Always Rejoicing

Stories, Essays, Poems, all pointing to JOY
 

Welcome to Always Rejoicing!

Welcome to Always Rejoicing! Here you will find original short stories written by me, Uisdean.

First, you might want to know what you’ll find here. Some of the stories here are the retelling of older stories like ‘fairy tales’ or Biblical stories while others are stories based in the current era. A third category is in an essay format. There are some poems, also.

Second, I suppose, you’ll want to know about the author of this website. If you scroll down, you’ll find a ‘portal’ or link to the biography page. Or you can click here:  About Uisdean

The stories vary from the drama of Seeing Red to the comedy of  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. Most recently, I posted an excerpt from the novel I’m trying to write. It’s called The Best Fishing Trip.

FYI: I built this site myself. More about that here. As a result, the menu at the top of this page is a bit ‘quirky’. You may find some other odd links or designs, as well as a couple of typographical errors. Feel free to notify me of anything odd through the comments.

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.

Rejoice Always!

          –Uisdean

Tales From Staley’s Store
Tales From Staley’s Store
Short Stories
Short Stories
Essays
Essays
Fantasy
Fantasy
Fairy Tales Revisited
Fairy Tales Revisited
Biblical Stories
Biblical Stories
Poetry
Poetry

Featured Stories

Shining the Spotlight on Some of My Favorite Stories.

Mercy Killing

This very short tale is a rewrite of a story I wrote eons ago. (802 words/ about 5 minutes read time.)
Read More ... "Mercy Killing"

The Fifth Commandment

(About 12,575 words/ One hour read time.) The story of King David is one of the great stories of history. This retelling is from the viewpoint of Prince Jonathan, the son of King Saul. It examines the relationship of Jonathan and his father, asking how to obey the 5th commandment when one's father is not very honorable. While it is very long, I do hope you enjoy it.
Read More ... "The Fifth Commandment"

Alternity

This "poem" might be best read out loud with a sense of urgency. {Parkour is a sport that uses the urban environment as an obstacle course.} (1377 words/ 5-9 minutes read time.)
Read More ... "Alternity"

Walking On Oil

This story is adapted from an old legend. Many years ago I read that St. John was tortured by being boiled in oil, but that he survived. (About 2260 words/ 9-12 minutes read time.)
Read More ... "Walking On Oil"

The Three Little Pigs

This is a different take on The Three Little Pigs. They're plumbers. The wolf is a banker. I do hope you enjoy this tale. I had a lot of fun writing it. (About 3700 words / 15-20 minutes to read.)
Read More ... "The Three Little Pigs"

A Stone Circle Story

October 5th. Our son, Andrew, was born on this day. Unfortunately, he lived only 11 days. Perhaps I will tell that story sometime. Today I tell him a story. (About 1250 words/ 5-8 minutes read time.)
Read More ... "A Stone Circle Story"

What Is Always Rejoicing?

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. 

Chewing The Cud

...or... Essays From A Different Drummer

Meditation: Philippians 2:5-11

(Poem/ 177 words 1-2 minutes read time.) This was written while studying Philippians. I wonder if it would be better if it were set to music?
Read More ... "Meditation: Philippians 2:5-11"

The Armor of God–A Morning Prayer with commentary.

My wife and I were first introduced to this prayer at a Walk to Emmaus Weekend. After pondering and prayer I modified the original, specifically for our personal use. It never occurred to me to share it, as I am a layperson and have no real theological training. It was when our church did a Bible Study on the Armor of God that I realized it might be good to share this prayer with them. However, I was reluctant because I had changed some things. I finally realized that the Lord wanted me to share this prayer, with my comments about each section. So here are my comments.
Read More ... "The Armor of God–A Morning Prayer with commentary."

Commercialized Christmas: It’s not what you think!

(About 1090 words/ 4-6 minutes read time.) Every year, as soon as the stores begin to display Christmas themed products, some people begin to whine about how Christmas has been commercialized...Like many, I used to think we had let our sinful natures destroy this beautiful Holy Day. And then I complained to God about it...
Read More ... "Commercialized Christmas: It’s not what you think!"

Why “Always Rejoicing”?

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.

Log-In & Profile

After you log in, you should see a black bar across the top of the page. This is courtesy WordPress. The “Dashboard” on the Left takes you to this page. Your Gravatar Icon should be...
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Register

  Thank You for your interest in Always Rejoicing. Registration will enable you to post comments. You may also check the box to be notified when a new story or other post has been added...
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About Uisdean…

I’ve known God for a long time, but only in the past 15 years have I really got to know Him. I can tell you that there’s nothing about me that’s anywhere near as interesting...
Portal... "About Uisdean…"

Privacy Policy

Simple Condensed Version: Always Rejoicing will not collect any personal data except for your user name, password and e-mail address. These three bits of your information are required to enable you, the user/reader of this...
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Technical Stuff:

While much of the way this site works is “standard” for websites & blogs, there are some things specific to this website. I include these details in case you are not familiar with all the icons & website conventions. Also, the menu has some quirks. These details may help you.

The “Home Page” is this page (where you are now). Click on the Celtic Cross at the top of any page and you will return to the Home Page. There are icons and buttons on the Home Page that will take you to featured stories or useful pages.

On Larger Screens there is a menu at the top of every page. In addition, for most Posts, there’s a sidebar on the right that contains a “Contents” menu as well as a couple of useful “widgets”. Computers are not always perfect: Sometimes the menu at the top of the page expands outside of the screen. If this happens, made the window narrower, when the little ‘hamburger’ icon appears click on it and then on the tiny arrow next to the selection. Clicking on the words (selection) will take you to the “Cagegory” instead of expanding the menu.

On Small Screens (phones & tablets) there is the standard “hamburger” icon for the menu. You will need to tap the teeny-tiny arrow to get the menu to expand. Tapping directly on the Menu Item will take you to the “Category Page” for that category. Thus tapping on “Main Menu” will take you to the “Home Page”. Tapping on the tiny arrow will expand the menu. On small screens the sidebars are moved to the bottom of the page. This is standard for most websites.  

Everyone should find a list of recommended websites (links) and a Miscellaneous Menu in the Footer.

If you want to know where to start, try “Walking On Oil”. It’s relatively short. And my pastor liked it.  “The Three Little Pigs” is one of my favorite tales. Another good tale is “The Fifth Commandment”. The essay “Commercialized Christmas: It’s Not What You Think!” is also a good place to begin.

Rejoice Always!

Uisdean

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