A Journey from Surviving to Thriving

Several posts ago, one of you, my Dear Readers, suggested  that it might be interesting to explore what “gives life” to our daily journey.  I agree and this post is to respond to your suggestion.  What gives life probably varies with each person.  That’s OK — God designed each of us differently.  Yet there is probably some commonality among us such that we can learn from each other and appreciate together the life that God gives to each of us.  So let’s learn together. Marilyn and I are getting our heads together here to list the activities, thoughts, and attitudes that bring us life.  We want to share them with you and are hoping you’ll respond back with what brings life into your journey. But first, just what is a “life-giving activity”?  Ultimately, of course, God is the one who gives life.  But He often also leads us into activities that give a sense of really living.  The dictionary says “a ‘life-giving’ activity is whatever gives or has the power to give life and spirit; whatever

  No, I have not yet reached the finish line!   But one of my ultimate life-goals is that when I get there I will “finish well” to the glory of God.  The older I get, the more relevant this goal seems to be. And with this life-goal staring me in the face, I find myself thinking about it during more than a few fleeting moments.  But first, let me define what I’m talking about.  In reality, this is not all that complicated.  It’s simply about ending life in a way that truly brings glory to God.   The purpose of this post is to process what “finishing well” means to me and to identify what it might take to make this a reality in my life. Unfortunately not all leaders finish well.  It is sobering to reflect on studies that have shown that approximately one out of three leaders down through the years, including biblical leaders, fail to finish well!  (To read the details, google Dr J. Robert Clinton, Finishing Well, Six Characteristics ).  This is serious business! My primary model is