Tag Archives: Bible

Heaven

4 May

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

For most of my life, I’ve been wondering what Heaven is like, or will be like for me personally. One of the first blogs I Stairway to Heaven with MLKwrote was about the time, when I was five-years-old, that I saw the neighbor on her way to Heaven. I may have dreamed it — doesn’t matter if I did or not.

Anyhow, I saw her walk down to the end of our street and up a staircase and I knew where she was going. Later that day Mother told me the neighbor had died and gone to Heaven. Sorry, I don’t know the doctrine in this story. I do know that seeing people go up a staircase is not uncommon. I Googled it.

In college, I wrote an essay wondering what Heaven was like and the class discussed it until the teacher brought us back to earth.

I read a reliable “doctrinal” book called, Heaven, by Randy Alcorn that I enjoyed, but I still wanted to know more.

Finally, a tiny flame started to flicker in my imagination and I came up with an answer that satisfies me. I take no responsibility for whether this is true or not and when you get there, don’t blame me if it’s nothing like I’ve thought up. Ask God for your own vision of Heaven.

I don’t know who will greet me or what that will be like, but it will be a warm welcome, I know that much.

In the song, “Amazing Grace,” it says, “When we’ve been there ten-thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.” So, theology (and practicality) aside, what’s going to keep us entertained for ten thousand years and more?

Here’s my take on it. I will never be alone unless I want to be alone. I’ll be with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as well as the people I have loved, love now, and will love when I meet them. Much of our time will be spent in celebration and praising God.

That leads me to the next phase of my fantasy. I will have challenges (and success). I will learn every song I ever wanted to know, play every instrument I ever wanted to play, and see every sight I ever wanted to see. I will learn, do, and share everything I’ve ever wanted to know, experience, or contribute. Life will be full of awe.

Bill and I aren’t in any hurry to go to Heaven. God is so good to us now. We do everything we can to stay healthy and happy. We try to listen to Him and we ask Him to empower us to do the work He sets out for us. We have accepted Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. That means that when our spirits split out of their cocoons, we will go to Heaven. We will fly free of all pain, confusion, and sorrow. Rejoice now. Rejoice later.

“When we all Get to Heaven.”

Heaven, by Randy Alcorn

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Where Are They Now

20 Feb

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

A young man walking through a cemetery came across this epitaph written on a tombstone:

“Pause, stranger, when you pass me by-
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be-
Prepare yourself to follow me.”

His reply: “To follow you, I’m not content-
Until I know which way you went!”

If you want to follow someone,
follow Christ, my friend.
He will lead you into paths of righteousness,
and His mercy has no end.

What we think about heaven
determines how we live today.
We can easily be led away from God’s purposes-
if we do not steadfastly pursue His way.

When things go wrong, as they often do-
How do you respond-
Do you pray it through?

It may depend on your expectancy,
Did you implore the Lord
your need to see?

Patience, dear friend,
the Lord knows our needs before we even ask Him.
He will supply those needs no matter how stark or grim.”

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for
the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Titus 2:11-13

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Smart Kids

18 Nov

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistI have my great grandfather’s fifth grade reading book called,  Appleton’s Fifth Reader (1880). In vocabulary it resembles a nowadays college literature book. It favors the Bible as a guide for life and explains its meanings and origins: Translation of the Twenty-Third Psalm: “The Lord my pasture shall prepare…

” It has numbered instructions as to how to live a spiritually, emotionally, and physically satisfying life in tune with your fellow human. I found this one particularly poignant: “Read no letters, books, or papers in company: but when there is a necessity for doing it, you must ask leave (permission).

” Poems such as, “Hymn to the Night,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow make up a large percentage of the Fifth Reader’s pages. “I heard the trailing garments of the night trail through her halls…”

As I page through I find many things I would not have been able to understand in the fifth grade. I doubt whether there are many fifth graders today who would understand either, but surely…if someone taught us?

Kid’s are smart. They can learn and they are capable of deep thinking. I met a second generation Egyptian girl who is eleven years old, and who  speaks English, French, Chinese, and Arabic. I can attest that her English is flawless. I don’t know about the others I can’t speak any of those languages. And the nice thing about her was that she was kind, cooperative, respectful and interested. She gently taught the younger children how to jump rope.

The two children across the street are home schooled, and boy are they happy, sweet, and respectful…fun too. Every Monday their mom drives them half an hour to Classic Conversations where their curriculum for the week is laid out for her and they are schooled as well. This brother and sister study and memorize the Bible, they learn about morals, and they learn about America.

Essie, the “about to be ten” child is in her second year of Latin. She says it’s easier than it was last year. She and her brother spoke of their History timeline in song. I asked if they would sing it for me, but they said it was thirteen minutes long. I asked for a sample and heard words such as Mesopotamia and Nicene.

So maybe given the vocabulary, they could understand the Appleton’s Fifth Reader from 1880. Maybe the second-generation Egyptian girl could too. Really why think there’s anything today’s children can’t learn? Maybe it’s a matter of parents who know what they want for their children going out and getting it.

Are we still a do-it-yourself country or is that all in the past? Try Googling, why home school? You’ll get a lovely surprise. Your kids don’t have to be under educated or follow the wrong kind of peer pressure. I know a lot of home schoolers who are all grown up now. I’d like for you to meet them. They are the good future for our country. If attitude is all important, then they’ve got the most important thing in the world, a great attitude. If you decide to home school, you can get all the support you need to give your once in a lifetime kids what you want most for them to have. Go for it! 

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Standing on the Promises

22 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistEvery family has trouble and sorrow. Our’s is no exception, but one day when I had come to the end of my resources, I discovered that God made promises in the Bible. Nothing has ever been the same since.

As I began to see scripture as promises I wrote them down in a small, red, velvet book. Soon it was filled with promises and quotations from godly folks I trust.

Now many years later, I’ve seen the fulfillment of those promises. Not only have they been fulfilled in the family we started with but in our descendants as well. My greatest hope has happened. God is good.

How about you, is there a special promise you have claimed in trying times?

“All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 53:13

 

If you would like to read more from DiVoran she can be found at Rebekah Lyn Books

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A Thousand Trials

15 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Trials make us more able to trust God. We trust Him more quickly each time one Author, Poet and Artistcomes to us and we trust him on a deeper level the next time. We must, however, remember to come to him while we are in the trial and to ask him for revelation, insight, peace, and power every time.

If we try to white-knuckle it though life, we turn ourselves blind and deaf to the guidance and miracle help he wants to give us. When we tell Him we need his nurturing and care in the midst of the storm, He will perform miracles so wondrous we are hardly able to contain their glory. It’s worth it. We’re worth it. Being in the center of His will is worth it.

“All things work together for good for those who love God and who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“In one thousand trials it is not five hundred of them that work for the believer’s good, but nine hundred and ninety-nine of them and one besides.” George Mueller

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Damaged Goods

8 Jul

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

 

We’re all damaged, except maybe you. Congratulations.

As for the rest of us we have, like saplings all been bent

in different ways.

We’re not like anyone else,

No matter how hard we try to conform.

When we decide we’re never going to be invincible in ourselves

God can use us.

Do we have strengths that God can use?

Sorry, no. it is not our strength He wants.

He has plenty of his own.

What He wants from us are those weaknesses

He allows to be textured into our character.

When we are weak. He is strong.

So in muddling through, we find joy and sometimes sorrow.

Trust Him. His strength is there for us and in us. It is enough.

It is everything. He can do wonderful, miraculous, surprising things with it.

 

Bear

 

 

 

 

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Shocking! I Am Praising a Car Dealership

27 Jun

 On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

We took our Toyota to the dealership today to resolve some recalls that we had been putting off.  The closest one is around one hour and forty minutes south of us so we decided to combine our weekly breakfast get together which is also south with a trip to the dealership.

When I called to set up our appointment the service manager asked if we could arrive earlier than our planned 11am since the repairs would take around two hours. When I told him earlier just wouldn’t work (because we do have priorities and breakfast out is high on our list) he was very accommodating and agreeable.*5

When we purchased our truck from the dealership, one of their selling points was that they provided loaner cars if you need service so I was surprised when I enquired about getting a loaner to learn that they no longer provided them. We had plans to do some shopping while we were in a “big city”. BUT, he said and this is a big but the dealership provides a shuttle that will take you anywhere you want to go. Hmm I thought, this could be interesting, picturing a dusty passenger van.

So with minimal traffic and after a short wait we were handing our truck over to the service manager. He verified the recalls and asked if he had our permission to check the truck for any other problems. We told him sure, expecting the old up sale routine. He then asked if we were waiting on the truck and we answered we were and would like to use the shuttle to go to lunch. I really expected a frown and maybe some excuse making but instead we got a big smile and assurance he would call the shuttle driver right away.

.I had done an online search for shops and restaurants and decided I would like to have lunch at Olive Garden. We were pleased to see the shuttle was a very nice Camry and the driver was a delightful middle age lady. She chatted easily as we made the short trip, delivered us to the door and told us to call when we were ready to return.

After a leisurely lunch we made the call for pick up and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly she arrived. Our driver had been listening to a pastor on the radio and left it playing softly as we talked.

Back at the dealership, the truck was going to require about forty-five more minutes.  The service manager was so upset we would have to wait and offered the shuttle to drive us to the mall. Truth to tell, I was tempted by the idea of a trip to a shopping mall without having to hunt for a parking place but we decided to just wait.

This dealership had two waiting areas, one for buyers and one for service. They each have large overstuffed leather furniture, large screen televisions and free coffee but the service waiting room was really impressive. It had two computer stations, fresh fruit that was frequently replenished and free packaged snacks. The dealership had made every effort to make it’s customers feel valued and cared

Governors Prayer Breakfast

Governors Prayer Breakfast

about. The wait didn’t seem very long before they called our name. As we went to get the truck I thought, “oh no, now we have to deal with the up sale”. You know what I mean; you need a transmission flush or when was your last lube job? But none of that happened. The service manager apologized again about the delay, chatted for a minute then sent us on our way.

What makes this dealership different? They have bibles in the waiting area. I’ve lived long enough to realize that every business that claims to be Christian owned doesn’t exactly live out the principles, but after buying two vehicles and today’s visit, I have to think this business does put Christ first. I can spot the phony smiles and everything I experienced today was genuine.

I’ve done my share of bashing car dealerships so it is only fair that I give some praise to  Milton Martin Toyota an outstanding one.

 

If you would like to visit their Facebook page click here

 

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Little Things Mean a Lot

10 Jun

My Take

 DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

One of our adult Sunday School teachers happened to mention the other day he was sitting in the open door of his garage looking out and talking to God when a neighbor going by on her bike stopped to ask if he would fill her water bottle. He gave her a new one. He has done that before.

Every Sunday I see a man all dressed up in his black suit with his Bible in his hand waiting for a ride to church. He stands as straight as a soldier and I admire his faithfulness and that of the person who picks him up, sometimes after we have gone by. They don’t go to our church.

Funny what happens when you do only one little thing over and over. Your good deeds add up.

A woman in my class is a red-hat lady and she loves thrift store sales. You wouldn’t believe the bags of children’s clothes she finds in perfect condition for little or nothing. She brings them to church for families who can’t afford a lot of clothes for growing children.

Our other Sunday School teacher works at the hospital as a volunteer to take people to their cars in wheel-chairs. He’s a father himself and he gets a big kick out of being around teenagers who volunteer for the same job. What a precious counselor I’m sure he is.

I know someone who goes to the home of her aged mother-in-law where other members of the family care diligently for her and bathes her twice a week. She makes it special with soaps, and powders and takes supper for both of them that evening.

We hear so much about movers and shakers, about heroes, and heads of charities, but we don’t hear that much about the little people doing the little deeds many times a year. I’d like to celebrate them, wouldn’t you?

The song, “Little Things Mean a Lot,” is a love song, and why not. We show love with our small, faithful, routine deeds. Maybe we’ll discover that they pile up and if we could see the accumulation of them or the way they have changed people’s lives, we’ll be surprised. Won’t that be encouraging?

dog

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Cloudland

20 May

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

 

I was telling about Mother playing with us and training our imaginations by showing us how to find dogs, cats, and worlds of imaginary creatures in the clouds.

There’s a lot to be said about clouds, though, and I’m saying more. It occurred to me that electronic devices use Cloud technology and God uses it too, in a manner of speaking.

Have you ever been concerned that you didn’t pray hard enough or long enough about a situation or that you had to constantly remind God of a need or your prayers wouldn’t get answered? Well, my printer set me straight on that one. I realized that all I had to do was hit, click, or press print and the item I wanted would store itself in the printer and, all things being equal, not go away until it was printed. I began to know that God was like that too. He doesn’t forget. In fact, the Bible says He, or Jesus, or The Holy Spirit, or all three pray diligently for us all the time. Yes.

When I was looking at the clouds I took it a step further. I have a computer, an IPod, and a Kindle. I no longer have to worry about having enough Gigas or whatever it was that happened when I first got a computer. All my devices have lots of room and if they run out of room, it can all go to the cloud and be there if I ever need it again. I guess God has enough memory too. And the thought went even further to trying to remember what I need to do, and ideas I have about things I’d like to do or write or whatever, it gets to be a lot, but hey, maybe all that is in God’s cloud too.

I have one technical question. If God can handle all that “stuff” and God lives in me, does that mean that there’s a place in me that keeps it all and that if I need it, He can make it available to me? Hmmm. Experiment time.

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

 

Cloud

 

 

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Angels Watching Over Us

15 Apr

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Photo by Melodie Hendrix

Photo by Melodie Hendrix

 

Not long after I became a Christian there was a sort of underground movement to study demonology so people could be delivered and set free of their compulsions. Some of us read books on the subject and even prayed for ourselves and others to be exorcised. That was about the time the movie, “The Exorcist,” came out. I read the book (I was very sorry I did, too because it was scary, and did not, in my estimation carry a true Christian message.) I didn’t see the movie, thank the Lord.

The strangest thing went with the movement, and that was a fear of studying about or even thinking much about angels. The belief  was that if we gave much credence to the existence of angels we might worship them and be led astray. Demons okay, angels no. It sounds weird now.

I had a book on my shelf I was going to read someday if I ever got the nerve. It was called Angels, God’s Secret Agents, and it was written by Billy Graham. Now I don’t care what religion you are or what you believe in, you probably understand that Billy Graham would be one of the last people on earth who would lead you astray. But still, there the book sat.. After about thirty years I decided I was never going to read it and I donated it somewhere.

Eventually the adrenaline rush of demons went away leaving in its stead a returning appreciation of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then one day I had the nerve to pick up a book about angels. It wasn’t very good,  just a bunch of second-hand sightings and ancient stories. I wished for my Billy Graham back, prayed for it back.

A few weeks later I had an urge to stop by my favorite SPCA store where I can get hard cover books for 32 cents and there it was. Oh, not the same copy, I’m sure, but just the book I wanted and had prayed for. I started reading it and I wondered why I was ever afraid. There are three hundred mentions of angels in the Bible and Billy Graham told about them in a calm peaceful way that was barely even exciting. They exist, they are God’s helpers, and that’s about it. No adrenaline rush.

I’ve never seen an angel or a demon, but I came to believe that demons loved attention more than anything and that I didn’t have to play their game. I never even think about them any more and that’s just fine. In some places missionaries might have to think about them, battle them, all that. I don’t.

So one day we were on I-4 barreling along 70 miles an hour in heavy traffic and seemingly from nowhere a large piece of metal came bouncing toward us making sparks as it gouged the highway. We thought it had come from the truck ahead and left of us. As Bill swerved, we felt an impact. Thank the Lord there was no one in the lane right of us. The man behind us to the right had to go to the shoulder, though.

We caught up to the truck and looked it over. We wanted to tell the man he might have something loose, but we were all going too fast to communicate.

When we got home we examined the car and discovered a three-foot long crease at the bottom of the driver’s door. That sharp metal bar missed slashing a tire, missed the radiator, missed the windshield and missed us–by inches. What do you do when something like that happens and you know plenty of other people have had bad accidents that day, some even died in them? I don’t know about you, but all I could do was thank God for having his secret agents on the job. I had to give a thought to all the invisible sources that are out there helping us day after day. Sure terrible things happen all the time, but these angelic encounters do too. I don’t think we deserved it, I don’t know why bad things happen to good people. I don’t have nearly as many answers as I used to. I just know to give thanks in everything, good or bad and keep on keeping on. Ministering angels can help with all that too.

Psalm 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Luke 4:11 They will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

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