Tuesday 10th December - Advent Book Club 9

The poem for Monday was utterly depressing; 

Vanity of Vanities

Sonnet

Ah, woe is me for pleasure that is vain,
Ah, woe is me for glory that is past:
Pleasure that bringeth sorrow at the last,
Glory that at the last bringeth no gain!
So saith the sinking heart; and so again
It shall say till the mighty angel-blast
Is blown, making the sun and moon aghast
And showering down the stars like sudden rain.
And evermore men shall go fearfully
Bending beneath their weight of heaviness;
And ancient men shall lie down wearily,
And strong men shall rise up in weariness;
Yea, even the young shall answer sighingly
Saying one to another: How vain it is!

and I really wasn't in the mood to accept an invitation to sink into despondency and nihilism.

Today - Tuesday evening - I'm also tired. These last few teaching days of term are going to be an endurance test, and meditating on negativity isn't going to be an encouragement.

Suddenly, just now, this came into mind;

's-o-o-lid joy and la-a-sting treasure' - you have to imagine me singing it to the tune 'Abbotts Leigh' while trying to work out how the verse starts... got it...it's the last verse of 'Glorious things of thee are spoken' by John Newton.

Saviour, if of Zion's city

I through grace a member am,

let the world deride or pity,

I will glory in thy name.Fading is the worldling's pleasure,

all his boasted pomp and show;

solid joys, and lasting treasure

none but Zion's children know.

Yes! Enough of that 'woe' and 'vain' and 'sighingly' stuff. Rise up! Look; the colours of the sunrise and the sunset proclaim the glory of the Lord and the promise of solid joys and lasting pleasure!

No pictures today - I'm having a problem uploading them, and although my technical advisor is right beside me, he is watching a favourite TV program and I don't want to disturb him until afterwards! 

UPDATE - my Technical Expert had a moment and worked his magic!

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