Tag Archives: Christianity

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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SMH Prayers

30 Apr

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis
I'm a winner

Have you noticed that garage sales have moved online? It seems many towns now have a Facebook page, moderated by an individual, dedicated to buying and selling.  I joined one in the hope of finding a used refrigerator and quickly posted what I was looking for. After that I scrolled through the timeline and noticed no one was looking for anything. It was all for sale or iso. Now for sale was easy, but what the heck was iso? The post would read something like this:

iso kids clothes, good condition size 6.

I had no clue what that meant so finally, I asked. The Facebook page was for our town in North Carolina and I figured I didn’t know enough people there to be embarrassed. The answer came quickly….iso means in search of. I guess looking for is just too much to type. Which leads to my next puzzle.

Working as a publicist for Rebekah Lyn Books, I spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook. I noticed SMH attached to tweets and Facebook comments and again I had no clue. Did it mean social media hottie, so many hormones, shake my husband? This time I discretely questioned a friend who explained. SMH means shaking my head. This one I could relate to because I find myself shaking my head-a lot. In fact, I SMH so much I have decided to  connect the head shake with a prayer. I’m trusting that praying as my head shakes will turn my thoughts on His solutions rather than my human frustration.

Head banging computer GIF

Yes, I know this poor lady isn’t shaking her head but it was so funny it had me ROFL

ps I am still iso a fridge for my garage in good working order at a reasonable price.

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South of the Border~Part 3

29 Apr

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill Stars Plane

 

Tuesday morning after breakfast, we drove to the building site, where our visiting group was split up into two teams, with two Kennedy Team Leaders in each team to keep us on the right track, and we got started. Each team was assigned to build a house on their pre-finished slab, and the race was on to see who could finish first.

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It was amazing how organized the Team Leaders were, as they assigned the various tasks to our team members. There were materials coordinators, wood cutters (my main job), wood shapers, painters and builders all working smoothly together at one time. A lot of the wood materials had been ordered cut to length, so the assembly process was fast and fairly easy.

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The 2”x 4”walls were assembled on the slab, and then each was raised and braced in place, while being attached to the slab floor with pre-installed j-bolts, nuts and washers.

Next the joists were built (I had a hard time keeping up with all the angle cuts for our house on the chop saw) and the corrugated galvanized tin roofing was nailed in place. Once that was done, a plywood loft was built over the rear half of the house, where smaller family members could sleep. As you can see in the photo below, the tail-end of the joists were pre-painted (on the ground by the painters) to save time and reduce the use of troublesome ladders after assembly. As I mentioned earlier, this was also done with the soffit and fascia boards as well as the window and door trim.

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Then heavy insulation was fastened in place between the joists, under the tin roof, and covered with plywood to help keep the loft area from getting so hot. A sturdy and child-safe ladder was built to give access to the loft area.

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While the roof and loft work was going on topside, another team was drilling holes and running electrical wiring in the wall studs. Once that was done, the exterior plywood sheeting was nailed to the walls and gables, the window and door holes were cut, and the windows were installed.

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While all the time these activities were going on, the shaper team was busy at work cutting scalloped trim boards, and the painting team was busy painting window and door trim boards and the completed (ventilated) soffit and scalloped trim boards. The small (3’x 3’square) shower enclosure was plumbed (cold water only) to provide the much-needed hygiene that most of the colonia (unregulated settlement) dwellers did not have access to. I understand that a latrine system was used by the colonia families, but I don’t remember seeing it or being told about it at the time. The only toilet I ever saw or used was located next to the John 3:16 Church, and it was very small. A kitchen area was not designated in these houses, as the colonia families were accustomed to doing most of their cooking outside their “homes” and would most likely continue to do their cooking outdoors when the weather permitted doing so.

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—–To Be Continued—–

 

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Minute Meditations~2

26 Apr

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

                     

What is happiness? Or better yet…..what is your IDEA of what happiness is? Is it just a state of mind? Is our happiness determined by our circumstances?

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A pastor said once, that when we are God’s child, happiness is what resides in our hearts and minds always, and that joy or sorrow can’t really touch it; that the circumstances where we find ourselves do NOT determine whether we are happy or not….we have God’s abiding happiness within us.

Joy
Sorrow

 

Filling our hearts with God’s love gives us permanent happiness, that allows us to be happy, or content, in whatever situations we find ourselves.

My brother, Bill, wrote about this very thing. These are his thoughts:

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Can we see just how God wants us to look to Him for our happiness? No matter what happens, with God in our hearts, we can depend upon Him to give us the answers we seek to ALL our earthly problems. He is true and faithful to His word.

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South of the Border~Part 2

22 Apr

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill Small Red Plane

 

Monday we were up early for breakfast, after which we loaded up the vans and began the 175 mile drive to the border. Our caravan of vehicles stopped at Eagle Pass, TX for lunch (our last American meal for a week), and then it was across the border (Passport & luggage check) and on to our destination in a small colonia of Nava, Mexico which is located about halfway between Del Rio and Laredo, TX.

         

We had been supplied with detailed lists of things to take and not take (to help speed us at border crossings), as well as “Cautions” about not eating any food or drinking any water not provided by our hosts. This was to help keep the visiting groups in good working condition and keep us from coming down with a case of “Montezuma’s Revenge.” It was a long (but uneventful) trip, except for that short delay at the border crossing (I think the guards were looking for a “donation” to let us pass). The rest of the time was occupied with lots of singing and laughter in our van.

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When we arrived at the colonia (small unregulated settlement), it was rather shocking for our visiting group to see the utter desolation and primitive conditions most of the local people lived in. The area had been picked clean of any possible building/covering material (no matter how small or flimsy) and used for shelter. In many cases, there didn’t seem to be any way to keep the weather (hot or cold/wind or rain) out of their shelters.

 

 

I had heard of people living in cardboard shacks, but as our hosts drove us around the area, explaining the basic layout, I mentioned to the woman sitting next to me, “It’s hard to believe people can actually survive in conditions like this!” All she and her friend could do was shake their heads in agreement.

After our long drive from San Antonio, it was getting late in the afternoon, so our hosts showed us some of the support structures they had built to help the local people and the colonia maintain a decent lifestyle. First there was the John 3:16 Church, where many different types of services were held each week, and where we would eat our lunch meal each day.

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Next was the Dorcas House sewing center where some of the local women and girls were taught how to use the sewing machines, and the materials they were supplied with, to make clothing for their families and to sell.

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And then there was the Carpenters Shop where some of the local men and boys were supplied tools and wood and taught how to build furniture for themselves and to sell. As a side note, I was interested to learn that all of the tools, wood, sewing machines and materials the local people have access to, have been donated to OSM for use as part of their ministry to help the colonia support itself.

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After the tour, we headed to the small town of Allende where we checked into our hotel. Once we were checked in, we were taken to the local Methodist church where the gracious church members had prepared dinner and music for us.   The food was great and we all had a wonderful time getting acquainted, with lots of relaxing laughter, music and singing. After the festivities, a bunch of us strolled the streets of Allende, and even found an ice-cream parlor for some desert. Then it was back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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New Series~Minute Meditations

19 Apr

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy WillsJUDY

                                              

I would like to do something a little different for a few weeks. Hope you like my musings.

As I have mentioned before – and he has posted – my brother worked in the space industry all of his career. He has shared so many interesting stories of his work. Recently, one that has impressed me the most is that, whenever one of our space shuttles docked with the International Space Station, it would “nudge” the ISS back into its orbit.

ISS  If that didn’t happen, then eventually the ISS would fall into the earth’s atmosphere and burn up. Did you know that? I didn’t. And it seems like such a waste to have spent all that time and money to make the ISS, and then stop the space program. Oh well.In any case, if you are old enough to remember the Challenger disaster,

Bill wrote a “Minute Meditation” about it, and I would like to quote it here:

Minute Meditation Challenger Bill Lites

So, even in tragedy, as Bill stated, we can know that God is there, is in control, and we can trust Him in all our ways. That is such a hopeful and reassuring thought for me. For you, as well, I pray.

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Five ways to bring balance to your life.

28 Mar

So many times “if only” is a lament. Janet shares the promise of God’s “if”

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Communicating With God

26 Jan

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

Author, Poet and ArtistMany years ago, when we attended Park Avenue Church a man came to speak. His way of doing things changed many lives – mine was one.

Mark Virkler teaches people to communicate with God, just as our Pastor Peter Lord always has and does. I’m so deeply grateful. The thing about communing with God is that He knows each of us as an individual. No one else’s knowledge of Him is ever going to be exactly the same as mine and vice-versa.

(One caveat – I must be willing to launch myself into the water and swim with my imagination. Later I can read it back, or if I’m feeling insecure, I can read it to someone I trust spiritually and see if they confirm that it was God speaking. Also, of course not all my or your communications will be about praise or music. They will be about anything you or I, or the Father wish to discuss.)

God: Beloved, I’m building a road right through the ocean and through the pounding waves so that you may walk on dry land. Forget about what has happened, don’t keep going over old history. Jesus already knows all about your weaknesses and has set them aside as healing projects for the two of you to do together.

Be alert. Be present. I’m about to do something new in you. It’s bursting out. Don’t you see it? It has to do with your learning to praise me and also with your being able to accept my praise of you and of what you do for me. Yes, what you do counts, and yes, I acknowledge it. I don’t just keep asking more and more of you. It’s like a beautiful dance, and it goes on all your life.

Me: Father, is there anything you want to tell me about your new plans for me?

God: Stand by. Whenever you begin to feel your weaknesses as you did yesterday, just remember that I have already forgiven you, and you need to forgive yourself for all imperfect acts and thoughts. The best way to do that is to praise me. I need and want your praise as much as you need and want water to drink. You need my praise, too.

Me: Please will you give me motivation and inspiration to please you – perhaps a small routine – something to trigger my memory and get me going.

God: You may play the Gaither sites on your Pandora stations more. That will be a big help to you. Those singers and musicians are part of my praise team, and they have spent their entire lives praising me in the very best ways possible. They are my modern-day beacons and examples of what I want and what I want you to do. Do you recall the times I have asked you to sing the songs I’ve given you?

(Reader, remember, this is my message, yours will be different. He wouldn’t expect you to follow music in your private life that doesn’t resonate with you.)

Me: Yes, knowing you want me to sing thrills me.

God: All right now, my dear, just put on any praise stations you like and sing along. It will be good for your breath – your inspiration and fine for your muscles and energy tone – your motivation.

Me: It’s strange, Lord, but I think I got away from praise songs because they seemed to jazz me up too much.

God: They can do that. I don’t mean for you to stay over-stimulated all the time. There is a time for action and a time for rest. Don’ worry you won’t lose control.

Me: Oh, ha, ha, Lord, I see what you mean. I’m always afraid that if I get excited and too happy, I’ll make a fool of myself or disgust somebody. You know that, don’t you?

God: Of course. I know everything about you. I’m not the one who got after you about being, “a lady.” The world did that to you. You are well-disciplined – don’t worry. Don’t worry about your singing voice, either. Don’t worry about being thought, “loud.” Wouldn’t you enjoy singing with the Gaither’s?

Me: Yes, indeed, I would. I’m looking forward to the new plan. Thank you, Lord.

God: You’re welcome. Thank you, too.

If you’d like to know more about communing with God check out http://www.cwgministries.org/

 

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Life is Just a Minute

12 Dec

From my Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

 

Just a tiny  little minute,

but eternity is in it..

 

The Great Creator.

the Great “I Am”,

knows exclusively

who I am.

 

Dear Lord, You are our reason for living.

You have put purpose in our life-

The desire for loving and giving.

 

Help us to maximize our morning,

to have a standing appointment with you.

Lead us into paths of righteousness,

so that to ourselves we will always be true.

 

There is power in plodding.

Work persistently in small increments.

As we age, to yourself be kinder.

There will be less cause for laments.

 

 

“Do not have your concert first,

and then string your instruments afterwards.

Begin the day with the word of God and prayer,

and get first of all into harmony with Him,”

Missionary J Hudson Taylor

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Do Frogs Come to Sunday School

8 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistI’ve had a couple of nature surprises in the past few days. Sometimes on the trail, I find things I’ve never seen before, leaves with perfectly round bumps, cocoons that look like fiber eggs, berries or plums growing on bushes.

Sunday on the playground the children came upon yet another frog.( I’ve been leery since a kid once threw a lizard on me and I had to sit there acting like it was nothing when I wanted to scream and jump and run. It’s not good for you to reign yourself in like that, it can give you bad breath.)

When the children find a creature I rush to supervise their investigations. One day they found a large green frog and were so enthralled with it that they wore it out in spite of repeated warnings to leave it alone,  The next time they found a toad, they announced it, but pretty much did leave it alone after the lecture they got last time.

But Sunday’s frog was the absolute monster frog in every way, and everyone was 1.tube slideinterested in him. He was a Cuban tree frog like the one we have in our tool shedlette and he had ensconced himself inside our tube slide, in a way that made the slide unusable. I wouldn’t get a tube slide again, I have always been afraid there would be something in it that we wouldn’t care for.

It did keep us entertains for quite some time. It was much bigger than the one at home and as ugly as all Cuban tree frogs are with their neutral color and their fat sucker-toes.

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The thing was everyone needed to see it and in order to do that you had to get down, by yourself, and crane up into the tube slide. Every time someone did that someone else had to poke whatever body part that  was sticking out and yell, “Boo.” It sounded as if we were having our Halloween party right then and there.

I really wanted to see it, but I knew if they said boo while I was leaning into the slide exit I would jump and bump my poor old head that has already been bumped so many times it’s a wonder I have any sense left at all. I begged the children not to say boo. Have I told you how big he was? He was about the size of a dessert bowl.

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The one on the left, maybe a bit smaller, but not much. I saw it for myself and I can hardly believe it.

Anyhow the kids didn’t poke me or say boo. They must love me a lot to do that for me. After I emerged, the boys kicked the plastic slide and hit it with sticks, even though they stopped every time I told them to stop.

The level of excitement was about the same as if someone had yelled big spider or snake.

Just a Snake
Banana Spider common to Florida

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Suddenly, from out of nowhere came this blood-curdling squeal that made all the wiggling and kicking cease immediately. We looked at each other with big eyes, our hair standing on end. The boys wanted mohawks, anyhow, now they had them. The squeal sounded like a warning or a distress cry. It came again, only not so authentic sounding this time. Tommy was at the top of the slide, it could well have been him calling down the slue. He confessed that some of it was. So I was stuck. Can frogs really squeal like that?

We do know that frogs (and many other critters) come to Sunday School. Now if you want to know whether they squeal like banshees or not, click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCAFAbldfSg

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