Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Of Love's Impending Choices


After a stretch of rain last week
every farmer and gardener is paying close attention
to the condition of the soil with common quest;
"is it dry enough to till and plant?!"
And then we will not heedlessly toss seeds here and there
hoping for the best. 
Planting is done with careful heed,
the eye on its harvest!
Imagine if we kept our eyes on the soil of the soul
and planted with careful precision/decision
with our eyes on the harvest!

Across shorelines of morning mercy’s renewed breakers roll...

Across shorelines of morning mercy’s renewed breakers roll
Where wonderment and warning reanoint cause and effect
Of love’s impending choices soon strewn beneath high noon’s toll
Ere Dusk collects the voices that will waft in retrospect

This is no fickle bower that bends with dawn’s blushing ‘yet’
Today’s brief leaf and flower, metes far more than meets the eye
Where though time never lingers, its swift moment-presses set
What slips through lips and fingers into permanent reply

How sacred is the summons that draws us from slumber’s woo
Where this we share in common; we will reap the seeds we sow
This should give us good reason to pay close attention to
What follows planting season and what soon Harvest will show

Dusk holds far more than lullabies beneath its beckoning 
Morn metes far more than beaming skies beneath its gleaming burst
Where love's impending choices wait to author reckoning
Where soon the Harvest voices what was moment-sized at first

© Janet Martin

Gal.6:7
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; 
for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

There is never an isolated action.
For better or worse
Action yields consequence

Some 'consequences are pure joy
such as...cake!
from this...

to this...

 to this...


to this!


...in almost no time at all!

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Lament's Metamorphosis

Sometimes I am prone to lament the effect
without acknowledging the cause...
Sometimes I want, for instance, the wisdom from above
without first seeking, yielding, trusting, praying, obeying
Sometimes I seek a harvest from seeds I neglected to plant!


The landscape seems snagged on a see-saw 
of greenish-bronze and white these days!!



As white surf recedes, exposing sodden turf
thoughts turn more and more often to planting time!

I am old enough to recognize harvest of some seeds I wish I had not sown, 
(Or, wish I could return to sow seeds I didn't)
but if we confess our sins He (God) is faithful and just
 to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
 (1 John 1:9)
He may not remove the consequence 
but He gives grace for us to face
whatever harvest brings.
Also, we are never too old to keep planting!


Lament without repentance is a futile suffering
When sorrow for the consequence ignores what wrought its sting
While impulse disregarded what it should have pondered first
Because of laws imparted that can never be reversed

We will reap what we sow; this is no casual cliché
The seeds of word and deed will grow; therefore, we ought to pray
And tend with tender care what slips into time’s sprawling field
From raring lips and fingertips soon turned to sacred yield

How subtle seasons shift; how swift the seed is fully grown
There is no way around it; we must reap what we have sown
But we are not alone; as we confess sin’s errant ways
Repentance turns groaning lament into a hymn of praise

© Janet Martin

Gal,6:7-9
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: 
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; 
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: 
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

James 3:17-18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, 
then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, 
full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
  18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.d


Monday, January 30, 2023

Because Actions Speak Louder Than Words...


Originally I entitled this poem
Sermon to Poets and Silver-tongued Scribes
but that felt a bit harsh 
and its connotation a bit off the mark
so I changed it😅

(all that to say, words ring hollow
without rubber-meets-road corroboration!)

Bit of satire to self today, as well as
all of us struggling with easier talked than walked!
Below, is a glimpse of the scenery of general muddled mayhem 
of many hours of mental workouts,
frustrated/vexed scribbles 
and mumbled prayer-stumble!!
Yet all of this can never take the place of
a single step to aid/accompany a fellow-traveler! 
(lest I/we forget)

My hope is that here and there a poem hits home 
like a hug that needs no explanation
and an act of kindness tendered in ink!



I’d take a stumbling sermon lived
Over a smooth rehearsal, talked
And if I had to choose a gift
I’d take mercy’s second mile, walked
I’d take the ink of honest toil
Over spouted theology
And if I had to choose love’s spoil
I’d take a friendly cup of tea

I’d take the smallest gentle deed
Above intent, pious and grand
And if I had to choose my need
I’d take an earnest helping hand
The pen, though mightier than sword
Is not a supple substitute
For living out God’s Holy Word
Until the branch is bent with fruit

Sermons are not misunderstood
When preached in meek obedience
Better than pulpits carved of wood
Are stepping stones of reverence
And in the thick and thin of cost
Midst love’s ado of This and That
Better a kindness-buoy tossed
Than a poetic lariat

The fine art of rhythm and rhyme
Can kindle senses with delight
But cannot take the place of Time
Spent on knees in the dead of night
And, lest words miss the sacred mark
Of pure religion undefiled
Better prayer’s closet in the dark
Than podiums where crowds go wild

© Janet Martin



Little children, let us not love in word or talk
but in deed and in truth.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Be Careful/Prayerful



'Be Careful we don't want your toes too close!'
  I cautioned Tot yesterday as he got as close as he could
to watch Janet cut up a massive pumpkin on the floor
because it was too heavy to lift to the counter-top.


Due to a bumper pumpkin-canning crop I welcome any favorite pumpkin recipes
(preferably not rich desserts) those recipes are easy to find😅


From little tots to adulthood...a mother's most-oft repeated caution must surely be 'be careful'!!
I find myself saying it countless times to the children in my childcare 
and many times to my grown children!
As we mature we realize there is only one way to be truly careful 
and that is to be duly prayerful!
The best way then, to say 'be careful'
is to say, 'be prayerful'!

Be careful/prayerful then, lest unaware
In what appears as harmless fun
We miss the deathly hazards where
The tempter's web of lies is spun 

Be careful/prayerful then, so when we we meet
The Wolf, dressed in sheep-like disguise 
We will recognize and defeat
With truth, the mastermind of lies

Be careful/prayerful then, and do not wink
At God's Word, man's authority
Where what He says, not what we think
Is what our conduct ought to be

Be careful/prayerful then, and by God's grace
Commit to Him, heart, soul and mind
Lest careless, prayer-less, we embrace
Hands of the blind leading the blind

Janet Martin 

Eph.5:15 NIV
Be very careful, then, how you live—
not as unwise but as wise,


Pumpkin can be turned into Bundt Cake, muffins
and all sorts of goodies!
We mix, stir and bake...and voila!! 
within the hour, results!

Some results for choices we make, take far longer 
with far more serious and far-reaching effects! 
Be careful/prayerful!!


Friday, November 25, 2022

Good, Better, Best


Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
 above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph.3:20

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Phil.2:13


This is the time of year when in boxes and mail boxes are FLOODED with pleas for donations
 leaving us wishing we could help them all! they are all worthy causes.
The Red Cross seeks to touch our hearts with a packet of tangible gifts,
right down to a personalized pen to sign and send; no excuses!!



Today's Devotion in the book Streams in the Desert
struck me with the realization that to give is more than
the licking of an envelope with 'gift enclosed'
more than a few clicks on a keyboard after hitting
'donate now' then forgetting as soon as we exit the page.
Rather, monetary aid hopefully is the small part in the
much larger labor of praying for the causes to which we give!



In my in box, just to name a few;
The Canadian Bible Society seeks to bring the
hope of the God's Word to those who do not have access to bibles.
Focus on the Family seeks to minister in various ways to strengthen families
in this troubled and confused age.
Our local churches seek to minister in our own communities...
and the list goes on!!
Praying we all pray for guidance to know where
to do our part with a generous heart!

To ‘do’ is a good start
To give is pleasing too
But to pray is the vital part
Of all we say and do

For as we pray toward
The hope to which we live
We will better honor the Lord
With what we do and give

To give is well and good
To ‘do’ our part is fair
But to live and love like we should
Begins and ends with prayer

The good of love's kind quest
Is better every day
As we are blessed with Mercy's best
Because we pray and pray

Then, what seems commonplace
Turns into worship where
Exceedingly abundant grace
Works God's pleasure through prayer 

© Janet Martin

We may not be able to help everyone but everyone can help someone,
hopefully beginning with prayer and seeking to honour God
in all we give and do!

Eph.6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions 
with all kinds of prayers and requests. 
With this in mind, be alert 
and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.


Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times 
and not lose heart:


Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, 
but in everything, by prayer and petition, 
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Friday, January 21, 2022

Of Barren Page



I never know what waits each morning to fill the 'barren page'...
Do you?
But one thing I endeavor always; to pray before I touch it!
Do you?

As I wrestled with what today's poem would be
the sky softened and ink and light unfurled
in a tender tango of waking poem and world...




We are all poets in a sense...
some intense in our adherence to strict measures of time
others are free as the wind, these versifiers paying
no heed to things such as meter and rhyme
but...
Be careful dear
the now and here
soon sheds its heady bloom
but cannot quell
the drops that fell 
in poetry and plume


The beckoning of barren page is like a garden plot
Waiting the plant and printed wage of seed and ink unfurled
The poetry of plume and pen gladdens our eyes and thought
Where bowers brim with bloom again in spite of winter’s world

The lure of barren page is like a bud not opened yet
Or like a gift, before we tug the wrapping from its smile
Or like the skyline stoked with daybreak’s stoic silhouette
Keen expectation trembles where still-veiled vistas beguile

The potential of barren page is like a fallow field
Or summer in the silent, snow-white stage of its prelude
A seed or word may seem so small, but, what a mighty yield
Instills the syllables that fall on halls not long subdued

The grace of barren page is like God’s gift of brand-new day
Where soon we spill to its façade, deed’s seeds, thought’s drops of ink
Where masterpieces wait to be; then oh, we ought to pray
Because love’s plume and poetry begin by what we think

© Janet Martin

Phil.4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, 
whatever is true, 
whatever is noble, 
whatever is right, 
whatever is pure,
 whatever is lovely, 
whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

For Better or For Worse Love's Fool-proof Evidence

There is only one fool-proof instruction manual for love:
God's Word, The Holy Bible
There is only one perfect example of love:
God's Son, Jesus
There is only one name above every name:
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Phil.2:9-11

...for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,
1 Kings 8:39

...for the Lord searches all hearts, 
and understands every intent of the thoughts.
1 Chron.28:9

...for God sees not as man sees, 
for man looks at the outward appearance, 
but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Sam.16:7

(A perk of not finishing a morning post till tot is in for an afternoon nap?
some lunch snapshots.😊)

Pots and pans can help us cook up quite a visually-appealing lunch-feast!
(I am always astonished at how a mountain of spinach
disappears when cooked)





This medley of stir-fried onion, green and red sweet peppers,
 celery, carrot and spinach
 topped with a scoop of quinoa, 
a splash of soy sauce
and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds was yummy!
For the first time I cooked un-gummy quinoa


thanks to this post;
😋
Besides pots-and-pans feasts,
Thoughts of man can cook up quite a feast too!
Whether with mind or mouth, 
we become what we regularly feast on.

For better of for worse God knows the intent of the heart
He sees beneath façade of skin that clothes the counterpart
Of longing’s smart and rebel pride,
Of cupid’s dart and dreams denied
His tender gaze beholds the ways of mortal’s mental art

We soon expose, in spite of clothes the thought-guests that we host
The ilk of word and deed soon shows what God/gods we love the most
By what we boast and what we crave
By who we toast astride the grave
By how one lives the Now grace gives; Heaven or earth-engrossed

When circumstance upsets The Plan, when tolerance is tried
When song and dance of fellowman obstructs the prudent stride
For better or for worse God knows
Whether we bless or curse want’s woes
Without a word the heart is heard and seen; nowhere to hide

The intent of the heart becomes tomorrow’s testaments
A catalyst of sacred crumbs scattering recompense
Where, someday we will give account
For seeds that spill from fleeting fount
To strew behind, from heart and mind, love’s fool-proof evidence

© Janet Martin

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

More Than Moments Can Estrange


Just as the constant surge of water shapes the shore
so our words and deeds shape so much more...



Two years ago we were enjoying the stunning scenery of Canada's east coast.
They are now bracing themselves for (or weathering) Hurricane Teddy
Praying for safety and warm, dry places for all to have shelter!


Like waves that wash across the shore 
The impact of exchange 
Twixt man-to-man is always more 
Than moments can estrange 

The tender or the angry glance 
The cruel word, or kind 
Leaves impressions called influence 
Upon the heart and mind 

This wave that rushes and retracts 
By virtue, will impart 
And influence what it impacts 
...the shoreline of the heart 

Therefore, we at the mercy of 
The touch of fellowman 
Should heal, not wound, not hate but love 
By every means we can 

© Janet Martin

Monday, September 21, 2020

The Futility of Poetry/Words Alone...



Better to walk than talk it 
For who we serve shines through 
And words will often mock it 
If they spar with what we do 

Better to live love’s token 
Than write them in a song 
Love that is simply spoken 
Is like a clanging gong 

Better to be a sermon 
Rather than just sit by 
For words can weave a poem 
But second miles don’t lie 

Better to serve God wholly 
With kind humility 
For all our boasts are lowly 
Compared to Calvary

Better to guard heart-lockets
Than paint a fine façade 
Better to walk than talk it
And leave the rest to God

Fear God; keep His commandments
This whole duty of man
Speaks louder through obedience
Than any fine speech can

© Janet Martin

Ecles.12:13-14 NKJV

 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter;

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, 
and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. 
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Monday, June 29, 2020

The Awe of What Yet Waits...(or The Forwardness of Time)


 Yesterday, at the close of our worship service our pianist thanked God
not only for what He has done but for what He is going to do!
Isn't that an amazing Anticipation to start a new week on...
the hope and assurance of what He yet will do!



The forwardness of time is something none of us can overpow’r
And who of us can force the bud or pull its petal into flow’r
The finer things of love and life are not its passions we pursue
But rather the peace He will tender as we surrender anew

The ether tulle that tints the crepuscule that snuffs the dimming day
Soon dons the brush that spawns the blush that yawns the hush of night away
To kindle in the dwindling barge a charge that sparks the sacred toll
Where time’s sliver of light we see is but eternity’s keyhole

The say and do of me and you in time’s grand scheme may seem minute
But ho! The seeds of words and deeds will without fail unveil its fruit
And what seemed of small recompense when falling from our hands or lips
Becomes the bedrock or the bog whereby somebody stands or slips

The way we are can scar a soul without the holiness of God
He grants the grace that makes us whole in spite of holes in our façade
Where without Him the forwardness of time is a grim enterprise
Because it leaves us without hope when death has cut us down to size

The forwardness of time does not return us to yester’s despair
Its ladder that we climb is anchored in God’s everlasting care
Where all that he has done does not exhaust the mercy dawn makes new
But ushers with the rising sun the awe of what He yet will do

© Janet Martin

"Oh God, will you give me the song to share today?"
I prayed before I clicked Youtube 
And the song below was the first 'suggestion'!!
perfect.
No better words to start a day or week on!
Thank-you Lord!

 

A friend sent me this song today after reading this post.





Sunday, April 26, 2020

Seek (don't just sit)




Effort sustains reward
Faith’s diligence, though vision-blind
Sees fitly through God’s word

Seek Him, not worldly sense
Often opinion-bold
Of riches yet untold

Seek Him, and weep with joy
And we with meeker hearts reply
That Christ is Lord indeed

Seek Him, lest unawares
Banking on what we feel
Set by visual appeal

Seek Him, while Time remains
Do not some Bygone grieve
All who trust and believe

Someday, ah who knows when
The trumpet of the Lord will sound
And what will we say then

© Janet Martin