Ten Little Rules

Ever had a time when God dropped something into your mind and you thought, “Oh. Okay. That was interesting. I wonder what that’s about?” I have.

One day while walking my dog, I heard God say these words: “Six days shalt thou labor.” I don’t often hear such clear, distinct directives from God, but there it was. I didn’t have to think very hard to know what He was referring to. Over the years I have allowed work, shopping, and other things to encroach on God’s Sabbath day—the one set aside as a holy day—a day of rest. And not unlike the proverbial frog dropped in a pan of cool water which was gradually heated until he was cooked, my observance of the Lord’s Day had slowly given way to shopping and “little” chores around the house, to full-fledged home projects which consumed the entire day. It had become easy to make the seventh day of the week just another day. So when I heard those words in my ear, I knew He was speaking to me.

Every day for a week I heard the same words, “Six days shalt thou labor,” and every day I began to tell God I understood and would honor the coming Sunday as a day of rest. But as each Sunday came, there were errands to run and tasks to do—especially since we had just moved into a new home that needed work. My husband worked 50+ hours a week, and we still had the other unsold home to maintain with lawn work, so his at-home work hours were very limited. How could we possibly get everything done on one weekend day? Three Sundays went by and work was done, all the while my head kept hearing those same words reverberate: “Six days shalt thou labor.”

I told God I understood, but did He? Did He know all we needed to get done with the new and the old house? Did He realize how quickly those hours of the day go by? Of course He knew all those things. Of course He knew how tired my husband was after a long, stressful week and how dividing chores over two days was better than one. But He also knew how tired and stressed my husband was, and how desperately he needed to rest body, mind, and soul. He knew how truly insignificant those “things” are that we strive to get done at the cost of our health--physical, mental, and spiritual.

Again the words came but expanded. “Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”  Okay. Okay! This Sunday I won’t work, but that means I have to tell Rob not to work either. I wondered how that would be received since God didn’t tell him that.

Sunday morning came. As we walked our dog after morning coffee, Rob began to list the things he wanted to get accomplished. “Honey,” I began, “God has spoken to me for over a month saying, ‘Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.’” Then I proceeded to tell him how we could do some minor jobs around the house if he wanted to. His response: “No way! Not after what you just said.” He almost seemed a little happy! Maybe he does need the rest—maybe he wanted the rest but felt he couldn’t ask for it.

I am not a perfect. I strive to please God, to seek forgiveness for the sins I commit and the ways I fail Him every single day. When God recently brought “six days” into my life, I realized something. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of being a Christ-follower, but then I realized I wasn’t even obeying the Ten Commandments! Ten little rules. 

Our focus tends to be on the “big ones”:  murder, committing adultery, bearing false witness. You know... the “obvious” ones; the ones easiest to avoid. But when God hit me between the eyes with commandment number four, I realized I was not as obedient as I thought. Greater conviction came when I realized I had disobeyed for years without it even really bothering me.

I wasn’t resting or honoring or keeping the Sabbath day holy as He had commanded. I could look around me and see thousands of other people doing work on Sunday and try to justify my actions, but He was speaking to my heart.

Someone recently posted a meme on Facebook which stated we have thousands of laws on the books all because we can’t obey Ten Rules on stone. A quick search led to this:

“No one knows how many laws there are in the United States.  Apparently, no one can count that high.”

“They’ve been accumulating, of course, for more than 200 years.  When federal laws were first codified in 1927, they fit into a single volume.  By the 1980s, there were 50 volumes of more than 23,000 pages.”

"New laws mean new crimes. From the start of 2000 to 2007, Congress had created at least 452 new crimes, so that at the time the total number of federal crimes exceeded 4,450." 

(Kowal Communications, Inc. Blog)

“New laws mean new crimes.” Of course. The more you make anything against the law, the more likely it is someone will violate that law. It’s sad that we have come to this. All we had to do was follow ten little rules, but because we don’t, we now have thousands and thousands of laws in place telling us what we can and can’t do. Isn’t the root need for all these laws because we broke or ignored the original ten?

In addition, God said we needed a day to rest. He knew how crazy our world and lives would be. He knew the stress and busyness. He knew the toll it would take on health, sanity, and relationships. He knew we needed a day to simply rest. God Himself rested after He made all of creation in six days. I think it’s probably important for us, too.

But it goes beyond needing rest. In honoring the Sabbath and keeping it holy, we acknowledge who God is. It’s submission to His Lordship. He is our King and we need to honor and worship Him on the day that He Himself has established. 

Will I submit my will to Him, even when I see a huge “to do” list in front of me and have few hours to complete it? Will I recognize that worshiping and spending time with Him is more important than any earthly thing I may need to accomplish? Will I open my eyes to see that when I place Him first, He will enable me to finish the things on my list? If I spend my time resting and honoring and worshiping, my work hours will become more fruitful as He enables, and perhaps are re-prioritized to what He sees as most important. 

Since God spoke to my heart about honoring the Sabbath, my husband and I have made the effort to not work or go shopping on Sunday and it has helped us focus more on God and His word, as well as simply relax and rest. Do we still struggle? Yes, because old habits are hard to break. But God has brought to our attention our disobedience of one of God's 'ten little rules" and now we strive to align ourselves more to His will and commands.

God is always working to conform us more and more to His image. He prods and corrects us when we need it because He is a loving Father who seeks to keep us from harm and to align us with His plans and purpose. The Ten Commandments aren't restrictive, they are God's boundaries of safety and well-being. It's never too late to begin anew. I encourage you to examine your own heart to see what God may be speaking to you. 

Just this week He dropped another of the “Big Ten” into my heart. Let the refining continue!

(Originally published 6/24/20)

 

 

Life's Tapestry

Have you ever seen a tapestry hanging in a museum or grand manor home? Their intricacy and detail are exquisite. Many look like fine oil paintings instead of woven thread. 

For centuries these pieces of artwork were handcrafted on looms. Multiple vertical threads called warp, are attached to the top and bottom of the loom. They remain stable and unmoving, the backbone of the tapestry. Colored silk or wool horizontal threads called weft, are woven in and among the vertical warp threads at the moment they are needed to create the design the artist envisioned. Some areas of the tapestry require tiny bites of one color, while other sections require multiple rows of a specific color in order for the picture to form. Each piece is handcrafted and unique. No two are exactly alike.

Our lives can be compared to a tapestry. Each of us is unique and handcrafted by the Master Weaver. No two of us are the same. Everything we experience, feel, think, and do are unique to each individual. Woven over days and years, each of these things are worked into our life's tapestry as they come. 

During difficult times, our tapestry is woven with very dark thread. If the event was short-lived, fewer threads are incorporated into the overall pattern. Devastating, life-altering events create a larger, more pronounced, darkened area. The darkest threads may continue to be interspersed throughout the years of weaving as memories of a painful time recur, and that painful time is touched upon again.

Joyful, happy, grateful, celebrated times are woven in as bright, cheerful bursts of color. And there are occasional threads of gold. These threads were added during moments when we needed a special touch from Him. Times when His presence was not seen or felt, but His hand was there.

Tapestries varied in size, and just like them, our lives vary in length. Whether a few short weeks in a mother’s womb, or a life that spans over a century, when death comes their tapestry is complete. There is no unfinished business with God, no incomplete tapestry. He completes the work He begins. Each design, each life, is conceived and then accomplished according to His purpose.

In the midst of it all is God, the “warp” thread, holding the entirety of our lives together. He is the backbone of our tapestry, and He is interwoven throughout each moment we have breath. He is the Master Weaver and Creator. He knit us together as we were formed in our mother’s wombs, and He is the One constant presence throughout our lives.

We cannot see the finished pattern being created in our lives. We only see the backside of the tapestry. Knots and crossed threads that look messy, with no pattern or purpose. Only after death can we see the completed work--the beautiful front side our of our unique tapestry. In the end, we see that all the black threads--all of the pain, the sadness, the loss, the grief--have had their purpose. They make all of the good--the happy times, the joyful events, the healthy times, the triumphs and victories--stand out and shine more brightly. Those bright colors and events draw our eyes and our attention, with all of the darkness falling into the backdrop. If the sharp contrast did not exist, the beauty of the bright times would seem somewhat blah. 

When completed, these tapestries, whether dark or bright, infinitesimally detailed or covered in large swaths of singular color, reflect the woven image of a life lived.

The Master Artist is creating a masterpiece in your life. It will be a reflection of His care, His love and His heart. If you have not invited Him into your life, please do. All the messy tangles of your life can be re-woven, all the darkness become meaningful. Ask Him into your life--into your tapestry--today. He loves you.

(originally posted 6/16/20)

What Boat Are You In?

“We’re all in the same boat.” We’ve heard that phrase many times over the years, but are we really all in the same boat?

We are currently in a dual-fisted storm called COVID-19 and violent hatred. It has affected all of us in one way or another. It has caused us to look at others through eyes of suspicion and perhaps anger. Feelings of mistrust and lack of care for each other have risen to the surface of our inner beings. We have stopped reaching out and touching. We no longer look each other in the eye whether its for fear, disapproval, or simply to make sure we are following the directional arrows on the store floors. Fear has become rampant from possible illness, to now the dangers of rioting and targeted violence. We are in this storm together, but what about that so-called boat we are all supposed to be in?

The Bible tells the story of Jesus and His disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat.  According to Josephus, an ancient historian, there were usually more than 300 fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee at one time- a considerable number since the sea is only 13 miles long and 7 miles across. Without warning a violent storm developed. Based on the size of the sea and the numbers of fishing vessels usually there, we can assume most of these fishermen were in the same storm, but they were not all in the same boat. There was only one boat in this storm with Jesus on it, and He was asleep. He was not afraid of the storm surrounding them. He was at peace in the midst of it. But His disciples were terrified in spite of their best seamanship efforts to keep from capsizing. They went to Jesus, woke Him, and said, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown”! (Matt. 8:25 NIV) Jesus replied to them, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matt. 8:26 NIV) Then He got up, rebuked the storm and all became completely calm. Interestingly, even the sailors in other boats reaped the benefit of Jesus calming the sea. They hadn’t asked Him to stop the raging seas, and some probably were cursing Him for it. But His words to the wind and waves brought peace to all affected by the storm, not just the ones in His boat.

Our country is in a storm which has affected most of us in one way or another. There is fear and suffering and confusion and violence. So I ask: What boat are you in, or better yet, who is in your boat? If we want peace in the midst of the storms of life, and we seek an end to the chaos, we must have Jesus in our boat. He alone can speak to the raging seas of life around us. He alone can bring true calm to our troubled hearts and minds. When we ask Jesus to calm the upheavals raging around us, others will also be calmed and saved because we went to the Peacemaker.

You may be sailing along with no worries, but storms appear suddenly and without warning. Be sure you have the Storm Calmer with you so no matter what comes, you can find peace in the midst of it.

(originally posted 7/7/2020)

Mom, Dirt, Aging, and Wisdom

Do you see the dirt? How can you not see it? Doesn’t it bother you? Why don’t you clean it?

I confess to feeling a little frustrated with my mom in her later years. She was always a good housekeeper; cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming a Saturday ritual as far back as I can recall. But as she got older, the cleaning became less frequent and the house, while still clean, wasn’t up to the old standards I was used to from her. Her eyesight had weakened, and her energy levels diminished. I think there were times she must have felt it just wasn’t important enough to make the effort– unless she had company coming!

As an energetic young wife and mother, it bothered me to see her housecleaning fall below the usual norm. During visits to her house, I would secretly clean bathrooms, dust a room of furniture, or tidy up some other area in need of a bit of “upkeep.” I didn’t say anything to her for fear of hurting her feelings, but when I did get caught doing my good deed, I simply told her I wanted to help do some of the less desirable chores while we stayed with them; a means of “earning our keep,” which was true…at least partially. She needed help, and it made me miss my younger mom; the one who wasn’t failing in health or losing interest in things that once seemed important. The dirt glared at me like an indictment against aging and I hated it.

Fast forward a couple of decades to my rude awakening. I recently went into my bathroom which I thought was pretty clean. With no intention of improving its appearance, I prepared to walk out. By chance, I popped my reading glasses on and were my eyes opened! The bathroom counter I thought was clean was actually covered with water spots, toothpaste residue, and a few stray hairs. It was anything but clean by my usual standards, yet there it was. I now saw how it must have been for my mom. I felt a little guilty for my thoughts about her cleaning efforts all those years ago.

Then God led me to think about people. People can be “dirty.” Some are in need of a good physical cleaning, and others may need mental and spiritual cleaning. But all of us have “dirt” in one form or another.

When I encounter people, am I seeing them through glasses that magnify every flaw or area that needs to be cleaned in their life? If all I see is their dirt, my encounter with them will be a frustrating, judgmental one. Or do I try to get to know the person and find out what their life is like? What trials have they been through? What brings them joy?

At mom’s house, I sometimes focused more on the dirt than on spending time with her. I realize now that every minute I spent cleaning was a minute less spent with her. Is that what I do with other people, focus on their “dirt” instead of spending time with them and caring for them?

Yes, I can see the "dirt" in people’s lives, but God tells us to love people. Jesus led the way when He loved people as they were; “dirt” and all. The adulterous woman at the well, the cheating tax collector, the demon possessed, the leper. He met them with love, saw them through His eyes and looked beyond their “dirt” to see their need. He loved them first, then He helped them change.

The older I get, the less I see the things that need cleaning in my house. Maybe it’s the presbyopia that limits my view, and to some degree I know that’s true, but maybe I’ve gotten wiser as to what really matters. Dirt and dust will always be with us, but people won’t. The things I do for others, the time spent with them, and how I treat them, may be the one chance to affect change in their life, and it may have eternal consequences.

Wisdom comes with age. See people through God’s eyes, not through the amplifying glasses we often observe people with. Look beyond their need to be cleansed and see the person who needs to be loved. Stop worrying about the "dirt" and invest every minute into loving the person as God would. He’ll do the cleaning.

Whose Report Are You Believing?

There was a popular song back in the 90’s by Ron Kenoly entitled, “Whose Report Shall You Believe?” The focus, of course, was who do we believe? Who are we listening to and agreeing with? According to the song lyrics, “We will believe the report of the Lord.” But do we?

We live in an information-technology age where reports are everywhere. Our TV’s (one in every room, mind you), our phones (always in hand or very near), and our computers, all flash reports in our face and into our eyes. We are continually bombarded with news and reports.

While we do need to have some awareness of what is happening in the world we live in, has it gotten to be too much?

How many hours do we devote to checking the news, social media, or other sources of information? Now-- how many hours do we devote to our God and Savior?  

Ouch.

In Numbers 13 Moses sent twelve leaders of Israel into Canaan for 40 days to scout the land God had promised them. He wanted to know about:

The people- what were they like? Strong? Weak? How many?

The cities and towns- fortified with walls or open?

The land- is it good, bad, fertile?

The productivity of crops- are their trees and fruit?

At the end of their 40 day stay, they returned to Moses and gave him their report.

While the land was indeed fruitful, the people were giants and more powerful than them. “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”” Verse 32 says, “and they [the leaders] spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they explored.” (NIV) (brackets mine)

Notice how they didn’t just give the report to Moses, they SPREAD it throughout the whole group of Israelites. What was the result?

Chapter 14 verse 1:

“That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 

Based on the report of a handful of men, the whole nation was lost hope and they grumbled and complained! They questioned God and His motives. They wanted to go back to SLAVERY in Egypt!

This was the land God had promised them and brought them to, but they quickly forgot the faithfulness of God because of a bad report. It took only 40 days for their hopes and faith to turn to doubt, fear, and complaining.

How easy is it for us to do the same?

We are constantly bombarded with bad reports about politics, the environment, the economy, health. If it’s reported on these days, it’s likely an unfavorable word that stirs us up. We begin to lose hope and grumble and complain. We want to go back to the “good old days.” Sound familiar?

 Then we have Caleb. He was also one of the twelve sent to Canaan. He saw the same things the others had, but his report was different.

  “30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

 Caleb did not forget the promise of God, nor the strength of God to accomplish His promises. He did not become discouraged or lose hope. He didn’t grumble or complain, and he certainly did not want to go back to Egypt!

 What if:

-for every 30 minute news podcast we watched, we watched a 30 minute Christian podcast?

 -for every hour we spent on social media, we spent an hour watching a Christian video?

-for every 30 minutes spent reading news articles, we spent 30 minutes reading the Bible?

 -for every 30 minutes we spend grumbling and murmuring about the country’s current condition, we spent 30 minutes sharing Jesus with our neighbors, or simple praising and thanking God for all His provision and blessings. 

It’s time for us to decide whose report we will believe. Our choices effect our hearts, and our actions.

 

“Whose report
Will you believe?
We shall believe
The report of the Lord. 

His report says
I am healed,
His report says
I am filled,
His report says
I am free,
His report says victory!”

 Ron Kenoly, Lift Him Up 1992

I Choose the Fire

Flames danced and twirled, as tongues of deep orange and bright yellow merged together, then swirled apart. Some faded and dimmed, only to be stirred into full blaze once again. Embers glowed bright, then eerily dark, then bright-- a living thing that looked as if it were actually breathing. Those observing it were transfixed by the constantly changing display which drew them further and further into its seduction. 

                                                
Fire is a beautiful, fascinating thing to observe, entrancing and hypnotic at times, but it is also a mysterious, sometimes dangerous, double-edged sword-- a tool for good or evil.

Many enjoy hours of enjoyment when toasting marshmallows for smores or roasting hotdogs on tree-branch forks over a bonfire, and who can deny the romance of snuggling near a glowing fireplace on a chilly, wintery night?

Fire provides warmth in the cold, cooks our food, purifies contaminated items, and removes unsafe structures in a controlled way. It provides pleasure as well as protection from harm and danger. Properly used, it is a great gift.

But flames can also be destructive. Buildings catch fire and are destroyed, at times taking human lives with it. It can leave permanent, debilitating scars on the life of one who encounters its powers too closely and cause intense pain. Rarely is it extinguished without leaving a definitive, and at times ugly, reminder of its presence. Whether used for good or evil purposes, nothing touched by fire remains unchanged.

It is a living thing. It devours whatever is given for fuel, and sucks in the surrounding air as if gasping for breath. Just as a physical fire needs these things to survive, so does the invisible "fire" inside each of us. It, too, is fueled by the things we feed it. 

We are daily bombarded with visual and auditory "kindling" for our inner fire. Paraded in front of us like sweets in a candy store, we are drawn in. Glamorized sex, violence, abuse, vulgarity, laziness, materialism-- all presented over and over causing us to become engrossed in them. Just like the hypnotic flames of a fire, we find it hard to turn away because we may miss something. Before long, we become captivated by an unholy fire.

The unholy fire's burn comes because it is a trap. To continue watching the mesmerizing dance of this fire it must be fed, and just like a physical fire, this fire consumes what it burns. It starts small-- maybe just a smoldering-- but as it is fueled by continued exposure, the flames grow until the person is completely engulfed. This unholy fire leads to pain, suffering, loss, and eventual death. Its enchantment is deceptive.

But there is another fire. It is the holy fire of God Almighty. Deuteronomy 4:24 states, "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." 

He is Holy, and all who come to Him will feel His purifying fire. When we submit ourselves to Him, His holiness burns and consumes all that is not of Him-- evil and unrighteousness; all impurities and sin within us. Then the Holy Spirit ignites a fire within our hearts. As we give ourselves to Him, this holy fire guides and directs our lives and we find purpose and a plan from God Himself. 

Our spiritual fire must also be fed to continue burning. Reading God's Word, worshiping and praying and singing to Him, all fuel the blaze inside us. God's fire consumes more and more of us as we become more like the One who created us. He brings hope and peace; He brings eternal life.

Our lives are going to burn with either a holy fire, or an unholy one. Whichever one we choose, whichever one we feed, will determine the type of fire we are captivated by. We will either be beguiled by the enticing display the world presents, or we can be consumed by a holy God, changed forever to live for Him, and with Him.  

We cannot be smoldering embers. Our inner fire will either die out and be extinguished, or it will be fanned into brilliant flame. Which will you choose? Will you allow the evil of this world to fan your desires into an unholy fire leading to destruction and death, or will you allow the Holy Spirit to blow the embers of your heart into a shining blaze for God? 

As for me, I choose a Holy God. I choose the HOLY Fire.  

 

Heaven, Pt. 8, Will My Beloved Pet Be There?

Will my pet be in heaven? Many pet owners and animal lovers have sought the answer to this question. I often joked that my pets would be in heaven because I made sure they said "The Sinner's Prayer." In reality, I know it isn't something animals can or need do, but it made my heart feel better to think that if they could, they would, and I would find them waiting for me in heaven. 

But the question remains. Will there be pets in heaven? We have to go back to the Garden of Eden.

When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they did so by choice. Sin and death came into this world because of the actions of mankind, not animals. We are the ones who caused the separation between God and man. As a result of this severed relationship, all of creation fell under a curse. All the beauty and life that sang out from plants and animals in perfect Eden was now stifled, weighed down by a heavy cloak; silenced by the overshadowing of evil. The vibrant colors of the entire creation were stripped of their brightness; muted and grayed by the cloud of iniquity that covered and permeated everything on earth.  Even though they did not directly sin, the shroud of sin affected all creation-- plants, animals, fish, the Earth. Death would eventually come to all.

I have had many pets in my lifetime. I grew up on a farm, so cats were a mainstay and my best friends. I would cry and mourn for them when they died, but each spring brought a new batch to fall in love with. I adored them, but I wasn't so attached that I would feel bad if they weren't in heaven.  Besides, as someone I know once said, all cats end up in "purrrrrgatory" anyway! (Sorry cat lovers!)

I also love dogs. I had a beautiful golden cocker spaniel named Ginger. She was a sweet dog! We had her for a number of years, but when we moved to Europe and had to leave her, she became our friends' dog. Their whole family loved, accepted and cherished her deeply. She was a special dog who had won the hearts of two families, and lived a long, happy life.

My current dog is Zala. She is the most spoiled, sweet, adorable little dog ever. She has character and personality that are uncanny. Sometimes she seems more human than dog! When she dies, my heart will definitely break. 

I would love to see these two special dogs in heaven, but honestly, I do not know if they will be. I know there will be animals-- lots of them, and of all kinds. But animals were not created in God's image. They were not created to have personal relationships with their Creator as we are, and they have no need for salvation. If my favorite beloved pet is not in heaven, will I be sad and miss her?  Maybe, but if heaven is a place of no sadness and tears, then I don't think I will. 

Biblical evidence tells us there will be animals in heaven. Heaven is, and will be forever, the restoration of all the once was. It is Eden again-- perfect. Relationship restored; harmony in all of creation. 
Isaiah tells us in Chapter 11:6-8:  

" In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
    the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
    and a little child will lead them all.
⁷ The cow will graze near the bear.
    The cub and the calf will lie down together.                                                                                              The lion will eat hay like a cow.^"

A wolf, a lamb, a leopard, and a baby goat all lying down and living together. No snarling or growling, no stalking and licking one's chops sizing up their next meal. A calf and yearling safe with a lion! And to top it off, a little child will lead them! Can you see a five-year-old taking his pet 400-pound lion for a stroll together? Then the lion sits down and eats grass. Think about that. No longer hunting, stalking and killing for food. They will be vegetarians! Genesis 1:30 says, "I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.”  

I do not know if God will in some way cause our beloved pets to be in heaven, but we do know there will be no sadness or sorrow. The animals we enjoy here on earth bring us love and joy. If they are with us once again when we get to heaven, it will be wonderful. If they are not, there will be many other creatures to take walks with, cuddle and play with. We will not feel their absence. 

So get ready to swim with dolphins and great whales and sharks! Splash in the rivers of heaven with multitudes of fish and ride a hippo downstream. Get into a racing contest with a cheetah, and swing on tree branches with monkeys. Sit down to rest under a shade tree with a panther and lean against the King of Beasts to snooze. All the animals and birds and fish are free; no cages, no human-made confinements of any kind. Nature and humans in harmony, living together once again in peace.  

Revelations 5:13 says,

^"13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

Clearly there will be all sorts of creatures in heaven. They join us as we all bow to our Creator honoring and praising Him; worshiping together as originally designed. 

I can't wait to live, love, play, and enjoy eternity in the best hands-on, interactive zoo ever!