Thin Places, Thick Cords--Mary E. DeMuth Unfurls the God-Touched Places of Her Life

Mary E. DeMuth draws me to her with a thick cord of kinship in her memoir, Thin Places.* No, I haven't experienced all the same events in my life, but all of us have struggled with acceptance, frailty, disappointment. In overlapping circles of phases of her lifestory, Mary topically narrates her journey to and with Jesus.

In the opening chapter, "Studebaker," we meet Jim, Mary's dad, and learn the hurt of her life's father-shaped hole. It will be years before she--and many of us readers--will understand the love of a Father who will never, never leave us.

"Snapshot" reveals the terrible days of Mary's childhood that still cause her to wonder why and how such things could have happened to her. Yet she looks back and spies mercy and grace in some of the circumstances.

I first misread the chapter title, "Like Me," to mean "similar to me." Mary's need for approval resembles so many of us humans, wanting to please others. I love the way she ends this section, comparing Atticus Finch to Jesus, the "balcony folks" to those we've touched with Jesus' love, cheering us on.

"Narcissism" treads on my toes, speaking of a clean heart and dirty hands, reminding me how little like Mother Teresa I am, how I want the head-turning attention and not the hard work of being a real in-the-trenches believer.

In these and every other chapter, Mary taps me on the shoulder, with soberness, with lightness, to whisper and shout that I'm a mess, yet I'm loved, redeemed, and fit for whatever He calls me to do. Read it. Rejoice. And go and do likewise.

***************************************************************************

Every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted, and of the millions of sexual abuse and rape victims, 15 percent are under the age of 12, according to a 2007 study by the U.S.

Department of Justice. Critically acclaimed author Mary DeMuth is among the millions of adults who are victims of childhood rape and are living with the emotional scars of the haunting abuse.

DeMuth bravely shares her painful story in her new memoir, Thin Places (February, 2010).

Repeatedly raped by two neighborhood boys at a young age, DeMuth details her traumatic and

disturbing childhood in the memoir. Raised in a broken home, she lost her biological father when

she was ten and was stripped of her innocence growing up in an unstable environment where

drugs were commonplace.

But Thin Places is about hope and healing more than it is about the traumatic events of

DeMuth's childhood. According to DeMuth, thin places are "snatches of time, moments really,

when we sense God intersecting our world in tangible, unmistakable ways." When she

encountered the true love of Jesus at a Young Life camp in high school, DeMuth's life-trajectory

changed. God reassembled the pieces of her emotionally fragile self, which initiated true healing

and peace.

Follow the Thin Places Blog Tour:

List of all participating bloggers

*A review copy was provided to me at no cost. I will give this away in a drawing.

EUNA LEE AND LAURA LING ARE FREE: BUT WHAT ABOUT NORTH KOREANS WHO ARE NOT?

As I witnessed Euna Lee and Laura Ling's tearful reunions with their families today, I couldn't help but think of those left behind--the North Koreans who are persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, and executed for their political and religious beliefs and actions. Lee and Ling and their families are a mini-portrait of the heartbreak that occurs daily in countries where freedoms, including religious freedom, are restricted by the government.

North Korea remains Number 1 on Open Doors' World Watch List for countries where religious persecution threatens the native peoples. Open Doors seeks to aid Christian believers in countries where they are severely oppressed for their beliefs. Here is the page on their website where

http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/961 .

Voice of the Martyrs, another organization dedicated to serving persecuted Christians, also lists North Korea among many nations where worship of God is restricted or even forbidden.

http://www.persecution.com/public/restrictednations.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51

Browse these websites and learn about the countries where people are suffering, sacrificing, and even dying for what they believe.

It's not enough that we feel sympathy toward these people--we need to pray, to educate ourselves about what's happening in North Korea and other restrictive nations, and to pepper our legislators and other influential people with emails and phone calls to seek relief for the suffering on the basis of their human rights.

What can I do about this today?

Celebrating Dads and Grandads

The one and only real dad of mine recently completed chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer. At 80, he's a trooper--still working part-time and constantly on the quest for something to eat. He's probably the one I inherited my sense of adventure from, and he's still vitally interested in all the ongoings in the world, be it news, financial, cultural, or culinary (NOT that he cooks, my mom's area of expertise). He cultivated my thirst for travel by planning the most extraordinary sightseeing vacations for our family. His faith in the Lord has not wavered as he's faced the diagnosis of his cancer, the difficult surgery and recovery, and the grueling routine of chemo. I am probably my dad's second greatest admirer, the first being my mom (even when he exhibits curmudgeonly behavior, which happens more often than he'd like to admit).

My grandfathers were great dads in their own ways. Dad's dad served as county court clerk, inspiring and encouraging my dad to work hard and fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. "Pop" worried about me reading too much, afraid it would warp me.

Mom's dad was a gentle man, very handy and most attentive to my grandmother, my mom (an only child), and my brother and me. "Grangie" was always creating new ways for us to play, learn, and enjoy ourselves at his home, such as hanging the amazing "Tarzan" rope swing in their gigantic willow tree, pointing out the crawdads in their holes in the wet side yard, and driving us to the airport simply to watch planes land and take off.

My great-grandad, Papa, (Mom's grandad) who lived with "Ma and Grangie," brought my brother and me surprises from Woolworth's 5 and 10 when we spent the night on Fridays. He served as a local mail carrier for years. I remember clearly the ride he gave us in the back of his musty truck with a wooden tailgate and heavy canvas flap. After he retired, Papa took the bus downtown frequently to visit various businesses where he knew everyone and loved to talk politics with them.

I met David Phillips while dating his son, Steve. From the time Steve and I became engaged, David and Steve's mom accepted me as their daughter. He made everyone feel welcome, shooing them into the house with a grin and the words, "Get in this house." A handy fellow, he repaired lawn mowers as a hobby and built bookshelves into the wall in our son's room--still standing--as well as various toys for our kids, even a sandbox and a wooden structure with a ladder, monkey bars, and a slide. His pleasant disposition made David one of the easiest people to be around I've ever known, and that part of him definitely rubbed off on his son.

A young woman named Cherie came into our life through Key Club, the high school service organization for which my husband volunteers. At a transitional time in her life, she lived with us and became like a daughter to Steve and me and like a big sister to our young children. The man she married, Tim, ironically shares our last name. We know he's a great dad by the unspoiled and unselfish behavior of their four children, who adore him and follow in his footsteps as he follows Jesus.

No matter how mad they might get at their parents at times, our kids know they have the best of all possible dads. Steve is the voice of reason and the sense of humor in our home. He points out the pros, cons, and possible consequences of every important choice, maintaining an even temper no matter how he may feel about the situation. The kids still indulge him by laughing at--and shaking their heads over-- his corny old jokes. He's the Sunday School teacher example, but with a mischievous streak--for example, the time we sought a lost tooth for a visiting child in our pool area and he couldn't resist the sight of my kneeling figure to push me in with a splash. I see the respect Eric and Emily hold for him, yet no one can make them burst into such irreverent laughter. I praise God for giving me Steve to be the father of our children.

Thank you, Lord, for the dads in my life, the ones I've mentioned and the others too numerous to name, for the positive influence in making me the woman I am today. Guys, I couldn't have done it without you!

THE POWER OF ONE--YOUR VOTE

Does one person really matter? Can one person bring change? Watch this video,
and see what you think:


http://www.onenewsnow.com/valuesvoters.aspx

BOOK TOUR: JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL by Stuart Migdon

Here's a devotional from an author who understands the meaning of giving up the right to drive our lives, in order to put the wheel in the hands of the One Who cares most whether we travel well and arrive safely.

The practical biblical instruction found in Stuart Migdon's book, Jesus Take the Wheel takes readers on a two-month journey that will literally transform the way they live their lives. Rich insights from the author's own life mix with wisdom gleaned from the pages of Scripture to make reading this book an adventure that will be looked forward to each day. In the face of life's many uncertainties and struggles, the message of real hope that Jesus Take the Wheel brings, is one that will benefit everyone.

Jesus Take the Wheel is a valuable resource for spiritual growth and discipleship. Through applying the biblical principles and truths contained throughout its pages, readers will begin to discover that what has been impossible alone, is very possible with God at the wheel of their lives. Each day's reading is followed by an application aimed at applying the day's biblical truths and principles to the real circumstances of life.

While many in our world today know that they need and want change, they often fail to allow Jesus to have His rightful place in their lives simply because they don't know where to start. In Jesus Take the Wheel, readers are given an easy and practical plan to follow each day that will teach them what they need to do in order to begin letting Jesus be the One in the driver's seat.

About the Author: Stuart Migdon

Stuart Migdon was raised in Reformed Judaism. He married and became a father at the age of 18. With no money and no one to help, he quickly determined he had to take control of his own life. He developed a "don't quit" attitude and set out to beat the odds that were already stacking up against him. While working a full time job to support his family, he also managed to graduate college in four years, and to do it with high honors. That same stubborn persistence propelled him to become a CPA and later a successful insurance agent. With a commitment to hard work and excellence, Stuart continued to achieve every goal that he set for his life. However, all the success in the world could not fill the emptiness that was growing within him.

In 1991, things began to change. He came to know Jesus as His Messiah and felt a strong desire to live a life that would really be pleasing to God--a life he somehow knew was radically different than the one he had been living. With every ounce of his being, he was now determined to live that life.

Since then, Stuart has become an avid student of the Bible. Over the last five years, his thirst for more has led him into a detailed study of God's Word, and specifically the lives of the Bible's two central figures, Jesus and Moses. During this time he also began to realize that what had been driving him in his own study was more than just a personal quest for knowledge, it was actually a calling from the Lord. As a result, he began a new adventure as an author, and in 2008 published his first book,Jesus Take the Wheel: 7 Keys to a Transformed Life with God.

Today, Stuart is a successful Christian businessman and serves as an elder and biblical counselor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in New Jersey. Stuart's growing understanding of his own need to let Jesus take the wheel of his life has equipped him for the many situations he faces in ministry today. In every area, he challenges those he encounters to begin living a transformed life by letting Jesus have His rightful place behind the wheel of their lives.

Stuart and his wife Jeanne have two adult children, Jennifer and Jason, and one grandson.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jesus+Take+the+Wheel+by+Stuart+Migdon&x=12&y=4

Jesus Take the Wheel by Stuart Migdon

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: WinePress Publishing Group (July 1, 2008)
$24.99
ISBN-10: 1579219322
ISBN-13: 978-1579219321

FRAUD--PROPAGATED BY BELIEVERS? Continuing my rant from the last post...

Today I received a political forward. The tone spoke against Obama, implying McCain stood opposite on all accounts. As has become my habit, I Goodsearched it (which earns money for our local writers' guild) to determine whether the contents were true and accurate.

Snopes did not yet have information up, but FactCheck did.

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_a_billy_graham_team_member_say.html

First, the claimed origin was fraudulent. Supposedly it came from Bill Brown, a man retired from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's team. According to the information at the above site, both Brown and the Billy Graham Association deny this, reiterating their past position of not endorsing political candidates. I have also contacted BGEA to learn how they will respond to these claims. I intend to contact the McCain campaign also, as my search led to some McCain sites.

Second, not all the assertions about stands Obama took were true, which seems more dangerous than if all of them were false. For example, I learned in my research Obama and McCain both voted to retain the so-called Death Tax. The email I received indicated nothing about McCain's vote.

Anyone who claims to be a Christian and knowingly sends others false information should be ashamed. Any Christian who doesn't investigate email forwards before sending them on to others is guilty by omission.

God makes clear He doesn't put up with false witnesses, i.e., liars. Doesn't the Bible admonish us, through Paul, to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves? Telling the truth, all of it, is wise. Propagating fraud, lies, and half-truths is harmful. After all, the truth will eventually out itself and perhaps bite us upon the comfortable place where we sit. The end does not justify the means. Ever.

MY NEW PET PEEVE--Email Forwards

I love an encouraging or humorous email forward as much as you do. YouTube videos inspire me, make me laugh. But it's the email forwards with a message, especially political or religious, that often annoy me. And this is why.

I used to be guilty of this myself, so bear with me. People send out emails they have received, thinking they are helping a cause, such as promoting someone for public office or preventing higher taxes. But because senders, like the rest of us, are busy, they don't read carefully and don't check for facts.

Please. Especially if we're people who believe in the truth, we shouldn't be passing on something in print that isn't the truth. Or maybe is only half the truth.

If there are links, click on them. Read or at least skim the contents. Then, if you feel comfortable that this is accurate information, paste the link into an email and briefly describe why the reader should act on the information or pass it on. They can read. They can click on a link. It may be faster, and it will certainly lead to more accurate communication.

If you can't verify the truth of a forward someone sends your way, such as at snopes.com, don't send it. If you don't have time to track down the information, just delete the email. Isn't that better than participating in something potentially deceptive, just to make a point someone wants to get across?

We've all been guilty of passing on forwards that should never have started in the first place. Let's stop it now.

Our Hearts and Prayers Go out to This Family

We don't understand random acts of violence. Yet they happen all the time. So often, that the sad truth is this: The murder of Todd Bachman is a small story in the shadow of the Olympics.

The world around us would have us believe man is basically good. I believe man is created in the image of God, Who alone is perfect goodness personified, but that image in man is flawed by sin. Only God can restore us to become people who are good and do good, through His forgiveness and the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ.

I can't imagine the pain and sorrow of Bachman's widow, still recovering from her wounds, his daughter, his son-in-law, the volleyball teams, and friends and family at home. May God grant His peace that surpasses our understanding, because we can't grasp what has happened nor why.

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his son.
Romans 8:28-29, NLT

Are We Really Surprised? China's Latest Rights Violation

I just ran across a blog post from the Guardian in the U.K. (See article by clicking on this post's title. If not working, here is the url: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2008/07/olympics_journalists_face_hara.html) Seems China can't keep from showing its true colors, despite promises of freedom for journalists.

Are we astonished that a nation who fails to allow freedom for its own citizens to worship (see my most recent blog post) as they choose or even to make decisions regarding their own families or even bodies (limiting children to one per couple, forced abortions for those who have one child already)?

I don't understand why the Olympic Committee chose to reward a country whose policies are so opposed to human rights. What's their next choice, North Korea? Darfur?

Good thing I'm not posting this on the internet in China. It would be blocked and I'd have the police at my door, asking to escort me to the airport to go home. (If I'm lucky.)

The Truth about China

I just read this update from Voice of the Martyrs:

CHINA Prominent House Church Leader Evicted from Home, Forced to Live on
the Streets - China Aid Association
On July 6, 2008, Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials evicted Pastor Bike Zhang, chairman of the Federation House Church, and his wife, Xie Fenglan, from their home in Chaoyang district, Beijing.

According to China Aid Association (CAA), "The couple was able to find shelter in the home of a friend, Niu Bei, until officials found them and forced the Zhang's to leave. Zhang and his wife moved into a hotel in Guo Xian town, Tongzhou district. On July 14, Tongzhou District PSB officials threatened the owner of the hotel to evict the couple or face incarceration. The couple then decided to find residence in Changping county, but were stopped by police officials while on their way and taken to the town government office."

CAA added, "Police interrogated the couple [withholding] food, drink, or rest. Xie Fenglan collapsed due to the stress of the torture. The couple was [later] released from the government office." CAA reported PSB officials continued harassing the Zhangs and continually evicted them from places where they sought shelter.

"Zhang and his wife are now forced to live on the streets and are not able to find shelter. When asked why the couple was being expelled from Beijing, officials responded, ‘Because Bike Zhang met the Americans, and destroyed the harmony of the Beijing Olympic Games.'"

Pray for Pastor Bike and his family during this difficult time. Ask God to heal Xie Fenglan's body and emotions. Pray believers in China will remain courageous as persecution increases ahead of the Olympics next month. Psalm 27:1


Who will tell their story? Who will encourage them as they stand for Christ in a country where so many beliefs, not to mention words and behaviors, are off-limits? How can we support our Olympic athletes and yet protest against the government who welcomes them, but evicts its own people?

This is not an isolated incidenthttp://opendoorsusa.org/. Many human and religious rights organizations have documented the harassment, arrests, torture, and imprisonment of political and religious dissidents in China, Number 10 on the list of countries noted for persecution of Christians.

Spread the truth. And pray. And plug in to the websites of V.O.M., http://www.persecution.com/ and Open Doors, http://opendoorsusa.org/

A COMFORTABLE EVENING WITH FRIENDS

Tonight we have reservations for four. Our good friends will join us for dinner in a rustic but attractive setting on a mountain road at a restaurant where the food is elegant, the accommodations small, and the ambiance perfect. The best part of the evening? The company and the conversation.

We love being with this couple. Our kids have grown up together. Their son was our daughter's seventh grade boyfriend, and both, now in college, are good friends still. We even traveled together with a group of families from our kids' school to Germany. We belong to the same church, and the wife and I have sung in the choir together. In fact, she's the one who urged me to join the choir. My husband and hers meet with some other guys from church on Friday mornings (6:00 a.m, to be exact) at the local country cookery just to hang out over breakfast. We spent a rainy Labor Day cruising the river in their pontoon boat and struggled to take the boat out of the rushing water. Our relationship with this couple is comforting and comfortable.

All our times together haven't bubbled with happiness. The four of us bemoan the roller coaster ride of parenting, as we try to figure out when to speak, when to shut up, where to hold on, and where to let go. We cried with them when, without warning, they lost their young daughter. They cried with us when my husband lost each of his parents within a few years. A big part of the comfortableness in a friendship lies in the seasons of life we've weathered together.

Relationships drift in and out of our lives, depending on the phase we're in at the time, the convenience of that relationship, and the effort we're willing to put into it. This couple and my husband and I, now with at least partially-empty nests, have less responsibility regarding our children. But we still have to work at getting together, because we're all busy with our careers, families, and lives. To us, it's worth the effort of picking up the phone, getting off the couch on Friday or Saturday night, and putting aside all the obligations calling our names to spend a comfortable evening with friends.

God May Not Say Why

Worship went on this morning at the Lady Lake Church of God. Though tornadoes leveled much of the building in Florida early Friday morning, Pastor Larry Lynn stood atop the rubble and led his congregation. He invoked them to praise God in the midst of their loss.

When I ponder a scene like this, I react simultaneously with opposing thoughts and emotions. The painful loss associated with a disaster evokes empathy, anger, and tears. The triumph shown by this pastor and his flock lifts my spirits and my faith. The question becomes, when I am the victim, how do I transition from the sad or angry sufferer? How do I become the faithful believer that I long to be, living above my destructive circumstances?

Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Truth, and the Bible proclaims itself as well as Jesus to be the Word of God. We should begin looking for answers in the Book and the Man, because human common sense can’t satisfy our minds.

On the same day, Job lost his livestock, his servants, and his sons and daughters. God then allowed Satan to afflict Job with boils. This man, bereaved and physically marred, received condemnation from his friends. He dared to question why and to curse the day he was born. His wife encouraged him to curse God and accept His punishment. Job silenced her, saying, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10b, NIV)

Sometimes I read this passage, and I want to shout at Job, “Why should we accept trouble? Sure, we learn and grow from it; but isn’t there an easier way? Something less painful?” If I took this passage out of context with the rest of Job’s story, I would think he took it all too meekly. However, after his three friends sat mourning with him for seven days and nights, Job said this:
“Why did I not perish at birth?...For now I would be lying down in peace…" (Job 3:11&13) He shows himself genuinely human after all. This kind of struggle I can relate to--the tension between faith and disbelief; being honest with God, yet trusting Him.

While I’m writing this, the Super Bowl is playing out behind me on TV. A moment of silence remembered the tornado victims. Somewhere in the Lady Lake area a surviving spouse is asking, “Why me, God? Why did I live?” The white-haired man interviewed this morning on CNN could not keep the quaver from his voice when he said, “Lucky? God blessed us, is another way of putting it. Our hearts go out to the ones who didn’t make it.” He didn’t have answers, but he did know God had protected him and his wife.

I’m raising more questions than answers here; but that’s okay. God can handle our questions. He can take it. His grace can overcome and forgive our doubt. His love can soothe our anger and fear. If we truly seek answers to the timeless why’s, He may not tell us the specifics. He may instead give us what we need to cope. Peace. Words of life and love to calm our troubled hearts.

CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News

Love Your Neighbor

A writer friend challenged me, when I solicited ideas for new topics, to consider how we, as Christians, can reach out to our neighbors, especially those of different religious faiths. Thank you, Alyice, for this excellent suggestion. I challenge you to send me your ideas by commenting on this post.

The suburban/rural area where I reside consists mostly of white and African American Protestants. In a nearby urban area live people of the Islamic faith, Jews with differing theological perspectives, and various other religions. Traditionally, Christians have often offended those of differing beliefs by pushing their ideology, preaching at others without taking a breath, and parading their personal superiority. No wonder we can't reach others. Our whole mentality consists of winning converts, souls, scalps.

Jesus spoke firmly to both groups and individuals about difficult doctrine: denying self, hypocrisy, repentance. However, he never shook his finger in the face of the woman at the well who'd had five husbands. He didn't flaunt his superior--actually, perfect--character before the woman caught in adultery. He never tried to force someone to believe in Him. Rather, He showed compassion, He listened, and He spent time with people. He never seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere else when he talked with someone.

I have to ask myself: How do I lead anyone to the Kingdom of God, to belief in Jesus Christ, much less someone with a vastly different background from mine? I need to follow the principles Jesus showed--spending time with people, being humble (which I foolishly think is easy enough, since unlike Jesus, I'm a sinner), and caring about their hurts and struggles. I should share gently and in a natural conversation what I believe, rather than dumping my entire theology on a person in a single load. Maybe just share one principle that is the most relevant to that person.

There are many practical ways to live this out. Some of us are great at whipping up a tempting dessert or a savory casserole. A new neighbor or a friend from work who is depressed or ill might appreciate that. We can embrace opportunities to assist our friends with anything from picking up a child from school to caring for our neighbors when they're ill. As our Jewish, Mormon, Buddhist, or Muslim acquaintances raise questions, we can find Bible verses or Christian literature to help point them to the Truth that is only in Jesus Christ. We can learn what interests these friends and neighbors and ask them questions about their activities, their families, and their beliefs. This shows we care about them as individuals and also opens the door for us to discuss what is important to us, including our faith.
Sometimes it's easier to send money and pray for the people who need the Gospel on the other side of the world, than to dig into the trenches of being a friend to those around us. However, instead of serving as barriers, the cultural differences may just need the bridge of friendship. We need to cross this bridge and link these neighbors to the lifeline of our Savior.

Luke 10:27-37

ROSH HASHANAH AND RAMADAN

Within twenty-four hours, two major religions--Judaism and Islam--will celebrate two distinct and revered holy observances: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, beginning at sundown today, and Ramadan, the Muslim period of fasting and prayer that extends from sundown tomorrow through October 23. With the Jewish religion I share a reverence for and strong belief in one holy God and His revealed truth through His Word. Many of the Christian's holy scriptures are the same as the Jew's. With Islam and Muslims I struggle to find common ground in my beliefs about God.

What makes my beliefs so different from both of these religions?

1) I believe that the New Testament, along with the Old, is the Word of God.
2) I believe that NOTHING I do can make me right before God or earn me a place in heaven.
2) I believe that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah of the Torah and the Talmud.
3) I believe that His death on the cross bought the forgiveness of man's sin, my sin, that His blood can wipe the slate clean for us before God FOREVER. (No Gentile or Jew TOOK His life; it was in His plan
to GIVE it up.)
4) I believe that if I put my faith and trust in Jesus, no matter how weak that faith might be, He will bestow that forgiveness on me, cleanse me in God's sight, and begin to change me by placing His Holy Spirit in my body. (This is what happened to me 28 years ago!)
5) I believe that eternal life begins here and now, when I put my trust in Jesus, and that when I die (or He returns to earth) I will live with Him forever.

These are only a few of the very basic tenets a Christian holds. If you are seeking the truth about life, God, and what you believe, consider reading the Bible, starting with the book of John. After all, eternity is a long time and a high price to be wrong. What if Jesus and His claims are true? Amazing promises of God's mercy, grace, and love bubble out of the Bible as a spring of life.

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him"
but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.
--Isaiah 64:4, quoted by Paul in First (letter to the) Corinthians 2:9 & 10

As the song says so eloquently, "I can only imagine . . ."