The Big 4-0
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Hello {{First Name | Friend}}, First, I want to say how much I appreciate your interest in my writing. It means a lot to have you along for the journey. Forty is a big number.
But here’s another 40 worth celebrating! | ||||||||
Life lately Last month, Chris and I celebrated 40 years of marriage! October 24, to be exact. We headed to New York to take in some sights, spend time with our oldest son, David (who lives in Manhattan), and celebrate this milestone together. Happy anniversary to us! Apparently, 40 years of marriage is a big deal. People have responded with a surprised “WOW!” as though we’ve accomplished something extraordinary. And all we did was get married in our twenties, raise five children, care for four dogs (thankfully, not all at once), and love each other along the way. | ||||||||
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Of course, those years were filled with laughter, tears, challenges, and more blessings than we can count. Now the kids have left home (mostly), the dogs have passed on, and somehow, we’re still here—going strong! God has watched over us through every season, and we’re delighted to be heading into our next chapter, still together and still in love. These days, life is filled with grandchildren and granddogs. It’s a pretty sweet season! | ||||||||
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From the books “ We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. — George Bernard Shaw That quote kicks off Story 40 in Drawn, appropriately titled “Play.” In Play, I recount a playground memory with my mentee and his friends. What began as an ordinary day turned into a game of Infection—a variation of tag where those tagged become “infectors.” Thankfully, there was also a “healer” who could restore infected players. Before long, we were all running around like kids. Including me! It reminded me that we’re never too old to play. It’s fun to have fun, and we ought to do it more often. But the game also left me with something deeper to ponder. Through our words, attitudes, and actions, we can be healers—bringing encouragement, kindness, and hope—or infectors, spreading negativity and discouragement. And sometimes the most dangerous infection isn’t coming from others. It’s quietly growing within us. It got me wondering: Am I bringing healing or spreading infection? After 40 years of marriage, raising five kids, and now enjoying our grandchildren, I’m convinced of something else: Life is too short to stop playing. | ||||||||
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An evening with Bob Goff Earlier this summer, Bob Goff spoke at a church near my hometown. It was great to catch up afterward and talk about Drawn. Bob graciously wrote the foreword, and his encouragement means the world to me. Here’s a favorite line: | ||||||||
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I’m grateful for Bob’s friendship and his reminder of the power of stories. | ||||||||
One more bit of exciting news! Drawn is being translated into Spanish!  I’m thrilled that these stories will soon encourage an entirely new audience to recognize God’s presence in their lives. 
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With expectation,
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The Mitch Bakker Podcast
