**Do You Really Know Jesus?

        In John 10:14, Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep and they know me." If you knew the Lord, you would definitely feel that special joy of knowing him. This is the joy for which the infant John the Baptist leaped in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, first greeted her at her house. This joy tests if you truly know Jesus or not.

**God Takes Care of My Soul*

        The Lord who created me heals and purifies my soul. Furthermore, he will make my soul leave my body and head straight for heaven one day.

***Secret to Peace***

        When you remain obedient to the Lord, you enjoy a deep satisfying peace. You have that strong home-sweet-home feeling. Again, this is how the Lord has made us. Praise Him!

***Connecting with God

        We must listen to that small intimate voice of our conscience because that's how God communicates with us. So it's important to withdraw yourself from the world and enter into solitude from time to time. The Lord is gentle and it's easy to not hear his voice at all if you are occupied with your own mundane affairs at all times. Of course, if you are already in union with him, you hear him speak to you 24/7.

**What We've Always Wanted*

        Heaven remains the same forever, while life on earth will be over before you know it. Whether you realize it or not, deep down heaven is what we have always longed for and been searching for. Once you are in heaven, your life on earth would seem to be like an unmemorable dream you once had. 

***Growing-Old Consolation

        At Mass, I was amazed to see that younger men and women could kneel down and get up effortlessly without holding onto anything. I forgot that I was like that in my younger days too. Now, to do it, I have to hold onto something like a chair to help me accomplish the act. The good consolation is knowing that I am getting closer to meeting my Lord and Savior in person.  

**Moments to Treasure

         Every moment with the Lord is precious, but we should especially treasure the moments when our minds are clear, our bodies sound, and we are able to fully enjoy our union with him in his peace.       

***Most Beautiful Journey*****

        Communion experience. I entered the world, found Christ my most beloved and precious creator and Lord, and am now on my way home to him. 

**Exciting, Helpful Knowledge

        Knowing that you are on the road to eternal life is most exciting. It also helps greatly in detaching yourself from the world. 

***It Is Fair

        In today's reading from Luke 8, Jesus said to the crowd: "To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." To show that this totally makes sense, let me illustrate with two extreme examples: If you totally believe in Christ, you'll receive more and more blessings from him. And for anyone who deliberately chooses not to believe in him, he'll end up losing even his own soul.

****God's Mercy Needed!

        Look at all the people around the globe. Start with the lost souls who have completely messed up their lives and move onward, you'll find that there exist all kinds of people at various stages of their spiritual life. I say "spiritual life" because all lives, whether you are spiritual or not, will be judged by God on that level. Only God alone knows how to judge all of them fairly. I see how urgently we need his mercy! In his infinite mercy, there is hope that we can all be saved, but prayers are needed. So pray unceasingly with all your heart.

***God Alone Shining Brightly***

        The Lord God is like a bright dazzling light. In his presence, all other attractions fade into nothing. It's the finite vs. the Infinite. Blessed are those who find the Lord God alone to be attractive.            

****Do You Know that . . .*

God has so made us that if we do not sin, we'll experience peace and have no fear of appearing before him? And also, if we know him well, we'll find him so beautiful that we can't help but fall in love with him?

***True Humility***

        Humility can be true or false. An example of false humility: You don't think that you can ever become a saint. This is believing that God cannot make you into a saint. Believing that God's power is limited is actually a sin, not humility! Then what's true humility? True humility is truly believing that nothing is impossible for God. The focus is always on the Lord, not on yourself. So if you want to become a saint, say yes to the Lord and it's a done deal.

***Right Way of Following the Lord

        We start out putting our trust totally in the Lord. Then we follow him one small step at a time, looking neither ahead nor back, knowing that we are doing his will every moment and will surely be witn him before long. 

**Probing Question

         A good question to ask yourself: What do I want to get out of my life? I know my answer. Is yours satisfactory to you?

***Only Meaningful Way to Live***

         I no longer live for the world. When you live only for yourself and are not aware that most of the world urgently needs salvation, you are living in a bubble and wasting your time and life on earth. The only meaningful way to live is to live for Christ and in Christ.

***How the Lord Leads Us

        When the Holy Spirit leads you, he prompts you to do something spontaneously. If you have to think hard to figure out what to do, that would not be from the Spirit. When the Lord directs you, you only need to carry out his command.