The Make It Happen Moment ®

To my beloved children:

There is one thing in life that is 100% certain…all people have a date with death and there is no escaping it. We all live and one day we die. And while there is not much we can do about our birth date and our death date, there is much we can do with each date in between.

Your life and my life is a precious gift from God and the way we live our life is our unique precious gift back to Him and others. No one can live your life, but you, which is why it is unique.  And it is precious because each day only comes once and once it is gone, it is gone forever. With that in mind, let me encourage you to make each precious day count to the fullest for yourself and for others by living your life well. And let me caution you…if you don’t have a plan for your life, then someone else will and you may very well end up living their life rather than your own.

So, to help you make a good plan and live your life well, I encourage you to ask yourself these 3 great questions:

1. How do you want to be remembered in life by your family and friends?
2. What are your gifts and talents that can make a real difference in life?
3. Who are your wise trusted advisors in life?

A good and wise friend once told me that every 7 years we experience a new season in life. As I look back upon my life, I can see that it is true. Furthermore, I also now know that in each season, it is easy to look ahead to the next season and miss the opportunities to fully enjoy the current season. Please don’t let that happen to you. Famous cartoonist, Bil Keane, has written, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift from God which is why we call it the present.” So enjoy each day as an incredible present and make it count each day!

With God’s grace, you’ve got this and you can do it!!

Your imperfect loving,

Dad

Make It Count Copyright 2016, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the letter, Make It Count, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

To my beloved children:

I am certain that you have experienced life well enough by now to know that it sometimes includes being hurt, insulted, wronged, or offended in some way by others. Anyone who lives life long enough will experience some injustices in life. The truth is…there is no one immune from this painful side of life; however, there is one powerful prescription to the emotional pain of life injustices. It is called “forgiveness”.

Forgiveness is the one thing in life that can overcome any and every hurtful injustice we may experience in life. This is true in every case…no matter what. When you have been wronged…forgive always. When you have been insulted…forgive always. When you have been treated unfairly…forgive always. When you have been hurt emotionally…forgive always. Because…to not forgive others always is like taking a bitter pill that prolongs the pain and agony of an unforgiving heart. And it’s just not worth it.

On the other hand, when you and I forgive others always, we become better people and not bitter people. Through forgiveness, we release the pain of bitterness and embrace the gain of betterness as we recognize that we too at times need the forgiveness of others. In fact, the Lord teaches us to pray for our own forgiveness as we forgive others. And do not misunderstand me. I’m not saying that forgiving others always is always easy, but I am saying that forgiving others always is always necessary if you and I want to be better people in life and not bitter people. With God’s grace, you’ve got this and you can do it always!

Your imperfect loving,

Dad

Forgive Others Always Copyright 2016, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the letter, Forgive Others Always, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.