Till the Lord returns, plus something for those reading if millions vanish

Hi, Wweetheart,

Yes, it's your silly daddy again. I actually had one ready I forgot to post so there's a post right below this, too. I don't know how much you can follow of this world, or want to, given the problems of this world. Indeed, it's gotten so bad some say the Lord will return for us.

Indeed, some people might read this after millions have disappeared all at once, including children. If so, we'll be together with Jesus in the air, and those young enough will be there with us as God protects them from His wrath, just as I know while you weren't born, at least you were protected from this world's problems.

I pray after such vanishings people will read this - also, among good links at that blog, this video will help people know what will happen in the end times and how to trust Jesus to save them from their sins, as I discuss elsewhere here. I don't know when that'll happen, but I pray the above URLs will be copied so people are able to find them when the last of the End Times come - the Tribulation.

Back to the present, I've been considering how different our family is. Genetically there is something that makes us so much more easy going, more well behaved and not as rebellious. Of course, we are saved by grace through faith in God's gift. We must each trust Christ as Saviour on our own and not our own works. But, it is easier for some to resist temptation than others.

Anyway, I wonder. What would you have been like. I know that, when adopting, I'd have had the chance to choose some qualities. But depending on how old you were it might have been hard to say what you would have been like.

Of course, I'd have loved you no matter what you were like. I had templates in my mind of how to handle different situations, what different kids were like, so I knew how to handle a lot of different things. With how I process things, I even practice in my mind and out loud. It helps people with the type of brain I have to practice. And yet, I'd have gone with however I had to handle things with you very easily, too, because I knew the Lord would be the one guiding me.

Communication is so confusing sometimes. Maybe you'd have had better ideas that I would have over how to handle it.

The important thing is, I'd have kept you away from the worst, and you have been in an environment of love. & unconditional love is more vital than one can imagine.

I don't know how long it'll be till the Lord returns, the dead in Christ rise first, and will remain are caught up together to be with in the air. However, I've been thinking about what I might be doing in the Millennial Kingdom.

What does that have to do with the previous topic? Well, it's connected by this. People won't need wills and estates much, if at all, and I really don't like law like I did. I think my interest in having a steady career in a situation where the Lord was leading me was the important part. And, I see now that part of why He led me there was so I could have my own practice, have my own hours, and do so much ministry. Things haven't always been perfect in that area, but I don't need to go into detail about that.

I will, however, mention that - in addition to the radio show I co host and other ministry things - I'll need something. it would be nice to continue to work with young people. I have asked the Lord for a number of things, some of which were more rash but all of which were with the goal of letting others know of Jesus Christ's love and forgiveness.

So, while I would love to see baseball resume, and in fact think it would be great to have young people's sports as part of a ministry, I don't need it to happen. I don't need to see, for instance, in the Millennial Kingdom, instead of the national anthem a short devotional coming before every game. It would be lots of fun. But I will love just being with Jesus so much!

I just hope and pray that whatever it is, you can come with me and enjoy it as I do.

There are many things I wonder. How our mansions will be designed, weather we will have mansions neighboring those we are closest to or what, and so on. It's so much fun just imagining you - as I ask that - whispering in my ear, it's a surprise Daddy.

Still, I love to consider all of that. I'll be so excited just to see the Lord, but He promises we will rule and reign with Him, so we must be doing something there.

I can't wait to see you, and share the joyful eternity we'll have together.

Till we meet,

Love, Daddy

Joy of family, weddings, celebrating, knowing Jesus

Hi, Sweetheart,

Yes, it's your silly daddy again. I forgot to post this, but a few months ago, we had wonderful wedding for a cousin of mine. We have such a great family, and all would have been super helping you to grow when I adopted you. This one is the fourth of five to get married, land he like the others has found the most wonderful spouse. We all get along so well, because of the great love God has and how we celebrate that love.

Of course, a personal relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ is the most important one, and the fact that is how I am able to both speak with you through this and know that I will see you someday. I know that had other decisions been made you would have been born and available for me to adopt. I will always love and cherish you even though I couldn't adopt you here. In fact, the trust in the Lord allows me to know I will know you as your daddy and you as my child someday.

But, the relationship of a parent to that child is very special, too. It is a special one that isn't always biological, it is based on who shows that love and tenderness and mercy and the example of Jesus Christ that we should all be. The one who raises the child to love the Lord and teaches them to care because they want to and not because they have to, because it's not love if you are forced to love.

I love you, Sweetheart, and I know as I watched that wedding and the celebration afterward, I saw you in the little ones having so much fun, all the way up to the bride and groom. Because, who knows, maybe my going forward was the Lord getting me to realize the while I never had the money to adopt, had I had the money He would have had me adopting 10 to 12 years earlier then when I went forward, stepping out in faith to adopt. So, it's possible you would have been having fun with my cousins little ones, or maybe I'd be the father of a beautiful bride or fabulous groom sometime around now.

Those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ personally, who have not called on him to forgive them for their sins and make them new inside, they might go on saying that they will never know you. But, I will not do that. I know I will know you someday. At that great marriage supper of the Lamb, we will indeed celebrate together. I have known such joy and feel complete because of the Lord filling those holes in my heart just like He will fill the holes in anyone's heart. I know you didn't have had the chance to attend this wedding physically, but you were there in spirit like the grandparents mentioned and anyone else who was missed. And the important thing is, one day we will celebrate together. Till the time, God continues to remind me of His perfect love for me and how He is taking special care of you. Well I couldn't show you God's love here on earth, you know that love for yourself, and perhaps a lot more too. That is what matters.

Till we meet,
Love, Daddy

Serving the Lord for His glory, but knowing you're happy for me, too

Hi sweetheart,

I heard about a couple of your playmates up there in Heaven in a recent sermon. I know, Daddy is being silly again, huh? I don't know who you play with up there or what you do, but I know it's fun. And, I'm sure you know so many wonderful kids up there who wound up dying before the age of accountability or getting saved at a young age and then dying.

I know better than to ask you if you know these particular kids that a visiting pastor mentioned. I know you'd just say, "It's a surprise, Daddy." What's important is that faith that I told this pastor about when I mentioned you.

I am anxious to see you, but we don't know when Jesus will return. Oh, there are certainly many signs that point to it being very soon. However, if those turn out to be merely signs of things moving forward and not of Christ's return very soon, I will still have faith.

It's interesting to think how you would have handled such things. I told one person I would likely want a girl because they express their emotions more easily and I can't understand nonverbal cues well, but there are boys who do and, well, this rambling is just to say maybe you would be more anxious about it, but I would be able to be a calming influence as we discussed how stuff worked. I would try hard to be a great example of Jesus Christ and the solid foundation He gives us, so when problems came you could be sure of something that never wavered.

I am getting ahead here, but it would hopefully help you to understand God's plan to focus on Him and not worry so much about love of other people in your teen years and beyond, because what matters most is your future mate love Jesus first. It's like a Facebook saying I saw, be so in love with God your future mate has to seek God with all their heart to find you.

Daddy's really silly now, huh? Even if you had been born and I adopted you, the Lord might have returned well before you started to date or court, huh?

And to think this started because of the visiting pastor mentioning kids who died of rare diseases before they ever went through that, anyway. 

Still, it's the kind of thing which pops into my head and at times it helps to share even though you're up there away from all these problems. I guess it's from a desire I always have to help others, and it's a bit sad sometimes when I'm not used of God to help you. 

But, then the Lord shows me all the ways I do help and all I can do, even this blog is probably touching some who might have lost a child. And, they can imagine theirs as I do you, watching from Heaven and encouraging me. They can realize God made this world perfect, but man chose to sin and brought evil into the world. Yet God will get them through all the pain that results and one day take them home to His perfect Heaven, to be forever with no pain, no suffering, no tears, no sin, where nobody can imagine the wonders that await us.

That same wonderful place you are right now. Where you're waiting for me and their kids are waiting for them. As long as that person has made a heart and mind decision to accept they are sinners, believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins, to take their punishment, and rose from the dead, and choose to call on Jesus to save them from their sins, forgive them, and make them new on the inside.

We are each only a single, sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life. Is that eternal life begins at the moment one turns from their sins and trust Jesus Christ to forgive them.

As I help in our church's Bible School soon, I'll work so God may be glorified, because it is His perfect goodness and mercy that matters, our work for Him that is rewarded in heaven. Still, I will also know you are ready to celebrate with the angels when these young people get saved. And, who knows, you might just turn to one of those friends like I mentioned, or maybe who were killed, or whatever happened that they died so young, from thousands of years ago, and say proudly, "That's my Daddy."

I don't need to hear that to know that you're there waiting for me, but it's fun to know that God is faithful and he will keep bringing people to Him just like the many who got saved at our church camp until it's time for the Lord to call us home. And, even after that, many will be getting saved during the Tribulation.

And, no matter when the Lord calls us, I will keep serving Him until He does, because I want Him to be glorified. Because, Jesus Christ is the one who saved my soul and gave me you, as a special blessing who has gone before me to Heaven to be with Him.

Till we meet,
Love, Daddy

A simple "hello"

Hi Sweetheart.

Recently, I closed out one of those fun pretend threads on an alternate history site where 1983 in the USA was sent back to 1783. I adopted a girl there, and had fun imagining her up to this point when she graduated, which I thought high school graduation would be a perfect place to close my participation in it. Others had lost interest for a while, but it was a joy to do this.

Of course, you'll forgive me if you are a boy, although for some reason I do sometimes picture you as a girl, though that is probably because of this roleplay thread. Or, maybe the Lord is giving me one little snippet of information about you. Of course, I know that you would giggle and whisper "It's a surprise, Daddy."

The thread, in the alien space bats section of alternatehistory.Com, was started by someone else, but I had a lot of fun doing it.

Of course, there will be other things where I will imagine you there, little pieces of what life would have been like with you. And each time, I am reminded that you are experiencing so much joy up there in Heaven. It would have been a joy to know you, but it will be a joy to know you one day and that is what is important. In the meantime, whatever next adventure awaits, I know you are watching and I enjoy trying to make you proud. of course, I especially want to serve the Lord in what I do. But, you are just more and more little way in which Jesus gives me peace despite the difficulties of this world. And, I hope that others realize the same special thing I do, the joy of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Each of us must simply repent of their sins and trust Jesus Christ by faith to forgive them. It's as easy as admitting 1 is a sinner and cannot reach heaven themselves, believing that Jesus Christ God in flesh died to take the punishment for their sins and rose from the dead, and call on Jesus by faith to forgive them and turn away from their sins and their heart and invite Jesus to come live in them through the Holy Spirit. It is a personal choice, a heart and mind decision. 

And, when they do, God will hear them and help them through anything. As long as they trust Him to do so. 

This has been an unusual blog as well. I don't know how many other times I will post here, but something may come to me just as has it other times after a lull. But one thing I am certain about, I believe God has used this to help others as well. So, I am thankful that while I won't know you in this life, I can know you and we can enjoy forever together. That forever is so wonderful. Because it will be forever with God Himself in his perfect Heaven, where there will be no pain, no suffering, no tears, and where we can't even fathom the wonders that await us.

That is so much more amazing than we can fathom. More amazing than any fictional story.

Till we meet,

Love, Daddy

Little reminders that God is watching over us

Hi, Sweetheart,

Yes, it's your silly Daddy again. I just had a wonderful experience sharing a Bible study with a man who is, well, a little challenged. He wouldn't mind me saying what I have told him, that he views the Bible the way its child would, with awestruck wonder at God's creation. He sees the simple things in life so well, and his questions to me when he calls with Bible questions are somewhat simple but in some ways so profound.

Why am i sharing? It just made me think of how we might be studying the Bible, had you been born. You'd have so many fun questions for me, maybe at times simpler than his, but it would just be so much fun. And, as you grew, you would gain more understanding and start asking questions about things like the Godhead, which i tried to explain but couldn't because I'm just a mere person. (Though showing him Colossians 2:9 and a few verses after helped.).I'm sure you'd rely on the Holy Spirit as well as me to understand the King James Bible - the one fr5om the original Antiochan texts - so well. (It's actually got fewer archaic words and simpler language than other versions like the NIV. Yeah, I'm being silly, you know that, huh?)

Thankfully, I would be able to share my faith with you, and help you to understand God's love. You would be seeing it in how I treat you, as well. So, hopefully you would have come to know Jesus Christ as your Saviour by calling on Him to save you from your sins at an early age, and you would enjoy that personal relationship with Him. Indeed, hopefully you would be reading the Bible like this man does, always excited at looking at the relationships and just exploring in your mind what it was like to be alive back then, to be each of the figures in each story. 

That's where I say, he looks at it like I imagine you doing so. With that awestruck sense of wonder at the love of God, and trying to imagine what it was like to see Jesus face to face. You would ask, as he did, things like how could they reject Jesus after seeing the miracles that He did and after looking in God's Word at the Old Testament and what was prophesied. And, we would have fun talking about who we'll see up in Heaven.

Of course, you are up there now, and you probably have perfect understanding of all of those situations like my friend asks about, some of which even I am mystified by a little. We all have so much to learn about God's Word, and we can see so much new  each time we read. Of course, you know Jesus personally up there.

In fact it's funny. As I was helping my friend understand a few things about the passage he had questions about, the Holy Spirit ministered to me and I sensed the Lord reminding me that, yes, you are up in Heaven, but Jesus gives me little things like that or hints of what it would have been like, to help me to know that He, Jesus Christ, my personal Savior, is helping me through everything, and that I'm still getting a taste of those joys in anticipation of what will come when we do meet, because I've trusted in Him.

There have been other times, some things I've mentioned here, some I haven't, that I know the Lord is guiding me and helping me to see that even if I can't be with you here on earth, I can have those special little opportunities. And, I can trust Him, because I have put my trust in Him by calling on Jesus Christ to forgive me and save me from my sins, through His death ont he cross and His bodily resurrection. I know I can trust Him to get me to Heaven, and to watch over you till I get there.

Till the glorious day when we meet,

Love,
Daddy

Missing only for a time

Sweetheart, 

Yes, I'm writing again a little sooner than last time. I was taking a number of more wintery items upstairs and thinking about the smaller amount of space in this house.

Oh, its not that bad, you would have had a wonderful attic bedroom in a bungelow (how do you spell that?) since I have an office in the 2nd bedroom downstairs, and you'd have plenty of room for a bed(there anyway), a couch/chairs, and room for toys and such. It might have been a little cramped when it comes to clothing, but you'd have had enough space for a small dresser and things like that, and as you grew and put things in the closet where kids' books and those stuffed animals I mentioned are now I'd have some of my clothes in there still, and we'd have had lots of fun laughing about how you were going to trick me into taking some of your clothes downstairs for myself whenever I went to exchange winter and summer stuff. We'd have had so much fun laughing together and enjoying life, that the difficult times wouldn't have been so bad because we'd have been family. And indeed, I feel like that now, even separated by a dimension - me being in the physical and you in the spiritual realm.

I couldn't give you a mommy either. In some ways maybe that is one thing which held me back, kept me from stepping out in faith to look into adopting earlier. But, I know my mom would have been there for you, and you'd have found wonderful friends whose mothers could be your surrogate mother (I know a few who consider their friends' moms as second mothers even if they have good moms, they call them doptive mothers because they adopted the mother :-)). Plus, of course, I have the love and compassion and sweetness where I go overboard with it in fact. You'd have had wonderful people at church to help also. I know we could have made it work. 

I'm sure, at times, we'd talk about how you wish you could have a mommy; who knows, maybe you would have tried to set me up with people and one might have worked out. Just like if things had gone differently one of those I liked at church might have worked out, but each of them was too busy with studies and work at that point when i was looking 15-20 years ago.

God had other plans though, and we'd have talked about how things are very special anyway. Just like you might have thought about how it would be great if we had a much bigger house, but we talked about how it was special anyway, with the lumpy backyard and funny things like that. And, how we'd have Heavenly mansions to look forward to once you trusted Christ as your Savior just as I had trusted Him as mine. Indeed, in a way, this is sort of sharing those discussions just as I posted earlier about what it might have been like in other ways, who you would most be like, etc..

Of course, now you are celebrating in yours ahead of time. I think of asking what it's like and how that actually works for those who weren't born, and I get that cute image of you saying "It's a surprise, Daddy." And, I'm excited and anxiously awaiting the big surprise.

Because, I know Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose from the dead, & I have called on Him and put my trust in Him to save me and get me to Heaven by simple faith, and not because of anything I have done. And, that is just the way you are there too. It's all because of Jesus for those who die before the age of accountability..

So, I know while things didn't work out here, we will have forever together someday. That is the important part. It is what I'd have emphasized down here when we talked about you not having the mommy you might have wanted or a bigger house. And, yeah that's what I focus on now, knowing that this momentary absence will be nothing compared to the glory of seeing our Lord Jesus Christ and celebrating forever in Heaven.

Until that time, I know you are in the best hands possible, those of our Lord.

So, till we meet, those things I lack are just reminders that someday, because of Jesus, everything will be made right for those who trust Him, as his Word says we shall rule and reign with him.

Till we meet,

Love,
Daddy.

Ice Cream - in This Weather? (Ramblings from Febrary to now)

Hi, Sweetheart,

Sweetheart,

I had this as a draft but didn't post it, it was just one or two little comments but I decided to add it as well as my other post. It's from February, when the weather was a lot worse here. But, I just discovered it again.

So, I'm adding it to what I had written about a vacation, because it made sense to just combine the two. And, it shows how great it is I don't need to be adding to this blog all the time, or even much at all.

One of those silly things we adults do, my mom felt like getting some ice ream at the store the other day to have with a pie she was making, so I got a few scoops from my parents along with a piece of pie for dessert.

Ice cream when the high barely got above zero seems quite silly, but it made me smile with joy as I imagined doing that with you; after all, kids aren't so set in their ways that they realize how silly it is to have ice cream in zero degree weather.

Or, maybe it isn't. Maybe it's just odd to me.

Either way, kids bring such joy to life, and the great thing is the Lord has given me so many little joy, some of which came to my mind as I went on vacation recently. It's so fun to joke about those things for my Heavenly mansion. I continue to just imagine you saying with anticipation, "It's a surprise, Daddy" to the point I don't ponder whether I'll have a swimming pool or whethere there will be beaches (though I'd think givent he many different nations and peoples a variety of mansion types will be there). I just know Jesus has something wonderful.  Just like when I went forward to step out of the boat and trust that Lord to help me adopt you. And, though it turned out, from the way God has directed my prayers, you didn't end up being born,  I know you are one of those great surprises Jesus has for me.

In the meantime, so many fun things come. My family, like me, loves to see joy in all those little things. Just like I know you would. There are many times I somehow know He's showing me that same type of joy can still occur. For instance, the excitement that my mom gets showing me things on her cellphone, or pictures she's taken. I just know you would be the same way, so thrilled to show me the picture of a bird - though maybe not with fish in its claws, but who knows - or of something else you may have done. Whether in dance or baseball or some other sports, it wouldn't matter if you weren't the best, as long as you had fun. Facebook provides me with joys like seeing friends whose kids do things like coloring eggs for Easter and things like that, and just the joy of seeing others enjoy themselves is enough.

And of course the knowledge that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead and thinking of the thrill when you would have invited Jesus into your life and heart as your personal Savior. Now, I don't need to worry about when that would happen because I know you are there, in Heaven, because Jesus Christ died for you before you could understand that need each of us has to receive Him by simple faith, calling on him to forgive you and save you from the penalty for your sins, a penalty He took upon Himself when He died and then rose again the third day..

I have that huge stuffed animal collection as well, and while I don't get to see you amazed at it I have seen cousins and nieces and nephews be so amazed at seeing it for the first time. And I know you're up there amazed seeing it from there too, and I won't ask anything else in that area because I know your answer: "I can't tell you; it's a surprise Daddy."

I can't wait for that great big surprise. I know it's Jesus preparing my Heavenly mansion, but in a small way it's sort of fun to imagine you have any tiny part, just like when a parent will help that child get a Mother's or Father's Day gift for their spouse. A 3 year old, for instance, can't do much more than point to a color they might like, but its still fun and special. It's  the thought that counts, and I believe that you think of me in some small way even as you spend most of your time playing up there, and finding even more things to be amazed by than i could ever imagine here on earth, I'm sure.

I haven't needed to write a lot - and didn't even at first, though it helped. But, it's still nice to note times like this and look forward while also being thankful for what the Lord has done. I don't know what all you follow down here, but I know you understand I can't wait to get there and give you a great big hug. because Jesus is the reason I will be there, the reason any of us have life, but that special treasure I prayed for I know is up in Heaven waiting for me. I just thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving you to me. And I am grateful to Him for forgiving me so you and I can enjoy is perfect Heaven together someday.

Till we meet.

Love, Daddy.