The Pull of the Past

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Is there an activity, a place, an aroma, a taste, a sight, or a sound that transports you back in time? Most of us long for times gone by on occasion. We long for loved ones no longer with us, we yearn for a simpler time.

Nostalgia can be good for us. It causes us to remember our blessings and even inspires us to look forward to a heavenly home where we’ll be reunited with our loved ones, where we’ll be safe and happy in the presence of our Lord.

So indulge in some nostalgia today, friends. May my “Pull of the Past” give rise to your own. And may it lead to all our eyes looking heavenward!

The Pull of the Past

As I travel down the country road
the pull of the past is strong.
Decades suddenly disappear
as my heart is drawn like a magnet
to the farms, to my grandparents,
to our family as it was then.
The crunch of gravel under the wheels
and the smell of dust wafting behind
stirs memories so deeply held
my heart aches from the longing.
Oh to go back in time,
to find everyone at home
waiting with ready smiles and welcoming voices,
waiting to share the day together.
Those bottled memories
so real yet just out of grasp
stir a precious joy
trailed by a touch of sadness
that keeps me lifting my eyes
to the sure hope of the future,
to the promise of reunion.
And so the pull of the past
becomes the hope of heaven
where one day I’ll find
everyone at home
ready to share forever together,
ready to praise and serve our Lord.

“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5

*What triggers the pull of the past for you?

*The Life Notes Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway is underway. Details are in my Oct. 19 post and sign-up is to the right under “Free For You.” Deadline is 6 p.m. Nov. 11. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

*My photo

Midweek Morsel: Safe Home

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When loved ones are traveling, it’s always a relief when we know they’ve arrived safely home, isn’t it? We can’t rest until we know they’ve reached their destination and that they are indeed safe. Then peace settles around us like the comfort of a warm blanket.

For those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior, it’s also a blessing to know that our loved ones who have passed are now safely home in heaven.

As my dad was coming to terms with the unexpected loss of my mom a little over a year ago, he told me that he’d always thought it would be best for him to go first—that she would do better alone than he would. But after he experienced her loss and what life was like without her, he said he was glad she went first. He was glad she didn’t have to go through what he was going through. “She’s safe home,” he said. And even in his grief, he found peace in that knowledge.

Whether we’re dealing with the loss of a loved one or thinking about our own mortality, we can find peace in the hope and comfort of heaven. And just think—one day we’ll all be safe home together.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or pain . . .” Revelation 21:4a

*Who are you longing to one day see again in heaven?

*Don’t forget to enter the Steaming Hot Valentine’s Day Giveaway. Deadline to enter is 6 p.m. Feb. 11.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out this week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by James Wheeler, Creative Commons License

Midweek Morsel: The Riches of God’s Children

145301371_80798ee47a_o(FYI, I missed my first-of-the-week post because my husband was in the hospital after falling from a ladder on the weekend. He sustained serious injuries so we’d sure appreciate your prayers. Will be a challenging time for both of us. May the verse and message below, written before the accident, speak to our hearts today!)

“. . . you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” Psalm 73:23b-4

The riches we possess as children of God outshine anything the world has to offer. We could write a mile-long list of all the blessings that are ours as God’s dearly loved children, but notice how the short passage from Psalm 73 above seems to summarize most of our riches perfectly.

Just look what God does for his children:

1. He holds us by the hand—we are never alone, he is with us in every situation.

2. He guides us with his counsel—he shows us the way to go, we can depend on his wisdom.

3. He will take us to heaven after life here on earth is over for us—we will be with him in glory forever.

Ah, the riches of being a child of God! The world can’t come close to matching these awesome blessings of God, can it? Let’s start Thanksgiving early and shower our Father with thanks today!

“O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Psalm 30:12b

*Which of these blessings of God means the most to you in your current season of life?

*Flickr photo by Suriani, Creative Commons License

*It’s not too late to receive the current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Midweek Morsel: A Winner Plus a Taste of Heaven

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With Mother’s Day just a few days away, it’s time to announce the winner of the Going Natural Giveaway. The lucky lady who gets a $20 gift certificate to Eco Natural Soap is—drum roll, please—Flea! Congrats, Flea! Have fun selecting your winnings!

And now some winnings for the rest of us. How about a taste of heaven? Since this will be my mom’s first Mother’s Day in heaven, it’s going to be tough one for me but a glorious one for her. Join me today, won’t you, in reading a few verses about heaven straight from the Word of God. May they comfort you the way they comfort me.

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance . . . they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13, 16

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands and thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God . . .” Hebrews 12:22-23a

May your weekend be touched with the promise, the comfort, and the joy of heaven. Look up with me today!

*Flickr photo by Andréia, Creative Commons License

*In addition to God and Jesus, who are you longing to see when you get to heaven?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out earlier this week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Life on a Higher Plane

Living in small-town Mid-America, we don’t usually have to worry about air traffic control. Shoot, we don’t have to worry about ground traffic control :) However, one morning not long ago when I looked out my front door, I couldn’t believe the activity overhead.

My upturned gaze spotted the jet stream of no less than five planes as they criss-crossed the cloudless blue sky. All of a sudden, another world—a busy world I don’t usually think about—captured my attention.

Since we live about seventy-five miles from the nearest major airport and don’t have many visual reminders of airline activity, the day-in and day-out business of flying the friendly skies isn’t often on my mind. But the sight above me that morning changed all that in an instant.

I got a peek at life on a higher plane (excuse the pun :) ), and it evidently is not only a friendly place (if we believe the ads) but a busy place as well. What’s more amazing is that what I saw is just the tip of the iceberg.

If we had eyes to see and conditions that allowed it, we’d see that this busy scene overhead is taking place across the entire country—and even the world. People are on the move. Life is happening above us at all times.

Another world high above—a heavenly world—captures my attention daily as I worship the Lord and come to Him in prayer. But sometimes I forget about all the activity going on around Him. Life is happening there. Angels and saints must be on the move at all times. They most certainly are experiencing life on a higher plane.

What’s even more amazing is that if we’ve placed our faith in Christ, if we’ve asked Him to be our Savior, we will one day join that heavenly world. We, too, will live life on a higher plane. And that’s some overhead activity I don’t want to miss. That’s the kind of busy I won’t mind!

“Then the angel showed me. . . The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. . . There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:1a, 3b, 5

*What are you particularly looking forward to in heaven?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, will come out next week. Sign-up is free and to the right. I’ve also added the option to receive my blog posts by email as well as RSS feed now. See right sidebar.

*Flickr photo by Al Pavangkanan