Amen perhaps, Tom, to needing nothing / being fully provided for / nothing like we've ever experienced. But I believe, based on our currently understood state as "imagers of God," attributes understood and enjoyed already, plus the fact that He declares we shall be "like Him," that we currently have a great deal of relevant experience. Compassion, probably making us quite effective as rulers and reigners, is in us already. Even most unbelievers have compassion at some level. Creativity now satisfies us. Accomplishment satisfies us. Curiosity draws out our time, talent, and effort. Purpose, meaning, and mission... All will survive I'm sure. Consider that all the Fruits of the Spirit are familiar to those He inhabits -- the Spirit-filled believers. These attributes will survive. Ad grow! And thrive! Models and clues abound, in my opinion. Just because we will be perfectly provided for there and then, lacking struggles for example, does not imply to me that we will be or have nothing like we are or possess now. What was pre-fall Adam and his environment like? In many aspects nearly identical with now. With Eden restored, i.e., God's plan, I believe there will be millions of things for us and them to do, as originally intended. All of us "imagers," down here. We after all return with Him. All of our reason for existing, which we already have solid clues about, will unfold. But this time unhampered. iMHO... :yes: Yes, its hard to imagine a glorified body free from sin since sin is all we know so far. But we are promised a sinless body! :yahoo: So there won’t be anyone bickering or jealously and we will all be happy to see the talents of each brother and sister. I hope there are baking, candy making, and cooking contests. Wouldn’t it be awesome to be a judge and get to sample everything ... well, almost everything ... a big NO to the fish dishes. :negative: Hi Geri, a "big NO to fish dishes"? I love fish dishes! :yes: Or am I missing something? Hey Geri, looks like you and Jonah have something in common..... :yahoo: :unsure: :wacko: LOL ... Oh boy ... I sense a gang up here ... ok, before I have to walk the plank like Jonah ... Hear me out .... I’m seriously not fond of “hairy fish” aka anchovies. The same goes with crustaceans - crab, lobster, shrimp. They are EXTREMLEY smelly and tasteless. You have to admit the restaurants really need to doctor up those dishes .... saturate it with a few sticks of melted butter and shrimp hast to be fried in at least 3 layers of bread crumb and then dipped into a cold tomato sauce to disguise the nastiness and trick the customers into thinking its “edible”. And don’t get me started with escargot ... gag .... you seriously like snails? And slimy clams/mussels? Shivers ... And last but not least ... Caviar “fish eggs”? Eww I’m positive the marriage supper will ONLY be land animal meals of: steak, prime ribs, filet mignon, chicken, lamb, ham, and Italian dishes. :mdrmdr: Love it! But I will respectfully disagree with you about the marriage supper. When Jesus fed the multitude, twice, on both occasions He didn't feed them steak, prime ribs, filet mignon (my favorite), chicken, lamb, ham, or Italian dishes. He fed them fish! But fear not, sister. When we are at the banquet table I'm sure one of two things will have taken place. Either our glorified bodies will have a special hunger and delight for fish, or the table will be lavish with every good and desirable foods to eat. Probably the latter. And I would suspect that the Nutella and salmon would be far away from one another 😉 I just re-read the story of feeding of the 5,000. I noticed the boy carrying the picnic basket was poor since he settled on retrieving 2 small mercury filled smelly fish out from the sea; and he spent all his money on the 5 barley loaves. I noticed Jesus concentrated on the loaves of bread - He picked them up and gave thanks .... symbolizes He is the Bread of Life. “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.“ When Jesus chose Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and a few other fishermen to be His disciples .... He told them to drop their livelihood of toxic fishing and to “follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Then after the resurrection Jesus appeared unto them ... they were depressed and confused and Peter was still upset about betraying Jesus. Notice they went back to their old trade of toxic fishing. Jesus was there to comfort them, explain more things to them and He was encouraging them again to become fisher of men and to start up His church. I reckon though the Lord “might” give you fish lovers your wish of a tiny sampling of fish horderves at a table .... down by the sea shore. It will not be a hop skip or jump from the King’s mega smorgasbord table of sumptuously delicious land animal meals. By the way ...what is your view on coffee? I’m strongly leaning towards toxic coffee and coffee ice cream will be missing in heaven. No worries though ... pretty much every other ice cream flavor will be there. During my studies I found out after the fall the coffee bean plant started sprouting at the same time as the poison ivy vine. :yes: Looks like the hot beverages will be: Tea (fresh tea leaves picked from the Tree of Life and then brewed - hot or cold). Hot Cocoa with lots of marshmallows, whip cream and cherries since the cocoa bean was thankfully included in with the creation of plant life. Lots of cold drinks to choose from as well: wine, water, lemonade, cran-grape juice, pineapple juice, OJ, etc. I am SO glad I was not in a public library when I read this: "I noticed the boy carrying the picnic basket was poor since he settled on retrieving 2 small mercury filled smelly fish out from the sea; " I burst our laughing so loud it would have made the librarian in the "What's in your wallet" commercial sound tame by comparison! :mdrmdr: Too funny! I'm also glad I wasn't taking in a sip of lovely coffee, either, as I would be cleaning my computer screen right now! I am just glad our Lord did not leave you in charge of our consumables lest I have nothing left to enjoy, as I am a lover of coffee. Not that over roasted, bitter, motor oil sold at a ridiculous premium at a very well known coffee enterprise out of Seattle, but the stuff I make at home. Now, with that said, I will join you in the love of hot cocoa! Mmmm! Good stuff, especially when you add coffee to it 😉 You're a riot, Geri! You crack me up. I'm sure glad that we believers have "glorious freedom," which includes our culinary preferences. And that we also possess discernment, enabling whosoever will to see through certain biased insinuations about aquatic foods. Good try, Geri. Even if toxicity fears planted by doubters up there persist, Jesus could simply reassure them, "You have eternal life." Along with my intrepid friend Yohanan, I'm also looking forward to seafood being one of those "pleasures at our right hand forevermore." Viva la Pisces! Viva la shellfish! Viva la crustaceans! Viva la butter! Oh, and Viva la Cafe!! I'm so sorry for your loss, Geri. :whistle: Your deluded but joyful anyway brother in Christ, Dan Well if you think about it ... the Bible gives a couple of clues ... extremely small fish that wasn’t cooked ... what else can it be that poor boy was carrying ... it had to be nasty sardines! :wacko: No wonder the Lord only held up the bread loaves and blessed them! I betcha He even warmed up the bread to persuade the crowd to take the bread because they were very hungry and He didn’t want them to get food poisoning munching on the uncooked sardines.... :good: Yeah we are in agreement Starbucks coffee is gross. Every time I would go into Barnes and Noble they were always trying to give out their free samples of their latest drink. I always refused and said I much prefer a free sample from the bakery department. Some workers were so kind they actually started to hand out their cookies! In charge of consumables! LOL Hey, the scary thing is I do have some experience in that field .... so you never know. B-) Perhaps I will have a small part-time assignment at the heavenly Rainbow Row snack shop like I did at summer camp? Just pray I’m not assigned to snack shop duties because I was very successful in persuading many from wanting a coffee ice cream cone. Told them that flavor has been sitting around and full of ice crystals (it really was), how about Chocolate Almond instead? And those who wanted “the works” ice cream soda float (that consisted of every flavor). I just left out coffee ice cream and gave them an extra scoop of vanilla, they were clueless and still happy. If I’m required to make coffee ... I’m borrowing Dan’s line here ,with the dress clothes commercial ... “you will not like the way it taste, I guarantee it” 😉 Dan, The Lord promises the bad things in this life we wont remember anymore. I’m hoping all you who crave “fish and coffee” will not remember them in the next life. :whistle: Dan & Yohanan, I’m raising my white flag and I will admit heaven is going to be incredible. I guarantee we will all be happy and you and the others who enjoy seafood and coffee and those who hate those smelly aroma fumes ... somehow ,someway they won’t bother us anymore. It was fun joking with you both. :rose: You are too funny! See, if you had been serving that coffee ice cream it wouldn't have had ice crystals in it! They didn't need to cook the fish. they served it as sushi and everyone was happy :yes: When it comes to ice cream, haagen dazs mint chip can't be beat! Reuben Mattus had a vision from Heaven when he came up with that! Oh no! Don't raise the white flag! I am so enjoying this. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. You have a wonderful sense of humor Wait a minute ... I believe it was the Japanese who invented sushi and in the 19th Century! And .... eating raw meat dishes the Lord forbade! Nice try :stinkerbell: I’ve never had the Haagen Dazs brand ... thanks for the heads up ... I will have to check out the mint chip! :good: 
And if you say hey wait a minute ... what about innocent “salmon” .... forget it ... it can’t be on the heavenly table. Because ... “what happens when you put Nutella on Salmon? You get salmonella. :whistle:
🙁 :unsure: 😉
