40 thoughts from 40 years of living

There’s a lot going on in my head this time of year. On top of Christmas service details and sermons to write, it is also my birthday. I generally don’t slow down enough to stop and think through these milestones, but the older I get, the more I realize that it is important to stop and process. So, in the middle of this busy season, I’m intentionally stopping to process my first 40 years of life.

Here are some thoughts and ideas that have impacted my life, many of which I’ve learned now that I am older.

40 thoughts from 40 years of living

1. I wish I would’ve started investing money in my 20’s
2. Be faithful with what God has put on your plate to do
3. I’m ok with you having unmet expectations of me
4. Aim for Heaven’s approval, not man’s
5. God has the ability to bless your socks off
6. You need to work hard
7. Be faithful and consistent over a long period of time
8. Eat better because garbage in = garbage out
9. God can use you to do great things even if you feel unqualified
10. You will have to make tough decisions, and it may even upset people you love
11. Success at work without success at home is no success at all
12. Slow down and enjoy/savour the important moments
13. Spend time digging deeper wells in different areas of life. They will help you be ready in and out of season
14. It is important to set boundaries in relationships even if people around you don’t like it
15. There is grief along the journey, but as time moves on, your capacity to handle it grows
16. The more vision you have, the more alignment you need
17. Vision and alignment cause the “weeds” to stick out
18. It’s never too late to start something new
19. Do your homework, know the facts… And then Lean into faith and “faith the facts“
20. I can do hard things
21. How you start does not determine how you can finish
22. Nothing worth doing is ever easy
23. Preach with conviction and worry less about structure
24. You don’t need a 3-point sermon outline. Communicate one thought from several angles
25. Family vacations are a lot of work, but worth it for the memories
26. Being a father has allowed me to discover more about God’s heart for His children
27. Be curious and explore what has your interest. God may just be speaking to you
28. Pastoring with a very young family is very demanding, but it’s only for a season (they grow up)
29. Use every one of your vacation days – it’s your responsibility to block the time off
30. Even the most productive/successful person still has 24 hours in a day
31. You can’t make time, you can only allocate time
32. Learn to say “no” to good things so you can say YES to better things
33. Family first! You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family – make them your priority
34. The Holy Spirit’s voice often sounds a lot like my wife’s
35. God knows me better than I know myself
36. Honour and celebrate the past, it’s what got you here, but boldly pursue what’s in front of you
37. God honours movement. Never stop starting
38. Miracles happen in the margin, so make room
39. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
40. IT’S TIME… because God said it’s time!

I hope at least one of these things has encouraged you, inspired you, or helped you gain a little more perspective on what you’re walking through.

What have you been thinking about as we come to the end of 2021? …Drop it in the comments.

Here’s to the next 40 years! 🎉