Somehow I've hung around long enough to become an old man. As I watch my peers, I see a lot of us struggling to grow old gracefully. Health is a regular battle. It can be lonely. Your world can grow small.

Friends are so important as you age, but I've been surprised by how complicated it can be to hang onto your friends. Almost all of my closest friendships have been tested in the five years since Covid hit us. Keeping them has required forgiveness and humility.

As I reflect on this struggle to grow old gracefully, I've found three areas I want to focus on:

• Love people well.

• Stay healthy.

• Transfer stewardship for the things I care about to those who will steward them well.

Loving people well

I track my efforts in my journal. I've got lists of people. Some of you reading this are on one of those lists. Of course there is the list of family and friends I pray for and want to talk to regularly. But there are other lists.

The Barnabas list has those people who regularly encourage me and who I need to encourage.

The Timothy list includes those people who God has asked me to pour into over the years.

The Reliable People list is an idea I took from what Paul says to Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:2, "entrust to reliable people." Someone shows up on this list if they have a record of fulfilling a promise or stewardship I've given them. They've proven themselves as stewards. Great examples for me are Lisa Finney and Cesar & Jennifer Gonzalez who have been alongside me since the early days of AIM.

Healthy Living

A couple of weeks ago, while I was in Africa, I was trying to get the perfect picture of the sunset on the mountains. Not paying attention, I backed into the pool and broke my leg and lost my wedding ring (later recovered it). I'm told that kind of thing happens more as you age. People fall down and then their health declines. You've got to work at living healthily. Here are some protocols I'm following:

regular workouts and pickleball - at least 3X/week

lots of walking - 11 miles a day avg

supplements - ask me and I'll email you my list

sauna - 5X/week

invest in purposeful activities - both daily and over the long-term

indulge my curiosity - the world has so many interesting people, places and ideas

play with the grandkids - enter their world and make them laugh

liberally give my time to those who steward it well - I have more time than people to use it with

sleep - I have to work at sleeping more than 6 hours/night.

organic foods - processed food is a source of visceral fat and chronic disease.

prayer & Bible study - I try to make time to seek God daily.

invest in healthy relationships - I'm fortunate to have made this a priority. My friends ground me.

be interruptible - the best things in my life have often shown up through the side door.

debrief my life - Karen's a natural therapist. She gives me the perspective I often lack.

journal & write poetry - this discipline keeps me centered.

Transferring stewardship

I journal about the projects that give me a sense of purpose. I try to support leaders who I've invested in with their projects. Here are a few:

Umdoni Organic Teaching Farm in Eswatini - led by Scott Borg, Matt & Kriek Gerber

Adventures Relief - led by Chris & Sarah Horvath

Adventures STM - led by my son, Seth Jr.

Beauty for Ashes - led by Betty Gomez

Journey School - co-led by Tara Tankersley

AIM Development - led by Christina Barnes

World Race - led by Stephanie Castaneda

AIM Admin Team & Board - led by Tara Tankersley and Paul Schmidt

Businesses and ministries started by mentees - Talia, Joe, Miguel & Kristen, Uche & Sola, Justin & Hope, Josh & Alaina, Jeff and others - I could go on.

How I invest my time is usually a function of what help on a project that leaders have requested from me. Sometimes they'll request I not get involved. It may not be the right time, or they may not be clear about how I could help, or they may not see a role that fits me.

Sometimes they need time, or advice, or they may need me to do something.

Summing it up

The best decisions I've made were to pursue Karen and to follow Jesus, investing deeply in the implications of my faith. We didn't listen to those who told us "you need X amount of money if you want to have kids." Having five kids has been such a gift. Having three of our kids and six of our grandkids live within a minute of our house has made life worth any sacrifices we may have made. Life can be complicated as you grow old. Having some good strategies to steward what God has given me has made all the difference.