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!

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.