Always Rejoicing

As I get older I find myself trying new things. Earlier this year I enrolled in a pottery class. And I’m having a blast. Well…I’m not making stuff that Royal Dalton or Tiffany and Co. would approve. Not yet, anyway. 🙂 And I’m getting old… Yeah, Bette Davis was right: “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” I’m posting this paragraph at the top of my “Welcome To Always Rejoicing” page just to let you know that I’m running on “slow” but I’m still moving. I’m writing this paragraph on Memorial Day Weekend, 2026. If you sign up, I’ll send you an e-mail when I post something.  And I’d love to get a comment from you. 

Unlike Agatha Christie or Ray Bradbury I don’t write just one type of story. There’s all sorts of stuff here, some ‘family friendly’ stories and some theological essays. However, I try to write stuff that most everyone can understand. Some stories don’t mention God while others are based on a Biblical tale. I hope I don’t write stories that force Christian theology on the reader. I hate that. While I am a Christian, I truly dislike stories that seem to force God on the reader. I think a good example is my story,  Seeing Red. It’s modern setting and dramatic theme are the foundation of the tale, even though one character is a Christian who has a character flaw. Some stories are based on Christian legend or they have Biblical sources. These were written because the tale is a good tale, not because it’s “Biblical” or “Christian”. I think you’ll find Walking on Oil or The Fifth Commandment to be just as enjoyable as Goldilocks and The Three Little Pigs. One of my favorite poems is Alternity While it is more or less a sort of story, it should be read out loud, as a poem, with a sense of urgency and raw reality. Some of the essays (you might think of them as ‘blog posts’) are about fantasy stories. The category “Whistling Dixie” contains a few essays that are odd. One of them compares Darth Vader with Dorothy Gale.

When I post a new story or essay I add a comment to Currently on Always Rejoicing.

FYI: I built this site myself. More about that here.  By the way, like many websites, click on the icon in the upper left corner to return to this page.

For a bit of my personal biography you can click here:  About Uisdean 

Please scroll down this page to find links to some of the stories. If you click on the banner you will see the stories in that category. Or use the menu at the top of this page. Other pages may have a menu on the side or at the bottom of the page.

So, welcome to AlwaysRejoicing.com. I do hope you enjoy the site. 

Rejoice Always!

          –Uisdean

So, what is Always Rejoicing?  Original stories…well, mostly original. You’ll find the “Three Little Pigs” here, but not the story you know. In my story, they are plumbers. You’ll find stories about a red car, a useless slave, a son whose father is an evil king, an ‘alternative’ poem, a different perspective on Christmas, thoughts on a shoeshine, reviews of a few books, all of which, I hope, point to JOY.

“Joy” is not “Happiness”. Happiness is an emotion. Joy is a state of being. Happiness is ephemeral. Joy is eternal. Through stories and essays and poetry this site hopes to point toward that state of being that is “JOY”. Many of the characters in these stories have not found Joy. Some never find it. Some are so filled with Joy that you might find them singing.

This site is neither an attempt to promote my version of Christianity nor is it an attempt to trick pagans into becoming Christians. All I’m doing is telling the story. Some stories, like Seeing Red are concerned with characters who are Christians. Others, like Rain Dance do not have characters who appear to be Christians. Some stories are about Biblical events, others have nothing Biblical about them. Even so, I’ll probably offend someone. If you find this site offensive, tell people you don’t like to check it out. Maybe they will like it 🙂 

In addition to the stories, essays and poetry you’ll find here, there are two two “sibling sites”. Click on “MORE” in the menu. One, called Forever Stone, is written for Christians who are interested in The Bride of Christ. It is a series of “adventures” that examine the Church. The other site is a Bible Study. Sometimes I post my personal studies of Holy Scripture on this site. 

Why “Always Rejoicing”? It’s because I struggle with St. Paul’s admonition to rejoice always. He said, (in effect) “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say Rejoice.” There have been many times when I did not want to rejoice in anything. Especially God. Once I began to understand what St. Paul was actually talking about, I began to accept his admonition. And so I try to write things that are based on “Joy”.

Some of the items posted here are such that you may not see them as “joyful”. And, in the common, worldly sense of the word, that’s true. But “JOY” is not something that makes you laugh. This is not a comedy site. I do try to include as much humor as I can. So you may find some funny material. You may even find a bad pun. But that’s not “JOY”. Things that we view as “funny” vary with individuals and with culture. “JOY” is not an emotion. It is a spiritual state. It is that place where we feel Heaven. It’s what St. Paul meant when he told the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord, always”. The items posted here should, in some way, point toward Heaven and Joy. Unsure? Questions? Please leave a comment. I’ll do my best to respond in a helpful manner.

The site is open for anyone to read. Comments are encouraged. However, to comment you must register. You only need a User Name, Password and e-mail address. No other information is required. You are also welcome to respond to the comments of others. Please be respectful when you comment.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that everything posted here is fiction or my personal opinion. The illustrations are (as best as I can determine) public domain. I do my best to give proper credit. Please do likewise. I have based some stories on Biblical characters or events. These stories are fiction, or “historical fiction”. While I make every effort to reflect what the Bible says—to avoid heresy—I am using poetic license in order to tell the story. Enjoy the stories and other items I have written just as you enjoy reading Harry Potter or watching The Ten Commandments movie. If you do find spiritual advice in what I have written, please confirm that advice with Holy Scripture and your pastor.