"Are you winning yet?"

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A new friend emailed me that she was interested in knowing more about a litter of yellow Labrador retriever puppies we had at the time. She included her cell phone number so I called her on it.

We talked for a little while until a there was a huge roar from her side of the conversation. It sounded like a crowd cheering. Of course, I just had to know where she was.

"I’m at my son’s baseball game," she said.

"Are you winning?" I asked.

"Not yet," she said.

I love her attitude, don’t you? She could have said, "No, we’re losing." Instead she said, "Not yet."

This "not yet" attitude is a great way to tuck into your mind as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living. God doesn’t always bring us what we want in life at the time we think it should arrive. And thank God for that because our timing isn’t perfect like God’s. So have a "not yet" attitude as you make a life today and be patient with God…you’ll start winning soon!

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"What’s your spin factor?"

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Each morning, when my three-year-old niece is getting ready, her mom asks her, "What would you like to wear today?" Invariably it’s a dress or skirt, but more important than it being a dress or skirt is what her mom calls "the spin factor."

You know how some dresses and skirts hug your hips, while others have more fluffiness? That is, when you turn around, they spin out around you? This little girl loves a full skirt, one you can twirl around in, and it goes "swoosh."

Do you have a "spin factor?" You know, something that puts a smile on your face or a lift in your walk or a song in your heart during the day. Do you have one of those?

Maybe you’ve got a favorite blouse that’s just your color and you get lots of compliments when you wear it. Or, perhaps it’s a tie that’s bright and colorful and others ask you where you got it or did your wife pick it out for you. With me, it’s cotton or silk Hawaiian shirts. I love wearing them!

Today, dress with your spin factor in mind and enjoy life the way God intends!

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"What are you nervous about today?"

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A young man I coach had to have some surgery. Of course, before you can have surgery, you have to get a physical to make sure you’re physically able to have the surgery.

Well, this young man is petrified of needles, doctors, and all that goes with a physical. So to say he was nervous is an understatement.

So he’s on his way to the doctor’s office, all nervous, and he looks down at his radio. Scrolling across the screen was this sentence: "This is the day that God has made."

After he read that, a calmness came over him. He just knew that everything would be okay.

And it was. When he got to the doctor’s office, and went back to see the doctor, she said, "We can use your previous blood work results so you don’t have to be stuck today."

Whatever you’re facing today that you’re nervous about, remember—This is the day that God has made. Everything will be okay.

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"How many strikes do you get?"

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A friend of mine had a job as a forklift operator while he worked his way through college…at least he was for a grand total of four days.

On the fourth day, he ran the forks of his lift through a very expensive shipment of stereo equipment. It was an accident. He didn’t mean to.

But his supervisor was totally unsympathetic. He didn’t say, "Let’s talk about this" or "How might we avoid an incident like this in the future?" All he said was, "Clock out and don’t come back!"

You know, the world is unforgiving at times. You might get three strikes in baseball, but life usually isn’t that generous. One swing and you decide your fate.

What if God was a "one strike and you’re out" kind of God?

Some people act as if that’s the way God is. They’re afraid to make a mistake. But reality says that the only people not making mistakes are those who are either dead or they’ve quit trying.

As you listen to life today, remember—when you’re at your worst, God is at the divine best, forgiving you.

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"Are you laughing?"

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I love being around people who’ve lived a while, like 80, 90, or even one hundred years. Maybe it’s because I think by associating with them, I’ll live that long or longer. But I think it’s more because they have lived enough life to have a great sense of humor about their age. Their sense of humor keeps them going when their back hurts, and knees won’t work, and eyes won’t focus.

For instance, a friend of mine went to a birthday party recently, celebrating a woman’s 95th birthday.

Someone asked her if she was ready for some birthday cake.

"Does it have candles on it?" she asked.

"Well, yes it does," she was told.

"Well then, I’d like to wait until my grandson arrives," the woman said.

Someone asked her, "Why?"

"This is my 95th birthday," she said. "That’s a lot of candles. He’ll know what to do if something goes wrong because he’s a fireman."

See what I mean? You’ve got to love that kind of perspective on life.

As you make a life and not just a living today, go visit an older person as a part of listening to your life. And laugh a little today.

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