Don't Leave The Catholic Church For All That Glitters Is Not Gold

 I have seen quite a few of my family members and friends from Catholic school that have become born again Christians. Well even myself drifted when I was 18 and at 25 met my wife and started going to the assembly of god church. This just one more step on my journey eventually back to the Catholic Church.
 So exactly what did draw me to the born again church. Well thinking back it was just a good time. There was something very simple about it. All you had to do was say the little prayer, I accept Jesus As My Personal Savior. I was now saved and if I sinned I was always forgiven. Wow that made it easy, no more going to confession and feeling embarrassed. Communion was just a symbol eating some crackers and drinking grape juice. Yes and there was all the happy singing and clapping of hands.
 Well I never did go down to the so called altar call and say that little prayer. You see I realized that I have always known Jesus Christ and have a very personal relationship. As time went on I was judging everyone and everything. When I started judging my own mother, i knew something was wrong. I know she has always loved Jesus and believed he died on the cross to take away the sins of the world.
 The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and soul. He filled me with awesome knowledge and the truth. I knew it was time for my wife and I to leave this false church. We searched around and found the Lutheran Church. Once again it was a very nice church with lots of people that loved Jesus. I did not have the judging problem, but I knew in my heart that something was still wrong.
 One day the pastor spoke about communion and the Holy Spirit filled me once again. I had to learn what church was the true church. I studied through history and kept ending up at the Catholic Church. I gathered various books that my mother came across at garage sales. One night I was watching EWTN the Catholic Chanel on cable tv and I saw the journey home show. Scott Hahn was talking about his journey and he spoke about the Holy Eucharist.
 The Holy Spirit filled my heart and soul with the truth. I knew that I had to come back to the Catholic Church. I spoke to my wife and explained what I had to do. I did tell he that she had to decide for herself what she wanted to do. She prayed about it and her and my children became Catholic. My Journey still goes on, but I will never wander away again.
 So when you are in your born gain church open your eyes and take a long hard look around you. Ask yourself is all that glitters gold. Are you just repeating what your pastor preaches to you, because it sounds so lovely and so easy to do.

Is Death The End Or Just The Beginning ?

 First of all I felt compelled to write this post as a friend of mines wife has stage 4 cancer and has about 2 weeks to live. Many people in other faiths believe that when we die, that is the end. They believe that their loved one is gone never to return. Yes they feel that they will never see them again. Well I do not believe that, in fact I believe it is only the beginning of an awesome life in eternity with Jesus Christ, God The Father, The Holy Spirit and all of our loved ones that have gone on before us.
 I have seen many individuals that have spoken about their near death experiences. Now some of it may be false, because not everyone goes to heaven At least not right away. There are many passages in the Holy Bible that speak about Heaven. There are also many things that point out the fact that there are many in Heaven. For example about having a great cloud of witnesses in heaven. There is also about to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ. Also when Jesus said that his father has many mansions in Heaven for us. Why would there be places for us if it were the end and we were no more.