October 8, 2013

The Harried Here and Now

It's easy to do.  I admit it.

Easy to get caught up in the here and now.
Easy to forget that this is not our Home.
The Lord is gracious to send us trials to wean us 
little by little from this world.
To cause us to cling to Him more closely.
And rely on Him more deeply.

To make us long for Heaven more.

"...having lost sight of the "sweet by and by", too many Christians
busy themselves with the harried here and now,
and they themselves are consumed by consumable things."

"Because the church doesn't really have heaven on its mind,
Christians tend to be self-indulgent, self-centered, weak and materialistic.
Our present comforts consume too much of our thoughts, and it we're not careful, 
we end up entertaining wrong fantasies about heaven --
or thinking very little of heaven at all.
No Christian should ever fall into that trap."

Quoted from "The Glory of Heaven" by John MacArthur, page 65.



We are reading as much as we can on Heaven these days.

Since our precious Austin was called Home ~
 we find ourselves wanting to know more about where he is.
We are seeking to be careful to choose books from reliable sources, of course.
There has been much written on Heaven that is not Biblical at all.
The Bible must be our basis for formulating ideas about the eternal.

This book, among others, has been a great encouragement to our hearts.

Truly, if we are the Lord's, then Heaven is our Home.  
We are just sojourning here as long as our Lord deems best.
For as long as He desires to use us here.

Until He calls us there.


How precious it is to rest in His perfect plan.

How precious to know that our times really are in His hands.
May we live for His glory each and every day.
May we be used to promote His Kingdom and serve Him.

By His grace and in His strength.

Moment by moment.  Day by day.
As long as He gives us breath.

With love,
Camille


**Photo in this post courtesy of our Calvin ~

Thank you my love!  XO

12 comments:

OurCrazyFarm said...

Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven, has been very encouraging for us. Also, recently I've been reading Richard Baxter's, The Saints' Everlasting Rest~ written by a man who expected and longed to be in Heaven. Many continuous prayers for you are still being lifted up until we both get there:)

Nadine said...

My Dad use to say that he was just an alien here on earth, just passing through until heading home to heaven.
I have comfort knowing that he is now in heaven with Jesus, and that I will be able to see him again some day!

Love & Blessings,
Nadine

Maryann said...

It is so easy to get caught up in the harried and now, it's epidemic in our culture and sadly the church is not much different. I too have been guilty of this, but then the Lord slows me down and I am reminded of what is most important. Trials do tend to wean us from this world. Continuing to pray for you friend, I think reading books focused on heaven is a wonderful idea.
Blessings to you

Patty said...

Thank you for being so conscientious in sharing a book that is Biblical in content. In the harried here and now may we never forget where home is. Have a great day!

Dianna said...

It is so good to have you back blogging again, Camille! Thank you so much for sharing your heart and giving us a reminder about what truly is important...not the things of this world, but rather of the next!

And what a beautiful view and picture that Calvin has captured! How can anyone see something as beautiful as that and not believe in the Creator!

Hugs to you my sweet friend!

Heather said...

I named my blog URL "This Journey Homeward" for that very reason. We do focus too much on this life and even with that intention, I fall prey to living for the comforts of this world. May the Lord hug you tighter as you dream of heaven and live out the life that leans in that direction. And may He make us all mindful of our tendency to hold too closely to what doesn't matter.

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

So true, Camille! I've also been reading a book about heaven to the kids since my grandpa died. As a result, they are so looking forward to "Home, Sweet Home". The book is called "Christie's Organ" from Lamplighter Publishing. It is a classic and explains the gospel in story form so clearly. I can't recommend it enough. I think it was written in the 1800s and has since been republished by Lamplighter. I look forward to reading more books from this publisher. Have a great day! Big Hugs, Jackie

Camille said...

Dear Terri ~ You bless my heart, you know that? Even in the midst of your own grief, you are encouraging us and praying for us! We prayed for you and your family together the other evening. The Lord is Faithful. How precious it is that He is taking us to be with Him in His perfect timing!

Dear Nadine ~ Yes, truly a blessing to know that we are just passing through! The Lord's timing is absolutely perfect. May He comfort your heart as you grieve the earthly loss of your Dad.

Dear Maryann ~ Thank you for your sweet encouragement! I appreciate you.

Dear Patty ~ May the Lord bless you with a good day as well! He is Good. Always.

Dear Dianna ~ Truly, God's Creation does declare His very existence and brings Him glory. Thank you for your sweet encouragement here my friend.

Dear Heather ~ Your words are precious. Your blog URL is perfect. Yes, we are just passing through. May the Lord daily give us grace to follow wherever He leads for however long.

Dear Jackie ~ Isn't it a wonderful thing to teach our children about the reality of Heaven? Such a precious topic! May the Lord bless you and yours as you follow Him in the coming days. Hugs to you.

Many Blessings,
Camille

Patrinas Pencil said...

what an awesome picture Calvin took of God's Majesty! I see heaven in those clouds...don't you :)

hugs,
patrina

Camille said...

Dear Patrina ~ Aww...you are a sweet encouragement to my boy. And, yes...the Heaven's do declare the glory of our Great God! :)

With love,
Camille

Cinnamon said...

What a dear post. What you said about wanting to know more about where your dear Austin is....that's so lovely.

Missing him....yet longing for him and knowing one day you will be with him. Bless you! That reunion will be so incredibly sweet!

Praying for you tonight.

{hugs} ~Cinnamon

Camille said...

Dear Cinnamon ~ Thank you, my sweet friend. Yes, Heaven will be wonderful! No more tears. No more sadness. No more sin!! And...the LORD is there!! :)

With love,
Camille