It will be far better than anything we've seen.

So take a look out a window. Take a walk. Talk with your friend. Use your God-given skills to paint or draw or build a shed or write a book. But imagine it--all of it--in its original condition. The happy dog with the wagging tail, not the snarling beast, beaten and starved. The flowers unwilted, the grass undying, the blue sky without pollution. People smiling and joyful, not angry, depressed and empty. If you're not in a particularly beautiful place, close your eyes and envision the most beautiful place you've ever been--complete with palm trees, raging rivers, jagged mountains, waterfalls, or snow drifts.

Think of friends or family member who loved Jesus and are with him now. Picture them with you, walking together in this place. All of you have powerful bodies, stronger than those of an Olympic decathlete. You are laughing, playing, talking, and reminiscing. You reach up to a tree to pick an apple or orange. You take a bite. It's so sweet that it's startling. You've never tasted anything so good. Now you see someone coming toward you. It's Jesus, with a big smile on his face. You fall to your knees in worship. He pulls you up and embraces you.

At last, you're with the person you were made for, in the place you were made to be. Everywhere you go there will be new people and places to enjoy, new things to discover. What's that you smell? A feast. A party's ahead. And you're invited. There's exploration and work to be done--and you can't wait to get started.

(From "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn)

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those of us who love him." 1 Cor. 2:9

I think there are a lot of people out there with a huge misconception of what heaven will be like. They think it's just sitting on puffy white clouds with harps singing all day. Ich. I don't want that, do you? I think that because of this misconception, there are a lot of people who aren't even sure they WANT to go to heaven! But the Bible describes it as SO much better than anything you could imagine. It's earth restored...the way God originally made it, and better. Perfect. We will still eat our favorite foods, visit our favorite places, and do our favorite things...but all the bad stuff is gone and we get to actually do it in the presence of God Himself.

I'm so ready.

But I'm willing to stay here and do whatever He wants me to do in the meantime. Knowing what's to come, what do I have to fear or worry about? Life gets really hard sometimes, but I'm only here for awhile. My home is not here. I'm an alien. I don't need to spend all my time worrying about making a life for myself here.

My life here is about serving others and going where He tells me to go, knowing that all the pain and hardships and "unfairness" of life here on earth are only temporary. Make no mistake...God has a plan to fix it all and you and I can't even imagine how good it's going to be!!!