Its been a busy few days here. Today I'm thinking of my Mum a good bit. We have a pair of curtains in our garage that were from her and Dad's mobile home from about 1975 or so. It's always a marvel to me how something like that can still be here while the people I love aren't. Of course I am very glad they are in heaven, I don't want to seem morbid, just comtemplative. When our daughter passed on to be with the Lord, the verses of the rich man who died and went to hell were actually comforting to me. It seems funny in a way, but here is an account of a very alive man who died and was buried, yet here he is in hell, 'lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off'....and crys out for Abraham to send Lazarus to give him a drop of water....and when he is told that is impossible...he asks for Lazarus to be sent to his 5 brothers and testify to them that they would repent and not come to that terrible place. It strikes me every so often, that that is just the way it is today. We are here, living on top of the earth....for a short while compared to eternity. Here many of us have heard the gospel...there are Bibles everywhere where we can read how God's son the Lord Jesus, suffered and died on Calvery, and then rose from the dead and ever lives. Yet most people don't see that the message from God is for them personally. By what we do with Jesus, repent and accept him as Saviour, or reject him....we seal our fate. Heaven or hell. Well, if you are still with me, you are probably wondering how this passage from Luke chapter 16 verses 23 to 31 could be a comfort to me at the time of the death of our daughter. Well, it was because even though the rich man had died, God reveals that he is still alive and sees, hears, thirsts etc. Thats the way it is for all who die. I love it where Jesus says to the thief on the cross...'this day, thou shalt be with me in paradise'. No need of baptism or any manmade ordinance. Just a sinner who realized he was a sinner and deserved seperation from God and asked for Jesus mercy. God saved him...on the spot. I love it!. Thats the way we all get saved. On the spot...realize we are sinners, repent, turn from our sinful selves to God and ask for salvation. It was a tremendous comfort to me that our 16 year old was seeing and talking and I knew she was in heaven from her testimony....what she said and lived like. A great comfort. The other place in scripture that blessed me at that time...and it was a terribly hard time...I missed her more than I can express to you here in words....for years...literally. The other passage was when Jesus was transfigured on the mount, and it was said, as he appeared there with men whom all knew to have died long ago, God is not the god of the dead but of the living. I can't locate the passage quickly but I love those words. John 11:verse 25 & 26.."I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, thought he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?".....Believe me, when you stand at the bedside of your dying daughter or loved one, you need the personal relationship with God that will give you sweet peace that your loved one will be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. And that you also by faith in the shed blood of his son Jesus Christ , who suffered and died and rose again for your sins, covers you in His righteousness, and says, Enter in, I have paid for his (her) sins. Thats what being saved is, praying that sinners prayer, that comes from a broken heart that realizes, I am born a tainted sinner but God loves me. John 3:16. There are moments most every day, when I grieve for just abit for the seperation from my mother and tears slip down my cheeks, but there are other moments when I think of her...set free from her wheelchair and paralysis and all her pain and I rejoice!! to know where she is and with whom. All glory to God, my Saviour. I so hope you will see your need to be saved by Jesus if you never have before. Romans 3:23 'for all have sinned'....6:23 'the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord....10:9 "That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved..."