I haven’t recorded completing a book recently because I am making my way through a huge one. (30+ hours on Audible.) But I watched a couple of movies recommended to me during conversations about our recent European trip. This classic movie was also mentioned in the book I’m working on, so I knew I had to see it.
I was shocked by the number of well-known actors it contained. Considering how soon it was filmed after the end of the war, this must have been a raw depiction of what was in recent memory for so many. The story of D-Day will never get old or tiresome, and I also don’t think it will ever be entirely told. There were too many individual experiences. I am grateful that some of it was documented for me and future generations.
MOVIE: A Bridge Too Far (1977)
I have recently become acquainted with a woman who was born in Holland and whose father was in the Dutch Resistance and a POW of the Nazis during World War II. (So you know we immediately became best friends.) She recommended this movie to me as it was the story of a battle in which her father was involved. I didn’t know the story, but I enjoyed learning from the film. (Again, it was filled with many well-known actors at young ages, including one of my favorites, Sean Connery.)
COMMONPLACE
“In every challenge or even tragedy, there is an opportunity. And if you train yourself to look for the opportunity, you will be able to take control of the situation and even turn it into a positive or if it can’t be turned into something good, at least something good could come out of it.” – Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
“The first minute of action is worth more than a year of perfect planning.” — James Clear
“When one worldview dominates your thinking, you’ll try to explain every problem you face through that worldview. Read widely and realize there are many answers.” — James Clear
“If there is no wind, row.” A Latin Adage
“Creativity is the focused combination of unlikely things. Your mind locks onto a certain element and then searches widely for something unexpected that fits with it. What can scuba diving teach you about agriculture? What can trees teach you about public speaking? There is always some connective tissue between disciplines. If you wish to be more creative, look for the connections between two previously unconnected things.” — James Clear
“The bad workouts are the most important ones. It’s easy to train when you feel good, but it’s crucial to show up when you don’t feel like it—even if you do less than you hope. Going to the gym for 15 minutes might not improve your performance, but it reaffirms your identity. It’s not always about what happens during the workout. It’s about becoming the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts.” — James Clear
“There’s really no such action as dying. It is a misnomer. We use it to make reference to a process and a time period, but there is really no such thing. We are either alive or dead. The space in between is called living.” — The Final Act of Living a book by Barbara Karnes
Pray before you respond. Pray before you decide. Pray before you offer advice. Pray before you cook. Pray before you lovingly correct. Pray before you do anything at all! When you pray before, your response will usually not be the same as it was going to be before you prayed. Let God speak before you speak. Let Him direct your steps.