Heaven is Before Me

St. Francis de Sales once said, "Resolve from now on to keep heaven before your mind, to be ready to forego everything that can hinder you or cause you to stray on your journey there."

How easy it is to lose sight of goals and get lost along the way. How easy it is to notice the world's attractions and the human desire to fill emptiness with just about anything. How easy it is to forget that we are on an important journey that will affect our eternal destiny. The things we do matter. How proud we are to think that we can handle sin and worldliness.

Jesus tells us, in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7 verses 12-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Which gate do you choose today? When faced with a decision to choose to love Jesus or to love yourself more than Jesus, which gate will you choose? I pray that today I choose the narrow gate. I pray that no matter how tempting the broad, easy road is, I will choose the narrow, hard road. Jesus walked a narrow, hard road to the cross to save us from our sin.

The Gospel of Matthew 16-24-25 tells us that Jesus said "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

Lord I pray that rather than choosing my life on my terms, that I'd choose your life on your terms. I pray that I would never lose sight of the life you offer. Please give me the grace to choose your ways and your life over my ways and the life the world offers. Amen

A few personal updates:

1. I am not sure I am called to the Priesthood and have decided to wait another year to seek God and discern my vocation.

2. I am looking for a place to live next fall. Pray that I find an affordable place to live that is closer to work than where I currently live.

3. My work doesn't offer dental insurance and I have had a toothache for awhile.

4. I am most thankful to Jesus Christ, my Savior for dying in my place to pay for my sinfulness. Happy Easter!!