So it’s almost Advent - a time of preparation. In other words, a time of waiting. I don’t know about you, but whenever I have to wait around somewhere for a while, I start to notice things I’d never see otherwise. Whether it’s  the doctor’s office or a train station, when we are forced to sit and wait - we can see an entirely different world. Sometimes it’s just noticing the quiet of nature, or the subtle sounds of what’s going on around us. Have you ever been waiting like that? Your knee starts to bounce; your leg twitches. Maybe you whip out your cellphone to see if anyone’s texted you in the last 37 1/2 seconds... we’re generally not great “waiters.” But God knew that when He gave us the season of Advent - a time to wait for the coming of Christ. We know Jesus is coming December 25th. But are we ready? There are thousands of reflections on Christmas that you’ll hear this season. The stores and the radio stations are already cranking out carols and classics to put you in the Yuletide mood... we are in the Christmas zone. But if we’re really going to take advantage of Advent, we can’t blow right past it on the way to the North Pole. Advent is a season of preparation, of waiting, and of purifying. Guys, think about this situation; you get all dressed up to take a girl out to a dance. You get to her house - her dad shows you his gun collection - and after the adrenaline is out of your system, you wait for her to finish getting ready. In that waiting, you have time to see if your tie is straight, if your shoes are tied... all the stuff you’ll need to look your best. Advent is the same way. We know Jesus is coming December 25th; we know that He’s pretty much the biggest deal in the history of... history. Starting next Sunday, we as a Church will be on that couch, waiting for our Savior to come down to meet us. Let’s use this time well. This Advent, prepare your hearts, spend time in prayer, and ask Christ to use this time of waiting to prepare you for your best Christmas ever. Happy Waiting,  Greg Iwinski Greg Iwinski is host of the Catholic Movie Reviews podcast and Content Editor for LifeTeen.com. He blogs for us about current events, the Church, and how the two can fit together. He can be reached at gregi@lifeteen.com.