It was great to have an opportunity to minister in Germany and now it’s great to be home.  Jeanne was waiting for me at the airport and we drove home and had a nice meal in front of the fireplace – ahhh it’s good to be home after flying all day.  The next morning I woke up early, had a great time in God’s word, and took Peter (my pet dog) for a run as the sun was rising.  It was amazing to see snow men adorning the front yards in South Carolina!  It seems somewhat paradoxical however to see snow on palm trees.

I loved being in Germany and I’m glad to be back in South Carolina but the reality is I’m not home yet.  Paul wrote to the Philippians, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  In his letter to the Corinthians he wrote, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”  What an encouraging thought!  This momentary light affliction on earth is nothing compared with the glory that will be revealed to us in heaven!  We can be of good courage knowing that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord!  That’s why Paul could exclaim, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  It’s a win/win situation!  Do you sometimes wonder “Is this all there is to life?”  Live your life with abandonment knowing that our brief sojourn on earth leads to a heavenly home for those who know Jesus.