Posts Tagged: Heaven
“The Wonders of Heaven and Earth”
A friend emailed me to thank me for my post titled, “You Can’t Hear Good News too Often.” She said, “I always appreciate GOOD NEWS! Especially lately.” I replied as follows:
“Yes, we all need good news—always.
And we always need to remember that “this world is not our home; we’re just a passin’ through,” to paraphrase that hill gospel song.
And remember: As you and I have decided, Heaven must have lots of books!
I have a recurring dream. In it, I am wandering through a very large, beautiful house. Every room is beautiful and every room is different. Some are filled with light and some with dark paneling, a fireplace, and (you guessed it!) books. I always have a profound sense of peace and joy and wonder while I am wandering through the rooms. Even when I awake, the peace and joy and wonder remain.
This planet, this life, is filled with wonder too. My prayer is that you and I and all of us will be captured by that wonder today, and that we will be as prepared as we can be for the wonder of Heaven.
“Thoughts Before Going Home”
Monday, February 25, 2019
Our time is coming to an end soon here in Florida. My goal is to enjoy the last few days we have here. I’ve had a really wonderful time. The warmth and sunshine have been delicious. So has the food. Long walks on the beach, miniature golf, the flowers, and seagulls—all wonderful! And, of course, being with my sweetheart, my wife, has been a great treat.
However, it will be good to be
Our time on earth will also end soon. We need to enjoy it, to cherish it, to take good care of the earth, of one another, of ourselves. But soon, we’ll be going home.
Paul reminds the Philippians that their real citizenship is in Heaven. (Philippians 3:20) Why did he need to remind them? Because they, like all of us, were prone to forget.
C.S. Lewis says that God gives us some nice inns along the way, but he never lets us mistake them for home.
The Greco-Roman philosopher Epictetus says something similar.
“Consider when, on a voyage, your ship is anchored; if you go on shore to get water you may along the way amuse yourself with picking up a shellfish, or an onion. However, your thoughts and continual attention ought to be bent towards the ship, waiting for the captain to call on board; you must then immediately leave all these things, otherwise you will be thrown into the ship, bound neck and feet like a sheep.
So it is with life. If, instead of an onion or a shellfish, you are given a wife or child, that is fine. But if the captain calls, you must run to the ship, leaving them, and regarding none of them. But, if you are old, never go far from the ship: lest, when you are called, you should be unable to come in time.”
Enjoy life, wherever you are, but don’t miss the boat!
“SO MUCH JOY!”
Some days, there is so much joy! Not all days. But many.
Joy in the fact that the semi-final softball game was rained out this morning. Not that I didn’t want to play. I just rejoice because the rainout is a fact.
Joy in weeding the flower bed with my sweetheart, even though I forgot to wear a belt, and my shorts were in constant danger of falling down.
Joy in writing a blog about mental noise.
Joy in looping Rich Mullins’ song “Calling Out Your Name.”
Joy in the breeze outside.
Joy in my puppy sleeping on my lap, as I write this post.
Joy in the goldfinch outside my study window.
Joy in having lived.
Joy in living right now.
Joy in thinking about my own death.
Joy in getting the paperwork together for donating my body to U.C. Medical.
Joy in looking forward to Heaven.
Joy in this planet.
Joy in my wife making gumbo for our dinner tonight.
Many years ago, a friend said to me, “You know, I think you have more joy than you know.”
Yes! And now, I know!
Readers, may you be joyous today! And may you come to enjoy your joy, and to know that you are in joy!
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- DTEB, “Getting Christ and Ourselves Back in Focus” November 11, 2024“Col. 3:1 ¶ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col. 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden […]
- “Search Me!” October 27, 2024“Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24, English Standard Version) I am participating in a Bible study, and this is a prayer […]
- “Christian Speech” October 26, 2024“Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Foulkes, in his excellent commentary on the Book of Ephesians, writes the following, which I quote at some length: “29. Now the […]
- “God is in the Details” October 11, 2024“The devil is in the details.” (A general saying, often quoted by lawyers, reporters, and negotiators.) “God is in the details.” (Me, almost certainly not original.) “Luke 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Jesus) God does not micromanage, but God […]
- “Grandma’s Pump” October 8, 2024When I was a little critter, I would stay at my grandma’s house for a night or two sometimes. I liked this for a lot for many reasons. One thing I liked about staying with her was that Grandma’s house was much more technologically advanced than ours was. For one thing, she had indoor water—sort […]
- “Wearing the #14 Wrong-Side-Out” October 5, 2024Pete Rose, #14, is dead. Many of the old guys with whom I play softball watched him play and appreciated him greatly. I do as well. He was one of the greatest players who ever played the game. Yes, he admitted (eventually) to betting on baseball. But many of us still regard him as one […]
- “Passing Along the Love (and a Link)” October 4, 2024Several years ago, a friend of mine put me onto a daily meditation by Richard Rohr and friends. I don’t read them all the time, but I probably should. They are good! I thought that today’s writing was especially good, and I also figured that this would be a good way to post something. I […]
- “Witnessing Versus Being Witnesses” September 19, 2024“Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after […]
- “A Bathroom Prayer for Hurting Hands” September 11, 2024A week ago Sunday, my hands were hurting so badly at church that I went to the bathroom to run hot water over my hands. Arthritis perhaps, or carpal tunnel, or general orneriness—I don’t know why my hands hurt, but they do. They have for years. So, while I was running hot water over my […]
- “Waiting and Seeking” September 10, 2024“Lam. 3:19 ¶ Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! Lam. 3:20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. Lam. 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Lam. 3:22 ¶ The steadfast love of the LORD […]
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