There is no denying that we all leave this earth eventually, but things are different when we are given a specific timeline, counting down the days until our last breath. What would we do with our time if that were the case? Would we go down a spiral of desolation or would we gear up to climb up the rocky mountain with a courageous heart? Creative Soul, Jos McLaren, has the irrevocable certainty that God holds the true calendar of her life, and she is here to make every single second count, filling the world with songs that elate the heart with heavenly notes.
Jos McLaren is a musician and singer-songwriter from Leeds, U.K. She knew music was going to be her main language at an early age, going to church singing worship music, and being inspired by her mother, a pianist, and guitarist. In high school, she joined the school chorus, attended competitions, wrote songs, and recorded music with the school.
Alas, at the age of 41, Jos was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer, and 5 months later, it was found to have spread to 2 vertebrae, giving her, according to the doctor, only a couple of years to live. “Only God can call me home,” Jos wouldn’t accept her doctor’s diagnosis. She felt it was not God’s plan for her life to end yet as she still had so much to do.
In the midst of the turbulence, dealing with emotional pain and overcoming fears, Jos gave birth to a song where she poured out her honest feelings. Dying to Live was born to awaken hope, love, and light. It is her attestation that no matter what anyone can predict for our future, we hold in our hearts our true compass and Jos’s is pointing toward the North Star.
Not sure what to do with the song, Jos was advised by a friend to create a social media account to share her music, and as she did some research she found out about a songwriting conference at Abbey Road Studios in London. She took a leap of faith and submitted an application without even having the song ready to share. Jos was selected and without telling anyone, she went off to the conference. On the way, she wrote the second verse of Dying to Live and recorded a rough demo that night in her hotel room.
For Jos, hearing the panelists share their wisdom was amazing. “If I got to sit on the front row I was going to be courageous and ask a question,” Jos had made a deal with God the day before, and guess what? Part way through the session the panelists asked to take a couple of questions and this was her opportunity. Till then, she hadn’t shared about her health with anyone at the conference, and her question was fair: What to do with a song when you literally were given an expiration date by a doctor? Jos received helpful advice from the panel and God had an unexpected gift for her.
After the session, Mariela Silva, another conference delegate, approached Jos and asked Jos to send the song to her boyfriend, Liam Narrie. Liam is a music producer and engineer, who trained at Abbey Road Institute. After hearing the rough demo Liam invited Jos to record it in London.
Mariela, together with Liam, surprised Jos in unbelievable ways and even had her blindfolded as a driver took her to a mystery destination in London. Jos couldn’t believe her eyes as she stepped onto the ground where The Beatles had walked, and she was about to do that and more. Inside one of the studios at Abbey Road, there were some musicians. As Jos approached, she could hear her song being dressed with the sound of drums, strings, and keyboards… her soul was overjoyed as God winked at her.
Her dreams began to blossom and on the two-year anniversary of the terminal diagnosis that she was given, she threw a party to celebrate her triumph, and on the following day, she went to a songwriters retreat in Spain, as part of The Songwriting Academy. There, Jos met her soul tribe, including Keahi Rozet, Kelly Jett, Kathleen Schobel, Farzana Khan, and Kathi Fran. She started writing songs with them, understanding each other, coming from different backgrounds, races, and cultures, and sharing the love of music. “It’s not all about your thoughts with co-writing. It’s about adding each other’s touch. It’s like hanging out with friends,” Jos loves spending time with her soul family and they visit each other from one continent to the next. Music, love, and a lot of laughs keep the group growing strong and bright.
In January of 2023, they met again at the Drill Down Level Up music conference in Sandestin, Florida. She was given the opportunity to perform her song Dying to Live, blowing everyone away. Learning about sync, Jos has started working with music supervisors to try and place her songs in TV and film, and she continues to expand her field of blooming daffodils, creating music from the heart, and channeling the grace of God through her voice and presence.
Filled with confidence and knowing well how valuable time is, she started reaching out to cancer charities to help promote their work through using her song. She wants to make sure people become aware of these services such as makeup, skincare, and yoga for cancer patients, so they can improve their well-being. Jos’ story has been published in a regional newspaper and various radio stations have played her song. Though she’s not interested in fame, she’s excited that her song is reaching others and uplifting them.
Jos will soon be releasing an EP, which Liam Narrie will produce, including “The One Thing I Would Do.” Jos wrote this song, inspired by her nephews, about how spending time with the people you love is the most treasured thing.
“It’s all God,” Jos declares, a stage 4 breast cancer survivor who is using her skills as a nurse to do her injections at home, which has helped her tremendously in maintaining her holistic care… However, Jos has also received negative remarks because she’s not bald and doesn’t look unwell, but instead she has the biggest smile, and the brightest eyes, with the most positive words of advice and delicious cookies and chocolates to share.
No, no one would ever know that Jos deals with cancer every day of her life. She’s not here to make us sob with a sad tale or use her story to gain anything in return. Her joy is genuine and she’s an example that our faith should be bigger than our problems.
What ends our lives is not necessarily sentenced by an illness but by our attitude towards it. Jos’s conviction surpasses any diagnosis and criticism, and she’s encouraging us to trust in the undeniable ability of miracles to enter our lives. Jos is not only an example that we can move mountains if our faith is as big as a mustard seed. She’s an inspiration that dreams do come true if we put our hearts into it and trust in our mission. She is light, and she is love… Jos is the essence of God on earth.
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