Oh, the Noise, Noise, Noise!

One of the highlights of unemployment has to be the opportunity for a leisurely breakfast.  I still get up at the usual time (ok, not every day!) and do some laundry, redd up the kitchen, and so on, and then settle with my breakfast, some hot tea and the laptop to do some thinking, reading, and job hunting.

Well today I happened to turn on the tv before I sat down.  That may have been a mistake.  The morning news program was on, with self-appointed experts telling us what to think and what to do.  Did you know there's very little actual news reported on these shows?  When did we become such a shallow society, wasting time on trivia?  The last thirty minutes have covered the cost of a dress someone wore to an award show, how to gently reason with your children when they want more "stuff", (what happened to just say no?) the divorce of another famous couple, and an actor that was tossed off a plane for not turning off his phone.  Is any of that truly "news"?  Is any of it actually important, thought-provoking, useful for my day, or worthy of discussion?  I suppose I should be grateful for the passing mention of the Pearl Harbor attack, seventy years ago today.  We seem to have morphed from a nation united and devoted to our ideals to a lazy people addicted to noisy entertainments.  Time to turn the tv off! 

Another good thing about unemployment is being free to get to afternoon Advent services.  Taking an hour out of the day to pause and remember that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior, to sing the wonderful old Advent hymns is refreshing and comforting - and so much more meaningful than the television!

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."