{"id":264,"date":"2012-12-11T01:00:57","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T01:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=264"},"modified":"2012-12-03T19:01:06","modified_gmt":"2012-12-03T19:01:06","slug":"advent-2012-what-about-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2012\/12\/advent-2012-what-about-you.html","title":{"rendered":"Advent 2012: What about You?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Image courtesy of Arvind Balaraman\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advent Day 10: What about you?<\/p>\n

Rise early. Hurry up. Juggle.\u00a0 Add one, two, three more things to your list. Retire late.<\/p>\n

Repeat tomorrow. And tomorrow. And tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Still two weeks away from Christmas, and you might already be feeling as if you cannot wait until this season is over. But, wait you must.<\/p>\n

How are you going to make it through, especially if you have health challenges that are also stirred up by all the extra activity, festivity, and, yes, stress these days?<\/p>\n

For all the things we wish to do for others these days before Christmas, we are only, wonderfully, human. And, far from inviting us to pack each moment with frantic errands and outreach, this Advent time asks us to slow down, take time to think, pray, rest in God’s presence.<\/p>\n

Today and going forward, include the question, “What about me?” on your to-do list. Remind yourself to take a few precious moments to pause and reflect in quiet. Breathe deeply in the season, and ask God to abide with you and deepen your faith and peace.<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Advent Day 10: What about you? Rise early. Hurry up. Juggle.\u00a0 Add one, two, three more things to your list. Retire late. Repeat tomorrow. And tomorrow. And tomorrow. Still two weeks away from Christmas, and you might already be feeling as if you cannot wait until this season is over. But, wait you must. How…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[224,3,43,4],"tags":[225,2119,45,19,261,172,96,260,23,175],"class_list":["post-264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent-2012","category-chronic-pain-and-illness","category-encouragement-in-life","category-words-of-encouragemnent-and-info-for-all","tag-advent","tag-advent-2012","tag-faith","tag-illness","tag-pause","tag-peace","tag-prayer","tag-quiet","tag-spirit","tag-stress"],"yoast_head":"\nAdvent 2012: What about You? - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2012\/12\/advent-2012-what-about-you.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Advent 2012: What about You? - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Advent Day 10: What about you? Rise early. Hurry up. Juggle.\u00a0 Add one, two, three more things to your list. Retire late. Repeat tomorrow. And tomorrow. And tomorrow. Still two weeks away from Christmas, and you might already be feeling as if you cannot wait until this season is over. But, wait you must. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. 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