It is not uncommon for me to wake up in the morning to a text from Number 1. We live different schedules. But what is uncommon is a response to my reply at 5:00 A.M. I was a little worried by the quick response because I remember a time in college where I would only see 5:00 if I were still awake. Thankfully, that was not the case; he is duck hunting… quick weather check: clear and 21 degrees, not too bad. Enjoy the adventure, good luck today, buddy.
As a reminder, Lunch Box Quotes are notes I include in the kids’ lunches every day. Number 1 gets a text, but 2-4 get a handwritten napkin. And we are in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I am intermittent fasting with 1 meal per day, no alcohol, and no social media/news after 6 p.m.
Visual credits to: Featured image – @EchoesofWarYT Quotes: @ACC_National @GeniusGTX @Pergament_F @BuffaloByGodDan
Quotes:
1. “Nationalism means conservation.” – American Conservative Coalition
2. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius
3. “It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.” – Yoshida Kenkō
4. “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C. S. Lewis
Bonus Quote: “As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens.” – Old Farmer’s Almanac
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Day 17 (I skipped a day somewhere.)
Ezekiel 47:6-12; John 7:37-39
Note: (These notes are a combination of the notes from my Bible, the study guide, and my thoughts. Mostly, though, they are the work of others, just rearranged.) God’s power can transform us, no matter how lifeless or corrupt we may be. Even when we feel messed up and beyond hope, his power can heal us. Imagine a world where fresh water was not guaranteed. We live in an opposite world where potable water is taken for granted. Do we also take Christ’s living water for granted? The Holy Spirit is available to all who believe in Jesus as Savior, and being rooted in His presence sustains us.
Fasting: No real update today.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for our church that encourages and inspires me to go beyond Sunday. Thank you for my parents who laid the foundation upon which my faith grows. Give me the determination to continually seek out Your living water. Let it sustain me through all of the dark times that lie ahead. In Your name I pray,
-Amen
Sources:
Nationalism means conservation. pic.twitter.com/6fcd7b2ekz
— American Conservation Coalition (@ACC_National) January 20, 2026
1. The Obstacle is the Way
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Stop wishing for things to be easy.
Use the challenge as fuel.The struggle isn’t blocking the path, it *is* the path.
— GeniusThinking (@GeniusGTX) January 19, 2026
“It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met.”
Yoshida KenkōCalm evening pic.twitter.com/pFozRVdDHf
— Sophia Proneikos (@Pergament_F) January 16, 2026
There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.
– C. S. Lewis pic.twitter.com/e1QX6zn1UI— Buffalo Dan (@BuffaloByGodDan) January 15, 2026
“As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens.”
– Old Farmer’s Almanac pic.twitter.com/R1ttd5p2gy— Buffalo Dan (@BuffaloByGodDan) January 17, 2026
Incredible: Tents can be seen (bottom, centre) at a point known as Camp Beauty close to canyon walls in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona. Photographed in 1873 and situated in northeastern Arizona, the area is one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes in… pic.twitter.com/rzChFtaY1L
— Echoes of War (@EchoesofWarYT) January 15, 2026