This Awkward Life

I recently read a quote that said " Being rich is based on numbers. Feeling rich is based on how rich your neighbor is."

MFM Pod

Because if you don’t plan your day, your day will happily plan you—and it’s usually terrible at it.

Here’s the real, human reason planning before the day starts matters:

1. You wake up with intention instead of reaction
Without a plan, the first email, text, or problem becomes your boss. Planning ahead lets you decide what matters before the noise shows up.

2. Your brain works better when it knows the destination
Unplanned days feel heavy because your mind is constantly asking, “What should I be doing right now?” A simple plan removes that mental friction and frees up energy.

3. You protect your best hours
You only get a few high-focus hours a day. Planning lets you spend them on what moves the needle—not on whatever happens to yell the loudest.

4. It reduces stress more than it creates discipline
Most stress comes from forgotten tasks and half-finished thoughts. Writing them down the night before lets your brain rest instead of rehearsing.

5. You end the day with progress, not just motion
Busy feels productive—but it isn’t. Planning helps you measure the day by what mattered, not just how tired you are.

6. It gives you margin for the unexpected
Ironically, planned days handle interruptions better. When something goes sideways, you know exactly what you’re choosing to delay.

If you want it super simple, try this tonight:

• Write 3 things that would make tomorrow a win

• Decide when you’ll do them

• That’s it

You don’t need a perfect plan—just a starting line.

We lost a wonderful Christian man this week from my home church. Just a few thoughts of Bro. Mike Lang

There’s a strange relief in knowing you’re not the final decision-maker. When you’re the middleman, you carry conversations, pass along details, and try not to waste anyone’s time—yet somehow, time still slips away. Sales calls turn into relay races. Questions get filtered. Answers get delayed. And you start to wonder if being helpful sometimes means stepping out of the way.

In this episode, I talk about the awkward space of being the go-between—the tension of wanting to be respectful of everyone’s time while knowing you don’t actually hold the “yes” or the “no.” It’s a reflection on clarity, responsibility, and the freedom that comes from putting people directly in front of the decision-maker. Sometimes the most honest thing you can do isn’t to negotiate or explain… it’s to connect and let go.

We all know what it feels like to coast—letting momentum carry us instead of intentionally steering. In this episode, a childhood game of cutting the engine on a straightaway becomes a sobering metaphor for life and faith. Coasting feels safe… until the road curves. A reflection on the hidden danger of drifting spiritually and the quiet power of re-engaging our walk with Christ.

“If you cry over a nickel, you’ll die for a dime.”

Most of what drains our joy isn’t the big tragedies—it’s the small, everyday irritations we refuse to let go of. In this episode of This Awkward Life, we talk about perspective, emotional weight, and how allowing little things to live rent-free in our minds can slowly steal our peace. From misunderstood comments to minor frustrations, this episode is a reminder that not everything deserves a reaction—and some things are better dropped than carried.

If you’ve been feeling worn down but can’t quite explain why, this conversation might help you lighten the load and save your strength for what truly matters.

A simple sound—the scratch of a pencil on paper—opens a flood of memories. In this episode, we explore how the tools we’re given to write with mirror the seasons of our lives, reminding us that mistakes aren’t permanent and the story isn’t finished yet.

🥛 Milk = Comfort & Nutrition

• Milk is a basic staple for kids and adults—cereal, coffee, cooking, comfort drinking.

• It provides calories, protein, and hydration if power goes out and you’re stuck at home.

• Bread is ready-to-eat and doesn’t require cooking.

• You can make simple meals with almost anything—peanut butter, canned meat, cheese, jelly, etc.

• It’s cheap, filling, and familiar.

When storms approach, people instinctively buy familiar, comforting foods. Bread and milk are nostalgic, simple, and feel like “home,” so they fly off shelves.

🍞 Bread = Easy, No-Cook Food🧠 Psychology: Comfort Buying

And if this episode helped you, please share it with one person.

Theo van Gogh’s devotion to his brother Vincent van Gogh was unwavering and deeply sacrificial. Theo was more than a brother—he was Vincent’s emotional anchor, financial support, and fiercest believer during years of poverty, illness, and rejection. Through constant letters, Theo encouraged Vincent to keep painting when no one else saw value in his work, often funding his supplies and living expenses at great personal cost. Without Theo’s steady faith, patience, and love, Vincent may never have persevered long enough to create the art that would later change the world.

If you didn't show the card you didn't get in back in the day. SAM's club has changed.