Just Thinking on Joys of Heaven, AGAIN...

Its funny but seems once you start thinking of heaven it just becomes a habit, something you just do without thinking about it anymore. It can happen at the most unexpected times. I think more people should try this especially when the world is such a dark place. It is a bright light, a place to go to cheer up and be given great hope for a better future.

Tonight as I was out doing my dogs it came to me again, thinking of heaven. I was thinking how if the world ended soon then these two dogs would be my last, how the white tacoma extra cab pickup that I'd love to have might never happen either...Sad thoughts really. But then heaven came to me and I realized that their I probably won't want the pick up, and in heaven I might have lots of extra pups to play with not just mine that I lost. It hit me how I can imagine such wonderful things for heaven but that GOD has even better ideas and plans for me once I get there. Things beyond my wildest ability to imagine or even hope for. Thinking on that for a few minutes out in the cold and dark doing the dogs it was like "wow" I have to get there, nothing else is as important! How could anyone even think of missing out on such beautiful wonders? How can anything here even come close to be worth more than that? If just what I can imagine of heaven, my lost pets, being in this beautiful pristine wonderland, lost friends, angels to accompany one, beautiful music beyond human composition, my daughter and I being forever together outside the bounds of this frail earth...so much more- how could anyone NOT want to do what it takes to get there. It just is beyond comprehension what awaits us there. We MUST meditate on it. It is such a motivation to be good to focus on the fact that (this)is only temporary, it will not last, even a 100 years is not even a drop in the bucket of time or eternity. Promise me that you will make an attempt to think on heaven at least once a day. Put your life into perspective! You truly only live once, wouldn't you rather it be in a magical place of unending wonders and joy? The alternative is not a good choice at all. I also use it to deal with human frailty here, age catching up with you and all its trimmings, loss, sacrifices, pain, injustice, so much more, its all going to pass...And if you wake up on the right side it will ALL be perfect! No more flaws, no more pain,loss, etc. Isn't that alone worth the daily decision to stay the path of righteousness? I think so. Granted we all are weak and fall but we must pick ourselves up and keep walking toward that Light that awaits us.

Peace!

GG

New Heaven New Earth

Just had a thought inspired by a book I started to read...New heaven, new earth...What does that mean? They suggested something to the effect of a "ruling party" residing in heaven while the people lived on the new earth...Hmmmmm. Well it made me start thinking that what if the heavens were renewed and restored to the original state of God and his angels residing there? And what if the new earth was like the Garden of Eden all over and even better than the original...Then what if God would come and walk amoung us here on this new earth like He did in the garden? We would be able to see him face to face without fear or death. It would perhaps be as it was supposed to be before the fall? I wonder. The earth would be a huge paradise, ready for exploration, no fear of poisonous snakes, spiders or plants. All ill removed. No danger from falling off a great height or of drowning in a fast moving river. No sharp rocks to cut your feet, no extreme heat or freezing cold to harm you. No wild animals to protect yourself against because they will all be harmless then and friendly. There would be no crowded cities like here and yet none would be isolated either. All would be friend not foe, like one big happy family. No illness to keep you home, no death to taunt you. No fear of loss or worry of broken anything especially a broken heart. Just pure joy, inexhaustable joy! No weariness to tire you, no hunger to gnaw at you, no thirst to torment you. Heaven will be a true paradise in every sense of the word. Whatever it takes it is so worth the journey to finally arrive there. I want it so badly I can taste it. But more so I want my daughter in particular to be there also. I want everyone I know and meet to be there.. It will be wonderful we will wish all could participate of it! Heaven on earth! This is what it will be. I imagine then perhaps even the angels will walk with us visibly coming down from their heavenly thrones to finally introduce themselves to us having been our faithful unseen companions on the old earth. Anyways, just some thoughts that came to me. Hope they inspire and give you something to look forward to.

Blessings,
GG

Rainbow Bridge Helps Me to Be Good....

This may sound silly to you my only fan but must share it anyways....I know we should be good to please the Almighty...This is our highest goal of course to act in best behavior because He is deserving of this and our fullest devotion...But sometimes being the human that we are we might need a little help to do our best. For me heaven is such a wonderful draw, cannot imagine NOT getting there! And yet sometimes human weakness draws me down to the earth not up free like the bird I so want to be...So many times I think on all my departed pets, Meagan, Sophia, Joanne, Hux, etc....and how badly I miss them...I tell myself that IF I ever want to see them again I must behave or I will surely disapoint them in their patient waiting to see me again as well...This amazingly really helps me both in my grieving for them and in my desire to be good...I truly believe that ALL good things await us in heaven. I don't believe it is simply a beautiful choir singing God's praises for eternity...The Bible itself states otherwise does it not? "A new heaven and a new earth"...I have discussed this in another post so will spare you the repeating here...However the point is that a new earth would have animals and God being the WONDERFUL loving God that He is would be thrilled to see us to happy being reunited with our beloved pets in a "perfect world" without illness and death... This so inspires me when I am weak, I cannot let my Meagan down, she so trusted me on this earth and had such loyal devotion. How could I do anything to endanger spending eternity with her by my heels once more...The thought of losing that makes the other place seem even worse so thank You God for giving us those wonderful little creatures to befriend us here and to help inspire us to see them again by loving you with all our hearts.

Having one of those icky days...

These days are so icky, hate feeling so well yucky inside and out... One of those times when you wonder if your a good person not not...Everything just feels well not right. Part of this is due to not feeling well physically, part to being very tired, part of it is due to seeing my frail humanity, so many reasons. Doesn't change the way I feel, have to remember that "this too shall pass..." (Tolkien quote) But days like today heaven seems so far away. I know its there and waiting - have to be patient with myself, with life, with others...Must finish this race no matter HOW I feel about it at the moment...Guess every race has its moments when you wonder if your going to make to the end. This is one of my moments, so if your reading this say a prayer that I get the needed "roadside assistance" and keep running this race with all I've got!

Ever wonder?

Just a thought but did you ever wonder if...

Sometimes when you just don't get something you really want, or when things just go the wrong way for no reason and you feel down on yourself for it ever think of just giving it to God? Sometimes I do. Its like a gift to Him from the heart. Then I wonder after that if maybe, just maybe He loves us soooooo much that He wants to see if we love Him in return and He "asks" for gifts like the above mentioned to see "if" we will give it to Him. Do we love Him enough to sacrifice something for Him??? He is a jealous God, He wants ALL our affection and love and maybe, just maybe this is His way of testing that love on our part...Following behind that too I wonder sometimes IF its a test of love and that He secretly smiles when we give Him something that costs us knowing that one day, yes one day He is going to SHOWER us with His love totally in Heaven. He is going to repay our small love offerings with His overwhelming Love and incredible blessings and surprises in Heaven. Ever think of that? Sometimes I do...It makes things so much less painful and bittersweet maybe too...But worth the wait. Its like a King asking a poor pauper girl for the only bloom from her small garden as a test of love. If she proves her loves He marries her and gives her a huge beautiful garden as a thank you, something like that...Again just a thought to spark some more desire for heaven...

Frodo's Ring? Our ring?

Just had a crazy or maybe not thought...

Well since my wonderful audience (yes you Anne Marie) are a devoted fan like me this one's for you!

Frodo carried a very heavy ring, a ring that could corrupt the bearer if he allowed it too...It was heavy with the weight of what it contained: the lure of complete power, the weight of all those who had fallen under its corrupt spell...It was a burden that got heavier and heavier with time...

I see a parallel in our own lives to this ring...Each of us carries a ring, a cross in life. We have the ability to accept this burden and carry it willingly albeit painfully. We do it for the "greater good". Sometimes as in Frodo's case the ring was thrust upon him. We often have our "ring" thrust upon us as well. Sometimes we have the choice to walk away from it as did Frodo, other times we don't. Frodo went on a long mission to destroy this ring, this evil thing. We also travel on a journey to destroy this "evil" that has been given to us...We can only destroy (all) of the rings we will carry by our death. IN that moment if we have carried the ring with patience and courage we will be rewarded as was Frodo by being relieved of such a great evil. If we have not carried it well we will be like Gollum who at death falls into the pit with the ring...IS this what we desire? Think not. Heaven will be our reward for carrying the ring well just as Frodo went to the Undying Lands as reward and for healing so we will soar to heaven for our reward...Let us then use our "ring" for the greater good, to benefit others through our patient suffering and offering as a sacrifice on the altar of our hearts to our Loving God who awaits us as a parent awaiting a beloved child who has been away on a long trip...

Just something to ponder...

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