Just a simple post today, but one which I hope will shake you as it shook me.
William Cobbett in his book, Rural Rides, wrote:
"Sit down to write what you have thought, and not to think what you shall write."
Since reading that sentence two years ago, I've recognized that my best writing nearly always comes from recording the thoughts I've pondered for days, months or even years. And if God has been part of that meditation, well, the writing flows.
(Seems everything keeps coming back to spending time with God. Hmm.)
Just handing out a piece of gum for you to chew on today.
Happy chomping.
***
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." ...From The Lord's Prayer
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When we get to Heaven, will our conversations center around President Bush and how he ran the United States?
Will we discuss the U.S. Presidential Election of 2004?
Will we debate who has better morals--Republicans, Democrats, Liberals or Independents?
Will we argue red states and blue states? John Ashcroft? Arlen Specter?
Personally, I think not.
There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. A time to fight and a time to pray. How refreshing to discover blogs whose authors can move with grace from season to season (I found some this morning). And especially blessed are those bloggers who have moved on from the Election and are discussing subjects which help people change from the inside, out. Subjects which maybe, just maybe, we will discuss in Heaven:
Love, kindness, joy and grace. Prayer, hope, worship, praise. Forgiveness, encouragement and sowing seeds. Songs, creativity, miracles, helping. God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. Angels, peace, unity.
And no, we're not in Heaven yet. But to me, these subjects are both vital and eternal--and they will take an eternity to explore.
Now? We're in need of writers who will tackle these subjects in relevant ways for this 2004 world of searchers. I want to join those who are trying to do just that.
Besides, when I travel to Heaven, I want to be able to speak the language.
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And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
I heard this from a pastor many years ago. I believe I read this story in a book later, too, and this is how I recall it--
A man was walking through his quiet, harvested fields alone, contemplating how good God had been to him.
Suddenly, he heard happy, excited voices approaching him from the distance, yet he could see no one. The voices became louder and then he looked up and saw three angels flying above him, just feet above his head. They fluttered by, appearing to take no notice of him. They were too happily speaking to one another in a language the man could not understand.
(Now, this story appeared way before the Urban Legends reference website was even thought of. I'm not going to look-up this story there, though... I've not yet become that cynical.)
Instead, I love believing that the skies are full of joyful, conversing angels. Especially in this time of global unrest, unhappy blogging theologians and the politically-consumed.
In these Last Days, darkness will increase--but so will the Light. Who knows what kinds of fantastic things we will see? Maybe we'll see totally mind-boggling things like Christians folding away their differences and really loving one another.
Now that would be an eye-popping sight.
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"It is not the arguments of theologians that solve the problems of a questioning heart, but the cry of that heart to God, and the certainty that God has heard."
... from the book, God Calling
