My Hammock in Heaven

There are very few moments when I can not think of what to write in this wonderful blog. Today is one of those days. I took a trip to Julie's cube and she asked to write about what I think heaven will be like. Go Julie! Afterall, I am tiring of my "horse chronicles" as some say, and I am in much too good of a mood to vent (and therefore be dragged down by my ventings). So, here I am in a job I really do enjoy on a wonderful sunny spring day. We won't mention that I have to be on the phone for the rest of the day in a 6x8 cube or that after 3 hours of being on the phone I haven't talked to one person at length. No, it is too great of a day to mind-mingle on those kinds of things. Where was I? Oh, yes. Heaven.

I distinctly remember sitting in my youth group one Sunday morning. It was one of the first times we were able to meet in the new small square grey building about 50 feet uphill from the main church. We called ourselves "The Upper Room." It was so nice to have our separate building. I suppose it made me feel more independent and that the adults were not able to spy on our time and service. My youth pastor's name was Dan Serian. What a wonderful man!
It was a Sunday after a terrible plane crash. He described that the plane was having engine problems and was in a nose dive for the ocean. Since it was a large plane and was really high, it took the plane 3 minutes or so to crash into the ocean. Everyone was killed. He proceeded to turn off the lights for that three minutes and asked us imagine what it was like and how the people felt. Knowing they were going to die and thinking of loved ones for that period of time. It seemed like forever for me, I couldn't imagine what it was like for them.
I think it was that Sunday that I finally "got it." It seems (looking back) that when I was 14ish death was something we didn't need to worry about. But I am sure there were children on that plane. I am sure there were grandma's and grandpa's and moms and dads... and I suddenly understood the reason behind the alter calls each holiday. The press for VBS and Awana. I realized that not everyone "believed" that went to church, and understood why I was shipped to bible camp every summer (even though I loved camp). I just assumed everyone had the heart that I did and the parents and values that I was brought up with. It was a hard realization of my purpose in life as well as trying to adhering to the Great Commission.
I always found it difficult to bring people to The Lord through threatening death because of our definition of Heaven. I have heard numerous preachers, books, bumper stickers, etc. that have things to do with knowing where you go when you die. To be with the Heavenly Father is about the most honest and proved answer to that question. That description doesn't have that huge of a effect on someone who has never heard the story! God doesn't give us a book on Heaven and what it will be like. He gives us hints here and there, but we by no means have a tour guide with photos and maps. He leaves it up to our hearts and minds... and I love it.
The sermon that morning was one of the most memorable I have heard. "...Do you think Heaven will be reading books on clouds and be boring? This is the God that created the hippopotamus! He created waterfalls and gave us the minds to create roller coasters and 3D movies! Heaven is not going to be boring! So, you ask what it will be like? Well, my answer to that is simple: our brains are not geared to know and we have not had distinctive description of what to expect. So, don't stress about it. It will be wonderful. Let your mind think about the possibilities, but do not get wrapped up in the details of it all. We are not built to know..."
Yes, I have read scripture about Heaven. Cities of gems and no tears. No oceans (Which I tend to worry about) and not having our earthly bodies. It is fun to think about, but I think a lot of people get too wrapped up in the technicalities of it all.
Myself? I know that I am excited! I think it will be a great place. There is record of white horses in heaven, right? So one of my favorite things will be there. Hope pets make it too. But, knowing there will be no sadness if they aren't allows me to relax about it. Other brief visuals are hammocks, laughter and cherries.

Fellow readers are you there? Look what happens when I write off others ideas! What do you all think heaven will be like? Boring? Fun? Adventurous? Relaxing? Do you think we will even be able to recognize the feeling? I shall leave you with these questions and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

A Summer of Concerts

Today has been a great day! Yesterday I was surfing online when I decided to look up Jeff Black to see if he had any tour dates. I didn't realize how small he actually was. There was an area to request his performance if I owned a coffee shop or something along those lines. I must say it was the first time I had actually wished I owned a coffee shop! Anyway, I signed up to receive news and such. Today I had a glorious thing in my inbox. It was a message from either his wife or sister that said he would be coming to Colorado Springs soon and would email me when the time got closer! How cool is that!?
So, with that event I was off surfing over my loved artists home pages looking for concerts for the summer. I found two more awesome bands that have this lovely state on their tour schedule for August. (Journey and Marc Cohn). I have not had such an exciting day in a long time!
So, my calendar is officially booked for August. I have 2 Marc Cohn concerts on the 6th and 7th (hey, might as well follow him from Denver to Boulder), Journey on the 2nd and a trip to Cozumel (Mexico) the 20th - 27th. Jeff Black will come somewhere in the fall, but considering I have a direct link to a family member I don't think it will be easy (or possible) to forget that down the road. Not to mention Phantom of the Opera is going to be here in November.
I have started saving up to avoid being murdered by Jay! He is actually really supportive of my crazy concert routine. Considering I had seen Journey 5 times, I don't think he had an option before signing the contract. Besides, he goes with me for the burned-out 80's bands!
I cannot wait for the weekend. My sister's birthday is on Sunday so we are going to lunch with the soon to be in-laws. There is a horse auction on Saturday that I am toying the thought of attending. Do you think driving 3 hours each way is too extreme? If I consider it a "fun drive" it makes it easier to stomach. Not to mention the fact that it is East which will be an easy haul for my truck and trailer (and a horse if one comes home with me). Since it is only Wednesday I have time to debate whether I should go or not. Actually, in trying to be honest, I have a few days to try to legitimize my desire to Jay!
Anyway, I hope you all out there in cyberland are having a great day. I learned a vulgar joke I want to leave you with today:

What did one saggy boob say to the other saggy boob?


If we don't shape up, people are going to think we're nuts!

Ok, you can thank me later for that one. Audios!

...And There it Goes

The auction has come and gone. There was no horse accompanying my trip home on Saturday. In fact, there was nothing I even wanted that I was outbid on! I have seen drafts, but some of them were almost as big as elephants! There was one that was 19 hands! I couldn't even see over his back! In order to fit something like that into a trailer they would have to take the top off of the trailer! It was fun to look at all the horses all braided up and shiny. There were teams of 6 horses, stallions that had their manes all curled and stood perfectly still like a photo. There were mini's and Norwegian Fjords. To top it off, there were sellers from all over the country! Even from as far as Canada and Ohio (and those are the ones I talked to!). I don't know what possessed them to drive all the way out here, but they did. I suppose the auctioneer is well known and there is a lot to be said about a auction that will guarantee soundness and hold to it. Out in Calhan it is a "if you buy it is your problem even if it is guaranteed and lame." Not that I disagree with that, but I guess when you buy a team for $15K it can be an issue.

What about the 2 year old, Regal, you ask? My aunt was telling me she showed him to another lady and he cow-kicked her. Then, she took him to discipline him and he kicked her, too. (If you knew my aunt, she is scary when she is not mad, let alone when she is, so he must have some guts!) He is picking up all kinds of bad habits from his mom, and I think he has been with her too long and is way too attached. After all, he is 2 years old now. That is quite a long time to have mom and baby together even if he isn't nursing. She thinks he is a little much for me, so I have to believe her. She knows me and him and it is one of those things where I value her opinion above my own.

So, I am again on the hunt for a good horse. The Troyer auction comes around twice a year, so even if you don't want one you might want to think about going to see the different varieties! It was worth it, even though I was a tad disappointed.