FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

After our rather interesting week with doctor's visit's, transfusion, chemo, and Vicki's phase 1 oral surgery, we woke up Sat. feeling a bit more refreshed. Saturday evening we decorated the tree and it was fun! We ran across all the special ornaments-Donald Duck from Vicki's childhood, a small wooden nativity from my childhood, some ornaments that our kids had brought from Germany, etc. We played "old" Christmas carols on the tv and reminisced. A very special evening. As we did this, I prayed for our friends needing particular prayers, the persecuted church, our small bible study here at Bridgemoor, and those who live alone. A good time to take a breath, step back and recognize God's work in the world around us.

Amazingly, I usually feels better on Sundays. On this, the last Sunday of Advent we reflected on the Lessons and Carols on Sunday Morning and God's amazing orchestration of our salvation that we heard in those scriptures. Meanwhile, construction proceeds steadily on the dormitory for Casa Sagrada Familia. He is in contol of all.

The Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent seems particularly appropriate:

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.