Towards the Light

I have just returned from a walk through my neighborhood. As I reached the corner of my street, I saw a man I know from the area raking leaves at the church. We had a nice, brief chat where he told me the church has given him some work maintaining the grounds. I met this man two years ago. He came up to me and asked me (in desperation) if I would like to buy any one of several household articles he had in a bag. I asked him how much he needed, gave it to him and told him I would prefer that he keep his essentials. The following day I saw him again. He told me he had a job painting a room, but, that he didn't have the money to buy the necessary paint and implements. He asked me if I could loan him the money. I did. A couple of days later I saw him again and he told me a very sad story about his girlfriend and asked me if I could loan him some more money. I did. The words that came to my mind each time this man asked were Jesus'; 'if a man asks you to go a mile with him, go two.' I have seen this man occasionally on the streets over the past two years, but, he has never mentioned the money I gave him.

I said goodbye and wished him well today and as I walked down the street, he called me back. He thanked me for my generosity and for helping him out in a time of need. He asked me how much he owed me and I told him that it is not necessary to pay me back...that I only give what I can afford and that it was my gift to him. He told me that he wanted to make it right and insisted I come up with a number which he would repay. He proceeded to tell me that his life was really messed up back them and that he is finally getting back on solid ground.

As I continued on my walk I thought of this man, how two years ago his life was so dark and now he is finally seeing the light. His life may not yet be heaven, but, it will continue to improve daily. This is the journey every person will go through...from darkness to light to brilliance...as heaven descends to earth!

Faith

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In a recent blog post I spoke about the renewal of this earth as heaven descends. Lately I have had a consistent vision about the next 'event' in this descent. It has to do with the weather in Montreal. In December the temperature will hover around freezing and we will get some light dustings of snow...especially around Christmas. Starting on January 1st, the temperatures will rise and buds will form on all the trees...we will experience spring 3-4 months early.

In Matthew 17, Jesus said; 'I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.' I make this statement of my vision as a testament to the faith I have in God's omnipotence.

Dog's Love

I have just returned from a walk where I crossed paths with three friends and their dogs. These people adore their dogs and would not be shy in saying that their greatest relationship in this world is with their dog. I know a great many people who have dogs as companions and in almost every case I believe that they would echo the same sentiments. One of my friends explained it this way; 'the love we receive from our dogs is on a different level...it is truly unconditional.' God's love for us is the only thing which compares with our dog's love.

In Rainbow Bridge, the author talks about a time when dog owners will be reunited with their departed best friends. For many people this gives them great hope and anticipation for the future. This scenario plays a very important part in heaven descending to earth, and I can't wait to see the joy in my friends' faces as their beloved dogs, completely healthy and vital, come running to them for the first time in years, never again to be parted.

Renewal

My favorite saying this last while has been; 'it's all part of the process.' As heaven descends to earth, God is in the process of renewing at every level. In Montreal over the past several years, the very large majority of our maple trees have been infected with some sort of disease causing big, unsightly black spots on their leaves. This year most trees' leaves are perfect and unspotted. This is God's renewal and purification in nature. In Montreal's downtown there has been a big stretch of it's main street...the Seville area...which has been left underdeveloped and dilapidated. Recently plans have been announced to reinvigorate the area. This is God's renewal of our physical structures. To my mind the greatest area of renewal by God is in man. He is renewing our hearts. Every day in my travels I see examples of this. It is no surprise that God's greatest feat of renewal would be in mankind...after all, we are His most cherished creation!

True North

'If you're going in the wrong direction, every step you take moves you further from your destination.'

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught; 'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.' Surrendering our lives to God and faithfully following where He lead us is the way. It is the path that leads us in a direction of true north and takes our lives on a continuous upward and never ending spiral away from the cares of this world and higher and higher in the realm of heaven.

Noel

I have a great friend named Noel who has cerebral palsy. He has never read the bible and doesn't go to church, yet, I can say with complete certainty I have never met a man who is closer to God than him. Every Wednesday from spring through fall, he gets up extra early, showers and dresses, has breakfast and takes the 6am bus to Westmount in order to be the first in the area to sort through recycling boxes for cans and bottles he can return to the store to make some extra money to live on. I love to walk through the streets with him. He is a model of determination as he drags his frail body and oversized cart along his route. Through their interaction with Noel I am able to connect with the humanity of so many people we encounter on his route who do everything in their power to help him on his journey. I can't speak for others, but, personally I feel like every time I leave an encounter with Noel, I have just been in the presence of God.

Inspiration

I don't know that there is a better story of inspiration and courage in all the world than the journey of Nick Vujicic. Born with no arms and no legs, this great man of God has faced every challenge head on and with a steely determination to be his best in every situation. God has lifted him up and is using him in great ways to inspire and heal the nations. Please do yourself a favor and make the time to get to know Nick and his mission through the many pages and videos available.

The High Road

'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' Mahatma Gandhi

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught; 'You have heard that it was said; an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.'

As we hold ourselves to a higher standard and take the moral high road, through God's guidance the world will take note and will follow suit...and peace will finally triumph after nearly 6,000 years...as heaven descends to earth for eternity.

Destiny

'As the shadow follows the body, as we think, so we become.' Buddha

The other night on one of my favorite shows(Being Erica), the title character said something very profound I wanted to share with you:

'Thoughts become words...

Words become actions...

Actions become character...

Character becomes destiny.'

Thought is creative. Because our thoughts are governed by our conscious mind, we are in control of our destiny. We must form the habit of analyzing every thought...and choosing to retain only those which are productive and good.

Peace

In John Lennon's song Imagine, he sings; 'Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too.' When looked at on a global scale, the problems of this world seem daunting. How do we end wars? How do we stop all the violence and terrorism caused in the name of religion? One person at a time. In 1967, a great man, Muhammad Ali was drafted by the U.S. government to fight in the Vietnam war. He chose to decline. A courageous act for which he suffered considerably. We all have that choice. We can choose the path of peace in every situation.

Beauty

Every child is born with a beautiful spirit and limitless potential.

The other day I was sitting in the park and watching the world go round and round. Over the course of an hour or so, several hundred people must have passed by. I remarked to myself that each one of these people was unique and beautiful in their own way. There are 6.7 billion people on this earth and each and every one of them is unique and beautiful. Our challenge is to see every person through God's eyes...and as we do so the world will take on a beauty as it has never had before.

God's will is that every person He created from the time of Adam spend eternity with Him in heaven on earth. Every day from this time forth(as heaven descends) may your hearts be opened to see the true beauty in others and the magnificence of His creation. He did it all for you!

Perfection

'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect'. (Matt 5:48)

I have always considered one of my greatest strengths as being visionary...the ability to 'see' an entire problem or challenge and subsequently to devise a plan aimed at solving the situation. Invariably, my plans were idealistic and my problem was always that as we progressed in implementation, the reality was further and further away from the ideal and I would lose my heart for the project. This was God demonstrating to me that in this physical world, perfection is not attainable.

With that said, perfection is achievable in the spiritual(or inner) realm. It consists of eliminating every negative thought, feeling and emotion until we are living 100% of the time in a positive place of love, joy and peace. No matter what happens to us, our response is always positive, loving, caring. The amazing thing about this is that as we grow in love and positivity within, our external world grows to mirror these changes. As such as we reach perfection spiritually, it is not long before our external mirrors this perfection...and we are in heaven on earth.