Don't Wait For Tomorrow: A Raw Conversation About Death And What Truly Matters

You ready for something new , something that will challenge your thinking and heart ? Are you willing and ready to unlearn in order to learn , willing to tear down so God can rebuild ? Good , let's get up and go . People are waiting for us . Let's go fishing hey , good

evening .

That's my calling , that's my anointing , my trade . You know I'm a lawyer . I manage litigation very well , respected commercial lender do a lot of things , but my calling is to preach , is to share the word of God , and usually I do that . Tonight is going to be different .

Maybe you'll see a little bit of me and what I'm about to say and what I'm about to share . Tonight is going to be different . Maybe you'll see a little bit of me and what I'm about to say and what I'm about to share .

My initial agenda tonight was to put out some content , some scriptures , some things that God has put on my heart to share with you , because it's been a while I think the last time I shared was in June and we're at the end of July and I've been getting a lot of emails , a lot of responses back on my pages that you know .

We're looking for you , bro , where you at . I'm coming with it Next two episodes . I'll have some things for you , but I need to talk frank tonight and hopefully , hopefully , for those who know my heart , you know where I'm coming from , because my heart is heavy . My heart is heavy , man . My heart is really heavy .

I haven't felt this kind of heaviness since my mom passed . But I'm hurting . I'm just hurting , and my hurt is not because of anything happening in my personal life . It's because of the hurt I'm feeling from people that I knew , that I grew up with , that are now gone . And you know it's tough . I tell people this Death is sobering . Death is so sobering .

I look at you , know what David said , what James said in the book of James , james 4.14 . It says whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow , for what is your life ? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . David said it like this in Psalms 39.5 even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away .

David said it like this in Psalms 39.5 . Indeed , you have made my days as hand breaths and my ages as nothing before you . Certainly , every man at his best state is but vapor . Even in verse 11 , he goes down and says when , with rebukes , you correct man for iniquity , you make his beauty melt away like a moth .

Surely , every man is a vapor , and I feel that tonight . I feel that tonight , so I'm sure y'all are wondering . You know what's going on with this brother , so let me share with you some things that's on my heart . You know , one thing I've learned is that ,

you know , at my age I'm 57 you know , and I shared before , that when you get older , when I was young , you know , I guess you could say we live life looking through the front glass of a car going 100 miles an hour . We were so always looking forward to what's ahead of us .

When you get older , you live your life through the rearview mirror Instead of the front window , because you start looking at where you've come from , you start looking back at things . You start looking at things differently Because now you know , most of your years are already behind you and there are less years in front of you .

So you live your life looking backwards To see where you've come from , but also sometimes you live looking at regrets of things you wish you had done better , and I have those moments . I'm sure you do too . But one thing I will say is this you know , for all of us this applies to all of us , not just me , not just you Life is so short .

Don't waste your time on the petty mess . If you have loved ones that you haven't told you love them , tell them . Don't wait till tomorrow . Tell them Because there's no guarantee they will be there when you wake up in the morning , and there's no guarantee you will be there .

But I'm saying to tell them , not because you know , not only because you don't know if you have a tomorrow , but tell them because they matter today . If you have to get something right with someone that you wrong , get it right . Don't wait till tomorrow , you know .

My parents , when they moved from South Carolina to New Jersey , the first place they moved to was Newark , new Jersey . My father bought a house Littleton Avenue . I wasn't born at that time but after I was born we visited Newark on a weekly basis because my uncles , my maternal uncles and aunts lived in Newark on Dayton Street .

So going to Newark was like a regular rite of passage . Every week We'd play in the graveyard , the cemetery , right across from Dayton Avenue . Just imagine the senior seeing good times with those projects . That's where they lived . One lived in one building . My uncle Jesse and his family lived in one building . My uncle Jesse and his family lived in one building .

My uncle George and his family lived in the other building and we would visit because

those were my mom's brothers . It was a good life , it was good man , it was good . And you know , when I was born my parents moved to East Orange , new Jersey . We kept the house in Newark but we moved to 119th Street in East Orange . When I was born , my parents moved to East Orange , new Jersey .

We kept the house in Newark but we moved to 119th Street in East Orange when I was born . I was born in East Orange Hospital . I don't remember much about East Orange , except that my cousin Terry and my cousin Joe and all those would come visit .

But by the time I was able to really recognize childhood , my father already relocated us to Willingboro , new Jersey , which is what I call home . I was born in East Orange but I was raised in Willingboro . Willingboro , new Jersey . Exit 5 off the New Jersey Turnpike is my home . You know when people can say what they want .

I guess since we moved they call it killing borough . But it's not . It's always going to be Willingboro . A lot of good times and there was always some tough times . But Willingboro , especially for a person of color , was a gem . No , it didn't start out that way . We moved there in 1969 before . There were a lot of people of color .

It was integrated but it was rough going for people who were there in the early 70s and the mid-70s . We were called out of our name and you know the N-word a lot , but it still turned into something beautiful .

By the 80s there were more of us and it became such a beautiful place and it was still integrated and people of color got along with people who were not of color and we all just got along . You know , we all saw things differently .

Now I know that's not the way it is now , but Willingboro will always be a special place , so much so that when we had our children , one of the things I wanted to do was move back there to be closer to my mom and dad , because they still had their house on Northampton Drive , but also because I wanted my kids to see what it was like to grow up in a

town that was pretty much governed by people that look like them , being taught by people that look like them , because the world is not the same . Most of America , and honestly most of the world , is not run by people of color . But I thought it was important my children had to see that and get to see that before we moved away .

And we had to move away because it got a little rough . And I don't regret moving , but there were some things I do miss about it , but I'm staying on that . To say this , growing up in Warmborough had a good friend , had a lot of good friends . One of the guys who helped me learn how to play the drums real well was a guy named Kevin Hayes .

Man , he was an amazing drummer and , you know , I would stay after school and he would show me some drum techniques and it got to a point where we would do what's called shedding , which is where we would basically just do a jam session after school on the drums . Ken was a really good guy .

Never said a bad word out of his mouth , man , as far as dogging you out , he was always , you know , good people . And I found out , you know , today , that he passed in march of this year . And it hit home , man , because you know not that you can passed in March of this year .

And it hit home , man , because you know not that you can keep up with everybody . But , man , I was a guy I wish I had kept up with , you know , because the last time I saw him he actually

came to the church I was at in New Jersey . We were giving him a move and he saw me playing the drums and he looked at me and smiled and just winked his eye like I see you bro , you back at it again . It was good man . I wish I had talked to him , but so much was going on , he had left by the time I came down off the set .

But it hurts because I mean he was a good brother man and I wouldn't be anywhere near as good a drummer without Kevin helping me along . The one thing that kind of hit home with me today was I wouldn't be anywhere near as good a drummer without Kevin helping me along .

The one thing that kind of hit home with me today was , in addition to finding out about Kevin passing away , I found out that a good brother , rob Parlow , passed away . And you know , rob , that's Kevin .

They're from Willingboro and it's crazy because you know , growing up , you know we were in high school , my junior and senior year in high school , me and Rob's brother , greg , formed a band called Lost Cause .

It was me , greg , steven Allen , maurice Cook , my boy , maurice , tracy McKelvin man and Jai Quick and we formed a group and we just would go over to Jai's house and just jam , kick it out , and every so often we'd go over to Greg's house in Twin Hills and Robbie would be there .

He was a little kid and he'd be there and watch us practice and just sit and stare . We would go for hours but he'd be fascinated . You know Robbie later grew up to become an amazing singer , was one of the three people in a group called City High .

Y'all know their song what Would you Do , along with Ryan Tobey and Claudette Ortiz all Willowboro natives and you know they broke apart . But you know I didn't really I wasn't like hanging out with Robbie or anything like that . I wasn't like as close to him as like Ryan Toby and Claudette and all them .

But you know we just dialogued a little back and forth on Facebook . You know little comments here and there . And then I think the last communication I had with robbie he had said something crazy . You know doing eagles talk . He was like cursing up a storm . I've ever reached out to him say yo , bro , you're right , man , just dm him .

And he's like it's cool , man , it's cool . And one of the things that I surprisingly got back when I started the podcast . I don't know what the episode was , but he reached out to me and said man , I appreciate that you sharing man , appreciate that scripture and the word he said I'm listening to you , bro , and I lifted at that man .

I guess the thing that sticks with me , man , is that you know , to know that he was listening to the podcast , to know that he was trying his best , he had his demons we all do . We can't judge .

The brother was trying man , but it just hurts to know that you know someone who was trying to do better , and I'm sure he wasn't , and I'm just going to be crazy enough to believe that somehow someway , because at the end of my episodes there's a prayer of faith . If it wasn't through that maybe it was God sending someone else .

But I'm still believing and hoping that he received the Lord before he went on , passed away yesterday , the 17th , in Willingboro , no less surrounded by his family , willingboro , no less surrounded by his family .

So I offer our condolences from another little podcast , to his family man , first of all , his wife , anika Parlow , and his two children , larrick and Cord , and to his mom , miss Marion Parlow , who was really instrumental for us at another look , not another podcast at when we did Common , I'm sorry , lost , call Us , the band we were in .

She was really nice to us , man , and especially to his brother , my boy Craig Parlow , man who graduated class of 86 , wimbledon High School , pulled a surprise winning poet and professor man , good brother . Man , good brother , professor man , good brother man , good brother and uh man , also to his crew , um , Ryan Tobey and his um and Claudette Ortiz .

Man Just wishing y'all , keeping y'all in our prayers , hoping and praying that while you grieve , that Holy Spirit comfort you and shield you from all hurt , harm . Hoping and praying that while you grieve , that Holy Spirit comforts you and shields you from all hurt , harm and danger . Man Gives you peace in this time of hardship .

Man , and you know one thing I want to share with y'all why I feel I do what I do . You know , when I was younger I mean , I was

saved since I was 11 years old I wasn't almost the best Christianist . I'm sure y'all weren't either but in my teen years it was hard for me to share my faith because I was struggling with so many different things man , self-esteem , different struggles with trying to be , trying to be a son to my father and my mother man .

It was like dealing with a lot of rejection , stuff like that and um . But one thing that stuck with me , that drove me to who I am today , was a situation where you know , when I was in high school I worked at a movie theater called the Fox Theater A good couple of Robins , they were good man , they treated me nice .

They hired me Partially mainly because I was a martial artist . I was a second degree black belt and he had just , you know , wombro was rough , so he was in a situation where he would get hit by people and he needed protection .

So you know , people knew me and Wombro , you know that if you gonna come at me you better prepare for my feet to hit you in your face . I didn't play . Mr Robbins knew that , so he hired me . In addition , he hired my boy , troy , who was a football player , troy Bratton , or the Reverend , the right Reverend , troy Bratton hey , troy .

But he hired this other young man called Kevin . His name was Kevin . Kevin was like a jokester , he was a prankster , he was younger than me and Troy and me and Troy would also clown him a lot . But he would come up there , he'd hang around us . I guess to him we were his big brothers and you know we would joke .

But you know I wasn't one to kind of talk about God or anything like that . And you know , eventually life changed , changed .

I went to college , came back to Willingboro sporadically for my breaks and for the summer , but I never really caught up with Kevin and Troy kept up with Kevin more because Troy stayed on what I went on and stayed in contact with Kevin .

But eventually , you know , troy went to college too With Paul Quinn in Texas , where he met his lovely wife Teresa , and you know he grew on too . But I remember one day after I graduated college I came home and I read in the newspaper that Kevin had committed suicide , drove off a bridge with his two twin sons . Hit me like a brick man man , that's tough .

Hit me like a brick Because in the back of my mind , in addition to grieving the loss , I kept wondering could I have made a difference if I shared the gospel with them ? It convicted me , it stuck with me for years , even when I was in college , doing everything I knew how to do that I thought I was grown enough to do , I could .

There were times I ain't gonna lie , I'll be honest I'd be high as a kite , drunk or whatever , and in the back of my mind I'd still be thinking about that . I guess in some ways I was trying to drown out the guilt and the conviction . I felt that had I shared more of Christ with him , maybe he wouldn't have done what he did .

Eventually , in my senior year , I really even though I was saved , I call it I really gave my life to Christ and I won't go into a lot of detail about that . But my life changed and then my trajectory changed . I began living for the Lord . As imperfect as I was , I began to make the effort to live for the Lord . I studied the Word .

I got around people who were Christians , even to a point where my boys we call them thick as thieves . We were really tight Matt , chris , clayton , thurman , all of us , troy , of course , derek . We would all hang out in different areas and spots and , as you know , they were all in my groom's party .

So it's crazy because by the time I moved to Delaware after we got married , all my boys got saved . I was so on fire for the Lord . We led them all to the Lord . I'm not taking any credit for that , because it was only the move of God . You know , since that time Chris has gone home with the Lord .

Last year or earlier this year he was my mentor for being a lawyer , because he was the first person that showed me that a black man could practice law . And I mean Chris was like that brother . He went to Cornell and Georgetown , but Chris was man and under all that Chris was a good brother . He loved the Lord .

He actually joined the church I grew up in and became a leader in that church . But I say all that to say man , what drives me to do this is this is that you never know who you reach . You never know what word you could say . When you share the word of God from the heart , you never know who's listening .

And I know we're in a generation where everybody is about the likes and the number of followers and subscribers so they can monetize their following . I don't begrudge that . That's your thing . Cool If it happens with my podcast , cool .

But that's not what I'm aiming for .

Man , I said this before when I did that powerful episode that's probably one of the top episodes that's still getting thousands of subscriptions , not that the numbers matter when I did Emmanuel a message to the people in the shadows that's what I'm trying to get to those people in those corners in the shadows , where you know the light's not shining , but they want

help , they want to reach . They want God to say something . They want God to . They ask God , do you hear me , god ? Are you listening to my prayer , god ? Do you hear me ? God ? Are you listening to my prayer , god ? Do you see the tears in my face , coming down my face ? They're in the shadows , but they're not seen by the crowd , by the church clique .

They're not seen in the front pulpit . They're not regarded as worthy , they're not treated with the love of Christ , but they're still important to the Lord . That's what I'm trying to reach . I'm trying to reach the next Kevin who's thinking about ending his life tonight .

I'm trying to reach that Ann , or that Cleo , or that Jennifer who is confused about her identity or his identity and thinking that they , because of their confusion , life's not worth living . I'm trying to reach that person to let you know you do matter and even if you struggle , if you could just go another day , it's okay . See , nothing else matters , man .

I'm realizing as I get older , nothing else matters , man . I'm realizing as I get older , nothing else matters except what I do for Christ , because only what I do for Christ is going to last . Look , there is going to come a time when my life will end .

I know that I'm at peace with it , but the thing that lives on after I'm at peace with it no-transcript and I'll move on and God will bring someone else in and that's cool . But long after I'm forgotten , my hope is that these words that I share with you on this podcast will last way beyond my time .

The words that God gives me to say to you will last way beyond my lifetime , because now it sticks to me I mean it did before , but now it really sticks to me that that DM he sent me Rob sent me saying he's listening to the podcast .

I hope it's that it made an impression on his life , not because of me , but because Christ that lives in me wanted him to hear that we all need to think about those things now . I don't know how long we have .

All I know is we have to live like today is the only day left , tomorrow's not promised , and instead of living it up like there's no tomorrow , live like there is a tomorrow after tomorrow , not in this world , but in the world to come . So I live . I know I live with eternity on my mind .

I live thinking about the next life , not this life , though I make plans for this life for my loved ones . I don't put my treasure in this place . I put my treasure in heaven , where there's no rust , there's no corruption , and I pray that you do too . To the Parlow family , I'm sorry , praying for you guys , hoping God comforts and keeps you .

To the Hayes family , praying for you . Pray God keeps and comforts you . And I want to mention one more person . I haven't spoken about him for any of my episodes , but when I was growing up there was a good friend of mine , sean Hilliard , and I'm sure his sister Brandy listens , but I'm not sure . But Sean was cool man .

He was a good friend of mine Wild hair but he was cool man . He was a good friend of mine , wild hair but he was a good person man . He could run like nobody's business and loved himself some rock and roll . He introduced me to groups like Kiss and Boston and what have you ? Sean was good people man .

A year ago I'm not sure if it was a year or two years ago I found out he died of cancer . A year ago I'm not sure if it was a year or two years ago Found out he died of cancer . And that hit too man . Because I mean , these are people I grew up with and I just wish that's one regret I have .

One of my many regrets , I'm sure , is that I wish I had talked to him one more time . I never got to speak to him for you , I haven't spoke to him for decades . I spoke to his sister , brandy , who's still good friends with my sister . But , brandy , to you and your family , I'm keeping you all in my prayers . Sean was a good people man .

Listen , I wish I had gotten , wish we had reconnected again , but I'm grateful for the time we did have cause . You made an indelible imprint on my life . I pray that this . Thank y'all for indulging me for a few minutes . Just had to get this day off my heart , man , you know , it's just a lot . Like I said , death is sobering , you know .

But I do realize that sometimes you have to go through the dark to get to the light and I pray that , uh , if you are feeling some kind of way , maybe if you lost a loved one , just don't I mean grieve . Grieve with purpose . Grieve knowing that it's just temporary . You're going to feel it for a while , but it's not the sum total of your life .

And especially when we grieve hard I learned this when I went through Grief Share Be a grieve heart that speaks to the depth of love you have for that person . Don't let someone tell you when you can and can't stop grieving . Grieve based on what you need and grieve based on your own pace . Don't let anybody rush you out of your grief .

But also don't isolate . That's dangerous . Don't isolate ,

that's dangerous . Don't isolate . Don't get to a point where you isolate , you grieve by yourself and you shut people out of your life , because that's also the playground for the enemy to mess with your mind , as I have learned Just a few things .

I don't mean to be preachy , so I apologize if I am , but anyway I just want to tell y'all hey , I'm with y'all , I love you . If you need any help , if you need anything , just reach out to us at ALP trinity1.gmailcom or hit us up on our pages on Facebook and Instagram . Listen , love you , be blessed .

Thank you for indulging with me and look , we'll be back on track next episode . God bless you . Thank you for joining us at Another Look Podcast . We now come to that portion

of this series , of this episode , where we offer you the opportunity to receive Christ as your personal Lord and Savior . According to Romans 10 , 9 , and 10 , it says If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead , you will be saved .

One believes with the heart , resulting in righteousness , and one confesses with the mouth , resulting in salvation . So if you believe , I want you to repeat these words after me . Dear heavenly father , I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ . Your word says whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved , and that's in Acts 2.21 .

I'm calling on you and I come surrendering my life and my will to you . I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life . If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead , you will be saved .

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with your mouth I make confession unto salvation . I do that now . I confess that Jesus is Lord of my life and I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead . I ask you , holy Spirit , to come make your home inside of me and live in me .

I confess all of my sins to you , lord , and ask for forgiveness for them right now , in the name of Jesus , I receive you , jesus , as my Lord and Savior . I thank you , god , that I am now reborn and a new creation . I am a Christian , a child of Almighty God and a child of the one true King . I have salvation and I am saved .

Thank you , jesus , lord . You also said in your word Lord , if you then , being evil , know how to give good gifts to your children , how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him , according to your word in Luke 11 , 13 . I'm also asking you to infill me with the Holy Spirit .

Holy Spirit , rise up within me as I praise God . I fully expect to receive a supernatural prayer language and speak in that language as you give me the utterance , according to your word in Acts 2.4 . In Jesus' name , amen , so be it , congratulations . If you prayed this prayer , then you were born again and now have eternal life in Christ Jesus .

All of your sins are now forgiven and the Holy Spirit now lives inside of you . The word of God says that everyone in heaven rejoices at your salvation , according to Luke 15 , 7 and 10 . So right now , heaven is having a party because of your decision and God has a huge smile on his face .

If you prayed this prayer , please email us at alptrinity1 at gmailcom so we can hear your testimony , pray for you and send you a gift from this ministry . God bless you and remember this always . Jesus loves you . Amen . Roger , zero G and I feel fine .