✝️ Do you despise the day of small beginnings?

Good morning, my brothers! This week, I’m thrilled to share something special with you. My dear friend and life coach, Paul Harstrom, who led our successful digital campfire on Tuesday, has followed that up and written a powerful message specifically for the men of the MTM fraternity. His insights speak directly to something many of us struggle with: the feeling that our best days might be behind us. Paul’s message will remind us that God often does His most significant work through what appear to be small, humble beginnings. Don't worry if you couldn't join Tuesday's Digital Campfire; we recorded the event. You can find details on how to watch the replay further in this week’s issue. Let’s go!

This week’s manly topics (6-min read):

🌲 GROWTH The truly great things that stand the test of time usually have humble origins. So why do we often discount the small gains instead of celebrating them?
📰  NEWS We can sit in a corner and allow age to wear us down … or we can apply this week’s news insights to build strength and boost brain function.
🎁 OFFER This week’s sponsor, Huel, has a special offer for MTM subscribers that will help you to easily (and affordably) upgrade your daily nutrition. As we say, take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Check out the details below.

GROWTH
Don’t despise the day of small beginnings

By Paul Harstrom

Picture this: Jerusalem, 520 BC. A small band of Jewish exiles has returned home after seventy years of Babylonian captivity. The magnificent Temple of Solomon, once the glory and identity of their nation, lies in ruins. These weathered survivors have managed to lay a new foundation, but it's modest, nothing like the grandeur they once knew.

As the younger men celebrate this small victory, the Scripture directs our attention to the older men also gathered there:

These older men weren’t weeping from joy. They were weeping because what they saw seemed so ... insignificant... so disappointing. The new foundation couldn’t compare to what once was. In their eyes, their best days were clearly behind them.

Sound familiar?

Maybe you’ve surveyed your life recently and felt the same way. The career that once held such promise now feels like it’s winding down. The marriage that was supposed to last forever is crumbling. The strength and vitality you once took for granted are fading. The opportunities you once had seem to have passed. And maybe, like those returned exiles, you wonder: “Is this it? Are my best days really behind me?”

It was to these very men—these discouraged, weary veterans—that God spoke through the prophet Zechariah with a question that cuts straight to the heart:

God wasn’t minimizing their feelings. He was challenging their perspective. What they saw as disappointingly small, God saw as just the beginning of something new. What they viewed as the end of the story, God knew was merely the opening chapter.

And men, He’s saying the same thing to us today.

Small Steps, Big Impact

In a world obsessed with dramatic transformations, overnight success, and big impacts, it’s easy to discount the value of small beginnings. But throughout Scripture, God consistently works through what appears insignificant:

• Five smooth stones in a shepherd boy’s pouch

• A small jar of oil in a widow’s cupboard

• Five loaves and two fish in a boy’s lunch basket

• A mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds

God isn't limited by small starts. In fact, He seems to prefer them.

This truth applies directly to where many of us find ourselves right now. You may feel sidelined. Overlooked. Past your prime. Disconnected from the Lord. But what if these years—your 50s, 60s, 70s—aren’t your twilight years but your setup years? What if God has been preparing you all this time for your most significant contribution, in His eyes?

And it all might begin with a few small steps.

The Power of Five Minutes

One of the most practical ways to embrace this truth is through what I call “the five-minute principle.” Many men tell me they don’t have time for spiritual growth or meaningful contribution. Life is already overwhelming; schedules are already full. But what if it doesn't take hours? What if transformation begins with just five minutes?

Five minutes in God’s Word each morning. Five minutes of focused prayer during your commute. Five minutes checking in with your adult child or grandchild. Five minutes mentoring a younger man at work.

Small investments, consistently made, create compound returns over time. This isn’t about fitting God into your busy life. It's about allowing Him to rebuild your life around what truly matters—one five-minute block at a time.

Your Second Temple

Those returned exiles eventually completed their temple. No, it wasn’t as physically impressive as Solomon’s. But here’s what they couldn't see: this modest second temple would stand longer than Solomon’s and would be the very temple that Jesus Christ, the Messiah they had awaited for centuries, would walk into.

What looked like a downgrade was actually God’s upgrade.

And the same could be true for you. The business setback, the health challenge, the relationship struggle - these might not be the end of your story, but the setup for a new chapter could prove more significant than anything that came before.

Or maybe you’re feeling lost. Unfulfilled. Not sure where you fit in anymore. These feelings, too, could be your time of preparation and the beginning of your next chapter.

Moses was 80 when God called him from the burning bush. Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born. Caleb was 85 when he claimed his mountain.

These men didn’t peak early: they finished strong. And so can you.

My Five-Minute Challenge to You

1. Set aside five minutes to read the Word (as soon as you possibly can ... now would be optimal)

2. Pray: “Jesus, let this Word take root in me.”

3. Start with one five-minute retreat daily for the next seven days; then add a second five-minute retreat ... and then a third.

4. Take the Life-Wheel Balance Diagnostic (it takes about 30 minutes of focused time) at some point in the next seven days.

Brothers, your most significant days aren’t behind you: they’re ahead. Your “second temple” may not look like what you originally envisioned, but it will be exactly what God has been preparing you for all along.

Who dares despise the day of small beginnings? Not you. Not anymore.

You’re doing breakfast wrong

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Toast? Too light. Cereal? Mostly sugar. Skipping it altogether? Not ideal.

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THIS JUST IN
📣 NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB 📣 

Training
“For physical training is of some value …” 1 Timothy 4:8

• Sarcopenia, from Greek “sarx” (flesh) and “penia” (poverty), means “flesh poverty”—a gross word picture and an even more terrifying loss of muscle mass that weakens men over 40. Before you despair, we have good news: this age-related frailty is NOT an inevitability. Research shows resistance training (ex. push-ups, squats, dumbbell rows) 2–3 times weekly boosts muscle protein synthesis, countering sarcopenia’s grip. Start with bodyweight exercises or light weights, aiming for 2–3 sets of 10–12 reps. Combine your resistance training with daily protein intake of ½  to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight to fuel your muscle and strength gains. Courtesy Healthline Media and MDPI

Supplementation
“… the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:2

• We looked at creatine’s benefit for building muscle in MTM #8 but research is showing it can also boost brain function. A review published in the journal Nutrients reveals creatine’s benefits for cognitive processing. While your brain represents just 2% of your body weight, it consumes up to 20% of your body's energy. Creatine, which helps maintain cellular energy levels, appears particularly valuable during periods of high cognitive demand. The benefits seem most pronounced under stressful conditions. Studies show creatine supplementation can improve cognitive performance during oxygen deprivation, sleep deprivation combined with exercise and in those with traumatic brain injuries. Most effective protocols in these studies used 20g of creatine monohydrate daily for 5-7 days (four equally-spaced 5mg doses), followed by a maintenance dose of 5g daily. This approach achieved approximately 5-10% increases in brain creatine levels—enough to produce measurable cognitive improvements. Courtesy MDPI Journals