*****MY BOLDEST CLAIM*****

        The only reality is the God of Christ, for without him nothing would exist! (Truth is always bold.)

**Receptive Heart Essential**

        Every time you ask God to bless you or receive his blessing thru a priest, be completely open and the Lord will make you holier. A receptive heart is essential for spiritual growth (entering heaven, more to the point). Letting the Lord have your heart is a smart preemptive move.

***Being Exalted High*

         Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in he holy Eucharist is to be exalted by him in spirit to thje max.

**Three Levels of High Existence*

         When you believe in Christ and follow him, you are lifted out of the world to live on a higher plane. Then when you attain union with the Lord, you reach the highest level of existence in this life. The next higher up plane would be the final level in heaven when you get there. 

**Smart Move**

         Once there's a popular song named "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." If "Daddy" meant our heavenly Father, we'd be heaven bound! Give your heart to God and you'll be going to him.

*****Shockingly Horrible World*****

         While our Lord is meek and humble, we see that the world is full of us who pursue and fight for power, fame, and wealth in a most aggressive way openly or by stealth. This I know: the Lord will put an end to all that one day. 

*****Amazingly Awesome God*****

         In today's 1st reading from Exodus 3, when Moses heard the voice of the LORD from the burning bush, he asked him, "When I go to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: I AM sent me to you." What awesome answers! Now, in John 8, when Jesus said to the Jews that Abraham rejoiced to see his day, the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." Clearly, he revealed to them that he is God. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus said to the crowd, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves." Now, the Almighty God is also meek and humble of heart—how amazingly awesome is our God!

***Today's Question***

         Our sojourn on earth is temporary; we're just passing thru. Why do you act like you are going to be around forever?

***Dealing with Evil

         How do you do it? You don't! Belong to the Lord God and he'll take care of it for you.

**Being Selfless, Not Self-Centered**

         To want to be saved from sin is not being self-centered. In fact, it's being most selfless, for you totally submit yourself to God's call, letting him be your Lord and Savior. 

***Peace from Heaven**

         You experience the most profound peace when you yield yourself completely to God. This is how the Lord has made us, proving that we are his beloved children. It's the peace that can only come from heaven when you are back in your Father's embrace!

***Simple Way to Know the Truth***

         Open your heart wide to the Lord of Christ, hiding absolutely nothing, and you'll now see the whole truth.

***Easy to Communicate with God

         God knows us more than we know ourselves. So ask him to reveal to us how we can change ourselves to become perfect. This is a request he'll always honor! Since he knows me thoroughly, I only need to turn to him and he knows what my heart desires already. This is really cool.

**Suffering, a Christian Duty*

         For our sake, Christ went thru the greatest possible suffering to save us. His suffering was not only physical, but also mental, as many did not believe in him. Today he continues to suffer, as we continue dismissing him. The totality of all our sufferings in this life doesn't even come close to what he underwent and is experiencing still now. The least we could do is to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow him (Matthew 16:24). I don't mean that we go seek suffering, I only mean that we accept sufferings that come our way willingly for his sake.

**Holy Love**

         Communion experience. The love of the Lord is not only pure, but also holy, so it needs to be adored, reverenced, and held in great awe.

***Personal-Tragedy Warning***

         The most recent catastrophic Texas flood tragically wiped out many homes and lives, including more than a score of young campers, not to mention the numerous ongoing tragic situations in human trafficking, drug addiction, etc. Yet most of us still focus upon maximizing our own wealth and comfort, while evildoers continue plotting to hurt others. Soon we'll all meet the Lord alone and be judged by him for better or worse. This could turn out to be a great tragedy for those who are not awake to the truth or reality yet. 

**Union with God Our Best Goal

         Today's psalm response came from Psalm 69. It reads Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live. Obviously, "live" means "to have eternal life." Since we are in constant need for the Lord's support, protection, and guidance, we might as well seek to attain union with him for good.

**Reason I Feel Happy Today*

        I realize that the God of Christ I believe in is one for whom nothing is impossible and he is with me.