Tag: death

Getting Older and Closer to God

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

I have been visiting with grandchildren lately and one of the things that interests them is the fact that my hair is turning white. The littlest one told me that it means that I will go to Heaven soon. Well, maybe she is right. Because as we age, there are outward physical signs, but there are also inner ones. I don’t want to leave earth one moment before God wants to call me home, but I do want to be ready to leave and be with Him forever. No matter where my home is, on earth or in Heaven, God will continue to be my strength. As the little one said, “It will be fine, Nanna. You get to see Jesus.” There is a lot of wisdom in little children, isn’t there?

Have a blessed day and may you feel His strength surrounding you as you go about the business of blessing others.

No Fear of Death

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

bible.com/bible/113/psa.49.15.NIVUK

There is no fear of dying for Christians because dying on earth means living eternally in the presence of the Lord. The thought of dying can be scary for some people because it is an unknown that we have never faced and when we finally face death, it’s for the first and last time. We cannot go through the occasion again and tell others about our experiences so that they won’t be afraid. The good news is that Jesus died BUT He came back to life again and because He lives, I know that one day when I die, I will also be resurrected and live with Him. I’m sorry for all those who do not believe this Biblical truth because they are truly without hope. The older I get, the more I anticipate being with the Lord forever. It will be glorious, beyond what I can think or imagine. It is normal that those left behind will grieve, but they also have hope of seeing their loved ones again in Heaven. “Ever be with the Lord” is not just a Biblical phrase. It’s the hope that I cling to as I face every challenge of being elderly, complete with aches and pains and a body that is breaking down, just as it is supposed to. I just read about the death of Moses and was amazed that he seemed to be totally spry at death…clear vision and a spring in his step. After all, he was able to climb a mountain to see the Holy Land before he died. I’m not Moses, though, and my seventy year old body is weary. Nevertheless, I am called to keep on keeping on until the Lord calls me to my eternal rest. I pray that you have the same hope of eternity with the Lord. No pain, no sorrow, no tears. Just Heaven! As the song says, “I Can Only Imagine.”

I pray that God will bless and keep you today and give you the gift of hope and the refreshing presence of His Spirit guiding you in all your ways.

Review of THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW by Jessica Strawser

On By vickleaIn Book Review4 Comments

This is such a gut-wrenching, emotional book that I could read for a while and then had to sit and relive what I had read, pondering the truth within its pages.
This is a thought-provoking look at two characters whose lives intersect and change forever because of their interaction. Nova Huston is an end-of-life doula, using her empathy and heart to help her to guide others when they are facing their own deaths. When Mason Shaylor, a former rock star whom Nova doesn’t recognize at all, becomes her newest client, Nova is drawn to his kindness and humility and sincerely wants to help him face his death with courage and all loose ends tied up. What she didn’t count on is that her feelings would surpass anything she has ever felt for a client before. The conflict was a surprise, so I won’t go into that part, but suffice it to say that this book was a multi-layered character study with a lot to say about accepting death and forgiving others. Nova and Mason were both complex and fully fleshed out with lots of secrets that were slowly revealed. I loved this book and hated for it end. But the entire book was so good, including the ending and especially the reveal about the reason for the title. A dramatic and suspenseful book with complicated relationships and heartwarming themes.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The content may be disturbing to some, so I would rate this a book for adults or older, mature teens.
Bio and photo from the author’s website at http://www.jessicastrawser.com

This heart-touching novel is available now as it just released yesterday! Purchase Links:

Bookshop

Target

Powells

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Many, many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review. This novel is amazing and can be life-changing if you will allow the message it holds to speak to you.

Pause and Think

On By vickleaIn Heaven, Scripture16 Comments

One of our pastors has posed an interesting question.

If you knew that you only had thirty days to live, would you change how you live? If so, how would you change?

Thought-provoking and deep and I’m not sure how I would answer it yet, but I am pondering it and invite you to ponder along with me. Of course, we cannot know the time of our death. Jesus said that the Father knows. We know that God has told some people in the past to get ready to die. King Hezekiah immediately comes to mind. He is the king who turned his face to the wall and cried out to God for more years, a wish that God granted him. I would hope that if God told me that I was about to die that I would be ready and willing to go with Him then, but we just don’t know until such an event happens to us. So, ponder with me, if you will, what would you change in the last month of your life?

As I have been aging, at first approaching death was a scary thought for me. Now, it has become an inevitable end to this life on earth and the beginning of a new life with God. It means the end of all of the aches and pains and daily concerns. Of course, it also means missing my loved ones here on earth, but there is always the promise to see them again in Heaven some day. No more sorrow or tears and no more goodbyes has me looking more expectantly towards Heaven, more with excitement and less with fear. How about you? Do you ever think about your own mortality? Do you think about what Heaven will be like?

In a devotional that I read this morning, the writer had been told that she only had a short time to live and was fearful of death. Having lived over a decade past the time the doctors pronounced for her, the fear had become distant and her new attitude was one of wonder. No one really knows what Heaven is like, so her curiosity was stimulated. She says that her curiosity was somewhat satisfied when she was with an elderly woman just before she died and with her last breath, she said, “Wow!” Now, that, my friends is food for thought. What will we say when we cross over into eternity with God? I think”wow” is pretty descriptive, don’t you? (Daily Guideposts 2021, October 19, 2021)

I don’t want you to leave this post without promises from God that will hopefully stir your heart to look up and await Him with expectation and hope. (I heard someone say that hope is not dead because He is a person!)

May God bless and keep you throughout this day and until we meet again on this page. Meanwhile, drop me a line in the comments and tell me the answer to my question above. Thirty days. What, if anything, would you change in your life?

Since writing this blog, I have one more thing to look forward to in Heaven…I get to meet you believers who have followed me online and see you face to face. I appreciate each of you and pray God’s blessing and His continued presence in your lives daily. I remain a servant of Christ and a seeker of truth. Until next time…

A Nation Worth Dying For

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture7 Comments

The brave men and women who were killed in Afghanistan yesterday laid down their lives for others. They had families at home, waiting for them and now mourning their loss. What are you willing to die for? Your loved ones? A stranger? Your nation? Dr. Denison’s Forum today brought tears to my eyes as I reflected on the sacrifices that our armed forces face daily. My husband served for over two decades and each time he was away, I prayed for his safety, but I never really thought he was in harm’s way. I never considered that he might not return to his family whole and sound. My heart aches for the families who will never see their loved ones again. And my soul cries out to God for a nation that sacrifices so many because of the incompetence of the leadership. Lord, have mercy on your people and lead us to the right path.

Dr. Denison August 27, 2021

The Reward Is Life

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

www.bible.com/111/pro.10.16.niv

If we are the children of the Lord, the end result of our labors on earth is life, eternity with our Savior and our God. It is imperative that we teach the Gospel to as many as possible before we leave this earth because their end is death, an eternal separation from God. Many preachers today are saying that there is no hell, no judgment. The Word of God clearly points out repeatedly that hell does exist and that it was not made for man originally, but if man persists in sin, then death is the consequence.

What makes someone righteous? Belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior! There is nothing, not one thing, that we can do to earn salvation and eternal life. Jesus already paid the price in full for each believer.

What makes someone wicked? A constant choice to sin. Note that word, choice. Sin is a choice. You don’t fall into sin. It doesn’t reach out and grab you. You make a choice to sin once. Then, as time goes on, the choice becomes easier, almost automatic. You look around and your life has changed because of your choices.

Each day, we all have choices to make. The righteous make choices based on our belief that Jesus died for us. For me, I don’t want to disappoint Him or cause Him any more suffering than what He already went through for me. So, I strive to please Him, often asking Him what I should do before I make a decision. Likewise, the wicked make choices, too, but they believe that the only one that they answer to is themselves. Humanism is rampant in earth today. It’s broadcast on every news channel, on every radio station, the evil choices that men are making without any consideration for the eternal consequences.

Our mission on earth, as Jesus’s followers, is to take as many people with us to Heaven as we can. We share the Gospel, tell the wicked that there is a different choice for them, a choice that means eternal life instead of eternal damnation. Sharing the Gospel is not a choice for us; it is a commission from the One who saved us. God is holding back His judgment on the earth so that as many as possible can be saved. He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, but he will allow it to happen because He is righteous and just. Right now, I believe that He is showing His mercy, but that will not always be so. May He open the eyes and ears of the wicked to hear and accept His truth and may we be His willing servants to tell that truth to others.

God bless each of you that you may accept and go forth today with the Word of Truth in your hearts and on your lips, ready to tell those who need to hear.