FollowingJesusUS.com

My Dear Friends,

It’s Easter Monday and we are still in our houses.  I have to admit, that I, like President Trump, was hoping for a miracle too!  But perhaps the miracle already happened, over 2,000 years ago.  Jesus died for us so that we might go to Heaven.  It doesn’t get more miraculous than that ?

But we don’t really talk about Heaven enough, and perhaps we should.  These are difficult times, we should know what it is we are looking forward too, what it is that our faith will bring us too.  That Jesus will bring us to.

John Burke wrote a book, “Imagine Heaven”.  My cousin John told me about it and I love some of Heaven’s descriptions. Here’s one:

“The fragrance that permeated Heaven was so gentle and sweet, I almost didn’t notice it amid all there was to see and hear.  But as I looked at the delicate, perfect flowers and grass, I wanted to smell them.  Instantly, I was aware of a gentle aroma.  As I focused, I could tell the difference between the grass and the flowers, the trees and even the air.  It was all so pure and intoxicating, and blended together in a sweet and satisfying scent.”

The book is available on Amazon.  I have to admit I haven’t read the whole book yet.  But there is one thing I can share with each of you personally, Heaven is a Real Place.  It’s not some cloud or mystical place.  It’s real.  It’s like the Garden of Eden.  It’s more.  More and better than we are capable of imagining.

So when the going gets tough, look up, Christ draws near ?

In God We Trust,

Theresa

In any dangerous situation, there is both fear and opportunity.  As someone reminded me on FB this may be the season of the virus, but it is also the season of lent.  The season of repentance and the season of hope.  Repentance not only for the  mistakes we have made, but the things we failed to do-but should have.  And a season of hope for the celebration of our Lord’s great love and sacrifice for us is coming.  So during the next few weeks, as we all stay at home.  Perhaps we can change our focus from what we fear here on earth to what we put our hope in-Jesus Christ.

I feel so good at it sometimes, but I realized that while I am good at trusting God never to give me more than I can handle; I am not nearly as good at trusting God with those I love because I don’t want anyone I love to suffer.  I need to work on that ?

Because if God will never give me more than I can handle, then He will never give those I love more than they can handle ?

With Martin Luther King Day fast approaching, one can’t help but think of the many issues regarding race that plague our nation.  And they do plague our nation.  But I think there is an answer, and the answer lies in loving each other, and in having compassion-on all sides.  Both of which Christ calls on us to do.

There are so many in this community who have experienced first hand what it was like to have a mother who is very ill, or a child, and yet could not bring them to the best available hospital simply because of the color of their skin.  Can you imagine?  I can’t.  If my child was sick, and they have been, there is absolutely no question that we would bring them to the very best place we could to get them help.  I truly can’t imagine not being able to get my children, or my Mom, the best possible care simply because of the color of our skin.  How horrific!  How horrible!  I can’t even imagine!  So for this, and many other issues, as white people we owe our black brothers and sisters an apology.  Did we do it, no.  But no matter our innocence, someone should apologize.  It’s not nearly enough, but it is what we can offer.

There is another step to solving the issues of race relations.  It’s that some of our brothers and sisters who happen to be African-American need to learn compassion for us as well.  Many already have that, some don’t.  As a white person, I can assure you that I have challenges that I face every day!  I hope my African American brothers and sisters understand that just because I am white does not mean that I don’t suffer.  I do.    Christ called upon each of us to love one another.  He didn’t say, “love those who are like you”.  He said, “love each other”.  Jesus doesn’t see the color of our skin.  Nor does He see the many other ways we divide ourselves.  He doesn’t see political parties, or economic standing or neighborhoods. He just sees us, each one of us.  And He loves us, each and every one.  And so should we

Order your sign today at: https://www.thankyoujesussigns.com/shop/

“If you choose gratitude, will your world be different? Oh, the hissing we hear. Don’t you want more? More horsepower. More gigabytes. More legroom. More testosterone. The white whale of want swims in our waters. But God has given Ahab a harpoon: gratitude.”-Max Lucado calendar