Embracing Our Story of Redemption in all Phases of Life

If you read much about stewardship and retirement planning, you’ll hear many thoughts expressed in the context of ”life stages” and our lifestyle choices in each of them. Here’s a graphic I used recently in a stewardship seminar for the young single adults in my church: This is a logical way to think about financial … Read more

Our Greatest Risk In Retirement

If you’re young, the most critical retirement risk you face right now is that you may be hoping to retire someday, but you haven’t given much thought to retirement planning. Or maybe you’re counting on Social Security and Medicare for your financial security in retirement; after all, you’re paying taxes, right? In fact, not saving … Read more

Space, Time, and Retirees

As retirees, we rarely discuss time unless it’s to inquire about the current hour. When was the last time you were at a dinner party and someone asked you, ”Hey, <insert your name here>, how much time do you think you have left?” Polite people don’t ask such things. However, as we get older, the … Read more

Celebrating an Anniversary, a Birthday, and Reflecting on the Brevity of Life

I recently re-read Tim Challies’ article titled ”Rule #5: Ponder the Brevity of Life (8 Rules for Growing in Godliness), in which he wrote the following: Aware of death’s inevitability, we must discipline ourselves to ponder just how short our lives will be. Though our hearts are set on immortality, we are heading toward certain … Read more

The Ordinary Christian Life in Retirement

I recently read this quote by Tim Challies: “We please God—we thrill God—when we live as ordinary people in ordinary lives who use our ordinary circumstances to proclaim and live out an extraordinary gospel.” It’s from an article Tim wrote in 2015 titled “Ordinary Christian Work.” The article was a Christian view of vocation, but … Read more

There’s More to Retirement Stewardship Than Getting the Numbers Right

According to some recent stats, more people are retiring earlier than planned due to the effects of the pandemic. Their specific reasons may differ, but part of what’s been fueling it has been rising stock and real estate markets. Quality of life is also often cited as a key reason. I’m reasonably sure that a … Read more

Better Retirement Investments Than Money

Since my last post, I’ve done complementary financial coaching calls with some blog subscribers. Whether as the primary topic of discussion or a related one, investing for (and in) retirement came up fairly often. Investing is an important topic. Whether you’re a DIY investor or working with an advisor, it’s good to have at least … Read more

Finding Your “Calling” in Retirement

Last year, I attended a week-long event that dealt with integrating faith and work in the life of the Christian. (If you’re interested, check out the Redeemer City to City Faith and Work Initiative.) I have always been interested in this topic. But I attended the conference because we want to do more ministry in this … Read more