Gospel Thoughts Today: Possessions are Temporary

Last year we purchased a new car for me to drive. I had a 2004 Toyota Avalon that was approaching 14 years old and it was time for a change. Instead of selling it, we gave it to our son-in-law as his even older car was failing. My old Avalon has seen a lot over the last 15 years . . . two parents through end of life; daughters learning how to drive (scariest thing ever!); early morning school drop-offs and after school pickups; car seats housing my precious grandchildren. The list goes on and on. The embedded scratches on the bumper where I dragged wheelchairs in and out of my trunk for both parents at end of life covered with a new paint job years ago had appeared once again from dragging strollers in and out (man are they heavy now!). There will come a day when my old "girl" will lose her get up and go no matter how well it is maintained. But the memories . . . good and bad . . . will remain in my heart forever. Possessions are only "things" which will fade or break down over time. Love of Christ and commitment to Him will last an eternity.

Today's Gospel (Matthew 19:16-22) is truer today than ever before in history . . . more possessions, less God . . . when it should be just the opposite:

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?”

And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

In the Monthly Message from October 2005, Jesus provides courage to find joy and peace in service, not possessions:

"I have willed a time of great joy for My beloved apostles. Joy is something that the world wishes to take from God’s children, but joy is available nonetheless. The world encourages souls to concentrate on comfort and earthly possessions. I ask you to concentrate on service. This is a marked contrast, is it not? Let me explain why concentrating on service brings you joy. If you rise each day and pledge allegiance to God, you will begin that day with more thought of serving than being served. In this way, you look at your day as an opportunity to work for heaven and to work for heaven’s children, your brothers and sisters. This perspective sends you into the day as a servant. When the day presents you with the inevitable opportunities to assist or console, or simply to be tolerant of your brothers or sisters, you do not view this as a burden, or an interruption in your entertainment and comfort, but as a request made to you directly from the Throne of your God. And fulfilling a request made to you by your God brings you joy. You serve heaven and we fulfill our part of the agreement by sending you joy. If all of God’s children were living this way, there would be great joy on earth and through this joy would come peace. But if even one of God’s children makes the commitment to serve as a beloved apostle, there is an increase of joy and an increase in peace. This is because an apostle does not become angry when he or she is inconvenienced. That apostle responds in calm trust when the world presents them with difficulty or even pain. There is no striking out at others. There is no rebelliousness. There is peace. The world is changing and it is changing one soul at a time. Join Me now and make a commitment to peace in your world. I will send it through you, My beloved apostles."

Lay apostles, think about what defines you today. If this were your last day on earth, what would those left behind say about you and your life? That you had a big house and a fancy car? Or, that you lived a life of love, kindness, service, and humility. I pray I am remembered by the latter.

Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes to what is truly important . . . You and shining Your Light to others. And, the reminder that possessions are only temporary on this earth, unlike Your Love which endures forever.

God bless,
Bonnie

Total Abandonment!

You have to be willing to give it all up, including your own life. Following Christ means total abandonment from worldly possessions . . . disconnecting from earthly pleasures and comfort. I'm not suggesting giving up your home, car, or job. Nor am I suggesting martyrdom. Free yourself from attachment to "things," even from people. Sometimes life doesn't go the way you anticipated. Couples get divorced. Parents die. Children move away. Jobs are lost. Houses go into foreclosure. When we put too much emphasis on the importance of these circumstances . . . things, life can erupt and throw you into a tailspin. But if we are focused on Jesus, we begin to understand things happen in life. And, we learn to trust He is in control. This, in turn, creates calm and peace within. Follow Him. Do His Will. Then let Him take care of everything else.

Todays Gospel (Luke 9:57-62) shows how important it is to let go and follow Christ:

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

In Heaven Speaks to Young Adults, Jesus explains the simplicity of following Him:

"Dear soul, it is only through unity with Me that you will have true peace. The world offers you darkness of spirit. Look closely at those who follow the world. Do they have peace? Are they loved? Do they sit calmly with others and allow others to speak, understanding that each soul is precious? You will find, I am sure, that those following the world are cynical. This suits them because if they are cynical they can justify their selfishness. Reject this. Reject cynicism. There are many Christians in your world and these followers of Mine are not cynical. They are warm and loving and kind. And this is what I want for you. So I love you and you love others. It is very simple."

Lay apostles, what keeps you focused on the world and not heaven? Money? Ego? A failed marriage? What can you do today, despite the hectic pace of the world, to detach from earthly comforts? I am trying to listen more, love more, and most importantly, keep my eyes on Jesus and His Will.

Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings my slow detachment from "things" has brought. I know I still struggle, but it is becoming easier by the day.

God bless,
Bonnie

What Defines You?

Washing our cars this past Saturday, I realized my Toyota Avalon is 10 years old! I haven't had a car payment for over 5 years, and boy, I surely don't miss them. My Avalon has seen a lot over the last 10 years . . . two parents through end of life; daughters learning how to drive (scariest thing ever!); early morning school drop offs and after school pick ups; carseats housing my two precious grandsons. The list goes on and on. The embedded scratches on the bumper where I dragged wheelchairs in and out of my trunk covered with a new paint job years ago appear once again from dragging strollers in and out (man are they heavy now!). There will come a day when my old "girl" will lose her get up and go no matter how well I maintain her. But the memories . . . good and bad . . . will remain in my heart forever. Possessions are only "things" which will fade or break down over time. Love of Christ and commitment to Him will last an eternity.

Todays Gospel (Matthew 19:16-22) is more true today than ever before in history . . . more possessions, less God . . . when it should be just the opposite:

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?”

And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

In Volume Three, God the Father provides courage to His Children in the process of gaining heaven:

"The coming of My Kingdom is the coming of heaven or the expansion of heaven to earth. This is part of My plan and this is what the future holds for My children. Can you see it, dear ones? True happiness can be found only in the union of a soul’s will to the Divine Will. When your will is united to the Divine Will, there is no conflict, no struggle. Only a very few find such union on earth. The seeking of this union is the path to holiness that you follow in your obedience to My commandments. You are making decisions. You are moving forward along the road. You are making corrections. This is the process. At times in the history of mankind, most souls on earth were moving in the general direction of heaven. At this time, most souls are languishing along the way. Many are wasting their time on earth and are not coming in this direction at all. In this way, souls are lost. As a God of mercy, I send all manner of signs and warnings. In this time, however, most of My signs are being ignored.
Such is the level of distraction, that My souls no sooner see a sign and experience My call, then they allow themselves to be distracted and pulled back into the world. Children, pay attention. You must focus on Me and on your path. You must be disciplined if you are to remain on the path to salvation. And believe Me when I say that all other roads lead nowhere. My children belong with each other, loving Me. Hear My call of love, now, while I can offer you a soft and gentle transition to holiness." 

Lay apostles, think about what defines you today. If this were your last day on earth, what would those left behind say about you and your life? That you had a big house and a fancy car? Or, that you lived a life of love, kindness, service and humility. I pray I am remembered by the latter.

Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes to what is truly important . . . You and shining Your Light to others. I am forever blessed!

God bless,
Bonnie

What Do You Treasure?

Life will always throw curve balls. We will all suffer at one time or another. This is to be expected. Every day God gives us on this earth, we have a choice. We can whine and complain, blaming others for the difficult circumstances we find ourselves facing. Or, we can take the blows while holding tightly to the Hand of God. Days can appear quite stormy and dark, but what about the beauty Our Heavenly Father supplies in a storm? The sound of rain on my window; the bright flashes of lightening; even loud, booming thunder (my mother always told us thunder was the angels bowling in heaven!). The world tells us we are poor if we don't live in a mansion, drive a fancy car, or wear designer clothing. To me, these are only treasures (to some) on earth. Many overlook the real treasures we have been blessed with . . . whether it's a loving husband, children, grandchildren, pets or _____ (you fill in the blank), remember these blessings when feeling ashamed, depressed, humiliated, scorned. The treasures we store up on earth materially will fade away some day. The love we gave follows us through eternity. 

Two of my treasures on earth! 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 6:19-23), Jesus is very clear about earthly possessions:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

In the Monthly Message of April 2008, Jesus teaches us the love we give in His Name on earth lives forever:

"I desire that each of you accept My love, which includes the love of all of heaven. Those who are lukewarm and do not accept my love cannot help Me in My goal of renewal. Those who are concerned with establishing their kingdoms on earth will lose opportunities to seed the renewal each day. Those who postpone a full commitment to My goals will find that they are sadly disappointed later, when they realize how important their service was to Me. I rely on My apostles to be passionate about service, seeking always to store up heavenly treasures in the souls of those around them. Truly, no kind word, no compassionate silence, no act of love is lost. Each of these is both used immediately and preserved eternally. I understand that you are tired at times. I understand that you become discouraged. I understand these things because in My humanity I experienced these things. I allow these feelings in My beloved apostles because their service to Me then becomes even more beneficial. Rest assured that you have been given all that you need in strength and courage for each day’s service." 

Lay apostles, what do you treasure? Be honest. Write it down. Now, look at that list and ask yourself if these treasures give you the opportunity to shine His Love in some way. Love your house? Use it to house weary souls. Love your car? Use it to drive a sick friend to the doctor's office. Have grandchildren? Teach them about the love of God. The list goes on and on. Use everything for His Glory, my friends. You will never be sorry you did.

Thank you, Lord, for all the treasures You have blessed me with on this earth. Continue to remind me of these treasures when I begin to glance toward the world instead of heaven!

God bless,
Bonnie