What is Heaven, Anyway?

I've been Reading a book, Things Unseen, which has got me thinking about what is heaven like. Because, if it is anything like a church service for eternity, it's not going to be good. Because, no matter how good the talk, I get a bit itchy towards the 45 minute mark. And, clouds, and what ever the old style thoughts of heaven, that isn't what I want. it sounds boring, unbelievable, and ultimately ridiculously pointless.

So, what am I aiming for? What am I living towards?

I always find it quite hard to believe in Heaven. Especially as my childish (mis) understanding of it is made up from ideas like living in clouds, being in a church, or not having fun. I find it hard to believe that God would create something like my view of heaven, just as much as I would believe that he created a place with fire and endless pain and torture for people that he loves.

What would it mean to walk with God? More to the point, walk with God with eternity?

From what I have learnt over the past few years about heaven, is that it is essentially going to be like Earth, but better. It's going to be better than anything I can think or imagine, and yet, we are going to have bodies, like our own, and I'm not going to be just spirit.

But what is Heaven going to be like? Because it's meant to be like Earth, but better. But Earth is a shadow of it's former self, so how am I meant to know what heaven is meant to be like. I can see the beauty and awesomeness in Earth, where Heaven has broken through, and yet, I still don't really know what it means to live with my eyes on Heaven, never mind what it's going to be like when I finally get there.

What am I living for? I want to know what it means to be living in the presence of God, in the way I'm designed to be.

(I'm guessing if anyone has read Mark Buchanan's book, you'd probably guess at how far I've got in the book. And why I got wondering about John the Baptiser.)