I would like to share a spiritual experience with you that not only was very personal to me, but I believe it has value to every person's life. I would pray that precious Holy Spirit would touch you, and show you how it may apply to your life as well.

This occured in a devastating moment of my life. My husband was into some really terrible things that had destroyed our marriage, and we had just told our two children that we were getting a divorce. If you have been through this experience, you'll relate to place and pain I was in.

After kids had been settled and got busy, I had time alone in my room. I was praying and crying, and I felt Jesus's hand on my head, stroking my hair and comforting me.

Soon, I literally saw a vision of heaven, at first it was Lord and I walking through beautiful green fields, then I saw a lion eating grass. I love animals and this hit me as being profoundly strange. Soon a lamb went up to lion and they began playing together. I knew then what I was seeing wasn't earthly, but heavenly.

We then approached a city, where there was a lot of activity, but I wasn't shown what they were doing, (heaven isn't boring!) they moved in love and with a sense of purpose, but it was a joyful, light thing. Not a stressed out busyness that's common to us. I saw some people dressed in white robes, but were rather plain, I then saw others also in white robes, but they were magnificent, obviously held in high regard and honor.

I questioned Lord about differences between two groups of people. He then showed me plain, first group and what their lives on earth were like, they had sorrow, pain and hardship, and they worked VERY hard at fixing their lives. The Lord asked me what I saw. "I see people in pain working so desperately to fix their lives". Exactly He said.

Then He showed me second group of people, dazzling group, and their lives on earth also, and I saw same circumstances in their lives (some worse in fact), pain, suffering and hardship, but I saw them down on their knees crying out to God for help. They gave their lives over to Him, placing their circumstances in His hands and trusting Him to move for them.

He then showed me their "after" appearance and then asked me what I saw. "Wow, I see God in their lives." Exactly He said. He showed me both groups were equally loved, both groups were equally in hardship, but difference it made in eternity was HOW we responded here on earth to those hardships.

He then told me, "I'm going to introduce you to My Father, you need Him now." At that moment I tried to tell Him no, because all of sudden I felt great fear.

I had NO idea I had a fear of facing The Heavenly Father, until it was presented to me. But it all unveiled so quickly, I really didn't have much time to protest. Jesus sat down at Father's side, and it was like a veil or curtain was pulled aside, and there I was, face to face with The Father!

You know how when you are shocked, sometimes oddest things fly out of your mouth? Your brain is totally by- passed? That's what happened, first words out of my mouth were "Oh, You're kind!" "I was afraid of You." He chuckled and told me that most people are too. I knew that if ANYONE got even one, fast glimpse of His face, they would fall instantly in love! It would be impossible not to, He was so incredible.

“The kingdom of God is… righteousness and peace and joy in Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

I would encourage you to treat guilt as your worst enemy. It won’t help you to become a better person, no matter what some people say about it. Even if it may motivate you to improve yourself, it will ruin your self-esteem in a process. God doesn’t need guilt to correct you, He has a better way. Every message that is filled with guilt, of makes you feel guilty, is not inspired by God, and you don’t need to listen to it. Guilt paralyses, and God does not want to see you paralyzed. He is saying to you:

“Rejoice, for your sins are forgiven!” “Rise up and walk in newness of life!”

When a prodigal son came back to himself and returned to his father, filled with guilt and shame, father (who is symbol of God) didn’t want to listen to his apologies. He rejoiced over his child’s return and invited all people in his household to share this joy. He wanted son to be confident that he is loved and accepted, as if he never left home!

“Bring fatted cow here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:24).

“It was right that we should make merry and be glad” (Luke 15:32).

The lesson of this parable is that God is more willing to forgive us that we are willing to accept His forgiveness.