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	<title>West Cobb Church / Ken Williams Blog &#187; heaven</title>
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		<title>Heaven &amp; Esther</title>
		<link>http://www.westcobbchurch.com/blog/2010/03/25/heaven/</link>
		<comments>http://www.westcobbchurch.com/blog/2010/03/25/heaven/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:15:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ken Williams</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[March (iServe)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Esther]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heaven]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Sit down in the swing, Ken, while I get us some lemonade.&#8221; Those words were music to my ears.  When I was in my mid 20&#8242;s and serving full-time in my first church, I&#8217;d stop by the house of Polly Smith, a sweet southern belle.  Polly was 70+ years old and oozed wisdom.  We&#8217;d sit [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>&#8220;Sit down in the swing, Ken, while I get us some lemonade.&#8221;</em> Those words were music to my ears.  When I was in my mid 20&#8242;s and serving full-time in my first church, I&#8217;d stop by the house of Polly Smith, a sweet southern belle.  Polly was 70+ years old and oozed wisdom.  We&#8217;d sit in the shadow of a giant oak tree, sipping homemade lemonade and talking about life.</p>
<p>One hot summer afternoon, I told Polly that I wasn&#8217;t very excited about heaven.  <em>&#8220;I know that sounds unspiritual, Polly, but heaven just doesn&#8217;t &#8216;do much&#8217; for me.&#8221; </em>Without hesitation, Polly replied, <em>&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s normal, Ken.  You haven&#8217;t lived long enough.  But that&#8217;ll change.  One day, you&#8217;ll know more people in heaven than you know on earth.  That&#8217;s when heaven becomes your home.  And when that happens, you&#8217;ll be ready to go home.&#8221; </em></p>
<p>As I read about these servants in the Bible, I sense that their hearts were set more on heaven, than on this earth.  Maybe it&#8217;s because life didn&#8217;t offer as many &#8216;goodies&#8217; as it does today.  Americans live under the &#8216;illusion of the good life&#8217;.  We honestly believe that life on this earth can be really good for us.  But no matter how good life gets, it doesn&#8217;t fill that heaven-shaped hole in our heart.</p>
<p>When I hear Esther say, &#8220;If I perish, I perish,&#8221; I realize that she didn&#8217;t live under the &#8216;illusion of the good life.&#8217;  Heaven was her home.  Following God meant more to her than anything else.  And it&#8217;s this perspective that gave her boldness, in spite of her fears.</p>
<p>Polly Smith is still alive today.  Her body is failing her.  Most of her friends are gone.  And when God calls, she&#8217;s ready to go home.</p>
<p>What about you?  Where&#8217;s your home, this earth or heaven?  I&#8217;d love to hear your thoughts.  Also, I want some of you to share how God draws your gaze toward heaven&#8230;</p>
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