He who dies with the most toys is still dead. Yet, we often hear it—and say it ourselves—“You only live once? For those who die twice, life lasts forever. For those trying to rob death, death lasts forever. One experiences lifestyle inflation, and the other lifestyle appreciation.

We wish our lives away but feel that we grow old too quickly. There is a time for everything, but rather than enjoying the moment, we’re always looking forward to something else. God gave us the gift of time—and life—to be enjoyed.

Prepare to Die. Learn to Live. Our mortality underlies everything we do. We do not want to just be dust in the wind, but life is short. Life is elusive. Life is repetitive. We want more out of life because the echo of eternity resounds in our hearts.

An eagle cannot swim, but a duck can. A duck cannot soar like an eagle. We all have different abilities that depend upon our context. Where were you made to thrive?

You’re gifted. When you hear of someone who is “gifted,” you may think of gifted students or artists. Gifting is broader than that.

Are you who you are because of nature or nurture? Was your personality formed in the womb or by your environment? Knowing who you are gives insight into your destiny.

When life sucks the joy out of you, it’s easy to get stuck in a negative mental-loop. When you find your thoughts spiraling around bad and worse, faith gives a better response.

When life sucks the joy out of you, it’s tempting to fight fire with fire. When the desire to lash-out at others wells up in you, faith gives a better response.

When life sucks the joy out of you, it’s tempting to withdraw from the world. When pulling the covers over your head feels preferable to any other option, faith gives a better response.

If anyone had reason to question God because of injustice, it was Jesus. But there is the rub: when you see evil, you assume goodness. And when you see Jesus, you see the crux of the matter when talking about good and evil in our world.