New blog

First things first: Amy and I now have a blog with current events in our lives. This way, you can see what's going on without having to muddle through all my thoughts on this blog. The URL is: http://connerandamyarmstrong.blogspot.com/

And now to the thoughts that you're welcome to muddle through.

My subject today is all my hope and yet I feel like I'm only reconciled to it, not really hoping in it: Heaven.

"When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matt. 13:46


I talked about this passage in my Bible class yesterday, mainly because I have one student in there who thinks that the Bible is plausibly true but is not going to throw his life into it, at least not yet. As you and I are well aware, this is problematic. You can't think the Bible is true and not put your faith in it. As Sheldon VanAuken writes in A Severe Mercy, "No one is incidentally a Christian." No, this pearl is not for putting on the shelf and looking at. It is the thing for which we get rid of all others to own. He sold everything so he could own a pearl of infinite value. He gave it all up.

And that's our calling. My calling is to forget my dreams and dream a better one. As I wrote in my poem, a few blogs below, "There are higher mountains in Heaven than the ones you've missed." But the ones I've missed here on earth on the ones I feel for. My calling is to admit the ache I have for the things I sojourn with on earth and pass them by for the Pearl of Greatest Price.

I don't understand why it's so hard to choose Something that's better anyway.