Back again...this time I have more accountability. I have my family and my students in on my plans so I will be forced to keep going. I really do enjoy this as well. I have my students journal so why can't I?? I even changed the background of my blog to look just like their journals. :) So in the words of our friend Bible Geek ... Let's get to this yummy goodness. :)
The first day of advent I am so so excited!!! I woke up 6am-ish ..... everyone is still asleep!! I have refrained from waking them ... plus the quiet is nice. Allows me to get my to do list to to done. I have so many things I want to share as we embark on our advent journey but I know I need to keep it simple. In Matthew 22:34-39, Jesus gave us the greatest commandment. Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind." This is the greatest and first commandment . And a second is like it: "You should love your neighbor as yourself.
Life is chaotic! Bringing God into the chaos of our lives is what we are all required to do. Society does not make it easy. A national survey of the Kaiser foundation has shown that the average 8-18 year old spends 7 hours and 38 minutes a day on entertainment media. That is more than 53 hours per week. Research done through CARA- Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University has found that nationally the estimated number of all Catholics going to mass in a given week is 31.4%. When you think the precepts of the church tell us the minimum level of commitment to attend mass is on Sundays plus the Holy Days of Obligation. That is combined about 60 hours a year. Sadly that is not far off from the amount of time spent by our young people in entertainment media in a week. I have seen entertainment media.... over Thanksgiving I saw Honey Boo Boo for the first time (oh my!) .... there is very little quality out there. Matthew 6:21 states, " For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Are we spending our treasure of time with the One we are to love with our whole being and the people we love most in this world?
This advent season as we prepare for the arrival of our Savior my family's to do is to focus on the great commandments and strengthen our light for Christ to the world.
I pray we can all become living, breathing examples of the great commandments to others.
Blessings this advent season.
