Listen carefully and you will hear God calling. He may be planting an idea. He may be quietly inspiring you to greater things. Watch carefully because there is a plan in place and God is encouraging you to make your mark. We are all soldiers of the cross and we need to move forward with enthusiasm and courage. Let God be the driving force behind all you do today. Look to God to be the reason for your actions and behaviors. Listen carefully to His promptings. Let Him move you forward and direct your steps. Be inspired and stimulated by all God is. – Melinda Clements
Follow @learning2hearWho Are You Following?
There are but two essential requirements:
First: Has any one cheated death and proved it?
Second: Is it available to me?
Here is the complete record:
Confucius’ tomb – occupied;
Buddha’s tomb – occupied;
Mohammed’s tomb – occupied;
Jesus’ tomb – empty.
Argue as you will. There is no point in following a loser. – G. B. Hardy
The answer to both questions is Yes!
Choose Jesus.
Look Ahead with Promise, Hope, and Joy
Down through the centuries, in times of trouble and trial, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is filled with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart. You can look ahead with promise, hope, and joy. – Billy Graham
God’s Goodness
Our circumstances are not an accurate reflection of God’s goodness. Whether life is good or bad, God’s goodness, rooted in His character, is the same. – Helen Grace Lescheid
Museum Quote
In any museum we will find quite ordinary things – clothes, a walking stick, a pen, pieces of furniture – which are only of value because they were possessed and used by some great person. It is the ownership which gives them worth. It is so with the Christian. The Christian may be a very ordinary person, but he acquires a new value and dignity and greatness because he belongs to God. The greatness of the Christian lies in the fact that he is God’s. – William Barclay
The Light Of The Gospel
The gospel is the tale of a light breaking into the world that even the darkness cannot overcome. – Frederick Buechner
Heaven Forever
If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence…? You’d be bored to tears in heaven, if you’re not ecstatic about God now! – Keith Green
Are There Birthday Parties In Heaven?
In the eight years that have passed since I wrote this post I have been fighting cancer and dealing with the aftermath. Last year it reached a point when the doctor gave me 6 weeks to live. By the grace of God I’m still here, and will soon be writing about my journey with Him to reach this point of being cancer free.
Today is about a tribute to my brother, so I’m re-posting this post to honor his birthday. Today he would have been 58.
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April 13, 2010, my brother would have turned 50. April 3rd marked 13 years that he’s been celebrating his birthdays in Heaven. I thought of him when I woke up this morning, and asked God if the angels throw birthday parties in Heaven.
Since he’s not here, he missed hearing all the “over the hill” jokes our family and friends come up with for those occasions, and the “Big 5-0” party we would have had for him. Earthly birthday parties for the “Big” decade-marking ages like the
“Big 5-0” include such things as black candles and wax tombstones on the cake, and AARP jokes (at least mine did!).
My brother missed the fun of getting a t-shirt or mug with an “old guy” saying on it, being warned about not letting “all those candles” set the house on fire, and getting to read all the latest over-the-hill birthday cards addressed to him.
But he’s not really missing anything. I’m the one who’s missing him.
One of his favorite Gospel songs was “I’ll Fly Away“.
“Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I’ll fly away…”
And he did. Now he’s forever free from the prison of pain.
Whether he’s having a birthday party in Heaven or not, he is most definitely celebrating today. He is celebrating being in the presence of God, having eternal life, being healed and pain-free, and knowing that will never, ever end.
Another favorite song of his was “When We All Get To Heaven“, and his prayer was that he would see all of his family again in Heaven. As he grew weaker and closer to being called out of this world he spoke often of the words to that song.
“When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.
When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory.”
He is rejoicing, he is shouting Victory!
I miss my brother every day, and especially on his birthdays. Although I can’t celebrate it with him by giving him a big birthday party, I can celebrate knowing he’s in Heaven, and I will see him again someday.
What a party that will be!
Memories of Mom – Priceless Moments, Eternal Lessons
Even though my Mom has been gone for decades now, I still remember her smile, her soft voice, the joy on her face as she sang in worship, her tenderness towards us, and her caring, unselfish nature. I can still remember seeing her on her knees praying, rocking my baby brother, fixing a meal in the kitchen, and standing at the door when I came home from school. I remember her patience and tenderness as she brushed tangles out of my long hair, and how she calmed my fears when I woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream.
My Mom died after an extended illness when I was six. She knew she was dying, but her kids didn’t. She was confined to bed at home until the last couple of days, but she would spend time with each of her kids every day. On her good days we could take our plates into her room and have a meal together, although she was unable to eat much herself. Any time spent with her was priceless, even if all I could do was sit and hold her hand while she coughed and struggled for her next breath.
It was hard for a “mommy’s girl” to see her beloved Mommy growing weaker every day, although she bravely put on a strong front when we kids were in her room. She was a quiet natured woman with a sweet, humble personality. That’s not just the opinion of a biased six-year-old, it’s what others have told me about her too. It must have been hard to know she was dying and leaving her husband and children behind, as well as her own mother and siblings. She knew where she was going, so she wasn’t afraid of dying, and that was evident in the way she gracefully accepted her pending death.
I remember various things she told me during those last days, but she taught me much more than her words could have expressed. As an adult looking back on those last weeks with her, I’ve come to realize that my Mom taught me eternal lessons as she lived through her dying days.
She taught me that when you belong to Jesus Christ you don’t have to worry about dying. Death is temporary, life with Jesus is forever.
She taught me that when you trust Jesus you know He will take care of those you leave behind, and He will never forget the prayers you prayed for them on earth.
She taught me that His grace is sufficient, His mercy never fails, and regardless of what I’m going through He is always with me.
She taught me to believe His promises, because He is faithful to His promises.
She taught me to look forward to Heaven, where there’s no pain, tears, or dying.
She lived out her faith gracefully until the end, even while suffering.
The end for her here was just the beginning for her in eternity, and I look forward to seeing her again in Heaven.
(Graphic is from www.timothyreport.com)
A Step of Faith
When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things will happen:
Either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly. Edward Teller