Thoughts and Ramblings Archives - Page 2 of 3 - River of Life, Copenhagen NY

Giants Will Fall

Posted on Jan 5, 2018 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

2 Samuel 22: 2-4

“The Lord is my protector, He is my strong fortress. My God is my protection and with Him I am safe. He protects me like a shield, He defends me and keeps me safe. He is my Savior, He protects me and saves me from violence. I call to the Lord, and He saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!”

The above verse is actually David’s song to the Lord after having been to war and he and his men having killed many giants. Scary, intimidating giants. The fear they must have had is unimaginable. But look at how many times David calls the Lord his protector or says He provides protection. Several times, over and over. Isn’t it encouraging to know that along with the many other wonderful attributes of God, He always speaks right to our fear, sometimes the biggest giant we face of all.

We all know the story of David and Goliath, but it’s not often that we hear that David and his men defeated MANY giants. That’s encouraging to me and lays a very visual, spiritual tapestry for my own life because isn’t that how life can be? We typically find ourselves faced with giant after giant when we are going through season’s where God is working something out in us/through us. In the molding, pruning, sharpening process it’s encouraging to know, especially during our fasting time, that we too can bring down giants just like David did. We can also sing a song of praise to our Lord even as our giants stare us right in the face, before they are even defeated because we have confidence in our battle buddy, Christ, that they WILL be defeated. (Just as I write this, it brings to mind the song by Francesca Battistelli, Giants Fall. Take some time today and youtube it. Soak the words in.)

What happens though when we lose our confidence in our battle buddy and let fear slip in? Those giants get bigger right? They get scarier. I encourage you today, as you spend time with the Lord to imagine those giants falling before you as you step out in faith towards overcoming them. Whatever your giant/s may be today, remember that we are given the power of the Holy Spirit, He lives inside us, we don’t have to wait for Him to get there, He’s already there, so step out in your fear by stepping out in faith. Trust that, just like David said, He is your protector, He defends you and keeps you safe and will save you from your enemies. Praise the Lord!

Leah Parkin

January 5th, 2018

Dec '17

Where Does Our Faith Come From?

Posted on Dec 14, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Dec '17

Romans 12:3 “And because of God’s gracious gift to me I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking and judge yourself according to the amount of faith God has given you.”

There have been many times in my life where I have found myself wishing I had more faith to get through whatever it was I was going through. Romans 12:3 helps to reign that thought in as I’m reminded that God gifts each of us according to which He sees fit for us at just the right time. When I begin to think, “but it’s not enough, this is too hard, I need more”, then, I’m also reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9 that says “for my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” Faith and grace, both gifted to us by our Heavenly Father, just the right amount for just the right time.

As I’ve grown in the Lord, so too has my faith, HIS faith in me. He is the provider and sustainer of my faith and my cup is only full when I am in Him, for when I am not in Him, my cup is empty. We do not create or grow our own faith and when we humbly remember that God is the giver and taker of all, we are kept in a spirit of humbleness that keeps us from boasting about the amount of faith we have that gets us through those difficult times, it immediately brings us back to Him as we look to the source from which our faith comes. When we are able to recognize, that in our weakness He is made strong, then we can live in the midst of those difficult moments with a trusting attitude, knowing He’s got us, knowing as we fold into Him, He rises over us as our strong shield and fortress. Everything about our walk, even the amount of faith He’s given us to get us through should always be used to glorify Him. Might we always know and remember where we come from, Whose we are and what we’ve been given, keeping us in an attitude of humbleness, graciousness and thankfulness.

“Thank you Heavenly Father for providing even a mustard seed size of faith, for which we know even with that we can move mountains. We take your Word as Truth for our daily lives, soaking it in, drinking it in and letting it absorb into the deepest of places within our spirit, soul, mind and heart knowing that as we consume your Word and truths we are growing the faith you’ve so graciously given to us to face whatever comes our way. Help us O’ God to keep a humble attitude and glorify only You for what’s been given to us. Amen.”

Leah Parkin

12-11-2017

Nov '17

To Conform, or Not To Conform

Posted on Nov 27, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Nov '17

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect.”

With continuing to focus on being a Roman’s 12 Christian, verse two has always been one of my favorite “life” verses. It’s what I cling to in seasons of secular struggle, which, because I’m human, is daily. When we call ourselves Christians and are actively striving to daily live out His word, we are most definitely going to be faced with opposition about many things that contradict our way of thinking, acting, believing. In that moment we have a choice. Do we conform to the pressures of society given that many times it’s just easier, less painful? Or, do we stand firm on that solid foundation knowing it may bring backlash? Where is the real worth and value? Is it in the less painful road or in the backlash because we stood firm? I bet you can answer that.

I’ve found for many years now, especially since I’ve been a parent, that when I seal this verse tightly to my heart I am more equipped to face the pressures to conform. There are so many things that we face in this area as a Christian family when practicing very different morals and values than those who do not have a moral compass guiding them. I’m reminded that in Him I am set apart for purpose and reason beyond what any amount of conforming can fulfill. It’s harder for my kids to see this, but because it’s been a common, repetitive verse in our home, they understand. It doesn’t always make it easy, but Christ tells us it’s not going to be and when we are prepared with the knowledge that struggle is just part of life, somehow, it makes it easier. Not always, but there’s less surprise when we live in an expectant mode.

My mom used to tell me and my sisters when we were kids, “just blame your dad and I” whenever we would be at a friend’s house and be exposed to something we shouldn’t be watching. I fall back on that with my Heavenly Father too, it’s so much easier knowing that He’s got my back, He gives me an out every single time. When we live our lives accountable to the One who sees it all, then there’s purpose in our reactions to those uncomfortable situations.

In the eyes of the world, my firm stance in refusing to conform looks like rebellion and stubbornness but in the eyes of my Lord, it is obedience and protection. What our actions are telling God when we refuse to conform is that we trust You, we believe You, we want Your way. If we can just get past the immediate uncomfortableness of not giving in, then we walk into the blessing of pleasing Him. Just as the verse says, we will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him. That should be enough! But boy oh boy, when we are fighting those fleshly desires, sometimes it’s hard to see clearly past the temptation of just wanting to do what everyone else is doing. We want our flesh to be comfortable in the moment so instead we pass up the opportunity to glorify Him. You don’t struggle with that battle alone friend. Of course it’s much easier to give in, that’s satan’s best tactic…the easier, broader path. It’s how he coaxes us to follow, enticing us with a detour around those difficult decisions, telling us lies that say if we just give in it is much more pleasing to our carnal minds/bodies. Thankfully though, Jesus didn’t detour struggle, He willingly took on the ultimate struggle because He believed whole heartedly that if we stand firm against the winds that want to blow us here and there that we will get to experience the blessing that comes from inward change. The application here though is actually being willing to let God do the transformation. It cannot come from us, on our own or it will never really be complete inward change because only He has the power to cause real, lasting change.

What will you refuse to give in to this week? What does it look like when you consider not conforming to the standards in your immediate world? Work, school, even home maybe. Will you draw a line in the sand and protect the sanctity of real change and the glorification of God our Father or will you go weak at the knees and fulfill your fleshy desires to just fit in? I promise you this…whatever it is that comes to mind while you are reading this, if it’s uncomfortable to even think about what the right thing to do is, then you already know what you should do. Choose Christ and His ways and send the devil packing decision by decision, choice by choice, struggle by struggle. Your action to stand firm will not go unseen by the ONLY One who matters anyway.

Blessings for a fruitful week,

Leah Parkin

November 27

^th

, 2017

Nov '17

Romans 12

Posted on Nov 20, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Nov '17

Have you ever heard the saying, “be a Romans 12 Christian”? I’ve heard the expression a lot lately and so have decided to study what it really means to be a Romans 12 Christian. Romans is one of my favorite books in the bible because it very clearly explains Christian conduct and well…I need that reminder a lot of times in my day to day activities. Whenever I’m faced with a situation that is uncomfortable or that I’m unsure of how to respond or when I’m feeling so pulled by my fleshly desires to be just that…flesh, instead of spirit. There are so many wonderful references in Paul’s letter to the church that I believe we all can lean on and use to anchor us in those swaying times. I would like to share what I’ve learned in Romans 12 as part of the devotional for the next few months, verse by verse, in hopes to encourage you as we all walk this path together. Verse 1 perfectly aligns with Pastor George’s sermon yesterday, so I thought it fitting to start the week off on. God works and His works are ALWAYS good.

Romans 12:1

“So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer.”

When I read the phrase living sacrifice, I think continual, a symphony that never stops. It doesn’t say dead or dying sacrifice, it says living. As long as there is breath in my lungs and a beat in my heart, God calls me to offer my WHOLE life up as a sacrifice, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Just as Pastor George said yesterday, everything that we do, say, even chose to listen to, watch or allow into our minds/thoughts and let roll off of our tongues becomes either pleasing or displeasing to God. His pleasure should be our first concern. The life in us as Christ followers comes from and through Him so the aroma of our lives should naturally be sweet as we allow it to filter through His holiness. It should not be stale like death for He is not death. The only death within us should be of our old selves and when we are in Christ that stench does not linger, it is covered by His purity, making us as Him. There is no exhaustion in sacrificing in this continual way because we are connected to the Source, a constant. It is only when we are not connected that we begin to emanate an unpleasant aroma and become weary in well doing.

Lastly, so many times I find myself wasting energy on trying to be a people pleaser, because honestly, that is often what is immediately comfortable. If those around me are happy or “fixed” (my pride tells me I need to fix those nearest to me) then things will be much better. Yikes! Danger zone. The Christian life isn’t about being happy and fixed. Quite the contrary. The Christian life is instead about being blessed and free. Infact, it’s often after our acceptance of Christ that we are first broken down to rid ourselves of what is not acceptable to Him. The pruning begins and often times hurts. We may question ourselves, “what did we just do?” “Why is this happening?” But, in keeping perspective and focus on eternal things, society’s “fixed” lifestyle does not constitute Godly worship. What a difference those words blessed and free make as opposed to happy and fixed. Sure, happy is a wonderful benefit/side effect of living a blessed and free life in Christ, but if happy is just an outward expression and is not true inward joy than my efforts of people pleasing really haven’t done much at all have they? And here’s the kicker…I am not the one where true joy comes from. I am not anyone’s source of TRUE joy. So when I read this verse, the first thing that stuck out to me was to be dedicated to HIS service and pleasing to HIM. When I’ve freed myself to please HIM first, then all other pleasantries will follow suite, leaving an aroma for others to navigate towards, people pleasing simply becomes soul winning. When we enter a new day knowing that it’s not us, but HIM that sets the standard for our day then we find that everything out of that is true worship, pleasing to Him and joyful for us.

Blessings,

Leah Parkin

Nov 6th, 2017

Nov '17

Momentum

Posted on Nov 7, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Nov '17

Momentum

“How to gain momentum by stopping.”
mōˈmen(t)əm,məˈmen(t)əm/
noun
1.PHYSICS: the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.
2.the impetus (force or energy) gained by a moving object.”the vehicle gained momentum as the road dipped”

Momentum.

Stopping.

Normally, it doesn’t make any sense, if you want to see progress, to slow down or even stop what you are doing. Momentum is all about progressing…moving ahead. We can imagine an object picking up speed, gaining ground, going faster, going forward.
However, this law of physics doesn’t work as well in the Kingdom of God.

Truthfully, the busier we are, the more often we feel like we are losing spiritual ground (momentum) precisely because we do not take the time to STOP (or at least slow down) and spend some intentional time with God. Granted, there may be many important things going on in life, some of which we have little control over that beg for our time and attention. But more often than not, we do have control over how we spend a lot of our time. We certainly find time to watch television, exercise, view social media, have coffee with friends, or even to read a good book. We neglect to stop long enough to really get filled up with the very presence of God and receive the refreshment He alone can provide. Most of us would say we want more of God, more of a close relationship with Him, more of hearing His voice. We want the results of the end goal without the actual pursuit of it. In her book, “Unseen”, Sara Hagerty says this: “Quiet doesn’t just happen. Ever.” “Internal stillness takes practice…and it needs to be cultivated.”

There is an important word within the word momentum, and that word is

MOMENT

Moment. Even when it seems impossible to carve out a specific time to sit at Jesus’ feet, surely we can pause at any time of even the most ridiculously busy day to acknowledge Him, to look toward Him, to bask in His love, and to think on His promises and His word. We need these moments both to strengthen our own hearts and to feel reconnected with Him.

Often when we are feeling SPENT, it is because we have not SPENT much time with God.

I don’t know about you, but I miss the time with Him when I don’t take it….especially if it happens day after busy day. It becomes apparent when I have not taken the time to intentionally sit at His feet. I start to feel distant, worn out, run down, not as alive, and in all honesty, angry. I can find myself very frustrated when things don’t go my way. My fuse becomes much shorter than when I have spent quiet time with Jesus.

While we continue to have to walk through busy seasons, let’s make the deliberate choice to slow down, to STOP what we are doing at times, to give God our time and attention, so that by getting refreshed, we might make some progress, gain some MOMENTum, and become more alive again.

This is kingdom physics: slowing down=spiritual momentum

Peggy Lago – November 6, 2017

Oct '17

Doubt

Posted on Oct 5, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Oct '17

John 20:24-29 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”

It’s such a simple command, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” That’s it. Just believe. But we struggle with that sometimes don’t we? I’ll speak for myself here and say, so many times, even in my absolute wanting to believe His promises, there are times I’m doubting in the same breath as I’m claiming. Yikes! Pure, raw honesty there. It’s as if I’m grabbing hold of the bottle of water that’s right in front of my face to drink because I’m thirsty but then I drop it and instead of picking it right back up to chug a lug, I just start hoping someone or something will come along and pour it down my throat for me OR, even worse, my hope goes away and I begin to accept the thirst, the dry throat and I fall into a trap of accepting untruth. “I’ll just always be thirsty, I will probably die of thirst.” That is dangerous friends! Because when we find ourselves accepting untruth and thinking things will never change due to our unbelief/doubt then we can know we are being gripped by the powers of darkness and that’s when we need to believe and be honest with God more than ever. I’ve found that when I share that doubt with God instead of pretending it’s not there and real, (because come on, we all know He knows it whether we share it with Him or not), I grow closer to Him, even in my doubting, because I’m choosing to be open with Him about it. He can handle it by the way, so if you are feeling doubtful about a situation or circumstance and are unsure of how to move past that, just tell Him. Go ahead, tell Him. Right now…that thing that popped into your mind as you are reading this, “God, I am having trouble believing you will…” By doing that, there’s a sense of deep acceptance and trust that comes immediately when you can release that to Him. Don’t live in the shame that comes from religion, but walk in the freedom that comes from relationship. He knows we have doubts and He knows what they are. And guess what? He still loves us anyway! It’s ground for growth when we confess it to Him. No fancy words, just an honest and open heart. When we doubt and then allow our integrity to put it on the table before Him, He uses that. Look at how He handled Thomas in his doubt. Jesus allowed him to see for himself. He didn’t get upset or mad and disown him, but instead he said, “See? Touch.” Now, maybe God won’t always afford us the opportunity to see with our eyes like he did Thomas, but next time you have doubt or unbelief, ask God to help you with it, and then step out in faith and remember what He said, “blessed are those who have NOT seen and yet still believe.” YES!! Win! That’s me most of the time, that’s YOU most of the time (or is it? Be honest with yourself and God). So don’t let the onesies or twosies derail your faith, but instead use it to propel you into exploring even more of what God has to show you about His vast greatness. Simply reminding yourself of that in the midst of doubt and unbelief will spur you on. Watch your faith grow as you step out in faith and honesty with the Lord despite your uncertainty and remember, NONE of us have arrived yet. We are all still works on the wheel. Keep spinning friend!

Leah Parkin

Sep '17

Keep On

Posted on Sep 5, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Sep '17

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10

I have always been encouraged by this verse. This week, I’ve used it as a prayer for those affected in Texas by the hurricane. It instantly makes me think of all the displaced families, all the helpers and emergency personnel, the strangers who came from all over to lend a hand in such a tragic time for our brothers and sisters in the south. The outpouring of love that we’ve heard about and seen through pictures and videos has been so encouraging. Humans uniting despite their skin color or political stance. To have something filling our feeds besides politics and crime, has been refreshing to say the least. These poor, dear souls are dealing with extreme conditions that are certain to bring about fatigue and a sense of wanting to just throw in the towel. But they don’t. There have been so many stories and certainly many more to come that tell of the goodness of God in the midst of turmoil and despair. Humans are grabbing at every opportunity to help others every chance they get. It’s a beautiful sight to see that outweighs the sadness. That’s how He works!! What about you though? Maybe you are going through your own personal hurricane that has shaken things up and you are beginning to feel like giving up on fighting the good fight. Don’t you do it! Don’t get weary, tap into your source of strength, Jesus. Remind yourself and your heart that if you just keep sowing, your season of reaping will come. Your “hurricane” may not have you displaced from the comforts of home or wading through waist high waters, but maybe it has you exhausted from caring for a loved one, feeling forgotten, or maybe even invisible. You do and do for others and wonder, “when will it be my time?” Do you believe the Lord when he tells you that if you do not get weary in well doing that your time will come if you just keep pressing forward? Family may not notice your extra care for them, your boss may not recognize the extra time you put in on that project, your spouse may not thank you for doing that tedious chore so they didn’t have too, but just remember, God does see! He sees it all, every little and big effort. He’s the only one that matters and will truly reward you in due season as you continue doing well. Your time is coming, you just keep on keeping on.

Leah Parkin, Sep 2, 2017

Aug '17

1 Corinthians 2:14

Posted on Aug 28, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Aug '17

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 2:14.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve struggled for a long time with trying to understand why some people do or don’t do the things they do or don’t do. I have allowed myself to get so upset by being completely baffled by the lack of concern or care some have for certain things in life. I’ve allowed unhealthy anger to consume me over it, repeating the phrase “What is wrong with people?” Shamefully, I admit that I’ve judged them, forgetting that in this world there are those who have understanding and discernment and those that don’t.

Recently, God has been molding this judgment and anger out of me through repeated interactions with these people. People who have a direct influence and impact on our family, to the extent that we will allow, but do not have the discernment of the Spirit. Instead of becoming frustrated and judgmental and making myself crazy over why they do or don’t do things, I’ve been reminded to consider the fact that it’s because they lack the capability to understand. I can’t blame them. But what I can do is continue to walk in the Spirit and love them. Removing any expectations I may have that they would understand why our family does or doesn’t do things a certain way. Focusing on pleasing my Father in Heaven, not those who think our ways are foolish.

Sometimes for example, I believe our parenting looks foreign to those who don’t have the Spirit. It’s been a tremendous struggle over the years to parent Christian boys in a secular world. I’m always encouraged to hear we aren’t the only family setting boundaries in a world where they are basically nonexistent or very flimsy to say the least. In a world where the norm and popular way is not HIS way, we may tend to become discouraged or feel defeated. Remember though, He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world and He who is in us has OVERCOME!! Which means so have we!!

I pray that if we as Christians stick with it and keep fighting the good fight, eventually we will look beside us and see that the narrow path has become quite crowded because of the influence and example we leave along the way. Onward Christian soldiers!

Leah Parkin – Aug 27, 2017

Aug '17

Forgivness

Posted on Aug 21, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Aug '17

“If you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14.

It’s the beginning of a new week. If you did a self inventory today, would you find that you are spiritually sick? Are you holding grudges? Maybe living angry? Is there an unhealthiness hidden deep inside that you’ve pushed so far down because whatever it is or was happened so long ago that you’ve just decided to move on and let things be? Remembering might be too painful so instead of addressing it, you decide to look right past it because if you’ve went this long what’s the point now? If you looked at your walk with God, would He say to you “go and forgive”? Do you feel as if you are walking in freedom or hiding from it? Maybe it’s a case of you needing to ask forgiveness from someone.

I’d like to encourage you to step out in faith today and examine your spiritual life. It takes faith to do that sometimes because it’s not always easy if we know something may be uncovered that isn’t pretty. When we take time to consider handing our hurt or sin over to God, then we are opening doors to spiritual freedom in our lives that can propel us right onto the path He has laid out for us. However, that path may be collecting cob webs while it’s waiting for us to take the step in that direction. If you hold anything against anyone this morning I encourage you to take some time in prayer with your Heavenly Father and ask Him to give you strength and opportunity to forgive, or to ask for forgiveness, which ever it may be. Both make the soul sick and hold us in captivity.

Maybe you need to forgive yourself. Have you ever considered that your hang ups of past mistakes are keeping you in the quicksand of life? The more you wrestle with yourself, the harder it grips you, the deeper you sink into darkness. Grab the hand that’s extending out today and allow yourself to be pulled to freedom so you can make strides towards walking in His destiny for you. Make an intentional choice to choose healing. You are too precious to let that go to waste. Time is not our friend. Don’t pass up another opportunity to forgive, we never know when it might be our last one. Blessings for a fruitful week.

Leah Parkin 8-21-17

Aug '17

Many Mansions

Posted on Aug 16, 2017 in Devotional, Thoughts and Ramblings, Uncategorized |

Aug '17

2 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3.

This past weekend we did a lot of driving, we needed to stop one night to get a room because we just couldn’t drive any longer. We quickly scoped out something online that was a good rate (under $100 for the night, while hoping for no roaches) and called to make our reservation because though it was hard to tell, the pictures looked decent on the website. Upon arrival and seeing the place, we quickly questioned if the rate the lady gave us over the phone was correct. “It couldn’t be”, we said to one another. “It just couldn’t be!!” We parked and walked in, taking in the beauty of the grounds. A gorgeous golf course was being watered by a fountain sprinkler and the most beautiful, lush, flowering bushes of all colors laid the backdrop. White columns and brick stairs led to the front entrance that opened up to the shiniest white marble floors you’ve ever seen, doors adorned with decorative, golden door knobs, dangling, sparkling chandeliers, wood work that must have been crafted by a very skilled hand lined the very long, carpeted hallways and embellished the high ceilings, a vase of the deepest red roses we’d ever seen stood three feet tall on a round marble topped table that sat in front of an elegant fireplace that held a mantle with flowers in vases that probably cost more than our car, the clearest windows draped with satin floor length curtains framed the green fairway that was skirted by the most shapely trees and perfectly positioned was a gazebo that you’d see as a stage for a princess for her wedding. Our jaws dropped with each step we took. “No way! Maybe we misunderstood her over the phone about how much it will cost.” But, we didn’t so our excitement grew. She proceeded to tell us upon check in about the complimentary driving range access and complimentary breakfast. The next morning we gleefully discovered that it wasn’t just boxed cereal for little people with carton orange juice. No, it was a full spread with eggs and bacon, sausage and hashbrowns in silver warming trays along with a buffet of other yummy stuff. Silverware that was heavier than the full plate, cloth napkins and several different gourmet coffee flavors to choose from. The dining room was stunning with cherry carved woodwork, marble floors and copper tin topped tables next to a grand piano overlooking the immaculate landscaping. Iron tables and chairs with sturdy umbrellas to block the sun dawned a stone patio etched with character. An indoor pool that was built for Olympic swimmers had wicker furniture with cushions that lined the deck along with palm trees that added to the beach like ambiance. Ok, I think you get the point by now. It was NICE and we couldn’t believe it was for us.

It had me Kingdom thinking again, because honestly, that’s where my brain goes with just about every earthly encounter. If this earthly, temporal building can be so nice, I can’t imagine how Heaven will have me in awe. Jesus tells us that he has gone to prepare a room for us in His mansion. When we arrive we will probably not be able to believe that it’s actually something we can afford to stay in, or even something we are worthy of. But upon checking in, Jesus will tell us that the price has already been paid, no security deposit and the most exciting part…no checking out…EVER! He will also tell us that not only are you worthy to stay here but I made it with you specifically in mind. Isn’t that exciting to think about? Our imaginations can not even fathom how beautiful it will be. Beautiful won’t even be enough of an adjective to describe it. How amazing He is that He’s already got a place for us. A place beyond our wildest imaginations and we don’t even have to call ahead to make reservations, He’s already put our name on the list and is anxiously awaiting the day He can say, “welcome home child, welcome home.”

Leah Parkin

August 13, 2017