Longing for Heaven

Heavenly Beauty

As I looked out my window at the woods behind my house this morning I marveled over the beautiful colors of the leaves on the trees.  Some of the trees are full and vibrant and beautiful and some have already started to loose their leaves and look bare.  I thought about how quickly those leaves change from beautiful reds, yellows and oranges to dull, brown and dingy before falling off onto the ground.  I tried to block out the weeds, overgrown brush and fallen trees, and concentrate on the beauty instead of the flaws.  But it was difficult.

Isn’t that a great representation of this life? We can be trucking along with everything going well for us, everything running smoothly, then BAM.  Something hits us.  Health problems.  Financial headaches.  A disagreement with a friend.  These things can come out of nowhere and can throw us off our game.  It can remind us that some parts of this life are so beautiful, but some are so tainted by the sin of this world that it is sometimes hard to look past the muck and the mire to see the beauty. 

Jesus said “but take heart, for I have overcome the world”. (John 16:33b)  We can allow our hearts to long for heaven knowing that these worldly afflictions will all be washed away with the Glorious Homecoming of our Savior Jesus.  We can anticipate our eternal future in Heaven knowing that the things that have contaminated this world will have no power over us there.  Beauty will surround us all of our days.

Revelation 21:11

It shone with the Glory Of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

20 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

1. He is a Godly man who loves the Lord, makes his relationship with Christ a priority and leads our family spiritually.
2. He loves me with a love like no other.
3. He is a wonderful, caring, involved father.
4. He is a hard worker, dedicated to his job and to providing well for his family.
5. He makes me laugh.
6. He carries in the groceries and doesn’t let me help.
7. He has a gentle, laid back personality and is easy to love.
8. He is generous.  He is generous with his time and his money and is always willing to help someone in need.
9. He is SO HANDSOME!
10. He is incredibly smart.
11. He looks for ways to love on, care for and serve others.
12. He supports me and my decisions and helps me achieve my goals.
13. He is honest.
14. He is loyal.
15. He loves to spend time with me: kayaking, cycling, hiking, cooking together, playing games, and watching movies are just a few of the things we like to do together.
16. He wants to please me.
17. He is forgiving.
18. He teases me.
19. He builds strong friendships with other men and likes to be with people.
20. He takes care of the yard so I don’t have to (one of my least favorite things in the world to do!

He is the total package and I am one incredibly blessed girl!

Who Told You That? Series - "I Can't Help the Way I Am"

Devotion written for my church's prayer blog

Who Told You That Series

“I Can’t Help the Way I Am”

Philippians 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So many excuses popped into my head a few years ago when I was presented with going on my first mission trip.  Thoughts such as: “I’m not cut out for that. I don’t have a big, booming personality. I wouldn’t be good at that, I get nervous when I try to talk to strangers. I can’t help the way I am, that is just the way God made me.”  But I had to ask myself “Who told you that? Who told you, you don’t have what it takes?” The truth is that I was so focused on what I thought I couldn’t do, that I wasn’t focused on what God could do. 

We all have different personality traits.  If we didn’t, it would be one big, boring world.  Each of us are better at certain things than others, and each of us have some challenges that we have to work through.  We can choose to stay “stuck” in those challenges, or we can choose to overcome them being obedient to God and let Him work through us. 

God calls us to learn, receive, hear and see Him, and put our experiences into practice then He promises His peace will be with us.  He also tells us in Mark 16:15 to go into the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. If He calls us to go on a mission trip, minister to a neighbor, preach the gospel, or any number of other things, He will equip us with what it takes to carry out that mission.  He knows our personalities and our challenges, but He also knows His power and that through Him, we can overcome our feelings of “I’m not good enough and I can’t help the way I am.”

Father, Help us to not live with the mentality that “we can’t help the way we are” because the truth is we can observe the things you say and do and imitate you becoming more and more like you.  Please mold and transform us into your image and help us to be obedient to all you call us to do.

Devotion written by Ruth Wittenbrook