Tim Timmons’ story is one defined by inspiration, hope, and resilience. Heavily involved in church and music programs growing up, the Southern California native graduated from college with dreams of pursuing a music career. Upon graduation, he married Hilary, his college sweetheart, and spent several years honing his craft, touring, and serving as a youth pastor. Everything was finally falling into place, until, at just twenty-five, he received the kind of news no one is ever prepared for: stage IV, inoperable cancer, with a prognosis of five years to live.
“So much changes in that moment... things become clear in a lot of ways,” Tim recalls on the news of his diagnosis. “I'm always saying that the gift of sorrow is sobriety—not necessarily alcohol or drug sobriety, but life sobriety. I have been addicted to worry my whole life, and yet, when you've got these moments of clarity or perspective or sobriety, you realize, ‘okay, maybe I don't have to freak out about every little thing.’”
Timmons, who is now a father of four and twenty-five years past the year he was told he would never see, has shifted his mission to help inspire others to live each day to the fullest. This mindset has reflected every avenue of his life, as he decided to write songs that would help the world look more like Jesus in their daily lives. After a decade of making trips back and forth to Nashville, he signed his first major record deal with a Christian label in 2013 and relocated to Nashville.
Tim’s story was also an inspiration behind the movie, “I Can Only Imagine 2.” Filmed around the Nashville/Franklin area, the picture follows Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe, and Tim during his time opening for the band on tour. Watching his hardest days back on film was profound for both Tim and Hilary, who were played by Milo Ventimiglia and Arielle Kebbel.
“I laughed a lot, but then when I got to see some of my cancer journey, I would just sit there with those headphones on and ugly face cry,” Tim shares, on watching the filming of the movie. “For the first time, I got to see myself from outside of myself... that's a really profound gift that not many people get to see.”
Tim and Hilary have continued to turn storms into flowers, co-writing their book, Waking Up Again: A Journey of Grief and Gratitude, to instill hope and encouragement in everyday life.
“[Our] hope with this book is [to] invite anybody who reads it to be more intentional about waking up every morning. Instead of just brushing our teeth, eating breakfast, going to work... what would it look like to wake up with more intentionality every single day? We told a bunch of our stories, our successes and failures [and hope], people will laugh a whole bunch, and also be really moved and encouraged,” Tim shares.
Each morning, Tim writes an ‘X’ on his wrist as a daily reminder to join Jesus. He started his nonprofit, 10,000 MINUTES, to further this message: If 80 minutes are spent in a weekly church gathering, that leaves 10,000 other minutes. What has your attention in the 10,000 minutes?
“What would it look like if we could wake up more intentionally every morning? If people find their own reason to remind themselves that they got another day, and if they join Jesus during their day? What could happen?” Tim questions.
Earlier this year, Tim released his own version of “Even If”—a ballad he co-wrote about his journey that was later recorded by MercyMe and went on to become a triple-platinum, Grammy-nominated hit. His latest release, “Wake Me Up Again,” is a glimpse of new music in the works. When he is not in the studio, Tim can often be found at Journey Church, where he leads as a Worship Pastor.
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“For the first time, I got to see myself from outside of myself... that's a really profound gift that not many people get to see,” Tim shares, on watching the filming of the movie.