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Nature, as has been pointed out, had equipped Hildebrand Spencer Poyns de Burgh with one of those cheap-substitute minds. What passed for brain in him was to genuine grey matter what just-as-good imitation coffee is to real Mocha. In moments of emotion and mental distress, consequently, his reasoning was apt to be in a class of its own.

God is in every tomorrow,
Therefore I live for today,
Certain of finding at sunrise,
Guidance and strength for the way;
Power for each moment of weakness,
Hope for each moment of pain,
Comfort for every sorrow,
Sunshine and joy after rain.

Trying to keep up will never work. We must purposefully choose to slow down, to watch the clouds go by and listen to the birds sing. To read novels of daring adventure and make messes in the kitchen. It takes a long time for us to become who we are, and homeschooling gives all of us, parents included, the time to do so.

The goal of education is not some slip of paper that announces you are educated; rather, it is a lifestyle of continued learning for the sake of growth and enjoyment, both of which contribute to a rich and fulfilling life.

Adults must use the skills they have where children can see them…Children need to get some sense of the processes by which good work is done.
John Holt

Kids need several hours of unstructured physical play daily to adequately stimulate and integrate sensory pathways; they need secure attachment to caregivers, plenty of touch, and varying levels of environmental stimulation that support calm alertness during the day and restful sleep at night. They also need conversation with adults, contact with nature, and creative outlets, such as music, art, or dance.

The question is not - ‘how much does the youth know?’ when he has finished his education - but how much does he care? And about how many things does he care?

I find myself worrying most that when we hand our children phones, we steal their boredom from them. As a result, we are raising a generation of writers who will never start writing, artists who will never start doodling, chefs who will never make a mess of the kitchen, athletes who will never kick a ball against the wall, musicians who will never pick up their aunt’s guitar and start strumming.

Let children experience boredom; there is nothing healthier for a child than to learn how to use their own interior resources to work through the challenges of being bored.
Nicholas Kardaras

Many people dread death, and lament that they have not “dying grace.” Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life’s duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die.

When nothing whereon to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.
‘Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there’s no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine.

We cannot tell what loss and sorrow and trial are doing. Trust only. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way today. It shall be a good, a blessed new year!

‘‘Twas much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more.
John Donne

When you’re killing more than one person, the order matters.

Davey sizes Ron up. Ron has been “sized up” before, but this time it feels like it might be for a coffin.

Joyce is great. By page five I was already laughing.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens;
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 103:19-22

There is no greater blessing than the gospel’s assurance that God desires to be reconciled to us, not imputing our sins to us but fully absolving us in Jesus’ name… We should continually rejoice in God and hope in him, since he has been so generous and merciful toward us… In mercy alone we will find blessing, happiness and salvation.
John Calvin

“Preacher, I took Rose for better or for worse, but she’s so much worse than I took her for!

The most obvious quality of “Joy to the World “ is the tone of exuberance that breathes through it from start to finish. The opening word gets the excitement started with the accented word JOY, and after that everything is part of a grand celebration.

This grace is even more admirable when we consider the means by which this incomparable God accomplished our recovery. He became a weak, weary, hungry, contemptible man. The Lord of All became a servant, the Lord of Glory became of no reputation, the Bread of Life was hungry, the only Blessing was made a curse, and the Prince of Life was put to death. The angels pry into this deep mystery with astonishing pleasure.

And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
I John 5:14-15

David sinned against God's enemies by encouraging their blasphemy, against God's friends by grieving their spirits, against Bathsheba by defiling her, and against Uriah by defrauding him of his wife and life. Yet David looks upon these as nothing in comparison to his sin against God. The arrow that pierced his heart was this: "I have sinned against the LORD". This is the weightiest argument to drive us from sin.

Let the boys be boys, the longer the better, and let the young men sow their wild oats if they must; but mothers, sisters, and friends may help to make the crop a small one, and keep many tares from spoiling the harvest, by believing, and showing that they believe, in the possibility of loyalty to the virtues which make men manliest in good women’s eyes.

God didn’t choose us because we never fail; he chose us because HE never fails. He is good, kind, loving, and merciful, and that is why he saved us. So we don’t boast in ourselves, but we boast in him.

I could hardly get through chapter 40. My girls said,” Mom, pull it together!”

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
Thou wilt revive me;
Thou wilt stretch forth
Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And thy right hand will save me.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Thy hands.
Psalm 138:7-8

God speaks effectually. As He has power to command us, so He has power to enable us to obey. His power accompanies His speaking. When He says, "Let there be light," there is light in a dark mind. When He says, "Let there be life," there is life in a dead soul. If God says to a sinner who lies in the grave, "Sinner, come forth," he comes forth to live forever. If God speaks, the most obstinate sinner obeys His voice.

God speaks accomodatingly. He speaks to the condition of those whom He addresses. He considers the ability and capacity of His hearers and speaks accordingly. He observes their weaknesses and infirmities-their dullness. He teaches them as they are able to hear. There are depths in His Word where elephants can swim, and there are also shallows where lambs can wade.

She thought she was prospering finely; but, unconsciously, she was beginning to desecrate some of the womanliest attributes of a woman’s character. She was living in bad society; and, its influence affected her, for she was feeding heart and fancy on dangerous and unsubstantial food, and was fast brushing the innocent bloom from her nature by a premature acquaintance with the darker side of life.