15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Family is important to me. Perhaps it is to you as well. As I grow older more and more I realize that things and accomplishments don’t mean very much. We just had two brief but very wonderful visits from our daughter and son-in-law. It was their final vacation as a single married couple. Our grandson is due in seven weeks. Their life is going to change! And they are welcoming that change. During that visit it was a privilege to be able to look into each of their eyes and see their spirit being formed and shaped by His Spirit. We regularly do video conferencing using Skype so we get to see each other and talk. But having them right in the room was magnificent. Giving a hug inexpressibly wonderful! Family has become increasingly important over the past several years. My life was drastically changed as a result of a personal struggle that took place in Baghdad, Iraq. Aloneness overtook my life. Isolation invaded even in the crowd of fellow soldiers. My more than daily letters to my wife were a small thread that connected me to what I considered my life from which I had temporarily and painfully been torn. The quick, intermittent phone calls were delicious. But when that plane landed in Germany and I saw my wife in person it was almost as if I had risen from the dead. It took over two years for the life to return to my dead body. Family was the key to my recovery. Coincidentally, quality relationships are a key to recovery from PTSD. Think about that when you have a Vet move into your neighborhood! Can you imagine the reunions that we are going to experience when we step into heaven? The joy is going to be inexpressible. Just sitting here writing about it brings tears of joy in anticipation. Many of the giants in my personal faith journey are there. Darrell Delosier, Richard Fulmer, Hobart Grazier, Mary Davis (she hasn’t made the journey yet, but needs to be in this list). They were individuals who lived Jesus so I could see Jesus face to face. As I looked into their eyes I could see Jesus shining out. As there were hugs exchanged, Jesus was there. If for nothing else than this, heaven is going to be a wonderful place.
The Arnold Journey 