Blog

Risk Taking to Avoid Playing It Safe

I was emotionally gripped to hear a man named John Moorhead speak from beyond the grave. He had been recorded days before succumbing to cancer and his message was played during a men's retreat. When confronted with a cancer diagnosis, he quickly saw areas in his life...

Peering Through a Gap in Eternity’s Door

My heart was profoundly moved when I met Jim at a men's retreat not long ago. He had a ready smile and seemed about my age. He was never without his baseball cap for a reason I found out later. During the course of the retreat I had several conversations with Jim. He...

Feeling Inspired or Expired?

Feeling inspired or expired? Which word best describes how you feel about your midlife and beyond years? We're used to everything having an expiration date these days. Even a sealed bottle of pure water has a date when it expires! A close friend told me recently his...

Living to 90!

Have you thought about what it would be like to live until you're 90 years old? That time may be so far into the future it's hard to imagine. You may feel somewhat daunted by having another 30-40 years to go. Or you may welcome the idea of the new adventures and...

Moving Mountains in Midlife

If you’re in the midlife and beyond years, let me congratulate you for making it this far on the journey. The wealth of experience and wisdom you’ve learned along the way is of great value. Don’t underestimate it! But have you noticed how many difficulties are also...

Does Your Life Feel Like a Long Tennis Match?

Did you know that the longest tennis match in history lasted more than eleven hours and scored a combined total of nine hundred and eighty points? It took place over three days in 2010 at Wimbledon, England between John Isner of the United States and Nicolas Mahut...

5 Things to Hold Onto When Worry Grips You

As a kid, I grew up in Southern California. One of the things I looked forward to was taking a trip to my grandparent’s cabin located in the San Bernardino Mountains about three hours outside of Los Angeles. One trip in particular is seared in my memory. I was sitting...

Statue of David Carved From Flawed Marble

There is a fascinating story behind the sculpting of the Statue of David by Michelangelo. Did you know that the Statue of David was made out of a flawed piece of marble? An earlier artist had begun work on it 25 years before, but soon quit stating the the marble was...

The Symphony of Your Life

Did you know that you are the conductor of a major symphony? However, the notes of the score won't be played by strings, wind or brass instruments. Rather, the orchestration will be played with relationships, circumstances and influence that create beautiful melodies...

A Blue Whale By Comparison

Comparisons can be helpful. I heard an interesting one recently. The pastor was talking about the difficult trials we experience on our life's journey. The Bible refers to them as "momentary light afflictions" (2 Cor. 4:17). He said that while the trials seem huge to...
A Different Kind of Prayer

A Different Kind of Prayer

How frequently do you pray for God's protection and provision in your life? I think there is good biblical support for doing this. But what caught...

Have the Rules Changed?

Have the Rules Changed?

I received a mailing recently that said, "Baby Boomer Retirement Course: The Rules Have Changed." It went on to talk about the "lost decade" on Wall...

Managing Our Expectations

Managing Our Expectations

One area that seems to trip us up frequently deals with managing our expectations. Or better said, managing our unmet expectations. Without...

Will God Make A Way?

Will God Make A Way?

I heard these lines in a song recently at church: "Where there is no way, You make a way. Where no one else can reach us, You find us." Having lived...

The Profound Depth of God’s Love

The Profound Depth of God’s Love

There is a poem by F. W. Pitt, a British pastor (1859–1943), called Maker of the Universe that articulates a depth to God’s love that most of...

The Best Is Yet To Be

The Best Is Yet To Be

The best is yet to be. Do you believe that? This question is especially relevant if you're in the midlife season. Are the best years over and...

True Wealth

True Wealth

In my book, The Best Is Yet to Be, a number of "mountains of midlife" are identified. One relates to finances. Midlifers are having to delay...

Celebrating Milestones

Celebrating Milestones

How often are you celebrating milestones when they occur? They can be small or large accomplishments. What's important is that they are recognized...

How Big Is Your Midlife Vision?

How Big Is Your Midlife Vision?

Rounding the corner into the new year is a great time to ask "how big is your midlife vision?" Without meaning to, most of us significantly...