Ascension : News From The Grotto - Thought For The Week - 2nd Sunday in Advent
Submitted by The Islander (Shari Parkhill) 10.12.2009 (Article Archived on 24.12.2009)

Recent events in my life have forced me to think about changes, and how they can catch us unawares.

align=left> prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> size=3>  lang=EN-US>The first Christmas must have been like that. style="mso-spacerun: yes">  Even though the birth of Christ had been
foretold through the prophets, I’m sure that when it actually happened, it still
caught people unawares.

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style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus" lang=EN-US>Everything changed when
Christ was born.  We look back at
that time as the beginning of an era. 
We record time as Before Christ and Anno Domino, which means the Year of
Our Lord, or the year of His birth. 
The Old Testament ended and the New Testament begins with the stories of
Christ’s life. 

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style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus" lang=EN-US>When Advent begins, we
start looking forward to Christmas. 
We are reminded to think about the birth of Our Lord, and all that means
for us Christians.  We change the
look of our houses with decorations. 
We buy gifts to give to friends and loved ones. style="mso-spacerun: yes">  All in celebration of the one of the
biggest changes in Christian time. 

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style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus" lang=EN-US>So, change happens,
sometimes for the good, sometimes not. 
But change is a fact of life, and we often have no control over it. style="mso-spacerun: yes">  We just have to adjust, and move
on.  And most of all, trust in God
that He will take care of us.  There
have been so many times of change in my life and I couldn’t have made it through
them all without the support that my faith accords me. style="mso-spacerun: yes">  I know of so many others who feel the
same way.

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style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus" lang=EN-US>So, when change catches us
unawares, and our world feels like it’s been turned upside down, may we all
remember to put our troubles in God. 
As the saying goes, “If He leads you to it, He will lead you through
it”. 

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style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus" lang=EN-US>May God bless everyone as
they journey through life; especially during this special season when we
celebrate the changes that the birth of Jesus brought to our world. style="mso-spacerun: yes">