April 12, 2026 — Episode #117

Continuing their series on middle adulthood, Jerry and Becky Drace dig into the characteristics of a midlife crisis, describing it as a season when people reassess their lives, come to terms with their limitations, and confront regrets about the past.

Jerry shares a personal story about leading an elderly man to Christ after his heart surgery, and the man’s regret that he had not made that choice sooner. Becky reflects on choosing to prioritize her family over finishing college early, and later shares how going back to Union University in her 50s to complete her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work helped her overcome the “wish I had” mindset without regret. They discuss the value of mentoring younger people, and Becky recalls the death of a young pastor friend who died of cancer at 49, using his story to illustrate staying focused on Jesus through catastrophic illness. The episode also covers financial pressures common in midlife, including consumer debt and well-known personal-finance teaching, before turning to job-related stress, burnout, and toxic work environments as reasons people consider changing careers midlife. Listeners are encouraged to reach out with their own stories of crisis, financial struggle, or career change for future discussion. The show closes with a preview of continuing the career-change discussion the following week.

Topics discussed:

• Characteristics of a midlife crisis: reassessing life, limitations, regrets
• Story of leading a grandfather to Christ after heart surgery
• Becky’s decision to return to Union University for her degrees
• Coping with catastrophic illness through faith (a pastor friend’s cancer death)
• Financial stress, consumer debt, and popular personal-finance teaching
• Career burnout and toxic work environments as triggers for change

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