Who Set Your Rhythm?
Who Helped to Set Your Rhythm?
Have you ever stopped to think about who helped shape the rhythm of your life?
For me, it started early.
My mom and dad used to say I was whistling before I could talk. Music was always in the air in our family—harmonies, hymns, laughter, and the kind of warmth that stays with you long after the song ends.
But the real gift I was raised with wasn’t just music.
It was rhythm—how to live.
The People Who Set the Beat
My mom—"Patsy"—was right at five feet tall, but she carried herself as if she were seven feet tall. When she was studying to become the first female postmaster in our little town of Fisher, Minnesota, she would pause and say:
“I Am, I Can, I WILL!”
She didn’t just repeat those words. She modeled them.
She taught me something powerful at a young age: even when you can’t control the events around you, you can still control your attitude.
That lesson has stayed with me through every season of life.
Gratitude Changes the Tune
One of my mom’s greatest gifts was gratitude.
She had a way of turning something ordinary into something sacred. She might take a sip of water on a hot August day and say, “This is the best bottle of water I’ve ever had at a South Dakota rest area with my son.”
That was her rhythm.
And it shaped mine.
Here’s what I know: gratitude is a reset button. When we intentionally thank God—and the people who bless our lives—our hearts and minds begin to notice the good that was there all along.
Gratitude doesn’t erase hardship.
But it does help us regain our footing.
It helps us get back on beat.
A Simple Challenge for This Week
Here’s a practice you can start today:
Write down three things you’re thankful for each day.
Then the next morning, read them again before your day gets rolling.
It’s simple.
But simple habits, practiced consistently, can change the rhythm of your life.
If You’re Near Detroit Lakes on May 14…
I’d love to personally invite you to a special event I’m hosting on May 14 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
I’ll be sharing my message, “Finding Your Beat, the Rhythm of Life,” along with music, stories, and encouragement designed to help people reconnect with what matters most and move forward with greater gratitude, purpose, and hope.
I know many of you who read this newsletter are from all around the world, so this may not be right in your backyard. But if you happen to be in the area—or know someone who is—I’d be honored to have you join us.
It’s going to be a meaningful evening, and I’d love to see you there.
Event details are below.
Tim