This is the Lord speaking!

The wilderness seems to be a favorite place in the Bible for the Word of God. The literal wilderness as well as our inner wilderness. How does God speak in your wilderness?

The real St. Nicholas

Today is the feast day of Nicholas of Myra, a bishop who lived in the fourth century in what is now Turkey. Serving the poor among us seems like a good way to honor this ancient saint.

Hold on to what is good

Sometimes in life it seems like everything is changing underneath our feet. Our world changes so fast that it's important to hold on to what is good. This Advent, remind yourself of the things that give you stability and strength, the truths that have guided you all your life, and the people who have always been there for you.

Hold on to your life.

Happy New Year!

Do I have ten minutes in the day for prayer? Probably. I can squeeze ten minutes in somewhere. How about ten minutes with the Bible? Ten minutes of soul time, twice a day. It's possible.

Now where did I put that Bible...?

This year we'll be reading through the Gospel of Luke in the Sunday readings. Grab your Bible and take a peek at Luke. A few pointers:

• The author is presumed to be Luke the Physician, a companion of Paul and also the writer of the Acts of the Apostles.
• Luke contains the beautiful Christmas story of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the angels.
• Luke portrays women sympathetically.
• The Holy Spirit is a strong presence in the Gospel of Luke.
• Luke often shows Jesus at prayer, especially before important events.

Slow down. Quiet. It's Advent!

This is the First Sunday of Advent, and as a way to observe this season, I'm going to post a panel of our Advent Calendar each day. I like the heading on the calendar that says, "Slow down. Quiet. It's Advent!" That seems like a good way to start this time of waiting and expectancy.

Happy Advent!

Bill

Update on our property search

A lot has been happening on our property search. After our October 30 parish meeting, we made an offer to the owner of the property we're hoping to buy, considerably under the listing price. After a long time, we got a counteroffer which kept the price at the same level and added more conditions.

So we're trying to negotiate another offer, hoping that we can come to an agreement that will satisfy everyone. We've obtained two comparative market analyses to get a better picture of the value of the property. At our BC meeting last night, we agreed to get an appraisal so we have an even better idea.

I've been in conversation with Bill Goodenough, the property manager for the diocese. The Board of Directors, understandably, wants to know we've done our homework, so I've been providing them with information about projected costs and the viability of getting a conditional use permit from the county.

It's all a lot of work, and it takes considerable time and focus. When I get anxious about the process, I try to remember that if this is God's will, then the doors will open and it will work out. If it doesn't, then something else will. So I try to leave the outcome in God's hands.