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Life Lessons Learned From 2021

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One of my favorite types of blog posts to do is a "Life Lessons" post at the end of the calendar year, a tradition that started in 2017 and continued in 2018 & 2019 . Ironically though, I never did do one for 2020, a year that had no shortage of life lessons learned. However, 2020 was a different year across the board (to say the least), so that is par for the course. With that in mind, I did want to bring back that tradition with Life Lessons Learned from 2021. Without further ado, here they are... Enjoy the ride: okay, so I may be ripping off a previous blog post that I wrote earlier in the year, so bear with me on this one. In the past, I've heard that mantra that it's not about the destination, but the journey. While that can be easy to write off as a cliché, I've started to understand the significance of that. This past January, as the Green Bay Packers postseason, I remember a beat writer for the Packers tweeting that no matter what the outcome of the

A Fight for the Finish Line

          This weekend, NASCAR returns to one of my favorite tracks on the schedule: the Charlotte Roval (Road Course + Oval). This race has become a personal favorite of mine for multiple reasons - and not just because it utilizes chicanes . One, Charlotte Motor Speedway holds a special place in my heart given that it's a few miles away from family members, and that it is a track my Dad and I have been to for races before (in the "normal" track layout). Two, while the Roval is fairly new to the NASCAR schedule, the races run there have been memorable ones and fun to watch. With that in mind, I wanted to reminisce about the finish of the inaugual race in 2018, one of the most memorable race finishes for me as a NASCAR fan.          To set the stage, the 2018 race was a part of NASCAR's postseason and was an "elimination" race, meaning that the 4 lowest drivers in points would be eliminated from racing for the championship. Going in to  the final lap of the r

Enjoying The Ride

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          Although 2021 has been an improvement from the odd, unpredictable year that was 2020, this year has had its share of ups and downs, particularly given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the Delta Variant. As I look at the ups and downs for me personally, I know of them has been this: I haven't published a blog post in over 8 months. In fact, I didn't even due a "Life Lessons Learned" post at year's end -- and 2020 certainly had many of those.            A lot has (obviously) been going on, and there were times that I started to write a post, but never finished or published it. In my life, I've often found that writing truly is a muscle - the more you use it, the stronger you'll get. Conversely, when you get out of the habit of doing it, you "lose" that muscle and it becomes harder to do. Another thing that I have found is that over time, one's priorities can change. While my Saturday mornings still do include trips to the

Crossroads

     At the end of the 2000 movie Cast Away , Chuck Noland (portrayed by Tom Hanks), finds himself at a crossroads. For over 4 years, he was stranded on an island and presumed dead by his family and friends. As he returns to civilization, he returns the last unopened FedEx package he has (imagine having a package returned to you 4 years later!). After returning the package, he ends up at a crossroads - figuratively and literally. Where does he go from here in his life? Which road should he take? Which road will he choose? While the movie ends before he goes down a path, it does hint at a particular path that he'll take.      Sometimes in life, we find ourselves at a crossroads like Chuck Noland did. We may have finished one journey or task, but aren't exactly sure where to go next or how to move forward. Crossroads can be a critical juncture in our lives because they offer multiple paths with completely different destinations. The choice is up to us with how we move forward. Wi

Thank You, Jimmie Johnson!

      One Sunday afternoon fifteen and a half years ago, I stumbled across a NASCAR race on television. I'm not sure what it was, but there was just something about watching that race that got me hooked and interested in the sport. Not too long after, I settled on Rusty Wallace as the driver that I'd root for. My Mom and I even got to meet him at an autograph signing a few months later (thanks Mom!). That being said, as I started following NASCAR, little did I know that the sport was about to dominated by one driver: Jimmie Johnson.     Tomorrow, the 2020 NASCAR season will come to an end at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona. While 4 drivers will be battling for the championship, tomorrow will also be Jimmie Johnson's final race. As a NASCAR fan, it's bittersweet to say goodbye to Jimmie Johnson. Johnson's career in NASCAR has spanned 20 years, over 600 starts, 83 wins, and 7 championships. Johnson's 7 NASCAR Cup Series championships are tied for first all-time with NA

26 Reflections

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      This past Friday, I celebrated my 26th birthday. While I wish some of the circumstances surrounding it had been different (you know, being in a pandemic), it was a nice day filled with typical Will-things such as walking, good food, good friends, and of course cake. When I turned 25 last year, I wrote a blog post with quarter century reflections. In honor of turning 26 this year, I thought I'd do a blog post with...26 reflections (this time in number form, as opposed to paragraph form). I'm all about being consistent with blog posts. Well, here we go! Speaking of consistency, that truly has been a lesson I've been learning; consistency is key. In all that we do, being consistent is one of the best attributes we can have. It provides a sense of stability to ourselves and for others. You can depend and rely on consistent, faithful people. We all need people like that in our lives, especially right now. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that "For everything there is a season, a

Lessons From Jonah

    18 years ago, VeggieTales made the jump from direct-to-home videos to the big screen, releasing Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. G iven that Jonah's story ends on a unique, not-so-uplifting note, it was interesting that  VeggieTales chose to make this Bible story into a full-length movie. That said, the movie  does end on a positive note with a musical number about Jonah's story and the lessons we can learn from it. Recently, I read through the Book of Jonah (both with friends at church and on my own) and I wanted to share my takeaways from reading through Jonah. Here we go: God Uses Us in Spite of Ourselves       Last year, I heard a sermon where the overall message was that God will use us in spite of ourselves and our actions. While the sermon itself focused on Samson and his life, Jonah is another good example of God using someone in spite of one's actions. When Jonah was instructed by the Lord to go to Ninevah, he went the exact opposite direction and set sail for Tarsh