Tag: jesus

The Greatest Joy of My Life: Gratitude Sunday and My Son

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Day 39 of the 7-40 Challenge
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Gratitude Sunday – The Thank You Campaign

Hello and welcome to Day 39. It’s Gratitude Sunday, and another post in my Thank You Campaign.

The topic of today’s post is my son.

The Dream

When my wife and I first got married, we dreamed about our future. We talked about the size of the family we would want. We made plans and looked forward with expectancy for when our children would arrive.

When we were younger, we dreamed of having a very large family—as many as God would give us. That’s what I used to like to say.

We were married when we were 20 years old. We weren’t quite ready to start having children right after getting married, so we waited around five years before we began planning for our children to arrive.

The Threat

It was about that same time that I had my first bout with testicular cancer.

To say that this was the opposite of what we wanted is a very true statement. Because of the part of the body that cancer attacks, and because of having to have that tumor removed, we were uncertain if we would be able to have children at all.

So we went from praying and hoping for a very large family to the very real possibility of just it being a family of two—just my wife and me.

By God’s grace and through His healing, I was cancer-free by the middle of 2005, with a new lease on life and hope that we would be able to, in time, have the children we had prayed for.

The Moment

Fast forward to the fall of 2007.

I remember very clearly lying in bed and seeing the bathroom light come on. And watching my bride stand there with that little indicator in her hand.

It was finally time. It was finally real.

We were going to have a baby.

It was almost five years after we had first started praying and almost ten years after we had gotten married. But our baby was on the way. And we were so excited.

The Birth

Fast forward to the day of his birth in 2008.

After a very long labor period—two and a half days—he was born. When he was delivered, he had an Apgar score of one. They were very concerned about him.

I wasn’t in the room when he was born due to complications. I didn’t find out about the Apgar score until they handed him over to me.

But within minutes, that score had improved to an eight.

Answered prayer. Confirmed relief.

And very soon, Mama, baby, and me were in our hospital room.

The Joy

I will never forget the look of joy and absolute elation on my darling wife’s face.

She had just been through two and a half days of labor, trying to have our son naturally. She had endured a lot of physical duress. She was exhausted. She was beat up.

And you would not have been able to see any of that at that moment. She was transfixed. She was in love.

I wish I had several photographs of that little moment in time to show the picture I have burned in my memory. (Thank God, the iPhone had been invented by then—I do have one.)

She had finally become who she was meant to be in one regard. She was my wife, and now she was our son’s mother.

And the world was right.

The Reality

Fast forward all these years.

The family we thought would be very large is just the three of us. We will still take whatever God gives. But at the same time, I can’t neglect to say: our son has been one of the greatest joys in our lives.

He is so smart and so funny. He is so kind and compassionate. He’s full of character and resolve. He is a perfect blend of his mother and me—and he’s becoming so much more than we are.

It has been such a privilege and a joy to watch him do that.

We tell him from time to time how grateful we are for him. How proud we are of him.

What He Changed

This young man changed my life in so many ways.

He has been one of the catalysts that brought out my work ethic in my late twenties and early thirties.

I remember holding him for the first time, not long after he was born, knowing I would work myself to the bone to provide for our family. That I would do whatever it took to make sure they are taken care of.

I think every parent goes to that moment—where you realize that no matter what it takes, you’ll do it to provide for your family and children. That translated into me getting much more focused on the opportunities I had in front of me in my data career, which I’ve had since before he was born.

And that determination has only intensified over the years.

I now look forward to getting to support him even more as he becomes an adult, as he finds the things he is even more passionate about.

Son

If you’re reading these words, know this:

Your mother and I are so proud of you. We’re so thankful for you. We are so grateful that you are our son.

Not a day goes by that I don’t feel that gratefulness in my heart.

It is one of the greatest joys of my life to be your daddy. I am proud of you and who you are.

Day 39: Complete ✓

All seven habits executed. Gratitude Sunday honored.

Round 1 Progress: 39/40 days (97.5%)

One more day until Round 1 is complete.

See you tomorrow for Day 40.

Do Not Grow Weary: Day 28 and the Setback That Won’t Stop Me

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Day 28 of the 7-40 Challenge
Wednesday, January 28, 2026

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”
— Galatians 6:9

Yesterday, I wrote about the rules that make excellence possible. I laid out my seven daily habits—the clear structure that is helping me become the husband, father, and professional I’m meant to be.

I know what I need to do. I’ve set the rules for myself. The system is working.

And then life threw me a curveball.

The Setback

A few days ago, during the winter storm, I fell. Hard. I landed on my right hand.

To say it’s bruised is an understatement.

I’ve been trying to push through. I modified my workouts. I adjusted my grip. I told myself it would get better if I just kept going.

Today, my chiropractor told me the truth: I need to lay off lifting weights for at least a week to give my hand a chance to heal.

And here’s the question I had to ask myself: Do I let this setback derail me, or do I keep moving forward?

Why Getting Fit Isn’t Optional

I’m 47 years old. Getting fit is a must because getting older is no joke. I don’t move like I used to.

This isn’t about vanity. This isn’t about looking good for summer. This is about being able to show up fully for my wife and son. This is about not being the guy who can’t play with his grandkids someday because he didn’t take care of himself now.

Time is precious. I can’t afford to waste it.

And that’s what makes this setback so frustrating. I know I need this. I know every day counts. And now my body is telling me to stop—temporarily, but still.

So what do I do?

The Wisdom of Having a Plan

Here’s what I’ve learned over 28 days: If we’re smart, we have a plan in place for setbacks because we know setbacks are coming.

That’s what setbacks do. They come.

In my 2026 Vision Doc, I wrote out a crisis management protocol:

  • Family crisis: Full priority override
  • Personal illness or injury: Keep all habits except exercise if rest needed
  • Everything else: Spit out the blood and keep going

Today falls into category two.

My hand needs to heal. My chiropractor gave me professional guidance. Ignoring that isn’t toughness—it’s stupidity.

So I’m resting today. No exercise. No weightlifting. No yoga. Just rest.

But here’s the key: I’m still doing everything else.

✓ Bible study
✓ Calorie tracking
✓ Water
✓ Reading (Talk Like TED is firing me up)
✓ Gratitude
✓ Creative work (writing this post)
✗ Exercise (resting today)

Six out of seven habits completed. The system holds.

Tomorrow: Back to Forward Momentum

Day 29, I’ll pick up with a full hour of walking or walking and yoga. No weights until my hand is healed and my chiropractor clears me.

The weightlifting will wait. The 13-week plan will adjust. The rules I set for myself yesterday? They’re still in place. I’m just applying wisdom to how I execute them.

Because the goal isn’t to prove I’m tough by ignoring my body. The goal is to become the best version of myself for my family—and that requires sustainable health, not reckless pushing through pain.

Do Not Grow Weary

Paul’s words in Galatians 6:9 keep echoing in my head today:

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”

The setback is frustrating. The pause is annoying. The lost week of lifting feels like wasted time.

But I’m not giving up.

I’m not growing weary.

Because I know the harvest is coming.

Twenty-eight days of consistent execution. Weight loss trending in the right direction. Novel revision progressing. Social media breakthrough in motion. Daily blog posts stacking up.

One week of modified exercise doesn’t erase 28 days of proof.

The rules are still in place. The system is still working. The mission is still clear.

I just have to be wise enough to know when to rest so I can keep going for the long haul.

What Do We Do When Setbacks Come?

We do what we planned to do.

We don’t panic. We don’t quit. We don’t let one obstacle derail the entire mission.

We adjust. We rest when needed. We keep moving forward with what we can do while we heal what we can’t.

And we remember: The harvest is coming if we do not give up.

Day 28 looks different than I wanted it to. But it’s not a failure. It’s wisdom in action.

Tomorrow, I walk. Next week, I lift again. The long game continues.

Do not grow weary of doing good.

The harvest is coming.

Day 28: Complete ✓

Six out of seven habits executed. Resting wisely to fight another day.

Round 1 Progress: 28/40 days (70%)

See you tomorrow for Day 29.

Day 14 of the 7-40 Challenge: Becoming Who I’m Meant to Be

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Good evening, my friends! As the sun sets on week two of the 7-40 Challenge—that’s 14 days straight of committing to seven daily habits over 40 days—I’m filled with a profound sense of gratitude and excitement. This isn’t just a checklist of tasks; it’s a bold pursuit of personal growth, a relentless chase after my goals, and a test of how far I can push myself when I truly set my mind to it. If you’ve been following along, you know this challenge is about more than achievement—it’s about transformation. And today, I want to inspire you to join me in that transformation, because every small step today shapes the extraordinary person you’ll become tomorrow.

Picture this: It was a fantastic weekend, capped off by a powerful sermon at Life.Church that hit me right in the soul. The pastor’s words echoed like a clarion call: “It’s not as much about what you do in the future as who you are becoming today.” Wow. In that moment, everything clicked. For years, I’ve known the “right” things to do—heck, most of us do. But knowledge alone doesn’t build empires or change lives. It’s discipline, that quiet, daily grind, that forges us into something different than we could have ever imagined.

Let me be real with you: I’ve never struggled with understanding what needs to be done. My Achilles’ heel? Actually doing it. Sound familiar? You know the drill—losing weight seems straightforward on paper. Track your calories, burn more than you consume, lace up those sneakers for an hour of exercise, and steer clear of those late-night temptations. The math is simple, but execution? That’s where the battle rages. For me, food has been a crutch during stress, a comforting escape that’s led to too many high-calorie slip-ups at the worst times. It’s a classic story, one shared by so many of us.

But here’s the game-changer: Committing to this daily practice—counting calories, hitting that workout, and sharing my progress here for accountability—has shifted everything. It’s not about the distant finish line; it’s about the person I’m sculpting right now, in these small, consistent moments. As Aristotle wisely said centuries ago, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Those words from ancient Greece resonate deeply, reminding us that true greatness isn’t born from grand gestures but from the habits we nurture day in and day out.

Now, don’t get me wrong—the pastor wasn’t dismissing big dreams. Far from it! Life is fleeting; tomorrow isn’t promised, as I’ve learned through my own brushes with mortality. Yet, in acknowledging our fragility, we’re also awakened to our immense potential. We’re crafted in the image of the ultimate Creator—God Himself. Genesis 1:27 declares, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” And Psalm 139:13-14 beautifully affirms, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

If we’re made in the likeness of the One who spoke the universe into existence, then we’re wired to dream, to innovate, to build beauty from chaos. We’re born creators! But with that comes a sacred balance: chasing audacious goals while cultivating the character that sustains them. The Bible is rich with guidance on this. The Ten Commandments outline boundaries to protect our integrity and to honor God, while Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 calls us to be the light of the world—merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, holy. And in his letters, the Apostle Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:32 to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” And so much more. 

So, who are we becoming? Are we trustworthy people that others can lean on? Dependable friends who show up in the storms? Uplifting voices that inspire rather than tear down? These are the qualities my 7-40 Challenge is honing in me, rooted in daily Bible study and prayer. I want God’s Word to mold me to make me more like Jesus. As Proverbs 4:25-27 instructs, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”

You might be reading this and thinking, “That’s great for you, but faith isn’t my thing.” I get it. Yet, I think we can agree on this: Small, intentional actions, repeated daily, propel us toward the best version of ourselves, whatever that looks like for you. Whether it’s conquering a fitness goal, advancing your career, or nurturing relationships, consistency is the secret sauce. As the great inventor Thomas Edison once said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” It’s that daily sweat equity that turns dreams into reality. It is doing what needs to be done every day to become who we are supposed to be.

What are you working on right now? Who are you becoming in these everyday moments? How will the habits you’re building today carry you into a brighter future? Drop your thoughts in the comments below—I’d love to hear your stories, your struggles, and your victories. Let’s motivate each other, inspire one another, and remember: The masterpiece you’re creating isn’t just what you achieve—it’s who you become along the way.

Keep pushing, keep growing. You’ve got this!