Eternal Journey

I wish so badly that we could truly understand how vital our choices in this life are, and I mean EVERY choice. So many lost souls in the world harbor the "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow

we die" mindset, while others, though they live good lives, sadly believe that this life is the end, that there is nothing once our mortal journey has ended. Both camps live in unspoken fear, and neither group can see that this journey doesn't end, and we have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior who are waiting at the million-mile marker, anxious to bestow upon us promised blessings that will help us as we continue on in our eternal journey. I pray that we can internalize and remember this.

Longing for Home

This is another one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes, or a variation of it.

There are times when we all experience moments of quiet longing that nothing in this world seems to satisfy. We sometimes try to fill this longing with earthly things - money, material possessions, shallow companionship, meaningless relationships, addiction. Yet if we really understood this longing and the source from which it comes, our focus for satisfaction would shift from the things of this world to the things of heaven.

The longing of which I speak is a longing for a home we can't remember, for the peace of being in the presence of a loving Heavenly Father. That longing is a yearning for the peace that comes with the loving presence of the Savior, a yearning to see Him and be with Him again - to see His face and feel His welcoming embrace.

I feel that longing every single day. I awaken with it, and I go to sleep with it. I long to be with my Father again, and I long for my Savior's return, to see His face, and to know that with His triumphant coming, all evil will be abolished.
Even still, as much as I long for the things of heaven to find me on this earth, there are still so many things to be done, and there is still time to do them. There are people to be loved, taught, and brought to Christ. There are still brothers and sisters to serve, lost ones to find, and lives to bless.

Yes, there is much darkness in this world, but there is also light. That light is the light of Christ shining in every open mind and heart. In some, it may only be a spark, but with loving hearts and hands reaching out to share their own light, that spark can burn brighter and brighter, and aid in the relighting of the dark areas of this world.

So, during the moments when those strong, quiet longings for something beyond this life hit, may we let the longings swell and work within us, then allow them to help us in the work of preparing for our true home.

Again, I Say . . .

I can never stress enough how important it is to not allow the world to determine our worth. Each time we compare ourselves to others around us or try to make ourselves into the world's ideal, we diminish our true worth and take ourselves further from Christ.

God can - if we allow Him to - make us into something far greater than those holding worldly views can comprehend. We are sons and daughters of a Heavenly King, and to Him, we are priceless. He has given us the armor we need to block out the darts of Satan, whose biggest goal it is to bring us down, and one of his most powerful weapons is blurring our view of the people we are meant to be.
I pray we can strengthen our vision that we may look beyond what the world would have us see and focus on "The Source" that deems where our true value lies.

Claiming Your Blessings

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn wrote a message about The Society of Savings building in Cleveland, Ohio and how it came to be. It was built using the money in accounts of poor people who never claimed the money before they died. When years passed and the money was still unclaimed, bank directors turned the funds over to the building of The Society of Savings.
The origin of this building teaches a profound truth:

God gives us many promises of life - he promises us joy, happiness and rich blessings. But if we leave those blessings and never claim them and apply them to our life, we become members of "The Society of Savings." And we will live poor lives because of unclaimed riches - unclaimed blessings. The Lord has given us everything we need to live a life of abundance. He gave us His Word and the riches that come with living it. We just need to live the gospel, heed His Word, and claim His

promises.

Jonathan said, "Start living life as a child of the Most High, because God's riches are for your life and not for a Society of Savings."

God does have a plan for each and every one of us. I know this with every fiber of my being. And His plan is far bigger and greater than the one we have for ourselves. His plan contains blessings and promises beyond anything we can possibly imagine. I am living proof of this, and my life has been a testament of it. Yes, I still far way short, but I'll keep grabbing hold of the promised blessings placed before me, because God has NEVER broken His word to me, and He never will, as long as I strive to keep my word to Him.

The Lord God has given us a way to claim heavenly abundance in this life, as well as in the life to come. The question is, will we do what is required to receive them fully? The answer should be an ecstatic YES!

May we all claim God's promised blessings, because they truly are ours for the taking.