By the way, great insight earlier, Jude! I didn’t read it until now. You’re very right. Sometimes we’re so drenched with blessings that we actually forget to thank God, because they seem so ordinary and “always there.”

All right, Jacob! When you were up, Dad mentioned that you’ve been hitting solidly to right-center lately, so we thought you might do something like that.

We just got back from the game, which we won, and Jacob hit his first home run (a grand slam)! The right-center fielder was playing a bit shallow, and Jacob ripped one past him and circled the bases. Way to go, Jake!

I just wanted to share something with all y’all. I’ve been realizing more and more lately just how much God cares for me and looks after me. For one thing, he’s let us live in the greatest country in the history of mankind, where we’re free to worship and follow God without true persecution. We have such freedom that I take it for granted all the time. Just now, we had a rush job that we had to get in the mail by a certain deadline, and I was able to just hop in our car, zip on over to the post office, and drop the stuff off in time — and making it to the mailbox was my biggest worry. It says something when you can just choose to get up and go driving, and not have any worries that other countries have, such as over in countries where wars are going on, where you have to worry about things like mines in the road, or suicide bombers, or all sorts of things.

It may seem a bit silly that I’m gushing all over about a last-minute trip to the post office, but it’s just been hitting me lately how good life really is, and how God cares for the most trivial detail of my life. I just hope I never forget to be thankful every day for what he has done and continues to do for me. (And while you’re at it, please pray that I never become ungrateful and unthankful. Thanks!)

Anyway, I just had to let that out. It’s so important to be thankful, and that’s why I follow Dad’s advice of listing off things to be thankful for every day. God, please help us never lose that thankfulness and appreciation for what you’ve done.

I managed to squeeze in a workout this evening, and I’m now on my way to our game.

As I returned from today’s depositions, I saw that the van and trailer were parked in the front yard so that the goods from Sam’s could be unloaded.

Jude and I are headed to Sam’s Club today for our monthly shopping trip, and James is outside hooking up the trailer for us to bring along.

We are just now starting our Softball Classic shopping, too. I need to buy the candy for the candy stand and for the candy jars. We also need to place our order for soda and water bottles. We’re less than three weeks from the Classic now!

I will be hosting a new edition of the Dad’s Fireside Chats webcast Tuesday evening at 9:00 PM Central.

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