**Unfinished Business*

         We'll always have unfinished business to deal with till our last day on earth. So try to complete what's important or necessary first and the rest when you have the time. Of course, if you die right now, you'll just have to let everything go. So it wouldn't make any sense to let unfinished business cause you to lose your peace. Once you're with the Lord in heaven, he may still assign tasks for you to perform. Then you'll simply see it as following his will and not as something to complete. And you'll always experience peace and joy. So why not see it that way starting right now on earth? If you know your are heaven bound, you might as well live as if you were already there?

*****OUR ONE & ONLY GOD*****

        We all like to be our own god, but there's only one true God who is our Lord, our Savior, our shepherd, our teacher, our counselor, our friend, our brother, our confidant, our soulmate, and also our servant—He is the God of Christ.

***How Does Your Soul Look?***

        I watched Charlie Kirk's memorial service on TV. His wife Erika who will succeed him as the CEO of Turning Point shared his one notable message from his journal: Every time you make a decision, it puts a mark on your soul. I totally agree that every thought, every intention, every word uttered, or every doing of yours can keep your soul spotless or tainted. How you want to appear finally to the Lord is all up to you.

***Doing God's Will Is . . .***

an absolute joy, for anytime you please him, he shares his joy with you! 

*****Mark of a True Christian*****

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus said to the crowd: "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light." Personally, I feel that the Lord wants us as his followers to shine like lit lamps for all to see. In other words, we must boldly live as Christians. Charlie Kirk had the courage to speak what he believed to be the truth fearlessly. His recent assassination has inspired millions worldwide to carry his torch. It's the Lord's doing. Now, not everyone can speak as well as Charlie, so it boils down to that we have the courage to follow God's will whatever that might be. And it finally boils down to that we have the courage (humility) to submit ourselves totally to the Lord God!

****Do You Know?

         What's truly exciting about following Christ is that if you are open to him, he can transform you without bounds to make you beautiful before him beyond words! 

**The Happy Ones*

         Many people are not happy with the state of life they are in. By contrast, happy are the ones who joyfully follow God's every will in whatever position they happen to be in. 

***Way to Happiness

         Communion time experience. Happy is the one who submits himself totally to the Lord to let  him enter and dwell in him.

***Accept Christ and Be Fulfilled***

         When we were born into the world, we did not witness our own birth. So when we learn later that the Lord God of Christ created us, we need to accept that! I can testify to you that when I followed up by submitting myself totally to Christ, I was completely fulfilled, knowing that Christ is the way and the truth and the life! 

**World in Turmoil**

         Today the people on the left hate and refuse to dialogue with anyone with whom they disagree. They don't even know why they are like that. Since they don't really believe in Christ, Satan must have gotten them. One leftist even believed that Charlie Kirk had wished to die as a martyr—what an absurd and sick thought! Wanting to be known as a martyr is the very opposite of being unafraid of martyrdom should that be in accordance with God's plan. Once Satan has gotten control of you, your conscience loses all its clarity. Sadly, this is exactly what's happening in our world. 

***Key to getting accepted by God the Father***

        Mt 10:32, today's Communion antiphon: Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father, says the Lord. Here's how to get accepted by the heavenly Father—critically important for us to know!

****Critical How We Receive the Word of God****

         In today's Gospel's reading from Luke 8, Jesus told the Parable of the Sower to a large crowd. It went like this: "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." Later he explained the meaning of the parable to his disciples: "The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance." We can see that our entire future is dependent upon how we receive the word of God.

***Want to Know God? Easy***

         When you want something in this world, you must work for it, be it a college degree, the skill to play the piano, growing your own vegetables, or anything else. But if you want to know God, no work is required—you simply relax and be open to let him do whatever he wishes with you.

*****Pursue Nothing and Be Fulfilled*****

         We all pursue something in life. The lowest bunch are those who pursue evil to satisfy their wayward desires. Many pursue money or fame, and others, knowledge. Still others, a hobby of some sort. Once I had a friend over who happened to collect tin boxes. He liked the two he saw in my house so much that I emptied all the contents—cookies, candies, whatever—for him to take home. Many painters and musicians virtually live for the art they pursue. In the case of one pianist I knew, music was the only thing that kept her going. I can positively say that none of the things most people pursue in this secular world can possibly replace Christ, the real McCoy! To pursue something that's somewhat rewarding in this brief life but doesn't get you any closer to entering heaven is, frankly, folly. Wake up, the Lord God is already pursuing every one of us when he sent his only Son to us to redeem us from sin so that we might live forever. All we need to do is to remain open and be receptive to him—we don't have to pursue anything and all that our soul desires will be fulfilled to the brim!

****Awed by God Our Creator***

         This was actually my first thought today. I got up this morning and saw that it's another beautiful day. Fall was just four days away. I was amazed that the earth had been spinning so regularly on its own axis causing day and night, and at the same time orbiting around the sun giving us the seasons year after year. All this has been going on for perhaps many billions of years already, and we don't even feel any movement. Our God and creator is truly awesome!

*****Instant Attainment!*****

         The more you remain humble, selfless, and surrender yourself to God, the greater is your spiritual progress. In theory and reality, abandon yourself to God to the max and you attain union with him instantly! (Time to live your most exciting life.)

***Exclusive Gifts for His Followers***

         Christ can set us free from sin, grant us that profound peace, and fill us with pure joy. These three special blessings all come from above which the world cannot give. They are special gifts given exclusively by the Holy Spirit to all those who follow the Lord all the way.

**Smart Way to Get Forgiven*

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, Jesus pardoned a sinful woman because of her faith in him. Jesus forgave her sins when she showed her great love for him. So love the Lord genuinely and you are forgiven—it can't be simpler!