Heaven and the Afterlife

I'm sorry I haven't posted pictures of the items I purchased at the Amish quilt auction. It's only Wednesday and it's already been one of those weeks!

The winner of Stray Affections was Cindy Magnin, so congrats to Cindy!

I did some rummage saling today in between work, errands, and picking Mia up from school. I found some fantastic finds too. Hopefully eBay will continue to be a blessing to my mom and I. The tie I posted a pic of last week actually sold for $28! I'm definitely on the look-out for more vintage ties! It's funny how the market changes over time. Mom and I have been doing this for over five years, and when we first started, we tried listing some old feedsacks. We couldn't even get a 99 cent bid at the time. Today we sold out of all that we had, and none went for less than $3, with several over $10!!

Tonight is the annual library book sale for the Falls, which is one of my favorite days of the entire year. Jesse's taking care of Mia and her homework, and I cleaned out the back of the van in preparation for lots of boxes. =)

Heaven and the Afterlife by James M. Garlow with Keith Wall is an indepth look at what the Bible really has to say about what happens to us after death, along with several accounts of near death experiences. Garlow tackles one of the most asked questions in the world, no matter what culture: what happens to us after we die? The book begins with several near death experiences, both heavenly and hellish, and Garlow uses Scripture to put these stories into perspective. The real meat of the book are the chapters about the nature of Heaven and Hell. Oddly enough, Heaven has gotten a bad rap as a boring place filled with clouds, harps, and white robes. Garlow shatters that myth and makes eternity sound like an exciting place full of life, laughter, and love. My favorite quote in the book was: A great frustration for me here on earth is being kept from so many books I want to read. I plan to spend part of my eternity reading every book worthy of my attention. While Heaven is a place of rest, it's also a place of learning, teaching, eating, and enjoying all of the good things of this life. He answered all of my questions thoroughly. Many people today are leaning away from believing in Hell as a real place, but Garlow demonstrates with Scripture after Scripture how it is real, and some people will most definitely go there. Each chapter is easily read in a single night, and its written in a very conversational tone, making it an enjoyable read as well as an educational one.

I'm starting a new contest today to give away two copies of The Book that Made America: How the Bible Formed Our Nation by Jerry Newcombe. It's an interesting study about how the United States was created with Christian principles. If you'd like to win, just drop me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, September 10th. I'll announce the winners here on Friday. Good luck!