Heaven

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Observing current events had me imagining how we will co-exist in Heaven.   My perspective is based on my personal experience and relationship with God.   I don’t want to get hung up on doctrine or justifying my stand.  My focus for this article is simply on humanity.   We want change, but I maintain that change begins within us.

Some of the social media comments and posts that I have read lately reveal that we are becoming less tolerant of different cultures.  I  wondered about Heaven because some, like me, believe that it is a place of eternal bliss.  Unlike our churches and communities, I believe that we will live as one.  I imagine that when we get there there will not be the extreme joy and dancing as the songs we sing in church would have us to believe.  Yes, I do believe that when we are before the Lord God Almighty, we will be amazed and in awe of the Glory and Wonder of God.  I also imagine that we will be humbled as we face what is true about ourselves.  We will be judged according to our works.  What did we do?  How will you be remembered?  Perhaps we will realize that we could have loved or served more.

I don’t have a dream.  It is my reality; my choice, to love and give until it hurts while I am alive.  I am not a perfect individual, but I serve a perfect God.  I blunder, misspeak and have made countless errors throughout my lifetime.  I am grateful for every failure.  It keeps me humble and less critical and judgmental of others.   Who am I to judge?  I am a product of God’s Grace and Mercy.  I choose to love and to show mercy, because God knows, I need it.

When we are in the presence of God and Light overcomes darkness and the blinders are removed from our eyes, only what we did while we were here on earth will matter.  At least, that’s what I believe.  I pray for us as a community-the earthly community.  For we are divided on race, religion and politics.  I don’t look to any elected official to save us.  I look to God and pray for His Love, Mercy and Truth to fill and enable us to love each other.  It is a trick of the evil one to divide us.  I will not live that way.  I choose this Truth that we were all created by God for His Purpose.

There is but one true enemy of this world. His name is not worthy of speaking. He is the author of confusion, the father of lies and deception.  He has this world deceived.  This world system will have you believe that I am crazy or anyone else that speaks or believes as I do. The purpose of life at its very core centers around love.  This is not profound, for Jesus already said to overcome evil with good and to Love thy neighbor.

I am not naive.  I know that there are evil people in this world.  I feel that they receive enough attention from the media, entertainment business and the prison systems.  I choose to channel my energy on the rest of us.  Those who hope for some semblance of peace on earth.   I see good everyday in some form or fashion by all types of people. We encourage and help one another through life.   We give and donate to those less fortunate and are enraged at injustice.

We may not understand or even enjoy different aspects of various cultures, but we can strive for tolerance.  Everyday, we can ask God to reveal what is ugly and ungodly in us.  I believe He will answer that prayer.  I don’t think only one culture will make it to Heaven.

Preparation time is now.  Let’s dare to look within.

 

Gossip

Gossip is like a roaring fire, damaging lives as it spreads

Oh how the juice of one’s mistake tastes on the tongue of the whisperer!

Sharing about another person without them present is still Gossip.

So between you and me, never ends between the two.

I am not one to gossip but.. Uh yes you are.

Please don’t tell anyone I told you, nah, just don’t tell me and call it what it is..

Valerie Cox

September 3, 2022

Furniture

Office Furniture… Year after year, new stories begin and end. You boldly jump from the comfort of familiar work friend/family to build new relationships. You learn new processes and experience the thrill of teamwork with great wins and agonize together over losses. Furniture folks nomads and fierce competitors, passionate, smart and connected forever.

 

I have a few years before I retire, but I can say in both dealerships I have worked with the great ones. To begin to mention names, puts me at risk of missing someone. So, to all of my past and present co-workers, you are a special group of people.

 

Weekends are great and necessary, but before you know Monday comes and it’s back to quotes, bids and orders, design specs, floor plans, etc. Exchanging morning greetings and your first cup of coffee. In furniture, these times change so quickly.

 

Then we meet as alumni and remember….

Breakthrough

There has been much speculation about the death of Prince.  I will refrain from offering any opinion on how he died, since the facts presented are few.   I have only read second-hand accounts of his last days alive.  The image of him dying alone and hearing that he was battling pain saddens me.  

 I  appreciated his musical abilities along with his devotion to writing and producing his own work.  Like a prophet, he warned artists passionately to own their music.  To hear that he has written enough music to last decades is inspiring.  He won his name and music back from the record company and didn’t seem to care what people thought.  That is freedom.  Living in fear of what man might do to you is a form of death.  When we become free, death is not something you fear.  You know that it is inevitable.

How he died will be discussed for years, just like others who had battles with powerful people.  We may never know the real cause.  Speculation and opinions are all we have.  We are fed information through various forms of media and left to think and decide for ourselves what we believe is truth.  What we can do is learn from those who have mastered their art and use it to help others.

A free thinker is what I like to call myself.  One who receives information, thinks and processes truth then tosses out the garbage.   I am the daughter of Pentecostal preacher who later became a Pastor of a traditional Baptist church.   My dad was a reader of many different points of view and he encouraged me and my siblings to read and keep up with world affairs. It is that upbringing that causes me not to believe what I am spoon fed.

Free thinkers are not popular, but we cannot be silent.  My pen is my life, I suffocate without it.  My struggle has been which story to tell.  The breakthrough is accepting that there are many.