OCTOBER 31, 2026

   “I think if human beings had genuine courage, they'd wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween. Wouldn't life be more interesting that way? And now that I think about it, why the heck don't they? Who made the rule that everybody has to dress like sheep 364 days of the year? ” 

― Douglas Coupland, The Gum Thief

JEREMIAH 29-30

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you,” declares the Lord (29:11)

TITUS 1

 6An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^b and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

JOURNAL 

I love Halloween. I always have. There is something magical about it, from the costumes and trick-or-treating to the parties, haunted houses, and wonderful childhood memories. I have never understood why some people are so unnerved by it. To me, Halloween represents imagination, creativity, laughter, and community. It is a day when we allow ourselves to step outside the ordinary and experience life with the wonder and excitement of a child. But why should that sense of wonder be reserved for one day? Why shouldn't every ordinary day be approached with the same enthusiasm, curiosity, and gratitude?

Today is also Nick Saban's birthday, which seems especially meaningful after watching the documentary about his life and coaching career. What struck me most was how closely his philosophy of the Process aligns with what I am discovering through Deserve Victory. Saban understood that championships were not won on Saturdays but earned through countless ordinary moments of preparation, effort, and discipline. His genius was shifting the focus away from winning and toward becoming. Winning could never be guaranteed, but the commitment to doing things the right way could be. That is precisely what I want Deserve Victory to represent. We cannot command victory, but we can deserve it. And perhaps the greatest victory is not the championship itself, but the person we become through the pursuit.

What I am beginning to understand is that this philosophy is really a way of living. The joy is not supposed to be postponed until some future accomplishment, financial success, or completed project. It is available today, in the work itself, in our relationships, in the challenges, and in the opportunity to become more of the person God created us to be. Ordinary days lived with extraordinary intentionality become remarkable lives. And even if they never produce the outcomes we imagine, they are no less meaningful. There is tremendous freedom in pursuing great things with all our hearts while surrendering the results. The effort itself becomes an expression of love, discipline, and gratitude.

The passage from Jeremiah is especially meaningful because it is the same Scripture Marci wrote in the Bible she gave me thirty years ago. How can it possibly have been that long? Father, You have loved us so faithfully, and the blessings are far too numerous to count! Yet I recognize how often I have interpreted Your promises through the lens of the outcomes I desired rather than the relationship You were offering. Perhaps the most beautiful part of Jeremiah's promise is not the hope of a prosperous future, but the assurance that when we seek You with all our hearts, we will find You. And Titus reminds me that a life devoted to You is demonstrated not merely by what we profess, but by how we live, through goodness, self-control, integrity, love, and discipline.

So today, on Halloween, I wake up to another extraordinary gift disguised as an ordinary day. There will be problems to solve, responsibilities to fulfill, people to serve, and opportunities to grow. There will also be laughter, celebration, family, and the simple joy of being alive. Father, forgive me for allowing anxiety, regret, or the pursuit of some imagined future to rob me of the wonder of today. Help me to live as a conduit of Your power, love, and discipline. Help me to pursue excellence without attachment to outcomes and to find joy in the pursuit itself. Let me make this ordinary day a masterpiece, not because of what I accomplish, but because of how faithfully and joyfully I live it. Perhaps the real magic of Halloween is a reminder that the wonder I have always loved about this day has been available to me every day of my life.

 15To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

TITUS 1:15-16