It’s a good thing my son and I are on great terms. His biceps look like chiseled baseballs – and his back resembles an increasingly perfect “V” – and he’s only fourteen years of age. Earlier this year he beat me in arm wrestling for the first time – with an ear-to-ear grin on his face. (Don’t worry, I’m planning my glorious comeback). Two things have bitten him: working out and hunting. He is focused, passionate and living on purpose. And, just like my younger son, he has injected me with massive amounts of motivation. Have you mistaken mere movement with moving forward?
He recently approached me, an uncomfortable look on his face. “Dad,” he began, “my back hurts.”
Knowing he does push-ups every other day, and seeing the pain on his face, I probed, “How many pushups are you up to now?
“Two hundred,” he answered.
“Two hundred?” Are you kidding me? I’m positive I’ve never done two hundred pushups in an entire month. “You might want to cut that down in half, to give your body a rest, so it can catch up with you.”
As we move forward, we sometimes move backward. Have you mistaken motion for progress?
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I then made the mistake of asking him about his newly started pull-up regimen. “How about your pull-ups? How many of those are you doing?”
“I’m shooting for 60, but I’m not there yet.” He’s inching toward his goal. I’m confident he’ll get there – and probably surpass it.
My son’s focus, passion and purpose are contagious – and they remind me that these things are not merely good; they are great. There will come a day when his focus, like his workouts, will peak – and then he may struggle to find what came so naturally in youth. He may mistake busyness for progress, activity for success, and volume for value. Don’t we often do so?
ASK YOURSELF
As we move forward, we sometimes move backward. How fast are you moving – and have you mistaken motion for progress? Has the focus you once had diminished? Are you missing the kind of focus, passion and purpose you need, to not only get you moving, but moving toward what matters most?
Focus and passion in one area of life can move us forward in every area. They create a sense of purpose. To get yourself moving, take a look at your focus. Make sure your interests are not divided.
THINK. PRAY. LIVE: LORD GOD, please help me to focus on the things that really matter, and to let the things that don’t matter fade from my attention span. Don’t let me waste energy, time, or money on things that will take away my focus and diminish my passion and impact. Most of all, help me to be focused on, and passionate for, You.
I'm a husband, father, inspirational speaker, podcaster, blogger, and Lead Pastor of 
Hi-
Thanks for that…We’ve been working on a plan to reduce overall taxes, while at the same time providing large measures of physical and spiritual healing, improving education and tackling climate chaos…and it can be done quite easily utilizing Medicare For ALL. We think we’re finally on the spiritual path forward. Thanks for asking. (PS: large portions of my former life were failures also!
Hi, James! Thanks for sharing. How do we pay for Medicare for ALL? What do you think should be done to accomplish that, and why?
Hi Pastor M-
A recent reputable poll showed that 86% of Democrats, 52% of Republicans and 68% of Independents supported Medicare For ALL.
Actually, since the Medicare For ALL would be improved to cover everyone, there would be limited need for Medicaid, CHAMPVA, TRICARE, Workers Comp and other costly programs that totals in the trillions, so we would actually end up with less taxes overall!
The best way is educating via word of mouth, digital media/email and contacting legislatures. I can send a list of assorted other things that would be directly impacted by this shift. (HINT: caring and sharing nationwide would set a good example. Here’s a not so short link to a note that I composed years ago but is very relavant–> https://1drv.ms/w/s!AtF-bp5-5OWIgWUmncqHoQIp-iDo keep in touch please peace and LOVE must save the day!
Hey, James! Thanks for sharing. If you can share the link to the poll, that would be helpful, since we like to make sure things are verified. So glad you chimed in, bc we love hearing from readers and SO appreciate it when they reciprocate and share on posts. Peace and love, James!
here’s the link you asked for–>https://mail.yahoo.com/d/search/keyword=from%253Adon%2540mccanne.org&folders=1/messages/570220
thanks.
That link is for an email account, not the poll. Want to try again? Grateful!
Thank you Pastor Mike for your ever encouraging and enlightening words. Spending much time at home, recovering from heart surgery I have had a lot of time to really think about my life. Where have I been going, what has been my purpose and how did I get here? When I say “here”, I mean standing in a pool of quicksand where moving seems to just pull me deeper into a merely existing life. As much as I love my family I know that God has more for me and wants more from me! I thank you for confirming what God has been telling me!
So glad, Debra. I appreciate your reciprocation by commenting. It not only helps me know if I struck a chord, but your comments will resonate with other readers, too. Keep chiming in!
sorry–> https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/412552-majority-of-republicans-say-the-support-medicare-for-all-poll
this should work!
Awesome, thank you, James!
hi Micheal- I just started readng ‘call to courage’- from the looks of it (inside cover, intro and dedication, it will certainly be a good one…I took that $8 on amazon and the book looks new! Where’s the best place to comment when I need to?
I’m so glad you got the book, James, and so honored you are reading it! Eight bucks for a new hardcover is a steal for sure. This is the best place to comment. Janet and I read the comments, along with our sons at times, and we always try to respond in a timely manner. With all that’s happening these days, it can be hard to keep up as quickly as we like, but we promise we will try. Come back right here to engage, comment, and interact. We are always listening and love the conversation. Eager to read your thoughts about “A Call for Courage.” My second work is due out in January, and I think you’ll love it.
My son also has a passion for hunting and working out… and thinks of new ways to do push ups as part of his routine. (Me…I could probably do 1, if I truly had to.) And, yes, my son and your son have arm wrestled, too. Perhaps they would enjoy hunting together. Small game season is in.
Love the question…”Have you mistaken mere movement with moving forward?” Thought provoking…as usual:) Day by day, step by step, hopefully growing in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior…Jesus the Christ, to whom belongs all glory,all honor and all praise forever and ever Amen and amen…sorry, sometimes I get a little excited:)
I heard about the arm wrestling. I can’t remember who won. 🙂 We always appreciate your comments, Rachel. You bless us big time. Please keep chiming in. I’m sure people appreciate you, as we do!
“Life happens while we’re making plans” and “Time flies” both become more relevant to me (ironically) as time goes on. It’s easy to become discouraged when things don’t happen when you expect them. Pressure mounts as those hopes/plans move further into the past. “What if I’d…?” haunts you. It really, really does when you see things you thought were a good thing back then, just explode with advancements in our current day.
We can’t change yesterday. We can’t possibly predict what happens tomorrow. THAT becomes very obvious as you age. Sometimes, many times, we can only be _reasonably_ certain of “now”. Definitely _plan_ for the future and work towards that plan or those plans! Follow your passions – odds are, you’ve been given gifts/attributes that will enable you to excel at them. (Bonus: You’ll never be bored! Tired? Hopefully, because you’ve given it your all.)
I now work in a field that was pretty crude 20 years ago and really didn’t take off until about 6 years ago. By relentlessly pursuing to be the best at what I do, my competitor, who covers NJ, DE, MD and half of PA, said I would be his best if I worked for him. There’s contentment in that but, by no means, am I slowing down or backing off. I was _truly_ blessed by God to purchase “Pro” equipment this year, improving the quality of my work even further.
I constantly look to improve, make progress, at least, in my field of work. You just have to. I need to make more progress in my everyday life. “Work” isn’t “Life”.
Great thoughts, as always, Pastor Mike! Very appreciated! (I miss “Driving thoughts” – hope they’ll make a comeback someday.)
The more time passes, the better we are in a position to evaluate. My mom used to say “youth is wasted on the young,” meaning by the time we know how to live, our strength is not what it once was. You liked “driving thoughts,” eh? Well, maybe we need to fire them up again on my @couragematters instagram and FB accounts, huh? Keep your eyes peeled, Joe! ?