Pieces of Heaven

Over the Christmas holiday my husband Jonathan and I had the opportunity to meet up with a dear set of friends that we hadn't seen in a few years. This couple is so special to us and we were so excited to get to see them, even if it was just over tea for a few hours. It was absolutely precious time together. I use the word precious in the sense of a precious stone, or jewel of some kind. It felt like a treasure to be together. It was as if no time at all had passed in those years since we'd last seen them. Time almost felt like it was sitting still in a way.

Piece of Heaven

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Jonathan and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on December 27th, 2009 this year. Six entire years of being one together. On this particular anniversary we were with our entire extended family on my mother's side actually celebrating my Aunt Susan and Uncle Keith's 40th wedding anniversary. We share the same wedding date as this happy, more experienced couple and love having that in common together. They threw a fabulous party on that evening! It was full of laughter, tears, great food and wine ... and LOTS of dancing. Now, dancing is one of my most favorite things in the world to do. And I LOVE dancing with Jonathan. Being held in his arms that night, it was like I could take a step back and see us from far away. I could observe as an outsider what was happening in my heart that night. Being held by him. Safety. Romance. Fun. Joy. Devotion. Commitment. It felt sacred most of all.

Piece of Heaven

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Some of our best friends have just passed through a storm of epic proportions in their marriage. I love that I can use the term 'passed through' meaning ... it's over now. No one is more thankful then them for that. As I watched them weather this storm together, seeking God together and separately, I couldn't help but feel like I was literally watching the Kingdom of God break through the Kingdom of Darkness in this case. They were in a battle for their marriage, for their own hearts as well. The battle could have gone one of two ways -- walls could have gone up between them and intimacy lost; or, healing and light could flood the walls of their home and bring them together as One in ways that they have only dreamed. As I listened to my friend tell me God's work in their marriage, I felt a spring of life flooding my entire soul! Satan was defeated there! And he wasn't just defeated, he was slaughtered. The Life that was pouring through my friend's words from her heart were hard to contain. I honestly was flabbergasted at just how MUCH life came from this battle. It. Was. Amazing.

Piece of Heaven

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I titled this post "Pieces of Heaven" for a reason. I could name dozens of other stories just over the last few weeks were I have gotten a taste of Heaven, down here on earth. A piece, a glimpse of what is to come. And Heaven is coming, friends. This earth is not the end. Today is not the end. There is hope. There is more. There are big and small ways that God is setting things right ... right now. I encourage you to take a step back today. What is giving you a glimpse into eternity today? A "piece of Heaven"?



I have been writing in my personal journal about the word "hope" and what it means to me. Hope has a lot of cheesy phrases that surround it. It's on a lot of coffee mugs, picture frames, necklaces, posters, etc. But what does it really mean? What does it make you feel when you think of the word? For me, hope is the realization that restoration is coming and is even happening today. Things are being made new. Heaven is the full rep