In Heaven

In Heaven there will be no childhood cancer, no cancer of any kind.

Babies won't die, leaving their mother's arms empty.

Friends won't betray... Husbands won't leave... Brains won't need surgery... There won't be foreclosures, unemployment, persecution, hypocrisy.

In Heaven, we will SEE Him FACE-TO-FACE! Misunderstandings, lies, pain and agony will ALL be a thing of the past.

In Heaven.....

The end of the world....

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:22-23

Doesn't it feel like the end of the world????  Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear threates, war in the Middle East, heinous crimes, sickness, betrayal, filthy-rotten-evil SIN everywhere you look!  I sure feel like it is the end of the world.  I feel Satan fighting hard in his death throes.  He knows his time is short.

But then I wonder... is his time really short?  I mean this sure FEELS like it is the end of the world.  All the signs and wonders mentioned in Revelation seem to be all around us.  However, I can't help but think that every generation has felt the same way....

When Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed...

When the extent of Hitler's evil became known...

During the Cold War...

In all of these times I'm sure people thought, "This is it.  This is the end of the world."  Looking back, I'm sure we could say, "DUH!  That was SO not the end of the world."  But I have to wonder if future generations might not look back on 2011 and say the same thing.

So what do we do???? Caught here in what very well might be the last days... yet possibly still here for the duration...

1.  PRAY!!!!  I can't help but think that the #1 TOP OF THE LIST solution is PRAYER.  Whether you're praying for comfort because you're frightened of the times we live in... or you're praying for help and healing for all those suffering in Japan, Libya, Israel, or our own homes... or you're praying for wisdom and guidance.... or you're praying for the strength to make it through these end times... or ALL OF THE ABOVE... it just doesn't matter... just PRAY!  PRAY!  PRAY!  PRAY!

Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.  Psalm 55:17

2. Draw closer to God. Read your Bible. Listen to worship music. Go to church. Join a small group. and PRAY!  Do anything and everything to draw near to God.  Don't waste your time watching the news.  Don't fret over the radiation levels in Japan. Don't dwell on the bombs dropping in Libya. Be aware of what's going on but don't DWELL on it.  DWELL on things of God.

Come near to God and He will come near to you.... James 4:8a


3.  Be ready.  In spite of all I said here... whether it's today or some tomorrow in the future... you need to BE READY to meet your maker!  Don't think, "See Jami even admitted this might not be it.  So I can just wait a little longer."  DON'T DO IT!  BE READY.... TODAY!  I've blogged about it before... I won't waste your time again... but I am going to cite one verse on this topic... and bump one of my FAVORITE songs to the top of my playlist... just BE READY.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.  2 Corinthians 5:10

Because whether today or tomorrow... He IS coming back to take His own.  I, for one, CAN'T WAIT!  Dancing on streets of gold... Praising at the feet of JESUS HIMSELF... no more sickness... no more pain... no more tears... reunions with those who've gone before... bodies made whole... OHMIGOSH!  I'm getting gooseflesh just typing about it!  HOME!  I can't wait to go HOME!  

Hang on everyone!  This COULD be the end of it all.... or it could be just another event in world history that we all thought was IT.  Doesn't really matter which it is... our response should be the same:  pray, draw near to God and BE READY!

Have a GREAT day!

Way better....

I wonder.... Is this kinda what Heaven will be like?

My children, sun-starved and fresh-air-deprived, from being cooped up over a long Wisconsin winter, have REVELED in the chance to play outside these past two sunshiney days. They beg to remove their coats. They run about like puppies looking for a good spot to pee. Today Jeremiah is even outside in shorts! Bikes and t-ball.... walks and kickballs.... These are the things Wisconsin kids dream of all winter long.

Today it had me thinking... Is this kinda what Heaven will be like? Now we sit Son-starved and throne-of-God deprived, cooped up in this sinful world with its heartbreak and illness, disappointment and struggle. But soon it will be spring! And we'll REVEL in walking the streets of gold! Soon we will bask in the light of His presence. Soon we'll be like excited puppies dancing in front of our Master.

Yes I think this is kinda what Heaven will be like. But it will be better then the coming of spring is to a Wisconsin kid.... WAY better.

Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 2 Corinthians 5:2

People get ready....

[Just as an aside: Satan did NOT want me to post this blog this morning. The second it started forming in my brain: Hannah woke up early, the cat tried to attack our breakfast, got locked out of my office, the cat messed up my Internet settings by walking over my keyboard, the cat clawed me trying to get away from Hannah, Hannah stepped on the power cord switch shutting off my computer, Internet went down... PHEW! This must be a good one, and someone MUST need to hear it. So get ready!]

People get ready
Jesus is coming soon we'll be going home
People get ready
Jesus is coming to take from this world His own.

My children are so "other-worldly" minded it sometimes scares me. Whenever we see a triangle-shaped object, Noah will say, "Look mom! Father, Son, Holy Spirit!" When we see anything in the shape of a cross, they will shout, "A cross! Just like Jesus died on!" And when we see the sunlight streaming through a break in the dark, cloudy sky, they will say, "Hey mom, doesn't it look like Jesus is coming back?" That's what I want to say to all of you today. "Hey blog readers, doesn't it look like Jesus is coming back?"

Lord I'm ready now.
I'm waiting for your triumphant return. (You're coming so soon.)
This world has nothing for me,
I find my peace and joy solely in You. (Only in you.)

I awoke this morning and found the news of a second earthquake hitting the already devastated island of Haiti. Last night I read about an earthquake hitting the Cayman Islands. For the second time in just a week, I had this weird sense of, "This is the book of Revelation occurring in front of my eyes." Now please do not get me wrong, I am NOT a doomsdayer or rapture junkie. I did not lose my mind during Y2K, and I have no trepidation about 2012. However, I wonder does anyone else see an eerie resemblance to book of Revelation here? It's not just the abundance of earthquakes right now... it's the evil all around me that calls my mind to the final book of the Bible. Yet these earthquakes really get me thinking.... "He's coming soon!"

There's a day that comes
When we will be divided right and left.
(For those who know Him and those that do not know.)
And those who know Him well, will meet Him in the air.
Hallelujah! (God is within us.)
And those that do not know, they will hear, "Depart. I knew you not."
For my friends you see,
There will be a day when we'll be counted.
So know Him well, know Him well.


Are you ready? That's what I want this blog to lead you to today. Are you ready? Getting ready is SO simple. A child can do it. In fact, all of my children have done it. Really just a few things to do:

1. Realize that you are a sinner deserving of nothing but death. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) How far back in your personal history do you have to go to admit this is true? You are a sinner. Me, I don't have to go very far at all. Just a short little jaunt back to that above-mentioned list of roadblocks Satan put in my way this morning, and WOOPS! Halt right there! Jami sinned. She lost her temper and was NOT godly in meeting those challenges. I don't know exactly how far you have to go, but I do know this: you have sinned. At some point in your life whether you are fifteen or fifty years old, you have sinned. Just like the Bible says, ALL have sinned... I also know that the punishment for sin is death. For the wages of sin is death... (Romans 6:23a).

2. Next you have to see that Christ made a way for you. See God knew the punishment for sin was death, but when sin entered the world, He saw that He could not STAND the thought of eternity without His precious, beloved children. So He made a way for us. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) When Christ died on the cross, He died for your sins to pay the price required for sin so that you could be forgiven and so you could spend eternity in Heaven.

3. You have to ACCEPT the gift! It's yours already. It's sitting there on your shelf, in your dresser, in that corner of your closet. It's like the treadmill in your basement that can help you drop those unwanted pounds or the Ab Rocker you have that can give you a 6-pack. You possess this gift, but you have to take the next step with the gift and ACCEPT it. That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

People get ready,
Jesus is coming soon we'll be going home.
People get ready,
Jesus is coming to take from the world His own.

If your one of His already, rejoice along with me! Soon & very soon we are going to see the King! If you are not, STOP right this second. Don't waste one more breath. Get ready! He's coming whether you're ready or not. So why not just BE READY!

Love to all of you! Praying for your hurts and pain. Praying for the devastation in Haiti. But most of all PRAYING that these things get your attention and help you GET READY! Because He IS coming SOON!

Safe in my Father's arms....

As I walked through the door to the recovery room, I heard his pitiful, scratchy voice wailing, "I want my Momma. I want my Momma." My heart leapt into action as I raced across the distance separating us to pull my baby into my arms. He was clawing at the tape holding his IV in and crying, "It hurts. Get it out!" My heart was breaking over his pain. I pulled him into my arms and held him. I just tried to get his attention off his pain with the soothing sound of my voice. Within mere seconds he was sound asleep with his head resting on my shoulder..... safe in his mother's arms. As I sat there cradling my tonsil-less baby, I pondered this phenomenon. The second he was in my arms, he quieted and fell into a deep restful sleep. Hmmmmm.....

Maybe that's why whenever trouble hits, I long for Heaven. I always used to focus on the leaving the troubles behind part, but that is not the root of why when my husband is about to undergo brain surgery, I long for Heaven... why when I don't have the money to pay the rent, I long for Heaven... when my life is falling apart, when my marriage is in ruins, when my fear is at an all time high, I long for Heaven.... It is NOT just to escape the pain of this world. It is to be safe in my Father's arms.

See in my arms, Elijah's pain didn't disappear. In my arms, Elijah was simply comforted knowing his Momma was there. In my arms, Elijah knew I cared enough to come as soon as I could. In the Father's arms, our pain doesn't disappear. In His arms, I am comforted knowing my Father is there. In His arms, I know He cares enough to be there for me. In my arms, Elijah was able to calm down enough to fall into a restful sleep and let his body do the healing it needed to do. Maybe that's all I need from my Father's arms... the restful "sleep" which will allow my spirit to heal. Lately, I have suffered through a lot of pain, disappointment, fear.... I go to Jesus for help and I bring my needs continually before Him, but maybe all my soul needs is to put my head on His shoulder and REST... so that His healing can take place.

Today I encourage you to do this. Don't just take your needs to God. Don't just tell Him everything. Don't just wait on Him to work. But take a few minutes just to REST. Bask in the warmth, the comfort, the support of His arms. For rest is GOOD for the soul and it will bring about the healing that you need.

Today I am resting.... Safe in my Father's arms.

A better day....

Well John is feeling MUCH better today. He is acting somewhat more human as well. When we were in the hospital, the nurse told us the healing process would be up and down with a general progression forward. That is what we seem to be experiencing. While the healing is all moving in a generally forward direction, John seems to take about 3 steps forward and then 1 back. We called the doctor yesterday about how poorly he was feeling, and we were told that the doctor believed John's brain was equilibrializing which was why he was suffering pain yesterday. Today he has again been awake much more often and even took a walk.

It is funny... as I typed this update, it struck me how like our Christian walk this whole healing from brain surgery thing is. We are moving forward; however, this life is not without ups and downs. We are progressing, but we still have "bad days." So we trudge along. Some days we just maintain ground, trying hard not to slide backwards... Some days we forge forward strong and steady.... Unfortunately, some days we slip a bit, falling back and losing a little ground.

Yesterday when John was feeling so poorly, I tried hard to keep reminding myself of the ground he had already conquered: he had no tubes protruding from his veins, he was not on IV meds, there was no vomiting, he was OUT OF THE HOSPITAL! That is what we have to do with our walk with Christ too! Remind ourselves of how far we have already come... Remind ourselves of the sins we've already put behind us... Remind ourselves of the successes we've already had...

Last application, then I promise to be done for today: I think it is important after brain surgery (and in life) to realize that the journey to healing (and to Heaven) is not a walk down a rose-lined path. Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me." He didn't say pick up your basket of rose petals and skip after me. Having a piece cut out of your skull is not "natural".... it is not what your body likes to feel. Living on this earth is not "comfortable".... it is not what your spirit likes to do. Realize that this pain, this agony, these struggles are for a greater good. In John's case, this brain surgery and the recovery from it are for the purpose of fewer headaches, greater strength on his right side, less dizziness and numbness. In our case, this time on earth is a journey towards our true home..... Towards Heaven.... Towards no more pain, no more tears.... Towards an eternity of worshipping our Savior.

I am sorry if my blogs are random and disorganized right now. I am so thoroughly exhausted from continual waking during the night to medicate John. I am stretched FAR beyond what I thought I was capable of. We did our first day of school today, and I am VERY surprised at how well it went.

Thank you so much to those who are bringing us meals. I really, truly can hardly express what a blessing this has been. The mom in this house is SO overwhelmed with work, schooling, nursing, cleaning.... not having to cook REALLY helps!

Thank you also to those who are blessing us financially. Quite frequently we are finding gifts from God in our mailbox.... He is taking care of our needs and right at this moment, we have food overflowing from our pantry and our bills are pretty much current.

Thank you most of all for your prayers.... I cannot say often enough how much comfort we get from knowing how many are lifting us up and taking our needs to the Father.

Forever indebted to Him and all of you,
John & Jami

A word of encouragement from the past...

I submitted queries to 3 different literary agents today. I decided to then get started cleaning up some more of my manuscript. In doing that I stumbled upon this blog. It took my breath away because it is as if August of 2006 Jami is speaking DIRECTLY to July of 2009 Jami. For those of you who know the details of today's disappointment, I think it will take your breath away too. I hope it ministers to you, wherever you are at today as much as it ministered to me.


written on August 2, 2006...

You know people CONSTANTLY say to me, "I don't know how you do it Jami." They're referring to the fact that I have four children (who are beautiful and sweet, but AMAZINGLY "precocious"), I work 20 - 30 hours per week from my home (while watching said children), I coach the (amazing and incredibly talented) FHS cheerleaders, and I teach fitness classes. I always tell them that I just love my life, and I love to keep busy. The truth is I love everything in my life so much: my husband, my children, my cheerleaders, cheerleading itself, working out, that I'd rather work myself into the ground than give any of it up. However, the past two weeks or so, I myself have been thinking, "I don't know how you do it Jami."

I am so past exhausted! Having all four of the kiddos at home is just killing me. If I leave them upstairs so I can get in some work, they just get into trouble. A few weeks ago Noah used up all of my Victoria's Secret body spray. I asked him what he used it for, "knockout gas" was the answer. He was playing Splinter Cell and the sprays were his knockout gas. So while I really don't like to wish time away, I am ANXIOUSLY anticipating the beginning of school this year.

Not only that but summer is just SUCH a crazy time. I think we've had only two weekends this whole summer when we didn't have something planned: weddings, graduations, cheer camps, family reunions, class reunions, church picnics.....our summer has been FULL.

Add to it the fact that I have a newborn; however, in all honesty she is the LEAST of my problems. Hannah is SERIOUSLY and HONESTLY the best baby in the world. For the past three and a half weeks, she has been sleeping through the night. She sleeps about 10 hours EVERY night! She's an absolute dream. I figure though that with all the broken toilets, perfume used as knockout gas, bald spots cut in hair, and urinating in places that are NOT the toilet, I deserve at least one easy one right now. There are short skirts and midriff-baring tops that she will undoubtedly torture me with later, so I'm glorying in the angelic season of her life now. I digress....so the point of this is I'm barely making it.

I'm at the end of myself, but gratefully I'm finding that, as in all things, in the midst of my self-induced insanity, God's Grace is enough to see me through. Right now that is all that's getting me through. That and the knowledge that before I know it we'll be in the throes of fall. Summer's craziness will have given way to my FAVORITE season: it will be time for cool, crisp air, sweaters, trips to the apple orchard, new school outfits and lunchboxes, football games, and pumpkins....they are all on the horizon. So if I can just hold on a little longer. If I can just make it through the sweltering heat, a class and a family reunion, if I can just keep the boys from burning down the house, I will make it to the promised land - FALL.

Now I know this is getting kinda long, but I can't end without a plug for my amazing Lord and Savior...this is true of all of life. I know things get tough. Life can really suck at times. But if we can just make it through the heartbreaks of this life, through the broken marriages, Leukemia, financial hardships, and other tragedies, we will make it to the promised land – HEAVEN! Where we'll be done crying and hurting and wailing. There will be nothing but joy, peace, and praising our Lord and Savior.

So hang on if your life is tough. Mine is too right now. Take the time today to thank God for the joy in your life...there is always some joy, even if it's hard to find. Mine isn't hard to find at all...in spite of my troubles and strain I am filled to capacity with joyful things: John, Noah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Hannah, Amanda, Amber, Alex, my mom, my dad, Jodi, Cori, Seth, Shawn, Alyssa, Luke, Savana, Grammas Hilly and Haugh, Shannon, Christina, Tracey, Nicole, Angie, Danielle, Megan, Whitney, Marki, Kayla, Cassie, Brittany, Vicky, Carol, Theresa, everyone of my myspace friends, all of my former middle schoolers, my amazing church, my God-filled pastor, my Jesus, my Jesus, my Jesus. Then after you thank Him, just hang on through your troubles, because before we know it, this hard world will be behind us and we'll be walking the streets of gold, praising our Savior for all eternity.

Eyes on Heaven; feet on the ground

On Sunday in church, our pastor showed a great video clip about the rapture. All week long it has been on my mind. The troubles and stress of this earth make me long so desperately for Heaven. I see illness, suffering and hardship all around me. It seems like every day I hear of a new person battling cancer, someone else who lost a loved one, or another job which fell victim to this terrible economy. Then there’s the stress…oh the stress. Each morning I wake and immediately begin my frenzied pace. I start the coffee and the laundry; get John up and off to work. I pray, read my Bible and blog. Then I take a quick break to run down and switch the loads. I hurry to get my work calls in before too many children awake. After working, I direct the kids to start their morning chores and lessons. Then there’s more laundry to be done, a load of dishes for the dishwasher, and a bit more work before feeding them lunch and putting Hannah down for a nap. Then it is afternoon work for me and lessons for the kids followed by more chores for the kids, more loads of laundry for me, and a quickly thrown together dinner. I rarely have time to exercise, and only occasionally do I get a few moments of downtime. Some nights we have soccer practice or Bible club or youth group kids coming over. AHHHHH! Most nights I find myself dropping into bed somewhere around 10 p.m. thinking of all the things I did not get finished and before I know it the alarm sounds and I am off to the races again.

All of it just makes me LONG to be in Heaven. I want to be walking the streets of gold. I want to just sit at my Savior’s feet basking in His glory. I want to praise Him without interruption or distraction. I want to be done with pain and sorrow and tears. I want stress to be a thing of the past and hanging with my Savior to be the only thing on my to do list.

Alas however here I am still on the earth….what to do? what to do? At the end of each day whether I have a completely checked off to do list or a ton of items still pending, whether cancer has won or been defeated, whether all is well or not well, I have to keep my eyes on Heaven and my feet on the ground. I just have to keep gazing forward to the day when I am standing before Him while working hard on all the things God is calling me to complete this day. It is hard because my spirit groans inside of me. I long for what is to come. Yet that is not what God has called me to this day.

So join with me please. Turn your head up and get your eyes on Heaven. Can you see those streets of gold? Can you hear the angels praising Him? Can you feel that longing to be with Him? But be careful! Keep your feet planted here on earth, because there is oh so much to do here before He returns.