wild melody

"...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ . It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose ." ~Galations 2.16-21 I read this yesterday, & this morning instead of reading Gal 3 I came back to this. Just these 5 verses. ...

In western lands beneath the Sun the flowers may rise in Spring, the trees may bud, the waters run, the merry finches sing. Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night and swaying beeches bear the Elven-stars as jewels white amid their branching hair. Though here at journey's end I lie in darkness buried deep, beyond all towers strong and high, beyond all mountains steep, above all shadows rides the Sun and stars forever dwell: I will not say that Day is done, nor bid the stars farewell. ~Tolkien from the return of the king My perspective has been a little skewed of late. But God is faithful to re-adjust me ever so kindly. Hence the poem. It reminds me of psalms. {I'm not saying I'm at journey's end or depressed or locked in a dungeon in Mordor...} It's from the last book in the "Rings" trilogy. Sam thinks he is at the end of it all, captured by evil. Does he wish he'd never started the journey? No. He turns his thoughts to home and what lies beyond his c...