The Ultimate Goal

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May you be as intentional in attaining heaven, 

as you are in reaching your other life goals. 

Most of us have goals.  In order to reach those goals we have to make plans. 

When our goal is vacation we make plans: where to go, when to go, how long to be gone, what to pack.

When our goal is an education for ourselves and eventually, perhaps, for our children, we make a plan:  how far to travel, how much we can afford to pay, what to study. 

When our goal for adult life is looming, we make plans: whether to stay single, get married, become a priest or religious or have a career.   

When our goal is getting through today, we make plans on a smaller scale as well: what to wear to work, what to have to eat, with whom to have lunch.

What about our ultimate goal, heaven?  If your ultimate goal is not heaven, nothing else you do in life will matter.  You can be the best accountant, basketball player, doctor, or teacher in the world, but if heaven is not your ultimate goal, your life will not be lived for its intended purpose.

If heaven is your goal, how intentional are you in reaching that goal?

Being baptized and confirmed is not enough.  You have to live intentionally for God.

You have to follow the Commandments: love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself.

That is being intentional.

As intentional as feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, sheltering the homeless and burying the dead. Sound familiar?

As intentional as instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, admonishing the sinner, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving offenses willingly, comforting the afflicted, and praying for the living and the dead.  These should sound familiar as well.

When we do these works intentionally, we are living with heaven as our goal.
 (See Matthew 25: 34-40)

So, I repeat:

May you be as intentional in attaining heaven, as you are in reaching your other life goals. 

One day, you'll be glad you did. 

www.thatslife12.blogspot.com

Self-Worth

Many of us spend a lot of time questioning our self worth.  We may not look in the mirror and talk to ourselves about it.  We may not actually even know we're thinking about it.  But we are.

Where do we find our self worth?  I will first give you the world's answers.

Work: We are a hard working people.  We get up early to get to our jobs.  We stay late at our jobs even if we work at home.  We work on Saturday and sometimes Sunday.  So much to do!

Money:  We need money, lots of money.  Our "have to have" lists are long.  After all, there are Joneses to keep up with!

Clothing: This goes along with money (although, most of these do).  What designer or brand do we need to advertise to feel like we fit in?

 Cosmetics: Is our makeup looking good today?  How many bags of makeup are necessary to make us feel beautiful? How about our hair?

Vehicle: Is it new? Is it shiny?  Is it popular?  Is it fast?

Home:  How many square feet do we need to tell the world "we've made it!" ? Is is in the right neighborhood?

Things:  Cell phone (newest and best?), computer (newest and best?), tablet, e-reader, blender bottle (we own 5-really?), shoes (how many pair?),  etc.

If you haven't already guessed, I don't buy it.

Here is where we find our self-worth:

Genesis 1:27 "God created man in His image: in the Divine image He created him: male and female He created them."

And here:  Romans 5:8 "It is precisely in this that God proves His love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Not one thing that can be purchased will get us to heaven.  Not our good looks, not our vehicles, not how hard we work at our jobs.

The next time you feel like you just have to work one more hour, or go buy something new and shiny, or whatever, decide to do this instead;  STOP and say a prayer.  Ask the Lord what He wants from you. Ask the Lord to show you your worth in Him.  Give up what the world says will make you happy.  Take on Christ and live life to the fullest.  Still get up early, but use the time to pray or go to Mass (the ultimate prayer). Go sit with Jesus at an Adoration chapel. Waste time with Him. In this way, you will learn all you need to know about your self-worth.