Turning 50 is a lot like getting your first bloody nose: You see it coming from a mile away and you’re dreading the event every second, but after it happens, you realize it wasn’t that bad after all and suddenly, you’re not scared  to lean into a punch anymore.

I played in my church’s annual turkey bowl this year (football game) and I am certainly feeling my age right now. I’ve had a whole year to get use to the idea that I’m turning 50, but I honestly would have liked a few more years to get used to the idea. The turkey bowl turned out to be the “old” guys against the “young” guys, and for all the nay sayers, the “Old” guys won! But that’s not the point of this blog.

Watching our young men on the field, I was very impressed with the way they carried themselves, the way they were competitive, the way they didn’t back down from the task in front of them. The were young MEN in every sense of the word: Strong, determined, forgiving, and purposed. The young men of the Road give me a hope for the future of our community. Even though they aren’t my children, I am proud of them none the less.

Knowing the caliber of the men around me, it makes turning 50… not so bad.