Mark didn’t wake up expecting to face death that day. Like most of us, he had a routine—coffee, chores, a job he loved as a professional numismatist (I didn’t know what that was, but he is a specialist in the value of coins)… He had done the same 46-mile commute for years, buying and selling rare coins with childlike wonder and the kind of wisdom that only comes from decades of experience. That evening, he cooked shrimp and rice. Nothing unusual. But his body had other plans. By midnight, he was violently shaking. His fever spiked to 104. His heart raced at 150 beats per minute. “Call the ambulance,” he finally gasped to his wife. “I think I’m dying.” He was right to be afraid. It turned out Mark had sepsis. And while doctors initially missed the diagnosis, it nearly claimed his life. He would later learn that most patients die from untreated sepsis within 36 hours. It had been five days before he received the right antibiotic. Mark survived. But he was changed. He now lives with an urgency he didn’t have before. Because the truth is—so do I. I’ve seen it too many times to believe otherwise: life can change in a heartbeat. That’s why I wrote Anticipating Heaven. It’s not just a book about dying well—it’s about living wisely, with peace and preparedness, even in the face of uncertainty. If Mark’s story makes you wonder whether you are prepared, I invite you to begin with the Planning for Peace Checklist. It’s a practical tool to help you take real steps toward spiritual clarity and calm—even when life throws its worst. You can’t predict the curveball. But you can prepare to face it with strength, faith, and hope.
