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Today I am interviewing a 68-year-old man from Pennsylvania who fell in love with music six decades earlier, but finally found his voice after turning 50.
Wyatt Timmins calls himself an okay singer, but he loves to tell stories and does so through the lyrics of songs he writes.
He has held multiple jobs over the years, including sales, general labor work, driving a truck and even working as a pastor. But, his heart had always been inclined toward making music.
Wyatt had a difficult childhood that was even more complicated in his teens after his father died. After participating in Teen Challenge, a Christian rehabilitation program, he was infused with the Word of God. That’s where he felt a call to go into ministry.
He did whatever it took to support his family, After Wyatt turned 50, doors opened for him to step into temporary pastor roles to preside over Sunday services as a guest pastor.
He was an early pioneer to podcasting and also produced CDs with faith-based messages and music, which he passed out at truck stops. Wyatt developed a real passion for working with truckers who were often on the road by themselves for weeks at a time without access to a church.
Wyatt said that after he turned 50, he realized he had a storehouse of untapped resources he was anxious to use. He built a home studio to record music and do audio production.
He got involved with a ministry called Highways and Byways to provide outreach services to professional over-the-road truck drivers. Wyatt created what he called an audio magazine that featured music, messages and even answered faith-based questions in a talk show format.
His ministry also opened the door to several independent Christian artists who performed good songs, but didn’t have a large enough following – yet – to attract the attention of bigger studios. So Wyatt gave them valuable exposure.
He came to faith in the 1960s during what was called the Jesus Revolution at the time. In fact, he was baptized in Pirate’s Cove through Chuck Smith’s ministry that sparked the revolution.
Fortunately, when Wyatt’s father realized his son was not cut out to be a mechanic and had a penchant for music instead, his dad supported his music-making efforts by purchasing a giant reel-to-reel tape recorder. He taught himself how to record and edit the music.
Wyatt had an interesting perspective on what he’d do if he could start over again. He said he’d be reluctant to change anything for fear of making things worse the second time. He did suggest ways for people who were interested in performing to get started by playing for nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
There are also prison ministries which allow faith-based musicians to perform, and offer opportunities for people to serve as volunteer chaplains.
People can connect with Wyatt via his website at wyatttimmins.com by emailing him at highwaymag101@gmail.com. His audio magazine can be found at highwaymag101.podbean.com.
That’s all I have for this week’s show. If you’d like help in identifying a purpose for your life or to get help planning your next steps, I’m offering a complimentary brainstorming session to members of the Forward From 50 Facebook community. For details, connect with me on Facebook or visit www.forwardfrom50.com.
I’ll have another inspirational interview on the next episode of the Forward From 50 podcast. Thanks for listening. If you like this show, please consider leaving a review wherever you download the episodes.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.