What is Heaven like?--part 7

To answer the questions from last week:

What will we know in Heaven and will we be able to learn?

When we pass from this temporary physical world into the eternal spiritual world, we will see things we never thought existed. The Apostle Paul describes our present state as looking into a dull mirror in 1 Corinthians 13:12. I love the way the Amplified Bible states it:

For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim, blurred reflection of reality as in a riddle or enigma, but then when perfection comes, we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part, imperfectly, but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood by God.

So it would seem that we will know a lot more than we do now and understand many more things. Will we know as much as God? Absolutely not. We will still be created beings. Even the angels don't know everything. (1 Peter 1:12)

What about learning? God created learning. He instructs us over and over in scripture to study, learn and grow in our understanding. Why would all of that stop in eternity? Can you imagine all the wonderful things there are to learn about the universe, about God, about ages past (talk about a history lesson) I don't believe we'll instantly know all these things. Inside our human nature, God has planted desires to investigate, search, and discover. Why would He deny us that thrill when we are in Heaven? Because we'll have jobs in Heaven, a purpose, and tasks to complete, it only makes sense that we would be constantly learning. And since Scripture does not contradict this and God created our desire to learn, I believe we'll do much learning in Heaven and it will be fun too!

Will there be books in Heaven? And will books written on earth be in Heaven?

Well, we know of one book that God promises will be in Heaven--His Holy Word, The Bible. Scripture declares that it is eternal. So why wouldn't there be other books as well? The world's great history books, books on theology, science, psychology etc... why not? Since we will still be learning, what better way than through books? In the words of C.S. Lewis: "I don't see why there shouldn't be books in Heaven." What about fiction books? Though there are certainly some unworthy books found on this earth, there are also tons of beautiful stories created out of the gift God has given some of His children. I believe any book that speaks the truth and glorifies God will be found in Heaven. Personally, I can't imagine a place without a great fiction to read, can you?

Next week's questions.

What will our daily lives be like? Will we sleep? Eat? work? Play?

Will we have homes? What will they be like?

Book giveaway: 5 copies of The Falcon and the Sparrow!

I have 5 copies of my latest release, The Falcon and the Sparrow, that are just dying to get into your hands! If you want to see what the book is about, I've included my Book trailer here. Just click on the little arrow below the screen on the left and it will play.

All you have to do is leave me a comment. If you're not sure what to say, I'd love to hear what you thought of my pirate series or your opinion of my Falcon book trailer too! I'll choose five winners on August 8th.

If you want to order the book for yourself, go to Amazon.Com

Chapter-a-Week!

Grits and Glory
By Ron and Janet Benrey

When Hurricane Gilda visited Glory, North Carolina, her winds tore the steeple off Glory Community Church. Everyone thought the town had narrowly escaped a major disaster until the body of the town's favorite resturant owner was found under the rubble. Was Gilda to blame ... or did someone else take advantage of Gilda to commit the perfect murder?

Try Darkness
by James Scott Bell
A Buchanan suspense novel from Center Street

Ty Buchanan is living on the peaceful grounds of St. Monica's, far away from the glamorous life he led as a rising trial lawyer for a big L.A. firm. Recovering from the death of his fiancee and a false accusation of murder, Buchanan has found his previous ambitions unrewarding. Now he prefers offering legal services to the poor and the under-represented, from his "office" at local coffee bar The Ultimate Sip. A mysterious woman with a six year old daughter comes to him for help. She's being illegally evicted from a downtown transient hotel, an interest represented by his old law firm and former best friend, Al Bradshaw. Buchanan won't back down. He's going to fight for the woman's rights.

But then she ends up dead, and the case moves from the courtroom to the streets. Determined to find the killer and protect the little girl, who has no last name and no other family, Buchanan finds he must depend on skills he never needed in the employ of a civil law firm.

Critical Acclaim for the Buchanan series:

Bell is very good at keeping secrets. Fans of thrillers with lawyers as their central characters—Lescroart and Margolin, especially—will welcome this new addition to their must-read lists. –– Booklist

For more information: www.jamesscottbell. com

To read an excerpt of these new titles go to Chapter-a-Week and to join our deeper discussion of these and other titles go to Chapter-a-Week Chat at http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CAWChat/ where authors and readers discuss new titles together.
If you enjoy Chapter-a-Week take the time to tell a friend how to sign up. It's easy and free and a great way to find great books that fit each person's particular taste.

My trip to Florida

This month I got on a plane in California and made the long trip to Orlando Florida to attend the ICRS (International Christian Retailers Show). This is a yearly convention where anyone and everyone who sells Christian goods gathers to display their latest wares. In a massive warehouse, booths are set up containing everything from books, to jewelry, to movies, music, figurines, annointing oil, lotions, sunglasses, posters, paintings--basically anything you might see in a Christian book store. Retailers wander through the displays and decide what they want to order for their stores in the coming year. The first time I attended, I was quite in awe of all the wonderfu products! Christian publishers also have their own booths, displaying their most recent releases and hosting their authors for book signings. I had the chance to meet many of the book store owners who carry my books and thank them for their patronage. I also signed about 200 copies of The Falcon and the Sparrow given to retailers as a free promotion. It was a very exciting time. I also got to meet some readers of my pirate series and it was nice to hear their comments. Here's a picture of me standing beside the display of my books on the show floor. Do you believe Kirk Cameron was signing books at the booth next to mine? Way cool.

After my business was concluded my husband and I rented a car and drove down to South Florida where I grew up and where my family still live. We spent 4 wonderful days at the warm beach with my mother, sister, niece, and my brother and his family. I don't get to see them enough and it was hard to leave.

Isn't that gorgeous? Did I mention I love the beach? Did I mention I love Palm Trees? That's me hugging one.

And last but not least, here's a picture of me and my Mom. Isn't she adorable?

We had fun, but it's good to be home again!

What is Heaven like? -- part 6

To answer the questions from 2 weeks ago.

1. What will our bodies be like? age, male/female, size, senses, super abilities, emotions?

Our best example in the Bible of what our bodies will be like was of Jesus Himself after he rose from the dead. Scripture indicates He had a glorified body and that one day we will be like Him. We know the following after the Resurrection: Jesus was still distinctly male, he remained at or close to His age when He died, He was not abnormal in size or stature. He expressed emotions: laughter, love. . .etc. He possessed all His senses: Sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. He had the ability to walk through walls and project Himself over distances. Therefore, He did have super abilities.

Though the Bible doesn't specifically say, many theologians believe we will all remain at an age when our bodies will be at their prime. Somewhere around our late 20's, early 30's. In other words, if you die when you are 100 years old, you will not spend eternity in that state. In fact, God's original plan for mankind was that we never age (Adam and Eve). Since aging, deformities and diseases were all caused by the fall, none of these things will affect our new bodies.

From the example of Jesus, we see that we will have senses, but personally, I believe they will be super-enhanced in Heaven. Flowers will smell sweeter, food will taste better, music will sound more harmonious. And God is a God of emotion. Just read through the Bible and you cannot deny it. He created us to have emotions. Here on Earth, they are tainted by sin, but in Heaven, all our emotions will be much stronger and more wonderful than we can imagine.

Super abilities: Who knows? The sky (no Heaven) is the limit. Jesus could walk through walls. I like to think that we'll be able to fly. Or better yet, dive to the deepest part of the ocean without scuba gear. Nothing is impossible with God.

2. Will we be capable of sin?

I know many people who are fearful even now of getting to Heaven, commiting some sin, and being cast out. I don't believe that can happen. In Revelation, God describes Heaven as a place where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Since sin causes all those things, it is logical to conclude that there will be no sin in Heaven. In Hebrews 9, the Scripture says that Jesus died to put an end to sin. It's over, done with. Gone. Amen

Sounds good, huh?

Next week's questions: (For those teachers and writers out there)

1. What will we know and learn?

2. Will there be books in Heaven? Will books written on Earth survive in Heaven?

And the winners are!!!!!!!!

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman -----> Angie (angela67p) since there were multiple Angies
It's All About Us by Shelley Adina ---> Susan1215

Ladies, please contact me with your mailing information. (go to my website and click contact)

Wow, I go away for a week and come back to 81 entries! I guess I should go away more often. Thank you all for entering! And I guarantee the winners won't be disappointed with these great books.

Tune in next week when I'm having another giveaway of multiple copies of my new release, The Falcon and the Sparrow.

Two book giveaway!

Thanks to all who entered!!!!
And the winners are:
A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman -----> Angie (angela67p) since there were multiple Angies
It's All About Us by Shelley Adina ---> Susan1215

Ladies, please contact me with your mailing information. (go to my website and click contact)

Wow, I go away for a week and come back to 97 entries! I guess I should go away more often. Thank you all for entering! And I guarantee the winners won't be disappointed with these great books. Tune in next week when I'm having another giveaway of multiple copies of my new release, The Falcon and the Sparrow.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'll be out of town for 10 days starting July 10th. I'm attending the ICRS convention in Orlando Florida where I'll be signing my new release, The Falcon and the Sparrow. If you're attending the convention, I'd love to meet you! I'll be at the New Release Party from 5:30 - 7:30 in the Valencia Ballroom at the Orlando Convention Center on Monday July 14th. And on Tuesday, July 15th, from 9:30 - 11:00 AM, I'll be at the Barbour booth on the ICRS floor. So, please drop by and see me! After that, I'm visiting my family in South Florida for a few days! Ah, warm ocean here I come!

But, I have two wonderful books to giveaway while I'm gone.

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

As World War 1 rages across the Atlantic in 1916, a smaller war is brewing in Boston. Faith O'Connor finds herself drawn to an Irish rogue who is anything but right for her. Collin McGuire is brash, cocky, and from the wrong side of the tracks, not to mention forbidden by her father. And then there's the small matter that he is secretly courting her younger sister. But when Collin's affections shift, it threatens to tear her proper Boston family apart.

I just finished this book and it is awesome! A wonderful story of love, romance, and physical attraction and how God looks at all 3.

It's All About Us by Shelley Adina

This is a Young adult book that I highly recommend. It is part of a 5 book series or 6, I forget, written by my good friend, Shelley. A must read for every teenage girl today.

Lissa Mansfield is used to being in the "in crowd" but being accepted by the popular girls at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco is a lot harder than she thought. And then there's her New York loudmouth roommtae, Gillian Chang, who's not happy just to be a Christian herslf, she's determined to out Lissa, too. If Lissa can just keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school, she'll be golden.

But when Callum pressures her to go all the way with him, Lissa has to decide how far is too far. How can she see that line when he's so gorgeous and poular and God seems so far away? Between that and shopping for a knockout dress and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactor's Day Ball. . . who knew finding a place at Spencer Adacemy would be so complicated?

Just leave a comment with your email addy, please so I can get in touch with you! And tell me which book you want to be entered in the drawing for. I'll post the 2 winners on July 22nd, so you have until then to enter.

What is heaven like? - Part 5

Will we be ourselves? Will we retain our unique identity?

Many religious beliefs tell us that we will all become part of some cosmic power when we die, that we will all sort of blend together in oneness. I don't know about you but that idea doesn't appeal to me at all. What's the point of going to heaven if I won't really be aware of myself anymore? The truth is Scripture does give us an indication that we will be unique individuals in the afterlife. In Luke 15, Jesus relays multiple parables: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and (my personal favorite) The Prodigal son. Each story is about how valuable we are as individuals to God and the depths to which He would go to bring us home. Think about it. God is a God of diversity. He didn't even create two snowflakes alike, let alone people. Psalm 139 tells us that God formed us in our mother's womb. God did. He tenderly made us just the way we are, unique for His unique purpose. Now, why would our uniqueness go away when we get to Heaven? Doesn't make sense. On the Mt. of Transfiguration (Matt 17) where Jesus stood with Moses and Elijah, the disciples recognized both the ancient prophets and Jesus spoke to the as individuals. So, I not only think we will be unique individuals in Heaven (or New Earth) but we will be the same unique individuals as we are now.

What will we do in the New Earth?

When God created Adam and Eve in the garden, He didn't tell them to just sit around and do nothing. He told them to rule the Earth, to be fruitful and muliply. They were to manage the garden. They had jobs. In other words, God created work. It wasn't meant to be a four letter word like it is today. The Curse or fall of man made work menial, hard and frustrating. The good news is that on the new Earth, with the curse removed, work will once again be something we look forward to doing. In addition to our jobs ruling the new Earth (see last session), I believe we'll be given other jobs according to our individual talents and abilities. In other words, they'll be things that we enjoy doing, things that we were created to do. Our work will bring us joy and fulfillment and purpose and bring glory to God. Perhaps, you've always had a desire to paint, to write music, to dance, to cook, to write a book! But in this fallen world, you never had the chance to realize your dreams. The new Earth is a place where Dreams come True! It is the ulimate Disney World.

Questions to be answered in 2 weeks (I'll be out of town next week)

1. What will our bodies be like? age, male/female, size, senses, super abilities, emotions?

2. Will we be capable of sin?

Christian Author's Network Book Club

I've recently joined a group called the Christian Author's Network, and they sponsor an online book club where you can read the entire first chapter of great Christian Fiction. It's a wonderful way to decide if you'd enjoy a particular book or not before you purchase it. Here's the link for those interested:

CAN - You've got books!

I have the flu! And plans for next week.

Yuk. Last Wednesday some miserable flu bug slammed down on me and I've been in bed ever since. Makes me mad because I really take great care of myself. I mean I eat a salad full of raw, organic veggies every night, take Juice Plus, and juice fresh fruit into a drink every day. Plus, I exercise regularly (yes, I'm a nut. I know) I rarely get sick and when I do, I'm a giant baby. Anyway, that's why I haven't blogged lately.

Next week on Thursday, I'm traveling to Orlando for the International Christian Retailers Conference (more on that later) but I'll be sure and post the answers to the last Heaven questions before that and I'll be leaving you with a 2 book giveaway during my absence. Two awesome books I've read recently that I know you'll want to win.

Well, back to bed...

God Bless

What is heaven like - part 4?

Happy Wednesday everyone. Here's the answers to last week's questions. Heaven is looking better and better to me! I'm using this tropical picture today because to me, that is what Heaven looks like!

What sort of rewards will we receive in Heaven?

The Bible has much to say about rewards and crowns given to God's children for the things they did on earth. It grieves me greatly when I meet Christians who have received Christ but believe they don't have to do anything else on this earth except maintain that belief and wait either to die or the Lord to return. They may make it into Heaven, but they would have lost so much in the way of rewards and authority. Several times in Revelation, crowns bestowed upon believers are mentioned. Now, you may say, I don't want a crown. But I believe these crowns represent "ruling authority"

"To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations." Rev 2:26
"Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Rev 2:10

It is clear from these and other scriptures (Luke 19:17, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, 2 Tim 2:12) that we will reign with Christ on the New Earth. This was God's intention for man from the beginning as we see in Genesis. When God created Adam, He gave him dominion over every living thing and told him to rule. (Genesis 1:28) On the new Earth, we will be restored to the place God originally intended.
What will we rule? I assume we will rule cities, counties, countries on earth, depending on the level of authority we are given. And that level of authority depends on what we do here on earth.
In Luke 19, Jesus tells the parable of the ten talents or minas he gives His servants. To the one who was faithful to use his talents and increase their value Jesus said:

'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

But to the one who did nothing with his talent, but hid it in the dirt, Jesus said.

'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas"

Does it matter what we do here on Earth for Jesus? Absolutely!

Will the new Earth be like Eden?

In the sense that the new Earth will be beautiful beyond description, yes, but in the sense that the New Earth will be nothing but a huge garden, Scripture does not indicate that at all. In fact, Scripture speaks of cities and countries and kings and ships (Thank goodness!) and a whole economic and political system. But it will be without crime, pollution, death, diseases, famine, plague or natural disasters. As Randy Alcorn says in his book Heaven: "The earthly beauty we see now won't be lost. We won't trade Earth's beauty for Heaven's, but retain earth's beauty and gain even deeper beauty"

In 1 Corinthians 2:9, it says "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

I, for one, am fairly excited.

Since this went a bit long today, I'm going to reserve the last question for next week, along with the following:

Will we be ourselves? Will we retain our unique identity
What will we do in the new Earth?