Matthew 6:32

unknown 

"Sing on, sing on from the top of your desolate tree, oh little bird of cheerfulness and hope!
 Pour out again that heaven-taught music of contentment with the hour that now is. 
Shalt thou be confident of protection, and man be destitute of hope? 
Shalt thou, in the the depth of thy winter's trial, have joy and peace, and man never look beyond the cloud?"

Margaret Gatty, "Daily Bread" story in Parables of Nature

Bruce and the Spider: A Tale in Persistence

(To be used as an exercise in placing punctuation.)

     There was once a king of Scotland whose name was Robert Bruce The king of England was at war with him and had led a great army into Scotland to drive him out of the land Six times had Bruce led his brave little army against his foes and six times had his men been beaten At last his army was scattered and he was forced to hide himself in the woods

     One rainy day Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed He was ready to give up all hope As he lay thinking he saw a spider over his head making ready to weave her web he watched her as she toiled slowly and with great care Six times she tried to throw her frail thread from one beam to another and six times it fell short

     Poor thing said Bruce You too know what it is to fail

     But the spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure With still more care she made ready to try for the seventh time Would she fail again No The thread was carried safely to the beam and fastened
there

     I too will try a seventh time cried Bruce

     He arose a called his men together He told them of his plans and sent them out with messages of cheer to his disheartened people Soon there was an army of brave Scotchmen around him Another battle was fought and the king of England was glad to go back into his own country

     The lesson which the little creature had taught the king was never forgotten

Her hair a flowing chestnut hue

Sweet Emily on Matthew's wedding day

Her hair a flowing chestnut hue;
Braided, tussled and nestled upon her faire head.
Wearing a royal gown in splendid shade of blue;
Wrapped in a mossy green shawl given her by you.

Demurely standing by the emerald hedgerow green,
In the early morning light of a very new day.
Hands clasped, eyes downcast;
A gentle breeze passes, carrying the moments of time away.

Sweetly she stands: patient and still;
Watching the fluttering, tiny leaves
of the emerald hedgerow green.
This girl, my sweet girl, shoulders wrapped in sunlight
dressed in a splendid blue,
with her hair
a flowing
chestnut
hue.

Autumn Leaves, 28 October 2015

     Leaves littering the slate walk, their comrades loitering about the branches above.  A morning view of golden yellow leaves, like a Chinese silken robe against a pale, blue sky. Tones of olive and yellow green; a tinge of burnt orange across the rolling landscape. Distant puffs of clouds tinted morning orange. (It's good to be alive to see this.) A fiery red autumnal bush going out in a blaze of glory. The sentinel whole moon keeping its vigil 'til morning is safely settled in.

     Times are changing, it is true, but there is glory to be seen if we keep our eyes wide open and stop longing for the green. In the grand chorus of nature, hope and beauty can always be found if you strive to look up and out and not just to the ground. 

     A field draped in a misty robe. A line of geese gliding low across the sky. I long to be where time moves more slowly; perhaps even where it is forgotten altogether. Just let me sit and gaze upon the beauty, or walk among the trees with my loved ones sitting by, and think upon the LORD who made it all; and with a grateful heart, take my rest in His praise and bask in His deep, deep love.

....sounds like heaven.

    

The True Normal Life

"To be on intimate terms with Him, to live in the atmosphere of His presence, to spend the day with Him--that is the true normal life."

From, Tiger and Tom, "A Picture of God"

The Old Apple Tree

     Walking with God. Every day. He is there anyway. Talk with Him. Praise His name continually. Bring Him into every conversation. This truly is the normal life. 

     To think that He somehow drops in on us occasionally just to check in is a lie. He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb 13:5) Also, "Lo, I am with you alway." (Matt 28:20) His presence is ever near. We are so easily deceived when we feel we have some private place set apart from God. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Cor 6:19)

     Regarding the indwelling of Christ, a child asked his mother, "How am I to know He is come, mother?" Her reply, "When you are quite gentle, sweet, and happy, it is because Christ is within." (C. Mason, Home Education) His presence alters you. When you allow yourself to be conscious of His presence, your life will take on a different shape; slowly and oft times painfully due to the powerful force of self, formed into the image of Christ. "And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor 15:49)

     There is within your breast a legion of voices calling out in distraction, filling your thoughts with hate and lies. Your thoughts are an access point where Satan can attack your inner core. Why do you think the verses relating to how we think are so prominent in the Bible? The fortification of our soul must have no weak points. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil 2:5) "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Rom 12:2) As we follow the command to, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," (Matt 22:37) we will be very careful to allow only truth to dwell within, for it is a certain truth that He dwells within. And think, "Can two walk together accept they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3) And how can darkness dwell with light? What confusion of soul and mind comes from two opposing kingdoms striving for mastery within! "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 1:4)
     Christ came, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 26:18) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matt 11:28-29) Believe you not that He is ever present, even now, moving throughout you: weaving through the catacombs of your thoughts, deciphering your motives, coursing through your very being?  And that, though He knows all of you He loves you with an everlasting love and with a desire to give you an abundant life; a divine life, a life spent with Him every moment of every day, the end of which will never come?

     Micah 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8) "Nothing less is required of every one who bears the Christian name...It speaks of a life of prayer and communion with the Eternal; each day begun with fresh self-dedication to Him, and ended in the serene consciousness of His love. Never be contented with a lower level. Never be tempted to imagine that even a life of honesty and benevolence will suffice. Never be satisfied to live a day without intercourse with Heaven." (Thayer, Gaining Favor with God and Man)
     Did you ever notice after having spent a great deal of time with someone who speaks with an accent that you find yourself mimicking their speech pattern, even using the same vocabulary? As you immerse yourself in conversation with God, drinking in the language of the Bible, seeking the mind of God in the pages of Scripture and expanding your vocabulary by taking the time to learn the meaning of those rich Old English words, you will find that not only your thought patterns will change, but your speech patterns as well. Truly, what we admire we emulate; what we love, we become. 

Gratitude

"Oh, how canst thou renounce the boundless store

Of charms which Nature to her votary yields!

The warbling woodland, the resounding shore,

The pomp of groves, and garniture of fields;

All that the genial ray of morning gilds,

And all that echoes to the song of even,

All that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields,

And all the dread magnificence of heaven, 

Oh, how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven?

James Beattie

From, A Complete Spelling Book, 1884

I Can But Marvel

 "Who indeed shall adequately describe any one, the simplest even, of these radiant beings? Day after day, as I watch them appear, one variety after another, in such endless changes of delicate beauty, I can but marvel ever more and more at the exhaustless power of the great Inventor. Must He not enjoy the work of His hands, the manifold perfection of these His matchless creations?"

Celia Thaxter

     While we are seeing the world through Ms. Celia Thaxter's eyes, let's continue on with some thought provoking quotes and questions to excite the young mind toward more noble and beautiful things. Let's sharpen their use of the English language and train them in the art of seeing, feeling, appreciating and then sharing in written form their observations. Following are three quotes used with great success at The Roy Academy.

     "It was so beautiful, --the dewy quiet, the freshness, the long, still shadows, the matchless, delicate, sweet charm of the newly wakened world."

     Have your student answer the following to the best of their ability in their finest penmanship:
1. Describe an early morning that you witnessed.
2. How does the phrase, "dewy quiet" make you feel? (If you cannot feel this phrase, then you MUST visit my garden before 7am tomorrow!)
3. What sounds does one hear in the "newly wakened world"? Describe it so that I may hear it too.
4. According to Psalm 113:3, what are we to begin at the earliest hour and continue through until the end of day?

     "It is such a pleasure and satisfaction to clear the beautiful brown earth, smooth and soft, from these rough growths, leaving the beautiful green Poppies and larkspurs and Pinks and Asters, and the rest, in undisturbed possession!"

1. What time of year is this?
2. How are weeds described?
3. Why is "undisturbed possession" important for flowers in the garden?
4. How can we relate this "undisturbed possession" to our souls and our walk with God?
5. What are some "weeds" that you can remove from the soil of your heart?
(Remember your answers, dear one, and apply them to your life.)

     "Violets, roses, lilies, sweet pea, mignonette, and heliotrope, with a dash of honeysuckle, all mingled in a heavenly whole. There is no perfume which I know that can equal it. And they are so lavish of their scent; it is borne off the garden and wafted everywhere, into the house and here and there in all directions, in viewless clouds on the gentle air."

1. How do the flowers produce their smell?
2. Why is it there?
3. Of the flowers listed, which fragrance is your favorite? How would you describe it to someone?
4. According the the Scriptures, what is a sweet-smelling thing to God? (To answer this question, read the following verses, then summarize to give an answer: Philippians 4:8; Ephesians 5:2; Isaiah 1:13-20)

    Dear Mothers, taking the time to teach your children a deep appreciation for the world in which they dwell and for the God who took such care in the finest details is of great importance in the formation of their character. A careless eye leads to an ungrateful heart and a terribly self-centered life. Many of us were not trained in gardening or journaling our walks in nature, but that does not excuse us from helping our children to taste and see with their own eyes the blessings found in God's creation. Understand that most of this homeschooling journey is one of learning and growing alongside your child; learning and growing with her and sharing that joy of discovery together.