The Monday Memo from John Stanko

WELCOME TO THE MONDAY MEMO

Welcome to the home of the Monday Memo! In 2001, I began writing the Monday Memo in response to people who had heard my purpose message but said they needed to hear more. They wanted more content to help them think through and then identify the purpose in their life, so I began writing a weekly entry to fill that need. My goal was to write six to eight paragraphs every week that focused on the topics of purpose and faith. Eventually I expanded the repertoire to include entries on creativity, goals, and leadership. Little did I know that the Monday Memo would still be going strong more than two decades later!

At first, I managed those who subscribed through Outlook, but before I knew it, I had 18,000 subscribers, and eventually my email program crashed under the "weight" of so many names and emails. Plus, it was a headache for me to manage the list—especially if someone wanted to unsubscribe. In 2006, I converted what I was doing to a blog format and have maintained that since then.

Eventually, I began gathering Memos of like theme into documents and turned them into books when they were long enough (a few are pictured here; all are available on Amazon). To date, I have published 15 books from Memo content with more coming, including my six-part Unlocking series (unlocking the power of your purpose, creativity, productivity, you, faith, and thinking). Now I have expanded my weekly entries to incorporate other themes, but purpose and creativity are still my main foci. I have told people as long as they keep reading, I will keep on writing.

If you check out the categories on the right side of this page, I'm sure you will find themes and topics of interest that will help you be more purposeful, creative, and productive. I would estimate about 90% of the Memos are original, with some borrowed from the archives around the holidays or when I was traveling. I welcome your comments and questions, for writing and talking about purpose never gets tired. You can also subscribe to receive the Memo every week on the top right side of this page.

I invite you to check out my website for more video content on similar topics and you can also download my free mobile app to have that content at your fingertips when you have time to watch or listen. Thanks again for visiting and remember, "You have something to do that only you can do, something for you to be that only you can be. God wants you to know what it is, so if your heart is to hear, His heart is to speak." Enjoy your purpose quest and if I can be of service as you seek, please let me know.

Monday Memo 1180: A Time to Die

When I was younger, I would read Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes and think he had a fatalistic and pessimistic view of life. Now that I'm older, my perspective has changed—on life, death, and his words. How so, you may ask? For the answer, let's look at another one of Solomon's conclusions for one last lesson in our 'Never Too Old For Purpose' series. I hope you'll see, as I have, just how wise he really was:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4).

None of us are getting out of here alive. What's more, while we're here, we're going to experience tears, setbacks, failures, which we dread, as well as the things we love, like family, work we enjoy, and simple pleasures such as nature and food. While it's important to determine how we will live, it's also necessary to determine how we will die. No, I don't mean the way we will die, but the attitude we will have toward it.

As I write, I'm sitting with an elderly relative. I'm watching this person process their current situation and they have questioned why God would allow this to happen to them. I'm not judging this person, for I ask myself, How would I face and react to what they are going through? Can I decide now how I will do so? I've determined so far that I'm a teacher and I've spent most of my time teaching people how to live. Now I must teach people and those closest to me how to die, and much of that involves a mindset that faces the reality of their and my mortality. Solomon wrote,

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21).

Notice that Solomon "said to myself." That meant he was evaluating what he saw and was turning it into a life-and-death philosophy that would be of benefit to others. What was his conclusion?

"So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?" (Ecclesiastes 3:22).

Do you enjoy your work? Are you preparing for your inevitable end? How are you doing that? Are you giving thought to how you will die? I pray you have many years left on earth, that this is a time to live for you and those closest to you. But eventually, you will have to face the fact that there is a time to die. There's no better way to prepare for that day than to leave a legacy of joyous purpose work produced with an eye toward eternity. Doing that will equip you with the life philosophy that has been the theme of this series, and this is that you will never be too old for purpose. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1179: Decide Now

As we close this series on 'Never Too Old for Purpose,' let's look at the words of Jeremiah, the prophet who God sent to His people with a word that would be ignored to their doom:

"He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead" (Lamentations 3:4-6).

As Jeremiah looked back over the years, the verses above were his summary of his condition which seemed bleak and depressing. He further wrote,

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope" (Lamentations 3:19-21).

As I write, I'm sitting in a hospital room with an elderly relative and this would perhaps be their testimony as well. They are suffering physically after the end of a long, painful life, The problem for this person, however, is that they can't finish the story as Jeremiah did, for after all was said and done, Jeremiah offered this conclusion:

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “'he Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him'" (Lamentations 3:22-24).

As you grow older, you can easily have quite a collection of disappointments, failures, mistakes, and painful memories. You will then have two options of how to assess a life that perhaps fell short of your expectations. You can either be resentful, angry, or disillusioned, or you can take the position that Jeremiah took. You can trust and have hope in the Lord to the end, even if it is bitter.

We can now thank God for Jeremiah, for his testimony and faithfulness have been an encouragement to God followers for more than several millennia. God put him through a lot, but he emerged victorious not for his contemporaries' sake but for ours. The time to decide how you will die is while you are still living, while you have energy and mental clarity. You can decide to be a person of purpose to the end, even if God uses you as an example for others in your latter days.

How and when will you die? No one knows the specifics but we can decide the conditions where we are at right now. Will you be a person of purpose to the end? That you can decide. I invite you to join me in that pursuit as we seek to honor God with all our days, both the ones with youthful vigor and the ones with diminished capacity. When we decide to do that, we will certainly prove that no one is ever too old for purpose, for God to use them (and us) as He sees fit. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1178: A Crown of Splendor

This week and next, I’m going to finish this series on “Never too Old for Purpose” the way I finished the previous series, “Never Too Young for Purpose,” and that is by focusing on the wisdom books of the Bible, of which Proverbs is a part. Proverbs addressed many aspects of life including finances, leadership, family, and business, and specifically contrasts the life of the wise and their antithesis, the fool. This week, let’s look a verse that speaks to the young and not-so-young: 

The glory of the young is their strength, the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old (Proverbs 20:29).

As I write, I’ve just returned from a missions trip to Kenya with a group of 15 of which I was the oldest member. At one point, we planted some trees at a building dedication and someone took a picture of me while I was bent over, capturing a view of the top of my head which I can’t see in the mirror. When I saw the picture, I saw all gray, thinning hair. Another translation of Proverbs 20:27 says gray hair is a crown. If that’s true, then I am sporting a pretty healthy crown right now.

The good news is we had some young members with us or as I like to refer to them, “young legs.” They could run and jump and not get tired, whereas the older members who had made the trip before provided the guidance for their youthful energy. We made a good team not only because of our diverse gifts but our diverse ages.

It can be difficult for the old to admit that they have lost a step, both physically and mentally. We can’t do what we used to do—or at least I can’t—so we should stop trying and instead give younger team and family members with more strength the chance to excel. I see this in ministry where my aging colleagues continue to serve, convinced they’ve still “got it” when they don’t.  

Some continue on to collect a paycheck, using up ministry resources that could and should be used for other activities. People love and respect these leaders, however, so there is no one with the courage or heart to tell them it’s time not to retire necessarily but to transition to a different role. And what role would that be?

It's the role of the advisor, the coach, the mentor. It’s the role not of the quarterback or the captain, but the role of one who comes alongside others to provide a voice of reason and experience. And what if the organization someone with gray hair is in isn't interested in their wisdom and experience? Then it’s time for the gray-haired one to find a way to share what they have to a new audience in a different organization or through social media or writing.

Ten years ago, I left a position in a church where I was well paid, making a positive contribution. I was 64 years old, but I felt it was time for someone younger to gain the experience I already had. It wasn’t about keeping my salary (and the church paid their pastors well) or hanging on until I couldn’t function any longer. It was all about stepping aside and allowing someone younger with more “strength” to get the experience. Now I travel, teach, write, and publish. I keep busy and had a chance on this last missions trip to share my wisdom in Africa with people who were eager to hear it.

Do you have a crown of splendor, or in other words, is your hair gray, representing many years of life? If so, are you ready to accept a new role, making way for the young? Or perhaps you are still young working with those who are older? Then you should keep in mind that you need the wisdom of the aged while accepting that your “young legs” will be the ones to run the race while your elders cheer you on. And of course, you’re taking one step closer every day to the time when you will have that crown of splendor.

As you read this, know that your crown of gray hair is on its way, if it’s not already here. Whenever it comes, know that it’s time for you to graciously accept the role that age gives you, which is cheering the runners on. The young and old can make an effective team, but only if the old don’t pretend that they’re young when they’re not and the young don’t pretend to have the wisdom that only years of life can provide. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1177: Term Limits

In Numbers 4, the Lord addressed the duties of the clans and families of the Levites. The Lord directed Moses to

"List all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who are eligible to serve in the Tabernacle" (Numbers 4:3).

Notice that these men were to be between the ages of 30 and 50, not too young but not too old. As the duties of the tabernacle and eventually the Temple were better defined, we don’t see that this age category for service was changed. It seems like Levites went into semi-retirement after the age of 50 and became elders who ruled by nature of their experience and the wisdom they hopefully developed through living a godly life.

I'm not writing this week to suggest that 50 is a hard-and-fast age at which someone should retire or step away from leadership or meaningful work. But I am writing to suggest that the Bible recognizes there comes a time when those who are older must acknowledge an important truth: They are old and won't live forever. They then must be open and willing to pass on the mantle of responsibility and authority at some point as they age.

No one owns their position, whether they work in a church or business. There's a season when they have energy and creativity to fulfill certain roles but when that energy and creativity wanes, it must be recognized as happening. That can occur when someone is 50 or 60 or 70 but it will happen. And when it does, they must not allow fear to motivate them to hold onto something for selfish reasons. We saw this earlier in David’s life when at the end, he almost didn’t promote Solomon to his rightful place as king because David was focused on his own needs.

Are you open to the fact that one day your capabilities will diminish, and you may not be aware of it? Do you have someone who can tell you if and when that happens? Will you make it easy for people to take over for you, or will you hold on to the bitter end? Will you allow your feelings to be hurt when for the good of your family or your organization or your church, others decide it’s time to change the role you have had?

The good news is that God isn’t finished with you. Allow Him to move you into new opportunities where your wisdom and experience are most needed and welcome. The Levites were still involved after 50; they just weren’t carrying the heavy loads. Their season in ministry had term limits. As I write, I have a flourishing publishing business. i do relief work in Africa. I travel to speak and share my wisdom on life purpose I have gathered over the years.

I'm busy and happy, but I don’t do what I once did as part of a church organization. I promise that God has the same for you, but you must face the fact that whatever you are doing or will do has term limits and one day you will have to stop doing it. Make sure you cooperate with that day and don’t oppose it by insisting that others honor your years of life. Accept your limitations and continue to serve the Lord in the ways you can. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1176: Share Your Wisdom

There's an old adage that says, "you should respect your elders." I would agree but it's always best if an elder is respected not because of their past but because of their ongoing service to others. We read in Job that those up in years should have one important thing to give people:

Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old (Job 12:12, NLT).

We need the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before us, but later in the book, a caution is issued concerning the old:

“I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think. I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.' But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice (Job 32:6-9, NLT).

Being advanced in years is no guarantee of wisdom and understanding. What's more, if someone has the wisdom and understanding, what are they doing with it? How can they make it available to others who need it? What are some ways to make one's wisdom available to those who need it?

Teaching is one way, but not just face-to-face but through technology and social media. But there's the problem, for many of those who are older are not in tune with technology while others are afraid of it and its implications. They don't want to lose their privacy. They don't wish to be "tied down" to using it regularly. They're afraid they won't do it properly and won't have enough energy or creativity to sustain their presence long term. Perhaps you share some of these concerns.

If that's not an option, then what about writing? Can you start to develop your writing skills so that you have something to say and know how to communicate it? The most important point in all this is to accept that you do have wisdom to share but you must be passionate, desperate even, to share it. If you have that attitude, then you'll find ways to broadcast what you have, perhaps teaming up with a younger person who can keep you current on how to use technology while you provide the content. If you don't want to write, then find every teaching opportunity that you can.

So what's it going to be? Will you sit in a rocking chair, wishing that someone would respect your gray hair, or will you give them a reason to sit up and take notice that you have something to say? I know for me, I plan on being active and sharing my lessons that my gray hair have brought me. I invite you to join me in that venture, no matter your age. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1175: To The End

As David grew old, we read this about his physical condition:

Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with garments, but he could not keep warm. So his servants said to him,“Have them search for a young virgin for my lord the king, and have her attend the king and become his nurse; and have her lie on your chest, so that my lord the king may keep warm. So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not become intimate with her (1 Kings 1:1-4, NASB).

While David's staff was tending to his personal needs, one of David's sons tried to take over the kingdom:

Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run before him. And his father had never rebuked him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom (1 Kings 1:5-6, NASB).

We know that David was quite lax in his paternal duties throughout his life. First Absalom tried to snatch the kingdom by force and many people died in the battle resisting his efforts, including Absalom himself. Then Adonijah tried his hand at treason and was almost successful. What's my reason for sharing this story?

As we look to conclude the 'Never Too Old for Purpose' series, this story reminds us that we all have purpose work to do right up to the end. Yes, your physical needs may change and require more attention as you age, but you still have a purpose to fulfill and things to create. And depending on your purpose, you may have matters pertaining to your legacy that require your attention.

Who will continue doing what you do after you're gone? Is your last will and testament complete? Have you said all that needs to be said to your family members? And what about recording or writing a short autobiography that includes the highlights and possible low-lights of your life?

The good news in this story is that Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan set a plan in motion to bring David to his senses so that Solomon and not Adonijah would be king. In the same way, it's never too late for you to set your affairs in order and make a difference in God's plan for things to happen while you're still here and after you're gone.

While you tend to ailments and conditions common to old age, don't ignore the things that God would have you do that only you can do. Make it your goal to make a difference right up to the end and leave something behind that God can use, if He so chooses, as a foundation and guiding light for those yet to come. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1174: Your Legacy

The book of Genesis tells the story of one family and their journey from the land of Canaan to the land of promise and ending with them in Egypt. Of the three men—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—we learn more about Jacob than anyone else as we follow him from his birth to his death. Jacob left not only a legacy of land, which he distributed to his sons, but also left a legacy of words that blessed and directed his sons and grandsons. First he blessed Joseph's sons:

Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them (Genesis 48:10).

Then he blessed Joseph:

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow" (Genesis 48:21-23).

It's wonderful to leave a financial legacy for those coming after you, but it's even better to provide a spiritual one. Jacob or as God renamed him, Israel, did both. He left land (a bit more to his favorite son Joseph—he played favorites to the end) and then made a faith prediction that Joseph would return to the land of his fathers. We learn in the book of Joshua that return occurred 200 years later when Joseph's descendants buried his bones in this extra ridge of land that Jacob mentioned.

The title of this series is "Never Too Old for Purpose' and God used Jacob up to the very end. Do you want God to do the same with you? What kind of legacy are you leaving for those who remain after you're gone? Do you have a clear testimony written or recorded as part of your last will and testament?

Are you looking for opportunities to bless others in your latter days, especially encouraging them by sharing what you see to be their strengths and perhaps even their destiny in God's plan? What more can you do to focus on the well-being and needs of others instead of your own as you enter the last segment of your life?

Often your own physical needs can increase as you age, but if you determine to be a blessing and to bless, you will be able to focus on being a blessing even while your energy wanes. Do what you can with what you have to leave at least a legacy of kind words and thoughts as you face your inevitable role of passing on your testimony and knowledge of God to those who can benefit from it after you're gone.

Monday Memo 1173: Faith Reasoning

We're coming to the end of our 'Never Too Old for Purpose' series but we still have a few more lessons to cover. Let's take another look at Abraham this week, specifically at the sacrifice of Isaac:

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death (Hebrews 11:17-19, NASB).

Let's review what we know. God had promised Abraham an heir from whom would come a nation of people. After waiting many years, the heir finally came and they named him Isaac. However, when Isaac was about 15 years old (which made Abraham about 115), the Lord spoke to Abraham to go to a place God would show him and sacrifice the son of promise—Abraham's future hope.

Notice that it says God tested Abraham, which doesn't indicate Abraham was deficient in his faith, but that God was showing him, Isaac, and today's readers the depth and quality of his faith. Without hesitation, Abraham made plans to do so and would have sacrificed Isaac had not God intervened. What was going on here?

The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead." Abraham applied everything he knew about himself, his experiences, and his God to come to the conclusion that if he did indeed sacrifice Isaac, then God would raise him from the dead—an unprecedented action for anyone to consider in Abraham's day. We're told that in a sense, Abraham did receive Isaac 'back from the dead,' for in his mind and heart, he had already sacrificed him.

You can use the reasoning skills God gave you to find a way to do His will or to excuse your self from doing it. What God expects of the old(er) is for them to lead the way in faith because their experience qualifies and equips them to do so. What faith lessons of the past can you apply to the present in a way that will enhance and not hinder your progress in the Lord?How well are you leading the faith way in your family, church, or ministry? How can you do more to set a faith example for others to follow?

After all Abraham had been through, God will still working in his life, even in his old age. And we're glad God did that, for we now have a sterling example of someone who was not too old for faith and purpose. Because he wasn't, we have no excuse not to walk out our faith even in our retirement years just as Abraham did. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1172: Depression

After Elijah's victorious encounter with the prophets of Baal, Jezebel threatened to kill him in retaliation for putting her prophetic cohort to death:

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life; he took his servant and went to Beersheba in Judah. Leaving the servant there, Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. “It's too much, Lord,” he prayed. “Take away my life; I might as well be dead!”

He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Wake up and eat.” He looked around and saw a loaf of bread and a jar of water near his head. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The Lord's angel returned and woke him up a second time, saying, “Get up and eat, or the trip will be too much for you.” Elijah got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to walk forty days to Sinai, the holy mountain. There he went into a cave to spend the night (1 Kings 19:3-9. GNT).

By the sound of the account, it seems like Elijah was depressed, walking for an entire day in the wilderness and then doing nothing but sleeping and eating. God was with him, giving him rest and food, but God didn't allow Elijah to linger in the cave of depression for too long:

"Return to the wilderness near Damascus, then enter the city and anoint Hazael as king of Syria; anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet" (1 Kings 19:15-16, GNT).

There was still work to do and God expected Elijah to carry on and also prepare for his eventual transition—thus he had to anoint his successor while he was still healing from his depression. Little did Elijah know, however, that God had a glorious departure planned for him: "Then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind" (2 Kings 2:11).

In this series, Never Too Old for Purpose, we have looked at various aspects of those who purposefully serve the Lord in their latter years. We see in today's lesson that depression and fatigue are two of the obstacles that we all face no matter our age. However, when you're a bit older and have had a few more disappointments, the depression and hopelessness can become debilitating. Yes the answer is rest and rejuvenation, but it's also continuing the purpose work that God has assigned for you to do.

How are you doing these days? Are you tired and weary, fearful and disillusioned? Are you wishing that the end would come as Elijah stated to God? If so, God knows and He is with you. He will give you what you need to be healed and part of that healing is knowing that your job isn't finished—yet. Ask God to show you what's left for you to do and then slowly, as you're able, get back in the game like Elijah did.

Yes, your end is nearer than it's ever been but  God has more purposeful days ahead for you. I can't promise that a chariot of fire is going to come and rescue you from your trials, but I can promise that God is with you and He is mindful of your labors for Him—and He knows how to reward His servants like you. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1171: The Way You Should Go

An oft-quoted proverb about raising children is found in this familiar verse:

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he grows older he will not abandon it (Proverbs 22:6).

Of course, first and foremost, it would seem that this training pertains to instruction concerning God's requirements for righteous living. But I think it's more than that. As we learned in the last series, Never Too Young for Purpose, God is revealing to the young who they are and what He has created them to do. He was doing that for you in your early years.

But as we saw in that series, the concerns and difficulties of making a living can often derail or detour youthful purpose. But the good news in today's verse is that the instruction you received as a young person, whether about holiness or purpose, isn't as far away from you as you may think, no matter how old you are or how long since you have paid attention to it.

When I was young, I loved to collect stamps. I had a lot of U.S. stamps but the ones I really loved were the ones from other countries. I would research where those countries were located and promised myself, "I'll go there one day." Today I have been in more than 60 of those countries.

One of my rainy-day activities as a child was to play with my toy typewriter. I would type out articles from magazines or pages from a book and then stack the papers on my desk, pretending that I was writing a book. Today I have written 90 books and still going strong. Now that I look back, I see that the "way I should go" was evident in those two activities.

And I was always a good student. I went back to school when I was 57 to earn my doctor of ministry degree. And now, at age 74, I am learning Spanish and just started Ukrainian in preparation for a trip there in a few months. Studying was always part of 'my way' and there's no reason to stop learning now.

So what was part of your "way you should go" when you were younger? How can you reconnect with those things, regardless of your age? Are you thinking, 'I'm too old,' or are you thinking 'I can do all things through Christ and this is something I need and want to do'?

Your purpose and creativity don't have an expiration date and they are remarkably resilient and don't spoil or decay with time. Therefore, you're never too old for purpose thinking or purposeful action. I urge you this week to reflect on your past and find out what parts of it you can still bring into your present so you can have a purposeful future. Have a blessed week!