I'm waiting for my engine to shift out of Impulse to Warp Drive, but I think I need a jump start.  Which is to say, I didn't get a whole lot done today.  I did what was necessary, bought a few gifts to wrap for the residents of the home and made a really good pot of soup out of leftovers.  I think I have dropped another pound on my soup and boiled egg diet, but need to wait and see if it a consistent weight loss.  I do cheat and ate 3 small cookies-'cause I could!  I actually don't do a lot of cheating, but sometimes I just "need" to fool my metabolic system with a couple of cookies...yum.

I have been on the phone with the appliance store, Toshiba, and Insight Cable.  Still no sound on the TV, but it does play CD's perfectly well.  I am inclined to think it is a faulty cable box and Insight is coming to look at it on Monday.  I would like to "hear" the news and PBS and a couple other shows.  As I said, I don't do well with lip reading...no, I don't.

I also said that this season of Advent will probably be busy and that seems to be holding true.  Of course if I could get my little ship to fire up and into Warp Drive...I might go a little faster and get more done.

Today was First Friday and the first week of Advent is closing fast.  Sunday will be the second week of Advent
This is a good time to contemplate and give thanks for all that we have and give thanks for living in a country that is still relatively free to worship, read the Bible and evangelize...spread the Word of God.

"The Church encourages Bible services esp. on the vigils of the more important feasts on some week days of ADVENT and Lent, and on Sundays and feast days.  They are particularly to be commended where no priest is available: when this is so, a deacon or some other person authorized by the Bishop , should preside over the celebrations." 

This is taken almost in whole from the Vat 11 Documents, page 150: 35, 4. This is from my old paper back edition and may not be exactly the same in the newer editions.

I am sure that among the suppressed nations of the world it will be hard to celebrate the birth of Christ and these people will hopefully do the best they can.  We pray for all suppressed and all oppressed people and Christians.  I am often embarrassed that I need to lose weight  in light of the true abject poverty in so much of the world.  As Christ said, " The poor you  will always have with you, (He...Christ),  and me you have will not have always."

Try to do some small thing somewhere, for someone, for the glory and coming of the Christ Child, in this time of Advent.

END 

P.S.  To all my Russian readers,

and all other foreign readers,

as well as U.S. readers

I know you are there.

PAX(Peace)