Sunday, April 28, 2013

Doe Ye Nexte Thynge


Posted by: Patience
Mother came back from the curriculum fair today with a lovely book entitled Christie’s Next Things from Queen Homeschool (www.queenhomeschool.com). It is a treasure of a book. With an often more-than-busy high school schedule, I desire to fill my reading time with uplifting material-this book hit the spot! To summarize the first couple of chapters, the main character is a young lady named Christie Gilbert. With picturesque wordings, the author brings to life sapphire skies and budding bouquets of roses. Young Christie is found on a beautiful Sunday afternoon admiring roses and planning to bring them to her beloved Aunt Patience. This dear Auntie is not truly a relative of Christie’s, but is lovingly so-called by all who know her. Aunt Patience is an elderly, godly woman who exudes joy and peace to all who are around her. Christie’s loving plans to carry the roses to sweet Aunt Patience is carried out for the afternoon, Christie wonderful and wise of heart-to-heart conversation with her much admired mentor. I will not spoil the book for you, but from flipping through it, I can tell it is full of sagacious wisdom and advice, not to mention the opportunity to read and learn about and from the life of a godly young woman, blooming and budding to her full potential in Christ.
Well, the real reason I summarized the book was because I fell in love with a poem that Aunt Patience shares with Christie. Throughout the book (as far as I’ve readJ), Aunt Patience leads Christie past frivolous fun and into the prospect of a purpose-filled life. She encouraged Christie to “doe ye nexte thynge” from an ancient Saxon proverb. Just do the next thing! Christie found herself thinking into the future and wondering how her life could leave goodness to those she was around. As she put it as she conversed with her Aunt, “…I am not satisfied to just live for myself, though I don’t seem to do much else.” Dear reader, do the next thing. Live for the Lord in the light of His glory, using the beautiful gifts He has lovingly rained upon your life; and when you find yourself wondering what to do, be faithful in the little things, for the little things compile to create the magnificent beauty of life. Think, “what would the Lord have me do now?” or “how can I be a blessing and servant?” Do the next things, no matter how big or small, knowing that living in the light of eternity will make life full of joy. When we stand before the throne of God in heaven, all the things we have ever done, good and bad, will be known by all. I have been challenged to live in that light, another’s evaluation of me and the standards that I could try to meet in life can never compare to being know by God and the joy of living for Him and Him alone. So after all my babbling, let’s just remember to “Doe ye  Nexte Thynge”:

From an old English parsonage
Down by the sea,
There came in the twilight
A message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend,
Deeply engraven,
Hath, as it seems to me,
Teachings from heaven;
And through the hours
The quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration:
“Do ye nexte thynge.”

Many a questioning,
Many a fear,
Many a doubt
Hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment,
Let down from heaven,
Time, opportunity,
Guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrow,
Child of the King;
Trust them with Jesus:
“Do ye nexte thynge.”

Do it immediately,
Do it with prayer,
Do it reliantly,
Casting off care.
Do it with reverence,
Tracing His hand,
Who lays it before thee
With earnest command.
Stayed of Omnipotence
Safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave him the issue;
“Doe ye nexte thynge.”’
I pray with earnest hope that the readers of this poem will be inspired to trust their cares to Jesus, and simply do the next things in life. Jesus knows more than anyone the desires of your heart and the plans you are so prone to make. He will fulfill them, delight in his will and simply trust His strength in doing the 'nexte thynges'. 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

What's happening...

...at the Normoyles?
Posted by: Patience


Well, a lot!!:) This whole last week was devoted to doing business and garden (with the exception of a few math lessons and other little school items;). I was telling my sisters that next week when we do school will feel more like a break than this "off school" week! We had a lot of fun, so here are some pictures!

I think all of us have realized now that God doesn't intend to send any more snow our way. After a big day of work, our arms look like we tried to put blush on them (we should have used sun screen:).


Happy birthday to Luke. Happy birthday to Luke. Happy birthday sweet brother! Happy birthday to Luke!

Ooooh, yum!! This birthday boy is never tired of cake, especially on his birthday!!;)

The cake is cut...


...and Luke is happy!! We had fun surprising him with the presence of a dear friend. Daddy picked up Andreas at his house. Later at our house, Daddy got the mail at the end of our driveway while Andreas snuck into the trunk and hid underneath a blacket! Sounds sneaky!:) Conveinently, Daddy had picked up some honey products from Andreas' house, so he needed a big helper. That would be none else than Luke, the birhday boy! So Luke picked up a box full of beeswax and after a small pause, he was delighted to hear a big "Surprie!!" and see a small head peek out from underneath a blanket. Luke couldn't hardly stop laughing. He told Andreas, "That was a good one!"

Our friends the Staddons encouraged us to pray for our mulch. Lo and behold, after calling numerous tree companies, the Lord blessed us with a company that dumped two of the above sized loads and is willing to dump more!! God is so faithful. 

This is the main reason for red arms;).  Our garden looks better than it ever has before. Forget the expensiveness of straw for garden mulching, now we have wood chips! Praise the Lord!!! Thank you Staddons for sharing your mulch stories with us:)! 
There is so much to say, yet so little time to tell of it. So I'll  retire for the evening and thank God for such a wonderful week He gave us.

Psalms 113:2-3 & 5-6
"
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised...who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!"









Light Bulb Trouble

posted by: TaliJoy

A few months ago Patience was haveing trouble with the lighting at her desk. She was positioned in a dark corner so we brought in some lights that would go on the wall. The letter she had wrote is the reason  I am posting

Much beloved Daddy,                                                                                          9/14/1621
There is a perdicament to your concern transpiring in the room where I abide from 8am to 3pm. It is an object of particular concern to you, given that you have the materials perresquisite for the mending thereof. There is a item having to do wiht the subject of light hanging on the wall over my desk. From time to time when I attempt to banish the light for a session, it cascades down the wall, bounding off the desk and comending to the floor. Suck a manner of procedurs has befallen me twice of late and once the light bulb had an internal injury! I would be impressively gratifies if you aquire a hammer and nail to keep it in its dwelling; after some manner of time.

                                            Gratefully your daughter,
                                                Patience Daria Quilea Bach
                                                   ( short for P.D.Q.Bach)*
                                                        P.S. I love you!!!
*PDQ Bach was the last and strangest of Yohann Sebastian Bach's 18 children. Well, to be honest, he never really existed. He was made up by a music professor in the U.S. and (supposedly) wrote songs such as "Pop goes the Weasel". So P.D.Q. Bach was a fake name, that is what Patience was trying to imitate. :)

Whoops! :(
Well I guess all tell Daddy!
A empty light bulb. :(

 

Daddy didn't find the letter tell today. What a long time [1621-2013] :) Just joking! And well a guess Patience has been "rescued"!

 

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.