40/40 Vision – Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife

At midlife, our perspective can become blurry.Midlife is a disruptive season where we collide with limitations on all sides. We recognize there is more of life in the rearview mirror than on the road ahead of us. We wonder if our lives so far have been worthwhile. We are uncertain about what lies ahead.But midlife is also an opportunity to recalibrate our vision. It's a time to look back, take stock of our lives so far, and refocus on new dimensions of identity and calling.Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty offer insight for navigating midlife with fresh clarity and purpose. Drawing on the wisdom of the book of Ecclesiastes, they show how we can come to grips with the realities of who we are and what we should become in the years ahead. In a world that can seem meaningless at times, God offers perspective that anchors us, renews us and propels us back into the world in meaningful mission and service.Rediscover who God has called you to be. And see the rest of your life with the clarity of 40/40 vision.

"40/40 Vision landed in my hands at the time I needed to hear the encouraging words from Ecclesiastes. 40/40 Vision is an inspiring, well-written book full of encouragement, no matter where you fall on the age bar. Greer and Lafferty write, 'Midlife is the time to narrow your focus of your to-do list.'", "Theological seriousness, with real-life illustrations and an anchor in Ecclesiastes, differentiates Greer and Lafferty's book from common, pragmatic treatments for midlife crises. Clear writing conveys the essential message: 'Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, and we long to gain a new perspective like they did. To have spiritual LASIK remove the midlife blur so we can see our way clear of trivial pursuits, selfish ambitions and destructive escapes. To live for what matters most.' By book's end I was filling the margins with notes.", "40/40 Vision takes up themes from Ecclesiastes and walks through them in twelve chapters with good descriptions, illustrative stories, and serious encounters. . . .There's no sugar-coating by Greer and Lafferty, but an honest-face-the-music approach that gently draws the reader to see the situation in all of its starkness. But instead of leaving the middle-lifer in a crisis, the authors offer sage, biblical counsel on how to turn all of this into a mid-life opportunity. 40/40 Vision is skillfully crafted, standing as it does on the foundation of Ecclesiastes. It's a work that is meant to be read, discussed, dog-eared, marked-up, and returned to for years to come.", "Greer and Lafferty will make readers laugh at just the right moments to cushion the lessons of middle age. Christians and nonbelievers alike will find much to mull over as they approach this most ominous midlife point, or as they find themselves on either side of it. . . . Readers will discover that no matter one's age, one's outlook and purpose for living will determine a path through the ups and down of each phase of life. Greer and Lafferty offer a touching, wise guide for making the midlife struggle a worthy one."

Peter Greer is the president and CEO of HOPE International, a global faith-based microfinance organization. Peter is a graduate of Messiah College and Harvard University. He previously served as managing director for Urwego Community Banking in Rwanda and as a microfinance technical adviser in Zimbabwe and Cambodia. Peter is the coauthor of The Poor Will Be Glad, The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good and Mission Drift. He and his wife, Laurel, live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with their three children. Greg Lafferty is the senior pastor of Willowdale Chapel, a church with campuses in Kennett Square and Jennersville, Pennsylvania. Previously Greg served at both Wheaton Bible Church and Christ Community Church in suburban Chicago, and Saddleback Church in Southern California. He and his wife, Deane, have three children.