Men!

I pray that each of you had a fruitful weekend, an outstanding Monday and a great week ahead.  This change in weather is spectacular, I absolutely love fall.  It is an amazing time of year, bringing in the rest of winter to prepare for another spring and summer.  I need rest.  I need to plan rest.  It is so easy to not rest or to not plan or better yet to make too many plans (guilty as charged!).  

A REAL Man plans!

Who else loves to make a plan?  Come on, raise your hand high!  Don't be shy, it's okay to plan.  Men and plans go together like peanut butter and jelly.  A plan presents a course of action and gets us moving.  We like to move, we like action.  Action is exciting.  Excitement in Action makes life more enjoyable.  It's what we are designed for and wired to do, create plans and build things. And then…

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

A REAL Man plans!

That truth hurts, and its real.  We’ve been punched in the mouth, now what??

How do you respond when you get punched in the mouth?  What do you want to do?

Have you given up your plans?  Why?  A little adversity…come on, you are better than that.  Adversity is here to allow us to find alternate ways to be better men.  Without adversity life’s too easy.  We need difficulties to shape and harden us.  When we look back this year, 2020 will be one of the best things that EVER happened to us.  Think I’m kidding?  

A REAL Man plans!

Remember how easy life was in February, its hard to remember, you must remember.  You Can Plan for It to be Back!  

Your job is to plan for it.  Your job is to plan for your future.  

Your job is to create a vision for your family, not just for now, but a year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, a Generation from now, You must plan this out.  If you do not no one else will and your Life will be driven by others and happenstance.  You can do this, its part of your God-given purpose.

You are a man!  Men are intentional.  Men are deliberate.  Men want to be great.  Dare to be great, start planning now for 2021.  Plan everything down to the last detail.  Every single detail.

And then realize this:

"best-laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley [go often awry]."  - Robert Burns

And then roll with it and make the next best plan.  Why?  Because a man without a plan is just a plain peanut butter sandwich and lets be honest we need that jelly to bring some flavor to the plate of life!!

This weeks Action:

• Make a plan for your family for the rest of 2020 and all of 2021.  Start now.  Start small, just start.  Consider 5 areas of life to have at least one objective:  Work (School for kids), Family, Social, Physical, Spiritual.  Pick the one thing in each area that is the main thing and plan out how you will accomplish that.  Now do it, daily!
• Get with your wife and create an overarching family plan in each area; she will have insights into things you need to consider.  Now combine your wisdom and share the upcoming year with your kids and get feedback as need be.  You’re on your way.

“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”- Dwight Eisenhower

The Victory comes in the intentional action of taking charge of your life and those around you and leading them to something bigger and better than where they are now.  Focus on how God is leading you and them to make 2021 the counterpunch to this year.

Don’t Fear That Day!!!

Jonathan E. Kennedy Jr.