Today is the first Sunday in Advent, a time of waiting and longing for our remembrance of Jesus' birth at Christmas.Traditionally, Advent wreaths have four candles, one lit each week as we get closer to Christmas. The four candles represent hope, peace, joy and love.

IN GRATITUDE

Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of...

A co-worker of mine and I were recently walking over to the church for a funeral, and as we walked she commented on the number of people who die when seasons change.Over the years, I've noticed that too, and I guess it's just one of life's fascinating rhythms. The funeral we were headed to was for one of our volunteers, a faithful woman who had served our church well for many years.

After Hurricane Sandy, I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived in Ocean City, Maryland this past Sunday.Our local news said there was quite a bit of damage, but I didn't see much, other than beach erosion and some problems at the other end of the boardwalk.

What a crazy week it's been. My heart goes out to the poor folks who have suffered so much due to Hurricane Sandy. Recovery will take a very long time, and for many, life will forever be marked by this terrible storm.Although it seems so trivial now, I flew out to California last Thursday to attend a conference on diabetes in San Diego. Two of my brothers joined me, and the TCOYD (Take Control...

Over the last few weeks, I've been reminded several times about the importance of forgiveness.Too often we either refuse to forgive someone for a wrong done to us, or we fail to forgive ourselves for our own mistakes. We might also feel too uncomfortable to admit our faults and seek the forgiveness of someone else. Maybe even God?

I've found myself asking this question a lot lately. Over the weekend, I was getting ready for someone to come and paint several of the rooms inside my house.I didn't want to change colors, but just give everything a freshening up. I knew I had a paper with all the color names and paint numbers, but it took me awhile to find it. Who can remember names likeJersey CreamandCaen Stone? With a tip I...

I made a little retreat this past weekend with a friend of mine, and it was filled with lots of great experiences.One of them was heading to a outcroping of rocks in Pennsylvania called High Rock. Over the years, I've taken lots of people here to see the spectacular views.On Saturday, we were treated to watching a group of hang gliders launch from the rocks and glide down into the valley below....

I don't know about you, but it seems like there's an awful lot of negative things going on in the world today.I thought that maybe after the political conventions, the rhetoric might be toned down a bit. No chance.We all keep praying for peace in our world. It seems like violence and hatred continue to raise their ugly heads more often than not. And then there's the economy, unemployment... The...

I was talking with a group of college students tonight, and the theme was the power of prayer.I shared with them a personal experience of years of prayer for a particular intention, but those prayers seemed to go unanswered. I prayed. My family prayed. My friends prayed. Nothing seemed to happen. We got discouraged. Some stopped praying. I gave up more than once.