We've known some amazing people in our life time. Some we have journeyed with for decades. They are our spiritual family. How can I not talk about these dear friends who don't give up on us and continue to encourage us? Quite a few have traveled ahead to our Home in Heaven, being with the One we all love the most.
For now, let me show you pictures of some of them when we were all a bit younger! We were called the "Wild, Wild West", sometimes "Dow's RATs" (Robinson's Apostolic Team). How we have laughed and cried together and helped carry each other's concerns. We did know how to party, didn't we?!? In the one photo we are all singing to Lois she is laughing, then she is doing her own skit.
All these I've mentioned and shown have been to the cross and yielded their lives to the Creator, King, and Completer. You know who you are. Some of you I will get to see very soon when we travel to see Lois, and Mary, and Jonee, and more of the gang. We hope to also see Bill's sister Mary Ellen in Tulsa.
These all know that it doesn't matter who you are or what you believe. Jesus will be there, either way at the end of their life. They all know that Jesus has met them and continues with them on this journey to the end of history. Yes, there is an end. The end? It's an amazing place. Yes, it ends at the foot of the cross. Either now, in this life, you choose to come to the cross or when you die you will come to the foot of the cross and before the One who created you.
From the cross to the cradle of heaven is where I'm heading. This summer I've prepared a summer camp for our grandsons, allowing them to create their own country. They had to identify where it is located on a map (they each had to use an iPad or other device for many activities) and describe the land from different perspectives. They each named their country (Isicle, was Isaac's Torcheckssia was Ethan's, and SPela was Joshua's) and drew and described the people, animals, houses, dress, and food. They invented their own language for how they talk (hooray for my linguistics background!). Sports, music, art were all a part.The government of this country was described and set up, and so much more (developing laws of the land!) Here are a few photos of our time together last week, along with friend and high school science teacher, Beth Eddy. She is dressed in Jamaican style, me in Nepali, and Joshua has on a Nepali men's cap.
So why do I tell you this now? Because I also told them about another country, one created by my Heavenly Father. It too has a name and location. There are people who live there who eat and drink and have fun together. They wear clothes, and talk with each other. There is so much described in the Bible about this country of Heaven. Using the source book of the Bible along with Randy Alcorn's book describing what the Bible says about Heaven, we put together a big picture of Heaven. It should be a great adventure! We knew how to party then, and we will party even more in the Country of His Eternal Creation. (If anyone's interested, I'll be happy to send you the curriculum via email--and some of their answers too!)
Thursday, the 22nd, it was the twins' 12th birthday, so we had to have food and cake, of course!. Here's a photo of them with Grandpa helping to light their candles.
Postscript: I just found a prayer dairy from 1999 while we were at Ledgedge in New Hampshire.
For now, let me show you pictures of some of them when we were all a bit younger! We were called the "Wild, Wild West", sometimes "Dow's RATs" (Robinson's Apostolic Team). How we have laughed and cried together and helped carry each other's concerns. We did know how to party, didn't we?!? In the one photo we are all singing to Lois she is laughing, then she is doing her own skit.
All these I've mentioned and shown have been to the cross and yielded their lives to the Creator, King, and Completer. You know who you are. Some of you I will get to see very soon when we travel to see Lois, and Mary, and Jonee, and more of the gang. We hope to also see Bill's sister Mary Ellen in Tulsa.
These all know that it doesn't matter who you are or what you believe. Jesus will be there, either way at the end of their life. They all know that Jesus has met them and continues with them on this journey to the end of history. Yes, there is an end. The end? It's an amazing place. Yes, it ends at the foot of the cross. Either now, in this life, you choose to come to the cross or when you die you will come to the foot of the cross and before the One who created you.
From the cross to the cradle of heaven is where I'm heading. This summer I've prepared a summer camp for our grandsons, allowing them to create their own country. They had to identify where it is located on a map (they each had to use an iPad or other device for many activities) and describe the land from different perspectives. They each named their country (Isicle, was Isaac's Torcheckssia was Ethan's, and SPela was Joshua's) and drew and described the people, animals, houses, dress, and food. They invented their own language for how they talk (hooray for my linguistics background!). Sports, music, art were all a part.The government of this country was described and set up, and so much more (developing laws of the land!) Here are a few photos of our time together last week, along with friend and high school science teacher, Beth Eddy. She is dressed in Jamaican style, me in Nepali, and Joshua has on a Nepali men's cap.
So why do I tell you this now? Because I also told them about another country, one created by my Heavenly Father. It too has a name and location. There are people who live there who eat and drink and have fun together. They wear clothes, and talk with each other. There is so much described in the Bible about this country of Heaven. Using the source book of the Bible along with Randy Alcorn's book describing what the Bible says about Heaven, we put together a big picture of Heaven. It should be a great adventure! We knew how to party then, and we will party even more in the Country of His Eternal Creation. (If anyone's interested, I'll be happy to send you the curriculum via email--and some of their answers too!)
Thursday, the 22nd, it was the twins' 12th birthday, so we had to have food and cake, of course!. Here's a photo of them with Grandpa helping to light their candles.
Postscript: I just found a prayer dairy from 1999 while we were at Ledgedge in New Hampshire.
8-19-99: Time. Thank you for time to sit and listen and reflect without distraction. Time is such a grand and big thing. Yet I worry about my small portion of it. One day, 1000 years; 1000 years, one day. This moment is what matters--this moment to touch, connect and be with You, O Lord. What could be important in time? Time is one portion of your nature that you share with us, so how I respond to time is in part how I respond to you. You can hold time still, or fast forward, to reveal Yourself, if I but release my constraints and time conflicts. Teach me, train me, change me, capture me, to sit in your time and be touched by You.
