Rightful Rebuke...

Witnessing the generous out-pouring of God's love through people, For my brother Dave and his family) and seeing answers from God that we, broken humanity can recognize, has rebuked my soul!

Oh, me of little faith

How oft God’s grace replies

And pours His mercies like a wraith

Through thunder-clouded skies

Oh, me of little boast

Save this, in Christ my Lord

Who always knows what I need most

In spite of love ignored

Oh me, so kindly blessed

With tenderness He chides

For He, a Father knows what's best

And lovingly provides

© Janet Martin

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?" Matt.14:31

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 

Matt.8:26

The Today-Tree...and Today's 'Dave Update'

How about this flower, suggested little Luke as we picked a bouquet for his mom.

No, that flowers is all done, I explained.

See its petals by your feet?

"Oh! You poor, poor flower" mourned Luke, "you will never be a flower again."

(I should pick it. A spent bloom retains its own special beauty.)

 The hour blooms then fades away

Its flower always in Today

While past expands its ether lands

And turns a color-world to gray

What was will not return again

Dusk seals each day with night’s amen

No pleading prayer ignites the flare

Of season’s scattered ash, my friend

We laugh, toil, sing and drink and eat

And oft forget, when life is sweet

The dearness of hours we love

Until sorrow stills dancing feet

And then we bow beneath the tree

That lent the bloom that bent the knee

…with solemn sighs we bid goodbyes

To petals of what used to be

…where flower blooms and then abates

Where mercy meters what yet waits

Where we who hold what dusk will fold

Learn to trust God for budded gates

© Janet Martin

 The Lord watches over you.

Ps.121:5

Today's 'Dave update'

Thank-you for your prayers!

His wife sent this update a few hours ago!

 Hi Everyone
Just a quick update on Dave, I phoned down to the hospital this morning to see how his night was, Nurse said he had a really good night, his breathing is good and he is taking bigger breathes. He even could cough up some stuff which made him feel much better. An Answer to our prayers, thank you for those.

I also had a good night sleep last night.

While We Learn To Trust His Will

 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: 

because he trusteth in thee.

Isa.26:3

 The weather, like life, sometimes allows sudden light to stream through the storm...

The Unknown groans and oft we do not know how we should pray

Mercy atones ineptness; God hears what we cannot say

From founts of faith His love and grace bids fear’s turmoil ‘be still’

While we, students of love’s heartache must learn to trust His will

There are no Unknowns to He who sees, not with mortal gaze

His precepts taught in forums oft foreign to mankind’s ways

How small the visage of us all; God’s Reason veiled until

We see Him face to face; for now we learn to trust His will

The valley; who could bear it without God to calm and cheer

His Ever-present spirit whispers and comforts our tear

While we with step-by-step dependence climb Time’s holy hill

And cling to He who holds us while we learn to trust His will

© Janet Martin

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
You are good and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
Ps.119:67-68

Stairway to God...and first update on Dave's injuries

Oh, sacred place of hope and grace and promises secure

The Lord will hear our cry and His reply is always best

No matter what befalls, the love of God is true and sure

And prayer is mankind’s solace when tempests of trial test

Futile for man to try to understand the mind of God

His thoughts and ways are higher and often misunderstood

For we see but in part; the Lord is merciful, His rod

Though it seems oh, so grievous is always for our good

Sweet hour of prayer, where God is there to comfort our plea

He succors our need and intercedes from up above

As ever, without limit flows His gentle sympathy

Where once upon a cross He proved the fullness of His love

Do not despair; our Lord is near, how dear His promises

He hears our call; his ears are always tuned to our cry

Where prayer is mankind’s stairway to God’s faultless faithfulness

His perfect intercession knows our need and will supply

© Janet Martin

SO much to pray for these days.

Please, pray with us for my brother Dave.

We are waiting word on his injuries after a work accident yesterday when

he was air-lifted to Hamilton hospital.

He is in much pain!

First update:

It appears that he fell onto his left side, and he broke his left collar bone, all the ribs on his left side, fractured bones in his mid to lower spine, he has a collapsed lung, and has a small tear in his spleen.

He has oxygen to help him breath because of his collapsed lung, and has a tube in his side draining out fluids.

He is in the Trauma Unit, and there is a nurse in his room monitoring him all the time.  He is in a lot of pain and is quite heavily medicated to try to control that.

At this time it looks like his injuries should heal on their own without surgery.

Let us continue to lift their family up in prayer, and pray that Dave will heal quickly, and that Karen and the children will have peace too.

Intricate Alloy

So much to learn as we train and teach...

Little ones have a way of teaching us when we think we're maxed out,
there's more in the tank than we thought!

They teach us the bigness in littleness.
...how to truly live in the moment!

Learning as we’re teaching

Intricate alloy

Bowing while we’re reaching

Training girl and boy

As they open for us

Ways we never planned

Innocence so precious

Guiding 'wisdom’s' hand

Biggest lessons rendered

By life’s smallest throng

Little child so tender

Leading us along

© Janet Martin