Welcome dear friend, we are going to have such a wonderful time today, I have already prepared a tray with cups, sugar & milk for us…our treats are waiting…
I thought as its such a beautiful sunny autumn day we would sit under our front pergola watching the birds who come & visit our garden each morning.
This black tea blend has many ingredients including cinnamon & peppercorns…our treat is a toasted banana bread slathered with Lemon butter, made from homegrown lemons.
Our front area is protected from the cold winds as we sit in the filtered sunshine, a Kookaburra has just landed on the branch of our umbrella tree. He laughs his laugh…as I sip my tea.
I can definitely taste the cinnamon & the peppercorns…very tasty…perfect with the banana bread.
Defining moments of our lives
This month, was my daughter Candy’s birthday & anniversary, you see she was born sleeping (stillborn) many years ago, so her birthday is also the anniversary of her death.
I haven’t had the raw grief of her loss crash over me for a long time… for I know where she & her little brother, my son Benjamin, also passed away within a year of his older sister, are….both are living in eternity…
How can I be so confident you may ask… faith…
I hope that in reading my experience (link below), it gives you renewed hope & provokes thoughts for deeper reflection in where you may be spending your eternity dear friend, you see its a choice… My experience is shared in the Reading Nook
We choose as to where we will spend eternity, its not an automatic event as popular culture would have us believe.
We need to be prepared for our eternal existence….my choice is with the Creator of the universe & His Son Jesus…
We also need to be prepared for His return…next time I will share how we can do this…
Until then…
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me now in The Reading Nook
Or
In Prayer
© 2018 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All rights reserved. Photo on Pexels.com
Banana bread and lemon butter. What a delicious combination. I love your kookaburra. What a handsome visitor. How wonderful to have had a glimpse of Heaven and know that Candy and Benjamin are waiting for you… Such a beautiful post Jennifer. Thank you.
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A pleasure Brigid, yes we have a family of Kookaburras in the area (they live in family groups), the females bring their chicks to our yard, they like the grubs & worms in our lawn!
Yes a very humbling experience & blessing to know they are there.
I enjoy lemon butter it is so delicious on the banana bread especially when toasted. Mmmm!
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So very hard to lose a child, let alone two and maintain faith. My heart goes out to you.
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Yes it is very hard to lose a child, you too have been on my heart these past few weeks Bernadette, with your significant date approaching. My heart also goes out to you.
My faith is what has kept me strengthened throughout these years…I could not have done it alone. I know who I believe in & His kindness has been relentless to me… even through the most difficult heart wrenching times of losing my children & my late husband. His love was there…
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Jennifer, what a powerful testimony and a command to “go tell”, which all believers must do. I am so sorry for the losses of your children, but what peace and comfort to know they are living with our Father! Thank you for sharing God’s love through your blog and the all important message of “where will you spend eternity?” Hugs
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Thank you Pam, it was an amazing & truly humbling time… Yes His command is for all of His followers…Jennifer
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This was a very timely reminder. My grandfather had a similar experience and was very angry at being resuscitated. Thanks for your telling of your visit to eternity.
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I’m glad you enjoyed my experience Elizabeth, I can understand your grandfather’s discontent.
I wasn’t too pleased at first either but quickly realized that it was God’s will & Jesus words were very clear…
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The gift of my grandfather’s return was the faith boost it gave to my grandmother. She told me late in life “if Grandpa says Heaven is real, I believe him.”
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God works in infinitely mysterious ways…
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience! Now I know why I have always sensed such a sweet peace in all of your words! Tasting eternity such as you have, has imprinted you with a bit of that glory still covering you! May the Lord bless you to keep sharing.
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What a lovely & very humbling thing to say Bette, thank you! Blessings to you dear friend.
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Hi Jennifer!
How encouraging and powerful to consider the images in the excerpt of your book! I have few words to describe their impact. Thanks so much for sharing them. How sweet His presence is indeed! Come, Lord Jesus!
Hugs,
Pam
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Amen!
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience, Jennifer! It is such a blessing to read and it must have brought such comfort to see for yourself where Candy and Benjamin are. The hope of eternity is beautiful and yet it is so easy to lose sight of that at times. As you say, I love how our posts tied together this week!
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It is so exciting to see the Spirit of God coordinating His message around the world!
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Hugs to you🌸 I can’t begin to know this pain but I’m so sorry that it happened to you.💕
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Thank you.
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Thanks for sharing your testimony, Jennifer. The hope we have is real, and Jesus is certainly coming back again for us to take us to a definite place. You would see your babies again one day. Blessings to you.
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Yes, I definitely know where they are & am assured of seeing them again. It’s a pleasure to share, so glad you dropped by Boma.
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It is most difficult to experience the loss of a child. May your words always bring the comfort others may need. The photo of the bird is just precious and caused me to turn to the reminder: “”And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” (Matt. 10:30-31, NLT). Blessings to you today!
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Lovely to have you drop by Joanne, we have such an amazingly loving & caring Heavenly Father, thank you for that reminder.
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I am so sorry for your loss, Jennifer–but so glad that we have hope in Jesus!
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Thank you Anita, I am too!
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Your Excerpt was very touching and insightful, Jennifer. I admire your faith and conviction as you deal with the loss of two children. Thank you for sharing your message of hope with others!
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Thank you for your kind words & dropping by! It is a pleasure to share the hope that I have found with others… Jennifer
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The grief sometimes surprises, doesn’t it? I call the day of my daughter’s passing away her heaven day, and I take time every year to remember and reminisce.
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I love that Debbie “her Heaven day”…what is her name?
Yes grief can be very intense at times… Can’t it… even years later…seemingly out of the blue too!
Did you get to read my Excerpt of my heaven experience?
I bet your daughter is having fun with Candy & Benjamin in the garden I saw!
Sending you Big hugs new friend,
Jennifer
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It is so very hard to lose a child. I lost mine before we even had a chance to find out if it was a boy or girl. It’s been 5 years now and I still cry over losing a child I never met. My faith in the Lord and my husband’s love is what got me through the pain.
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My heart goes out to you Dani,
did you get to read the Excerpt of what I experienced in heaven…our children are safe in God’s pure joy, comfort & love…that I also experienced in the short time I was there…
We can rest in that…as the waves of grief grow less in that acceptance ♥ Jennifer
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A kookaburra! Thanks for sharing that photo, but even more: thank you for sharing your story. I’m sorry that this deep and painful loss is part of your journey. It’s wonderful that you are free to share it with others who may be suffering silently.
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Hi Michele,
It is a joy to share my experience, so that others may know the hope that is awaiting those whom choose to spend eternity with Jesus & our Father. And that it is real & I know where my children are!
I have shared my experience of heaven many times over the years.
It was definitely God’s timing to share it with those of you whom enjoy dropping by for a cuppa & reflection together.
Jennifer
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Hi! I’m visiting from Friendship Friday at #115/116. Your writing has such a gentle and welcoming feel to it. I appreciate you sharing your story and hope to read more from you in the future.
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Hi, lovely to have you drop by & thank you for your kind words.
I look forward to our next cuppa together!
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So sorry for your losses, Jennifer. My youngest daughter had two stillborn daughters–Brittney and Elizabeth. I keep a remembrance basket for those two little angels we will meet again at God’s grand reunion, but their earthly loss still touches our hearts and brings tears. Thoughts, hugs and prayers… ❤ xo
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P.S. Just returning from your EXCERPT… Thanks so very much for sharing your heavenly experience. Thanks to the love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, one day we’ll join him in Paradise.
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Definitely Bette,
Brittney & Elizabeth, Candy & Benjamin are enjoying Paradise now & what joy they are in.
But yes we still grieve their loss from our lives & we need to be kind to ourselves when grief comes upon us…Don’t we…
I love the way you celebrate your grandchildren little lives Bette… How beautiful. ♥
Hugs,
Jennifer
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Smiling as I picture our four little darlings in heaven and sending you hugs, Jennifer. ❤
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Me too, Bette ♥
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Visiting from Thoughtful Thursday link up. Such a beautiful post. The hope of eternity with Jesus and the promise of sweet reunion with our loved ones, what wondrous peace that gives.
Praising God for His grace and thanking Him for you. Loss is so painful, only Jesus can bring hope in its midst. Sweet blessings to you.
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Definitely, lovely to have you drop by Cheryl, yes we do have an amazing promise.
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You have a beautiful spirit. I see Christ shine in you!
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Thank you for your encouraging & humbling words, ♥ …my constant prayer is more of Jesus & less of Jennifer!
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My heart aches as I think of your loss, Jennifer. I’m grateful for the amazing testimony that God has granted you as an encouragement to others and thank you sincerely for courageously sharing your story.
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Thank you Carlie, it’s a pleasure to share God’s love especially from the toughest experiences.
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Oh, Jennifer…beautifully clear and comforting to me this day. Thank you for inviting me over and giving me this to read. I am able to read this now and am alright. A clarity of “going on ahead of” me, as Kenneth told me, alongside your words, gives me a sweet peace. Thank you for sharing. with love, ~ linda
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Linda,
I am delighted that you were able to drop by & found comfort & encouragement in the experience of heaven at this time.
I’m sure my Gint walked up to your Kenneth & shook his hand in welcome, as was his custom welcome here…but more importantly they are both hugging & shaking hands with Jesus before the throne of God! What joy! ♥
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Thank you for sharing your journey. I am so sorry for your loss of Candy and Benjamin. I imagine the loss sweeps over you when you least expect it.
I love to sit and imagine what my loved ones are doing in heaven; it brings me such peace. Hang on to that incredible faith of yours and thank you for sharing it.
Blessings, Maree
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Thank you Maree, yes, although the length of time the wave of grief hits is now much further a part in time then it once was.
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I am so sorry for your loss, Jennifer. I have no words.
I am thankful you had a vision of where your children are. God was so gracious to allow that, and you are gracious to share your vision.
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Thank you Jerralea ❤️
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