AUGUST 22, 2026

   “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” 

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

JEREMIAH 7-8

Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. (7:23) 

1 TIMOTHY 2

1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

JOURNAL 

Yesterday reminded me how quickly perspective can change everything. I can be living inside frustration, disappointment and discouragement and begin telling myself a story about what is happening. Nothing is working. Nobody notices. Maybe what I am doing doesn't really matter. Maybe all this effort isn't worth it. And if I stay inside that internal dialogue long enough, it begins to feel like truth.

That is what makes Dostoyevsky's words so powerful. "Above all, don't lie to yourself." Sometimes the lies I tell myself aren't intentional. They are simply the conclusions I reach when I allow my emotions in one difficult moment to define the whole story. Yesterday began to change when I was reminded of how many people actually appreciate what I do, how many people notice, how many lives are being affected in ways I don't always get to see. The circumstances hadn't necessarily changed. My perspective had.

And suddenly frustration could become motivation. Disappointment could become gratitude. What had felt like reasons to toss in the towel became reasons to keep going. Not because I suddenly needed the approval of other people, but because their appreciation reminded me of something I had temporarily forgotten: what I am doing matters. The seeds we plant often grow where we cannot see them.

Maybe that is another reason God continually calls me back to the present. Today, right now, this moment, God is here. Yesterday is permanent, and tomorrow is unknown. But today is still full of possibility. I can spend it replaying what went wrong, worrying about what might happen, or convincing myself that my efforts don't matter. Or I can tell myself the truth.

The truth is that I have been given people to love, students to teach, players to coach, a family to encourage and opportunities to serve. I won't always see the results. I won't always feel appreciated. Some days will be frustrating and some will leave me wondering

 9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

DEUTERONOMY 7:9