Tag Archives: death

What Is Your Plan?

leejohndrowteamDead at 57.

This morning I was writing a children’s book and adding a chapter to it. In this book I went back 30, 40 even 50 years digging out the memory that fit the circumstance I was working on. (Why waste a good memory?)

My main character was looking at an old picture. (Here he was in 1882 and seeing a picture from the 1970s…) I thought who might be the person?

I came to a conclusion. While I was writing, I thought, why not see where they are at. The third entry on my search was their obituary. 57 years old. Cancer.

Being 60 this is not my first run at sadness or shock.

I sat there for a moment and remembered our first meeting. The details were as if it was yesterday. As I looked at the picture I saw the person when they 19, full of life.

Each of us has a path, a journey. A place we are coming from and a place we are going to.

2016 is a year of potential. Or a year of the same. Or even a year of floundering and sadness.

My old friend. I am not sure what their journey was like. The obituary was but a painting of a life lived. Few details. Children, no spouse and a couple of friends who wrote their expressions of sadness.

I don’t know their life after I moved to a new state.

You and I, well we have a lot to do with our painting.

In a day where people put more thought into getting a drivers license than a marriage license, people often devote themselves to what they want rather than what may well be best for them. Conversations may well be about “hopes and dreams” but but when push comes to shove, what are they doing?

Many await God while He is awaiting them. (I am not talking about salvation, but about seeing change occur in one’s life.)

What is your plan? Do you have steps to your plan? (Because usually if you have no steps, you have no plan.)What have you changed today to move you towards the finished plan?

I find that if you have a plan, life is a little easier. (Just like if you have a budget you find you have more money and less stress. People make 2016 the year of your budget!!!)

Many years ago I would meet in a restaurant with friends on a weekly basis. The owner was very old man. Each week he saw me set down to have coffee with friends. And as I sat he would approach tables (including ours)with the same questions. “Do you want to get ahead? How many hours do you work? How many hours do you sleep? What are you doing with the other 70 hours?”

It is a real group of questions.

2016 can be better or worse than 2015. In the end a lot will depend on what you and I want to see it shaped into.

Without The Shedding Of Blood…

leejohndrowteamI recently found out that some of my grandchildren had not been to see sap boiled in a New England sugar house. So, I made the decision to take them.

A friend has a sugar house and yesterday after checking with him, I found out what time they would begin boiling. Determining that, we headed out a short time later. As we went up the hill to the small farm, my mind flashed to times in my life where I had helped to gather sap, get it to the sugar house and spend way too many hours to develop what many call “liquid gold”. (I love the taste.) Continue reading Without The Shedding Of Blood…

What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything!

leejohndrowteamThis morning I awoke thinking of many things. Not to meditate on negatives or “what ifs” but to plumb the depth of my heart for love. Are people getting it? Is it there? Kind of a “how am I doing” exercise.

I lost an old friend yesterday. I received the call late last night from a friend who thought I would want to know. That was one of my thoughts this morning. Thoughts about my children and grandchildren. Thoughts about work. Continue reading What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything!

Arisen In New England

leejohndrowteamA few days ago, I was praying about some things and I felt this powerful pressure come upon me. It caused me to sense I was in His presence. I grabbed my phone and recorded what was being said. Part of it I am going to share today. I sense that it is for today predicated on a few things. The world seems to be moving in slow motion this morning. And I had a powerful dream that I am going to have to process through. I had something totally different to work on this morning in mind, but I believe this is it. Continue reading Arisen In New England

Is It Time To Celebrate?

leejohndrowteamI see all too often those that are dragged off course by the error of teaching, the deceptions of life and the unwillingness to rise up. And the hard part is knowing where some of it all ends. As you read this piece today I would like to encourage you to not allow the enemy to draw you to the side, to pull at you and destroy you. Continue reading Is It Time To Celebrate?

Letting Go And Choosing God

"Use me!"
“Use me!”

This week I will attend the funeral of a young person. This week I met with a young person planning for his future.

The tale of two places. One ahead. One dead. Through out life we encounter choice, chance and opportunity. What will we do? How will we choose? Continue reading Letting Go And Choosing God

A Hug Changes a Heart – Laughter Changes An Atmosphere

2014-08-09 13.57.03Last night a couple of young friends connected with me and ended up coming over to visit. If they only knew how much I “needed” it.

Perhaps it is the season and it is the enemy throwing junk down on people, but it has seemed like there is a lot going on in people’s lives. Maybe there is. Maybe we are more connected than we realize. But, when they said they were coming over, I was encouraged. Continue reading A Hug Changes a Heart – Laughter Changes An Atmosphere