As mentioned in last week’s blog, waiting is not easy. As we get closer and closer to Christmas, the wait gets more difficult. In these final days of Advent, there’s no time like the present for a time of patience – especially in prayer. Read More
A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Catholic friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend’s sermons, but he heard them often. Read More
I don’t like to wait. Whether it’s at the doctor’s office, at a busy restaurant on a Saturday night, sitting in rush hour traffic, or waiting for water to boil when making pasta. Waiting is hard because it often causes stress, anxiety, confusion, sorrow, and even darkness.
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It was a cold, crisp December morning as I ventured down the stairs to follow my weekly routine of watching Saturday morning cartoons. A commercial came on the air, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen…it was the Big Jim Sports Camper. It was the coolest toy ever! It included a boat, camping gear, and a bunch of manly accessories that a boy could only dream about. I swear that I heard angels singing when it came on the TV; and at the moment I knew, that is what I wanted most for Christmas. Read More
When I was growing up, money was scarce at times, and we often had to do without. My dad worked two jobs to help make ends meet while my mom made every penny stretch as far as possible. That was probably the major reason why everything they gave me was always two or three sizes too large. I remember when I was 12 years old, I received a pair of roller skates – so large that I had to stuff an old sock in them to fill up the toe space. When I took them out of the box, I looked up and said, “Mom, I can’t skate with these.” She said, “Be grateful for what you have, Allen.” And then she said the phrase I had become so accustomed to hearing over the years, “Don’t worry; you’ll grow into them.” Read More
There are many things in life that confuse me. For example, why does lemonade have imitation flavoring, but furniture polish contains real lemon juice? Why does “fat chance” and “slim chance” mean the same thing? If something “goes without saying,” why do people still say it? Why is it that if someone tells you that there are four billion stars in the universe you believe them; but if there’s a sign that says wet paint, you have to touch it to be sure? Some things just don’t make any sense. Read More
Not too long ago, I was at the grocery story waiting in line to check out. All was good with the world when suddenly I noticed that the checker ran out of change and had to call a manager; and I had to wait. So, I switched to another lane and quickly learned that the person in front of me had some sort of problem. The checker had to call for a price check, and I ended up waiting and waiting and waiting.
We get so easily frustrated and impatient with the little things of life, especially this time of year: the irritations of what happens around us, the daily struggles with our own attitudes, and the busyness of the season. These small, seemingly innocent circumstances have a way of piling up until we finally explode from the pressure.
What would happen if we were to put all this behind us and just focus on our relationship with God? Instead of groaning and complaining, we chose to be joyful and giving. What would happen if we lived every moment as a prayer, being in constant communication with the One who is to come and the One who is already here? Perhaps we would live our lives with more happiness, thankfulness, peace and love.
Lord, we come to you just as we are – right where we are. Help us to use these remaining days of Advent to constantly seek you, perhaps even grope for you as we patiently wait with hopeful anticipation.
O come, o come, Emmanuel!
There is no shortage of waiting in life. Waiting for the weekend. Waiting to find out if you got that new job. Waiting to find out if you made the team. Waiting to hear the test results from the doctor. Waiting to get a driver’s license. Waiting to hear from colleges. Let’s face it: our days are packed with family obligations, work, school, sports and Netflix. But there is also a great deal of waiting in the midst of all the activity. Read More
I am one of the disciples of Jesus. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I am in hiding because of the events that have recently taken place. After what had happened to Jesus, I feared for the worst. All I could think about was could this possibly happen to me as well? I was terrified, and I fled for my life. Here I thought that my faith was strong enough to withstand anything; but man, was I wrong. I abandoned my Lord, and I feel awful. He told us to trust in him, but I didn’t. But can you blame me? I’ve never been so frightened in my entire life.
And now, I wait.
We are Emmanuelites…God is with us!
We used this call and response in Youth Ministry many years ago. And it had two purposes: first, to gain the attention of the teens so they could focus on what was about to happen. And second, to remind them to trust in the fact that God is with us at all times.
We are Emmanuelites…God is with us! Read More
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