Heaven?

Recently we talked about Mark 13 in minichurch- debated whether it was talking about the End Times, or the destruction of the Temple. Anyway, it led to a brief discussion about what happens after you die.

Since I was a little girl I always thought that you went directly to Heaven or Hell when you die, but I have been mulling that over in recent years, and especially in the last couple of weeks. Here are a couple of thoughts-- if you go directly to Heaven or Hell, what happens on Judgment Day? Won't it be a bit anticlimatic if you already know how you'll be judged? I mean, I know I already know I am going to Heaven, but if I am already there, will I then be judged and sent to the New Heaven? Or are you judged as you die and then sent to your eternal reward or punishment? What about people that Jesus raised to life? Was Lazarus dragged out of heaven and sent back to earth?

Well, one of the men in our group gave several theories that I have never heard talked of, in PCA circles. He said that one theory is that you go into "soul sleep" when you die, and then await the Judgement Day. Another is that when you die your soul goes to Paradise or Hades, but you are still awaiting the final Resurrection and Judgement, and you are still in a state of "sleep". Ok, so if that is true, isn't it better to be alive on this earth than to die (in that case, Lazarus wouldn't mind coming back to life)? I mean, if all you are doing is "sleeping" and awaiting Judgement, then wouldn't my time be better served here on earth? I don't know. Does anyone out there have thoughts?

I can't believe it is almost Christmas! Yesterday we brought our Christmas decorations up from the basement and I felt like it shouldn't be time yet. The kids had such a great time digging throught the boxes "helping" me unpack the items, and place them around our living room. Their favorite was a snow globe that I just purchased this fall. It plays "Jingle Bells" and if you push a little button, the snow swirls around a family of snowmen. N especially likes it. He comes and finds us and drags us over to the snowglobe "Mo! Mo!" so that we can wind it up for him. He then claps his hands in joy and begins his little dance. E enjoyed looking through all of the special Christmas books we pile on the coffee table, and playing with the playmobile Christmas set. N wanted to play too, but after he pulled apart the pieces, "Uh-Oh! Boke, Boke!", we decided it was a big kid toy, and put it out of his reach.

E is definitely into the whole Christmas thing this year. She really remembers traditions from past years, and is looking forward to participating in them again. For now, she believes in Santa Claus, and so she has been considering her list, thinking over what one thing she should ask him for, because we have told her that Santa only brings one toy. Until last year she was too frightened to even sit on Santa's lap, much less request a gift. I think she has settled on asking him for a Pound Puppy. I don't know how long she will believe, this will probably be the last Christmas. It will actually be a relief for me when she figures it out, because I always feel a little guilty perpetuating the deception. She is so trusting, and does not doubt Santa's existence a bit, because we told her it is so. I just hope that when she finds out the truth she will be able to accept Santa for the fun and magic it brings to Christmas, and not feel betrayed. I think that she will like being on the other side, telling N about Santa, and being a part of the fun. Until then, she believes.

Car Trouble

Today was a bad car day. I went out to go food shopping with the kids, and remembered that the battery had died yesterday. So Ed came out and jumped it, and I went to Quick Lube to get an oil change where they had to jump it to start it again. They said they didn't do battery changes there, and since it's a Sunday, not much is open. They suggested Pep Boys. I went, and was told the wait would be about 45 minutes until the car even went into the shop. I am usually well prepared for outings-- I pack snacks, drinks, diapers, etc. But today I was just planning on making a quick trip, and had none of those things. Fortunately there was a small play area for the kids in the waiting area, and of course the whole store to walk around in. Also, they sold snacks and drinks. The kids were remarkably good, and we were able to pass the time pretty well, and the car was done a lot sooner than expected (1 hour). We then made our way to Trader Joe's . As we were driving through the parking lot, one of the guys who worked there lost control of a cart and it ran into the back of my car. I had to file an accident report with the store. I don't think the car was really damaged, it looks like surface marks, but still-what a way to top off my day!

woodsy walk-another almost wordless Wednesday

We went for a walk in the woods on Sunday. It was gorgeous-- here are some pics.

Caramel Corn

Tonight it is my turn to bring a snack/dessert to minichurch, and so I decided on caramel popcorn. I have always loved caramel corn, but this recipe is the best I've ever had. The first time I had it was as a freshman in college. Angel's mom would make it and send it to her in big containers. Angel would bring it down to my room where we would sit on my bed eating, drinking lemonade, and talking into the night.

If you would like to try it, here is the recipe- it takes a while to make, but is totally worth the effort!

Alison, Angel, and me (notice the Country

Time lemonade on the shelf behind the bed)

Oven Caramel Corn

2 cups brown sugar

2 sticks margarine/butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

8-9 quarts popped corn (1 quart=4 cups)

Pop corn, don't salt, and place in a large turkey roaster (or 2 9x13 pans). Mix all the the ingredients except the soda in a medium saucepan. Stir until boiling, boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda until the foaming dies down. Pour over popped corn and stir to coat evenly. Bake at 200 for 1 1/2 hours, stir every 15 minutes to separate big clumps. Store in an airtight container.

Halloween 05

For two months I planned for a Halloween party in our back yard. I could see it clearly in my mind- the backyard lit up with torches, fairy lights, pumpkins and a fire. Children running in their costumes, friends chatting in the cool of an October night. And miraculously, it all came together last night. I could not have asked for better weather. The day was warm, in the 70's and the night cool- in the sixties. The children had a wonderful time trick or treating. E, Grayson, and Hudson led the pack, running to the doors yelling "trick or treat!". Little Alice in her sweet Holly Hobby costume bringing up the rear, determined to do what the big kids were doing. She climbed up the steps and held out her bucket for the treats. N sat in his stroller enjoying a lollipop as I walked talking with one parent or another. Then we got back to the house where more guests arrived with their children. There were hotdogs and marshmallows to roast, pumpkins to find, and cider to drink. The children had such fun running up and down the dark yard. As hostess I didn't have much time to sit and talk, but it gave me pleasure to see everyone else having a good time. Also, being able to share the night and the experience with the McCoys there was a special gift I never expected when the party was first planned. God is good-- this was just an insignificant little party but he showered his blessings on it, more than I could have asked or imagined.