FollowingJesusUS.com

Staying On The Narrow Path

“The Narrow and Wide Gates”

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”

There is a tendency among Americans to think that the vast majority of people go to Heaven. Sadly, this is not true. Jesus told us in the above verses that only a few find the way to Heaven. And while we want to tell everyone we love that they are going to Heaven, no matter what choices they make in this life, if we truly love them, we will tell them the Truth-their choices matter!

God sent Jesus to Save us, but we have to choose whether or not we want to be Saved. In other words, we need to choose to accept Jesus as our Savior. For a Gift, no matter how wonderful, is not received unless it is accepted!

So many will say, “I accepted Jesus so I can do anything I want”. This is not true. For if we truly believe in Jesus, if we truly accept Jesus as our Savior, than we will Follow Him. And to Follow Jesus means to Follow the teachings of the God’s Word! And we don’t get to change those Teachings!

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” – Revelation 22:18-19

If we wish to go to Heaven, we need to accept Jesus as our Savior and Follow God’s Word as it is, not as we sometimes wish it were…

Call on Jesus today and Follow Him to Heaven 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Upon The Wings Of Eagles :)

While praying the Rosary I saw a huge eagle flying towards me and I was reminded of the Bible verse:

“But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

“shall renew their strength”. Notice, it doesn’t say that we will necessarily be healed. Perhaps we will be. But perhaps our strength will be renewed to help us to deal better with the physical and emotional symptoms of our ailments.

Perhaps our strength will be renewed so that we can deal with the loss of a loved one, the loss of a dream, the loss of our job which allows us to support our family…

Perhaps our strength will be renewed so that we might do our Father’s Will. Perhaps it will be renewed so that we might love more like Jesus does.

Whatever the reason, we need to seek what God would He have us do with our “renewed strength” 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready 🙂

God Does Answer Prayers!

“With God all things are possible” – Matthew 19:26

As many of you know, I have suffered from a number of illnesses. Heart failure, Dilated cardiomyopathy, Sub-Aortic Membrane (heart), Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Lung Disease, Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Raynaud, Graves Disease, Hashimoto, TED, Multiple System Atrophy…

But I am always able to do everything I need to do and I am also incredibly happy. In fact, probably happier than anyone I know. And I have grown closer to our Father-God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Mary. And I know that is because God does answer prayers-every day. But sometimes not in the way we think He will…

Sometimes God heals us, but sometimes God doesn’t. Sometimes God, who is always fair :), gives us something else instead. And sometimes, if we are very lucky, it is the Gift of Faith 🙂

I may not be well, but I have always been able to do what I need. Notice I said that I can do what I need to do. If I can’t do it, I must not need to! And there may be plenty of things I want to do, but can’t, but I can also do things that other people can’t. For example, since I have more time available, I am able to pray for others often :).

The answer to our fears about whether we can do something for not, is Trusting God. For example, I have a brain MRI in a closed MRI machine later today. I am horribly claustrophobic and afraid of doing this test. Silly I know, but fears are always kind of silly when we consider the power of God, lol. But despite my fears, I am Trusting God that it will go well and I am going.

Another example, I use a cane now to walk, but I still go to the beach with my husband, because we need to go.

Last example :). One time, several years ago, I completely passed out and went to the beach that afternoon. Why? Because I needed to set the example for my children that we always need to live each moment to it’s fullest, for each moment is a Gift from God. And so I asked God for Help and He Helped me 🙂

I have all the usual symptoms of the above illnesses. On some days, I find it difficult to walk and to stand. I also have all of the typical bouts of fatigue and pain. I should be heavy hearted, but I am not. My heart is happy and light. And I know that this is because God is helping me. My illnesses may not have been healed, but my prayers have been answered! Because I definitely do not feel that I am suffering as much as I might and I am closer to God than ever 🙂

A word about suffering. When we do suffer, whether it be from an illness, a loss of a loved one, a job loss(it really does not matter what kind of suffering, for suffering is suffering), it helps to remember that suffering can have a greater purpose – if we let it.

For one thing, we can offer up our suffering for others. We can offer our suffering up for the lost. And we can choose to offer it up to Jesus.

Because He loves us, Jesus suffered horrifically on the Cross! Although our suffering will never be as terrible as Christ’s, we can offer our suffering up to Him as a way to share in His suffering and grow even closer to Jesus.

God is always Faithful and always answers Prayers. If you are having trouble seeing His answers, ask Him to show you. And end each prayer with “thy will be done”. For God’s Will is always better than our own 🙂

You might be wondering why I am sharing so much personal health data. It’s because I am so grateful to our Lord. Because of God, my very life is a living testimony to God’s Prayers Answered. And I want you to know that He will answer yours too-if you let Him 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Entertaining Angels Two :)

Newsboys is the same band that sang in the God’s Not Dead movie 🙂

“For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully”-Luke 4:10

Several years ago, I was parked at the mall. There was a huge, huge, hairy spider in my CD holder. (Yes CD holder :). And then somehow it got in my coffee cup!

Now anyone who knows me, knows that I used to be deathly afraid of spiders. I can’t say why; it was just my fear. Some might say a spider – phobia, lol…I honestly did not know what to do. I screwed up all of my courage and grabbed the coffee mug by the handle and threw it on the ground.

But then I truly didn’t know what to do! I was parked in the mall and leaving it on the ground just did not seem right, but there was also no way I was going to pick that mug up again with the spider in it.

All of a sudden, I saw an old man walking quickly towards me. And yet, I really couldn’t see where he was coming from. The area that he was walking from had no cars parked! He stopped in front of me and picked up the mug and shook out the spider and handed it to me. He never spoke a word. And then he just walked quickly on, but there were no cars in that direction either.

I got back in my car and thanked God for rescuing me 🙂

And I remembered my friend’s words from many years ago about Entertaining Angels :). “”you never know when you are entertaining angels”.

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Entertaining Angels :)

” For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways”- Psalms 91:11

Many years ago, I sat with a very close friend. We were praying for one of my children. My child had been very sick and the doctors felt that my child’s kidneys had been effected very badly. Like any other mom, I was very worried and scared for my child.

My friend sat with me, praying with me. And then she said something that seemed strange at the time. She said that “you never know when you are entertaining angels”.

A few days later I was at the market getting dinner to cook for that night. There was a very elderly gentleman getting into a very, very old car. He opened the car door and sat down with it open. He looked too tired to close the door.

I hesitated a moment, he was a stranger and I didn’t want to interfere where I shouldn’t. I also didn’t want to hurt his pride. Finally I walked over there and asked him if there was anyone that I could call or could I take him anywhere. But he said no, he thanked me and drove off. As I stood there for a few minutes, I remembered what my friend had said about Entertaining Angels. I stood there a few more minutes praying for him. I just wanted to be sure he was okay.

The next day I had to take my child back to the doctor, we needed to plan next steps. But the specialist said something I wasn’t expecting. Let’s wait.

From that moment, my child got better. All of my child’s problems and illnesses were cured. I took him back to the doctor a few months later and my child’s tests were perfect. The blood test that had indicated my child had an autoimmune disease was negative and the marker for it never showed up again!

Angels, at God’s direction, do watch other us. Miracles do happen. Don’t every give up. Just keep praying and keep believing 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Believe 🙂

Keep Praying :)

While praying the Rosary, I heard Mary say that there will be a “better Vicar and then a good one”.

The Pope is also called the Vicar…

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Being A Member Of God’s Family

Being a member of God’s family is such a Gift :).

It’s hard to describe just how wonderful that Gift is. To never be alone, to always have someone that we can turn to for help, to have someone in our life that always loves us and always forgives us; it just does not get better than that!

I think of God’s love and I am in awe of it. It’s like a huge hug that never ends :). Can we truly say that we have that complete confidence in any one on earth-that they will love us no matter what we do. For God’s love is truly unconditional.

The other thing that I love about being a member of God’s family is that I don’t have to know the “right” answer when I pray. God knows what will help a person more than I do, it is such a comfort and relief to pray “May God’s Will be done” and I end every prayer that way. I may think I know best, but God does know best.

I love knowing that there is nothing I can do that will lesson God’s love for me. No mistake, no sin, no failure, God loves me always! It’s not a love I have to “earn” or “hope to get”, because God loved me first! Before I even loved God, He loved me. And no matter what I do, God will still love me.

Without God, who would I turn to when life becomes difficult? Who would I ask for the strength to keep walking-no matter the challenge? Who would bring me to Heaven? And who would teach me to love? Only God can do all those things. And I have to admit, I feel so much safer, so much less afraid, knowing I have God to turn to.

There is my Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. There is Mary our Blessed Mother. All who love us so much and who are always ready and willing to help us 🙂 So Never give up! Just keep Praying 🙂

How can I even thank God for such a huge gift? By loving Him too! And by Following Him 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Sometimes Nature Can Bring Us Closer To Heaven :)

God created nature as a Gift to all of us. It’s beauty can be piercing, fleeting and comforting. And it can restore us. Don’t let any of God’s Gifts go to waste 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Compassion For The Lost!

“Oh, to realize that souls, precious, never dying souls, are perishing all around us, going out into the blackness of darkness and despair, eternally lost, and yet to feel no anguish, shed no tears, know no travail! How little we know of the compassion of Jesus!” – Oswald J. Smith, Evangelical Preacher, Missionary & Hymn Composer, Born in Toronto in 1890

Sadly, there are those who do not realize just how truly sad Jesus is when even one soul is lost, for Jesus Loves each one of us with a love that is truly beyond our understanding. When even one soul is lost, Jesus mourns that loss deeply.. His anguish at their suffering is more than we could ever bear. And His compassion for not only the lost, but those who love the lost, is incredible.

Praying that the Love for the Lost will fill our hearts the way it fills the Heart of Jesus is a really worthy prayer. To have a deep compassion for each one of the lost and those who love them, is something we should all seek to obtain. For it makes us more like Jesus Himself 🙂

Pray for the lost and those who love them. Be kind to all of them. And maybe, just maybe they will find their way 🙂

Be The Light 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Repentance

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”-Isaiah 59:1-2

Repentance is truly important. It really has two components, sorrow for the sin that we have committed and change (in other words, a true commitment to not committing that sin again!). Jesus will always forgive those who are truly repentant.

But what is a true commitment to not committing that sin again? I will tell you what it is not. It is not necessarily never committing that same sin again. We are human and we fail. That is just the way it is. And if we fail, we just need to turn to Jesus and ask His forgiveness and get back up and try to change again :).

I will share with you what it is. Perhaps our sin is drinking too much. Stopping at the bar on that way home may make it very hard to avoid that sin!

Another thing we may want to avoid: fatigue. Perhaps our sin in being crabby and too critical in the evening. Being “too busy” and “too tired” may not help us to avoid that sin. So avoiding being too busy and too tired may be helpful.

How about lying? Avoiding any action that we would feel that need to lie about may be very helpful. How about white lies? Remembering that it is sometimes just easier to tell the truth may be helpful. For example, telling someone who invites us somewhere that we are too tired or need to stay home, may just be easier than claiming a prior commitment that does not exist.

Sin separates us from God. So we do not want any more sin in our lives than we really can’t seem to avoid. So we need to ask Jesus for Help and avoid them where we can!

There is a reason that the Our Father, which Jesus taught us to pray, ends with:

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”-Matthew 6:13

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!