The acronym YOLO (You Only Live Once) became popular a couple of years ago. Typically I would hear it from teenagers when they did, or were about to do something silly; a mantra for decisions that may not have been the wisest… you’ve all seen it in action. I think the YOLO movement has slightly warn off however, much like many ideas of this generation that trend on twitter for a week or two, then you are only reminded of it at the end-of-year montage. I look at it a little differently.
You also may remember “carpe diem.” (Latin for ‘seize the day’) I first heard this about 15 years ago from the 1989 movie “Dead Poets Society” in which a private school literature teacher encourages his students to take risks, try new things, and make their lives extraordinary. It was really inspiring. Who doesn't want an extraordinary life? How exactly does one make that happen?
At this point in my career I’ve been thinking a lot about how to leave a lasting impact on this world. And while I’m staring down the age of 30 in my cross-hairs, how to do that is becoming much clearer with every day. God has given me an incredible opportunity to do something extraordinary for the small window of time I am here. How do I carpe diem?
A few days ago, my wife Ashlie and I made the announcement that we are expecting our third child in July. We’re so excited! Raising our two boys Charlie and Henry has been so much fun and rewarding. They are beautiful, sweet, loving, smart boys. And while it has not been easy, it’s been the most fulfilling, dare I say extraordinary part of what we do.
Particularly for us, our exciting experience of raising children is escalated because of how busy we are. I’m writing music, recording, leading worship at our home church, touring and playing concerts all while my wife Ashlie is studying, interning, reading, writing papers, and physically going to class as a 2nd year law student at the University of Notre Dame. Exciting is one way to describe it. Crazy is another. Why in the world would we have another child? There’s no time! No money! No room!
Mostly because we have another opportunity to change the world.
I’ll be honest, I was not too keen on the idea of adding to our family because of the exact reasons I just mentioned. We had been discussing it, but it just didn’t seem like a responsible idea. We could just start focusing on our future with our diaper changing days behind us. Then one day, while I was reflecting asking God how the world is a better place because of my footprint, God placed in my heart that the world is a better place because my real footprint, is actually the little footprints that we are raising. At that moment, I was all in.
As parents, we have the opportunity to change generations to come by raising our children in faith and love. By adding to our family, we are making the biggest impact we can make. There is no greater contribution to this world than creating a human being that loves and desires to help others.
Our lives are only so long. We only have so many of those years we are physically/mentally/emotionally able to raise children. We are in that exciting window right now. We’re going to seize the day. YOLO!
-Cody
You also may remember “carpe diem.” (Latin for ‘seize the day’) I first heard this about 15 years ago from the 1989 movie “Dead Poets Society” in which a private school literature teacher encourages his students to take risks, try new things, and make their lives extraordinary. It was really inspiring. Who doesn't want an extraordinary life? How exactly does one make that happen?
At this point in my career I’ve been thinking a lot about how to leave a lasting impact on this world. And while I’m staring down the age of 30 in my cross-hairs, how to do that is becoming much clearer with every day. God has given me an incredible opportunity to do something extraordinary for the small window of time I am here. How do I carpe diem?
A few days ago, my wife Ashlie and I made the announcement that we are expecting our third child in July. We’re so excited! Raising our two boys Charlie and Henry has been so much fun and rewarding. They are beautiful, sweet, loving, smart boys. And while it has not been easy, it’s been the most fulfilling, dare I say extraordinary part of what we do.
Particularly for us, our exciting experience of raising children is escalated because of how busy we are. I’m writing music, recording, leading worship at our home church, touring and playing concerts all while my wife Ashlie is studying, interning, reading, writing papers, and physically going to class as a 2nd year law student at the University of Notre Dame. Exciting is one way to describe it. Crazy is another. Why in the world would we have another child? There’s no time! No money! No room!
Mostly because we have another opportunity to change the world.
I’ll be honest, I was not too keen on the idea of adding to our family because of the exact reasons I just mentioned. We had been discussing it, but it just didn’t seem like a responsible idea. We could just start focusing on our future with our diaper changing days behind us. Then one day, while I was reflecting asking God how the world is a better place because of my footprint, God placed in my heart that the world is a better place because my real footprint, is actually the little footprints that we are raising. At that moment, I was all in.
As parents, we have the opportunity to change generations to come by raising our children in faith and love. By adding to our family, we are making the biggest impact we can make. There is no greater contribution to this world than creating a human being that loves and desires to help others.
Our lives are only so long. We only have so many of those years we are physically/mentally/emotionally able to raise children. We are in that exciting window right now. We’re going to seize the day. YOLO!
-Cody
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