Showing posts with label wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wisdom. Show all posts

Monday, February 12, 2024

Dear Henry Van Dyke (and a few other rare old writers/poets)



Books that touch me/move me as often and deeply as the one below
are far and few between!

Thank-you Henry!



You are my friend though you were gone long before I was born
And we have never met, save in words penned in days of yorn
You move me still, where once your quill traversed a barren page
To leave behind kind fellowship for folk of future age
To touch us in those places time cannot affect, it seems
No matter how it chases generations through its schemes/dreams

I love you, though to tell you is a joy deferred and weighed
In a balance that tips toward a door none can evade
Till then I'll taste thy turn of phrase with slow and sheer amour
To think that ink can keep alive what death cannot devour
To touch us with affections Time cannot thwart by its toll
As you arouse reflections in rivers poured from your soul

You make me smile and weep and laugh and sigh in sweet surprise
You steal my breath; earth moves beneath its motionless disguise
Oh, how I wish that I could shake the hand that shaped the thought
That gently cheers an afternoon, soon otherwise forgot
You touch me as if we were just a fireside apart
Sharing a glimpse of heaven as we commune, heart to heart

© Janet Martin

Below are a few examples why I love this writer so much!





Thursday, January 26, 2023

It's Not Easy But It Is Possible


This winter I have committed to sorting through
a lot of long-neglected corners and drawers filled with paraphernalia and plunder
of collections no longer relevant to the season I am in...Older mother!
And while mothering is by no means over, preschool and school children mothering is!
Leaving a lot of hard decisions to be made like
how many old art projects, canvases, folders, sketch-books, keepsakes do I keep?!!


My oldest daughter is at the other end of the spectrum, at the beginning of this journey
 and sometimes the only way I know how to advise her on
how to navigate a situation is because 
though the circumstances may differ the solution is the same for her season as mine;
 Ask God for wisdom then trust Him to provide!
Often wisdom comes through what feels like failure first.
But the important thing is that we don't give up!!
 Keep trying/praying! 



It’s not easy, learning how to fully lean on God to guide
How to trust Him without fretting about if/what He will provide
It’s not easy learning how to yield and say ‘Thy will, not mine’
And to rest in Him untroubled by His unrevealed design
It’s not easy, learning how to sacrifice each selfish choice
Taking God’s Word at His promises without doubt’s vexing voice
It’s not easy to be holy; we need God’s word in our hearts
To undo sin’s dark dominion and to thwart the tempter’s darts
It’s not easy to be faithful if we look ahead too far
But God makes it possible if we trust Him
Right
Where
We
Are

It's not easy, the relying on strength we do not possess 
But as long as we keep trying God unveils His promises 

© Janet Martin

Prov.3:3-8, 33-35

Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4And so find favor and [a]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [b]direct your paths.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8It will be health to your [c]flesh,
And strength[d] to your bones....

...The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
34Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Faith-forge...



This poem is inspired in part by a few stories I recently read or am reading...
the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and now, Moses!!
Also, the story of George Mueller
(the excerpt below esp.)


Heb.12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
 let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
 and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

The beautiful 'cloud of faithful witnesses' that encompass us
 challenge, inspire and encourage
 the ongoing stories of our own lives/faith still being written!
Take heart, fellow-friend!
Stories of faithfulness cannot be written in a hurry!

I began this poem yesterday morning, but it was not a poem
that could be quickly spilled....then tot-care gobbled up the day!

Last night my energy and concentration tank was so completely depleted
to the point of feeling like I was getting sick (but a good night's sleep resolved)
so this is yesterday and today's poem!

Below: a Celebrate-the-Very-Brief-Splash-of-Sunshine-with-a-Hot Chocolate-'Picnic'!



The answers that we seek in our hurry oft seem slow
When faith’s posture is weak, not meek but impatient to know
Doubt and desire wrestle as God tests love’s utmost part
(To be His chosen vessel is not for the faint of heart)

The high call of surrender grants no accolades unearned
Faith’s Author and Perfecter leaves no stumbling block unturned
But moves in ways contrary to sight’s acumen and whim
God’s rebuke necessary to expose wants not of Him

Encompassed by a cloud of witnesses, faith’s legions shine
As God fulfilled/revealed His promises and purposes divine
While waiting-seasons refined trust and taught them to endure
And be obedient because God’s Word is just and pure/sure

What sometimes seems like pleas ignored or forgotten by God
Or futile ‘waiting on the Lord,’ is oft discipline’s rod
To dredge the depth of the heart’s measure where His Word should be
To test the timbre of the treasure only He can see

What masters of disaster mortal’s lack of patience proves
When we choose to move faster than God's higher way behooves
When foolishly we plunder gates still barred to our request
Blind to redemption’s wonder waiting to reveal His best

God's providence instilling/fulfilling holiness, makes no mistakes
He tugs at ties unwilling until pride's resistance breaks 
And probes the hold that still denies Supreme Authority
Until faith's utter boast replies 'not I, but Christ in me'  

© Janet Martin

2 Tim2:3
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.




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.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Rubric for Reply

Dawn glimmers with God’s testament of unrelenting grace
Divine authority extends our breath/breadth of numbered days




Then how will we reply to He whose workmanship we are
Who stuns the dark with whispers that fling morning’s gates ajar





Dawn glimmers with God’s testament of unrelenting grace
Divine authority extends our breath/breadth of numbered days
Then how will we reply to He whose workmanship we are
Who stuns the dark with whispers that fling morning’s gates ajar

Conviction and opinion wrangle in the human heart
One, like a steadfast anchor, the other, a mule and cart
One an earnest contender for the Prize we cannot see
The other the defender of thought’s ideology

Aha, the law of love is so simple yet so complex
The order of its edict eager to delight and vex
As Conviction or Opinion leaps to the driver’s seat
To dictate the direction of the heart, then hands and feet

Opinion is perspective’s Chief, attained by logic's nod
Conviction is belief keened to limits ordained by God
Oh God, teach me to seek Your truth, not human-nature cursed
Opinion is so quick to speak; help me to listen first

Dawn glimmers with God’s testament of His mercy renewed
Will opinion or conviction govern my/our gratitude/attitude?
Breath of Divine Authority parts the gates of the sky
To He whose workmanship we are, oh, how will we reply?

© Janet Martin

this post was also inspired in part by this article.





Prov.3:1-9

The heading for this passage was
Guidance for the Young 
(dare I add, and not so young?)

1My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
2For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

3Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4And so find favor and [a]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [b]direct your paths.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8It will be health to your [c]flesh,
And strength[d] to your bones.

9Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

More Than An Outer-body Workout...


It's not the color of the page we are handed
but the colors we put on the page that matters most!



Yesterday morning captivating heavens enraptured our gaze...



This morning snow-kissed furrows startle us beneath bleak grays



Beneath the loads we shoulder we grow older tick by tock
Where stepping stones and stumbling blocks mete choice and consequence
Where quest of best intention is but jest in idle talk
Like leaves strewn on the sidewalk without much significance

Beneath daybreak’s deployment spills time’s elemental fleet
A most momentous matter of moment-matter's Grand Prize
Clock-jewels fuel duels between triumph and defeat
The heavy heel of hunger warring with want’s starry eyes

The merchant and the miser, the businessman and the bard
Will never quite see eye to eye while vying nose to nose
 For one weighs wealth with dollars, the other marvels where yard
And skies run wild with wonder. Well, we need both, I suppose

What cruelty we author when spite does not miss its mark
What masters of disaster we oft are in love’s fine art
But ah, student and Teacher meet where morning melts the dark
Creator and the creature never very far apart

Beneath the loads we shoulder we grow stronger as we age
Though first glance might presume the weathered plume is turning weak
Where limbs show wear and tear and youth’s green turns to silvered sage
The strength of gentled spirits far outshines the sleek physique

Beneath the loads we shoulder we grow older, yes we do
But pray, that in the course of steppingstones and stumbling blocks
Beneath the loads we shoulder we grow wise and kinder too
And pause to note the loveliness of leaves strewn on sidewalks


© Janet Martin

Psalm 104:24
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! 
in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.


By the time this post was complete the sun transformed the view...😊


Kind of like a parable because
The Son transforms bleak lives too!!


Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Life's Learning Curves


Imagine if we had visual signs to warn us 
when we are about to make a bad turn
on the road of  life...



I'd like to think they would make us at least think twice, right?


Dawn always looks so lovely and innocent...

Who knows what waits to rush its gates
and meld into The Road of Life...


No matter who we are, as we travel on the road of life
we are bound to meet them; learning curves.
Sometimes we are kindly spared catastrophe.
Sometimes we are not.
but there is a silver lining if we learn from these curves;
if we become a little slower to leap (to conclusions)
A little more willing to wait (for answers)
A little more like an owl...wiser😔

A wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard;
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

Author: Unknown

I didn't see a wise old owl in an oak yesterday
but I did get a few nice pictures of what I learned today are 
Double-crested Cormorants




Sometimes life’s learning curves can overtake us by surprise
Where oft we underestimate the hurts that make us wise
For better or for worse, want’s hunger is riddled with traps
Where consequence lasts so much longer than good judgement’s lapse

Sometimes life’s learning curves seem to take a quick, cruel twist
But we, by God’s mercies accrue more catastrophes missed
Yet, when the recompense that follows choice is stark and swift
What looks like loss at first allows us to gain wisdom’s gift

Sometimes we owe life’s learning curves a little more respect
Where what we think we know deserves a meeker intellect
God’s goodness bound to overthrow that which hinders His peace
Because the grace whereby we go is earnest in its lease

Sometimes life’s learning curves are blessings in bitter disguise
Because, sometimes scenery blurs discernment’s keener eyes
Then, sometimes Someone tips the cart by foolish impulse led
To turn ‘It’ (us) purer in the heart and wiser in the head

© Janet Martin


If any of you lack wisdom, 
let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, 
and upbraideth not; 
and it shall be given him.

The fear of the LORD 
is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise 
wisdom and instruction.





Monday, September 6, 2021

Of the Wonderful Worth of Work

Happy Labour Day!

Every good and perfect gift is from above..
James 1:17
even the humble spud!
Which was the fruit/gift of Saturday's toil!

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

All over our country we can find Help Wanted Ads and Signs! 
Some today, prefer a government cheque and idleness to
the incomparable worth of work!
If we are blessed with health and strength we are fitted for toil!

Some today strongly push an agenda where hard-working
labourers should give the government power over the proceeds
to dole and divvy, with discretion that seems to have rejected God's Word
and is devoid of His pinnacle of wisdom!

There is much in scripture to condemn idleness/laziness
and praise hard work!
Below is only the tip of the iceberg on 
what God's Word teaches about working and idleness.

Eccles.2:24-25 NIV
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink
and find satisfaction in their own toil.
This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?


Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks.

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.

She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
 that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness 
and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command:
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness,
not busy at work, but busybodies.

And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, 
and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 
so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold,
 it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles,
 and its stone wall was broken down. 
Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.
 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. 
All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.

Col.3:23
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, 
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The high calling of labour is a call we dare not shirk
To toil for God and 'neighbor' is life's greatest, worthwhile work
For the spoil of our toil, as we try to do our good part 
Will satisfy us with the joyful wealth of thankful heart
Where if we are so able by the health that God so grants
We ought to set the table through the work of our own hands
And give to those who have not because they are sick and poor
And live with the awareness of who we are working for
Then, with glad gratitude work hard and give the Giver laud
A servant in a vineyard whose Master is Holy God

Janet Martin

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

The Beginning of Knowledge...



The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov.1:7

I have been pondering the above verse for the past week;
how fear of God or lack thereof, affects every single decision we make!
Then, lo and behold, it was the key verse in today's Daily Bread Devotion!

All things were made by Him...





The beginning of knowledge is not by some college taught
But as we meet God through his Word and revere His commands
For what starts with a niggle in our hearts or in our thought
Will soon wiggle its way into our mouth, or feet and hands

The beginning of knowledge does not age-discriminate
We are all never too old to discover something new
Our Father up in Heaven is a God of love, not hate
We prove how much we fear Him by the things we say and do

The beginning of knowledge is to fear the Lord, our God
Then tremble at His word and reverence His holy Name
Do not stand in the way that wicked wanderers applaud 
The fool that loathes wisdom's instruction will be brought to shame

The beginning of knowledge is to recognize our place
Beneath the grace of God who forgives and sets sinners free
The fool does not tremble to think of 'someday face to face'
The wise seek godly counsel with fear and humility

Janet Martin

Prov.3:7
Do not be wise in your own eyes; 
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

Proverbs 14:26-27
He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence, 
and his children shall have a place of refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, 
turning a person from the snares of death.

Proverbs 10:27
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, 
but the years of the wicked will be cut short.


Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance, a nation falls, 
but with many counselors comes deliverance.


Isa.66:4-6
So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.” 5You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.” 6Hear the uproar from the city; listen to the voice from the temple! It is the voice of the LORD, repaying His enemies what they deserve!…