Nick and Meredith are coming home tonight so they can attend the #1 vs #1 game on Friday Night at our Stadium against Greenwood. Yes, the #1 team in Class 3A is playing the #1 team in Class 5A at Champions Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night. We need you to come and support this game if you are not committed to a local high school football team already. This is a huge ball game for both programs.

Nick and Meredith will also be able to attend Peyton’s 1st birthday party on Saturday afternoon before they return to Dallas pre-Sunday responsibilities. Peyton’s birthday is not until Friday, September 22nd, but Josh and Kate are having the party early due to scheduling and family. Yes, Peyton is fired up about it … I think.  Some of you will say, “Where has this year gone? He is already one year old?!”

Time is a deceiving experience, is it not?  Each of us act and live as if we have no restrictions and life pretty well revolves around us. How untrue that is. Life is racing in a radical way. Somehow we need to get to the point of “taking it in” so much more than we may be doing now. You got any secrets — let me know.

I was at one of our Connection Groups last night, and they were wrapping up a study on the subject of heaven.  They put me on the hot seat for about 30 minutes, asking me all kinds of questions about heaven. When we really center in on that subject or when we lose someone we love, we develop a very inquisitive heart about heaven. Yet, we only know so much and will only know so much.  God keeps so many things mysterious, with heaven being one of the most mysterious of all.

How the Father is longing for all of us to come home. When I think about how much I long for Nick and Meredith to come home to us safely, how much more does the Father in heaven desire for us to come home safely.

Yes, one day we will be safely home … heaven … it will be so much more than we can even imagine … any of you remember these words to the old hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven”? They go like this:

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place.

Refrain:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav’ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold

ONWARD TO YOUR “REAL PRIZE”!