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Santa - A no-show?

12/10/2014

1 Comment

 
My grandson Ethan went to visit Santa at the Pavilions shopping area with his mom and dad over the weekend. A long line of parents and children were patiently waiting his scheduled arrival at 1:00 pm. Unfortunately Santa was a no-show. Can you imagine trying to explain to a bunch of nicely dressed, ready for pictures children, let alone frustrated and bewildered parents that Santa wouldn’t be coming today? I’d hate to have been that messenger. I’m sure the stand-in Santa (of course he’s not the real Santa from the North Pole) may have had a good excuse. Maybe his car wouldn’t start or his alarm didn’t go off, or he got snatched by aliens. Whatever the reason, I assume the parents had to do some fast thinking and even faster talking.

Now you might assume my reason for telling you this story is so I can say that in the real Christmas story, Jesus never fails to show up for us. And of course that is the truth we proclaim at Christmas. But I also want to say that, occasionally, there are times when we feel very similar to the way these parents and children felt at the shopping center. Sometimes, it feels like God has overslept or lost his way, or got distracted from our waiting need for his presence. There will be times in life when our faith in God’s faithfulness will not have strong or immediate circumstantial support. In extreme moments, we may even feel abandoned.

This is exactly why we need Advent. If we always felt the presence of God in our lives, or always felt strong in trusting his love, or never wavered in our belief in his goodness and blessing, then seasons like Advent would be unnecessary. But that isn’t the real world we live in, is it? Even Jesus in his suffering prayed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” On the cross, in the worst moment of Jesus’ earthly life, God felt far away from him, and he felt forgotten. 

Advent is the way we gather together as a faith community to remember and proclaim in our worship the faithfulness of God, especially for those who are struggling to remember it for themselves. It may not be your struggle this year, but it is for someone. During those times, we must see him and trust him for each other. We stand with one another through these times of difficulty because we need the strength and support of each other’s confidence and hope. And then someday, we will have the opportunity to do that for someone else. This is how the community of faith works. We are fortunate and grateful to have that kind of community developing among us at University Presbyterian Church.

1 Comment
AZ 'GEORGE HOWE' 0'NEILL ANONYMOUS
11/3/2015 04:06:47 am

Realist Movie Writer
We Are Psychoanalyzed A+ Students All Special Forces. If Not Your Requirements Are Off. Top, Bottom Line A+.
Topic. MCR-JROTC Paid To CIA-MOS-Genius. ‘Mathematical Genius’. CIA To Young Marines, MCR-JROTC, MCR-ROTC, Marine-Cadet, Marine Recon, All-Marine-Clubs. Military Physiologist. La St. Catherine Military Academy Anaheim Ca. Hollywood La. La City College. La State University. USC. UCLA. UCI Irvine. Game KGB-FBI-CIA-CPU. KGB Radio Television. Chaplain.
Major. 1. Major P-Eye 10yrs Babysitting. 2. Major Physiologist 10yrs babysitting. 3. Major Military Scientist 10yrs Babysitting. 4. Major Shaolin Kung Fu 10yrs Babysitting. 5. Major Film 10yrs Babysitting. 6. Major Chaplain 10yrs Babysitting.
Training. Genius. MCR-JROTC Paid To CIA Send To Air Guard Boot Camp. All Special Forces Spy Boot Camps. Post MCR-JROTC, CIA Kiddy Country Plant {Scientist Cover} Nursery In Big-Hollywood-La-Christian-Catholic-Church-Hollywood-La-Hospital-School-Of-Doctors 0 People.
Hobbies. Cheerleading-Football-Click. Psychologist-Click. Fantastic Four 4 Requirements. Philosophy Requirement. Professor requirement. Crowds 0. WB. Universal. Paramount. Sony. 20th. Nickelodeon. Disney. Star Wars Studios. Sci-fi. Cartoon Studios. Conventions.
Grooming. ‘Special-Forces-Spy’.
Circuit. ‘Special-Forces-Spy’.
Learning Style. Common Sense. TV. No Homework. Common Sense Books. Teaching Style Natural Progression Through Life. Taught Style Frequent Teachings. More Teaching Style Fixed Questions. Miscellaneous Teaching Style Rapid Changes. Teaching Methods Rapid Movements. Privite-Schools-Elementry-Fresno-State-Entertainment-School-UCLA.
Mon. Train 45 Min. CIA.
Tues. Train 45 Min. MCR-ROTC.
Wed. Train 45 Min. Option. D/a. Jet Fighter Special Forces Spy. P-Eye. CPU.
Thurs. Train 45 Min. Option. MCR-JROTC.
Fri. Train 45 Min. Option. Young Marines.
Job Day. Chaplain. Post-MCR-JROTC-CIA-10yrs-Olds-College-Hollywood-La-Hospital-Connected-To-Elementary-School-As-Corporate-Raiders. Shore Duty Hollywood-La-California Types.
Job Mid. We’re All Psychoanalyzed Jet Fighter Special Forces Spy, A+ School. This Is My Make Up Of Paramilitary Entry. Air Guard Boot Camp. All Special Forces Spy. No Make Up.
Job Night. ‘‘Screenplay Writer’’.
Work Where. Shore Duty. We Agree Make Capital-Whitehouse-Governors-Houses-Mayors-Houses-Hollywoods-La-{Built for Movies}-University-Pre-Elementary-{We Chaplains Nursery To Exact 10yrs Olds As CPU W/ The FBI-CIA Mostly And Are CIA-CPU-Unit}-For Doctors-Degrees-Hospitals For Doctors. It’s Like A ‘’Little City’’.
Families Left Brain Genius. Psychological Warfare Anthropologist Realist King Queen.
Families Right Brain Genius. Scientist Warfare Physical Scientist Realist King Queen.
Worlds Wide Maybe Just A Novel Writer. Maybe Not A Movie Writer. Maybe Just A Writer.
Az “George Howe” 0’Neill Anonymous
Genius Physiologist Chaplain
Psychologist Film Military Scientist
Anthropologist Movies Sarcasm

ROTC CHAPLAIN ROTC- ABOVE GOES ON ONE PAGE AND IS OUR LIFES OUTLINE. YOU CAN USE IT AS A GUIDE HOW TO DESIGN YOUR OUTLINE BUTT I, WE GET CREDIT FOR IT RELIGIOUSLY. YES HOMEY I KNOW HOW TO PRAY BUTT I CALL IT I KNOW HOW TO HELL MARY. ABOVE LIVES OUTLINE GOES TO THE ROTC. THE J’S TOO. IT SHOULD BE SENT TO FORKNER ELEMENTRY SCHOOL FRESNO CALIFORNIA TO MADI LLAMEZ (ANONYMOUS), EMMA LLAMEZ (ANONYMOUS), BELLY LLAMEZ (ANONYMOUS) FOR THEIR WORK, SCHOOL AND THEN PLAY BUTT NO YOU’RE IN 1ST GRADE FORSAY GET TO WORK. Sidebar everything should be at the 1st grade level and then Emily Chavez Anonymous is the girlz Young Marine represent for say. Post small air field Fresno Northside Herndon. Yo teach we get that could be our education do you.

Chaplain ROTC Messy Prayer Buy Out At 55 Million for entertainment,

I’m an A+ plus student who happens to be a Mathematical Genius who was given grades as close to F’s as possible by the Teachers. Every Teacher noticed how smart I was so they gauged me as close to an F student as they could get away with. Since I’m a Mathematical Genius did I mention I’m a Mathematical Genius and an A+ plus student. Anyway all your schools throughout my days all owe me my given A+ plus grades and “The Court” may need to pay me off 55 billion dollars for all the damages, torment, torcher, trauma they have brought too my grades as a Mathematical Genius who’s an A+ plus student. Yes I was given very low grades all throughout school for not being the Teacher’s Pet for say and having 100% poll ratings at the polls. These schools can be sued for 55 billion dollars in trauma Tarpey Elementary, Cole Elementary, Kastner Intermediate School, Clovis West High School, Fresno City College and Fresno State University for a waste of my time.

I had my track of life already picked out in kindergarten so I just sat out school until I coul

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