Post #1

I am David, a sinner. Welcome to my blog, "Soul's Journey On." My first blog of any substance was called "Soul's Journey Home," which lasted from Tuesday, 3rd April, 2007, to the 15th of September 2008, by which time it was rather bleak. I suppose that should really have ended with the description of my reception into the Church; but no matter. I was never particularly satisfied with the name "Soul's Journey Home," but once I had it I was stuck with it. Anyhow, here is my new blog.
I should begin by introducing myself.
I am David, a sinner. I am in the third year of a degree in music at Durham. I am a Catholic; I became a Catholic in 2008, and, so far, I have not lapsed. I am a musician, as is perhaps obvious, and I play the piano and attempt to play the organ, I sing, and I pretend to play the cello. I can speak French to some extent, and also some German, and a little Italian, and I can read Latin.
I am very grateful to God, who is infinitely perfect, and to my friends, who are the most wonderful people in the world.

I began this post yesterday, Wednesday. I am going through a very tumultuous time at the moment, and this morning I saw a doctor, who said I seemed to have developed depression: and he was right. He gave me a choice of (a) medication, (b) psychotherapy (which he seemed to think would be better), or (c) a combination of both. I opted for (c). I am not looking forward to psychotherapy, and I am in low spirits now. I was happy earlier because I was relieved; but during my tutorial this afernoon I became rather bored and lost interest in the subject. My room is much tidier than it was earlier, which suggests to me that somebody has cleaned it. This pleases me considerably, since now that the room seems to have mostly tidied itself I feel able to (a) do the laundry and (b) tidy what of my room is not yet tidied. I shall do that this evening, I think. I may go for a walk later to raise my spirits.

I am going to make the Gentle Reader (I do not venture the use of the plural, and perhaps even the singular is expecting too much) one promise: and that is that I shall update this, as far as I can, every day. I expect it will usually be in the evening. In fact I may have to compel myself not to update it during the day, when I ought to be doing Useful Things.

I am frightened.

Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom,
lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
the distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
pride ruled my will: remember not past years!

So long thy power hath blessed me, sure it still
will lead me on.
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

- Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman, 1833