Another Porch ...A Poetry Blog

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

The Key/Path To True Happiness

Happiness is not listed with the fruits of the Spirit,

however, happiness is promised to those who trust in and obey the Lord.

( we just might need to take a closer look at what we define as happiness

and who our 'happiness' serves) ooh

Happy/blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Ps.144:15

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

Jer.17:7

Happiness is the the phoenix that rises

from the ashes on the altar of sacrifice/obedience

So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight

in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

1 Sa.15:22

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,

and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,

this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

The law of liberty is not freedom/permission to

do what we prefer, but rather to trust God (who) works all things for good

to those who love Him are called according to His purpose (not ours)

Rom.8:28

John 13:17

If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Romans 2:13

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,

but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Luke 11:28

But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

1 Peter 3:14

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

“Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”

James 1:22

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

The path to the house has been cleared so we can get to the front door!

The path of righteousness has been cleared too, not by a shovel

but by a Shepherd 🙏

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And acknowledge the selfishness, that hinders true humility

That frustrates full surrender to He who knows and supplies our need

His love, faithful, tender and true secures the law of liberty

He cannot keep in perfect peace, the mind that is not stayed on Him

Who prefers rather, to appease the ways of want with willful pride

And cater to the nature that justifies stubborn wish and whim

Rather than honour the Creator who is able/faithful to provide

The Way, The Truth, the Life is not a 'pick-your-flavour-of-the-day'

His commands are not optional, but He gives us freedom to choose

To accept the duty of man; fear God, keep His commands, obey

He, who authored salvation's plan and paid its price. Or to refuse

With God all things are possible; why are we so deceived by sight?

Making logic more credible than He who rules seas, tempest-tossed

And numbers stars; who through His word grants wisdom to know wrong from right

A Shepherd who is undeterred and leaves the fold to seek the lost

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And recognize that selfishness approves the wayward ways of sin

We first must bow in thankful wonder before He who fills our need

Who rent the temple's veil with thunder so that all may enter in

So that all may find sweet rest for souls that once were lost, like sheep

For all who trust the Lord are blessed; who make His law their chief delight

So that we need not fear the vales that wind through Unknowns, dark and deep

The Shepherd, whose love never fails leads us till faith is turned to sight

Psalm 95:6-7

O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

Monday, February 17, 2025

A Picture (Full of Pictures)

My current roles as a member of my family are daughter, sister, wife, mother,

grandmother, aunt, niece, sister-in-law, mother-in-law,

Those to whom I was granddaughter and daughter-in-law have passed on)

In Ontario we are celebrating Family Day!

My thankfulness for family has been refined

in 2024 like never before

and my heart wears an unutterable ache

for all whose family circles this year have a gap

where Loved One used to be.

In place of warmth and vitality, a precious picture...

A picture full of pictures!!

Our Family/Valentine's dinner planned for last night

will hopefully happen next Sunday!

Postponed due to weather

Thankfully we had a few eager volunteers who 'ventured' out to help mom-dad,

grandma-grandpa eat a big pan of stew and strawberry pie 😊😋💝

and one more, courtesy of Grandson

Each day God gives us a fresh start

To develop a work of art

That, when we go from whence we came

Will be the picture of our name

Will be the echo of our creed

The heirloom cast by word and deed

An everlasting legacy

Of love for God and family

Each day we ought to bear in mind

The part of us we leave behind

The one thing that death cannot claim

The precious picture of a name

How humbly aware we should be

Of lovely little words like 'we'

And 'us' and 'family' and such

Before one slips beyond our touch

Each day bestows to all a brush

With daub and splash, with pull and push

And often without second thought

The hues of love and life are wrought

Where we have none but self to blame

For the picture of our name

That will unveil ultimately

Our love for God and family

Each day lengthens and shortens life

...as sister, brother, husband, wife

As father, mother, daughter, son

Someday the picture will be done

A keepsake that we cannot see

But leave behind for family

A treasure that death cannot claim

The precious picture of a name

Our Father who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name...

Matt.6:9

Sunday, February 16, 2025

All This And Heaven Too

Enjoying a Snowbound Sunday!

Proverbs 3:19-20
The LORD founded the earth by wisdom

and established the heavens by understanding. /

By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open,

and the clouds dripped with dew. (or snow??)

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities,

His eternal power and divine nature,

have been clearly seen,

being understood from His workmanship,

that men are without excuse.

Colossians 1:16
For in Him all things were created,

things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

things were created through Him and for Him.

Psalm 104:24
How many are Your works, O LORD!

In wisdom You have made them all;

the earth is full of Your creatures.

Jeremiah 10:12
The LORD made the earth by His power;

He established the world by His wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

Where every window frames a masterpiece by God unfurled...

And bids us find a cozy seat to marvel at the world...

Where every window frames a masterpiece by God unfurled

And bids us find a cozy seat to marvel at the world

Where the Creator fills the earth with galleries, snow-spun

And awestruck creature thrills in works of art second to none

Where every season brims with boundless beauty to behold

And humble hearts thunder with hymns as God's name is extolled

(Where we are all without excuse; God's qualities unfurled

In evidence unloosed since the creation of the world) Rom.1:18-20

Where to witness mankind's delight must bring God pleasure too

As we approach Faith Turned To Sight, when all will be made new

But, until then He grants a world of unplumbed majesty

Gazillion autographs untwirled for everyone to see

Where He maintains the matrix of four-season ebb and flow

A collage of mosaics swirls blue sky, green grass, white snow

Until it seems each season tries to boast the finest view

While, every heart a poet sighs, All this and Heaven too'

Janet Martin

Saturday, February 15, 2025

A Poem About the Tempter and God's Everlasting Arms

Today's post kinda evolved as the morning dissolved...

It began with the passage below- today's Our Daily Bread Scripture reading...

12 For the word of God is living and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing

even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow,

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight,

but all things are naked and open to the eyes

of Him to whom we must give account.

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest

who has passed through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,

but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb.4:12-16

This morning my waking thoughts turned to today's young parents.

Sometimes my heart/prayer groans for those

who are training up future generations;

Teaching us(them) that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,

we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Titus 2:12

Mankind's enemy since the beginning is the Tempter.

Gen.3:1

Now the serpenta was more crafty than any beast of the field

that the LORD God had made.

And he said to the woman, “Did God really say,...?

He succeeded in deceiving Eve, and Adam also,

and sin entered into the previously perfect world.

where only a perfect sacrifice could wholly redeem sinful humanity,

And so God, eternally perfect sent His Son/Himself!

'For when we were still without strength,

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom.5:6

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God—

John 1:11-12

***

I'm in a season of life where children no longer

climb into my lap in the morning, or snuggle up beside me.

In that season, young mothers often find morning devotion-time interrupted!

I am in a season of life where I can be the child, in a sense,

climbing into my Heavenly Father's lap or snuggling at His side

as I wake up, for reassurance, attention, love and kind affection

that every child needs!

But ho!! The Tempter is there as well, so it seems!

trying to draw me away from being still

to ever present distractions and tasks!!

I sat down with a coffee to begin my 'devotions'

then decided I should start the fire first,

then I noticed I should rotate the dry laundry on wooden clothes dryer

with a wet load still waiting...

...then I thought I should fold the dry laundry immediately

to avoid more wrinkles...

...then, I decided to start another load of laundry

then, I noticed my house plants in the laundry room

were infested with little white gnats that seemed

to be feasting on the insecticidal soap spray

I treated the plants with a few days ago...

So I snipped off the heavily infested sprigs

and sprayed the plants and covered them with bags

to contain things

then I returned to 'my devotions'...

only to realize as I sat down that

the bird feeders are empty again!!

so I waded through the snow to fill them

because the hungry birds are fluttering

in unceasing flocks these snowy days...

...now, back to devotions. oops!

I need to add a log to the fire before it gets too low!!

While downstairs I remember I should take some food out of the freezer

to thaw for tomorrow night's family dinner...

The washer has stopped.

I should switch loads!

'get thee behind me, Satan,'

My coffee is cold...😑

The tempter still roams earth's summits; young and old, potential prey

Daring us to test truth's limits, taunting 'did God really say...?'

He, an unscrupulous charmer dared to tempt the Son of God

We, without God's word and armour cannot recognize a fraud

...cannot overthrow the liar, cannot discern right from wrong

Cannot purify desire, cannot be holy or strong

But, greater is He within us who believe God hears our prayer

All who trust the name of Jesus can conquer the Tempter's dare

Can, when doubt and despair cower lean on God's eternal arms

Knowing none can overpower He who frees us from sin's charms

How commonplace the appearance of love's sacred battlefield

Where God increases assurance/endurance the more that we trust and yield

How comforting is faith's solace; cradled in the arms of He

Who never leaves or forsakes us. What sweeter bliss can there be?

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms