“[I]f God took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times to be glad and rejoice, He must want us to do it—–SOME.” ~Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! ~Phillipians 4:4

1) I never read this poem by C.S. Lewis before, even though I’m a Lewis fan:

As the Ruin Falls
by C. S. Lewis
All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.
Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love –a scholar’s parrot may talk Greek–
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.
Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.
I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.
For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains.

It might seem an odd thing to be joyful about, falling ruins, but I think I get what he means. And I am happy to be made new.

2) Winterbound by Margery Williams Bianco. It is perfectly possible to live a happy, grateful life in less than ideal circumstances.

3) This prayer by Inca Pachacutec, to Pachacamac, “a god who was the creator and preserver of all mankind” and above even the Sun God whom the Incas had always worshipped:

O Pachacamac!

Thou who hast existed from the beginning,

Thou who shalt exist to the end,

Powerful, but merciful,

Who didst create man by saying,

“Let man be!”

Who defendest us from evil,

And preservest our life and our health,

Art Thou in the sky or upon the earth?

In the clouds or in the deeps?

Hear the voice of him who implores thee

And grant his petitions,

Give us life everlasting,

Preserve us and accept this our sacrifice. . . .

Prayer preserved by Spanish priests, copied from New Found World by Katherine B. Shippen

See Romans 1:19-20. God has always been revealing Himself to men through His creation, and He continues to do so through His Son, Jesus Christ.

4) I got to go to church last Sunday, and I will go again this Sunday, God willing, to worship the Lord with the saints in my congregation. What a blessing!

5) I’m adding lots and lots of new-to-me books to my library, Meriadoc Homeschool Library, books that I acquired from a school that was closing (sad), but that will now have a new opportunity to serve the patrons of my library.

6) I thought I’d posted this song, Joy by Scott Mulvahill, before, but I couldn’t find it. It still makes me smile:

7) I got to spend time with both of my baby grandchildren, Teddy and Hazel, this week. That’s joy, for sure!