Gilbert Keith Chesterton, a great and merry soul, called joy the gigantic secret of the Christian life. Near the end of his classic, beautiful book Orthodoxy, he writes on the veiled joy he finds in Jesus: "The tremendous figure which fills the Gospels towers in this respect, as in every other, above all the thinkers… Continue reading God's great mirth
Month: August 2010
Joy portrait, v.2
Just back from holidays on the West Coast of Canada and catching up on some blogging. Today, I'll keep it simple. Here's what I think joy might look like. It's Lily on a rocky beach of the west coast of Vancouver Island, surrounded by sea and sunshine. We walked down a path near our cabin,… Continue reading Joy portrait, v.2
The Psalms on joy
You can't help but be struck by the repeated call to joy and gladness throughout the Psalms. Obviously, the writers of the different Psalms had many good reasons for joy, and for calling other people to joy. It's intriguing, this call for joy, because the Psalms are also filled with numerous laments - which must mean that joy… Continue reading The Psalms on joy
Just delight
I spoke with a friend at church a few weeks back about this blog and the 90 day experiment. We talked of the wrestling match he's finding himself in during this 90 day of living in joy - how to live with gladness in a broken and hurting world. He talked about his genuine struggle… Continue reading Just delight
From the jester
I vote for G.K. Chesterton as the grand jester of heaven. And here is a quote to back up my vote: "Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing about him,and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should… Continue reading From the jester
Quotables
As I keep with the 90 day experiment in joy, quotations about joy and happiness keep leaping out and grabbing me. Here's a quick sampling for good quotes that keep building the convincing case that we are made for joy: "It is the decided opinion of all who use their brains, that all people desire to… Continue reading Quotables
Bliss on steroids
Picture this - Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver. You see Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge to the left, Vancouver's Point Grey straight ahead and English Bay glistening in the foreground. Along with friends, we find a nice spot in the warm sand, leaning up against the logs lying on the beach and enjoying the cool… Continue reading Bliss on steroids
Jack on joy, ed. 3
I can't help myself but quote C.S. Lewis. This man knew about joy so heed his wisdom well. "Now God designed the human ... to run on Himself ... God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." (Mere Christianity) This quote lines… Continue reading Jack on joy, ed. 3
Reordered love, reordered lives
I've been reading a book I picked up when I browsed through the University of Chicago bookstore. It's by David Naugle, professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University, and is called Reordered Love, reordered lives: learning the deep meaning of happiness. What a really fine book this is (you can learn more about the book… Continue reading Reordered love, reordered lives
Vintage gladness
Today is the anniversary of the day when I pinned Betty to the ground and made her say "I do." In family circles our wedding is commonly known as the "wedding from hell" because it was hotter than Hades in Chicago that day - 105 degrees and humidity nearing 205%. How hot and muggy was it? In one… Continue reading Vintage gladness
