How Could I NOT Want This Day to Come? Updated on May 25, 2024, Ten Years Later

Dear Friends, I originally wrote this post ten years ago today, May 25, 2014, on the day that our precious son Matthew entered heaven's gates. Since that day we have grieved over the loss of his presence in our lives, but we have rejoiced in knowing where he is and that we will see him again some day. Since that day at lot has changed in our lives...we are all ten years older, and getting closer to heaven's gates ourselves.  One day we will experience what Matthew has already been enjoying for these past ten years. I am certain he will be at the gates with Jesus, ready to welcome us "home". Who knows? Maybe he has even had a part in helping to build our "mansion" in heaven...he always loved to draw house plans...but that house will be built with materials that last for eternity...no need of paint or plumbing or new roof shingles there...and no need for any more "good-byes".   Yes, we miss him here oh so much, but I wouldn't call him back to earth for anything. He is living where the roses never fade and the body never grows old again. I look forward to that day.  But until then,  we carry on with our lives and try to live the way Christ leads us to live. I pray that our lives will always reflect His great love.

Here is the original post written ten years ago:

Sunday, May 25th, 2014.  The Day I hoped would never come...but wait! I take that back!  Just shortly after midnight our wonderful son Matthew Everette Steiner passed from this life into eternity after a lengthy battle with a rare and aggressive cancer.  He was exactly 41 years and 3 months old today. For the past four years he has fought valiantly against this horrific foe...and today...well, today he is no longer fighting.  The battle is over. It is finished.  How could I NOT want this day to come?

Today begins an exciting new chapter in the life of Matthew Everette Steiner.  I repeat his full name...as it is a name that is ringing throughout the halls of heaven today!  As soon as Matthew took his last breath here on earth, he gulped a breath of celestial air for the first time...and began his adventure in paradise.  When he crossed over the threshold of those pearly gates, I believe there was a shout and there were victory dancers surrounding him as he was escorted through the streets of gold by the holy angels themselves.  The saints of old were lining the streets, cheering and waving, calling out his name and welcoming him HOME.  Yes, HOME...home at last.  He was greeted and hugged by his grandparents and friends and ancestors who have gone on before...and then, best of all, he was presented to the One Who Died for him...his Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ Himself.

Oh, how I would have loved to have been a little birdie on the wall watching this amazing event!  I would so love to have had just a glimpse of the joy on my precious son's face as he met Jesus face to face. To see him running and leaping through those jewel lined streets...strong and healthy and completely well!  No more sickness, no more fear, no more dying... Set free and totally healed...never to suffer ever again.

Yes, I am sad. I will miss this laughing, happy, fun loving child of mine.  I already miss hearing his voice. I am overcome with tears as waves of memories assail me frequently without warning. I am grieving for this great loss to our family and to his own sweet wife and son. There are no words that can describe what I am feeling adequately...but these word pictures do help me visualize the joy that he is experiencing...and I need to remember that.  My son is whole again...no more dying there...he is worshiping the King of Kings...and singing praises with the angels in glory. Again I ask, "How could I NOT want this day to come?"

Matthew Everette Steiner...before the cancer struck him
Healthy and whole...the way I expect he is today in heaven

Lind to a previous post, with more links to other posts about Matthew's life.

Flowers for Mama - Updated 5/13/2018

Updated on Mother's Day, May 13, 2018. This is a repeat of a post I wrote originally in 2010, and then updated in 2011, right after my father had also joined her in heaven.  In honor and loving memory of my Mother and all mothers past and present, Have a Blessed and Happy Mother's Day.  I repost this every year now on this day...missing my Mama still...guess I always will.  She was pretty wonderful.

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." Exodus 20:12 KJV

(Updated 5/7/11)  Song of Solomon 2:11-13 “For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell…”

Many years ago we answered the call of God to go and prepare for the ministry.  My husband chose a seminary in north central Ohio, which was an exciting new adventure for our whole family!  First snow for our kids...first driving in snow and ice for us...lots of fun adjusting to our new surroundings after living most of our lives in Florida. But that's another whole story I'll save for another day.

We had survived our first winter in Ohio living in a very large, old house out in a small community in the heart of farmland. Finally spring arrived in all its grandeur and beauty. I was so thrilled to discover that our yard was blossoming out in every direction! Since we had moved into this house in the early fall we were not prepared for all of the lovely flowers that would appear in the spring. There were tulips and daffodils springing up in flowerbeds all around the house. Then there appeared the blossoms of flowers I had never seen before, gorgeous large white and pink and rosy red peonies! Oh, what a delightful surprise they were! Their fragrance was exquisite.  Then the fruit trees started to blossom…we had apples, pears, plums, and cherries! It was a veritable "Garden of Eden". 

Me with my sweet little boys circa 1980:
Matthew in the space helmet, Benton, and Scotty
in front of the lilac bush
Mother's Day, Nova, OH

Next the lilacs started blooming…talk about fragrance! I was especially excited to see these delicate flowers appear because lilacs were my mother’s favorite flower, and since moving to Florida after being born and raised in the north, she was sad to discover that she was unable to grow them in the south. Every spring she would talk about the lilacs and long to see and smell them again. In honor of her, I joyously placed vases full of the beautiful flowers everywhere in the house and filled our home with their sweet perfume.

Since my Mother and Dad’s anniversary was in the middle of May, I thought I would surprise them with a “fresh bouquet” from our garden. I gathered up bunches of lilacs, tulips, and apple blossoms, and carefully packed them and mailed them to Florida by priority mail. I wish I could have been there to see my mother’s face when she opened that box and saw those lilacs! She said although they were a bit wilted, she could still smell their heavenly fragrance emanating from the package. Even though they were falling off of the stems, she saved the blossoms and enjoyed them for days to come. I believe that was the best present I ever sent her.

Lilacs, tulips and apple blossoms from our yard, May 1980

Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I think of this today, as my dear mother has been gone to heaven for five years, exactly today. (written on 5/7/2011) My sweet Daddy has just joined her in heaven, about two weeks ago. (April 19, 2011)  Since Mother passed away in the month of May, we requested that the florist find fresh lilacs to make a special bouquet for her funeral. They were able to do so, and I know it brought a smile to my mother’s face in heaven to know that we had done that for her. I can even imagine that the fragrance of those beloved flowers reached all the way to heaven’s gates.

I love you Mom...and we still miss you every day!  So happy for you that Daddy is there with you to help you celebrate this Mother's Day.  Love and kisses to you both...Your baby daughter, Pam

“Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:28

A Closed Door...and An Open Door - Updated

UPDATE:  This post was originally written several years ago, and as I was just re-reading it I thought it would be a good repeat for Father's Day weekend.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic and missing my family home...especially the ones who made that home so special.  Read on:


This is the door to my childhood home.  My parents' home.  I lived there from the time I was seven until I left to get married at the age of almost 19. (okay, I was still just 18, but very mature for my age!)  My Dad built this home, and he and my mother lived in this house for over fifty years.  They both died in the home they loved, and their wish to remain in their home until they died came true.

Seeing this picture of the door leading to my parents' home posted on my niece's Facebook page today kind of hit me right between the eyes and deep within my heart. Why? Because this door is closed. This door is now locked, and it will never again be open to welcome our family to the joys and happiness that we once shared within.

During all of those fifty plus years of our parents living in this home memories were made that will always be treasured in the hearts of each of their four children and their families, grandchildren and great grandchildren. We can never go back and relive those happy days, but we can remember them in our hearts and share them with our children and grandchildren and pass on the marvelous heritage of a loving home to all those who follow.

The thing that I need to remember is that although my parents' earthly house is empty and it will never be the same again, that is not the end of this story.  Why?  Because my parents are still alive and well...and enjoying the home that was not built with human hands...their heavenly home.  And the door to THAT home will NEVER be locked shut to those who believe.  It will be eternally open, and ready to receive those who have accepted the invitation to enter. As a matter of fact...that invitation is there for YOU as well!

Hear what Jesus said to His disciples:

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and receive you to Myself;

that where I am, there you may be also. 

And where I go you know, and the way you know." 

"Thomas said to Him,

'Lord, we do not know where You are going,

and how can we know the way?'

Jesus said to him,

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:1-6 

I am so thankful to know that I have a heavenly home, where the door is open, and Jesus is there waiting with open arms to receive me.  I also know that I will see my parents again in that home, because I have no doubt that they loved the Lord with all their hearts, and that they were looking forward to that heavenly home as well.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish

but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Have you accepted Christ's invitation to dwell with Him in His heavenly home?  Think about it...and accept that invitation now while there is still time.

POSTSCRIPT: I Just had another thought...my parents also continue to live on in the lives of each of us, their children, and those who come after us. So this story has a double happy ending...or rather, beginning...

My Mom and Dad. 'Nuff said.  Love & miss them so much.

Someone Said Today Was National Pack Rat Day?

I noticed on a couple of my blogging friends posts that today was National Pack Rat Day, or something like that...and I thought...there's a day to "celebrate" that? Or is it one of those "awareness" days...to be on the lookout for those "hoarding tendencies" that tend to creep up on us when we think we are just "collectors"...

I'll admit to having a latent gene inherited from my ancestors in there somewhere that causes me to want to collect and keep certain things...well, maybe not so latent...it rises to the surface quite often...but I manage to keep it under control by not having any money to spend on such frivolities...however, when things are free...or inherited...or gifts...or really a great bargain...well...watch out! Before you know it, things can begin to pile up...

• in the corners, in the closets, in the drawers, under the beds, in the garages, attics, sheds...wherever there is an empty spot that just needs to be filled...
• and then you realize that you just can't put one more thing in that room or closet or on that shelf...
• but you see this "thing", and you love it and just have to have it...
• it reminds you of Mama, or Grandma, or Daddy, or Aunt so and so, or a friend, or a place, or a memory of your childhood that you want to hold on to...

and then the collections become an obsession...and we find that we are powerless to

• let go
• walk away
• say NO
• throw it away
• give it away

and we begin to dream about just moving out and leaving it all behind for someone else to deal with.  But then we think...Oh, but I don't want to leave my pictures, my books, my dishes, my tea cups, my tea pots, my dolls, my tools, my antique furniture....my "Collections"

Yes, I admit it...I totally understand this problem...I HAVE this problem.  They say admitting it is the first part of winning the battle, right?  So, okay, ... but I don't think I hoard things in the true sense of the word Hoarding (click here for that definition).  

I don't keep things because I think I'll need them someday...no, I keep things because I like them...they are special in some way...they have sentimental value to me for whatever reason...they have historical value, and I enjoy them. Or they are gifts that I've been given, and it wouldn't be nice to not keep them.   And for the most part, my "collections" are neat and orderly (sort of) and not totally overflowing the whole house...well...not yet...

Hubby and I have been talking about wanting to "downsize" to a more practical, manageable home in the future, when our sons are truly finally moved out on their own and we don't want to have so much house and property to maintain on our own as we get older.  When we start thinking about this and really talking about it, I do admit that I have some issues about what to keep and what to let go. So much of our furnishings, etc., are actually inherited from our families...and they do have sentimental value to us.  BUT...the day is coming when I know I will have to let go of some things and move on.

As a matter of fact...that day could come in a moment...in a twinkling of an eye (See I Corinthians 15:52) ...and the Lord will come and catch us up into the air and take us home to heaven. (See I Thessalonians 4:17)...either via the Lord's return, or via the end of this life as we know it and the beginning of the new life in heaven that I so look forward to.   And then what will happen to all of these things??? (See Luke 12:16-21)  

Well...

Matthew 6:19-21 tells me what I need to do:

19.  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy 

and where thieves break in and steal;

20.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21.  For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also."

So, does this mean that it is wrong to collect things that I enjoy, or that have been passed down from our ancestors?  

The key verse here is "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

 I need to honestly look at myself and ask this question..."Where is my treasure? and Where is my HEART?"

Verse 24 of this chapter says:

"No one can serve two masters;

for either he will hate the one and love the other, 

or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon."

Do I put these "treasures" ahead of my relationship with God?  Do I love God enough to be able to give up these "treasures" in order to serve Him?  Do I allow these treasures to come between myself and my relationship with others?  

God has not yet asked me to "give up" anything that is in my house, but I believe I am understanding that if He were to call us onward to a different place...a new kind of ministry, or even to something that would be better for our household/life situation...I may have to relinquish my hold on these things...

If the Lord were to call me home to heaven today...I know I can't take anything with me...EXCEPT for the TREASURES that I have built up in heaven!  And what, pray tell, are those???

Lord, I hope that I have built up some treasures in heaven...I hope I haven't been so busily collecting these things here on earth that are just going to eventually collect dust, (daily), rust, break, be thrown into someone's trash heap and be forgotten...that I've neglected to store up the more valuable treasures in Your safe treasure store....things like:

• Souls that have been drawn to and led to Christ because of my testimony or life of faith
• Treasures of kindnesses that have been done for others 
• Gifts that You've given me to use for Your honor and glory here on earth that have blessed the hearts of Your children here
• Prayers that I've prayed for others
• Songs that I've sung to You in praise and adoration
• Love that I've hopefully given to others 

These material things that I've been given or have somehow obtained...they do have their place...and some have even been used in service to the Lord in some way...but they are still just things...

and I do not ever want to be guilty of putting any thing ahead of my relationship with Christ or any person.  That would actually be a form of idolatry...and we know that we are not to worship any thing in place of God....we are not to let any article, dream, or idea take the place of our relationship with Christ and His kingdom.

So, on this "National Pack Rat" day, I confess that I may be a bit of a pack rat...and I also confess that I struggle with letting go of these "things"...but when it comes right down to what is really important in this life and the life to come...I want my heart to be secured in heaven...and I want my REAL treasures to be stored there, where nothing can destroy them.  

Thank You, Lord, for this little wake up call to show me where my heart truly is.  Help me, Lord, to always invest my life in YOU, in heavenly treasures, so that I won't be sad to see some day that my heavenly cupboard is bare.  Amen.

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 14-The Garden of God's Creation

What a difference a day makes...the past couple of days were so chilly and raw and cloudy...making it very difficult to sit comfortably outside for any length of time.  But today I'm sitting here in the garden in short sleeves and capris...the sun is shining and it is a beautiful spring day!  Yes, I know it isn't officially spring yet, but we have been blessed with a very mild winter (even for Florida) that has seemed more like spring with the exception of a few frosty mornings and bone-chilling days.  I am so very thankful! We just need a little more rain to make it perfect...but I'm not complaining!

Our devotional readings today took us through Psalm 104 and also the first nineteen verses of Genesis.  Such beautiful images in these passages...I commend them to your reading.  Here is a portion of Psalm 104...

1.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great;

You are clothed with honor and majesty.

2.  Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

3.  He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters.

Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind;

4.  Who makes His angels spirits,

His ministers a flame of fire."

(Note: some of the photographs are from earlier times...not necessarily taken today, but appropriate for this powerful imagery.)

As I read through the whole Psalm 104, I am filled with awe & majesty of our God, our Creator.

Verse 24 says:

"O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all.

The earth is full of Your possessions."

Verse 31:

"May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

May the Lord rejoice in His works."

33:

"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God

while I have my being.

34:

"May my meditation be sweet to Him;

I will be glad in the Lord."

I've been thinking a lot lately about how all of life, as we know it, began in a garden...
when God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it...then He created man out of the dust of the ground (see Genesis 2), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

In verse 8 it says "The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed..."

Verse 15:  "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." Then  He commanded the man, saying  (16)"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat.
(17) "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

And then God created Eve for the man Adam, and they both lived in the garden.  We don't know how long it was before the serpent came along and deceived Eve and then Eve convinced Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit...but we all know the terrible consequences of that sin.

Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden (Genesis 3:23-24), "to till the ground from which he was taken", and they were barred from ever returning to Eden because of their great sin of disobedience.
From that day on mankind has had to live a life of toil and much sorrow, because of this great load of sin that was passed on to all of the human race.

And then Jesus came!!

Click HERE for the song "Then Jesus Came" sung by Larry Wayne Morbit (Gaither Homecoming)

One sat alone beside the highway begging,
  His eyes were blind, the light he could not see;
He clutched his rags and shivered in the shadows,
  Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee. 

When Jesus comes the tempter’s pow’r is broken;
  When Jesus comes the tears are wiped away.
He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,
    For all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.

From home and friends the evil spirits drove him,
  Among the tombs he dwelt in misery;
He cut himself as demon pow’rs possessed him,
  Then Jesus came and set the captive free.

“Unclean! unclean!” the leper cried in torment,
  The deaf, the dumb, in helplessness stood near;
The fever raged, disease had gripped its victim,
  Then Jesus came and cast out every fear.

Their hearts were sad as in the tomb they laid him,
  For death had come and taken him away;
Their night was dark and bitter tears were falling,
  Then Jesus came and night was turned to day.

So men today have found the Savior able,
  They could not conquer passion, lust and sin;
Their broken hearts had left them sad and lonely,
  Then Jesus came and dwelt, Himself, within.

When Jesus comes the tempter’s pow’r is broken;

When Jesus comes the tears are wiped away.

He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,

For all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.

The only begotten perfect Son of God, pure and sinless, born of the Holy Spirit...the only perfect sacrifice Who could atone for our sins and open up the way back to "Eden"...that heavenly garden in Paradise...where the tree of life shall be for all those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God...Jesus Christ...Who takes away the sins of the world!

In Revelation 22:3 we are told that there shall be no more curse, and the "throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him."

That beautiful garden in the new paradise where the tree of life shall be forever...

Revelation 22:13 says;

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, The Beginning and the End, The First and the Last."

We were banished from the first garden...but because of Jesus' great sacrifice, we will live forever in the last garden!  What a beautiful and precious promise is this...all because Jesus came for YOU and for Me!!  I hope to see you in that glorious garden someday!

Click HERE for a previous post regarding The Serpent In The Garden

Wondering About Heaven - Updated

I originally wrote this post two years ago...and this has been on my mind again today. I feel like the day ought to be remembered as it was a wonderful occasion, joining two beautiful hearts as one, and two families became united in a unique relationship that doesn't stop at the grave. Cancer is a deadly foe, but it can't destroy the love that lasts for eternity.
 
We miss our son in so many ways...but we are thankful for the marvelous memories that we have and also for the gift of our one and only grandchild that came as a result of this union.  Matthew's legacy lives on in his son and will continue on in the generations to come.

Nicole, Matthew, and their son Noah, February, 2014

Original Post 8/7/2014:
Not sure what to write today.  It is the 21st wedding anniversary of my son Matthew and his wife Nicole.

But Matthew is in heaven...since May 25th of this year. I wonder if he has thought about this day at all from his vantage point in heaven?  Don't you sometimes wonder what people in heaven think about? I do.
Especially since my son joined my parents (his maternal grandparents), his paternal grandfather,

1993: Wedding Rehearsal party, Matt greeting his
Grandpa Mursch who just arrived.   Looking on
is his Granddaddy Steiner and Nanny Steiner.  I wonder
if this was how they greeted each other in heaven?

Granddaddy Steiner, Grandma Mursch, and Grandpa Mursch (my parents),
Who were all waiting for Matthew when he arrived in heaven.

I wonder if Matthew is dancing with his Grandma on the streets of gold tonight?

and all the other greats and great-great ancestors. And all the saints of old...and of course, Jesus Himself, first of all and best of all.

Regarding marriage in heaven, Jesus said, "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven."  Matthew 22:30

This does not mean that people in heaven won't recognize or know their spouse or loved ones, but only that those relationships are no longer necessary in heaven. We will all be like the angels of God...everyone will love everyone equally is what that says to me. One very big family reunion!

The other day I was sitting on the sun porch, watching the birds in the back yard flitting to and fro, busily gathering seeds and flying back to their nests possibly to feed their young, and I was suddenly aware of the feeling that I was not alone.

I don't say this to give anyone the heebie-jeebies or make you think I'm weird. (You probably already do, so this will be no great revelation!)  I was actually thinking of how much my parents would have enjoyed this home and the surroundings, and how pleased they would be to know that I had such a home to enjoy. They both had already passed on when we were able to buy this house...actually it is because of their gift to their children as our inheritance that we were able to even consider this place. But that is another story...and a miraculous one at that.

No, what I was thinking was that perhaps my parents and grandparents and all those before them could be smiling down upon this scene and rejoicing with us. That's when I remembered that they were actually sitting right behind me on the shelves, well, at least their pictures were, and it gave me such a feeling of peace. Hard to explain, but it was a good feeling, and I had to stop and give thanks for such wonderful parents and grandparents...all who set a godly example for me...and who loved all their children with such a tender sweetness.

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let  us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him

endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

How can I sum this up? Here are some thoughts for my own self and perhaps for you as well:

• When you are feeling sad or lonely, or missing  loved ones who have gone on to their heavenly home, picture them happy in heaven. 
• Don't dwell on the sorrow or the emptiness.  Dwell on the joy that is now theirs, and will some day be yours.
• Don't get bogged down by circumstances that you are unable to change here.  Focus your eyes on Jesus, "The Author and Finisher of our faith...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..."
• Run your race with confidence and endurance...the reward of heaven is in sight.
• "Be at peace among yourselves." I Thessalonians 5:13
• "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

This gives me a sense of peace and comfort tonight. I hope there is something here for you too. 

Have a blessed day my friend.

Interesting Insight Today

In this morning's devotions I read John 12:44-50. I'm sure I've read this passage many times before because portions of it were underlined and circled.  But for some reason Christ's words leaped out at me and hit me between the eyes...

Verses 46-48 were the particular verses that caught my attention:

"I have come as a light into the world,

that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, 

I do not judge him; 

for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words,

has that which judges him--

the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

Verse 49-50:

"For I have not spoken on My own authority; 

but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command,

what I should say and what I should speak.

And I know that His command is

EVERLASTING LIFE.

Therefore, whatever I speak,

just as the Father has told Me,

so I speak."

~ Jesus Christ, the Son of God~

Then on my way to work I was listening to The Morning Cruise on the JoyFm, and they were interviewing Matthew West, the songwriter and contemporary singer, who has just released a new album this week: "Live Forever".  They played one of the songs entitled "Heaven is the Hope".  (UPDATE: ONE OF MY SWEET FRIENDS JUST SENT THIS LINK TO ME...SO I AM INCLUDING IT HERE FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO AND ENJOY AND BE BLESSED)  

Anyway, as I was listening to this song, something clicked inside of me...the verses above, and the realization that "heaven is our hope"....i.e.; "EVERLASTING LIFE"... and the fact that Jesus said in verse 50 that God's COMMAND, not suggestion, not thought, not wish, but God's COMMAND is EVERLASTING LIFE...that was God the Father's "command" to His Son Jesus when He sent Him on His earth mission...something like this:  (my interpretation)  

"Son, I am not sending you down there to judge the people...but to save them!  My command to you is to tell them how to have everlasting life...shed light in the darkness...tell them how much I love them...tell them I want to spend eternity with them because I love them.  I am commanding you to tell them this because they need to know how much I love them...and if they don't listen to your words, you will show them when you literally sacrifice your life and die for them."  

The "something" that "clicked" inside of me was the fact that this life is actually all about the next life. Life here on earth is definitely NOT all there is.  "Heaven is our Hope" because God sent His Son to show us how to get there.  God sent His Son to SAVE us, not to JUDGE us.  His desire was that we would be redeemed and delivered into heaven's gates when our life here is ended.  If we reject this invitation, we seal our own fate and then the judgment comes.

Remember this one? I'm sure you've heard it many times before:

"For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that WHOEVER believes in Him should not  perish

but have EVERLASTING LIFE!"

John 3:16

But did you ever read on to the next verse?

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through Him might be SAVED!"

John 3:17

It seems like we are the ones who have made this so difficult...not God.  We are the ones who keep making up all the rules and legalities and saying who can be saved and who can't.  That's not our job. That wasn't even Jesus' responsibility.  His job was to extend the invitation and make the way clear by taking all of our sins on Himself on the cross. All we have to do is accept the invitation and believe.  His blood covers us and prepares us for heaven. Then the Holy Spirit fills us, cleanses us and creates a new heart within. That's His job.  Not mine.  My job is to share these words with you as Christ has revealed them to me.  His word will do the work that God commanded...show you the way to everlasting life...heaven is our hope...and our final home.  How more simple could it be?

What interesting insights have YOU had today from God's Word?

Is There Facebook in Heaven?

A Message to Matthew on his Facebook page from his Mom (me), 3 days after he crossed over from earth to heaven:

How is it that there are no messages on your page? Where did they all go? How I wish I could send you a message that you could read with your heavenly eyes. But maybe you can. For all I know, you may be standing next to me, watching me write, and feeling my sorrow. I don't know what you are able to see and hear and do now that you are on the other side of this life. I have a feeling you are so busy in heaven, shaking hands with all the "greats" from all time, and meeting all the old folks from "Ancestry.com" that you looked up so diligently...but most of all, you are sitting at the feet of Jesus...bowing in His presence...praising the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are there in His presence...and yet, so am I. I am also in His presence...just a breath away from where you are. 

Someday we will be reunited and what a day of joy that will be. Until then, we will keep your flame burning bright. We will hold your dear ones close, and we will look toward the heavens each night and whisper our prayers to the One Who now holds you close. 

Matthew on his 41st birthday, just 3 months before he passed
from earth to heaven.
Sure gonna miss that boy!

We love you Matthew Steiner, our #2! 

Until then,

Love Always, 

Mom and Dad and your brothers and wifey and son and Nanny.

Face to Face

I Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face..."

This blog will be short and sweet...I've been away for a few days...I wonder if anyone noticed?  I was just reading a blog from one of my other blogger friends that answered a question I've been wondering about..."If you don't get many comments from readers does that mean that no one is reading your blog?"  The "Blogging Bistro" assured me that just because no one comments doesn't necessarily mean they aren't reading...they just don't always take the time to comment because they either don't know how to, or they are busy reading many blogs and don't have time, etc....which is fine. I understand that. We are all busy these days...and often don't even take time to read our "real mail", let alone all our emails, facebook posts, and blogs.  Time just flies too quickly.

The reason I have been away was to attend the funeral of a dear and sweet lady, my husband's Aunt Nellie.  Aunt Nellie passed away at the grand age of 93 years.  She would have been 94 in October, but Jesus had other plans...He wants to celebrate her birthday with her in heaven...and with all her other loved ones and friends who have gone on before her.  I can imagine that they are having a huge celebration there today...and having a grand time showing her all the amazing sights and scenery throughout the halls of glory.  But there is one scene that I wish I could have witnessed...when Aunt Nellie first met Jesus face to face, and when she felt His warm embrace and heard Him whisper in her ear, "Welcome Home, Nellie...We've ALL been waiting for you!" 
"Face to face with Christ, my Saviour, Face to face-what will it be?  When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ, Who died for me?  Face to face shall I behold Him, far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!!" (Carrie E. Breck, 1855-1934)

I have no doubt that Aunt Nellie is with Jesus today...she loved the Lord with all her heart ever since she was a very young girl...and she was responsible for leading many others to Christ throughout her years as a Sunday School teacher and devoted servant of the Lord in her church and home and community.  My husband has often said that Aunt Nellie was one who had a very profound impact on his life and a strong influence in his walk with Christ at an early age.  She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt grandmother and great-grandmother...leaving a legacy of faith and victory for her family to follow.
I would call that a very successful life...an example that we would be wise to follow...and the kind of heritage I know I would love to leave for my family someday.

Whether or not anyone ever reads my blogs or pays attention to the things I may write now or in the future really doesn't matter.  What really matters is how I live my life...how I share my faith with others, and what kind of testimony and legacy I am handing down for my loved ones and friends when I leave this world to meet Jesus face to face.  I know I am not perfect...neither was Aunt Nellie.  But we both know the ONLY ONE Who IS perfect..."Jesus Christ, Who loves me so!"  Do YOU know my Jesus? It is my greatest desire that in some way you may see Him living in me...and that you would also desire to see Him face to face when that day comes and He calls you home. That would bring great rejoicing in heaven on your behalf as well.
Thanks for being a part of my life...and I hope we all will meet someday in that grand and glorious place.  Amen!

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Tonight I have heard some disturbing news.  A dear couple, whom I have known since childhood, having gone to school together, have lost their son suddenly.  He was only 29 years old, and the father of two children.  At noon he went in to lie down, and when his father went in to check on him, he was not breathing, and could not be revived. Just that quickly, God had called him home. No warning, no time to pray for him, no time to say good-bye...gone, in a moment's time.  It seems cruel in some ways, not fair...we don't understand why...apparently he even had a fiance'... He was too young...still had his whole life ahead of him.  But he is gone.  My heart is breaking for that family...his parents, his children, his fiance', his brother and others who loved him.

I guess this hits me really hard because we have been dealing with life and death issues in our own family...our son, who is only 37, is battling a very deadly disease, cancer.  And yet, we have high hopes...the Doctors have been somewhat encouraging in that they believe they have caught it in time to treat it and hopefully bring about a cure.  We've been given time to pray for him, to help him fight for his life, to spend time with him and encourage him and love him. For this kindness we are eternally grateful to God.

Yet, none of us are guaranteed any time on this earth...we are here because God brought us into existence and placed us here. But no man knows how many days, months, years or decades he may live.  I am not trying to be morbid...but truthful.  This life that we've been given is exactly that...a gift.  There are no guarantees of long life, good health, or financial wealth.  There is a fragile thread that holds us between life and death. A "silver cord" that holds us here...but then comes the real life...the real joy...

"Someday the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing;

But, oh, the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King!"

Chorus:

"And I shall see Him face to face and tell the story--saved by grace;

And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story--saved by grace."

"Someday my earthly house will fall, I cannot tell how soon 'twill be;

But this I know, my All in All has now a place in heaven for me."

(Chorus)

"Someday, when fades the golden sun beneath the rosy-tinted west,

My blessed Lord will say, "Well done!" And I shall enter into rest.

(Chorus)

"Someday, till then I'll watch and wait, My lamp all trimmed and burning bright,

That when my Saviour opes the gate, My soul to Him may take its flight!"

(Chorus:)

"And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story--saved by grace!

And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story, saved by grace."

I love this old-fashioned hymn, "Saved by Grace", written by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), whom I believe was blind.  It is a beautiful testimony of her faith in Christ and His promise to prepare a place for her in heaven.  I, too, claim this promise, and look forward to that day "when I shall wake within the palace of the King!"

My prayers are with my friends tonight as they are grieving this great loss in their family. There are no words that can fully comfort them at this time. I can only pray that God's Holy Spirit, our Great Comforter, will undergird them with His Mighty Arms, and hold them close and calm their hearts. I pray that they will think about their son, safe in the arms of Jesus, and in the palace of the King.  We have this great hope of heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

What IS the Purpose of These Strange Events?

John 11:4 "When Jesus heard that, He said, 'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'"

Have you ever wondered why on earth crazy things were happening in the world, or in your town, your neighborhood, your home, your family, or in YOU?  I am certain we have all wondered about such things at one time or another in our lives;  probably more often than not in recent times.  In many cases there just isn't any good reason that we can discover in our human minds and hearts.  Bad things happen, people get sick, people die, countries have earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tidal waves, wars, terrorists...and the list goes on and on. We hurt, we grieve, we cry.  We wonder why.

I am not going to attempt to give an answer for all of the world's ills in this short blog...I could give a brief explanation in one sentence, but it would raise a lot of other questions that man has been debated since the beginning of time:  The Fall of Man.  That is the whole reason in a nutshell...read the book of Genesis...that's where it all began...but I am not going there tonight.  That is something for each individual to discover and either accept or refuse to believe for themselves.

What I want to look at tonight is this verse in John's Gospel, when Jesus was told that His good friend Lazarus was very sick.  It says that "When Jesus heard that, He said, 'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'"  And then He waited two more days before He went on to visit at the home of Lazarus.  By the time He arrived there, Lazarus had already died.  When Jesus heard that news, He said to His disciples in verse 15, "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  When you read through this story you see that Jesus truly loved Lazarus and his family.  He was touched by the sisters' sorrow, so much so that Jesus also wept.  But Jesus was on a mission...there was a deeper purpose to this whole scene that goes beyond grief and comfort at the death of a friend and loved one. 

As Jesus was talking to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, He told her something that was extremely important...Jesus said to her in verses 25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die...."  

And then He commanded that they remove the stone from the tomb where Lazarus, by this time, had already been entombed for four days.  Martha was almost hysterical as she cried to Jesus, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days!" (verse 39)

"Jesus said to her, 'did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (vs. 40)

Then He called Lazarus forth from the tomb, and it says in verse 44 that "he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go!'"  Then it says that many of the Jews who saw the things that Jesus did believed in Him. (vs. 45)

What does this mean to us today?  No, we cannot expect to be brought back to life after being dead for four days...probably not gonna happen today...but there again, if God wanted to do that, He could. He still has the same power today as He had 2000 years ago. But what can He do?  Why is it that in some cases, many days after an earthquake has toppled all of the buildings in a town and crushed many people to death, a child or even an adult is found alive in the rubble?...Or a little girl who lives not too far from here, who was lost in the swampy, mosquito infested, alligator and poisonous reptile laden dense woods for four days is found alive and quite well, considering her situation.  Just yesterday, people in Mississippi hid in a closet or a freezer when a monster tornado took their community by storm, and they survived when the rest of their whole building was destroyed...one man hid under a church pew, and the church was demolished, but he survived to tell the world that God saved him!

We don't always understand why one person lives and so many others have to die...it doesn't seems to make any sense...but in the larger scheme of things...the view from heaven...there is a purpose that goes beyond our ability to understand at this present time.  There is something going on behind the scenes that we can't see or fully comprehend...but there is one thing I do know and believe with all of my heart...God is in control.  This world is NOT our final home...There is a life to come...and the things that happen here are all a part of that Divine plan to bring us safely into the harbor of heaven...

Revelation 7:15-17 tells us of that heavenly home:  "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.  They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the LAMB who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Regardless of what happens here on the earth, good or bad, happy or sad, we have a glorious future ahead.  I will trust and praise God no matter what.