Die to Ourselves???

Ever have those moments when you know something maybe even live something but can't find the words to express it??? Then all of a sudden you have a moment of enlightenment and for a short while you can? Well having one of those moments...So trying to take advantage.

Heaven, a place of joy, peace, comfort, security, total abandonment to LOVE....How do we get there? Many componets could go into that answer but this one seems to me to sum them all up: We must die to ourselves...Think about it, deeply. Are we here to "live it up?" Are we here to get as rich as we can, to store up earthly treaures? Are we here to make the best of life and then its just "all over", nothing more...Don't believe any of that.

Think that the "ticket" to heaven can be summed up in "die to yourself" If we live that way, putting our greedy desires aside, thinking in the needs of others. Making the needs of others as important as our own then we grow in love. If you keep thinking in others and making their needs as important as your own, realizing that THEY are also here a pilgrim like you and needing your help and that YOU can help them, you die a little to self... You start to realize slowly that "this is NOT it, that there is a great beyond. That by being there for your brother or sister you are purchasing golden coins that will be stored up for you in the Heavenly Bank...You will start to change inside. You will see things differently, from a totally different perspective, God's perspective. You will learn to value others in a way that surpasses human understanding. You will soon see that God has placed you here for a mission, to help others, to make their lives a little easier in this vale of tears... You will see that its ok if your tired because you stayed up late talking to a friend in need...Or that if you have to give up a favorite treat because you gave $10 to a person in need, its good. Its good if you miss "the game" because you stopped to help a stranger with car trouble...You'll soon have a totally different set of priorities... You will take the back seat and put others first! Not saying neglect yourself-don't put words in my mouth...No but your attitude will change, you will value others as much as you value yourself. You will become LESS selfish... You WILL find great joy in alleviating the pain of others. You will learn to desire such activities so that you can spread yourself thin "like not enough butter over bread" (Tolkien quote) You will learn that the great ones of God knew this secret and wouldn't have traded it for the world! Its ok to wear yourself out for the good of your brother! Remember what you do for the least of my brothers, you do for Me....(Our Lord) We have corporal bodies here..In Heaven we will have immortal bodies...So what difference does it make if we wear this one out here because in Heaven we will only shine the brighter for having done so. And this one is going to drop and rot anyway! SO why not make it worth the trip? I cannot wait for heaven and when I finally leave to go there I sure want to have some kind of paper trail with all the times I "wore myself out for the good of another"...It sure will make that moment alot more pleasant I'm sure! Think about it...Maybe, hopefully you will feel this way too...Think what a better place it would be here if more people felt this way...

GG

Is it because?

Have you ever felt like nothing here can satisfy you? Do you ever look around and see beautiful things and yet they seem empty? Have you ever felt restless inside like your in a train station just passing through? Boy I have and often do...Is it because we are "just passing through?" Is it because we are not meant for this earth but something beyond? I think so. Once you focus on Heaven there is nothing as beautiful here as there. All beauty here is still beautiful but it dulls in comparison with what awaits. Its like being a stranger in a foreign place, your not home. It might be lovely but its not home. That is how I feel right now, its hard. Your bound to this earth and yet your not of this earth. You must "do your time" before you can return home. On the other side of this I am thankful for the time here, if I wasn't here wouldn't have a chance at enjoying heaven. You can't go there if you don't exist here first! And there are some beautiful moments that happen here a foretaste of the hereafter...The smile of a child, the beauty of a sunset, the glory of the ocean, the song of bird first thing in the morning...All but a foretaste of good things to come. So I am thankful for each day, for the good and the bad as it may be...Its the small blessings that I enjoy the most, the love of my child, the wag of my dogs tail...The cardinal and mate that come each day at dawn and dusk to feed, the bloom of the hostia's white flowers, the way the wind blows through the leaves so high in the trees...These are the small things that ease my journey here. These things are a foretaste of what will be. So when your feeling lost or just blah that there isn't much beauty here remember it is there, look for it and remember its because your not meant for here but there!

Is it Just Me or Do You Feel It Too?

Is is just me or is this world seeming darker and more wearysome than ever before? Can't explain it but it just seems to be getting heavier and heavier almost as if like a vacuum cleaner that has taken up too much dirt and now is too heavy to move. Whats up? Is it truly as some knowledgeable friends have said that we are in the end times? I think we are and yet what does that mean? I think it means not exactly as we think it might. End times in God's time could mean a thousand years or just a few short ones...Only He knows that. And yet it does seem that we are indeed in that time frame however long or short it may be. Do I feel discouraged about it? No. Sometimes I get a little nervous, true, who wouldn't? And yet why fear? If we are virtuous people who have our sites on home then it shouldn't matter. We are all going to die one day, somehow. If we don't die of old age then maybe young in a car accident or from illness. Still others will face death at the hand of another person, it is all the same in the end. We will all die one day and what really matters is where do we go from there? How we get there, well that can scare some people true but we must trust the One who loves us immensely, put our hope in Him and then no matter how when we are reunited with Him the fear will all be a distant memory. Think in that! Be at peace. This world is NOT home and the heavier it gets the less it feels like home to me. We must surely seek out the remaining beauty here and enjoy it yes of course we must! However we must focus on the greater and permanent beauty of heaven! That place where death, illness, fear, hunger, pain all have no place or memory...It will be a wonderful place of great respite. Rest for the weary (that includes me), health for those who have suffered here with long illness or other physical suffering, they will be made whole! Tears will be dried and laughter will take their place! Broken hearts will be made whole. All will be well. Fear will be replaced with love and security, hunger will be unknown, nothing but good things for those who suffered here..Oh if we can only hang on...

So my friend, be at peace, hang on to your hope for heaven! We will all be there sooner than we realize, even if we live to be old it will still come sooner than expected, wait and see!

Peace to you and yours,
GG

Come away with me...

Come away with me
And feel what is yet to be.
Heaven our hope is calling,
May this thought keep us from falling.
Falling into the pit
Falling into despair.

Heaven our hope is calling,
May we be falling.
Not into despair but love,
Love of Our God
Love of each other.

Heaven awaits us
Each and everyone.
No more pain,
No more fear.
Love abounds,
Its everywhere.

Come away with me,
Let see what we can see.
Heaven is calling,
Beauty beyond comprehension
Oh can't you already see?

Togther then let us go,
Hand in hand,
Heaven bound you and I
There to dance for joy
To laugh eternally.

Amen.

Heaven True Joy and Hope for our weary world!

Of course! Yes, been thinking about Heaven again! Do it everyday now...Its becoming a habit, a good one! The more I think about it the more I want it...What about you friend? Have you thought about Heaven today? There is so much negativity going on everywhere. It can be overwhelming can it not? Want some hope, some cheery news? Of course you do! Heaven! Wow! If only the joy would spread, the knowledge of what awaits us! If only! Once heard a supposedly true story of a man who was given 7 seconds believe it was of a view of heaven and it actually took his life! He was according to the story so happy his human body couldn't contain the emotion and he died! Wow! That tells me that maybe the reason Heaven is veiled to us now is for this very reason. Maybe only our spiritual side (soul) are able to actually handle heaven and that is why we die to get there... Maybe it is just SO WONDERFUL we couldn't handle it...Ever think of that? Something so wonderful it would kill you? Must be good! Still think no big deal, not sure if you care if you get there or not? Better think again my friend. One way or the other you were made for eternity. Thats like forever with NO END... Ummm, think I'd like to be happy for eternity how about you...So remember that old quote "where your treasure is there will your heart be"?? Make Heaven your treasure and your heart will follow. If you do so you will live in a manner that will take you there. Remember you are only one heartbeat, one breath away from eternity! Where would you like to spend yours?

GG

End Times?

Keep hearing people say, good people, godly people that they feel or sense we might be in the end times...I often speculate on that myself. I have often prayed NOT to live in such times and yet it is what it is. If indeed we are in the end times only God knows how LONG it will last, a century or two, a few years only. Only He knows. No matter, again it is what it is. What IS important though is that we are always ready at all times to be called home to heaven. Remember we are running a race, a race against time, our lifetime however long or short it may be. NOTHING else is as important as getting to heaven! Nothing! We must do all and whatever is needed to do so. It must be our top priority. If we live this way all will fall into its proper perspective. We will live good lives, we will finish the race a winner! We will receive the laurel wreath of victory as we cross over into Heaven our ETERNAL home...Think of it. We are but in a waystation here, waiting for that train to take us to one or the other permanent location. Think of this, don't trivilize it...We are now planning our future. Will it be full of glorious bliss or endless despair and pain??? Its our choice, and we are making it right now!

If we are in the end times then it is even more important to live godly lives, one to save our souls but two to help inspire others, to help them to persevere. We won't go to Heaven alone, oh no! We are like a stone thrown into the quiet waters, we make ripples for good or for ill...We will take others with us to one location or the other. Which are you doing?
Something to think about isn't it? One last thought. If Heaven is our goal then the negative things that happen here really don't matter do they? If we can just hold on and persevere through them then when we get to Heaven it will not even be a memory the bad things we suffered here. Remember that when something goes wrong. Its all part of the test, part of the race to see if we persevere. We must be strong. We must keep our eyes on the prize! NO MATTER how hard things get and we are just a breath away from giving up we must NOT do so! Remember "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me..." St Paul quote. God will give us whatever strength we need to persevere if we but ask Him. We must trust our Good Father like a small child not understanding what the parent is about but know that it will all work out for the childs good. This is what we must do.

Peace!
GG

Our Failings.... Our Promised Gift...

Had an interesting experience today. Someone I highly respect was having a really bad day. Saw an angry side of them had never seen before in all of our five years of knowing each other. Must admit was a little taken aback as I got to feel the brunt of it even though it wasn't my fault or doing. I let them vent and eventually they laughed and smiled a little bit. But my point here is this we are ALL weak and human. We ALL have our down side our "unpleasant side" and yet think that this is exactly what makes us shine even brighter when we do GOOD. It is such a contrast the good and evil in us. When through God's grace we succeed in doing good we just shine like the sun. And it is even more wonderful because it shows how far we have come from the low of sin to the height of godliness... Think that the more we strive to let the good shine out here the more we will shine in Heaven as well. Was reading or starting to read a book just found on heaven. The one little section started reading said something about us "shining" from within in Heaven (think thats what it said)...Anyways got me thinking that the more we resemble our God the more we will shine of course! It makes perfect sense. God is light! He is the opposite of darkness which is what the other place is in so many ways. The other place reeks of dark things, lack of light, lack of God's life, death, darkness of mind and heart, burnt corpses.

Heaven on the other side though is filled with light, God's light! Of course there our very bodies in their new form will "shine" from within because we are filled with God! And He is light and love radiating throughout all of Heaven. Can you even begin to imagine. We will not be like "glowing ghosts" like you see on tv but will truly be "lit from within" with the glow of God's love. I imagine such beauty, all of us transformed into beautiful to behold creatures all flaws perfected! We will it seems still look like who we are but perfected! Beautiful as He intended us from all eternity! What what an awesome thought! Isn't that thought something to sing about! If you don't think so then maybe the "other place" with its smell of burning things will appeal to you? Not me!

Anyway also wanted to point out that our "failings" if we overcome them will cause us to shine in a special way that not sure how God will do it but that will tell others how we with God's help managed to overcome certain faults and hence give glory to God... It will be as it were a special badge of honor of us...ON the other hand if we get the other place these faults will be a special curse to us...That I am convinced!

SO all you other weak failing humans out there, chin's up...Keep trying to bring out your better selves and keep the goal in site. Heaven is waiting, like a bird let us soar to meet our God who will be no stranger to us if we keep running the race and cross the finish line with Him!

Peace to all,
GG