Family

In my family there is my dad and mom (Joel and Freida) of course. Then all the children (all biological). Here's the list with ages and a little about them.

Caleb Thomas - 21 yrs Strong personality, smart, he's the leader
Me- 19 yrs I don't even know
William Jonathan - 15 yrs Quiet, loves nature
Rebekah Rene ( nicknamed mommy) - 13 yrs Tender, timid, there's more than meets the eye
Sarah Ruth - 12 yrs Unpredictable, off-the-wall, nurse at heart
Martha Joy - 10 yrs Animal lover, curious,
Mary Kate - 8 yrs (DS) Strong-willed and determined but tender underneath, sneaky
Joseph Luke - 7 yrs Quiet and intelligent, nerd, witty and funny
Joshua George - 6 yrs (DS) Loving, animated, clown, full of hugs
Judah Duncan Jadon - 2 yrs Cute, still the baby, demands attention, Mama's boy

Now, I've heard that some people who might think that's a lot and a rather excessive amount of children, and I used to think it was pretty ridiculous myself. However, upon years of first-hand observation, I think that the pros of this large amount of family members far outweighs the cons. Here are some things that I think need to be understood. Mary Kate and Josh are Down Syndrome. Josh was born with a hole in his heart and had surgery at 6 months to fix it. He hasn't had any problems since then. They have speech apraxia, which is basically they learn to say words but their brains can't retain it. Wikipedia gave me a weird definition. But anyway, they could say things for awhile then they would forget. Sometimes they can say something, sometimes they can't. Also, they have poor oral skills so they can't form certain consonants. Also, Mary Kate has diabetes and requires insulin shots before every meal. So they take a lot of extra care. However, they are the most beautiful and cheerful people I know. They honestly can always brighten my day. They never tire of giving hugs to anyone and everyone.

Because of so many people in one house, there is always lots of noise which sometimes blossoms into chaos. Fights break out sometimes. Meals are always a big ordeal and require a long clean-up. There is never a dull moment, my family could sit and tell ridiculous stories for hours. People say we should write a book, I don't know who would find the time to actually do it. Trips to our hometown in Missouri are long, and sometimes awful. Our 15 passenger van (when carrying 12) gives little space for those of us who require a lot of it.

My family is my circle of friends, they make me happy and make me laugh. My dad has the best sense of humor, he's so funny. My mom is sweet and worries about us all the time, she can be funny too, and when she is, it's almost better than my dad (Papa) because you aren't expecting it.

Having a big family teaches us kids how to deal with people. You have to share, you have to work out problems yourself. Mama can't run to every single little conflict. It makes you more responsible (I know, none of my classmates believe it). Plus, whenever you get tired of playing with one kid, there's always another to go hang out with. Imagination was huge in our family, mostly me I guess, but you could rally all the siblings and pretend anything. Orphanage, army, run-away (personal favorite), pet shop, hospital, POWs...there was no limit.

Realms of Glory

All of us have some preconceived mental picture of Heaven. As a kid, I always had an idea of what I thought Heaven was, but then I'd read in Revelation and it sounded so different from what I'd day-dreamed about. To be honest, I would feel...disappointed. Is that awful? We read about the streets of gold, the six-winged creatures full of eyes, the gates of pearl and sometimes, it just doesn't sound that appealing. Jasper and sardine stone is not really what I am striving for. A city surrounded by gem walls and gates of pearl aren't exactly what paradise is to me. We know, of course, that being in God's presence is enough, but in my finite mind, I just wonder...

With the cherubim and seraphim all praising God, with the beasts all surrounding the throne, will I be able to approach the Savior I love? Will I wait a thousand years and one day to touch the scars on Christ's hand and look into His smiling eyes? Are we Christians going to float about in wispy white gowns and play harps?

Sometimes I hope that at some point in eternity, the forever that we can't comprehend, that I can dance on the clouds, singing praise to my best Friend. I hope I can climb a rainbow, then slide back down into the arms of Christ. I hope I can fly, so I can soar through the stars, still marveling at God's creation. I hope I can ride a storm cloud and watch the lightning from above for once. "That's impossible", you scoff. So is resurrection from the grave. In the words of Max Lucado "Impossible is God's favorite word." I hope there are flowers in Heaven, more beautiful than any on earth. I hope there are hills and woods that I can run through, no longer bound by time and physical weakness. I hope I can make beautiful music for my Yahweh. I hope my mansion has diamond prisms that will reflect the light of God's glory. I wonder if there will be colors that we don't know about yet, I wonder if we'll be able to breathe underwater.

I hope that I recognize friends and family. I have to believe that if God is so concerned with relationships while we are on earth then when we get to Heaven relationships is going to be the reoccurring theme. The Bible tells us that God will say to those faithful Christians "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." That's singular, not plural. He isn't going to gather all the saints in a huge assembly and say "Welcome home, good and faithful servants." But He is going to talk to ALL of us individually.

If God is creative and powerful enough to create each of us so very diversely, isn't it possible that he could create Heaven with enough different features for each of us? He had every one of us in mind as He prepared a home for us.

He is "able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that you could ask or think" so let your imagination run wild. You won't be disappointed.