A Recipe for Aging Well



Today is my brother-in-law’s fortieth birthday.  I was the first in my family of my generation to pass this sometimes terrifying milestone, and now  — with an guilty sense of comfort in knowing I am no longer the only one standing at the top of the hill — I get to cheer on each of my siblings and their spouses as they, too, reach the big 4-0.

So today, I’m thinking about aging and what it means to do it with power, grace and dignity.  At 40, we all need to make sure that every moment of our lives counts for something greater than ourselves. When we do that, we leave our best legacy for our children and loved ones… and in the process learn what it means to truly live! So, Mike, here is my “Recipe for Aging Well,” my birthday gift to you:

1. At least once in your life, stand up tall for something you truly believe in, especially when you know that you will face immense opposition for choosing to stand against popular opinion. Refuse to be silenced by the majority whenever you see an injustice.
2. Realize the power and strength in your own voice by speaking out for someone who can’t do so for himself.
3. Change the world by choosing to love a child. Teach them what it means to be loved… regardless the cost. You will only find the meaning of life when you learn what it means to love sacrificially.
4. Seek the wisdom of the aged, those whom society so often overlooks.  The wisdom they can share can spare you of many wrong choices in life.  Don’t let our culture’s passion for youth deceive you.  Those who have lived many days have so much to give if only you will listen.
5. Slow down!  Life seems to pass by at a quicker pace than when you were younger.  Don’t let anything rob you of the joys of living in the moment.  Every day has a treasure meant to be enjoyed by you. Claim each and every one!
6. Dream a new dream, one bolder and more extravagant than ever before!  God often waits for the years to mature us before He calls us for His most prized tasks.  So often, we fail to realize that the best is yet to come!
7. Step out of the familiar and do something you have never done before.  Adventure awaits all of us.  Dare to take a few risks, trusting God to lead the way.  When we learn to truly trust Him, our lives become extraordinary.
8. Look around and count your blessings. Laugh a little every day.  Yes, you learned to do this as a child, but we forget!  Life gets in the way and then gratitude slips away.  And with it goes our joy. Refuse to let that go!
9. Never miss an opportunity to tell a loved one how much they mean to you, regardless of whether or not they “deserve” to be told.  There is a comfort in knowing that our loved ones know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved and valued, and that nothing remains to be said.  You may feel silly and vulnerable in doing so, but do it anyway.  You will never regret doing it, and you’ll sleep well at night.
10. Dare to put your hand in God’s and ask Him to take you anywhere He wants.  There is so much more He wants to show you, but so often we don’t let go of the reins of our lives to become all that He intended us to be.  Don’t miss out on the grand plan that awaits you!

Life is good.  In the hard times, in the bad, each breath is a gift.  And every day has a purpose of its own for us to find…if only we will look for it.

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Radical Living, Radical Trust



I’m ready for a radical kind of life.  But am I really?

The economy has been pressing down on our family for months now, and I feel as if I had been climbing a great mountain on my way to a spectacular view — only to hit an unexpected rockslide.  I cling to the shaky surface of the mountain, intent on reaching the summit as planned, but now I’m forced to dodge a slew of crushing, terrorizing boulders rolling past with an intent on bringing me down with them.  With so much going on around me, I have lost sight of the beautiful summit. Now I am focusing on the dangers of the climb instead of my destination.

I’m wondering… why?  Why have I lost sight of my destination: living a no-holds-barred, adventurous life full of the presence of God and ready to go anywhere He leads?  Why lose that vision for my life? Well, it’s because of fear….and distractions…. and more trouble than I ever expected.

But what if I let go?

What if I choose to let go of the rocks of my life, the supports that have carried me for years? These are the very things that I have been counting on to hold me safely in place for my entire life.  What if I release my hold on them – pushing them away even -  and truly, finally let go? What if I entirely trust in God to bear the weight of my existance, just as a rock climber trusts the ropes that mean life or death during a dangerous adventure?

I’m tired of counting on material things to carry me.  Those things shift and change.  They roll away from my hold like a slipping rock, tumbling to the ground below and far from my reach.  I can’t count on things that shift and move any longer.

But I can count on God. He will never lose His grip on me.  He has prepared the most breathtaking view just ahead, and its beauty is only sweetened in overcoming the obstacles that stand in my way of finding it.  The promised land exists, but the road to it is often long and difficult. How many of us truly get to that promised land?

So the question is: should we settle for a safe walk? If we do, we will not see such an incredible view at the end of our journey, nor catch our breath in wonder and amazement when we have reached the place of promise.  We will never know if the ropes that hold us from above, God’s lifeline, will truly support us… or not.  We will only exist.

But I want more!  I want to trust God with every ounce of my being.  I want to lift my gaze to the summit again, and refuse to give up to a simpler, safe kind of life. I want to see the expansion of creation after I reach the top and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is very real, and He is holding my lifeline securely forevermore.

Yes, I want this radical kind of living starting today.  You know what?  I’m letting go. Why don’t you, too?

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