How to Enjoy Your Life

Clay Smith JFBC

How to actually enjoy your life
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20

A tool is not good or bad, depending on how you use it. Everything we have belongs to God. We are to be generous and good stewards of what God has given us. It's easy to have greed, but no one rarely confesses it like they do other sins.

Three proverbs are three warnings…

1. v 10 money never satisfies…if I can get this, I’ll be happy. Is my heart satisfied? What am I addicted to? Am I wealthy? We live in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the wealthiest country in the world.
 
2. v 11 …money multiples problems. The more you have, the more you want to consume. MC Hammer made millions, but had 200 on his payroll. He went bankrupt.
 
3. v 12 …money shortens life. Those who live life hand to mouth actually sleep better than the rich, because they work and live hard, unlike those constantly worried about their money. If you live where food is plentiful, you will live longer. A main reason is people there sleep better.

v 13-17 an example story / parable. What good is accumulating money if you have no one to share it with?

Ulysses S Grant, a national hero, lost everything in a Ponzi scheme.

Augusta National is a beautiful place, but it wasn’t by accident. Clifford Roberts built the Masters by being ruthless. He was worth $100 million. At 83 he went out and killed himself.

Lots of danger in having lots of wealth.

What’s the point? Chasing more keeps you conflicted, but receiving from God helps you learn to be content.

v 18-20 find enjoyment in the work that God gives you. Accept all that God has given you.

How to receive contentment from God...

1. Keep going back to Jesus. Understand who He is and what He’s done. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Repent of your sins.

Phil 4:10-13 I’ve learned to be content in any circumstance. I’ve learned the secret, in abundance and in need. I can do all things in Jesus Christ who strengthens me. It’s not tacking God’s name onto things that I want.

2. Enjoy God’s simple gifts. Eat and drink and taking pleasure in the simple things. Enjoy the things you do with your hands. Don’t be so concerned with what you don’t have. Enjoy the simple things In life.

Count Nicolas Von Zinzinmon was a very rich man who allowed Moravians to live on his property. Then they went around the world converting others to Christ, even selling themselves into slavery. The count said “Preach the gospel. Die. Be forgotten“.


Bryan Fox JFBC Sunday School
Genesis 16

Don’t be too hard on Abram and Sarai - don’t blame them for the current Arab / Israel conflict. Polygamy not forbidden by rule, but in every case mentioned in the Bible it has negative consequences.

Despite infertility, Abram and Sarai were blessed. Why did Abram tell Sarai to do whatever she wished? Why did Sarai cast Hagar out?

“Wild donkey of a man” doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Hagar is thrilled, because the son of a slave woman will be free. She’s the only character in the Bible who gives God a name that sticks.

God is compassionate to a slave woman.

Exodus 2

1. God hears your cries
2. God remembers His promises.
3. God saw
4. God knew
5. Therefore, God will act in our behalf - in God’s own time

Rev 21 God will make His home with us. He will take away our tears. What a great, compassionate God that we serve.

33 in Sunday School

Braves Debut New City Connects

Braves wearing their new City Connects last night and tonight. While the light blue caps are okay, I'm not a fan of the light blue helmets. Reminds me too much of the old teal Florida Marlins helmets. 

The white pants look good with the jerseys.

The Atlanta Dream traded Brittany Griner. Some were saying she fouls too much, and is over the hill. Supposedly a good trade for the Dream. 

Tough round for Rory today. Hard for anyone to have a round like he did on Friday. Should be a classic finish tomorrow. Supposedly one of the golfers was wearing Hokas out on the course. In an ugly color. Next time you're invited to a Masters party, ask if phones are banned.

There are several past Masters champions that I cannot name. Which one is Danny Willett? Interesting the Nick Faldo is always on the back row, with all the younger guys. You'd think he'd be closer to the front, with some of the older champions.

See where the young lady who won the Augusta National Women's Amateur was asked to throw out the first pitch at an Arkansas Razorbacks game? Instead she chipped the baseball from the mound into the catcher's mitt. You don't see that every day.

We didn’t do anything last night. C grilled chicken and warmed up black beans and rice. I made a quesadilla, she made a salad. Watched the splashdown and Happys Place.

Up early to golf this morning. Played halfway decent. I teed off before 7 am.

1. After a flub, I hit a low liner that got a decent roll. Then I hit a good long 6 iron from the fairway. Hit one great chip, and the other two were decent. Took three tries to sink the par putt.
2. After a flub, I hit a great 4 iron to the front fringe. Hit several putts. “Par”.
3. My first 8 iron sailed slightly left, and rolled down into the rough. My mulligan was better, staying straight and rolling down to the front fringe. All my lag putts were short. “Par”.
4. Hit a decent tee shot, but due to the hilly fairway the ball rolled down to the left rough. Only one of my three chips was good. Putted it close. “Bogey”.
5. After a flub, I made good contact with my 4 iron - but I had no idea where the ball went. Walked up the fairway and found my first ball - then spotted my second ball on the green, about 15 feet from the hole. Sweet. Hit two putts close before sinking the third try for a “birdie”.
6. My tee shot sailed right, but my mulligan drew around the big oak tree - my longest drive ever on this hole. Then I hit a great 4 iron that rolled onto the middle of the green. My best ever fairway shot on this hole. It had been too much club, and would’ve rolled off the back of the green had it not been slowed down by the fleshly planted grass on the front fringe. Couldn’t sink a birdie putt, so I had to settle for a par.
7. Hit a pretty good drive that sliced past the tree at the top of the hill. Then a terrible mulligan. But my third attempt carried up the hill, past the 150 yard marker - again, my best drive ever on the hole. Then a decent 6 iron from the fairway down to the left rough. Nice chip onto the green with two golfers watching from the adjacent tee box. Couldn’t sink a par putt. “Bogey”.
8. Climbed the hill to the tee box. Made decent contact with my driver, but had no idea where it had landed. Found it way down the hill - another good drive. Hit three lousy chips. Lag putts were okay. “Par”.
9. Hit two hybrids long and straight. Then a chip to four feet. Missed my first par attempt, but made the mulligan. Even playing several balls, I don’t think I’d ever parred that long uphill 9th hole before.

Finished at 8:13 am. Was going to get on the downtown connector from the presidential parkway but the entrance was closed. I had to take 75 south. Tried to exit at the state capitol but couldn’t make a left. Turned right and drove past the capitol toward CNN, then right on Williams Street through downtown to get on the connector. Lots of traffic for 830 am.

Spent an hour at the gym, in the sauna and on the treadmill. Ate leftovers for lunch. Then I had to drive C to IKEA to exchange desks. Only took two minutes for IKEA to fill my dollar hot dog order this time. Back home I blew the leaves out of the back of the house. Was able to watch a little bit of the Masters.

Splashdown!

Artemis splashed down safely this evening, in a somewhat similar fashion as the Apollo missions. Lots of stories going around about the dangerous landing. Not sure why the media portrayed it that way. Seemed different from the media coverage of Apollo, though I was a lot younger back then.

I enjoyed watching Gary Woodland win the other day. He played with Scottie yesterday and seemed to struggle, but the course is tough. Rory setting records. 

Bryson missed the cut. Read an interesting interview with a photographer who was in the perfect position when Bryson's 2025 tee shot on 13 went way right. Bryson wound up pulling up an iconic Masters directional sign and hoisted it onto his shoulder "like Jesus carrying His cross". The photographer snapped the picture and forwarded it to his control center - who had it on social media before Bryson birdied the hole.

The Masters always seems to be placed under a microscope. The Augusta National Golf Club has always done things exactly the way they want. Will be interesting to see what kind of changes will take place before next year. The Par Three Tournament may have just jumped the shark. I'm a fan of Kevin Hart and Jason Kelce, but perhaps Fred Ridley will dial back the celebrity appearances next year? 

The $70 million merchandise grab continues to draw headlines. Patrons are standing in line for 2-1/2 hours to get in. Some thought the gnomes would be dialed back, but they seem to be all the more popular. Perhaps they'll add a third gift shop. What would I buy? Perhaps a cap that fits my big noggin better. A jacket or quarter zip. Not sure what else I need.

Was also thinking: what if a bud called with a last minute Masters ticket. Of course I would go - but what would I wear? My Masters cap. Perhaps my blue Textron golf shirt, though I look fat in it. Or a navy shirt. My blue Braves Smathers & Bransen stitched belt. Off white golf like pants. My white Hokas? Purple On Cloud Monsters? Not sure.

Friday: another busy day. Millie was tired and grouchy. Oatmeal for breakfast. We were tasked with tracking down an item. Looked at the East Cobb Target. Few in stock due to a recent clearance sale. Drove down Johnson’s Ferry to the Best Buy across from Perimeter Mall. Then to the Target on the other side of the mall. C went inside and me and the girls stayed in the car. There was a toy store next to Target. When C returned I went inside the toy store. They didn’t have the item but there was a great big Hello Kitty. I’d left my phone with the girls so I couldn’t get a picture.

Then we hopped on 400 north and drove to the Target in west Roswell, near Claire. C found what she was looking for. Then we went home for lunch. PB&J samiches - as Millie called them.

After lunch we drove the girls home. They fell asleep on the way, so we took our time getting there. W&MC are leaving on a weekend trip tonight.

Stopped by the Westside Provisions on the way home. While C was getting coffee I downloaded the Steak & Shake app. Almost got me a chocolate milkshake. Maybe soon. Made it home at 4 pm. 

After almost three months of retirement we've gotten a decent amount done, thought it's not like I am trying to set any records for productivity. Taking it easy, getting plenty of sleep. Staying active, though I could be doing more. Maybe at some point. The rest of April is going to be a blurr...

Saturday: AM golf then a workout at the gym. Later we’ll watch the Masters. Might start cleaning up. At some point I need to study for small group.

Sunday: I’ll wake up at 3 am, pick up M from his house in Smyrna at 4 am and drive him to the airport for his 6 am flight. Might stop by Whataburger on the way home for a BOGO biscuit deal. Church and the Masters. 

Monday: am workout. Cleaning up the house. Studying for small group. 

Tuesday I head to Chattanooga for the Lookouts game. Hopefully I can make a day of it. Anna will be having her baby at some point. 

Wednesday: gotta pick up M at the airport around 2 pm. Hopefully I can get some yard work done before then. Then host the guys for small group.

Thursday: a meeting in Kennesaw, then a workout at the gym.

17th & 18th: golf & gym.

19th: church.

20th: passport interview & lunch with former coworkers.

21st: am golf & gym.

22nd: Stripers game. 

23rd - 25th: Nashville (and the NFL Draft). We’ll see how many times this schedule gets interrupted! 

April 8, 2026 When life deals a person a tough hand to play, he can either fold, or decide to play that hand, and then prepare for the next hand. That’s a quick picture of the life of pro golfer, Gary Woodland. Woodland had a great golf career unfolding as a four-time PGA Tournament winner. Then he developed a brain lesion and in 2023 had brain surgery. Everybody told him that he couldn’t come back to golf following brain surgery. They thought he would just fold and quit. But that’s not Gary Woodland. He came back on the tour, but was struggling with PTSD. It was sad to see him react in ways he had never reacted before, but PTSD was taking its hold on him. He decided to stop trying to hide it and to get help. READ MORE

Before Sports Merch Was a Thing

Back in the 60's and 70's it was mostly impossible to buy fan gear. A halfway authentic team jersey? Impossible. Cap? May be, but they were few and far between. Not in any store, but maybe a stadium concession stand.

In 1972 when the Braves changed unis, I tracked down a bucket hat like Donald Davidson wore. Bought it from the ad in the game program. Kids had little disposable income and adults weren’t buying merch.

In the back of Sport magazine there were ads for Mannys Baseball Land, and other similar vendors. Wrote off for a catalog, and bought an unlicensed Falcons jersey. No NFL teams were listed, only photos of the various sleeve stripes. The jersey arrived, and looked okay - but the numbers were plastic, not the sewn on tackle twill numbers of the day. 

In the 80s I was buying wool throwback baseball caps, made by Ebbets Field Flannel and American Needle. Brooklyn Dodgers. Boston Braves. St. Louis Browns. A Babe Ruth era 8 panel Yankee cap. A California Angels cap with the silver halo on top, like Jim Fregosi used to wear. I still have some of them.

By the 90's places like Distant Replays were springing up, feeding the burgeoning sports apparel industry. I'd receive the catalogs in the mail. Only after the turn of the century did it become easier to buy sports merchandise online. Nowadays its even easy to buy cheap Chinese knockoffs from places like DHGate. 

Looking back, being deprived as a kid from a wardrobe of jerseys and caps - and few options until I was like 45 - was probably a good thing. I've gotten rid of bunches of football jerseys (except for two Falcons jerseys). Today I have too many Braves caps and jerseys, plus two Hawks jerseys. At my age, I have too few opportunities to wear them out.

Wednesday: stopped by the DQ in Roswell and took a chocolate milkshake down to my longtime friend Reid. Not a far distance at all - I drive further to golf once or twice a week. After I left his house I called C and asked her if she wanted me to come home and get her, but she said no.

I drove north to Roswell Road, but Anna wasn’t at her office. Checked out the Goodwill next door, then drove back down Piedmont to the Goodwill down there near Garmon Road. 

Then I hopped onto the interstate and drove a couple exits south to Atlantic Station, to check out something at IKEA. While I was there I ordered one of their $1.00 hot dogs. The place wasn’t busy but it took them 5 minutes to fill the order. Goodness.

Then drove north a couple blocks on Northside to check out that Goodwill. Then south to Marietta Street to the Salvation Army store. After that I made the short drive to W&MCs. It was 3:30.

I climbed in the car with Will and the girls, and we drove over to Summerhill for the Braves street party. They were showing the game on two big screens, one on each side of Georgia Avenue, right there by the Little Bear restaurant. Lots of young couples with little kids. Will saw several guys that he knew. He ordered a large plate of French fries, that we all shared.

Blooper stopped by to say hello. Will got the girls ice cream. We crossed the street to check out the scene there. Got our picture taken, and got some posters, stickers, and postcards. Will bought a 2025 NL all star jersey for $25.00. Drove back to Will’s house, then drove the girls up to our house for a couple of nights. By then it was 8 pm.

Snack and baths. I got the bed ready. Read them a few books and got them to bed, and it was 9:30. I’m bushed. Me and Winnie will sleep on the couch. Left my YMCA card in my car, which is down at W&MCs. Guess I’ll be skipping the gym.

       

The Easter service in the JFBC sanctuary was combined with the service in the gym. While the music was definitely Easter themed, there was really only one traditional hymn. Probably the way it will be when the new larger worship center is built. The sanctuary folk will be getting the short end of the stick.

The girls slept past 7 am this morning, but Millie is weaning off her pacifier, so she hasn’t been sleeping well. Didn’t take a good nap this afternoon. Makes for a challenging day. 

Drove C and the girls to a children’s shoe store and it was a disaster. The longer it took, the more the girls wandered around, pulling shoes off the racks. Took an hour to get out of there. Should’ve taken ten minutes. The sales lady kept telling her “Those will only fit for 2 months”. C would ask the girls if they liked the shoes C had picked and they’d shake their heads no.

Watched a little of the Masters. M stopped by to visit.

All Praise to Allah?

The President recently posted “all praise to Allah”. Outrageous? Definitely worth looking into, certainly before jumping to any conclusions - like several social media connections that I know did. What did Trump mean? Did it matter?

Pretty easy to determine that the president was mocking Iran. It’s been long determined that Trump can be a cad. No surprise that he wasn’t acting in a Christian manner. But unlike some previous presidents, Trump wasn’t acting from a position of weakness, but that of power.

Last week Trump became the first president to explain the meaning of Easter: that Jesus died on a cross as a substitution for us sinners, so that the free gift of eternal life in heaven could be available for all who believes and confesses that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the son of the Living God. Quite a difference from the generic, God-less Easter greetings extended by Obama.

For those I know who were appalled at the language used by Trump, people whose social media posts show little inclination of being a follower of Jesus - where was the outrage when similar language was used by the likes of Biden, Kamala, Hillary, etc.? And oftentimes their foul language was reserved not for our country's enemies, but for US citizens, and even the US flag. 

Where was the outrage when Obama spent his presidency funneling billions to Iran? Where was the outrage when Muslims use the phrase "all praise to allah" when they murder innocent Christians and burn churches, most recently in Europe and the US. Where is the outrage with the billions of misused taxpayer funds, like by the many Muslim Somalians in Minnesota? 

In a somewhat related story, King Charles sparks backlash from UK Christians by not delivering an Easter message this year.

Did I tell you that the first secret message the downed US pilot sent out was “God is good”. 

Caleb’s sister entered the lottery for the chance to attend the White House Easter Egg Hunt - and they won. They're spending the week touring Washington. 

I picked two of the Final Four, but neither Duke nor Arizona advanced to the championship game. Didn’t know that Auburn won the NIT. They’d been on the bubble to get in the NCAA tourney. Bruce Pearl’s son is their head coach. Bruce had lobbied for the War Eagles to get a NCAA bid.

More Masters articles...

There's the legend about a writer sneaking onto Augusta National and making an albatross. The truth is richer.

A round unlike any other: The day I played Augusta National.

Matthew is flying up to Philadelphia for a few days. He asked me to drive him to the airport. Just found out that he has a 6 am flight. I’ll have to pick him up at 4 am. Ugh. 

M has a social media app that prompts him to post what he’s doing every day, at a different time each day. Anna and several of her cousins have the same app. Yesterday M was at work when it was time to post. He snapped a photo of his pastries and shared “Christ is risen - and so has my dough!” 

Monday: we were so tired from the weekend. We both slept late. I made it to the gym around the regular time. Weights, sauna, treadmill. Came straight home, since we had so many leftovers. For lunch I ate tomato pie, some grilled chicken, and roasted potatoes. Also strawberries and pound cake. C ate yesterday's grilled chicken and Friday's leftover mashed potatoes.  

Jonathan Edwards, the greatest theologian America has ever produced, exclaimed "The seeking of the kingdom of God is the chief business of the Christian life."

Denison: Artemis 2 pilot: There are no atheists "on top of rockets".

Women's Basketball: Worth Watching?

Angel Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream. Creates a twin towers situation with Brittney Griner. Atlanta gave up a staggering TWO first round draft picks for Reese. The city rejoiced in the news, as if she were the second coming of Michael Vick. She probably is. Perhaps Angel will have an impact on attendance. 

Evidently Angel had burned bridges in the Windy City, and the trade wasn't unexpected. So why give up two number ones? For the record, I am on the Dream's email list.

I learned about the trade when I went looking for the Dream's upcoming schedule. They'll be playing Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever in State Farm Arena. Want to go? Man, the cheapest Dream tickets start at like $70. Goodness.

The Gamecocks lost the national championship game. Women's basketball used to be a different brand of basketball than the men's game. More passing. More movement without the ball. Working to get an open shot. Sadly, nowadays the women's game is much worse. The women beat each other up inside, especially in the WNBA. It's the survival of the biggest. Instead of taking advantage of the resurgence in popularity over the past year of two, the women's game continues to receive bad press. 

date.time.Dream games of note.

5.17 3 pm Dream vs Las Vegas

6.20 1 pm Dream vs Indiana 

7.04 1 pm Dream vs Golden State

7.09 8 pm Dream vs Seattle

7.31 730 pm Dream vs Seattle

8.03 730 pm Dream vs Vegas

8.16 7 pm Dream vs Indiana

It's Masters week, so I'm seeing lots of interesting articles.

Masters undercover: Inside the sprawling Masters merchandise operation.

How Jason Day gets Augusta National to himself before the Masters.

Brookgreen Gardens is just southeast of Murrell's Inlet, just north of Litchfield Beach. Might have to visit the next time we're at Pawley's Island. What I'm doing these days instead of watching woman's basketball.

Saw Rick Ross on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. He mentioned that he hosts an annual car show at his house, the spread he bought from Evander Holyfield. I looked it up - it's a big deal. Probably not my thing. Tickets are pricey, though they find a charity. I noticed Ross named the property The Promised Land. I was learning this while studying Joseph's story in Genesis, where as Pharoh's lieutenant was able to save his family from famine. Joseph's elderly father was happy to be reunited with his long lost son - but still chose to be buried back in the land of his fathers - the true promised land.

Cars I like, in no particular order: Ford Ranger, Bronco, F150, and Raptor. Teslas, Honda's CRV, Passport, Pilot, and Ridgeline pickup. Toyota's RAV4, Highlander, Prius, and 4Runner. Nissan Frontier. Jeep Ricon. Subaru Crosstek and Forrester. 

Denison on using AI to form opinions: "When we delegate our thinking to machines, we become like them. We stop doing the hard work of seeking to understand the world and our place in it. We outsource the procurement of information to the apps on our phones. We lose what it means to be made in the image of God—the feeling, relating personally by which we love our Lord and our neighbor as our purpose in the world."

Easter Anniversary

On Easter Sunday 51 years ago, in 1975, I've always counted Easter as the day that I became a Christian. I'd grown up going to church with my family, and had enjoyed the youth group at Westminster Presbyterian there on Wimbush Road. A fun youth director named Jim McNaul. He also coached our church basketball team. 

But I had classmates and friends who went to another church not far from my house - Northside Christian Church. I started going, then my entire family started going as well. The pastor met with our family, and it was decided that we'd all be baptized on Easter Sunday. I was finishing up my sophomore year. That fall my high school team won the state championship. 

Crazy about the protesters at the SPdL Good Friday service. Ever find out why they were there? I was glad to see Times Square was packing with Christians celebrating and worshiping the risen Christ. Also worshipers climbed Stone Mountain.

Were you able to attend Easter services? We went to the 830 am service. Packed. JFBC did a rare simulcast, showing on the video screens how the worshipers in the sanctuary and activities center were singing the same hymns at the same time. At the 1130 service the pastor usually preaches from the gym, but at the 830 service he preached in the sanctuary, so we watched the large video boards. Probably a good thing, because right at the climax of the sermon someone had passed out in our service in the gym. Lots of people rushed to help out, which caused a minor disturbance. The person must've been okay, because they remained in their seat for the rest of the service, instead of leaving.

Lunch at the house with Anna and Caleb. Tomato pie, salad, fruit, and strawberries and whipped cream over pound cake.

Worked hard Saturday, getting ready. Made a Kroger run in the morning. After a ham & cheese sandwich for lunch, I drove down to Bellwood Coffee to exchange a bag that C had ordered wrong. Got back and cut the grass. A 9000 step day, but with lots of bending and lifting. This evening we hosted W&MC and the girls, Matthew, and MC's mother. An Italian ziti dish, salad, baked broccoli, grilled chicken, and the strawberries with pound cake. 

We were so tired from the weekend. We both slept late. I made it to the gym around the regular time. Weights, sauna, treadmill. Came straight home, since we had so many leftovers. For lunch I ate tomato pie, some grilled chicken, and roasted potatoes. Also strawberries and pound cake. C ate yesterday's grilled chicken and Friday's leftover mashed potatoes.  

The last Detroit Tiger player to wear a retired uniform numbers before those numbers were officially retired.

 

# Retired to Honor   Last Tiger to Wear It

 6 Al Kaline................Al Kaline 1954-1974

11 Sparky Anderson...Bruce Kimm 1977

47 Jack Morris...........Jack Morris 1977-1990

 2 Charlie Gehringer...Richie Hebner 1980-1982

 5 Hank Greenberg.....Howard Johnson 1982

16 Hal Newhouser......David Wells 1993-1995

23 Willie Horton..........Hideo Nomo 2000

42 Jackie Robinson....Jose Lima 2001-2002

10 Jim Leyland...........Fernando Vina 2004

 3 Alan Trammel.........Ian Kinsler 2014-2017

 1 Lou Whitaker..........Josh Harrison 2019

Denison: how the US airman was rescued from behind enemy lines. Just heard that the first message sent by the downed pilot was "God is good". Some wondered if it was a botched attempt to extract Iran's uranium reserves.