WESLEY ARNING

Right now is the time of waiting, testing, and tribulation. We don’t have to wait for things to get worse before they get better. We are to live in the here and now, thankful for our daily bread and attentive to what God has tasked us with, while also never losing sight of Jesus’ return when he will set the world right. And oh, what a day that will be, when all is made right.

We should begin each prayer recognizing who God is. He is worthy of adoration and praise—full stop. Almost always in this life, we will praise people for what they have accomplished, the great deeds that they have done as individuals. They have earned our praise. They have shown that they are worthy of our devotion. Not so with God. He doesn’t have to do anything to deserve our praise. He is God and we are not, and that is enough. He is outside the created order. In fact, he

Something that has helped me stay grounded and cultivate an attitude of gratitude is the Latin phrase, “Memento Mori. Memento Vivere,” which means, “Remember that you will die. Remember to live.” It may seem a little morbid, but it reminds me that I am a mortal creature. I am not the center of the universe.

The shrewd manager represents us at our best and our worst. We can use our skills for our own betterment or to reflect the generosity of our Lord. We can share the amazing news of God’s generosity with others and see how it changes lives…or we can selfishly hold it to ourselves as if it was ever intended just for us. We can come before the throne of God either in fear of his righteous judgment, knowing that we should be condemned for our sin and deceit in this life, or in hum