It just so happened that our old friends, Pat and Tammy, were in town. Well, they’re really not old at all. A better way to describe them would be “long time friends.” We’ve known them for nearly twenty years. Our kids grew up together and are still friends. We’ve been through significant moments of life together. They recently had their first grandchild so they were telling us what to expect in our new vocation as grandparents.

Pat and Tammy are the kind of friends with whom you can pick right up where you left off. You have friends like that, don’t you? I think it’s one of God’s great gifts. Old friends are the ones who really know you. They ask the probing questions that find honest answers. The have observed your history. You’ve been through good and bad together and have come out all the better for it.

Old friends are like:

• your favorite pair of jeans that you always go back to when you really want to be comfortable
• a candle that delivers a shining warm glow
• a full bank account from which you’re not afraid to make a withdrawal
• medicine that soothes a sore throat
• the sunset that brings a happy sadness
• a book that’s so good you read it more than once
• a warm sweater on a cool fall day
• your favorite chair

It’s good that there are people in life who know you and still like you. It’s good to know that friends come into our lives to stay. The love and kindness of an old (or should I say “long time”) friend is one of life’s greatest treasures.

To even steal a few minutes when long time friends come into town is worth every effort it takes. It may even be just what you need at just the moment you need it.

How would you describe an old friend?

As I write this, our daughter, Ashlyn, and her husband, Josh, are in the waning days of waiting. They (and we!) wait with (im)patience for their new baby boy. The “baby corner” of their studio apartment is all set up. The name is selected (though they refuse to reveal it to us at this point in time). The hospital bag is packed. Morning sickness is behind her. Now “all” that’s left is labor and delivery.

They would tell you that they can’t wait another day. They want to meet that baby already! I, on the other hand, have been pulling for him to be born closer to his due date which is January 7th. I want the poor little guy to have a birthday that’s a bit further removed from Christmas. But you know as well as I do that it’s not up to me.

Waiting is an important lesson for all of us. But this season of waiting is an important lesson for new parents. It’s setting them up for all the waiting they’re going to do for the rest of their lives. They’ll be waiting for:

• that first tooth
• those first steps
• the first word
• him to come home from the first day of school
• an illness to finally end
• a sibling?
• the other kids to stop picking on him
• him to bring home the car by curfew that very first time
• report cards
• the results of tryouts or auditions
• a final decision on which college to attend
• the first chance to meet “the one”

Waiting is an important part of life. In fact, it’s so important that God made it one of the “fruits” of the Spirit. In other words, patience is a gift of God. It’s a gift we all need. And it’s also a gift that can be developed. Sometimes the Lord even uses the gift of children to help us develop the virtue of patience. After all, it takes a great deal of it to raise a child in the way he will go.

I know it’s easier said than done. But consider whatever it is you currently await a lesson from the Lord. He will use it to develop one of the greatest virtues a human being can possess. Learning long-suffering patience is something that will do you well in life’s most difficult situations.

In the mean time we wait with patience for whatever it is God chooses to reveal. 

Here’s to hoping (for Ashlyn and Josh’s sake) that this little boy makes his appearance soon. 

What are you waiting for?

It’s the first week of a brand new year. I know that new months and years are only arbitrary ways to delineate time. But since most everyone recognizes the new year as a new start I thought I’d share some great ideas. These will help you kick off your new year with a bang before it has the chance to become a bust.

Here come some great ideas for you to try starting today:

1. Don’t make resolutions.
2. Set goals. Follow the formula Michael Hyatt suggests here. Make them “SMART.” Write them down. Review them frequently.
3. Smile a little more. People are drawn to those who are happy.
4. Pay off debt. You can do it. The freedom it will give you is unparalleled. Plus, you’ll be able to help and support people and organizations in ways you never have before. If you haven’t yet, check out Dave Ramsey. He’ll get you on the right path.
5. Choose your attitude. You can. Check out what Seth Godin says about this. It makes a difference not only in your life, but in the lives of those around you, as well.
6. Make an effort to compliment someone every day.
7. Start something new. What have you been thinking and dreaming about? Take one small step toward making it happen.
8. Plan your week. If your work week begins on Monday, use a few minutes on Sunday night to make a “to-do” list for the week. You’ll be surprised by what you accomplish.
9. Set aside time on your calendar to get away. Plan a trip. Go somewhere you’ve never been. It doesn’t even have to be elaborate. Find someplace new and explore. You’ll be better for it.
10. Be an encourager. No matter how you feel, lift others up.
11. Sharpen your creativity. I can help you with that with the book I wrote called Fully and Creatively Alive: How to Live a More Joyfully Fulfilling Life. The book gives you insights from those who make a living with their creativity. Each chapter concludes with three questions to help you hone your creativity and apply to your own life.

What would you add to this list to make 2017 a great year?

I’m kind of tired of people saying 2016 was such a bad year. Sure, it’s had its bad times, celebrity deaths, and tragedies just like any other year. But if you take a step back you will recognize that this year has really been no worse than any other. The devastating effects of sin have their way every year. An unbiased look back on any year will show you that 2016 wasn’t really any worse.

In fact, 2016 had its fair share of really good moments. Here are just ten of them:

1. Pokemon Go got people, especially kids, outside and exploring their neighborhoods and beyond. For some of the bad publicity it got, the game was actually a great way for people to discover places they never had, meet people they might not have otherwise, and actually have fun. Is that such a bad thing?
2. The Olympics brought us people like Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, and Michael Phelps. They did things that pushed the limits of human capability. And we cheered them on because we share a common homeland. Their triumph was ours.
3. The World Series gave us a champion that hadn’t won in a hundred years. Though it wasn’t the way I wanted to see the Series end, it brought untold joy to millions of people, and a wonderful connection amongst generations.
4. Boaty McBoatface made us laugh at least a little this year. The Natural Environment Council in Britain asked public to name one of their new research boats. Boaty McBoatface won the contest by a long shot. The boat was still christened the Sir Richard Attenborough. But one of its submarines was named Boaty McBoatface. See? We do still have a sense of humor.
5. Chewbacca Mom showed us that sometimes the simple joys in life are enough to make us laugh or bring a smile to our face. The woman purchased the mask for herself at Kohl’s after running some errands at the store. She filmed herself laughing and her genuine laughter became contagious. Her Christian faith shone through the whole story.
6. A Super Moon was seen in America. It was the closest the moon was to earth since 1948. We won’t see the moon that close again until 2034.
7. The Triumph of the Human Spirit was shown when a 46-year-old mother and wife hiked twenty-six miles through heavy snow to save her husband and son. They were driving through Grand Canyon National Park when a blizzard stranded them. She saved their lives.
8. A Teacher Put Up a Billboard in Kentucky reminding her former students coming home for Christmas break that she still loves them and prays for them. Teachers are one of our most undervalued vocations, and stories like this show us why.
9. The Economy was robust. The Stock Market hit record highs. Wages rose. Unemployment hit its lowest rate in nine years.
10. The Power of Eating a Meal with Someone was demonstrated by Florida State football player, Travis Rudolph. When he saw a young boy with autism eating lunch all by himself he went to sit with him. The powerful image went viral as people identified and as the boy’s mother found herself in tears.

What was about 2016 that you found particularly good?

It finally happened. My wife, Tammy, took the leap and stepped down from her secure teaching job. She stepped out of the room and turned out the lights one final time last week. 2017 is a brand new start for her…and for me as her husband. It’s a risk. But we both felt it was a risk worth taking.

So here’s what we did to prepare:

1. Began the business while she was still employed. Already at the beginning of 2016 Tammy began planting the seeds of the new business. We put up a web site. She began making pillows and selling them online. Connections with retail outlets were made. Tammy experimented with what was and was not working. It was a great way to get her feet wet in the business and begin to set some money aside.
2. Saved money. That’s what we did throughout the year. We became debt free (except for our mortgage and one car payment). Whenever Tammy made sales we put the money into a savings account. Where there were “windfalls” of various kinds we also put those into a savings account. We now have at least a short “runway” for her to start making some more regular income with her business.
3. Sought advice and input. Tammy has been interviewing our daughter-in-law who owns her own jewelry business. We’ve also sought input from a good friend who is a financial planner. Beyond that we’ve been listening to podcasts and reading articles to help both with the transition and with the business itself.
4. Took the leap. About a month-and-a-half before she was going to step down from her teaching job, Tammy put in her notice. Her boss was appreciative that she was given an amount of time to find a replacement that was more than fair.
5. Found a safety net. Though we both hope the business will eventually more than replace her income, we both felt more comfortable having a relatively reliable source of income. While the business ramps up Tammy has found a school that will hire her as a substitute teacher. The beauty of it is that she can do it as often or as little as she likes. But it will help with income if we get into a pinch.

These five steps will also help you take the leap if you so desire. Honestly, we’re both a little nervous about all this. But we really feel it’s worth the risk for a variety of reasons. Taking a leap really just takes a bit of foresight and a little planning in advance. The new year is a great time to think about this.

If you’d like to read more about other people who have done this same thing, check out my new book, Fully and Creatively Alive: How to Live a More Joyfully Fulfilling Life. If you do it, I’d love to hear about your journey. Drop me a line.

What leap are you going to take in 2017?

I’ve heard a great many people dissing 2016. To be fair there’s been a great deal of turmoil and despair this year. But I beg to differ with all the naysayers. There have been plenty of rays of light shining in and through the darkness that has periodically dotted the landscape. Just take a look at how my most viewed posts of 2016 have observed light shining through.

If you look at all five of the posts below as a whole, you’ll most definitely see that there was tragedy this year. But this small sample also shows that people were interested in creativity, ministry, making one’s own life better, and pinholes of light in the midst of tragedy and trouble.

Let’s take a brief look at each of these posts that were viewed by hundreds of people:

1. One Simple Trick to Declutter Your Life This post was inspired by Greg McKeown, the author of the book, Essentialism: This Disciplined Pursuit of Less. This post gives you one simple thing to do every 90 days to propel you forward in life. I’ve tried it and it really works.
2. An Interview With Former Disney Performer Turned Pastor Here’s the money quote from this post: “Disney isn’t great because they have billions of dollars to throw around on products. They’re great because they help you forget the ‘junk’ of life. The church is great because it doesn’t just help you forget the junk, it removes it and frees you to live, and we need to embrace that.” Read the post to unpack it even further.
3. Why Orlando Is Still The City Beautiful It was a dark time in June of this year. Orlando, known as The City Beautiful, was covered with the blood of a mad man. And yet the city stepped up with the kind of love and help that can only happen at a time like this.
4. 5 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Became a Pastor I pulled back the curtain just a bit on what it’s like to be a pastor. I celebrated twenty-five years in ministry this year and it was a great time to reflect.
5. Why Milwaukee Is Much More Than the Violence You See on TV My other home town of Milwaukee was also devastated by rioting after a police-involved shooting. The violence happened in the very neighborhood from which we moved more than four years ago. It’s still near and dear to our hearts. And so are the wonderful people who live there.

As you reflect on 2016, what stands out to you?