I can’t believe it’s already the middle of October! Where has the time gone?

Over the past few months, I have been learning about how short life is; and how, all too often, we allow the things of the now (the present reality) to influence how we live – instead of the future. I have often heard it said that we should “live in light of eternity”, and I think that’s a trustworthy saying. But how do we do it?

Pretty much the only method I can think of is to try harder to contemplate the things that matter most – as often and as regularly as we can. It’s a tough challenge, but a possible one. One idea might be to stop to think about the future every time you eat a meal, or when you’re driving to or from work, or whatever.

The point is, the only way to slow down the pace of reality is to think about the future – the very distant future.

For me, present life has a full schedule: promoting the up-coming solo record release (Fundamental, some time in November?), spending time with my family, recording another album with my band, The City, doing pre-production for the next Restoration Project record, practicing music, writing music, rehearsing for up-coming shows, mentoring college students, volunteering at my church, training for the Hot Chocolate 15k Run in Chicago (next month)… Wow. This is a long list of things – and it’s not even all of it.

Life is a balancing act, and by focusing no the future, we can curb the anxiety about the present, keep our priorities in check, and, at least graciously stumble through life.