Gaudete in Domino semper: interum dico, gaudete:
modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus prope est.
Nihil soliciti sitis: sed in omnia oratione petitiones vestrae innotescant apud Deum.
which means
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all men.
The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious over anything;
but in all manner of prayer, let your requests be made known unto God.
Listen to it...do it. Honestly. We have only a few more weeks and it's not about buying, wrapping, or decorating. It's about getting our hearts ready for the birth of our Savior! Buy, wrap and decorate but do it with GOD in your mind and heart.
It's been a kind of fractious Advent around here. We started well and then, well, it all fell apart. Funerals across several states do that to you.
Despite all of that, thanks to God, we are home and well and someone special has a birthday this week. Then another the week after. Lol. Lots of rejoicing about to commence...as we prepare and have a few subdued pre-parties in anticipation of the big day. Which, ironically, will be spent praying and doing quiet family things at home. More on that later.
When my birthday approaches, the devil always likes to do the "why aren't you doing xyz by this point in your life" bit. Sorry, Satan. Not gonna happen this year. I am overjoyed with my life...a few good friends to talk to, a loving family and, more recently, these two bits of "stuff" I had to share.
Don't you love it when you find the perfect, PERFECT gift for your linguist/bibliophile? Me too.
YES, IT IS THE GRINCH IN LATIN!!! No, I couldn't believe it either!
Then, these came in the mail. Well, you can skip my birthday (except Mitchell's please) because I am topped up with joy...yes, over a t-shirt and socks.
There is a series of races called Faster than the Pastor, A Journey to the Cross. They describe the races this way...
Faster than the Pastor, A Journey to the Cross is a fresh and relevant community building, evangelization effort and health advocacy initiative, created to bring our diocese together in a way that celebrates and exalts our faith and proclaims the gospel.
Ahhh. Why don't I live in Minnesota????(Because, it's really just too cold). Well, it's OK, because they have a shop where they sell all this stuff and it's my new favorite. Here is my shirt, #1 race:
I know, right? It gets better, though. There are also socks that come with each race and have the Bible verse on them that corresponds to the event. The Bible verse is the distance of the race...John 3:16 is 3.16 miles long. So cool.
I decided a few months ago, since I'm big and slow and never going to win any races, perhaps I can use my time out and about as an opportunity to proclaim my faith, even if it's only to me (although I still like running in the town next to us with my "Got Mary?" shirt"). I've begun a policy of only entering an event if the proceeds go to a religious organization (like Little Sisters of the Poor - they had a race a few months ago in Baltimore...I did a virtual run and they got my donation for their aged home). I did make an exception with FTTP;JTTC but, you know, there is something wonderful about running with
I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.on your feet. It makes me remember toward what goal I am running and what really matters in the end. The best part? When someone says, "what was your time?" you get to reply, "oh, I run religious races...they're all in God's time." ;0)
Rejoice, people. Find God everywhere and it won't be that hard. If you get testy, Let your forbearance be known to all men.
I am so very blessed...and so are you.
No comments:
Post a Comment