Always Rejoicing

This site is not a typical “blog”: it is rather like a book. You might call it a “collected works” website. Inside you will find short stories, poems and essays.

There are no ads here! No one is going to try to sell you anything. I set this up so I could make my writing available to everyone. Every story, poem or essay was written by me, Uisdean.  Some pictures are mine. Others are, as best as I can determine, public domain and I’ve supplied the credits for the artists. Please respect the rights of the writers and artists.

If you click on the sliding banner, it will take you to that “category” of stories. There’s a menu at the top of most pages and a “Table of Contents” in a sidebar on many of the other pages. This page is the “Home Page”. Click on the Celtic Cross at the top of the page to return here. Below you’ll find a few buttons or links to some featured stories & essays & poems. Further down the page are ‘portals’ to registration & other information. Below that you’ll find details on the technical aspects of navigating this site. 

Oh, yeah, if you leave your mouse pointer on the sliding banner it will stop sliding.

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.