A friend of mine who has been doing some street preaching has asked my views regarding the rapture and what happens to a believer when they die. Do we go straight to heaven or do we rise from the grave when Jesus returns?

Personally I use the example of Jesus and the criminal on the cross from Luke (NIV).

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

To me, this shows that we do go straight to heaven. But how do we explain the rapture and people rising from the dead during the second coming? (cant find a reference right now).....Thoughts?

Five Balls in the Air

Since we couldn't figure out how to add to the blog which Patti did such a good job of setting up for us, we are sending our thoughts to you via email from Breckenridge (where it is snowing and beautiful this morning).  Hopefully, we can master this before next time!  We will be home next Sunday afternoon.  

From Linda

Patti's thoughts last week reminded both Mike and me of a quote we heard recently in our church's marriage seminar.  In a 30-second speech by Bryan Dyson. former CEO of Coca Cola, he said the following at a university commencement program---

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.  They are Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. 

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.  If you drop it, it will bounce back.  But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass.  If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.  They will never be the same.  You must understand that and strive for it."

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time.  Give the required time to your family, friends & have proper rest. 

                                                           Value has a value only if its value is valued." 

This was a powerful reminder to me to think about what I really do value.  Do I even take the time to consider exactly what is most important to me?  I began to think about the people in my life who are so dear to me and resolve to never take them for granted.  I pray with renewed gratitude for the gifts God has given me---my dear husband of 54+ years, my precious children and the ones God gave them to marry, my priceless grandchildren and those he has given them in marriage, and God's promise of faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love him and keep his commandments.  

Yesterday, Mother's Day, I raised my prayer of thankfulness to my heavenly father for the mothers he placed in my life and the lives of my husband and spouses of my children and grandchildren.  From each one of them we have learned important values which are gifts from God.  From now on, I will do my best to value the blessings in my life.

From Mike

To the guys, let me add that the example of the five balls in the air was a great reminder for me to not let Work consume me and end up losing one or more of the other four.  I pray to God to help each of us to stay focused on the four--Family, Health, Friends and Spirit.  May I suggest that if we don't get the Spirit right, the others will become of lesser value as time goes on.  So my encouragement for each of us, is get a Christian friend to be a mentor and develop a depth in our belief in God to make all the others stronger and stronger.  

Through His Eyes

It's a real treat to visit my parents.  I have such respect for all they have accomplished, their commitment to virtue, their amazing work ethic... even after about 8 decades of toil, they still seem to find an inner peace, joy if you will, in taking care of the ranch, the cattle and their equipment.

The respect that I have for my parents and my inmate desire to please them, I suppose, that has brought me to the point of viewing everything I show them "through their eyes."  Part of the my time here in their home always seems to become an adult version of show and tell.  Technology has taken the childhood game and given it an adult feel.

During this stay, I've shown my parents a few of my favorite music videos, some photographs, an awesome Ted Talk on the Secret of Happiness  https://youtu.be/fLJsdqxnZb0, and this weekend's sermon at Timberline.  (Jeff Lucas, the British pastor, was back in the saddle - he's my favorite.) https://vimeo.com/126700099.

As always, I find myself very intent on pleasing my audience.  Interestingly, I begin to find flaws in the things I really, really loved - as I critique them from the standard or lens I can safely assume my parents will view them.  In the case of the Ted Talk, it became almost annoying how fast the speaker spoke... probably because of the time constraint, the video may have even been sped up.  The orator at church seemed a bit less captivating and I found myself offering up some "back story" to help make the music videos more compelling.

As is generally the case, I find that the things I was so eager to show suddenly seem unworthy.  It's true, my folks have a comparatively small bandwidth when it comes to things that will impress them. But what is more profound is the speed at which I am willing to adapt my own perception to match theirs.  Mentally, I begin to wish with fervor that I could tweak the the presentations to make them truly worthy of my parents'  adoration.

Reflecting on this has made me pause to consider what other audiences do I play to and how do I alter my perceptions to fit the scene.  Does my little Subaru that I love suddenly seem like less of a blessing when I am awarded shotgun in one of the other broker's fancy rides?  Does my language take on a small sprinkling of four letter words when I find myself too long in the company of those who communicate more colorfully?  And, what about the weekend adventure climbing the Devil's Backbone with the kids... is my reminiscing as fond when reading of the lavish vacations enjoyed by the many patrons on Facebook.

The challenge is this... to love what you love and to love it earnestly, honestly and with gratitude... not as compared to someone else's treasures or through the lens of those with a different perception but with the wide, eager eyes of a child.