Nativity – John Donne

For our Christmas post for this day we turn to the English poet John Donne who penned this thought-filled poem on Christ’s nativity. As with all of Donne’s writings, one must read them slowly and carefully – and then read them again to allow the words and thoughts to sink into your soul.

 

 

Nativity
by John Donne
(1572-1631)

 

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Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.

50 best photos from The Natural World – The Big Picture

50 best photos from The Natural World – The Big Picture – Boston.com.

As a fine complement to the pictures from the National Geographic I referenced earlier, I give you the link to this collection from the Boston Globe’s “Big Picture” which is even more astounding – all “nature” pictures – by which we Reformed folk understand, through a faith which is informed by the Word of God, to be photos of God’s handiwork in creation and providence. Enjoy these beautiful and powerful pictures of God’s creatures on land and sea.

Highlights of 2011: The Year In Book Publishing, By The Numbers

Highlights of 2011: The Year In Book Publishing, By The Numbers | mocoNews.

From Publisher’s Weekly comes a year-end summary with some important numbers from the world of publishing in 2011. This was posted Dec.20 and is part of a series of articles. Once you are at their site, you may also browse these additional news items. Follow the link given above.

From Borders’ bankruptcy to Amazon’s ambitions, it was a busy year in book publishing. Here are five numbers to put 2011 in focus.

20: The percentage of book sales that are digital at big-six publishers Random House and Hachette, with other publishers well on their way to reaching that point. It’s estimated that e-books made up 6.4 percent of the trade book market in 2010, and though we don’t yet have an overall figure for 2011, we know many publishers saw triple-digit e-book growth this year thanks to the increased availability of books in digital formats and affordability of e-readers. In addition, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) reported this year that it now sells more e-books than print books. Companies without a plan for the digital shift (some argue that includes big-six publishers) are in danger of obscurity; this year, bankrupt bookstore chain Borders shuttered its remaining stores.

$79: The price of Amazon’s cheapest Kindle, the ad-supported Kindle 4 with Special Offers. In the last quarter of this year, we saw e-ink e-readers drop below $100 for the first time—and not just older models but the newest-generation devices. The Kindle Touch with Special Offers is $99, the ad-supported Kobo Touch with Offers is $99.99 and Barnes & Noble’s ad-free Nook Simple Touch is now $99. The e-readers’ sub-$100 prices move them into impulse-purchase territory, while Amazon’s $199 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet has emerged as the first credible iPad competitor.