The wonder of the Bible reading might be that—even though he’s tired and half-asleep—Eli realizes that God is calling Samuel and tells him how to respond the next time he hears the voice. Eli tells Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

In the dreariness of January, we might be feeling kind of meh. Well, it turns out there’s a saint for that.

Some days we might be like the shepherd in the fields, meeting God unexpectedly without warning. Other days we might be more like the wise men, following a star, looking for God and answering his invitation to be with him.

As we prepare to begin a new year, I know that the days might not seem all that different on the other side of midnight on January 1. But they also await us with wonder, holding new opportunities and new discoveries.

What a whirlwind Christmas is every year! When our children were younger, I felt more pressure to make sure Christmas was magical. Celebrating Christmas with teens means this season is still magical, but in a different way.

God will give us our daily bread. He will ensure that we are not alone, and that we are equipped with the faith and the strength for whatever we might face.

When we got off the plane, we found out a snowstorm had canceled all the flights to the East Coast.

This Advent and Christmas season, the time is right for us to rediscover that familiar story and experience God’s presence in a new way, knowing we are exactly where we need to be.

That day when I had that sudden thought, the child who would become our younger son was newly born and not far away. Only God could have known that.

There is nothing like that wait for the baby to arrive, especially in those final hours before the birth.