Reflections on 50 Years and the Road Ahead
As we end 2025, I find myself in a rare and meaningful place—reflecting. This isn’t just the end of a year for me. It represents the completion of 50 years. Fifty years lived. Fifty years experienced. Fifty years, with God’s grace, successfully completed.
And I want to pause here—not just to reflect for myself, but to invite you to reflect as well.
If I were to close my eyes right now and wake up in Heaven, I would be completely satisfied with where I’ve landed in these first fifty years on earth. Could you say the same about where you are in life?
That doesn’t mean life has been perfect. It means it has been purposeful.
Your life doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.
This past month, I’ve spent time looking back at what 2025 has meant as I prepare for what 2026 will require and what it must become.
Doing Everything Differently
Pamela and I started 2025 with a simple but challenging focus statement:
Do everything differently.
What that meant for me was learning to say yes—especially to things I would have normally and naturally said no to. That stance alone shifted the entire year.
We began the year with something symbolic. Pamela surprised me with a new vehicle—my first pickup truck ever. If you know me, you know she did it “Kerry Clark style”: a GMC AT4. That pickup has been remarkable, but more importantly, it marked a season of openness—embracing new experiences and new perspectives.
Milestones, Memories, and Moments
As my 50th birthday approached, the celebrations began to unfold in unexpected ways.
On Halloween weekend (go figure), we traveled to Houston to support friends whose son plays football at Rice University. That trip turned into a bucket-list moment I didn’t expect to check off so soon: attending a service at Lakewood Church.
Here’s an unexpected piece: not only did we attend, but we also met Pastor Joel Osteen and took pictures with him. Pamela and I have four pastors we consider “our pastors,” all of whom lead some of the largest churches in America and the world. That moment meant we had now personally met and taken pictures with half of them—two more to go.
It was an incredible and unexpected addition to my 50th celebration.
Completing the Work
One of the highlights of the year came shortly after—finishing and releasing my newest book, Christmas Evolutions. It released just before Thanksgiving and has already drawn more attention than I anticipated.
Writing a poetic retelling of the Christmas story—one that intentionally rivals ’Twas the Night Before Christmas—was never something I planned. But it became one of those projects that felt assigned. And it will live on beyond just this Christmas season.
Family, Words, and Legacy
The Saturday before my birthday, we spent the day with family.
Breakfast downtown with close friends.
Dinner at home with our nuclear family.
That evening, something powerful happened.
Pamela had asked our family to reflect on phrases I’ve said over the years—things that stuck with them, shaped them, or marked moments in their lives. They shared those phrases (Kerry-isms as she called them), and I had the opportunity to expand on them.
One phrase stood out, something Pamela had been holding onto for a long time:
“I’m not trying to be perfect. I’m just trying to live for Jesus.”
I don’t remember where I said it or what prompted it—but it captured my heart then and still does now.
Time Away and Direction Forward
I took the entire week off for my birthday. I do that every year now, thanks to my brother, and because God gives me direction for the next 365 days during this time.
This year, the clarity was unmistakable.
I left that week with a singular motivation:
Leave it all on the field.
No holding back. No hesitation. No unfinished obedience.
People Make the Difference
That week was filled with reminders of the value of relationships.
A godson calling before leaving the country just to make sure he told me happy birthday.
Messages from across the United States—from Utah to the Carolinas—and even from the Philippines.
A cousin who has called me every birthday for decades, without fail.
Breakfast with a pastor friend/brother discussing our favorite topic, the future of “prayer.”
Then came the surprise dinner.
What I thought was a small gathering turned into a celebration with friends spanning two to three plus decades of my life—people who have walked with me through seasons, changes, and growth.
Melissa (and Johnny Guy) orchestrated that evening. Melissa (without ever hearing me say it) created the birthday I had imagined, but only shared it with Pamela. That kind of thoughtfulness leaves an eternal mark.
Ending Where It Matters
I ended my birthday season the way I wanted to begin the next chapter—with prayer.
Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m., I showed up for prayer—not to ask for more, but to give thanks. And to ask for God’s favor over every person who celebrated me, encouraged me, and contributed to these fifty years.
I may not be able to list every name (and forgive me if I left you out). But I want you to know this:
God sees you. I value you. I’m grateful for you.
My prayer is simple—that my life continues to encourage you, motivate you, and help you move to the next level in whatever God has placed in your hands.
Here’s to finishing strong—and entering the next season with intention.
I am encouraged by these words given to Joshua, Moses’ assistant, after Moses’ death, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” [1]
[1] Joshua 1:9 NLT, Bible.com, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/JOS.1.9.NLT
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
