How come ...

the hard times in life make such good reading in fiction, but are so NOT fun to live through in real life? If only we could take the approach that the hard times in our own lives are just when the story is "getting good"? LOL!!

I have this devotional that my friend Jennifer gave to me that I just love. It is called Jesus Calling, and is written by Sarah Young, who attended the same seminary as my pastor. (http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Calling-Seeking-Peace-Presence/dp/1591451884/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216782866&sr=8-1 is the link.) Anyway, it has helped me grow in trusting the Lord with the hard times in my life like no other resource ever has. It focuses me.

I'm reading a fictional western right now called The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton, who is just an exceptional western writer. I honestly believe he is a more skilled, more multi-dimensional author of the western scene than Louis L'amour ever was, and I am a great L'amour fan. This particular book is set in Texas during the 1950s as a seemingly unending drought takes place. (Having just lived through a genuine drought last summer, I can relate!) The "hard times" the protagonist goes through make for good reading. But my own "hard times" are miserable when they occur, and while they do drive me closer to the Lord, I cannot wait for them to pass.

I think about heaven a LOT. Fantasize about what a life without sin will be like. Look FORWARD to the time when that last door, last task of life will be the portal to eternity, to wonders unimagined, to finally, perfected vision.

Heaven by Randy Alcorn, (http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Randy-Alcorn/dp/0842379428/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216783432&sr=1-1) while a bit verbose, is an excellent book for anyone who shares my preoccupation with heaven, to read.