For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. – Romans 8:24-25 (NASB)
Today has been a tough day. We had to put our beloved Baxter to sleep. He was our first “baby”, we got him as a tiny puppy just a couple of months after we got married. Baxter would be 15 this coming August. He lived a very long happy life, but his precious heart was giving out.
Hannah had a special bond with Baxter. When Hannah was born Baxter would watch over her, he slept by her bassinet (always facing it), and kept watch over her at all times. Wherever Hannah was, you could always find Baxter close by, ever protecting. My thoughts are, and my hope is, that Baxter went to sleep here today and woke up in Hannah’s loving arms.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “All dogs go to Heaven”, or maybe you have even seen the movie. Hannah loves dogs, and she watched that movie several times as well as many other movies about dogs. During each movie Hannah would cry and cry through the sad parts, she has such a heart for dogs…we affectionately referred to those as her ”dog tears”.
I don’t know for sure that all dogs go to Heaven, but I do know that there will be animals in Heaven (and on the New Earth)….because it is in the bible. Isaiah 11:6-9 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
Animals are an important part of God’s plan. There were animals in Eden, God saved animals on the ark, and there will be animals on the New Earth. Will our beloved pets be part of those animals? I can’t say that with absolute certainty, but I sure hope that they are. In Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven he talks about the importance of animals. On page 388 of the book Randy writes
Like humans, animals were formed from the ground. “Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air” (Genesis 2:19). When God breathed a spirit into Adam’s body, made from the earth, Adam became nephesh, a “living being” or “soul” (Genesis 2:7). Remarkably, the same Hebrew word, nephesh, is used for animals and for people. We are specifically told that not only people, but animals have “the breath of life” in them (Genesis 1:30, 2:7, 6:17, 7:15, 22). God hand-made animals, linking them both to the earth and humanity.
Am I suggesting animals have souls? Certanly they do not have human souls. Animals aren’t created in God’s image, and they aren’t equal to humans in any sense. Nonetheless, there’s a strong biblical case for animals having non-human souls. I didn’t take this seriously until I studied the usage of the Hebrew and Greek words nephesh and psyche, often translated “soul” when referring to humans. (Nephesh is translated psyche in the Septuagint.) The fact that these words are often used of animals is compelling evidence that they have non-human souls. In their book Beyond Death, Gary Habermans and J.P. Moreland point out, “It wasn’t until the advent of the seventeenth-century Enlightenment….that the existence of animal souls was even questioned in Western civilization. Throughout the history of the church, the classic understanding of living things has included the doctrine that animals, as well as humans, have souls.
I cannot emphasize strongly enough that humans and animals are different. Humans continue to exist after death, but that may not be the case for animals. However, to do justice to Scripture, we need to recognize that people and animals share something unique: They are living beings. Because God has a future plan for both mankind and Earth, it strongly suggests that he has a future plan for animals as well.
To any of you who have pets, I’m sure you also have the sense that our pets have souls. I don’t know that animals can understand salvation through Jesus Christ (but God can do anything), but it makes sense to me that the pets of a believing family could be part of God’s plan for eternity. Baxter (and our newest family member Chummy) are so loving and loyal and have such unique personalities…they were all created by God to be a part of our lives (hopefully for eternity).
God is in control, and in Him all things work together for good for those who love Him…He alone knows whether it is best for there to be new animals or ”our” animals in Heaven. One day we will know this and the answers to many other of life’s questions, but for now we have to wait.
And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:5
We know there will be animals in Heaven…so why not our pets? Rest in peace sweet Baxter.
Maranatha!
Amy
“I see your face in every sunrise, the colors of the morning are inside your eyes. The world awakens in the light of the day. I look up to the sky and say, You’re Beautiful!”
I’ve seen so many people post beautiful pictures of the sky or other parts of nature on facebook, twitter, etc… and many of them seem to be so amazed by the beauty of the creation…and not by the beauty of the Creator. With Earth Day just passed and all the “worship” of the earth, I just wonder how anyone can believe that our world is the result of a “big bang”. God is the creator of ALL, this world is not some happy accident or evolutionary journey…this is God’s creation. If the world is this beautiful now, I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like in the beginning and what it will be like again, when He makes all things new.
One day we will live on this earth again, in it’s original majesty…and we will be with Him! We won’t just see the beauty that He created, we will see His Face!
“When we arrive at eternity’s shore where death is just a memory and tears are no more. We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring, You’re bride will come together and we’ll sing, You’re Beautiful, You’re Beautiful, You’re Beautiful!”
In Him!
Amy
All I know is I’m not home yet….
If you have been reading our blog for a while, then you know how much I enjoy music. I love to sing and I love to listen to music that praises our Savior. The most recent song that keeps “popping” up for me is Overcome by Jeremy Camp. We’ve sung it at church, it’s been on the radio a lot and it was playing as I was at the Chiropractor getting a Stim treatment on my knee.
This song is a song of hope and of power, Jesus has overcome…and through Him we will overcome. It may not seem like it now, but we will overcome! Sometimes it feels like everything is against us, or the pain or suffering you are going through is just too overwhelming…but in the end we win through Jesus Christ. This is something that I need to always keep in mind and continually remind myself, and God has seen to it lately that I hear it over and over.
Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is Your name. You overcame! We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
Jesus, You are worthy of all of our praise!
In Him!
Amy
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. “He is not here, for HE HAS RISEN, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that HE HAS RISEN from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” Matthew 28:1-7
Spring is Coming!
Hannah’s tree at the Allen Public Library is blooming. The new life with the blooming of trees and flowers reminds me of the true Spring that is coming. Easter is only a week away, and my Hope is found in the Resurrection of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we look around at all of the beautiful sights of spring, we get a little glimpse of what it will be like after our resurrection. It’s a blurry and very diminished glimpse, but a glimpse non the less. There will be a day when He will wipe away all of our tears and there will be no more sickness and no more death…and I long for that day, I’m Homesick!
Spring is Coming!
In Him!
Amy
We’ve posted this song before, but wanted to post it again. This song keeps coming up at the most interesting times…and reminds us that God is always there.
Blessings -- Laura Story
“what if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life, is the revealing of a greater thirst, this world can’t satisfy.”
This is not our Home!
Below is a great response by Randy Alcorn to unbiblical thinking and teaching on disease and suffering. We have been confronted by people with this type of thinking and it has been very hurtful. We pray that anyone going through an illness or suffering the loss of a loved one, that you don’t let people convince you that you have done something wrong or that you are not faithful enough.
An hour ago I read the Facebook post from this morning that is in the following paragraph. It had been up three hours when I read it and decided to respond to it, but then when I tried to enter my reply below it wouldn’t let me, as apparently the original post is gone. But since this is an important issue, and one which keeps coming up in the comments, I decided to address it. It is heavy on my heart, and I feel like I need to speak up for God’s people who have suffered and are suffering, whether from sicknesses and disabilities and accidents or for their faith in Christ. A number of you will have read the original comment, but for those who didn’t, here it is:
If a man has a sickness, say diabetes, and honestly believes that sickness came “from” God as part of HIS “good, sovereign plan”, why would that man take insulin? If the disease was sent from God as part of His plan, meaning God wanted that person to suffer with this disease, why would any remedy which could alleviate that suffering be considered in God’s will? If the “wisdom” which says God WANTS His people to suffer with sickness for ‘their own good in eternity’ is true, why did God grant doctors the wisdom to treat, alleviate and cure sickness and disease? Is God working against His own will?
Okay, now this is Randy again. In my response below I allude to and take into consideration previous comments made by the same person:
John, by your standards John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Owen, John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, Joni Eareckson Tada and countless others (including the apostle Paul and several of his missionary companions) have all been unbelieving spiritual failures. Why? Because they suffered serious ongoing physical illnesses and disabilities and hardships. AND they recognized the providence of God in choosing not to answer their prayers for healing and deliverance here and now.
It’s hard to take seriously your question about taking insulin. Study the doctrine of God’s common grace. Paul’s friend Luke was a physician, Paul advised Timothy to take wine for his stomach problems (by your standards Timothy failed to trust God to heal him and Paul failed to heal him; you would have rebuked them for their unbelief, Paul said drink some wine to help it feel better). When Paul left his companion Trophimus sick at Miletus (apparently Trophimus was a spiritual failure also?) no doubt they sought medical care. I’m sure Luke the physician treated Paul’s thorn in the flesh (yes, an actual bodily dysfunction, despite your earlier creative attempts to get around that) which Paul asked God to remove three times, before God made it clear that His will was for Paul NOT to be healed. But just because God didn’t choose to heal Paul did not mean Paul would be wrong to have his disease treated. (God is sovereign AND we are responsible; both are clearly taught in Scripture. Surely you must know that, John. So why would you even ask about a Christian taking insulin, as if you were making some profound point?).
Read Romans 8, a whole chapter about the suffering God’s children endure in this world, a chapter in which God tells us He sovereignly works “all things” (in context, clearly including suffering, in fact emphasizing suffering) together for the good of the children He loves and calls. You are convinced suffering is never God’s will for his children? Dozens and dozens of passages show otherwise. 1 Peter 3:17 says, “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Clearly, IT IS SOMETIMES GOD’S WILL FOR HIS CHILDREN TO SUFFER.
I pray that you would come to understand that, for His glory and your good. And especially that you would cease to pass judgment on God’s suffering children all over the world, and throughout history, who have affirmed God’s sovereignty and love Him and serve Him despite their illnesses, disabilities and sufferings, and have learned to trust Him that when He chooses not to heal them now, He nonetheless loves them and is working for their good. Yours is not only an unbiblical theology, it is also very cruel to faithful people who love God and trust Him but are not healed as you believe is always God’s will. So you add to someone’s pain the idea that it is THEIR FAULT that they are not healed, that if only they had the faith and trust and convictions that YOU HAVE, they would be healed.
I truly hope, brother, that you or a loved one don’t have to undergo ongoing suffering to learn that as wonderful as healing is (and most of us have seen and experienced it at one time or another, and have been full of gratitude for it) God doesn’t always heal his children when we ask Him to, that sometimes He chooses to delay the full healing of the heart until we are with Him, and the healing of the body until the resurrection.
But regardless of your experience, John, I implore you not to allow your tidy little theological arguments (which don’t stand up to the larger biblical revelation) to cause you to disrespect the people of God throughout the ages, and around the globe (I am trying to picture your theology among suffering Christians in Sudan) who have believed the WHOLE Bible, not just the verses you quote. And who believe that when God chooses not to heal or deliver us as we would wish, that He has good reasons, and His promises of ultimate healing and deliverance remain true.
We are currently trying to discern God’s will for this blog which is the reason for the lack of posts and sharing of our lives. We felt when we started that the purpose was to share our thoughts in a real and personal way in order to give hope and encouragement to others going through a similar tragedy of losing a child.
We are hopeful that some messages may have reached the intended audience of how Jesus has been our everything through this dark valley in our lives. The reality is the more we shared, the less people talked, supported or even interacted with all three of us. Family, friends and acquaintances would read our thoughts and then react. If a good day or blog, we would get comments and unfortunately if a bad day, they would run away as to not be bogged down or be depressed. People we knew would literally run away from us at grocery stores so they would not have to see us. And others would just read from a distance.
We know that the majority of people are good people and just do not know how to deal with it or what to say. It is a sad reality especially in Christian circles with people who have the same belief and love of Jesus, that they would be the ones who weren’t there. Matter of fact, the people who reached out to all three of us the most during this 1+ year since Hannah’s death are non- Christians who have been been actually Christ-like to us.
In talking to others who’ve had similar tragedies, they have sadly similar stories. We know several situations in our past where we did the same thing unfortunately! If you are one of those people and happen to read this, we are truly sorry and repent! We had no idea the pain, the loneliness and overall hurt you were going through until now!!
Our advice to those reading this who possibly maybe going through this right now with family or friends suffering – Run towards them not Away! Be present in the flesh and walk with them rather than sending cards, emails and texts! Don’t worry what to say or wait for those suffering to call you, Go! Be real and weep with them! Jesus wept with those grieving Lazurus’s death! Don’t be religious, be real!
The good news for our family is despite our suffering and our sins, we have a Savior that is unbelievable – Jesus! He is the answer to all of our questions, has been with us throughout and will be there face to face with us when we get to Heaven!
We are praying and reading God’s Word on what our next steps will be for this site. Hannah will not be forgotten as we know she is in Heaven and in good hands which is great!
For anyone going through similar tragedies and we don’t know you or your struggles but you need support, we are here and want to help if you need someone to walk with you! Our confidential email is thehopeofhannah@gmail.com.
On this manufactured holiday of Valentine’s Day, the thought that comes to mind is…”We love because He first loved us”. We should love and show our love everyday, not just on a silly ”holiday”. Everyone is so busy and self-involved (myself included) that it seems the time is not taken to love as we really should, sacrificially. One day we will live in that love, but it would sure be nice to experience more of it now.
1 John 4:7-21
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.
This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
In Him,
Amy
