"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee!"

Well, it is so nice to finally be able to sit here and write this post. I was very "joyful" as I started on it yesterday afternoon, but I kept getting this message from blogger that something was wrong and they were unable to publish my post. Finally I realized that the internet was down, and that was that...no more writing, no more reading blogs, no more anything...(except what I could pull up on my cell phone, which was very slow)  So that went on until we went to bed last night, and apparently the internet was fixed sometime during the night. 

 This gorgeous Amaryllis started my day yesterday morning with four gorgeous blossoms at once!

I was already thinking and singing this wonderful old hymn in my head when I began to write this post (before the internet went down), and now I think I will continue with that theme as I share the words of the hymn and post pictures of things that have given me "joy" this week.

Maybe you can sing along with this huge gathering of people singing "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,

Apparently someone forgot to tell this very old flowering pear or wild plum tree that it isn't spring yet!

 Aren't these blossoms just glorious?  Amazing that they are blooming on a very old tree that appears to be sitting next to an old foundation of a house that is long gone...

I kind of found this contrast between dead and alive to be interesting, as well as the thought that new life is springing up out of a very old, and what appeared to be dead, tree!

Praising Thee, their sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee,

Center of unbroken praise:

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Blooming meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain

Call us to rejoice in Thee.

(I thought you'd enjoy seeing these beautiful Ring Necked Ducks dabbling in the water of Still Waters pond. They stay out there all day, swimming, diving, and looking like they are playing in the water like a bunch of children. But they are busily finding their food every time they dive.

Such fun to watch.

  Thou art giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Well-spring of the joy of living,

Ocean-depth of happy rest!

    

Thou our Father, Christ our brother,

All who live in love are Thine:

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the mighty chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

Father-love is reigning o’er us,

Brother-love binds man to man.

Ever singing march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us sunward

In the triumph song of life.

Okay, that's it for today!

Well, almost: 

I finally hung up this wonderful little shelf/sign/hook thing in our laundry room. 

 Good way to end this joyful post!