Sheer pleasure

The joy that a book gives is immeasurable. Today, I went to Kinokuniya Bookstore with $60 worth of vouchers in hand, and came out with six books.

I am so looking forward to reading them:
- The Final Martyrs (Shusaku Endo)
- How I Live Now (Meg Rosoff)
- A Wrinkle In Time (Madeleine L'Engle)
- Taking Pictures (Anne Enright)
- Death At Intervals (Jose Saramago)
- Wolf Totem (Jiang Rong)

A swift pure cry

I love to read children's books. They always fascinate me. One of my favourite sections in a bookstore is the children's section. I can buy a lot of the classics at half or less than half what the same title would cost in the adult section, and these are unabridged versions or even better, illustrated versions.

Some of my friends give me an incredulous look whenever I mention the fact that I read children's books. To them, children's books are for kids. Well, what many people don't realise is that some of the best written books one can find today are on the bookshelves in the children's section. Of course, that applies to graphic novels, too, but I'll save that for another posting.

I just read a children's book called A Swift Pure Cry by an Irish author, Siobhan Dowd, and felt compelled to just note down these gems.

A pier is a disappointed bridge, Mam used to say as they'd often walked down it, hand in hand. It's trying to get somewhere, but it's run out of faith.

The sea has made the sand a mirror
Which my two feet destroy,
And in that mirror two eyes I see,
A sadness and a joy.

The tender bouquet, the rock shelf, the frozen child: a heartbreak on the world.

Still

At times, I've nearly forgotten how edifying hearing a song of worship can be for my spirit. I wonder how many times I need to be reminded of God's all consuming love for me. It's always so easy for me to forget, but you know what? God remembers.

I just went through my most spiritually dry period in my Christian walk. It took this song to make me remember God, and that He is faithful even when we are faithless.


Still
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust