(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14) This is a good article written by Chuck Monan, Pulpit Minister fpr the Pleasant Valley church of Christ, Little Rock, Ar.

During a nondescript Monday Night Football Game on Dec 8, 1980, Howard Cosell broke away from his play by play duties to announce that John Lennon had been killed outside his New York City home by an assassin. I still recall that as clearly as what happened this morning.
In November I had the opportunity to visit New York to spend time with my friend Bill Johnson. As Bill played tour guide, I ask if we might go by the Central Park West area and see a couple of sites associated with Lennon. This he was happy to do.
The Dakota is a baroque-style fortress that was Lennon's last home. Outside its walls is where he was killed and where thousands showed up to keep vigil afterward. Accross the street in Central Park is Strawberry Fields, a favorite oasis in the park of Lennon's. Hardly a day goes by without some rememberance of John Lennon being placed on the mosaic that reads IMAGINE - a rose, a poem, a candle, a bouquet of flowers. The day I visited I placed a few CD's of my brother Joe Patrick's music on the spot.
December 8, 2005 marked twenty five years since Lennon's death. When i think of all the things that have happened since then, it seems like a long time. But when I think of how vividly I remember that night, it seems like only yesterday.
One of the last songs Lennon recorded was titled (Just Like) Starting Over. It paints a picture of a man who wanted to go back before so many mistakes were made and start again with a clean slate.

Our life together is so precious together
We have grown- we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take our chance and fly away somewhere alone
Its been so long since we took the time
No one's to blame
I know time flies so quickly
But when i see you darling
Its like we both start falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over.
A few weeks later Lennon was dead. He never got the opportunity to start over.
You and I do have such an opportunity. Is there a relationship that needs mending? A habit that needs breaking? A goal that needs launching? Begin today. What kind of changes do we need to make? Here are some possibilities.


1. Thank God for the past year, When we take inventory, we see much for which to be thankful. Family, friends, health, material blessings, spiritual purpose... all of us

2.Prioritize
Are you being worn out by amillion activities? Sit down and make a list of the things that matter most, then put the big rocks in the jar first.
3. Don't be afraid to say "NO" once in a while No one can do everything. If you try you will only end up disappointing yourself and others. Better to excell at a few things than perform many with mediocrity.
4. Put people ahead of posessions, Over the years I have officiated at many funerals. I can't recall any caskets stuffed with cash. Nor do the eulogies mention all the items owned by the deceased. But relationships are always celebrated. Spend more time investing yourself in the lives of others this year.

While there is life, there is hope. We can start over from where we are. And when we do, we will discover that tomorrow can be better than yesterday.