#624 - Happy New Year

#623 - Designated Driver

Be the one who makes sure all your friends get home.  Be the designated driver.

-Love Dad

#622 - Wisdom

Seek wisdom, not riches.  Real wealth lies in the heart.

-Love Dad

#621 - Laziness

Laziness is a disease; don't catch it.

-Love Dad

#620 - Merry Christmas

#619 - It's ok to say Merry Christmas

#618 - Excerpt from Epic, The Story God is Telling by John Eldredge

"God creates us in his image, with powers like unto his own - the ability to reason, to create, to share intimacy, to know joy.  He gives us laughter and wonder and imagination.  And above all else, he endows us  with that one quality for which he is most known.  He enables us to love." 

Epic, The Story God is Telling - John Eldredge

#617 - Will Rogers Quote

"What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."

-Will Rogers

#616 - Risks

Don't to be afraid to take a risk.

-Love Dad

#615 - Choose to Love

There are times in a marriage that you may wake up and not feel in love anymore.  Choose to love anyway.  There are times when you may not be attracted to your spouse anymore.  Choose to love anyway.  Marriage is a commitment.  In sickness and health, in good times and bad.  Those vows you take are sacred.  They don't say "if you have bad times."  They say "in good times and in bad," implying that there will be bad time.  It's inevitable.  Choose to love anyway; your spouse is worth it.

-Love Dad

#614 - John Wooden Quote

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

-John Wooden

#613 - Nice Guys

Nice guys don't finish last, they finish first.  If you don't know that, then you don't know where the finish line is.

-Love Dad

#612 - Read

Read, read, and then read some more.  New stuff, old stuff, classics, all kinds of reading materials.  The more you read, the better prepared you'll be, the better you'll be able to communicate, the better you'll do in school and in life.

-Love Dad

#611 - Sam Houston Quote

"I humble myself before God and there the list ends."

Sam Houston

#610 - Never Forget

#609 - Ronald Reagan Quote

Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is Acknowledged.

-Ronald Reagan

#608 - Beautiful & Smart

The world will expect you to be both beautiful and smart because you're a girl.  Don't worry, you've got them both covered.  But when in doubt, smart always wins.

-Love Dad

#607 - Driving

The top speed on the speedometer indicates how fast a car can go...not how fast it should go.

Trust me.

I'll tell you my story when you're learning to drive.

-Love Dad

#606 - Lou Brock Quote

"Show me a guy who;s afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time."

-Lou Brock
Former Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals

#605 - Mirakel Reves Quote

The skies of happiness shine upon these United States of America.

-Mirakel Reves

#604 - ThanksGiving

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"

-William A Ward

#603 - John Wooden Quote

You can't let praise or criticism get to you.  It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.

-Coach John Wooden

#602 - Smart

Never be ashamed of being smart or nerdy, having freckles or glasses, or loving science or math.  Smart never goes out of style, it will always stay with you as you grow, and it will lead you down the most successful paths.

-Love Dad

#601 - Excerpt from Epic, The Story God is Telling - John Eldredge

"Any honest person knows this.  We know we are not what we were meant to be.  If we'll stop shifting the blame for just a moment, stop trying to put the onus on some other person or policy or race, if we'll take a naked and frank assessment of ourselves, well then.  Most of us will squirm and dodge and admit that perhaps we fall a bit short.  If we're truly honest, we'll confess that we have it in us to be the Beast, the wicked stepsister, Scrooge.  Most of the world religions concur on this point.  It's not just the obvious evils like murder and racism and betrayal.  Each of us us fraught with fears and suspicions and petty jealousies.  we are above all else, self-centered - the very opposite of how the Trinity lives.  You have loved God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?  You have loved your neighbor as yourself?  Neither have I.  We all fail on the most essential virtue of all, the virtue of Eden: we fail when it comes to loving."

-Epic, The Story God is Telling - John Eldredge

#600 - Dishes

A man doesn't need to point out that he did the dishes.

-Love Dad

#599 - Hard Work

Working hard sometimes seems futile.  Be persistant in your hard work.  It will pay off in the end.

-Love Dad

#598 - Arman Guidolin Quote

"Winning is the name of the game. The more you win, the less you get fired."

-Armand Guidolin
Former Coach, Boston Bruins

#597 - Date Creatively

Date creatively.

It will make for some wonderful memories later.  

(Ask your Mom about ABC dates.)

-Love Dad

#596 - Flea Market

Be a regular at your local flea market.

source: 1001 rules for my unborn son

#595 - Rejection

Don't be afraid of rejection.  You must be willing to take risk sometimes no matter the outcome.

-Love Dad

#594 - Know What You're Getting Into

Know what you are getting into.

-Love Dad

#593 - Sports Knowledge

Know just as much about sports as he does.  It will add an element to your relationship that most couples don't have.

-Love Dad

#592 - Leonard Patrick Kelly Quote

"The only gracious way to accept an insult is to ignore it. If you can't ignore it, you try to top it, if you can't do that, you laugh at it. And if you can't laugh at it, it's probably deserved."

-Leonard Patrick Kelly
Former Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs

#591

"The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth answer once and for all the question, "What is God's heart towards me?" At the point of our deepest betrayal, when we had run our farthest from him and gotten so lost we could never find our way home, God came and died to rescue us.  You have never been loved like this.  He has come to save you in every way a person can be saved.  That is God's heart toward you."

(Epic, The Story God is Telling - John Eldredge)

#590 - Get the Job Done

Never leave your work unfinished.

-Love Dad

#589 - Failure & Success

You have to know failure personally to truly know success.

-Love Dad

#588 - Sorry

Saying sorry first is a sign of strength, not weakness.

-Love Dad

#587 - How to Take a Punch Tips

How to Take a Punch - Tips

• If you get knocked down do not get back up until you are out of your assailant's fighting range. You are completely open to any attack while getting up off the ground. Try rolling out of the assailant's fighting range (about seven to eight feet). Note that your assailant will still be standing up during this attempt so try to keep an eye on the assailant's movement while rolling away.
• If you are hit in the head-region and start bleeding, be aware that your body naturally maintains a higher blood pressure there. Don't panic at gushing nose-bleeds, or profuse bleeding, as they usually look worse than they actually are. While it is important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible, you should stay calm and try to get out of the immediate danger of this assailant first.
• Before entering a fight it is important to have an idea of what to do, for example do not just wave your arms in the air attempting to strike. Moves such as the "double tap, fore arm smack" are better as they combine a series of punches that will increase pain inflicted on the opponent, whilst giving time for you to escape.
• Remember that learning to take punches takes more than simply reading about how it is done. You need to condition your mind and your body and this takes time and a lot of work.
• Try to maximize the time the fist strikes you. As a basic law of physics the longer the impulse (in this case a punch) the less force it exerts on you.
• A "smart" fighter will attack vulnerable areas of your body: groin, throat, eyes, kidneys, etc, or they will pick up something (beer bottle, chair, rock, etc) to attack you with. Unfortunately, most of the time you will only realize your assailant is a smart fighter after he has already started attacking you. Your best option in any situation is to treat all attacks as dangerous, and avoid getting hit at all. Do not try to "take" a punch unless there's absolutely no way you can avoid it. Most people are dirty fighters, and if your life or health is threatened, you should be one too. Kick the assailant in the groin, flee, and call the police.
• Avoid punches whenever possible! Getting punched can be an extremely traumatic injury with life-altering consequences such as neurological damage, permanent scarring, broken bones, and in extreme cases even death. However, if you are in a situation where you're likely going to be punched, don't consider these things until after the confrontation.
• Following these instructions doesn't mean that you are invincible from all punches.Always get checked out by a doctor after you've been punched.
• Systema is a Russian martial art, which has a good deal of focus on taking and receiving hits, and is ideal for these kind of situations. With proper technique and training, punches will do very little damage.
• This how-to is not intended to encourage fighting. Fighting should always be the absolute last resort in any situation.

source: wikihow

#586 - How to Take a Punch to the Face

How to Take a Punch to the Face

Step 1
Keep your mouth shut and your jaw closed. 
If your jaw is open when you get punched, it could lead to a broken jaw or teeth. Keep your tongue well inside your mouth so it doesn't end up getting severed.

Step 2
Take the punch with your forehead.
 If a punch is aimed at your face or throat and cannot be blocked or dodged, the best thing to do would be to duck and take the punch with your forehead instead of your nose or neck. Of course it will still hurt, but not nearly as much.

• If you take the punch with the forehead the assailant's fist will clamp down onto nothing but your skull, which could end the fight if it damages his or her fingers.
• Remember to keep your chin down and your fists up.

Step 3

Move with the punch.

You should always roll with a punch if it is directed at your head; move with the flow of the punch, rather than against it. Never move your head toward the punch, since this could bring about serious injury and head whipping.

Step 4

Open your eyes.

It is natural to want to close your eyes when you see a punch coming. Try not to close your eyes for long. You need to be able to predict what the opponent will do next, and decide whether it's time to throw a punch of your own.

source: wikihow

#585 - How to Take a Punch to the Body

How to Take a Punch to the Body

Step 1
Tighten your stomach.
If the punch is strong enough, it could damage internal organs and possibly kill you. Tightening your stomach helps protect vital organs. Try not to double up or bend over. Instead, if the situation allows, stretch backward slightly.

• It's hard to flex your abdominal muscles if they aren't strong, so do this: just before the punch lands, shoot a short burst of air from your mouth or nose (breathe out very slightly and quickly). Your abs will naturally flex tightly, which will minimize both the pain and the damage to your vital organs.
• Try not to get hit while breathing in or holding your breath. This will only result in you "getting winded" or "getting the wind knocked out of you." When the body is shocked like this, it's unable to respond for several moments, giving the assailant time to land another punch.

Step 2

Roll with the punch.

 If you can't avoid getting hit, move your body in the direction of the hit. Shift your body to the side of the point of impact, so that it won't hit your middle. This increases the time of the impact, which changes the momentum of the punch and decreases its force.

• You can also lean in, or moving your body slightly toward your opponent. This has the benefit of either reducing the power of their punch or jamming it out altogether. If you can catch your opponent off-balance, this has the added effect of possibly knocking him or her down and giving you time to escape.

Step 3

Keep your balance

Getting knocked down in a fistfight is a bad thing, as it decreases your ability to escape, makes you vulnerable to kicking or getting crushed, and puts you at risk of injuring yourself in the process of falling.

source: wikihow

#584 - How to Take a Punch

How to Take a Punch

Whether you're interested in becoming a proficient fighter or you just want to be able to defend yourself in a street fight, knowing how to take a punch is often the difference between winning and losing - or life and death. Read on to learn how to take a punch to the stomach or head without getting hurt.


Step 1
Raise your fists to your face.
Your clenched knuckles should be touching either cheek. This diffuses the blow if you get punched in the face, and it's the first defensive move you should make when you're pretty sure a blow is coming.

• When you clench your fists, hold your thumbs on the outside of your fingers, rather than tucking them inside.
• The point is to protect as much of your face as possible with your fists, so position them to cover the maximum amount of surface area.
• Raising your fists to your face puts you in a good position to punch back, if necessary. If you're uncomfortable doing this, you can raise your elbows to your face to block the punch; just know the recovery time will be much longer, and you might have to take a second punch before you can fight back.

Step 2

Tuck your chin.

This reduces the amount of your face that's exposed, and limits access to your neck. Keep it tucked against your chest with your fists up, but don't bend your head so low you can't see the assailant; you need to be able to predict his or her move.

Step 3

Keep your elbow tight against your body

You've got to protect your organs, which could be severely damaged by a well-placed punch to the side. Your shoulders, pectorals, arms, and fists can take strong hits with relatively minor damage. Present these targets to your opponent while protecting your vulnerable areas. Elbows should be flat against your sides, but loose enough to move around and block a punch once it's thrown.

Step 4

Adopt a wide stance.

Stand with your knees bent and your legs firmly underneath you. This lowers your center of gravity, helping you stay balanced. It also makes you a more difficult target to hit, since you'll be poised to move and dodge if you need to.

• Turn your body slightly away from the oncoming attack to protect your center line, including your groin, solar plexus, and throat.
• Position your dominant foot slightly forward and keep a little more weight on your back foot, so you'll be poised to strike back if necessary.

Step 5

Keep your eyes on the attacker.

Hold eye contact and pay attention to where his or her eyes go when they dart away, since people generally look before they punch. This gives you subtle clues about where the punch may land, and you might be able to dodge it.

• If you think you'll get intimidated or confused by looking into the person's eyes, look at the solar plexus instead. Some people find making eye contact to be distracting.
• Avoid tunnel vision. When confronted with a threat, it's very easy to make that the center of your universe. Avoid this natural tendency and try to maintain peripheral vision and awareness of your surroundings, especially other assailants.

Step 6

Stay Relaxed

Your fight or flight instinct will probably kick in, but you have to think through it and maintain the ability to make good decisions. Keep your mind alert in spite of the possibility of pain; it may help to know that the body recovers surprisingly quickly after a hard punch. The important thing is to keep your head protected, so stay focused on that.

source: wikihow

#583 - Mike Schmidt Quote

"Anytime you think you have the game conquered, the game will turn around and punch you right in the nose."

-Mike Schmidt

Former Third Baseman, Philadelphia Phillies

#582 - Goals

Twice a year write down your goals.

excerpt from:  1001 Rules for My Unborn Son

#581 - Paul Bryant Quote

"My attitude has always been...if it's worth playing, it's worth paying the price to win."

-Paul "Bear" Bryant
Former Head Coach, Alabama Football

#580 - Lou Holtz Quote

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."

-Lou Holtz
Former Head Coach, Notre Dame Football

#579 - Faith is...

Faith is...Remembering I am indispensable to God when I feel I only clutter up the landscape.

excerpt from: Faith is...

#578 - Happy New Year

"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let every New-Year find you a better man." 

Quoted in Benjamin Franklin's 1755 Poor Richard's Almanac