A wise man once said, “God’s preparation often feels like failure.”
That wise man is my dad
How we apply the perception of not achieveing a self-prescribed outcome (failure) to a goal has a lot more to do with our self-confidence than we know.
Seeing failure as preparation will change your life!
Southern California has benefited from a substantial amount of rain over the past several months. Rain offers so many obvious advantages—replenishing drinking water supplies, providing deep soil moisture, leaching away salt buildup, and boosting crops, to name just a few.
Beyond its practical value, rain has long symbolized good luck at weddings, as well as cleansing, renewal, and growth.
Water is the foundation of all life, and these recent rains serve as a powerful reminder that 2026 is an opportunity to renew our spirits and step confidently into the next chapter—fully irrigated and cleansed. Choose growth. Choose renewal. Choose to be washed.
While we may not control how much water it takes to germinate the exciting ideas and adventures marinating within us, we do have power over what we choose. And that choice is where growth begins.
Practicing gratitude pulls us out of ourselves and leads us into a place of clarity.
Victimhood has become widespread in our society, fueled in many ways by the breakdown of family, culture, and other contributing factors. But choosing to be thankful—for our lives, our breath, and the countless moment-by-moment blessings we experience—reshapes how we see our circumstances.
We may never fully understand why painful things happen. Yet, when we return to the basics and express gratitude for something as simple as our heartbeat, our perspective begins to shift.
When entitlement fades, gratitude flourishes.
Happy Thanksgiving!