I turned 42 last week, which is hard to believe in some ways, and in other ways, I feel like my life is really just beginning.

The older I get, the more I’m reminded how precious and important each day is but not for the reasons I thought at 30. At 30, it was about building, gaining, moving up a ladder of some kind. At 42, my focus is on relationships, adding value to others, and being a great friend, dad, and husband.

I was talking to someone who I’ve known for most of my life, and he said, “It is amazing how we change and how priorities shift.” And he’s right, and that’s a good thing.

Favorite books:

Last week I finished up Winn Collier’s fabulous biography on Eugene Peterson,  A Burning in My Bones. I appreciated how raw and honest this book was. I have read several of Peterson’s books, including his memoir (which is fantastic as well). So many times, I found myself thinking, “I’m so glad Eugene Peterson struggled with this too. I’m so glad that was a battle for him as a pastor as well.” Definitely, one pastor should add to their summer reading list. 

I also slowly worked my way through Pete Scazzero’s latest book, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation. I have benefitted greatly over the years from Scazzero’s writing and speaking. This book was a breath of fresh air for me to understand not only how to continue growing as an emotionally healthy disciple but also how to implement this more into the culture of a church to produce emotionally healthy disciples and leaders. This is one I will come back to again and again.

Favorite blog posts:

Jeff Haden shared on Inc.’s blog 14 Things Everyone should before turning 40 (similar to my thoughts here and here.). This list is spot-on, especially numbers 7, 10, 13, and 14. I wish I knew some of these things earlier in life, but then it takes hitting some snags and learning some of these lessons the hard way.

Jared Wilson’s blog on Pastor, Your Body Keeps the Score is right and what many pastors are experiencing. I think more and more pastors need to pay attention to their souls and their bodies. Learning to listen to it when it speaks to you, understanding the feelings you have, the tightness in your stomach, and what that is communicating to you. The implications for leaders are huge on this and also can serve as a guide for your pace and workload.

Pew Research released a fascinating new study on The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050. So many implications for pastors and churches to think through and be prepared for in the future.