Showing posts with label teacher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teacher. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Of Utmost Importance...


Anyone who is blessed with the company of children
in their day-to-day lives knows that much time is spent teaching and training!
Today's teaching moments at Janet's house included
how to crack peanuts from the shell...
(bite softly preferably with back teeth, to crack then pull apart with fingers)



how to hold on to the swing with arms when mittens are too poof-y or slippery


how to peel pomegranate...



how to draw a chicken...


how to take turns to help with the vacuuming...



The end goal of training children is a responsible, respectful adult.
The end 'goal' of an adult is ultimately,
 for better or worse, accountability to the Giver of life,
turning all training of all children into something with an eternal impact!

No wonder Solomon gives us this advice in Prov.22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go,
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

How imperative it is then, 
to constantly reevaluate/reexamine 
our hopes and dreams,
to keep our priorities pure!

Four-season circuits wheel unfazed by centuries
Like chariots of gold and teal they pass through fields and trees...

Time tries our hopes and dreams
While from dawn’s lowered barge
God replenishes mercy-streams
Sufficient for the charge

…to keep, comfort and bless
With Shepherd’s staff and rod
All who seek first His righteousness
And the kingdom/sheepfold of God

Four-season circuits wheel
Unfazed by centuries
Like chariots of gold and teal/silk and steel
They pass through fields and trees

From east to west to east
A feast of shadows spills
Where want is a voracious beast
No fortune-flaunt fulfills

…while hopes and dreams arouse
A surf of smiles and tears
That roll where dust-to-dust soon bows
Beneath death’s wreath of years

How miniscule the stack
Of numbered days of man
That charge the barge that draws us back
To where we all began

How futile zeal defends
Life’s dream-bedazzled splash
If no hope at its halt transcends
Earth’s vault of dust and ash

© Janet Martin


Friday, June 17, 2022

Thoughts About Tots (and their Teachers)


A row of  little shoes, 
Father's Day on Sunday,


...and late last night, tripping over Edison who shouted into the quiet kitchen,
'Hi, I'm Edison, let's sing along with Alphabet Pal!
are all part of what inspired this poem.
By the way, thanks to Edison and other alphabet-repeating gizmos
 Tots can belt out the abc's long before they go to school!
Imagine if we drilled them in eternal things the way we do the temporal...

Deut.11:18-21
Remember God’s Words
18Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;
 tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
  19Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home
 and when you walk along the road, 
when you lie down and when you get up. 
20Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, 
21so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, 
your days and those of your children may be multiplied 
in the land that the LORD swore to give your fathers.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; 
instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

It takes a village of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
 teachers, neighbors, childcare providers, etc.
to raise a child, but to train up a child in the way they should go (Prov.22:6
is mostly up to parents (*and grandparents)!

Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, 
so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen,
 and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. 
*Teach them to your children and grandchildren.



They trust us not to lead them into ways they should not go
They look to us to teach them so much that they want to know
This is no small or simple charge that follows you and I
These tots, so full of innocence and never-ending ‘why’

This is no brief commission we can annul when we choose
Once donned we cannot nonchalantly kick off parent-shoes
Tots are not little long; the stars they are trying to reach
Reflected in their eager eyes, see far more than we teach

The agelessness of truth is a beacon that does not dim
It is no shifting shadow that adapts to wish and whim
The manual for moms and dads is pure and undeterred
The sound and supreme counsel and instruction in God’s Word

To grasp astronomy, ecology, geologic worth/girth
Begins with knowing Who created the heavens and earth
The One who designed galaxies and rolling seas and bugs
Creates each little child we shower with kisses and hugs

The abc’s and one-two-threes are important to learn
But better far than shiny stars these tender triumphs earn
Is the sacred retelling of the One who made us all
No nursery rhyme is He who sees all creatures great and small

Children grow up so fast; Past echoes with the strange replay
Of scenes, that in a child’s childhood, we think, are far away
The feet outgrowing shoes, the boo-boos on elbows and knees
Soon fade into the fond, fine fabric work of memories

Children trust us to lead them; oh, forbid we teach a lie
To tots, so full of innocence and never-ending ‘why’
Who look to us to tell about so much they want to know
Tis no small charge to teach them about God who loves them/us so

© Janet Martin

Teaching children is a moment-ous charge
Small choices can make a big difference!
For instance, what books we choose to read to them.


Yesterday was HOT! 
A great opportunity to enjoy the shade with books
while a child delighted and astounded me with her
intuitive innocence!!


I forgot about photos till we were leaving to tackle other important tasks
on her to-do list; like trike😂💖



Friday, May 27, 2022

Sacred, Fleeting Season

Suddenly, as I worked on this post, I couldn't stop weeping
for all the precious children of the world!
(How often it is the innocent who suffer
where innocence untaught 
grows up not knowing 
what they know not)

How sacred is the virgin soil
Of childhood's innocence ...


It is no mere coincidence that a child loves to hear about Jesus!
Every child in my childcare has shown me unbridled delight as we pause
before lunch to thank God for our food with this little prayer

God is great, God is good
Let us thank Him for our food
By His hands we all are fed
Thank-you Lord, for daily bread
Amen

From wide-eyed curiosity of a one-year old to eventually joining in,
 their faces beam with pure joy from pure hearts
as we thank God!
(and oh, the glorious conversations this little prayer sparks💗🙏)

On the inside cover of  a vintage version of The Pilgrim's Progress


 is this certificate of acknowledgement to honor the recipient of the reward.


Imagine if we still handed out such noble literature in our public schools
 as rewards to students!

Today students in this system,  
as tender as 5 years old 
(if the teacher chooses to comply)
are taught/groomed to dispute the indisputable...
He created them male and female, 
and blessed them 
and called them Mankind 
in the day they were created. 
Gen.5:2

Jesus answered, "Have you not read that from the beginning 
the Creator 'made them male and female,'

However, from the beginning of creation,
 'God made them male and female.'

...and we wonder at the chaos and confusion of this age?!!
where by and large, the world has turned its back on God?!!
and ignores His everlasting Word?!!
Where defiled hearts defile innocence?!!

Evil as surely as good 
recognizes the sacred, fleeting season of childhood!

How sacred is the virgin soil
Of childhood's innocence  
How terribly accountable
Each one who tills and plants

Where evil as surely as Good
Recognizes this truth;
The fleeting season of childhood 
Soon sheds its tender youth

How then, we ought to sift the seeds 
That fall, so they will sprout 
A goodly crop, to choke the weeds
Of heresy and doubt 

Before planting time, brief and fair
Slips from the supple limb   
Remember the Creator, ere
They find no joy in Him

Janet Martin

"H-m-m! He's got one too!"
exclaimed Innocent Granddaughter at her observation
during little boy's diaper-change.
"Just like my baby brother!"

'Yes' I replied.
'that means he's a boy! 
If you 'got one' you're a boy!
If you don't, you are a girl!
God made it that simple and easy to figure out
and don't ever let anyone tell you any different!'

(Believe it or not, these unthinkable conversations are important today!!)

Eccles. 12 NASB
Remember God in Your Youth

12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, 
before the evil days come and the years approach 
when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”
; 2 before the sun and the light,
 the moon and the stars are darkened, 
and clouds return after the rain; 
3 on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, 
and strong men are bent over, 
the grinders stop working because they are few, 
and those who look through [a]windows grow [b]dim; 
4 and the doors on the street are shut 
as the sound of the grinding mill is low, 
and one will arise at the sound of the bird, 
and all the daughters of song will [c]sing softly. 
5 Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place 
and of terrors on the road; 
the almond tree blossoms, 
the grasshopper drags itself along, 
and the caper berry is ineffective. 
For man goes to his eternal home 
while the mourners move around in the street. 
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [d]broken 
and the golden bowl is crushed, 
the pitcher by the spring is shattered 
and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 
7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, 
and the [e]spirit will return to God who gave it. 
8 “Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”

9 In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge;
 and he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.

11 The words of the wise are like [f]goads, 
and masters of these collections are like driven nails; 
they are given by one Shepherd. 
12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: 
the [g]writing of many books is endless, 
and excessive study is [h]wearying to the body.

13 The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: 
fear God and keep His commandments, 
because this applies to every person. 
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, 
everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.





Monday, March 7, 2022

The Heart of a Child


Yesterday I was so touched and astounded
by the eager astuteness of our Sunday School kids age Gr.1-3,
as they answered the questions they were challenged with!
God bless you, diligent moms and dads aware
of the sacred blip before the heart of a child
becomes the heart of a young man or woman!

Eccles.12:1
Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, 
Before the difficult days come, 
And the years draw near when you say,
 “I have no pleasure in them”:



The heart of a child is like a pure, precious plot of sod
Pray, there we start to plant the seeds of faith and love of God
For when the soil is tender seeds of goodness gently root
And even in the green of life begins to bear good fruit

The heart of a child is such sweet and sacred innocence
Pray, there with utmost care, we are aware of Influence
To guard its supple yard with caution’s kind integrity
And to remember seeds are strewn by what they hear and see

The heart of a child is not soft and tender very long
How swift the gift of childhood turns into yesterday’s song
Then pray, we nurture well the plot where seeds we scatter grow
For the heart of a child is the most sacred soil we sow

© Janet Martin

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

The Lily-Garb of Innocence...


Last night we celebrated Grand-sonny's 5th birthday!
We have been blessed with five swift years of cute,
curly-headed curiosity and sweetness,
and once again as I marvel at the way
moments meld into years before we know it,
it sure makes me want to make the most of here and now!




Eager little sister, watching on the sidelines, suddenly leaned in with a hefty 
(greatly unappreciated) huff to snuff the final stubborn candles
 (you can imagine the response from Big Brother)
while we adults heartily assured him that his huff got there before hers. 😅


Checking out the next Lego project
(the ice-cream truck)
 Reminiscent of sweet summer days



Childhood’s pure garb of precious, carefree innocence is brief
Soon human nature starts to test sweet darlings with its grief
As moments mete the tide that ebbs and flows, composing Time
Across four-season shorelines rolls the rhythm of its rhyme

Ahoy, the joy of boyhood bliss must soon become a man
We who shower their cheeks with kisses should do all we can
To train and equip hearts and hands for childhood’s aftermath
As morn imparts momentous sands pouring to life’s footpath

To make the most of here and now is all that we can do
To waken senses to the ‘wow’ of Today, always new
To take our thankful place in the embrace of common task
And trust God for the grace that He will give us if we ask

The lily garb of innocence we all wore in our youth
Is handed down to those who trust us to teach them the truth
Then pray we look to He who is the Way, the Truth and Life
Before the Child must leave sweet play to face time’s tides of strife

© Janet Martin

Deut.11:18-20
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; 
tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
20Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates,…

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, 
bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.


Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, 
so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen,
 and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live.
 Teach them to your children and grandchildren.

Deuteronomy 6:7
And you shall teach them diligently to your children
and speak of them when you sit at home 
and when you walk along the road, 
when you lie down and when you get up.

Psalm 78:4
We will not hide them from their children, 
but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD 
and His might, and the wonders He has performed.

Psalm 78:6
that the coming generation would know them--
even children yet to be born--
to arise and tell their own children
Train up a child in the way he should go, 
and when he is old he will not depart from it











Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The Heart Is Tender In Its Youth...


Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
 before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say,
 "I find no pleasure in them"--

 Our church-family is blessed with many young families and LOTS
of tender hearts so it is no small wonder that one dear mother got emotional as she extended an invitation for volunteers to help with these precious not-for-long-littles!
(Of course, then I got choked up too because it reminded me why I do what I do...
sometimes on exhausting days it's easy to forget!)

Smile!! I say to grand-sonny, and this is what I got😊😂




The heart is tender in its youth
Like mist-kissed earth in early morn
How easy to believe the truth
Before the way of want is worn
And torn between belief and doubt
As logic from the liar’s snare
Begins to tamper with the sprout
That took root in youth’s perfect prayer

The heart is wicked at its best
Soon, soon the nest must yield its brood
Soon innocence falls prey to test
And clarity is misconstrued
As virtue and vice vex the place
That in the green of life was sure
Before the enemy of grace
Attempted to invade and lure

The heart is always soft at first
But soon its nature is portrayed
Through seed whereby mankind is cursed
Since Eve and Adam disobeyed
But Jesus paid sin’s debt we owed
Since Eden’s grief; At Calvary
Where only a Perfect Lamb’s blood
Was fit to set the captive free

The heart is tender in its youth
Then pray we take the time to fill
Its precious chalice with the truth
That soon the world will try to kill
But pray by then Truth’s roots run deep
So when the Tempter tugs and tries
With wolves that masquerade as sheep
The heart will know God’s truth from lies

© Janet Martin





Monday, May 21, 2018

Between Us 'Fledglings' or Feather-Fashionistas


My sister is more a 'fledgling-Grandma(1 week) than I of a little over a year's experience
 (we were grandma-to-grandma chatting for a little while this morning;-) 
but I am far more a fledgling grandma than my older sister
...and so it goes.
My niece is a more fledgling-mother than my daughter with a 16 mo. old, who is
  still a very fledgling mother as disciplining stage etc. begins 
and I am a fledgling 50-something learning how to wear and adapt to these feathers of change
...and so it goes!
My mother is a 'fledgling'-mid-70's woman adjusting to time taking its toll on vitality
(hard things to surrender for a mother of 10,
grandmother of 46(I think) and great-grandmother of 9, always willing to work hard)
...and so it goes!
We are all first-timers in whatever stage of life we are in!
...so, let's be more patient with each other 'cause we're all just learning!


Whether it's how to put muffin-liners in a muffin-tin or 
how to surrender certain freedoms to the beautiful 'bonds' of wife-mother-grandmother-hood...



We earn the right to teach by what we learn from slip-trip-fall
No voice is quite as seasoned as that of experience
Where it is not the stumble-tumble that decides it all
But what we do when we get up that makes the difference

The lessons we remember are not learned on pedestals
But in the muck and mire of desire run awry
For we are all students juggling wonder with upheavals
Fledglings at varying degrees of ‘learning how to fly’

There is no second time around this circuit we call life
Where everyone is learning how to wear time’s latest rage stage
And no one is too old to learn new lessons of joy-strife
All fledglings of a sort when it comes to time’s age to age

This keeps us bound to common ground of live-laugh-love and learn
Where change is like a teacher rearranging what ‘we know’
…and everyone should keep in mind this humble right we earn
As what we learn becomes what we teach to fledglings in tow

© Janet Martin

...and some 'fledgling' humor to keep us all from getting too pricklish...