FIVE ON FRIDAY - June 6, 2025

 

Five things that have inspired and encouraged me this week: 

1. THIS SPECIAL DAY

Today we pause to honor the 81st anniversary of D-Day, one of the most pivotal moments in modern history. On June 6, 1944 the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare began. Part of a larger operation called Operation Overlord, Allies used over 5,000 ships and landing craft to land more than 150,000 troops on five beaches in Normandy, France. The landings marked a turning point in World War II, which ultimately would lead to the defeat of Germany and Adolf Hitler. 

In the invasion of Normandy, more than 4,400 allied troops were killed (2500 American) and more than 5,000 were wounded. Through strategic execution and sheer determination, the Allied forces overwhelmed the German lines to establish a foothold in Europe. What began on D-Day ended with the surrender of Germany less than a year later. 

We owe a debt of gratitude to the brave military personal who accomplished what few people thought possible. There aren't many D-Day veterans remaining today, but I am grateful for all who gave their all for freedom. 

2. BIBLE VERSE I'M MEDITATING ON

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

This verse came out of our last men's group as we were discussing how we sometimes fail to express ourselves in Christ-honoring ways when we are frustrated or angry. One of our Elders said this verse helps him keep a check on his tongue and attitude. I'm committing it to memory so that it will help me also. 

3. PRINCIPLE I AM PRACTICING

I finished reading Greg McKeown's book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In his chapter on FOCUS, McKeown tells of Larry Gelwix, who served as the volunteer Head Coach of the Highland Rugby team in Salt Lake City Utah for 36 years. He established an unbelievable record of 418 wins and only 10 losses, and was the inspiration for the movie, Forever Strong. 

Gelwix's coaching (and life) philosophy centered on one primary word W.I.N. which stands for "What's Important Now." Gelwix taught his players to play in the moment, forgetting past mistakes and concentrating only on the present situation and the play they were on right now. Throughout the game, they were to always be thinking, "What is Important Now?" and focusing on what they were doing at the present moment to win. If they were thinking about past mistakes, or future possibilities, they would lose focus on what they were supposed to be doing now. 

"What's Important Now" is a great question to ask myself throughout the day. Though I don't think I have ADD or anything like that, I do find myself getting distracted by unimportant, non-essential things (like Social Media, and TV ). I've been asking myself this question a lot lately, and it has helped me stay focused on what is important in the present situation. It also reminded me of what Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, 

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Ephesians 5:15-16 NLT

We can W.I.N. everyday by focusing on making the most of every opportunity the Lord gives us. 

4. QUOTE I'M PONDERING

"In many cases, what you hope to learn by reading books or listening to podcasts can only be learned by attempting what you fear. Some knowledge is only revealed through action." James Clear

James Clear is the author of Atomic Habits and I subscribe to his weekly email 3-2-1 Thursday, which he calls "The most wisdom per word than any newsletter on the web." The quote is from his book, but came to me through the newsletter. 

I'm a reader, and I have often heard that if you read 10 books on one subject, you become and expert in that subject. I don't know if that is true, but I do know that I sometimes let reading be an excuse for inaction. 

One of the elements of my spiritual life that I have been convicted about is prayer. I've read more than 10 books on prayer and I can honestly say I am NOT an expert. In fact, I'm guilty of reading books on prayer instead of actually praying. 

James Clear is correct, there are some things you can only learn to do by doing them, and prayer is one of them. So Clear's quote has been motivating me to pray more. I'm still reading books on prayer (more on that next week), but I am also being more disciplined to actually pray as well. 

5. DAD JOKE I'M DIGGING

IN HONOR OF VBS WORKERS THIS WEEK!

Thanks for checking out Five on Friday. Read my other posts at my website. 

 

In our church men's group meeting last Thursday night we were discussing how we sometimes struggle with expressing our frustrations in ways that do not honor God. One of our Elders, JBob Dalton said Psalm 19:14 was a verse that had helped him a lot. He didn't quote the verse, just the reference so I had to look it up to see what it said.  Psalm 19:14 is part of a powerful prayer of David: 

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." 

In the previous verse, David prayed, asking God to keep him from "presumptuous sins," that is sins of pride and arrogance. Those are sins that don't often seem like to sin to us. Pride or arrogance are easy to see in other people, but hard to see in ourselves. But presumptuous sins are usually revealed by our words though. As Jesus says in Luke 6:45, "...for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

So in v.14 David isn't just asking for outward "religion," he's praying for a transformed heart that produces pleasing words. He recognizes God as his "rock"—his solid foundation  in a chaotic world. And David calls Him his "redeemer"—the One who buys him back, who sets him free, who makes him new.

It's a beautiful picture, isn't it? When we truly grasp that God is our strength and our rescuer, it changes everything. Our words become an overflow of a heart deeply rooted in Him. Our thoughts become more aligned with His truth and grace.

The word that came to mind when I read v.14 was "ALIGNMENT" and I understood the verse as David saying, "Let my words and my thoughts, align with what pleases You, God." I'm working on memorizing the verse this week, and let that be my prayer - that my words and thoughts will line up with God's will and what pleases Him.

If you'd like to read more of my posts, click HERE