God...Somehow

"Just reading about the New Jerusalem with no more years or pain.  That promise should keep me going.  And so much more besides!"  Months of physical pain were the background for her text to me this morning.

"Yes," I responded to her message.  With a smiley face I acknowledged the typo in her comment, adding, "Neither years NOR tears!

"Some pastor suggested we'd be in our prime forever, and that's attractive once we've passed it."  she replied.

"HAHAHAHAHA!  HOW TRUE,"  wrote I, my shift key stuck in the capital position.  "I HAVE wondered about that actually..."

"I have too.  For the elderly whom we've only known as elderly and the young whom we've only known as young, prime is puzzling.  We'll recognize one another so God will work it all out somehow,"  she posited.

"God...Somehow.  I think we should write a book with this title!"

"Go for it!"  she directed.

Perhaps this WILL be the forward for just such a book--

a book with many chapters.

Each of them laced with examples of

God...Somehow! 

Have YOU a chapter?

Living with a Missing Piece

We finished this puzzle (purchased used, which may account for the missing piece) yesterday.

Only after I composed the title did I realize that it was finished

on my mother's birthday - February 2.

This was her first birthday to pass since she died a few months ago.

She IS a missing piece in our lives.

But life DOES go on, and we don't wish her back.

The past week has left us with a few more "missing pieces".

The dear gentleman whose position my husband recently inherited died earlier this week,

and last night another sweet friend finished her earthly course.

Last night as we sipped our hot chocolate and played dominoes,

we had music playing in the background.

One of the songs seemed to fit mother's birthday quite perfectly....

 ♪ I have heard of a land on the faraway strand,
’Tis a beautiful home of the soul;
Built by Jesus on high, where we never shall die,
’Tis a land where we never grow old.

Never grow old, never grow old,

In a land where we’ll never grow old;

Never grow old, never grow old,

In a land where we’ll never grow old. ♪

Heaven is sounding sweeter all the time!

Project, Preparation, Purpose

 

 It's messy.

 It's ugly.

 It's disruptive

and inconvenient.

Progress seems slow,

and it gets expensive.

But there is a reason and purpose for it.

We are preparing a place for my father to come and live comfortably with us! 

I can hardly wait for the project to be finished!

And meanwhile, I often think about Jesus' words in John 14:2-3:

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, 

would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, 

I will come back and take you to be with me 

that you also may be where I am.

Jesus, too, has a "project"!  He's "preparing a place for me"!  

His purpose is that one day I can be where He is.

I can hardly wait.

I Can Only Imagine

 I leaned over the neighbor's fence, desperate for an un-obliterated shot at the

 amazing sunrise this morning. The incredible red/orange brilliance had already begun to fade by the time I returned with my phone to take the picture. And I really have NO angle from which to  photograph a great sunrise in our backyard.....
I can only imagine!

As surely as wires and fences, poles and generators obscured the beauty...

as inadequate my no-frills phone camera...

so is my capacity to grasp the glory of God obscured and inadequate.

Still there are HINTS of it

everywhere I turn.

One day, the barriers will be removed

and I will see Him, face to face!

Glory!

♪ When by his grace I shall look on His face...

That will be glory!  Be glory for me. ♪

I can only imagine.

Impromptu

A dictionary will tell you that impromptu means "not prepared in advance" or 

something "suddenly or hastily prepared".  

But impromptu is actually a French word that comes from the Latin

in and promptus which literally means "in readiness".

This I learned at Cabin & Cottage this morning.  (You'll enjoy the rest of her post about hospitality, I believe...) The "impromptu" theme struck me; particularly since we are vacationing in a rather impromptu manner.  We have a destination in mind--but few details except the the name of the town and a general description of the possible garden walks we hope to experience.  Fortunately, both my husband and I are OK with this kind of travel.  We drive until we're hungry; stop when we're ready to turn in for the night.   Reservation-less, we can enjoy unexpected sights along the way and discover some off-the-beaten-path beauty.  In one sense, we are "not prepared in advance."  On the other hand, we are "in readiness".  Imprumptu in both senses of the word!

Fireplace at our convention site.

In the second sense, I think our journey heavenward is impromptu--in readiness, we have a general description of our destination.  But in reality, there are many "unexpected sites" to stumble on.  Cabin and Cottage says, "You have to be prepared to be spontaneous."

A prepared life spiritually offers excitement and spontaneous joys along the way to Heaven.  I'm enjoying our vacation so far....and I'm excited about the rest of my Heavenward journey, too!
 

Jesus said to his disciples, "Don't be worried!  Have faith in God and have faith in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true.  I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. You know the way to where I am going."  John 14:1-3

Face to Face

Why I didn't take more pictures, I'm really not sure!  I was in this GLoRioUs DaZE...reveling in the adventure of meeting a Blogging Friend for the first time.  Speaking from THIS end, there was instant recognition followed by an overwhelming sense of wanting to know EVERYTHING and not knowing where to begin.  It truly was (as I wrote her when I got home)..."as if we'd known you all our lives and wishing we had".

The men hit it off just fine, too.  We met for a wonderful buffet dinner and then visited an enchanting Christmas shop down the road--both of which were secondary to our face-to-face meeting.

Heaven?  I think it will be "out of sight"!  The streets of gold, gates constructed of gems, the 12 trees lining the river that flows from the throne, mansions even.  But it will be secondary to our face-to-Face meeting with the One who saved us by His grace!

"Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine"  (Fanny Crosby)

Happy Birthday, Dolly!

I can't help it!  I'm excited about a recent "coincidence".  Two days ago I downloaded (or is it UPloaded?) a song from another blog.  It sat at the very bottom of my playlist until this morning when I "coincidentally" discovered that it was Dolly Parton's birthday.

The closest I've gotten to Dolly Parton was a visit to Dollywood one Christmas season.  It was delightful.  I'm not a fan in the truest sense of the word, but this song blessed my heart, and I've played it several times the past two days.  Theologically it may not be entirely correct, but it makes me long for Heaven.  And that is good.  I moved it up to the top this morning so you can hear it.  Even if you don't care for country music, take the time to listen to the end.  I hope...I am PRAYING that you are heaven-bound where "God himself will be with them...He will wipe way every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."  (Revelation 21:3-4)

"When I get where I'm going I will shed the sins and struggles I have carried all these years...."  I so LOVE that line!

Only a Warm-Up....

Christmas Day was a warm-up for the bigger celebration and family gathering Sunday through Wednesday!  My nieces and nephew taught Grandpa a new game.  We enjoyed soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit and cookies.  Table games filled out the afternoon. 

Our weekly gatherings at church or in fellowship groups (i.e. our Christian family) are similar warm-ups for the eternity we'll spend together in the presence of our Lord!  What it will actually be like, I can only imagine....

Jesus May Come Today

(Harry Ostrom, 19th Century)

For some reason, this old gospel song came to my mind while I walked early this morning. Jesus MAY come today! What hope! What perspective this truth brings to my heart and mind today!

Jesus may come today,
Glad day! Glad day!
And I would see my Friend;
Dangers and troubles would end
If Jesus should come today...

I may go home today,
Glad day! Glad day!
Seemeth I hear their song;
Hail to the radiant throng!
If I should go home today...

Why should I anxious be?
Glad day! Glad day!
Lights appear on the shore,
Storms will affright nevermore,
For He is at hand today...

Faithful I'll be today,
Glad day! Glad day!
And I will freely tell
Why I should love Him so well,
For He is my all today...

Glad day! Glad day! Is it the crowning day?
I'll live for today, nor anxious be,
Jesus, my Lord, I soon shall see;
Glad day! Glad day!
Is it the crowning day?

RESCUED AND RESTORED

While out driving last week, Good Husband and I stumbled on a pile of junk awaiting trash pickup. I THOUGHT I saw a fireplace mantel. We stopped, backed up - and sure enough! In not-so-good shape, but all there down to the logs and light bulb! We strapped it onto our car (it wouldn't fit in the trunk) and traveled on. Yesterday, GH put in some major time repairing some of the faults, shaping a new piece of trim, and fixing the electrical cord so that the fake fire could burn.

I couldn't wait for the finished product to show you THIS much....It is primed and will be painted to fit into our eating area. We have selected the spot.

I can't help but think of how Jesus "rescued" me! His work is not finished. He's STILL working on me! On the basis of His Word, I know he has selected "the spot" for me! What a thought to think that He can't wait to see me there. I have been rescued and restored. I am a new creation in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

He is preparing a place for me - and me for that place!