I attended my first funeral service with full military honors this past week, and I was moved by the attention and honor given to the deceased veteran: the military escort; the display, folding, and presentation of the flag; the honor guard; the three-volley salute; and the playing of taps. All of this because of the individual’s allegiance and dedication to his or her country.

Watching the ceremony unfold, I began to think about our reception in heaven. We, who have pledged allegiance to Jesus, who are considered part of the family and army of God. Those of us who have been asked to put on the full armor of God and always be ready for the spiritual battles we must fight (Ephesians 6:1).

The bible doesn’t reveal all that we will experience when we arrive, but it does tell us a few things.

First, it says there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10). The celebration begins before we ever enter the gates of heaven. And that is a huge choir. Remember the shepherds saw only part of it at Christ’s birth: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared” (Luke 2:13).

Then once we get to heaven, the honors begin.

For those who were “reviled and persecuted” for Christ’s sake, their “reward is great” (Matthew 5:12).

We are also told we will receive a crown: “crown of life” James 1:2, an “unfading crown of glory” I Peter 5:4, and a “crown of righteousness” I Timothy 4:8.

Even our bodies will be honored: “It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory..” (I Corinthians 15:42-43).

And then, of course, there is the great feast that we will all take part in when Christ returns. A banquet beyond human imagination.

The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
And refined, aged wine. Isaiah 25:6

This is the banquet we are celebrating in advance when we take the bread and wine of communion in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. This is the banquet Jesus was referring to when he said: “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29).

The celebrations of life and the honors and words of praise we bestow on our loved ones on their passing, along with the receptions we hold in their honor, cannot compare to what God has in store for those who have accepted him and been faithful to him throughout their lives. Though we may sometimes feel we are forgotten or of little importance, nothing could be further from the truth. And there is a God in heaven ready to honor us when we arrive.

I have always been fascinated with the brain. In high school, as a member of the forensics team, I remember delivering a speech on the percentage of the brain humans actually tapped into on average (less than 10%)) and what could happen if we used more.

What we have learned since then, with MRIs and PET and SPECT scans, is that all parts of the brain are working (not just 10%), depending on the activity. As neuroscience continues to advance, the revelations of how the brain works reveal something we, as Christians, should have always known. Science continues to prove the Bible true.

A friend gave me the book Switch on Your Brain (by Dr. Caroline Leaf) to read and I found it fascinating. In the book, Dr. Leaf first reveals the toxicity of our culture today fueled by various forms of media. Left to ourselves we could find ourselves spiraling downward into an abyss of hopelessness and victimization. BUT . . .

. . . She goes on to explain how neuroscience is showing that every thought and choice a person makes rewires and reforms the brain. So, basically, the mind controls the brain which then controls every part of our body—all systems—which take their cue as to how to act and react based on what the brain sends it, which in turn can affect both our physical and mental health and those of generations to follow us.

On its own this would be fascinating in and of itself, but Dr. Leaf then goes on to show how this scientific reality proves the truth of Scripture: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” (Romans12:2).

Neuroscience has proven that we have the power to change, not just what we think, but how our brain actually works. And because of this we have the power to change our future and the future of generations after us (Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18).

There is so much more to this book. The first half discusses in more detail the workings of the brain and how it proves multiple scriptures, and the second half is a practical guide on how to “take captive every thought” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and use Scripture to move forward. This is not a self-help book. This is a pull closer to God book and through the Holy Spirit change your future.

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “The Religion that is afraid of science dishonors God and commits suicide.” So true. God created everything in this world—both the visible and the invisible—He controls it all.

If you have the time, I encourage you to read Switch on Your Brain, and see how God is revealed through our most powerful and complex organ.

I was tired. We all were. After three weeks of preparations for Jamie’s Celebration of Life and then the actual event, we were spent both physically and emotionally. We needed rest.

Which brought me back to a basic necessity of life . . . our need for balance.

Balance is something most of us struggle with in some form or another. Work—Life. Boredom—Busyness. Diet—Indulgence. Financial Balance. Social Balance. The list goes on and on.

God set up the need for balance in the beginning during creation. Light and dark. Land and seas. Male and Female.

Solomon reminds us of it again in Ecclesiastes 3—that there is a time for everything, and lists fourteen opposites which balance each other.

Peter states in 2 Peter 3:17 “Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.”

And Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 5:15 to be careful how we walk, “not as unwise men but as wise.”

So how do we maintain or regain our balance? As always, we recenter ourselves under the shelter of a loving God who is in complete control.

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

And focus on Him rather than the things of this world.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Sometimes we strive and worry when we need not do either.

My sister’s life and death taught me two things. First, we need very little to be happy even though we think we need much. And second, in the end nothing in this world matters. All that matters is Jesus.

Last week I looked at the blessing memories can be as they sustain us through difficult times of loss.

Now I would like to look to the future . . . to the hope we have of seeing a loved one again.

I want to look to Heaven.



Often, those of us who are “normal” look at those who aren’t in some way and believe they have been shortchanged in the “life” department. Then, often as not, we compare ourselves to those who have more than we do (in any respect) and feel like we have been shortchanged. The first problem here, of course, is the comparison. The second, is to believe that this life is what it should be. It is not.

My cousin reminded me of a Randy Alcorn statement and so I went looking for it, and found it in his book Heaven. It reads:

“The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of Hell. For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.”

Once sin entered the world, we were never going to have the “perfect” life here on earth.

For non-believers, though, this is it. This is the best they will ever have, so they must make the most of it. No wonder there is this desire, hunger, striving for what they believe will make them happy and conversely the despair when life deals out disappointments and failures. And if this is the only life we have, then how unfair to those who are disabled, diseased, or die young.

But as Christians, this life is not the end all. And because it is not and we know it is imperfect and we know that perfection is coming, we can enjoy the life God gave each of us—specifically—in whatever form—during our short time here on earth.

The best. The ABSOLUTE best. The Perfect form of everything we have here will be waiting for those of us who have acknowledged and accepted Jesus as the son of God. It will be waiting for us in Heaven.

How exciting is that!