well "Zapchaser" I was asking you the question ...is your ultimate goal in life to work seven days a week in back pain ..or are you more than that ..and if so then what? ..wasn't that your original question?

My ultimate goal is to enjoy my life. Whether I work seven days a week or one, it is my choice and as long as I am living my dream of owning my own business I will continue to do so. Maybe if you read my original question you might, just might, stop trying to read into it whatever isn't there.Try this..... If you became a Christian (assuming that you aren't for the sake of this discussion), what would you change in your life? I understand that the question begs a purely speculative answer. I am simply interested in people's thoughts on how life after death or simply the end for some would affect their outlook on life if their view suddenly changed. The question is not based on my Christian views. JB for example believes in reincarnation. Her thoughts on how she might view life if it were to simply end would be of interest to me.Crap! I'm confusing myself now!

"Zapchaser" no need to turn on me if the origianl question you yourself presented was vague...all I was saiding was what difference does it make how you lead your life if the outcome would be the same..Death ..and it wouldn't make a difference if one was christian or not because believe it or not there are christians in prison and christian serial killers so living as a christian wouldn't make you any different ...

you choose to do what you do because you had to make a choice from a limited set of options of things you could do and one of those options is not cheating death and that was what I was trying to get across ..sorry I took it too deep

After receiving the Holy Spirit in '87 my life was forever different.

My mother came to ask me after a couple of years if I believed in eternal life, as iin life after death. That took a minute to contemplate...she, in her impatience offerd, "well, you don't have to answer me, if you don't want to".
well....that wasn't it, actually. Eternal life wasn't what I had sought, nor was absolution. I just wanted God to tell me what's up, personally.

And for that, everything was put on hold until God answered....and believe me when I say this....I wasn't about to imagine He did, should He. And I certainly wasn't going to quit praying until God did. It took a few things to lead the way for that to ultimately occur, but God did and does speak to me.

I can say, that as my life has been advised and inspired by God's presence, that the things in the Bible that don't make sense, only make sense in Christ.

That the New Testament letters, mainly written to the early church, tell of what to expect as maturity in the Spirit takes shape; it is relevant and pertinent to say that the writings affirm the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer.

That, then, gives creedence to eternal life in terms of immortality, but not in terms of becoming gods.

But knowing what that is, exactly, is left for us to experience when it occurs. Whether Christian or not we shall all be changed.

What comes of that I cannot say but for myself. And of all that I know, I shall be where Jesus is.

Where does any wish to be found, if it is true?

The answer to me is not necessary. I am not the judge of anothers eternal state of being.

The answer lies in that WHICH IS DICTATING THE DIRECTION OF CONSCIENCE. In that, I am certain.

That's okay funches, I can be a bit slow at times. Peace friend!

Abra..if you were to stand before Holy God...and you will one day.. ...you would not be able to even stand in His Mighty Presence.

But Abra.....after God would gently raise you back to your feet, after you fell out in His Presence....then He would show you the nail scars in his hands..and when you saw..you would then finally believe ..and weep.

"MorningSong" I'm not sure how you know that Abracadabra couldn't stand in God's presense but it reminds me of an episode of Star Trek {Kirk, Spock} when this alien ambassador was so ugly that no human could look at it so when the alien ambassador was beamed aboard the Starship Enterprise they had to keep the alien in a metal container.. only Mr. Spock could look at the alien when the container was open but he had to place on special glasses .... the point of the story is Abracadabra could be Spock and that those that are not worthy are the ones that can't stand in God's supposely almighty presense because why would God make it impossible for one to do so unless he felt that they was unworthy