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Tag Archives: Prayer

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Are You Relying on Signs and Wonders?

By | July 26, 2011

I fly on jets, but still don’t know how they are able to fly with being so large and carrying so many people. I drove by an aircraft carrier the other day while on vacation and can’t believe that something that big could float. I walk down the streets of some of the world’s biggest cities amazed at how a skyscraper could reach so high. Standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon and I am in awe that water could have carved that wide and deep of a crevasse in the earth. Our world is filled with signs

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Occupational Prayer Hazards: Staying Rooted in Prayer as a Minister

By | June 8, 2011

We’ve all heard it a million times – every conference, training, and Diocesan gathering. We say it to other youth minters, our Core Teams, and our teens. We know it in our heads, but often we fail to practice it in our hearts. “Prayer needs to be the center of our life as Catholic Christians and especially as Youth Ministers.” The trouble is, I am a sinner, and I fail at this a lot of the time. Consequently I often rationalize my half-hearted prayer. Here are my three most common prayer hazards.

Liturgy Planning Guide

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 10/02/2011

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Liturgy Planning Guide

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 07/24/2011

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Keys To Being a Great Core Member

By | May 9, 2011

I was training a group of young core members when I commented about what a great looking group of young adults they were. I think I said they looked like they could be in a Gap Ad. All of a sudden one of the girl Core Members asked me “What’s the perfect core member looked like?” I thought for a second and then immediately responded – “that’s simple – the perfect Core Member looks like Jesus”. You see the world tells teens how they should look, as Core Members it’s not about how we look, it’s all

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Is It Prayer or Is It Gossip?

By | May 4, 2011

We churchy people love to pray for others. The Bible, Church teaching, and our personal experiences constantly remind us that prayer makes a difference. Prayer has the power to change people’s hearts, and draws us closer to the heart of God – perhaps in the way that my heart is moved when I have a deep conversation with someone or receive an unsolicited hug from one of my kids. I’ve noticed, however, that our sinful nature can infect even our most pure desires for prayer. I call this phenomenon

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No Static At All?

By | April 19, 2011

In the days before satellite radio and streaming music over your smart phone, there was good old AM radio. One of the features of AM radio was that the further you were away from the signal, the more static or fuzzy sounds you would hear. In the days before cable or satellite TV there was only broadcast TV with rabbit ears antennas that at times could give you a visual picture of static if you were too far from television broadcast towers. In terms of static in my spiritual journey, I have found

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Talking With > Talking About

By | March 28, 2011

I believe that who we talk about is a big indication of where our hearts are. If we spend a lot of time talking about God that normally means are hearts are alive for Him. If we talk about our families, it is a sign that family matters to us, even if it is messy at times. I always tell people interviewing someone to be the youth leader at a parish to note how many times the person talks about teens, as it is a good indication about the posture of that persons heart toward teens. The only problem

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W.I.J.D?

By | March 23, 2011

Most of you probably remember the WWJD bracelets that so many people were wearing 15 years ago. WWJD stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” It serves a reminder to apply how Christ lived to whatever situation we are facing. What if instead of asking what Jesus would do – we asked WIJD? “What is Jesus Doing?” What parts of our ministry are being blessed in tangible ways? In these parts, What is Jesus doing? What parts of our ministry are being pruned? In these parts, What is Jesus doing? Who are the

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Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble In Ministry When…

By | March 18, 2011

I don’t like to speak of humility, just the mention of it implies I am not humble. Here is a gut check regarding humility that I have found a huge spiritual help. The Seventeen Evidences of a Lack of Humility By St. Josemaria Escrivá 1. To think that what one says or does is better than what others say or do 2. To always to want to get your own way 3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong 4. To give your opinion when it has not been requested or when charity