Heaven

[Jennie@ifish]

The only way I can handle life and death is to think these thoughts.
I can't help but think I'm childish about this, but I seriously have to believe this. I know it in my heart to be true.
If I didn't think this, I'd die from grief. When a pet dies, or someone I love, I get so upset that I'm nearly useless. The only thing that keeps me eating, living and breathing is to believe in Heaven. Otherwise, I'd be so sad that I'd just curl up and die.

I believe that in Heaven, all my pets and my loved ones will be there, and will get to be there together, forever. I believe that since there is no sadness in Heaven, these loved ones and I will be there and that never again will we have to live in or with any fear of separation, or anxiety of any bad things happening.

This is God's promise to me. I know it in my heart.

That way, I gain this 'peace that passeth understanding' that some of my friends just don't understand.

It seems to me that so many people don't understand that they are going to die. I mean, they say that they know it, but it doesn't seem real to them or something.

Having lived through a near death, (actually death, I guess, although I don't remember) I know with a pretty darn certain reality that my time on earth is very limited.

However, I'm not very afraid of it. In fact, I can't wait to see my loved ones!

I will be sad, though... when I get a certain chest pain like I had before my dissection, I think, "oh, no! Not now! I really wanted to finish this!-- or I wanted to wait for my kids to have kids and be a Grandma!" or something like that. :laugh: -- but, I'm still not afraid. I'm just disappointed. :)

Anyhow... Just had these thoughts today and wondered if you feel the same.

Jen

[Jennie@ifish]

What brought this on? One of my favorite chickens is dying. :(

Bill and I were so sad, but I told him that Blacky's best friend, Bette, is in heaven, waiting for her. :)

They can be together again, and when we get there, we get to see them, too!

:)

[Grantspastor]

It would be nice to see old pets there. There was one dog we had that probably didn't make it to heaven...

[jokester]

It would be nice to see old pets there. There was one dog we had that probably didn't make it to heaven...

:laugh: :laugh: I think my uncle's old doberman probably won't be allowed in either :grin: That dog was as mean as the day is long!

-jokester

[Dullhook]

Anyhow... Just had these thoughts today and wondered if you feel the same.


I sure do, Jennie! Not being the picture of health myself, so assuring is our Lord's faithful promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven that it gives me total peace, comfort, and great anticipation. I can tell you that the changes in my earthly life since accepting Him as my personal Lord and Savior really aren't explainable in words.

It seems to me that so many people don't understand that they are going to die. I mean, they say that they know it, but it doesn't seem real to them or something.



Well just like the old saying goes: "Two things you can't cheat are death and taxes". The truth is that many have cheated on taxes and gotten away with it but death is another story. All of us are going to die and there are only two destinations available according to God's Word and our Christian beliefs. Best to talk about the good one. When God creates a new heaven and new earth, there will be:

No more sorrow, tears, pain, or death (Rev. 21:4)
No more night (Rev. 21:23-24)
No more evil (Rev. 21:27)
No more curse (Rev. 22:3)

And in heaven we will:

Serve God (Rev. 22:3)
Reign with Christ forever (Rev. 22:5)
Live in a place prepared for us by Christ Himself (Jn. 14:2-3)
Have perfect knowledge (1 Cor. 13:8-12)
Be united with the redeemed of all time (1 Th. 4:17; Rev. 21:12,14)
Have glorified bodies with powers and abilities beyond our imagination (1 Cor.15:35-49; Phil. 3:21).
Live in beautiful surroundings that include magnificent buildings and wonders of nature (Rev. 21-22).

All of this is available to anyone who accepts the gift of God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. An old sinner like myself can testify to this. As it's been said: "We can't straddle the fence, and we can't wait to make a decision until we have passed through death's door." Too little too late.

You can be assured that all of your pets and the things you loved on this earth will be waiting for you in heaven, Jennie. It will far exceed anything that we can possibly imagine! :dance:

There's a great book called "Heaven Better By Far": Answers to questions about the believer's final hope by J. Oswald Sanders. It's a great read and explains the glories of heaven in a way that will take your earthly problems and worries and send them to the recycle bin! I really liked it. :smile:

[Jennie@ifish]

Oh! I love this part!
Live in a place prepared for us by Christ Himself (Jn. 14:2-3)

Isn't that awesome?

So, when you have someone close to you and you are by their bedside when they are going through the transition from life to death, speak to them about this place. It's comforting for them, and helps them to let go in peace.

It's OK to go to Heaven! Tell them about their special place.

Mine would be a little house by a river. All my pets will be there. If you are there, any of you... when I'm going, please talk to me about this. Tell me Kilchis will be there, and my garden. And God will have prepared me the finest river to fish in with all the biggest fish! And a garden filled with raspberries and fresh carrots that finally grow long enough to eat! And freesias all around... and a bed made of the softest down and the sheets scented like thyme and basil!

Oh, I bet he's a wonderful designer! :laugh:

How exciting, though, REALLY! Wahoooooooooooo! I'm going there!

Jen

[Jennie@ifish]

When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

[FireCat]

Let's imagine we're standing on very open land, with the heavenly city towering above us in unspeakable beauty. Our eyes behold a brilliant, shining city, with light streaming through its jasper walls and pearly gates, and a full spectrum of color gleaming from its jeweled foundation.

As we gaze in awsome wonder on the city, the first thing to attract our attention is its massive jasper wall. The apostle John described it as follows: "The light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. We know that these semi-precious stones are translucent in composition, so that light is able to pass through them. From these jasper walls, therefore, radiate brilliant rays of dazzling color for all to see. The glory of the city will be visible from afar, and even the dwellers in the area outside the walls will share in its brightness.

We cannot imagine the beauty Nothing hear can come close, for Christ has been preparing it for us for over 2000 years, and this earth with all its beauty was spoken in to existence an dit took 7 Days.

And most of all belovedl, heaven with God and Jesus will be a place of love. God in tender love will wipe away all our tears (Revelation 21:4). The angels will rejoice as heaven fills with righteous Christians (II Peter 3:13). Those spirits who have hungered and have thirsted to humbly live with God; those with pure hearts; those who have willingly endured persecution; and those who have lived for God's peace, will live together in life and love forever and ever in this place called HEAVEN.

Now some will say "their will be no animals in heaven" And I say "oh really now" I know of one real known bibles scolar that stated "God has shown a penchant for varieties of life forms, and it would be difficult to imagine that this would not be perpetuated in heaven."
and here you have Isaiah:

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.
(Isaiah 11:6-8)

So then God if brings our pets back to life, it wouldn't surprise me. It would be just like Him. It would be totally in keeping with His generous character, Exorbitant and Excessive. Extravagant in grace after grace. Of all the dazzling discoveries and wonderful pleasures heaven will hold for us, the potential of seeing our pets would be pure just-utterly, joyfully and surprisingly breathtaking. Heaven is going to be a place that will refract and reflect in as many ways as possible the goodness and joy of our great God, who delights in dumping tons of love on His children. Lord Bless

[in 'em]

I can't remember the exact story, but I do remember reading it in this forum some time ago.
It was about a dog who ran through the door into a room he had never been in, the dog didn't know everything that was on the other side...but he did know one thing...his owner was in that room waiting for him.
That story and thought always comes to mind when I picture Heaven. We don't know what it's gonna be like, but we know our our creator and father is waiting for us there!

[WestsideGal]

My oldest son once asked me if there was an all you can eat buffet in heaven. He loves food! :food:

I've often wondered myself what it's like, probably more beautiful than we can ever imagine or comprehend it to be.

Yep I know where I'm going when I leave this earth and for me it's exciting.

Cheers,
Kelly

[patman00]

When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

I hope I'll catch more fish in Heaven than I do here on earth. I hear that Jesus was quite the fisherman. I hope his charters don't have an eternal waiting list! Can you imagine a place with a healthy population of salmon? Or maybe God just sends us to Alaska with really good waterproof long underwear.

I sure miss some people, and one very special dog.:hearton:

Yes, I know death very well. That's why my location is "Almost Heaven". I'm going to keep beating the odds though, no matter how sick and tired I get of being sick and tired.

[Jennie@ifish]

patman, you sound like me! I get tired of being sick and tired, too. People who don't know about my condition sometimes say, "Gosh, you sure are sick alot!" LOL! Uh huh....

Bill is petrified of death. I'm not so much. In fact, it sounds like a darn nice place, and sometimes I get so tired and feel so much pain that it sounds downright good! I think God prepares us sometimes, in that way. I've lived though, knowing that I shouldn't live beyond the age of 35 for a long time.

A doctor told me that when I was a young adult, and although he could very well be wrong, (and was) it stuck with me. So, I've dealt with the thought of it. Many people with marfan syndrome do die young. Many don't! I never thought I'd have an aortic dissection, either. It happened to "other" people with marfan.

My son Andrew has marfan syndrome and I am a mirror to him, of what life with marfan can be. My heart sinks when I think what he watches in me, and I wonder how hard that is on him. Wow. Heavy stuff. Poor kid. :(

When I was young and curious, I went to a conference about marfan syndrome. I had seen people in books that had marfan, and they were not attractive. In fact, they picked the most severe cases, and displayed them. They were not me. Anyhow, I walked around looking at the people and decided in a child like way that I was not one of these medically altered freaks and left.
Well, guess what? I am one. I had a lot of growing up to do, back then, and I've done it. I now have several friends that are marfan freaks and I love them all. :)

Anyhow-- I'm just going on, waiting for a scan to be done on my computer.

It helps to be prepared. I have had several opportunities for that, unlike many people who live their life healthy and happy with no opportunity to doubt their power to reach old age. I never thought I would grow old.

But, God has a darn good sense of humor. Perhaps he will let me grow old! Who knows!

Whatever... Heaven awaits me and I hear it is a darn nice place! Join me there! It'll be the greatest ifishstock in the sky!

Jen

[blacktail519]

The Book of Revelation seems to be filled with prayers of worship, adoration, and praise. Even in the parts that describe the violent upheavals of the end of the world, the angels and saints in heaven are still singing joyful songs of victory and love to Jesus. Somehow, in the midst of a battle of cosmic dimensions, the citizens of heaven never waver in their confidence in God. They never fear the final outcome, and they never seem to worry about their own fate. They know that they belong to the Lord, and that knowledge fills them all with an indescribable joy.
Wouldn't it be great to have that same disposition? What a blessing never to be intimidated by difficult circumstances but to remain light-hearted and joyful in every situation! In one sense, it's true that this won't happen until we join the angels and saints in heaven. But in another sense, each of us can experience the joy and happiness of heaven more and more as we follow the example of those who have gone before us. We don't have to wait for heaven to worship Jesus. We can begin right now! And as we do, the same joy, peace, and confidence will fill our hearts-even when we are not deep in prayer.

[patman00]

patman, you sound like me! I get tired of being sick and tired, too. People who don't know about my condition sometimes say, "Gosh, you sure are sick alot!" LOL! Uh huh....


Whatever... Heaven awaits me and I hear it is a darn nice place! Join me there! It'll be the greatest ifishstock in the sky!

Jen

I'll save you a good fishing spot if I get there before you do. The bite will be red hot, and the lemonade will be ice cold.

Reading you post cheered me up a little today. Thanks Jennie. Remember, only the good die young!:dancingman:

[flyfisherwoman923]

myself I find comfort in knowing that there is a better place..when people are mean or I do not know what decision to make...it comforts me to know that I am not alone and do not have to decide everything myself....just shut my mouth once in a while and really listen......I also find a lot of peace in nature....saves me....makes me remember that most of the world and everyone in it are great people...just a scared as me!!! Take comfort in what you can and cling to that...keeps one sane. I am going to live my life to the best of my ability while I am here on earth...knowing that this is just a blink of time in my existence in heaven....though it seems a bit longer at this time..hehehehe.....I pray that I remember each day that there are others out there having a harder time than I am. Adjusting to life in this big city is tough for this small town cowgirl......people are not always what they seem and some are just hurtful. I pray for the strength to wake up every morning and decide "today is a good day" as my father told me constantly as a child. He told me not to hurry up to live, because death can really slow you down.
rambling done now.....thanks for readin' ......and i know that heaven is full of awesome fishing......because fishing on earth is as close to my heaven as I can get.....and since I do not know too many mean people who fish....I associate fishing with comfort and goodness.....so thanks Jenni for letting us know that we are not alone and that we can share with others.....Have a great day!! ElizabethAnne : )

[DAB]

I love fishing and hunting and a lot of other things hear on earth, It would be nice to do the same in Heaven, But in reality I don't think I will be doing any of that as Heaven will be so gloriouse that I wont care about those things as I will be to busy giving glory to God.
The one thing I do know is that our reserected bodies will be flawless and perfect.
Am I ready for death, I say I am, but how will I realy know till it is looking me in the face.
DAB

[feisty's wife]

I read about so many OBE/NDE experince's from ordinary folk's[many of them with no church/Christian affiliation], that I am very encouraged, I honestly think it will be a 'transitional' place, there will be more to come...:):):)

[Dullhook]

I read about so many OBE/NDE experince's from ordinary folk's[many of them with no church/Christian affiliation], that I am very encouraged, I honestly think it will be a 'transitional' place, there will be more to come...:):):)

Not sure this is a very secure place to hang your future hopes upon, feisty.

The Bible describes death as: A state of total unconsciousness, devoid of awareness, knowledge, or perception... (Psalm 6:5/Ecclesiastes 9:5,10)

People who experience OBE or NDE...well they're not "quite" dead yet. The human mind can play strange tricks on us when the brain is malfunctioning. The human nervous system and brain operate through electrical impulses which are impaired when breathing, or blood circulation is diminished from lack of oxygen. Strange sensations (lights, visions, and sounds) have been reported by many who have been revived after being declared clinically dead. Near death is not true death. Just something to think about on your next fishing trip, partner!

For myself... the feeling of total security by putting my future into the hands of He who has already conquered death, and promises the same to all who put their faith in Him, is the only way to go. This free gift is available to you too, my friend. :flowered: