THE REAL BUCKET LIST
“THE BUCKET LIST” is a comedy-drama about two terminally ill men who meet while sharing a hospital room. Morgan Freeman plays a family man who typically put his own desires on the back burner. In contrast, Jack Nicholson’s role is that of a self-centered, wealthy health-care tycoon. As they come to terms with the end [...]
CAPTURING INTIMACY BY SHARING STORIES
You may know how uncomfortable it is to try and carry both sides of a conversation. Such was the dilemma I faced with my maternal grandmother, Mimi. As she lost more and more of her vision, her world was shrinking. Although she was receiving excellent care in a small group home, her health was declining [...]
PROCRASTINATION REDUCES YOUR OPTIONS
HERITAGE OF HOPE is a preventative ministry designed to make your fourth quarter and your departure from this world as trouble free and God-honoring as possible. More and more, however, we receive inquiries from alumni who wish to support someone who is now facing the end of this life—unprepared. Typically, the alumni’s friend is in [...]
THE EXIT STRATEGIES OF THREE KINGS
In this little book, Breaking the King Saul Syndrome, author Jonathan Martin contrasts King Saul’s fearful, jealous reign (I Samuel 8-31) to the faith-based generosity of his son, Jonathan. Jonathan willingly assisted his own replacement, David (I Samuel 20). Are we, like Jonathan, listening to the Lord and placing obedience above our own interests? Few [...]
IN CASE OF RAPTURE . . .
Heritage of Hope aims to prepare for the end-of-this-life, but an individual departure is assumed. What if you were part of the Rapture? If you suddenly disappeared, would your family know what to do? Would they be with you? Only Father knows how and when the biblical prophecies will play out, but the way of [...]
WHAT IS YOUR STATUS IN GOD’S ARMY?
I once asked the Lord about His army. He answered me on a sunny day in October, 1997 in Washington, DC. When He spoke, I was standing by the Washington Monument looking back toward the Lincoln Memorial. The National Mall was filled to overflowing with more than a million men, both young and old. None [...]
WHAT DOES DEATH HAVE TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS?
Set in the 1950’s with capable acting, The Gathering is a nostalgic, heart-warming Christmas movie. Unexpectedly, the opening scene introduces DEATH as a life-changing force in the form of a terminal diagnosis. The recipient, Adam Thornton (Ed Asner), is a powerful, proud businessman with a strong personality and a back trail of broken relationships. [...]
A TIME TO HONOR (Brian C. Wilson’s story)
After hours at highway speeds, Camp Pendleton was far behind, some 900 miles behind. Brian was pleased to drive the rental truck for his deployed son’s young family, but the grandkids were restless, and their mother was hoping to make Boise before dark. Even stopped for gas, he was hustling internally. What is taking so [...]
A DAY WITHOUT DEATH
A day without death was the wish of Clavius Aquila Valerius Niger, the fictitious Tribune whose encounters with Jesus of Nazareth are chronicled in the movie, Risen. Although he wielded much authority, Clavius’ job was basically that of an executioner. He oversaw the crucifixions in Jerusalem and quelled uprisings with the superior force of [...]
JESUS KNEW
JESUS KNEW he was going to die as revealed by Luke 9:51-53. When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people [...]