Today would have been my mom and dad’s 68th wedding anniversary. My dad passed from this life into his eternal home in September of 2009. I still miss him and his stubborn ways. But one thing that lives on is his commitment to family and faith. I cannot thank him enough for his stubbornness in making sure we were immersed in truth and his love for family. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

The day after (Christmas) turned out to be a real bummer for me. I woke up not feeling well and the longer I was up, the worse I felt. I spent the day on the couch under my weighted blanket, watching hours of Hallmark Christmas movies.

The next day, four more family members had the same thing, crawling from bed to bathroom and back again. It always makes me appreciate health when I get sick.

As I recovered, I found another movie to watch. This time I chose “Heaven is for Real.” I read the book a few years ago, but it was inspiring to watch this account of a little boy’s interaction with Jesus.

After my dad passed away, I struggled. One afternoon soon after his death, I was driving and thinking about Dad and heaven and I found myself wondering, “What if this is all just a big joke? Where is Dad now?”

As quickly as I thought it, I “heard” a voice say to me, “If it weren’t so, I would have told you. But I am going to prepare a place for you…and I will come back and take you to be with me there.”

If you are familiar with scripture, these are Jesus’ words to the disciples in John 14. As I listened to the words replay in my mind, I immediately felt peace that I cannot describe. I knew in that moment that heaven is real. My dad is there with Jesus and the angels and all the others that have gone on before me.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. ”

John 14:1-6

May the words of Jesus comfort and bring you peace in whatever you are experiencing today!