my happy easter people {and my new outlook on heaven}

 

we do eggs and candy and family lunch.

some of the best times of life are had when we all get together. people eating and talking and laughing and kids running and playing and eating way too much candy while their parents are destracted.

 

but this easter, i've been more deeply aware of Christ's sacrifice.

inspired as never before to inspire my kids to know that Jesus is more than just a man. more than the easter bunny. more than they could ever ask or imagine.

 

we've been talking about heaven a lot these days.

 

sparked by the book our small group is reading together, (Heaven by Randy Alcorn), i have been mesmerized by the realness of heaven in a way that i never even considered in the past.

 

if there is any book you should read right now (aside from the bible) it is THIS book.

 

i'll be honest and say that before starting "Heaven" i didn't think much about heaven. i didn't try not to think on it, but it just wasn't a place that was particularly interesting, but i didn't know why. besides knowing we would finally meet our Savior, i worried we would be floating around in a totally unfamiliar place. maybe somewhere in the clouds with angels singing and we would sit around together unsure of what we should be doing. i knew heaven would be wonderful, but there was no visual image in my mind to attach it to.

and the though of eternity? completely and wholeheartedly terrified me.

a heaven that never ends. never. ever. no end.

(insert brain spinning. hot flashes. panic)

 

i've realized now that satan need not make us think heaven isn't real, he need only to make it seem undesirable and boring.

think of every cartoon with an angel holding a harp or any images you've seen of heaven.

do they look fun? exciting? mesmerizing?

i can't think of any.

 

but mr. alcorn explains in great depth (with Scripture to back it up) that God's original plan of the Garden of Eden, a phenomenal place of unimaginable creatures and creation and perfect relationship with God has not been abandoned.

when the bible talks about God creating a NEW EARTH, perhaps it really is a NEW earth!! filled with similar wonders and amazing creations as we now know...but our current version is just a minuscule reflection of what the New Earth will be like.

 and we will walk and talk and eat and explore and play and work just for the pure joy of working because our bodies will be physical bodies!

 

perhaps all of the incredible places on earth that i will never get to see with my own eyes will finally be accessible with a glorious eternity to explore and adventure with my Creator.

how incredible!

praise God, He made a way long ago. long before sin came and corrupted every crevice of the universe. He planned to save what He created and make it all new again.

 

i'm not doing the book justice because there is so much more. 

i can surely promise that the first 3 chapters will have you hooked to read more.

 

 

i continually remind myself that i can't do anything to save myself.

i'm a saver.

i save junk. i save baby hamsters. i want to save my children from all kinds of grief and heartache.

but i can't save myself.

the ugliness of me is still there no matter what i change.

no matter how hard i try to save.

 

i'm so thankful that easter means i don't have to fail at my own saving.