"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love of the Father is not in him(1 John 2:15)."

       I once believed that heaven would contain a camp exactly like Scout camp, but with ice cream machines in every tent. But then I went down there last summer and there was an ice cream machine in the trading post. It didn't seem as good of an idea. There are too many scoutmasters who let their boys eat junk food all the time.
       In the leader's cabin, I had to sleep on a wooden plank. That, compiled with bug bites, also made it far from being heaven.
       During her sermon that summer, the camp minister spoke about our camping session like it was some gospel filled wholesome religious experience, like heaven. If she'd taken off her rose colored glasses for a minute, she would have seen that most of the campers were acting like Eric Cartman from South Park. It wasn't quite heaven.
       I think God tests us about our favorite things, those things we `can't live without,' by taking the good qualities out of them, to see whether we love Him or our things.
       The real things we should love and cherish are not that autographed baseball card, a camp, that fancy car or that computer. The things we should love and treasure are our spiritual blessings, the kingdom of God, and the love of God. Things that can't be hoarded, but only shared with others.