Ah, here's the great photo of my brother, Steve, on the beach - his hands raised to take it all in. This is the way I think of him now - I'm sure that the beauty of this beach is nothing compared to the beauty of Jesus. I think of Steve now with his arms raised in worship. This is the way I hope I will always remember him.

There's something about the pull of the ocean that has always made me feel close to God. The sun, the wind, the sand, the smell of the ocean and the beauty of creation all in unison overwhelming my senses. Standing on the beach, feeling the tide pull away and my feet sinking a little deeper into the sand makes me feel so very small yet so very known by my Heavenly Father.

Since Steve's passing, I have been thinking a lot about heaven and about all the wonderful promises of the hope of eternal life. God's children are all going to be given new names, a name only known by God. There's something so amazingly wonderful about that. There are a few people in scripture who received name changes this side of heaven - Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah. Saul became Paul. Simon became Cephas, or Peter. Those changes in their names had meaning. So much is associated with our name, and the one that we will be given by God himself must surely capture the essence of who each of us really are. I wonder if we'll be met in heaven being called by our new name - and then we will truly know that we are known. I can't wait to hear God telling me my name and to know the new name of all my family and friends.

Until then, sweet Steve, I'll remember all that I can about my big brother, especially the way you loved people, and life, and the beach - with arms open wide.