure, and expecting perfection is borderline insane. Instead, we must practice picking ourselves up as soon as we stumble or realize that we’ve fallen.

There’s no magic formula to it. I simply need to be aware of the goal I’m pursuing and relentlessly pursue it until I achieve it. Sometimes success comes swiftly, while other times it takes considerably longer. The important thing is to keep moving forward. It all begins with the right frame of mind.

What story do you know well? So well that you could tell it in your sleep? Or what thing can you do that you no longer need to practice? You know, the one that just comes so easy it is like breathing? Do you know all there is to know about it? You might say yes, but we both know the answer is no.

I took my family to see a musical today called “His Story” (you can check it out here: https://hisstorythemusical.com/). It is a pop musical based on the life of Jesus. Some historical liberties were taken with a few of the characters, but the heart and soul of the story of Jesus and His love were there. I didn’t know what to expect when I went in, but a few songs in, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I know the story of Jesus well. I grew up in the church and have considered myself a believer for over 40 years (I made a confession of faith at a very young age and have never doubted it). When I encounter old stories and gain new insights, I get very excited. I love discovering that there is more depth, more to know, and more to believe.

This happened in two ways during the musical.

Mary Magdalene: I am not sure if the portrayal was historically accurate. However, it was a stirring portrayal of a woman who was far away from God and then encountered the love of Jesus. The Book of Luke tells us that Mary had been freed from seven demons. In the musical, she said that she was too broken to be loved. In the Bible and in the musical, Jesus loved her anyway. He cut through all the brokenness and mess and restored her. He loved her with a God-sized love.

There was a line in the song between Mary Magdalene and Jesus that struck me. Jesus looked into her eyes and told her, “Your darkness doesn’t scare me.” How many times have I felt that I have done things that are too much for God’s love? Have you ever felt that way? And then He looks at us and reminds us that He is the light that drives out the darkness. It doesn’t scare Him. This scene moved me today.

Judas: The musical portrayed him as the tragic character he was. But in the show, he knew he was tragic. He believed he was unredeemable and broken, just like Mary Magdalene did. He was portrayed with that self-awareness before his encounter with Jesus and then appeared to almost believe. Just when he was almost there, the enemy came in and reminded him of who he thought he was, and Judas believed it.

Please note, I said who Judas thought he was. He never fully grasped the picture of who he could be if he had fully surrendered to Jesus. The Bible tells us he was crooked. He was the treasurer of the group and loved to line his own pockets. I am reminded of the scene from “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” where Friar Tuck asks the Bishop if he is a man of God or a man of Gold. Judas most certainly was a man of gold. Well, silver anyway.

In today’s presentation, he was more human than I have ever seen him. I have tried before to see through his eyes, to understand what the betrayal at the end must have felt like. The actor helped bring that out in a new and fresh way. “Tragic” only begins to tell the story.

All in all, I was blown away by what I saw and heard. If you are in the market for a new show to see, check out the link above and give it a watch. You won’t be disappointed.

It is day 6 of being back on the right path. I am starting to remember how this feels. I like it. It feels good to be exerting control over my goals again.

Here are some thoughts from week one:

1. If there is a goal to be achieved during the day, you have to start early. Twice this week I have had crazy busy days and I had to finish my list of daily goals after 10 pm. Not the best way to do it.

2. Routine is normal. You just have to choose the routine you want to follow. Choosing to eat the right things and exercise takes the same energy as choosing not to if you plan out what you are going to do. Choose the routine and do it. Not choosing is still choosing.

3. Incremental wins is where long term change comes from. Learning to do the small stuff over and over is what is going to take me to my goals.

That is it for tonight. Time to finish week one strong tomorrow. Let’s do this. #100daysstrong