While In The World

"For everything in the world - the craving of the flesh, the greed of the eyes and people boasting of their superiority - all this belongs to the world, not to the Father. The world passes away with all its craving but those who do the will of God remain forever." - 1st John 2:16-17

Being young, it is so easy to get carried away by the things around us. We always admire those with status, those who drive nice cars and can buy expensive things. There's certainly nothing wrong with these things, but never let them define who you are. The person you are should have nothing to do with wealth or how fly your kicks are… one day you will leave all these things behind. Instead, focus on what truly defines who you are - your faith, your values, your morals, and these all come from God. While you're young, have fun and get to know all you can, but remember these things never last long. A wise person builds up what's inside and what can be carried over when this life is over.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, in my youth, help me to appreciate and get to know the world around me, but please never let it define who I am or be central to my life. Help me build on my faith so that I can grow in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Go To Confession!

"If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness." - 1st John 1:9

At the start of Lent, I urged you all to go to confession and wash away sin and the guilt and remorse it causes. Now, just a few days before the start of Holy Week, I want to urge you again if you haven't already. During this week 2,000 years ago, Jesus gave up His life so that you and I could be cleansed of the wrong we do. More importantly, His death wasn't about making us do something to make up for our sins, but to heal us from the pain of sin. God is loving and knows the regret and the heaviness that we inflict upon ourselves when we fall into things we shouldn't have. It leads to conflicts within ourselves, with others, and with God. Through confession, you are bringing to the light those things that need to be washed away, so that in the Name of Jesus Christ you can be forgiven, healed, and brought back into full communion with the Lord… no matter what you've done or how long it's been since your last confession. God is longing to forgive you and heal you.

Since it's the weekend and the start of Holy Week, churches have confession on Saturdays and during most of this week. Please call your church, go online, or look at the bulletin to find out when the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is being held. Spend time meditating on the areas in your life where you have fallen short and bring those things to the Lord.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You died for our sins on the cross and it is only right that we take full advantage of Your sacrifice by confessing our sins. Search me Lord and show me what I need to bring before You for cleansing and healing. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Light In The Darkness

"Whatever has come to be, found life in Him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome." - John 1:4-5

Unfortunately, we all know sadness and depression first had. We know how sin can creep in and poison us. The moment we allow one sin to enter our lives, others lurk around the corner waiting for their turn to go in. What was once bright and clear went getting murkier and darker. Do you ever feel like this about yourself? Do you ever feel that your soul has become poisoned due to all of the things you shouldn't have done, things you shouldn't have let in? That is the darkness in our souls, the darkness Christ was born to overcome.

Jesus Christ is life, is light. He is cleansing and pure. In your darkness, do you feel you need this purity? Only Jesus can offer it to you. What I love about this verse is that it said that Jesus is light that the darkness could not overcome, meaning that no matter how dirty, dusty, or filthy your soul is right now, the victory already belongs to Christ because He already overcame the evil. Jesus is power that the evil in this world could not overcome and He wants to offer you that light as well. Like when you clean a house and open the curtains to see clearly, let the light expose you and all the sin, sadness and despair you hold within you. Let the bad come to the light so that you can receive healing and the darkness will go away. Fix your eyes on Jesus and you will live with the light of the Lord within you.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, shine Your light within me and cast away all evil, all hurt, anything that does not come from You Darkness can not overcome and in Your Name I refuse to let it overcome me. Be with me Lord as I seek to find life in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Lights, Cameras & Superficiality

"Do not love the world or what is in it. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. For everything in the world - the craving of the flesh, the greed of the eyes, and people boasting of their superiority - all this belongs to the world, not to the Father." - 1st John 2:15-16

I have to say that this verse reminds me of the Lindsay Lohan's and the Paris Hilton's of the world. Being in the right scene, having the right clothes and accessories, sucked them into a world where all that exists for them is superficiality. Someone like Britney Spears is losing her children but still manages to hit the Hollywood hot spots the same day as her trial. It's not that God doesn't want us to go out and have fun, it's that there are people who turn this into their entire lives. They live to be on the scene, going out, being seen, being admired. Their hearts are in the wrong place. They are Godless people and not because God has abandoned them, but because they have abandoned God, making themselves their own Gods. Thinking themselves better than others, never thinking they need God or anyone else. God cannot reside in the heart of such a person. You know there is a deeper meaning to our lives than just being on the scene. Get right with God because when the lights stop flashing, He is the only one who remains there for you. When the lights stop flashing, you are left alone with your own mistakes to try to clean up after. And when the lights stop flashing, is it honest and fair for you to then turn to God?

And it's such an easy thing to get sucked into. I just read that we know we are in good standing with God if our conscience and what God wants align…and we know very well that if we think about it, there are things we are doing well with and there are things we can improve on. Remember, you ONLY need to see yourself the way God sees you.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, it's very hard to resist the desire to be seen with the right people and have the right accessories. Help remind me that at the end of the day, none of this matters except what You think of me. In Your Name we pray, amen.

God Is Love

"God is love." - 1st John 4:16

What is your opinion of God? I know many that see Him as a serious judge up on a throne in Heaven, judging all of our mistakes and then punishing us for them. There are also some who when they don't get their prayers answers, or the answers delay a bit, believe God to be someone who refuses to listen because He is not fair or too far removed from our lives. This is all the opposite of who God is and who He wants to be in our lives. We all know Saint Paul's famous passage on Love in 1st Corinthians: Love is patient, love is kind, love believes in all things and forgives all things, etc. But since we have just established that God is love, then everything Paul describes about love is really describing God. The only reason any of us have love in our lives, from someone who loves us or from someone we love, is because God loved us first and through that love He created and blessed us.

Just as you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend and you put time and effort into that relationship in order to grow your love, so you must do with God. Talk to Him, only 15 minutes a day. Share with Him your sorrows, your worries, your joy and your hopes and you will see how your love and devotion to God will grow. It will be one of the best relationships you will ever have in your life since He already loves you completely just as you are. All you have to do is respond to His immense love. Remember, He has promised to let Himself be found by us, so please respond to His love.

Today's Prayer:
Thank You My God for loving me first and giving me the gift of love in my life through my family and friends. Be with me as try to grow closer to You and correspond to Your love and to Your call. In Your Name we pray, Amen.