**How to Die for Christ*

        Jesus has died for us. How can we die for him? Simple, just deny yourself and obey him.

***Be the Best You for God

         Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. John was called to point the way to Jesus. God has a mission for each of us to fulfill. When you succeed, you become the best you.

*****LET'S END CHILD SLAVERY!*****

        On June 8, I posted An Evil We Must Fight about the horrible crime of child trafficking. Now the movie Sound of Freedom is out and I strongly urge everyone to go see it. It comes out on July 4th in the States and many people have already bought tickets. Please watch the video below and do your part to end this evil. 

***How to Stop Worrying

        If you can give yourself, your family, and all your possessions to God, you'll not worry about anything anymore. 

***Our Greatest Blindness

         Not seeing that God loves us!

**Communion Wish

         After receiving the Lord, I wished that he would take me completely apart and rebuild me into a new, perfect creature. This would definitely please both of us very much.

**To Move or Not to Move*

        My wife and I have been wondering if we should also leave California, as many other residents have already left for Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and other states. This wouldn't be so difficult if I were single and much younger. I still remember the days I could easily pack all my belongings into one old car and take off. In fact, that was how I came to California. I parked my car overnight in a garage in Los Angeles and someone broke into it and took all my clothing. And I was left only with my books. Today as I look around my house, I see so many possessions, some really big. To move to a different state would mean disposing of many old things, changing info on many accounts, notifying a lot of people, finding a new home, acquiring new things to start all over again, etc. It's going to be a hassle. What I have is like a big "mess" accumulated after having lived so long. In theory, I can just get rid of everything and leave, but in practice it's not that simple. I must seek and follow God's will always, remembering that I am merely passing thru this world. 

***Special Union Consolation

        In union with the Lord, you feel both his joys and his sorrows. Rejoicing and suffering along with him brings a great consolation to the spirit.

***Living the Secret Life in God

        In today's reading from Matthew 6, Jesus taught about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Essentially, the Lord teaches that if we do all these things openly to show how righteous we are, then we are like the hypocrites. Instead, he wants us to perform all righteous deeds secretly, known to the Father only, hidden from others. Then the Father wi'll repay us in secret. Blessed are those who remain humbly in the Lord, for they will have inner peace. 

***To Be Perfect like the Father*

        Also in today's reading from Matthew 5, Jesus said to his disciples, "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." How do we become perfect? Answer: Accept and submit yourself completely to the Father's love, the only power that can fundamentally transform us to become like the Father.