Will We Meet Our Pets in Heaven? - Bruce Atchison

As much as I wish I could hug and stroke my beloved departed rabbits again, we won't be reunited with our pets. Why? The Bible doesn't teach that animals will be resurrected. Nor do they have the capability of sinning. Because of that, they aren't rewarded with heaven or punished with hell. As John MacArthur once explained, they're conscious but not self-conscious. God will populate the new earth with animals but none of our beloved companions will be raised from the dead.

Scripture has proven its veracity through historical evidence, the cohesiveness of its message, and corroborating archeological discoveries. Therefore, fanciful notions of eternity, such as the Rainbow Bridge, aren't real and only those who have surrendered their lives to Christ will be with him forever. The belief in animals being resurrected is based on wishful thinking and not biblical proof, as I point out in this excerpt from my upcoming How I Was Razed memoir.

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Brother H's notion of being reunited with our pets is also unbiblical. Ecclesiastes 3:21 says, "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" Solomon wasn't doubting the assertion of human spirits and the descent of animal spirits but was pointing out that we can't see where they go. Ecclesiastes is based on a view of life from a physical standpoint. Even so, he did make a distinction between the two kinds of spirits and their final destinations. Since Christ died exclusively for humans, the only species on Earth created in God's image and capable of sinning, we are the only ones destined for resurrection. As much as I'd love to be reunited with my long-eared companions that I wrote about in When a Man Loves a Rabbit (Learning and Living With Bunnies), Scripture indirectly precludes that possibility.

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I also wrote in Deliverance From Jericho (Six Years in a Blind School) about the time I foolishly gave our pet rabbit, Samantha, a cold bath and inadvertently killed her when I was twelve years old. Please click here for more information about these memoirs from my web page.

Description that Wows! - Dorothy Bentley

Getting out of bed this morning was like climbing out of a marshmallow swamp; my delicious duvet had me trapped. But getting up was necessary... it was time to write my InScribe Blog entry.

Here are a few little tidbits I've picked up about writing description.

For comedic effect, exaggerate. Calling my bed a marshmallow swamp is not accurate. It's actually a typical queen-sized bed, with a comfy duvet, but saying that in writing would sound boring and not very funny. Doing this is not lying... it's merely stretching the truth. Someone once said, "Why ruin a good story with facts?" In other words, it is fine to take literary license, provided it is done in a harmless way.

For poetic effect, use imagery.

I recently wrote about Kootenay Lake in a newspaper article, calling the lake an aqua-bride. Wow... it made it through the editor's cut. The most fun a writer can have, is making up words and phrases. I once read in one of James Scott Bell's novels that a character was having cul-de-sac thoughts. In the next sentence, he explained what he meant by saying her thoughts continued to circle back around to the problem. That is the one and only time I have read that phrase, but it worked.

Dazzling description combines non-living characteristics with a person or animal, or conversely, personification: the lake calls to me; the trees wave; the person was like an acorn squash, rounded all over.

Have fun writing fresh, lively description. Your readers will be impressed!

~ © Dorothy Bentley

Music While Writing by Kimberley Payne

A question that was asked on The Word Guild discussion forum was, “What music do you listen to while on your computer? While writing?”


The responses were as varied as each writer and the different types of writing available.

Denise Rumble shares, “I find that sometimes I need it very quiet to concentrate, other times I want the music loud, or soft. It depends on the type of writing, where I am in the process, and my mood. Of course, listening to music greatly affects my mood which can certainly be a boon to my writing, as well.”

Like Denise, Pam Mytroen picks her music according to the project she’s currently on. “Forget listening to anything with vocals and lyrics however. I completely miss them when I'm writing fiction. But non-fiction is another story.”

Lynda Schultz also has tastes similar to Denise. “Sometimes the words to a song throw off my concentration, so I need instrumental music to which I do NOT know the words (otherwise I start to sing and that throws me off). Sometimes, I need the words to raise my spirits so that I can write. Fast or slow again depends on what I'm writing. It's very dependent on the task I think—‘heavy’ writing requires less intrusive music. At times, quiet is the only thing that works too.”

On the other extreme, Robert White likes his music loud. “Christian rock, heavy metal, classic rock, prog rock, you name it I'll listen to it while I'm writing. In fact, I find myself distracted by quiet music while writing.”

Lisa Wilson agrees with Robert, “I'm with you! It depends on what I'm writing as to what I listen to, my tastes are pretty eclectic. I'll listen to Country, Big Band, Jazz, Pop, heavy metal, classic Rock even neo-classical (instrumental soundtracks). But usually it's something fast, upbeat.”

However, Heidi McLaughlin writes in quite the opposite environment ... “‘Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.’ That is how I like it when I am writing - not a sound, absolute silence. It's the only way I can ‘hear’ the words in my head.”

Jenny Burr agrees. “I'm with Heidi, no creatures stirring, no noise in the making, not even background instrumental. Silence is my best background noise.”

Tammy Wiens needs noise around her. She recently went to a retreat at a monastery where the authors in attendance were asked to respect the silent times from 9-5. “I almost went crazy!!! I did get a lot of writing done but didn't enjoy it. I like noise around me--children, music, radio, television -- sometimes everything at once. It doesn't matter the style of music or nature of the television program -- I like noise.”

Personally, I like to listen to instrumental music and pretend like I’m playing the piano as I’m typing on my keyboard.

How about you?

 

Who Is Jesus?

Jesus is referred to many names in the Bible. In Isaiah 26:4, He is named the “Rock Eternal.” The verse says: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.”

When I think about Jesus as being the rock, I think about Him as being firm, steadfast, secure, powerful, solid, unswerving and true. When I think of Jesus as being the “rock eternal,” I think about Him as being true to His promises, certain of who He is.

He promises life abundantly, peace and security in the midst of trouble, and a secured place in heaven if the decision is made to follow Him, trusting and believing His promises. We are held up by His mighty power and He is the rock of all ages.

Psalm 139: 7 – 10 David says: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there; If I ride on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me fast.”

Yes, He is worthy of our praise, faith and love and expectations of answered prayers. The Bible says to be thankful in all circumstances of life. Who feels like praising God when we find ourselves in the heavy trials of life? Very few perhaps but our faith allows us to trust no matter what the circumstances are and since Jesus promised that He will never leave us or forsake us, we can learn to rely on Him for strength and guidance. We learn to trust and acquire faith; we learn to lean on the solid rock!

Take a look at 2 Samuel 22:1 – 4 to discover that He is a personal God?

My rock,
My deliverer,
My source of salvation
My stronghold,
My Savior.

Praise God he is a personal rock!

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61)

For daily need there is daily grace, for sudden need there is sudden grace, and for overwhelming need there is overwhelming grace!

Who is Jesus? He is the rock that is higher than I.
He knows my needs and yours.

May we all learn to place our trust in Him in all circumstances of life!

Janice Keats