Shhh! The DONUTS are Calling!

You know I feel that I am destined to be fat. Why? No, I don't have a glandular problem. No I don't have a heart issue that keeps me from exercising. No, I have no other physical or mental disorder that keeps me from exercising or making wise choices. 

Why am I destined to be fat? Me, I am the reason. My habits make my life what it is and on Wednesdays we have DONUT DAY at work. Just so you know my heart swell just typing DONUT DAY. I can't say no to the donuts, or rather I choose not to. I have come to realize that the only thing that will hold me back in life is me. Sure, the world can throw a ton of stuff in my way, but in the end I make the decisions of what or what I don't want to pursue or put in my mouth that so willingly accepts donuts. 

God stands in heaven preparing a place for you, yes you and you alone. A place tailor made for you. You can come in and stay for an eternity. A place with no pain, sickness, poverty, it is sheer HEAVEN. Do you have to jump through flaming hoops or walk over broken glass or sacrifice your first born on an altar? No, you have to love. Yep you have to love. I know that doesn't sound hard but we are human and we have broken hearts and so it's hard. I know that its hard when I get cut off in traffic. I want to practice the little "sign language" that I know. 

God wants you to love and follow him. Will your life be terrible if you do? No, actually anymore I find that my life is "terrible" when I don't follow God, when I don't follow Jesus' teachings. I find that when I chase empty pleasures and refuse to love God is when I find unhappiness. There is a difference between happiness and pleasure. Happiness can sustain. Pleasure is over pretty much as soon as you stop doing what brings the pleasure. I find pleasure in eating donuts but when I stop cause I can't eat anymore I have an upset stomach and then when the sugar crash ensues... you get the idea. 

God is rules, rules, rules though, or so I hear. Look at those rules. Those rules are about loving. Does God want you to sacrifice? Yeah, but I guarantee that you will find no champion of any sport, business, lifestyle or discipline that does not sacrifice. You want to gain anything great you will have to sacrifice something. The greater the "thing" the greater you will have to sacrifice.  In my journey to become a good Christian I have had to sacrifice. I have lost friends. I have given up money to help others out of love. I have had family relationships strain. I have people mock and make fun of me. I have missed out on worldly opportunities, but none of that "pain" compares to being whipped to the point of having my flesh ripped off my body, being kicked, beat, and mocked, spit on and the forced to carry my own device of death to a place where I had nails driven into my body in full view of the public naked, left to hang and die and even stabbed in the side. Jesus went through that because he loved. He loved perfectly and he loved you so much he was will to go through all of that for you so you could gain entrance to Heaven and in return God wants you to love. Love God with all your mind , body and soul and to love EVERYONE  you meet as you love yourself.

Is it easy? No, but if you let him God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will be there with you every step of the way. All the Saints and Angels will be cheering you on in Heaven. Will you make mistakes and fall? Yep, but if you go to God with a true, honest and regretful heart and ask for forgiveness he will forgive you. Jesus will never give up on you. He is waiting for you right now. He's the greatest life coach of all time, but here's the thing, you have to choose. It won't be easy. It will be hard. You will be challenged, but if you grab that desire with all your might and stand Jesus will be next to you, but you have to choose.

So do you want Heaven for all eternity, or do you wish to roll the dice and check Hell? Are you willing to sacrifice and rise like a champion or sit down and eat that donut?

Gospel MK 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus,
“We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”