Birthday Bash Day Three-And Some Heaven

Congratulations to Ruth Stiles from Life's Journey. Number 10 was chosen from a random drawing, and Ruth was the 10th commenter. Thanks again to Kelli at Blush and Bashful Baby for the adorable bib. Oh...the adorable baby model from yesterdays post is not my baby. I swiped the photo from Kelli's site. He is a cutie though.

On to Day Three...

Today's prize is the children's book, God Gave Us Heaven, by one of my favorite authors, Lisa T. Bergren. Here is a description of the book I copied from Amazon.com.

Product Description
As the sun rises on her snow-covered world, Little Cub wonders aloud…

“What is heaven like?”

With tender words, her Papa describes a wonderful place, free of sadness and tears, where God warmly welcomes his loved ones after their life on earth is over. Little Cub and Papa spend the day wandering their beautiful, invigorating arctic world while she asks all about God’s home: How do we get to heaven? Will we eat there? Will I get to see you in heaven? Papa patiently answers each question, assuring her that…

“Heaven will be full of everything good.”

This gentle story provides satisfying answers for a young child’s most difficult questions about what happens after this life, inviting “little cubs” to find comfort in knowing that God Gave Us Heaven.

Also available:
God Gave Us You
God Gave Us Two
God Gave Us Christmas

About the Author
Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than one million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Heaven is Lisa’s fourth children’s book, following in the tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She makes her home in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

To enter to win a copy of Lisa's book, just leave a comment at this post and tell me what you would like to do first when you get to Heaven. Special thanks to Lisa for contributing a copy of this book for my birthday bash. The drawing closes tonight at 9 pm EST and, because of postage costs, is open only to US and Canadian residence.

Here's a little something I wrote about Heaven in June of last year. It is tightly based on a conversation I had with my daughter...yes...she really does use the word wonderful quite often.

Where Lions Won't Bite (first published on June 23, 2008)

Pumpkindoodle tilted her chin upward, but the corners of her rosebud pink lips pointed toward her toes. Something was troubling my reflective daughter.

“Mommy?”

“What is it sweetie?”

“Can you please tell me more about Heaven? I don’t want to be dead and live anywhere without you and Daddy. I’m scared.”

Quietly exhaling, I sat still with her on my lap. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I kissed her worried, wrinkled, forehead and said, “Oh darling, Heaven is the most wonderful place.”

We had discussed Heaven and death a few times already that week, but each question I answered seemed to have left her more unsettled. Four-year-olds want answers that mesh with their immediate realities. Pumpkindoodle cannot clearly fathom the time differences between “next month” and “next year.” She cannot imagine life without her family. She only knows what it is like to be a little girl and that is her yardstick for measuring the future.

“But what kind of skins will I have?”

I bit my lip to prevent me from giggling...I think it's precious that she pluralizes skin. Then I sighed and thought, Oh boy, she goes straight for the unknowns. Why couldn’t she ask me about the streets..I'm pretty sure that somewhere in scripture there is a reference to heavenly streets being paved with gold.

“Well, I am not sure. I think God will give you a new and wonderful body.”

Her frown deepened.

“I don’t want a new body. I want to keep this body that God already made me in. I love it. It is so beautiful.”

Smiling at her precious innocence and admiration for God’s artistry, I kissed her again, and as I did, I noticed a bandage on her foot.

“Well, your new body will be even more beautiful and it won’t get any boo boos on it ever.

The corner of her mouth rose slightly.

“That is a very good thing. But I’m still not sure I want to go there. Will you go with me?”

“No one knows when they are going to go to Heaven, but I promise you that I will be there someday.”

I decided not to add that I would probably arrive at Jesus’ feet long before she did. That would undoubtedly cause more concern.

“I just really like living here in this beautiful world,” she continued.

“We do live in a beautiful world. God made it so. But people made it messy in many ways by doing some ugly things. Heaven, will be perfect. There won’t be any mean people in Heaven. No monsters. No scary spiders or unfriendly snakes. In fact, when you get to Heaven, I bet Jesus will let you pet a real lion. And do you know why?"

She shook her head no.

Lions won’t bite you because only gentle, friendly lions live in Heaven.”

The face of my animal-loving girl gleamed.

“Wow! That will be really wonderful. Can I run with the Cheetah’s too?”

“I think you will. And if so, can I run with you?”

“Yes, Mommy!”

“Do you know what else is great about Heaven? You’ll be able to meet people that lived on Earth before you were born, like my MemMem, and Jesus’ mommy.”

Suddenly, my marathon talker was silent, her smile radiant.

“And do you want to know the very best part about Heaven? It’s that you get to hug Jesus.”

“Ohhhh, mommy. That is going to be so awesome and so amazing!”

Then her smile wavered. I bit my lip and thought, I cannot possibly top hugging Jesus. What on earth is bothering her now?

“I don’t have to die and go to Heaven now….right Mommy? It will be a long time when I go to be with Jesus right?”

“I think so sweetie.” Oh Lord, let it be so, please let it be so. “But whenever you get there, I promise you that you will not feel sad for one second. You will be very safe. All you will feel is love.”

“That is so wonderful! Thank you for telling me all that great stuff about heaven. I really want to pet a lion without him biting me.”

I hugged her tight and traced my index finger around her tiny freckle, and I kissed her again. And then I felt a tender sensation in my soul. I cannot imagine Heaven being more beautiful than this moment right here, right now. But it will be. One day, my daughter and I will pet a lion, right after we give Jesus a big bear hug.

The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. Cow and bear will graze the same pasture, their calves and cubs grow up together, and the lion eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens, the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent. Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.

Isaiah 11:6-9 The Message

Legacy

When Genny contacted me regarding her blog carnival/challenge based on the New York Times best seller One Month to Live, I gave her my promise of participation. She’s my friend. However, had I happened across this challenge by chance, you would not be reading my response. You see, I tend to avoid books, conversations, and even thinking about the subject of how I would live my life if I found out it would end in 30 days.

It’s not because I harbor a fear of death, I don’t. It’s that I get uneasy when called to more self examination and the myriad inadequacies that always unearths.

Since I started writing this blog eight months ago, my flaws have been splattered about this electronic journal. You already know that I’m selfish, insecure, ferociously competitive, impatient, prideful, ungrateful, lacking in self control, and at times emotionally imbalanced. I often wonder if my readership has really grown because so many feel that they can relate to me or if it is really due to the “can’t keep my eyes off the train wreck” syndrome.

On the “plus” side of my list of character traits sits loyalty. I keep my word and was determined to explore this issue. First, because I said I would. Secondly, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to do it for other unknown reasons.

Initially, my thoughts were about how to get the most out of this life while I have it. Then it hit me…nothing I do or experience in this body and on this planet will hold a candle to what I will experience in Heaven. Nothing. Not a week in Disney World or even a trip down the Grand Canyon.

It is unfathomable that my heart will experience a happiness guaranteed to surpass the elation that accompanies Eskimo kisses, snuggles, and giggles shared with my children. The tingling sensation that trickles down toward my fingertips when The Professor kisses my neck will one day be replaced with feelings not even known on this earth. When I am standing in the presence of angels, will I even remember the lovely songs the birds now sing? This life of mine has been blessed by immeasurable beauty and there is more to come when I reach my permanent home.

So what would I do if I had but a month to live? I would stop living for me. Stop striving for things to temporarily heal wounds and patch insecurities. Instead, I hope I would devote my time to contributing to the lives of others.

I would listen intently, invite freely, converse openly, compliment lavishly, and forgive without a millisecond of hesitation. Most importantly, I would share the details about my upcoming change of address without inhibition. I would live without fear knowing that nothing can happen to me on earth that cannot be fixed the instant I walk into Heaven.

I have no clue as to the amount of time I have left to live on this beautiful blue rock. I could have thirty days, thirty years, thirty minutes, or some number greater or less than all of those possibilities.

Will I now begin to live as though I have only one month to live? Honestly, I don’t think so. I think that for me, that train of thought would serve to fan the fading embers of my perfectionist tendencies. But I will make changes.

I will try my hardest to focus on what matters and give little attention to the shiny looking stuff born of insignificance. I will continually remind myself that there are no riches on earth that compare to the treasures my Father has stored for me in Heaven.

I will live not to receive but to give…to leave behind a legacy. It is my prayer that my legacy be embroidered with love, truth, and hope. A legacy that will not highlight the life I lived on earth, but the life than can be lived by all who place their trust in the nail scarred hands of Jesus.

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. Phil. 1:19-23 New Living Translation

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-25 NIV

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 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. You know the way to the place where I am going." John 14:2-4 NIV

To read more posts on this subject, please head on over to Genny’s blog, My Cup 2 Yours.Also, it's not too late to write your own post about this. Feeling a little nervous about that? I totally understand, as I wrote, I was too, but I am so glad I gave it a chance.

Where Lions Won’t Bite

Pumpkindoodle tilted her chin upward, but the corners of her rosebud pink lips drifted downward. Something was troubling my reflective daughter.

“Mommy?”

“What is it sweetie?”

“Can you please tell me more about Heaven? I don’t want to be dead and live anywhere without you and Daddy. I’m scared”

Quietly exhaling, I sat still with her on my lap. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I kissed her worried, wrinkled, forehead and said, “Oh Darling, Heaven is the most wonderful place.”

We had discussed Heaven and death a few times already that week, but each question I answered seemed to have left her more unsettled. Four-year-olds want answers that mesh with their immediate realities. Pumpkindoodle cannot clearly fathom the time differences between “next month” and “next year.” She cannot imagine life without her family. She only knows what it is like to be a little girl and that is her yardstick for measuring the future.

“But what kind of skin will I have?”

Oh boy, she goes straight for the unknowns. Why couldn’t she ask me about the streets?

“Well, I am not sure. God will give you a new and wonderful body.”

Her frown deepened.

“I don’t want a new body. I want to keep this body that God already made me in. I love it. It is so beautiful.”

Smiling at her precious innocence and admiration for God’s artistry, I kissed her again, and as I did, I noticed a bandage on her foot.

“Well, your new body will be even more beautiful and it won’t get any boo boos on it ever.

The corner of her mouth rose slightly.

“That is a very good thing. But I’m still not sure I want to go there. Will you go with me?”

“No one knows when they are going to go to Heaven, but I promise you that I will be there someday.”

I decided not to add that I would probably arrive at Jesus’ feet long before she did. That would undoubtedly cause more concern.

“I just really like living here in this beautiful world,” she continued.

“We do live in a beautiful world. God made it so. But people made it messy in some ways, by doing some ugly things. Heaven, will be perfect. There won’t be any mean people in Heaven. No monsters. No scary spiders or snakes. In fact, when you get to Heaven, I bet Jesus will let you pet a real lion. And the lion won’t even bite you because only gentle, friendly lions live in Heaven.”

The face of my animal-loving girl gleamed.

“Wow! That will be really wonderful. Can I run with the Cheetah’s too?”

“I think you will. And if so, can I run with you?”

“Yes, Mommy!”

“Do you know what else is great about Heaven? You’ll be able to meet people that lived on Earth before you were born, like my MemMem, and Jesus’ mommy.”

Suddenly, my marathon talker was silent, her smile radiant.

“And do you want to know the very best part about Heaven? It’s that you get to hug Jesus.”

“Ohhhh, mommy. That is going to be so awesome and so amazing!”

Then her smile wavered. I bit my lip and thought, I cannot possibly top hugging Jesus. What on earth is bothering her now?

“I don’t have to die and go to Heaven now….right Mommy? It will be a long time when I go to be with Jesus right?”

“I think so sweetie.” Oh Lord, let it be so, please let it be so. “But whenever you get there, I promise you that you will not feel sad for one second. You will be very safe. All you will feel is love.”

“That’s wonderful, Mommy. Thank you for telling me all that great stuff about heaven. I really want to pet a lion without him biting me.”

I hugged her tight and traced my index finger around her tiny freckle, and I kissed her again. And then I felt a tender sensation in my soul. I cannot imagine Heaven being more beautiful than this moment right here, right now. But it will be. Wow. One day, my daughter and I will pet a lion, right after we give Jesus a big bear hug.

The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. Cow and bear will graze the same pasture, their calves and cubs grow up together, and the lion eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens, the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent. Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.

Isaiah 11:6-9 The Message