God is good. All the time.

Sober October? 5 reasons I quit drinking alcohol 18 months ago

A buddy of mine is encouraging his friends on Facebook to quit alcohol for the month of October, calling it "Sober October." Maybe this is something you'll want to do? Or, if this feels to soon, another buddy of mine shared with me that he does a "Dry January" each year, so perhaps you can plan for January now. 

For me, in February of 2020 I had my last drink of alcohol. But I didn't realize it was my last drink at the time. In recent years I had scaled back my drinking to only having an occasional beer at evening social events. Well, the pandemic came along in March of 2020, so I of course stopped attending social events and stopped having an occasional beer. I "accidentally" gave up drinking and it has turned out to be wonderful for me. Read on for 5 things I've learned on this journey, including the one drink I tried in 2021 and how badly that turned out... Hopefully this post will be a blessing to anyone thinking about quitting alcohol. (Note that this is not a judgemental post if you drink alcohol. You can still drink in front of me. :)

1. Alcohol is not a health food: I heard Dr. Mark Hyman say clearly on a podcast years ago, "alcohol is not a health food. Look, perhaps you can enjoy it on occasion, like a dessert. But don't pretend it is good for you." Yes, I have seen all the articles about how drinking a glass of wine might be good for you. In fact, my doctor told me I should drink half a glass of wine a night to help reduce cholesterol.  However, I just don't think the potential benefits of small amounts of alcohol outweigh the risks of its negative impact on my body. The older I get, the more I need to focus on enjoying healthy food and beverages so that I can stay healthy. Alcohol has sugars, carbs and calories that I don't have time for! As one wise adage states: "don't drink your calories."

2. Alcohol negatively impacts your sleep: I have no doubts whatsoever that alcohol impacts my sleep negatively. And I am obsessive about trying to get a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night with a good mix of REM and deep sleep, as tracked on my FitBit. Alcohol disrupts my sleep patterns and gives me "choppy" sleep, which I can see in real time the next morning on my FitBit. And of course I can feel the effects of alcohol the next morning, even if it is only one drink.

3. Don't keep alcohol in the house:  I decided a few years ago to stop drinking alcohol at home because I didn't want my daughters to seeing me drinking it in front of them. They seemed to be quite curious when I used to drink at home. They wanted to smell it, and then asked to sip it. I soon decided I didn't want to drink in from of my daughters at home anymore.

4. Alcohol is addictive: The statistics suggest that most of us can drink responsibly without becoming addicted. However, there is always the risk that any of us can get a bit too dependent on alcohol if we're not careful. It can become a crutch. An escape. A bad habit. And worst case, yes, an addiction. I confess that in my 20s I certainly drank too much and was at high risk of addiction, though somehow never crossed that line completely. I have many friends that are alcoholics and I admire their daily journey's of sobriety and freedom. Strong work, brothers and sisters! (If you're reading this and are addicted to alcohol, please get involved with Alcoholics Anonymous today. If you are a Christian, please also check out Celebrate Recovery.)

5. Alcohol tastes gross and makes you feel bad: Okay, this last point is now just my opinion and sets up the following story. After having my last drink in February of 2020, I was offered a beer in July of 2021, 17 months later. It was at a 4th of July party and I thought, "why not, I should go ahead and try this ice cold beer on this hot summer day." Well, it turned out that the beer tasted terrible to me! I had totally lost my taste for it. But I kept drinking a bit more of it, maybe drinking 1/3rd of the beer, and it also made me feel terrible. I poured out the remaining 2/3rds of the beer and I am actually grateful for how badly that beer tasted.

Look, I realize there will be many people reading this blog post that enjoy an occasional drink of alcohol and that is fine - no judgment from me at all. I also think that there will be many people that read this blog post who might be thinking that they want to quit alcohol for any of the reasons I listed above, or perhaps for other reasons. If this is you, then maybe try out Sober October and see how it goes for you? Or, prep up to do a Dry January in a few months? I hope this post can serve as an inspiration for you, if you want to give it a go. Blessings on your journey and be strong and courageous!

If you are reading this blog and you have done a Sober October or Dry January, or if you've quit alcohol completely, please share your experiences in the comments section below. Thank you!

Blessings!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

 

Disciplines of a Godly Man. 20 takeaways for men.

Men, are you disciplined? Do you want to be more disciplined? Well, I have good news for you: Kent Hughes epic book, Disciplines of a Godly Man, will help you cultivate a life of discipline! Our culture doesn't want you to be disciplined, but God does. Fun fact: I have gifted 800 copies of this book via Amazon over the past 18 months to men friends of mine. Yes, it is that important of a book. Below are 20 quick takeaways from each chapter of the book:

1. "Train yourself for godliness:" The apostle Paul wrote these words in 1 Timothy 4:7 and they are the thesis for this entire book. Men, we don't just become godly by going with the flow each day. We need training! After the Bible, Disciplines of a Godly Man is your training manual. Every chapter both encourages and convicts - a terrific combo!

2. Purity: The first chapter in this book is foundational in that it discusses the importance of men leading a pure life. Men, if you are looking at pornography or fantasizing or lusting then you are in a weakened state. You can't live a great life of service to others if you are living an impure life in your mind. This chapter will help you get back on the road to purity in a culture that sells you just the opposite. You can do it, brothers!

3. Marriage: Men, if you are married (or want to be), then you need to read this chapter ASAP. Guess what? Marriage is not about you and your needs. It is about your family's needs. This chapter describes how just like Jesus came "not to be served, but to serve," us husbands must serve our wives and children. This chapter is a great call to "die to self" in the beautiful covenant of marriage.

4. Fatherhood: Again, men, if you are a Dad, this is a must-read chapter. Your children need you to be a disciplined father for them. They need your love. They need your strength. They need your time, energy and attention. Get after it men. Invest more time in your kids. Lead them well.

5. Friendship: Wow, this is an important chapter because us men can sometimes be really bad at friendship... We often just don't like to talk... :) Can I get an Amen? However, we men need brothers in arms in this journey of life! Check out the worship video in #20 below on this point, titled "Brother."

6. Discipline of the Mind: This chapter describes how our minds are literally battle fields. We are either using our minds for God's glory or we are allowing distractions into our mind that take us out of the game. Men, we must be putting wisdom in our minds daily, and the Bible of course is the best place to start. I invite you to join me in reading the Bible daily with me at this link.

7. Devotion: As Chris Tomlin wisely wrote in a song years ago, "you and I were made to worship." It is true. We are all worshipers. The question is what are we worshiping? Ourselves? Money, power, fame? Or God? This chapter will point your devotion toward heaven.

8. Prayer: How's your prayer life? I heard recently that most Christians pray maybe 3 to 5 minutes a day, max. That is pretty weak... Who are you praying for regularly? This chapter will give you a game plan on when and how to pray. Do you believe that prayer changes things? I do - and often times the thing that prayer changes is me!  Praise God. I recently blogged some tips on daily prayer that will be an encouragement to you at this link.

9. Worship: Men, do you love God? It is a simple question, yet so profound. Think about it. If so, do you worship God daily? How? This chapter will inspire you to worship and love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

10. Integrity: Your character is everything. Who you are in the dark is who you are in the light. Or, know that what you do in the dark will eventually come to the light. Be disciplined in your integrity every hour, brothers!

11. Tongue: Men, this is an important chapter for us all. We can sometimes say very hurtful things to our wives, children, coworkers and even to ourselves. This chapter helps us understand James chapter 3, which includes this teaching in verse 5: "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." Men, we often need to tame our tongues!

12. Work: I can't tell you how much I love this chapter and its importance for men. Work is good for us men! We need to work. Work gives us discipline, dignity and purpose. And, yes, of course work brings financial resources so that we can provide for our families. But work also provides so much more for the development of our individual character. Men, even if you don't like your job currently, work as if you are working for God, because ultimately He is your boss!

13. Perseverance: Life can get hard at times, without a doubt. Even in those dark seasons we must persevere. We all have bad days. I recall one pastor saying on those bad days we must still "play hurt" for the sake of our loved ones. His point was that professional athletes are never 100% healthy. They have something that is not quite right physically or mentally. And yet those athletes get on the field and play. Men, play hurt. Persevere.

14. Church: Are you going to church regularly? If not, you are putting yourself at risk to be swept up by what the culture is selling and you could lose your faith in God. I realize this sounds dramatic, but I believe it is true. Being plugged into a church at least weekly - if not more, with Bible studies, etc. - is one of the best things you can do for your faith. If you're in the Denver area and need a church, you're welcome to come check out the church I attend at this link.

15. Leadership: Men, you are called to lead. Lead yourself. Lead your family. Lead at work. Lead at your church. Lead in the community. Are you a leader? You need to be one. And you need to grow in your leadership skills. This chapter will help you do so. Actually, this entire book will help you grow in being a leader!

16. Giving: We are called to be generous givers. Givers of our time, treasure and talents. This chapter hones in on the call to give of our treasures, which is great. To whom much has been given, much will be required. Men, you have been given much. In turn, you should be a generous giver. You know what this means? Sometimes you will choose to forgo a luxury so that you can help give someone else a necessity.

17. Witness: The world needs Jesus. The world needs Jesus' forgiveness of sins. The world needs Jesus' peace that passes all understanding. The world needs you to tell them about Jesus. Who have you told about Jesus lately? This chapter will equip you to be a faithful witness to the glory of Christ that is within you. (If you are reading this blog and you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior, check out this helpful video about Jesus at this link.)

18. Ministry: We are called to serve daily in our lives in small and big ways. And we should also be intentional in formal ministries we participate in or even lead. Ministry doesn't have to mean working at a church or serving overseas - though it might. Ministry can mean helping your elderly neighbors or leading a Bible study or serving in a children's program or, hey, even giving out 800 copies of a book. :) Actually, after you read Disciplines of a Godly Man and if it benefits you, let me encourage you to give away some copies to men friends of yours.

19. Grace of Discipline and Resources: The book closes with the wonderful encouragement that pursuing godly discipline in our lives is a grace. It is not a burden. Yes, at times it is work. But there is a grace from God that empowers us to be disciplined godly men. The book's appendix shares some wonderful resources for further reading and includes some worship songs and hymns for your journey.

20. Worship Video: This is not directly related to the book, but I'll close with this terrific song reminding us men to truly be "brothers" for each other in this journey through life - as we discipline ourselves and encourage each other to become godly men!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoqTLWF7ofI

Men, I hope this blog post has encouraged you to read Kent Hughes epic book, Disciplines of a Godly Man? Pick up your copy now on Amazon at this link. If you have read the book, please share in the Comments section below any takeaways you have from this book?

Blessings, brothers!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

How's your Prayer Life? 10 tips!

So, how's your prayer life? I realize this is a big question and one that can sometimes be dismissed. I have found that when I dismiss the importance of prayer that I miss out on connecting with God. My prayer life has improved this past year and it has brought me great joy and comfort! If you are anxious or bored or lonely, or even if you are happy or content, I encourage you to read on for 10 tips that can benefit your prayer life today:

1. "Prayer is personal communication with God." This quote is from Wayne Grudem's epic book, Systematic Theology, and is a foundational truth to know. Wayne's chapter on the Doctrine of Prayer is one of the best things you'll ever read about prayer. He describes how we connect with God and listen to God through prayer. God ordained prayer as a primary way for us to connect with Him. Do you want intimacy with God? Pray. Click here for a terrific free 45-minute audio lesson on the Doctrine of Prayer from Wayne Grudem. (Then check out 118 more of his lectures at this link.)

2. Make prayer a priority. It is so easy to live our lives completely distracted (social media, TV, news, etc...) and not prioritize spending time with God in prayer. I encourage you to create time in your schedule for prayer! I have found that praying in the morning is ideal, before the busyness of the day kicks in. When I get in my car in the morning to drive to work, I make sure I don't turn on the radio and I spend the first 5 to 10 minutes of my drive in prayer. In my car I pray through the A.C.T.S. acronym described in point #3 below. It helps structure my prayer time and get me going on prayer throughout the day. During the day I look for times to pray: before meals, when taking a break from work and I have found walking is a wonderful time to pray.

3. "A. C. T. S. - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication:" Sometimes a formula will help you structure your prayers, and this is a great one. Adoration is a great way to start your prayers, by simply worshiping and adoring God for who He is and all that He has done in your life and throughout history. Confession is telling God your sins and praying for repentance and healing to stop sinning. Thanksgiving is telling God specific things you are grateful for in your life that He has provided. (and God has provided literally every good thing in our lives...). Supplication is where you ask God for specific things to happen in your life, others lives or in the world. You can pray for your family to have a good day or safety on your drive to work or healing for a friend or peace on earth and the list can go on. God does want us to ask us for things. He is a good father who loves to give His children good gifts! I do like how this formula puts our "asking" at the end, after adoring, confessing and thanking.

4. Pray the Bible. One of the best ways to pray is to first read the Bible and then pray based on the Scripture you just read. I am a big fan of reading the Bible daily using the One Year Bible format, and I invite you to join me in reading the Bible daily through one of my three Bible blogs at this link. Then, after you read the Bible daily, take time to pray to God about what you just read in His Word.

5. "Pray without ceasing." Paul teaches us this in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, but this might seem impossible, yes? In a way, yes, it is impossible to be on your knees in prayer 24 x 7 and get anything else done. However, we actually can pray without ceasing in the Spirit while going about our daily activities. And we should also carve out time to pray on our knees or in our cars or on a hike. Seek time to pray throughout the day, even if it is just for a moment before you walk into that big meeting at work or before serving your family. Pray without ceasing.

6. Prayer changes things. Do you believe that prayer changes things? I do. But I think the thing it changes most often is me. My heart gets softened up in the process of praying frequently and I get less anxious about life in general. I also believe that God answers all of our prayers, but His answers are not always in the way or in the timing that we might expect. But I know He hears our prayers and things do indeed change because of our prayers if we are in relationship with Jesus, our high priest and mediator before God.

7. The Lord's Prayer. When in doubt and you don't know what or how to pray, simply pray these words that Jesus taught us to pray in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke:

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

8. Pray with your kids. Make it a priority to pray with your kids daily. It can be a simple prayer in the morning. Or prayers before meals. Or prayer before bedtime is always sweet. When our daughters were young we were so blessed by having them read with us at bedtime the wonderfully illustrated The Lord's Prayer book by Richard Jesse Watson and Rick Warren.

9. Live a life worth praying about. I encourage you to live a life where you are actively serving others. Live a life of love.  Live a life where you really do need God to show up and answer your prayers! Don't just live a life of comfort and entertainment and distraction. Live life to the fullest. Live life in an intimate relationship with God through daily prayer. It's the most adventurous and best life you can live! Now and forevermore.

10. Sing and Pray! I'll close out with this this terrific song and video from Tauren Wells about prayer called "When We Pray." Tauren is one of my favorite Christian musicians! I encourage you to listen to his music. I also encourage you to sing and pray to worship music as another great way to pray!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YZZzgJB33E

What our prayer tips might you have to share with others? Please share in the Comments below, thanks!

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

49 "This I Believe" reflections on my 49th Birthday + 4 videos of me speaking

Today is my 49th Birthday! Below the photo of me and my R2-D2 cake on my 7th birthday in 1979 are 49 "This I Believe" reflections, along with 4 videos of me speaking:

1. It is a blessing to be 49 years old. I don't regret getting older. I only hope I'm growing a bit wiser! :)

2. The top 5 priorities in my life in order are: Faith, Family, Health, Career, Community. Here is a 2-minute video of me talking about these top 5 priorities in 2018:

3. God is Good. All the Time. Even in hard times in our lives, I believe God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him.

4. My wife Marcia is an angel. I love her so much!

5. My two daughters are such a blessing. I love them both so much!

6. Volunteers of America Colorado is an incredible nonprofit organization serving over 150,000  Coloradans annually through affordable housing, emergency shelters, hunger and nutrition services (Meals on Wheels), and veterans supportive services programs.

7. In honor of my birthday today, can I ask you to make a donation to Volunteers of America Colorado? Thank you in advance! Please donate here now:  www.voacolorado.org/give

8. I wanted to make $1 million by the age 30. Fortunately, God had a different plan for my life, and I ended up raising $1 million for charity by the age of 30. Here's the story in a 3-minute video (with shout-outs to Roxane White, Jamie Van Leeuwen and John Hickenlooper):

9. Work is love made visible.

10. Food is medicine.

11. Be curious.

12. Be kind.

13. Sleep is medicine. Here is a 2-minute video of me talking about the importance of sleep and FitBits (with a shout-out to Luke Wykoff):

14. Friends are pure gold.

15. Stay humble.

16. Gratitude is the best attitude.

17. Exercise is medicine.

18. Assume positive intent.

19. Don't worry. Be happy.

20. Habits determine success.

21. Life is beautiful.

22. Life can be hard. Keep going. Don’t give up. 

23. Life is Love. Here's a 5-minute video of me talking about the books The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning:

24. Books are magic.

25. Goals are good. 

26. Your health is your wealth. 

27. Job searching is an art and a science.

28. We all have daily struggles. 

29. Keep it simple.

30. Have a bias toward action.

31. Always a student, never the master.

32. The journey is the destination.

33. Do or do not. There is no try.

34. Focus is a superpower.

35. Calm is a superpower.

36. Empathy is a superpower.

37. Fail forward.

38. Grow your emotional intelligence.

39. Nobody else can do your sit-ups for you.

40. Early to bed and early to rise indeed makes you healthy, wealthy and wise.

41. Be brave.

42. The past does not equal the future.

43. Your brain is a muscle. Exercise it.

44. Enroll in "Automobile University" with Audible.com or Podcasts. Learn while you drive.

45. Practice loving-kindness.

46. It's all grace. Amazing grace.

47. Colorado is heaven.

48. Life is short. Don't miss it.

49. Chris Tomlin is my favorite singer/songwriter on the planet and here he is singing my favorite Psalm 23:

Thank you for reading these 49 reflections on my 49th birthday! I hope they provide you with some encouragement and some food for thought today.

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

 

Can your family adopt or foster a child in need of a home?

Friends, have you ever considered adopting or fostering a child? Please allow me to encourage you to consider doing so in this blog post. It is one of the most amazing things you can do in your lifetime! My wife and I have been blessed to adopt our two daughters from Ethiopia. I will share 10 resources below to help you to consider adoption or foster care. I'll start with this opportunity for you to join a Zoom adoption information session this Wednesday, February 10th at 6:00 PM Mountain Time (or the 2nd Wednesday of each month), which you can sign up for at www.ccaifamily.org/InfoMeeting/InfoMeeting

1. CCAI Adoption Services is a wonderful adoption agency that helped my wife and I with both of our adoptions by doing our home studies. We personally know both Josh and Lily, who run the agency, and we know several of their wonderful staff. CCAI is a great adoption agency for you to work with and they've facilitated over 13,000 adoptions to date. Learn more about how CCAI can support you on your adoption journey on their website at www.ccaifamily.org

2. Rainbow Kids is a wonderful website that helps special needs children all over the world get adopted with loving families like yours! As I type this, they have 3,604 children waiting to by adopted by families like yours, with 35 adoption agencies that will help facilitate. Please take some time to explore their website at www.rainbowkids.com

3. AdoptUSKids is a national project that supports child welfare systems and connects children in foster care with families like yours. Today there are more than 100,000 children and teens in foster care who are waiting for the love and security that a permanent home like yours provides. Learn more about foster care adoption at www.adoptuskids.org

4. If you live in Colorado, learn about how you can provide a temporary home for children in foster care at www.co4kids.org/foster-learnmore Also, Project 1.27 is a great resource for Christians and churches in Colorado to be trained to provide homes for kids in foster care at www.project127.org

5. Also if you live in Colorado, I have had many friends adopt children through Adoption Options and speak very highly of their services. This may be a great adoption agency partner for your family that you can learn more about at www.adoption-options.com (I believe they work with families outside of Colorado too.)

6. Adoption.com is a website that has many articles and links to local adoption agencies and resources in all 50 states that you can explore at www.adoption.com 

7. Other adoption agencies I've had friends have positive experiences with that you might want to explore include Lutheran Family Services, Hope's Promise, American World Adoption and Bethany Christian Services, to name a few.

8. Please know that there are so many adoptions agencies out there and many of them are great. However, frankly, not all of them are great. Some can be downright shady. You will definitely want to do your homework before signing up with an agency.  Do google searches. Join Facebook groups. Make sure your adoption agency partner is ethical. Read this article titled How to Be an Ethical Adoptive Parent at this link.

9. Also please know that adoption and foster care can sometimes be very challenging for a family for a variety of reasons. You'll want to make sure you family is an a stable situation to adopt or foster a child. You'll also want to go through all of the required adoption education classes with your eyes wide open to make sure you can handle potential challenges that could arise. The New York Times has a helpful article titled What to Know Before Adopting a Child at this link.

10. Adopted for Life by Russell Moore is a great book for Christian families considering adoption. I read it during my family's adoption journey, and it encouraged me greatly.

I hope this blog post encourages your family to consider adoption! I'll close with this verse that inspired Project 1.27 (mentioned in point #4 above): "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27 NIV

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

GameStop + Robinhood + Bitcoin + Vanguard John Bogle's book

The U.S. stock market has been cuckoo for cocoa puffs this past year! Particularly this past week with Game Stop GME, Robinhood App and Wallstreetbets on Reddit dominating the news. If you are looking for a "signal in all the noise," I highly recommend you read The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by Vanguard founder John "Jack" Bogle. This book lays out such a simple investment strategy for all of us common people, which can help you "Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns," as the subtitle of the book reads. If you only read one investment book in your life, I strongly believe this is the one book to read. Below are my 9 takeaways from this wonderful book. (Please note that I am not giving you investment advice. I'm reviewing the book.)

1. "Don't try to find a needle in a haystack. Buy the haystack." Jack Bogle advocates that investors should simply invest in low cost index funds and not try to pick individual stocks nor invest in high cost mutual funds. He details in this book how challenging it is for even the smartest investment advisors and stock pickers to beat the S&P 500 market returns over a long period of tine. When you put your money with investment advisors who are promising to invest in the "needle in they haystack" you might pay fees of 1% or more that will eat into your investment returns. Instead, you can buy all-market or S&P 500 equity index funds with low .05% fees. He advocates for all-market equity and bond index funds to create an asset allocation strategy, which I'll discuss more below in point #7.

2."The Relentless Rules of Humble Arithmetic." Bogle makes a compelling case in this book about how low cost index funds returns for individual investors will beat out mutual funds and investment advisors stock picks over a long period of time. This book is a simple read for anyone, even in you don't currently understand equity markets. You'll quickly learn Bogle's points on how even "hot" investment advisors or mutual funds (or GameStop) will eventually cool off while the humble index fund keeps chugging along. Like the old tortoise and hare fable, the tortoise (index funds) will eventually win. Bogle shares in the book that the S&P 500 average annual return between 1926 - 2016 is 10.0%.

3. "Reversion to the Mean." Bogle does such a great job describing how the equity markets can have bubbles (maybe now) or big corrections (in 2020) and yet over time the markets return to their average, or the mean. The ups and downs will average out while the equity markets continue to go up over time because they are backed by companies with actual cash flows, earnings and dividends.  (unlike, say, Bitcoin or other commodities.)

4. "Cash is an opportunity cost." Bogle shares that cash or money market funds are good for savings, such as an emergency fund, but that cash is not a good investment strategy. Cash becomes an "opportunity cost" over time when you could have been investing in equity or bond index funds, which should at least beat out inflation.

5. "Invest now and invest often." Bogle stresses how important it is to start investing for your retirement as soon as you enter the workforce and to continue investing regularly until you retire. When I started in my career at Deloitte, a wiser older CPA told me to "invest 15% of your salary now and you won't miss it." It was such great advice that I followed for a while, but then stopped following over time. I am now again investing 15% of my salary in index funds for retirement. At the very least, make sure you are maximizing your company's match on your retirement savings, if your company offers a match. If 15% sounds like a lot of your salary to save for retirement, then what about 10%? Or 5%? And then perhaps start building up your percentage of savings over time, such as increasing your savings 1% a year.

6. "Set it and forget it." Bogle does such a great job explaining why investing in index funds can save you so much time, costs and even stress by simply "setting it and forgetting it." Sure, it is probably more exciting to invest in individual stocks like GameStop and use apps like Robinhood and maybe even dabble in some crypto currency like Bitcoin. However, over time the humble index fund investment strategy will statistically beat other strategies.  Bogle does allow for 5% of your investment portfolio to be what he calls "funny money," where you can invest it however you'd like. However, he says to track your returns over time in this funny money category compared to a core index fund investment strategy. Hint: the "boring" long-term index fund strategy will probably win.

7. "Asset allocation is key." At the end of the book Bogle does a nice job of explaining how a mix of an asset allocation of equity index funds and bond index funds can maximize your retirement savings while minimizing costs and risks. Bogle actually advocates that the percentage of your bond allocation should correlate to your age.  Meaning, at age 20 he says you should have 20% in bonds and 80% in equities/stocks, at age 50 you'll have 50% in bonds and 50% in stocks and at age 70 you'll have 70% in bonds and 30% in stocks. He confesses this is a conservative strategy. He does like target-dated retirement funds that adjust your asset allocation automatically, as along as they are in low-cost index funds.

8. "Stay the course." I've read this book twice in my life and it has benefited me greatly in saving for retirement. Though I will caution you that when I first read this book many years ago, the market dipped and I lost a decent percentage of my retirement savings. Well, thanks to the "reversion to the mean" I recovered those losses and over time have had gains that correlated with the overall market. Just FYI that following this book's investment advice could cause short-term losses. Bogle does a nice job in this book reminding us all to "stay the course" on his humble index fund investing strategy because equities will eventually "revert to the mean."

9. "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24. These words of Jesus are not in Bogle's book, but are words I think apply to this investment conversation to close out this blog post. Why should we care about investing for retirement? I believe it is so we don't become dependent on others and so that we can bless others. What I like about Bogle's simple "set it and forget it" index funds investment strategy is that I don't have to obsess daily about the stock markets ups and downs. I can spend my time, energy and attention on serving my family and my community now, rather than watching and stressing over the stock market. I want to serve God with my life and not serve money with my life.

There is so much more I could write about Bogle's book - I love it! I hope this blog post encourages you to read the book and then make decisions for yourself on how you might want to best save for retirement.  If you have other helpful resources related to investing, please do share them in the comments below.

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (book #1 in 2021)

What is your "one word" intention for 2021? Mine is: "MORNING." To get myself motivated to wake up earlier each day I just read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod as book #1 on my quest to read 52 books in 2021. (and I plan to blog about them all!) Are you a morning person? Do you want to be a morning person? Read this blog post for some encouragement and then read The Miracle Morning. Below are 5 takeaways of mine from this terrific book.

1. Hal Elrod shares an inspirational story of turning tragedy into triumph in this book. It is truly a miracle how he turned his life around. And he shares how waking up early in the morning and having a morning ritual to start his day was pivotal for him transforming his life. Hal's love of the early morning hours reminded me of retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, who wakes up at 4:30 AM daily. I won't be waking up that early! A consistent 6:00 AM wake up time is my goal for 2021.

2. Hal shares in the book 6 morning practices that he calls "The Life S.A.V.E.R.S." This acronym stands for: Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading and Scribing (writing). He describes each of these practices in detail and says that the ideal amount of time to spend on these 6 practices is 10 minutes each, for a total of 60 minutes every morning. He graciously gives options for doing each of these 6 practices for a shorter period of time as you build up your morning ritual stamina. He shares how you can do these 6 practices for just 1 minute each, or for 6 minutes total to get your day off to a great start.

3. Hal discusses in this book his belief that we don't need as much sleep as we think we do. He describes how setting an intention before you go to sleep to wake up energized will do the trick, even if you only get 4 hours of sleep.  This is one point that I disagree with in this otherwise great book. I'm a huge believer in the importance of sleep, particularly after reading the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. My plan for 2021 is to not reduce the number of hours I sleep nightly so that I can wake up earlier, but rather to simply get to bed earlier. My daily goal is a 10:00 PM bedtime with a 6:00 AM wake up.

4. The Miracle Morning encouraged me to think through how I might enhance or add to my current morning rituals, which are below. I shared these morning rituals as a devotion at work last year along with some related Scripture verses.

• Prayer: I pray in the car on my way to work and throughout the day. I try to pray using the A.C.T.S. acronym:  Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
  “But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” Psalm 88:13
  “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
  
  
• Wisdom: I read/listen to the One Year Bible in the car on my way to work. My goal in 2021 is to read/listen to 4+ books a month using www.Audible.com, typically on the drive home or when working out.
  “Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7
  
  
• Worship: After prayer and the Bible, I often listen to worship music in the car on my way to work, such as Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, Casting Crowns, Matt Maher, or K-LOVE radio.
  "But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning." Psalm 59:16
  
  
• Health: My ideal morning is that I get my heart rate up with 15 to 30 minutes on the rower daily in my home gym. I plan out my meals daily. Ideally I get 8 hours of sleep nightly. I track my steps, heart rate and sleep with a smart watch.
  “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

5. Do you want to wake up earlier each morning?  The Miracle Morning will encourage you to do so! Do you have a morning ritual? If not, this book will definitely help you create one. I don't think you need to necessarily do all 6 of the Life S.A.V.E.R.S each morning that Hal describes, though he makes a compelling case for each one. Please do give yourself grace as you embark on an earlier wake up time - which I have to do for myself often! Changing habits takes time, but is well worth the effort. Check out James Clear's terrific book Atomic Habits for some great tips on how to build habits.

I hope this blog post encourages you to wake up earlier and to develop your morning rituals! Please do post up in the Comments section below if you have any advice or resources related to this topic.

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

7 Tips for Losing Body Fat in 2021

Stop me if you've heard this one before: I lost 20 pounds and now I've gained it all back... Yep, that's me. Can I blame my weight gain on the pandemic? Perhaps, but that is simply an excuse. We're at the start of a new year, so I'm energized to start moving the needle back in the right direction! However, here is the needle I'm focusing on in 2021: Body Fat Percentage. Yes, tracking weight is useful, but I'm realizing tracking body fat percentage is even more useful. Do you know your current body fat percentage? Read on as I explain these 2 charts below from my FitBit app over the past 4 years and share 7 tips about why knowing your body fat percentage is so important.

1. The chart on the left is a graph of my weight from January 2017 through January 2021. I wrote a blog post with 10 tips on how I lost 20 pounds in 2017 at this link. I definitely need to "eat my own cooking" and re-read and re-implement the 10 solid tips I wrote about on that blog post to lose weight!

2. The chart on the right is my body fat graphed over the past 4 years. It is encouraging to see that my body fat dropped dramatically in 2017 and hasn't risen as much as my weight has gone up. Why? Because I've built up muscle mass over the past 4 years, which is a very good thing. I wrote a blog post on this topic titled 9 Tips for Elevating your Heart Rate! Rowing + Home Gym + Strength Training.

3. Body fat percentage is an important indicator of your overall health. A higher percentage of body fat puts you at risk of obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, a stroke, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Your body fat percentage is calculated as the percentage of your weight that is made up of fat. Over 30% body fat indicates obesity, so you really want to be under 30% body fat and ideally under 20%. Check out this link for detailed charts of body fat percentages for both women and men.

4. You can easily track your body fat daily with a digital scale. I have been tracking my body fat over the past 4 years using FitBit's Auria scale. It is so simple to use! You just step on it and it tracks your weight and body fat percentage to your FitBit App. You don't even need to own/wear a FitBit tracker to use this scale. A helpful list of several digital scale options is at this link. (Thanks to this link, I actually just bought the Body Cardio digital scale from Withings... I'll let you know if I like it better than the Auria! It looks like it tracks so many more useful metrics.)

5. Getting a good night's sleep actually helps you lose body fat. Does this sound strange to you? It's true! Check out this blog post I wrote about the importance of sleep and 2 fantastic books on this topic: Sleep Smarter and Why We Sleep.

6. Intermittent fasting is a useful practice my friends have used to decrease their body fat. I have to confess that I have not (yet?) done intermittent fasting, but my many of my friends have and they say it is transformative. A good overview of how intermittent fasting works is at this link. A buddy of mine recently lost a lot of body fat by using a system called Belly Proof, which might be helpful to you. If anyone reading this has tried intermittent fasting and has additional tips, please do share in the Comments section below.

7. Developing your character is more important than physical training. Why should we worry about our body fat percentage and try to stay healthy? Well, I believe so that we can love and serve others in our lives with as much energy and for as many years as possible. Yet, let us not forget from 1 Timothy 4:8 that developing a godly character is infinitely more important than simply being physically healthy: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

I hope the 7 tips above are encouraging for you as we embark on this new year! Perhaps you will join me on a journey to decrease body fat in 2021? I will report back on this blog in January 2022 about how 2021 goes for me.

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life, by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

Invitation to read the Bible daily in 2022. 3 blogs to choose from!

Friends, I invite you to join me in reading the Bible daily in 2022 with one of my three blogs! You can sign up for my free daily emails at www.OneYearBibleBlog.com, www.ChronologicalBibleBlog.com or www.OneYearNewTestament.com. Join me as I post links and audio to our daily Scripture readings, teachings, questions for reflection and a daily worship video. There are over 15,000 people in 78 countries on my email lists and 155,000 Facebook fans at www.facebook.com/OneYearBible. Please keep reading below as I share the story of how I started this online Bible Blog ministry 17 years ago.

Why am I so passionate about this One Year Bible format of reading the Bible in a year? Well, shortly after I became a Christian at the age of 28, I discovered the One Year Bible format of reading the Word daily and it has transformed my walk with God. I have read the Bible daily thanks to this plan since 2002. I humbly share with you that 2022 is the 20th year of reading the One Year Bible, and by God’s grace I believe that I will read the Bible each day in this format until I meet Jesus face to face.

17 years ago in 2004 I launched the One Year Bible Blog, 10 years ago in 2011 I launched the Chronological Bible Blog, and in 2021 I launchedthe New Testament in a Year! In 2021 I'm excited to be leading a weekly Zoom Bible study at my church through the One Year Bible and also a weekly Zoom Bible study at my work through the New Testament in a Year. I also formally created Bible Blog LLC in 2020 to house all of these blogs and their activities.

Okay, so what are the next steps for YOU to read the Bible daily in 2022?

1. Subscribe to my Daily Emails: Decide if you want to read the One Year Bible, Chronological Bible or New Testament daily in 2022, and then sign up for daily emails at the corresponding blog.

2. Read online or offline: You can read along online at the blog websites, using the Bible Gateway links, or you can use your own Bible or pick up a One Year Bible or Chronological Bible on Amazon. You can also download a PDF of our full year of readings at these links: OYB, Chronological or NT.

3. Audio: One thing I want to highlight at my blog websites is that you will find links to listen to our daily readings, which is what I do on my commute to work or when working out on my rower. Tom Dooley’s readings of the One Year Bible are absolutely incredible! His voice and brief commentary are amazing. Tom Dooley went to be with the Lord in 2010, but his readings of the One Year Bible live on, and they are an absolute treasure.

4. Please email me with any questions at [email protected]. 

I do hope you will join me in reading the Bible daily in 2022! Sign up now for my free daily emails at www.OneYearBibleBlog.com, www.ChronologicalBibleBlog.com or www.OneYearNewTestament.com.  

God bless!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life, by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

9 Tips for Elevating your Heart Rate! Rowing + Home Gym + Strength Training

Quick! Can you tell me how many minutes a week you elevate your heart rate to a moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic level?  Me neither... But I'm on a new mission to track this figure. This blog post will encourage you to join me in elevating your heart rate regularly through aerobic activity. I'll share 9 tips that include what I've learned from my doctor (and Hugh Jackman!) and some of the exercises and equipment I use. Tip #5 will explain the magical power of working out on a rower, which is in the photo below of my basement home gym. Before we go further, let me share with you this encouraging news: your energy level throughout the day will go UP significantly IF you regularly elevate your heart rate by exercising.

1. Heart Disease is real: The older we get, the more important it is to elevate our heart rate throughout the week to keep our hearts healthy, which requires discipline. I'm sure you've heard this before, but take moment to really let this sink in: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing about 1 in 4 deaths. Elevating your heart rate improves your metabolic health, which in turn also helps you drop excess weight and stay lean. Our hearts need to be exercised!

2. Consult your Doctor: One important note before we go further: please consult your doctor before embarking on an exercise regime that will elevate your heart rate throughout the week. Elevating your heart rate regularly should be a gradual building up process over time. If you overdo it too quickly, you can cause a heart attack.

3. Aerobic exercise is key: When I had elevated cholesterol a few years ago, my doctor shared with me this terrific advice from The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination... Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week." Thanks in part to this advice, I was able to reduce my cholesterol and drop 20 lbs of weight through a mix of eating health and exercise, which you can read about at this link.

4. Build out a home gym: I believe the best way to get regular aerobic exercise is to be able to do it in your own house! Truly. You reduce the "friction" of working out when you don't have to drive to a gym. Ideally you roll out of bed in the morning and get your workout in before the day begins. Calculate how much per month you spend in gym memberships per year. Then, instead of spending that amount at a gym, invest it in a home gym equipment. Ideally start with some cardio equipment - a rower, treadmill, bike, elliptical - and then start building up your strength training equipment. Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink inspired me to build out a home gym, and I wrote about Jocko at this link. #getafterit

5. Rowers are magic!  Okay, if you can only invest in one piece of home equipment, I would start with a rower. It is one of the best all-body cardio workouts you can do! I honestly never used a rower until about a month ago and I'm hooked. Don't laugh, but I listened to a podcast interview of Hugh Jackman where Tim Ferris asked Hugh if he was on a desert island and could only have one piece of gym equipment, what would it be? Hugh responded quickly: "a rower." He went on to say that it is a hard workout that most people avoid, but a great workout if you want to get lean. (and I want to get lean!)  Hugh recommended rowing hard for only 10 minutes a day, 4 days a week. Well, I got so motivated by this podcast, that I bought this rower on Amazon for $260 right away. I have since been rowing 15 to 30 minutes a day, about 4 days a week. It has been incredible! Rowing elevates my heart rate much more quickly and sustainably than other aerobic activity. While I really do like the rower I bought on Amazon, ultimately I'm sure I'll invest in a Concept 2 rowing machine in the future. (Make sure you watch some rowing technique videos before you start rowing for the first time.)

6. Apple/Smart Watch: You'll see in my photo above that my Apple Watch tracks my heart rate throughout a workout, which is super helpful. I highly recommend investing in some sort of smart watch that will help you track your heart rate during workouts. One reason I really like the Apple Watch is because of it's ability to alert you to irregular heart patterns 24 x 7.

7. Strength training is important: Okay, with all of this talk above about the importance of aerobic exercise, don't forget that strength training is so important for our health too as we get older. Per the American Cancer Society, 5 benefits of two or three strength training sessions weekly are: increased muscle mass, strong bones, joint flexibility, weight control and balance. You can actually do a lot of strength training with just your body weight, such as push-ups, sit ups, and burpees. And you can invest in some home gym equipment. So far I've invested $200 in a tower for pull ups, dips, and crunches, $200 in a weight bench, and a few hundred more buying an Olympic bar and weight plates on eBay. During this pandemic eBay is one of the few places to find some sports equipment, but watch out for price gouging.

8. Audio when working out: I realize that not everyone can do this, but I have found that I can generally multi-task when working out. What I mean by this is that I can listen to an audio book or podcast when working out, so that I can learn while I sweat! :) Currently I listen to the One Year Bible's daily readings when rowing, followed by an audio book and then occasionally music when I simply need motivation. I listen to audio via my iPhone and these cheap but effective $20 bluetooth wireless headphones. (AirPods don't work for me - they fall out of my ears when working out.)

9. Closing Scripture Verse: In my life I have found that I cannot self discipline myself to workout regularly. I need God's Grace. I need the Grace of Discipline. I'll close this blog post out with this Scripture verse for you to meditate upon:  "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

I hope this blog post inspires you to get moving regularly to benefit your heart health! What tips or advice have I missed? Please share in the comments below!

Blessings!
Mike

p.s. The  purpose of this blog is to encourage you to live a more disciplined life, by God's Grace. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails to alert you of new blog posts at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html