A letter from father

 My child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise up. I am familiar with all your ways. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. For you were made for my image. In me you live and have your being. For you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived. I chose you when I planned creation. You are not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I knit you together in your mother's womb. And brought you forth on the day you were born.

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. I am not distant and angry. But I am the complete expression of love. And it is my desire to lavish my love on you simply because you are my child and I am your father. I offer you more than your earthly father ever could for I am the perfect father. Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand for I am your provider and I meet all your needs. 

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Because I love you with an everlasting love. My thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore. And I rejoice over you with singing. I will never stop doing good to you for you are my treasured possession. I desire to establish you with all my heart and my soul. And I want to show you great and marvellous things.

If you seek me with all your heart you will find me. Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. For it is I who gave you those desires. I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine for I am your greatest encourager. 

I am also the father who comforts you in all your troubles. When you broken-hearted I am close to you. As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. 

One day, I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. I am your father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. For in Jesus my love for you is revealed. He is the exact representation of my being. He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against for you. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. His death is the ultimate expression of my love for you. 

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. 

Come home and I will throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. I have always been father, and will always be father.

My question is will you be my child? I am waiting for you.....

Love,

Your Dad.

Everlasting happiness

 In the previous post we talk about the difference between pleasure and happiness. So what will really make you happy?

Happiness is the result of right living. Honesty leads to happiness. Dishonesty leads to misery. Remember you can't cheat yourself. Because everyone of us have a conscience. caring for others leads to happiness. Selfishness leads to unhappiness in long run. Patience leads to happiness. Impatience will make you miserable. There are right and wrong ways to live your life. The culture tells you there is no right and wrong. The culture says that what's wrong for you might be right for me. This is nonsense.

Hitler's way was wrong. Mother Teresa's way was right. Always some things are right and some things are wrong. But how do you know what is the right thing to do? 

At a basic level you just know one of God's great gifts to you is conscience. Your conscience guides you in the way of right living so that you can celebrate the best version of yourself and live your best life. Very often we say we don't know what we should do, but usually we're lying to ourselves and to others because our conscience is telling us the right course of action but we are trying to ignore it. Our regrets are born when we ignore our voice of conscience. But if you continuously ignore that voice , you would not hear that voice any longer. It is so miserable. Because if some one is in a such situation, his or her conscience might be dead. Such a person need to pray more for holy spirit. Also need to go to confession immediately.

God has given you a beautiful mind. That is not to conquer others. With that mind you have the ability to study an issue to search for the truth, to think things to seek out God's way and to act on the truth that God shows you. If you want to make great decisions just do the next right thing, don't worry about what you have to do next week or next year. Just do the next right thing right now. If you do the next right thing often enough you will live a uncommon life, a life that is rich within a peace and happiness. In Isaiah 41:10 says;

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"

So don't go after pleasure that society show you. It can be the way to hell. Seek the kingdom and the presence of the lord in every second. Then God will fill you with all happiness even though you don't have money and power. 

God bless!

Walk with Jesus team

Image:www.fullycatholic.com

Pleasure or happiness?

One of the things you and I have in common ,we both want to be happy. We are all on a quest for happiness. You have an enormous desire for happiness. This desire is an incredible gift. God has placed this desire for a reason. 

We all do certain things because we believe they will bring us happiness. Sometimes the things we choose bring us happiness and sometimes they don't. We have all done things that we thought would make us happy but that in fact left us feeling empty, unhappy, miserable, used, deceived or even worse.

We all want to be happy but the question is how long do you want to be happy for. If you just want to be happy for now take your nap! If you want to be happy for two hours go out for a great meal. If you want to be happy for a whole day go shopping . If you want to be happy for a whole week go fishing! If you want to be happy for a whole month take a vacation. But the truth is you want to be happy forever! The good news is God wants you to be happy forever. God created you for happiness and not only God want you to be happy but also he wants to play an active role in your happiness. He doesn't just hope for your happiness from afar. He wants to help you find that happiness.

When it comes to happiness the culture wants to sell you a poor substitute i.e. pleasure. God wants you to be happy and the culture wants you to be a slave to pleasure. This is another reason to rebel against the culture. The world tries to distract and confuse us with pleasure . Our culture says that pleasure and happiness are the same thing. It's another lie.

Pleasure is good, beautiful, tasty, a great way to gain knowledge. In the right context God wants us to experience much pleasure in this life but pleasure is not happiness. What is the difference between pleasure and happiness? Pleasure can not be sustained beyond the activity producing it. Let me give you an example. 

When we eat we feel pleasure. When we stop eating pleasure stops. I mean 75% of the time when we are eating we are not actually hungry. Even when our stomach is full we keep eating and eating a tasty food. Why because we like the pleasure and the pleasure can not be sustained .

But the happiness is different .It is sustainable beyond the activity producing it. Happiness is more than the pleasure. So don't settle for an empty life of pleasure. Choose more rebel against the culture of pleasure and start actively seeking the happiness of God created you for. In Psalm 16:11 says

"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasure of living with you forever"

So my friends, I invite you to seek what are the ways that make you really happy in your faith journey with Jesus. I will meet you with some great ways to find true happiness soon!

God Bless!

Walk with Jesus team

Modesty?

 Today we are going to talk about a so beloved topic of modesty. It's a topic that we either love or hate to talk about and it really should not be because modesty first and foremost is a virtue.

Modesty is a fruit of the Holy spirit. A lot of times we're presented with modesty as a bunch of rules but the truth is it starts with our own hearts. It is a disposition of the heart. when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you want to be modest. Also we often present modesty as just a clothing thing but really it is how I present myself, how I glorify God with my body, in my speech, in my conduct etc. 

There are people on the church who say modesty is a bunch of rules and say that people have to follow these rules and if they don't do, they are immodest or sinful. But catholic church is wise and doesn't have a modest code like other religions. Because Catholic church is universal and the modesty varies from culture to culture. As CS Lewis once said, a bare-breasted tribal woman is modest in her culture and a Victorian woman with buttons up to her neck is modest in her culture. 

There can be some extremes in modesty. Some people say that the body is bad and soul is good. But we don't believe that. We believe our bodies and our souls are so good because they are made in the  image and likeness of God. But also we glorify God with our bodies.

Another extreme is making modest just pure laws and just pure code instead of a disposition of the heart from sin to God. Other extreme is "don't tell me what to do with my body, how dare you tell me what to wear, how to speak or how to act". That is fine if you are not a Christian but if you make the choice to be a Christian it says in Galatians 2:20 

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life, I now in the body, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me"

Further 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it says,

"Do you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit , who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefor honour God with your bodies"

When you say yes to Christ you are saying I want to glorify God with everything , with my speech, with my conduct, how I present myself , how I dress, even I want to glorify God with all my body

You can disagree with me because modesty is not a rule. I can give suggestions to be more modest but it is ultimately up to you to decide which is the best way to glorify God.  

(See more @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKACACmlW3U&t=196s)

Lord where are you?

 

Lord! Are you real? Then why all this troubles come after me? People who do evil things have no sufferings. They have all the things they need. They refuse you , even they do not want to know you? But all the times I am praying to you! I put all my trust upon you lord. Then why don't you answer me lord. I felt you also forgot me like everyone. I am so tired , I am so weak .I can't go further!

Have you ever felt such kinds of thoughts? For me "yes". But what we should realise is that god is always with us. Wait! This is the theory i.e. god is always with us. But how we can practically see this. First of all we need to realise that god is not a person but an experience. From every incident happening around us we can identify god if and only if we are awake. 

Also we need to have a good prayer life. When talk about Jesus' life, he waked up in the early morning and went to the father to know what is the father's plan for him for that day. Likewise we as Catholics should have a solid relationship with our heavenly father. At least  we have to allocate 1 hour out of 24 hours to Jesus. Then Jesus will teach us what need to be done, he reveals fathers' plan for us which never can not be defeated. 

When we walking with Jesus, Satan on the other side try to take us back to his side. So always we need to be awaken spiritually. When we start a journey with Jesus , it does not mean there are no troubles in our lives. Sometimes  past troubles can become worse, but Jesus will carry us through the valley of tears as Jesus said in Mathew 16:24-26

24 Then Jesus told to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul.

There is no salvation without a cross, but do not be afraid as Jesus have told in John 16:33

"I have told these things in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"

Are you one of them?

In 21 century, people are so busy with their works specially with earning money.People always try to expand their bank accounting balance.Despite of day and night they are earning.Do not take me wrong! Earning money is good. But the problem is, people unfortunatly,have become slaves to money and power.

People say that science is so much developed but think about Covid 19.

Some people try to establish human colonies in mars.But they couldn't defeat a virus which even can not be seen.How shamefull that is.In this situation some people ask where is your God in this situation.But God in return asks where are you man?Human did so many things to destroy nature.People disobeyed Gods commandments. Samesex marriages, abortions...Shamefull things.Human has begun to act like an wild animal.

What do you think as the reason for that behaviour? ???