***Focused Living

        I've been advising that we don't let what others say or think about us bother us and tune in only to what God thinks about us. Let me add that we shouldn't even care about what we think about ourselves. Just follow the Lord and never mind anything else. 

*****Why Submit Ourselves to God?*****

         There are many compelling reasons. I'll just mention two less obvious but equally valid ones. (1) Submitting ourselves to God is the only way for us to become perfect, for only he can fundamentally transform us. (2) It is also the only way for the external world and our inner selves to attain peace, for when we submit ourselves to God, all conflicts cease. 

***Most Fundamental Virtue***

        I blogged the other day about not caring about what others think about you. This is part of not letting anything bother you. It's basically being humble. So we should become humble first and let all other virtues follow. Humility is not only our password to holiness, it is also the key that unlocks the door to heaven! 

***Letting God Make It Effortless

        It you find what you are doing is too hard, you haven't let God do the work for you yet. The Lord makes everything effortless for those who trust in him.

***Learning Constantly from the LORD***

        Every time you lose peace, it's a great opportunity for you to learn to become more perfect (holy). Figure out why you are disturbed. Then knowing that God always wants you to have peace, put the whole matter into his hands to let him restore your peace. Submission to God always works. What a great way to improve ourselves constantly, as we get bothered by so many things easily!

**A Great Feeling

        When you take God seriously, pray hard from your heart, and do everything for his sake, he actually lets you know that he hears you and that you help him shape his plans. This is such a great feeling to know that you can influence the Lord and help him in establishing his kingdom on earth.

*****Reminding All of Our Best News

        God's love is universally available to anyone who desires it, and everyone needs it unless you don't know that you are a sinner. Christ has come and made it clear how we can be delivered from sin and gain eternal life. This has to be the best possible news we can truly rejoice about. If you don't consider Christ, there is just nothing out there that makes a good alternative—this is what I see. So there's the reality. If you don't accept Christianity, think about what your reason is. Know that the Lord does not take away your free will because he wants you make the choice so that should you choose to follow him, faith is born! This would mean everything to both you and him. He could have forced you to believe in him, but that wouldn't have meant anything to you. The Lord is all love and kindness. Be fair and consider his invitation to accept his love, which will only be good in your lifetime. There'll be everything to gain and nothing to lose!  

***What You Should Care About Only

        One big reason we lose peace is worrying about how we look to others. It all has to do with the ego. We should always care about what God thinks about us, not what anyone else thinks. This is hard to follow for anyone who still has some ego in them. Do whatever pleases the Lord will make those who love him love you, but those who hate the Lord hate you. Do you want to get to heaven or not? Would you choose being free over not being persecuted? God over the world? Anyway, to begin your journey to freedom, you need to get rid of the ego first.

**How Are We Doing?

        We can grade what we do by the motives behind our acts. I'll list these motives from the worst to the best: (1) to hurt someone, (2) to benefit ourselves only, (3) no particular motive, (4) to help someone, (5) to help someone for God's sake. Acting with the first three, you wast time on earth. Only acting with the last two, especially the last one, will you be storing up treasures in heaven. 

**Being All Settled

        When I call out "My Lord and my God" from my heart to Jesus, everything about me is settled. The past is gone, but my present and my future are being settled by him. I have completely settled down in the Lord.

**The Lord Drawing us*

        I feel the Lord drawing all of us to him like a powerful but gentle magnet. Perhaps it's a gift or a calling, but I believe that if you are open to him, you'll feel it. If you are totally closed to him, of course you won't feel anything. Then if you really open up to him, you should definitely feel his attraction. When you feel it, do not resist, for it's the holy, perfect, most loving Lord drawing you.

****Prayer Attitude****

        When we pray to the Lord, we can see him as high above us and ourselves as little creatures begging for favors. This is proper and fine. Then I see another way I personally prefer. I see praying to my God as fellowshipping with him. He is not just my friend—he is my soulmate, my very soul! Prayer is my time to commune with him and become even more one with him, thus showing that I am totally with him all the way. The Lord needs our support, not just our obedience. To love him is to be dear to him who loves us so much as our Father.

*****Life's Ultimate Attainment*****

        Common experience. Union with God through the Holy Eucharist is our ultimate attainment that fulfills the Lord's most ardent wish. It is God and us melting or melding into one—it has to be the most jubilant occurrence that can happen to us in this life!

***Cure for the Ego***

        First part of reading 2 from Philippians 2: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Every time you feel your ego surfacing, remember the Almighty Lord humbling himself for our sake, and we are all but helpless sinners who cannot even survive without him. 

***Indebted to Jesus*

        Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of of the Holy Cross. Entrance antiphon, Cf. Galatians 6:14: We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered. We owe everything to the Lord!

***Having Great Expectations

        Communion experience. I expect great things to happen to me, for the Lord now dwells in me and the whole heaven is with me, interceding for me.

***Choose to Be Rewarded Wisely***

        Be good and the Lord will reward you. But do not seek to be rewarded in this life, for this life is brief and your reward will pass. Build up your treasure in heaven now so that you may receive your reward in heaven that'll last forever! 

**Readiness Befoe Askng for Mercy

        We shouldn't ask for God's mercy on us if we are not really ready to obey him in all things yet. So surrender yourself completely to him first, then pray "Have mercy on us."