Perspective Pause

Jesus' words below are one of the most sobering

for all who profess to follow and believe in Him

Matt.7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 

shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 

but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 

 Many will say to Me in that day,

 ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, 

cast out demons in Your name, 

and done many wonders in Your name?’ 

 And then I will declare to them,

 ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, 

you who practice lawlessness!’

We serve best

who we love best!

We cannot conquer hate with hate.

We can only triumph over hate

with love.

Only love can abolish hate.

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not envious, boastful,

arrogant, rude, selfish,

irritable or resentful.

It does not rejoice at wrongdoing

but rejoices in the truth.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

Love never ends/fails.

1 Cor.13

Oh Lord, help us to truly love You

to truly seek your will

and truly do it!

Help us to truly love/serve you

 by truly loving/serving one another!

Proverbs 17:3
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, 

but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

Like a pale-yellow rose, dripping with Heaven’s flawless clime

The plush hush of first light crowns the tableau of daily grind...

Like a pale yellow rose that soon fades into Today

The plush hush of first light is eclipsed by the climbing sun ...

Like a pale-yellow rose, dripping with Heaven’s flawless clime

The plush hush of first light crowns the tableau of daily grind

And rouses us to tread upon the virgin Verge of Time

Where reservoirs of mercy overflow to humankind

Hope is a beacon hung from heights we cannot scope or scale

Love grants life’s Perfect Reason to weather its toil and strife

Because we are beloved by He whose love will never fail

Goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our life

Behold the glory of the Lord who grants another day

To better love’s track record and forgive our fellowman

Lord, Lord, help us to truly love, in Jesus name we pray

Let our heart’s desire be to live love the best we can

Like a pale yellow rose that soon fades into new Today

The plush hush of first light is eclipsed by the climbing sun 

Where, pray the Lord, before we rush headlong into love's fray

We pause to yield our cause to His with 'Lord, your will be done'

Janet Martin

1 John 4:20-21

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar.

For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen,

cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

And we have this commandment from Him:

Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

(Read the whole glorious chapter on discernment and love HERE)

Love Lifted Me with Lyrics by Alan Jackson

Charley Pride- Let Me Live

Faith's Security

Gen.3:1

Now the serpent was more crafty

 than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. 

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

Lord, pray our faith be established in You,

 so we are not misled by feelings!

Pray we know the truth of your Word 

so we are not swayed by our thoughts,

when the Tempter tries us with 'Did God really say...?

Heb.11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

How Firm A Foundation With Lyrics By Fernando Ortega

Lord, let Thy truth appoint 

Faith's steps, not blinding sight

And let Thy law of love anoint

Faith's patience and delight 

Lord, let faith's hopes and plans

Be subject to Thy will

Better by far Thy ways than man's 

Prone-to-self-serving skill 

...and let the thoughts faith heeds

Be ordered by Thy Word

So that Thy power intercedes

To keep faith undeterred 

So that the word faith speaks

Reflects Humility

So meditation's motive seeks

To ever honour/worship Thee 

O Lord, Thy faithfulness

Is faith's security

Thy loving kindness bound to bless

Each heart that trusts in Thee

Lest faith's footsteps backslide

(Lord, may it never be)

Let Thy eternal Word abide

To guide Faith home to Thee

Amen

Janet Martin

Ps.36:7-10

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

 For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light.

 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,

And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

Ps.37:23-24

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross 

 Keith & Kristyn Getty, Sandra McCracken - Official Lyric Video

His Love Cannot Fail

Whatever Be Our Tool of Trade

This cassette is in my stereo right now...

The death of Dolly Parton, 

the glitzy, glamorous Dolly Parton

 has tributes pouring in from those who knew her well, 

to those who met her once, unforgettably, 

to many of us who knew her simply through her

 face from album covers as she spilled, through her musical,

God given talent/gift song-shine into

the dark corners of  life!

Most tributes remember her love for people, life and Jesus.

From humble beginnings in a one room cabin in the Tennessee hills

to center stage, Dolly touched, moved, motivated 

and captured hearts through her

vivacious spirit and one-of-a-kind voice! 

A few personal Dolly favs, 

(more at the end of the post)

Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You (Lyrics)

He's Alive with lyrics Dolly Parton

There Was Jesus - Zach Williams & Dolly Parton - Lyric Video

Dolly Parton God's Coloring Book

None of us knows when we will be called from this life to the next,

but today, through our own God-given talent and ability

we may also touch those we meet with love,

doing heartily all things to the Lord

Col.3:23-25

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance;

for[a] you serve the Lord Christ.

But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done,

and there is no partiality.

2 Cor.5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 

so that each of us may receive what is due us 

for the things done while in the body, 

whether good or bad.

Whatever be our tool of trade to win our daily bread

In this new day the Lord has laid beneath and overhead

We all have this in common, dear; where ups and downs/smiles and frowns compete

 When life is through we will appear before Christ's judgement seat

Thus, whatever tools we employ in this world's diverse ranks

May we serve each other with joy and give God humble thanks

For each ability because, no matter what we have 

All life that is, will be or was begins with God who gave

...some till and plant, some buy and sell, some teach the gifted mind

Some treat the sick, some nurse the shell we all soon leave behind

Some sing, some cook, some feed the soul; that sacred Mystery

That will transcend time's transient toll for all eternity 

Whatever, in the vast array of tools of trade we wield

All that we think, do, say and pray, regardless of the field

Of expertise, we ought to toil with conscientious laud 

For both the sower and the soil begin and end with God

When we lay down our tools of trade, we will give account then

To He, by whom all things were made for His glory. Amen 

Oh pray, before it is too late, with mind, strength, soul and heart

We love and honour He who gave the tools to do our part

Janet Martin

Looks like today or tomorrow's tools of trade, for me

 will include tomatoes, onions and peppers!!

Hold My Hand

Coat Of Many Colors Dolly Parton - With Lyrics

Dolly Parton - The Seeker (Official Audio)

Dolly Parton - Silver And Gold (Lyrics)

Dolly Parton & Willie Nelson - Everything's Beautiful (In It's Own Way)

Dolly Parton - My Tennessee Mountain Home (Official Audio)

Unanswered Prayer? No, Never...

Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace,

 who through the blood of the eternal covenant

 brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, 

that great Shepherd of the sheep, 

 equip you with every good thing to do His will. 

And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight

 through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

 Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more

 than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus 

throughout all generations, forever and ever.

 Amen.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we continually thank God because, 

when you received the word of God that you heard from us, 

you accepted it not as the word of men,

 but as it truly is, the word of God, 

which is also now at work in you who believe.

Another day of grace bursts from Mercy's fount unfathomed...

Make prayer thy life-work’s precedence

Call on the Lord with diligence

And leave to Him the consequence

Of faith and hope and love

Though dust and ash may seem the fruit

Of hours-long divine pursuit

The will of God is absolute

His promises enough

Do not despair, whatever be

Recall once more, Gethsemane

With yielded heart pray earnestly

‘Not my will, Lord, but thine’

Then be not blinded by thy sight

Trust in the Lord; fight the good fight

Walk humbly and do what is right

And let thy light so shine

God’s thoughts and ways are higher than

The deepest discernment of man

What seems impossible He can

And in perfect time, will 

Then pray, humbly, unceasingly

Whatever outcome seems to be

God is at work in you and me

His purpose/pleasure to fulfill

Unanswered prayer? no never, though

The answers we sought/thought, do not show

God's reply refines what we know; 

His love prevails, so then

Repent, believe, trust and obey

His word is truth, both yea and nay

He will not forsake us, thus pray

'Thy will be done. Amen'

Janet Martin

Phil.2:12-13

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,

not as in my presence only,

but now much more in my absence,

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do

for His good pleasure/purpose.

CityAlight - Your Will Be Done (Lyric Video

Have Thine Own Way, Lord - acapella with lyrics

To Feel The Brunt of August's Kiss...

 How does one choose a few from a thousand frames filled with August fondness...

This sudden cloudy, cool spurt does something to the summer soul... 🍂🍂🍂

Besides August inspiration, today's poem is also a piece of my heart

as I watch our grandchildren, our neighbour's children,

 children that were once 'my childcare-children' etc....

 FLYING through sweet, fleet childhood!

Always a sense of letting go

Begins to tug, as August wanes

And pours a mellow, yellow glow

Through twilight’s leaf-and-petal-panes

While cricket-choirs serenade

The summer soul with stilted tune

And vistas gleam with earth’s aubade

Of misty morn, and hazy noon

…where wave on wave, we brave the slope

Held by the hands of August’s clock

That swirls hues in a kaleidoscope

Of zinnia, cosmos, hollyhock

Of larkspur, dahlia, hibiscus,

Of hills ablaze with goldenrod

While a strange sense of loss sweeps us

Though harvest heaps our hearts with laud

…as field and garden overflows

With Faith’s seed-rendered aftermath

And bare feet play arpeggios

Along the trampled garden-path

And heartstrings snag where beauty bares

Its soul but cannot drain its fount

And nothing in the world compares

With uncurbed blessings beyond count

…of menu-choices freshly-shucked

Or gathered in baskets and bowls

As day-by-day August is tucked

Beneath a blanket without holes

Thus, we cannot afford to waste

The essence of ‘remember when’

The timbre of have-and-hold’s haste

A cosmic crux/flux of Now to Then

Always a sense of ‘bittersweet’

Rushes the raw edge of delight

As earth and hints of Heaven meet

In touch and taste, sound, smell and sight

And script of ink, though it may fill

Fond phantom frames with picture-bliss

Cannot quite capture standing still

To feel the brunt of August’s kiss

To feel the brunt of August’s kiss

Is not for the faint of desire

The holy awareness of This

Can set the course of Yet on fire

With awe, where past and future meet

For one split-second, ere they part

 To Bygone's aeon, bittersweet

Like August's kiss etched in the heart

Benediction...

Dear Lord, make me kindly content

Where Augusts flicker as they fly

Through worlds of childhoods 

swiftly spent

To disappear 

in 

years 

gone by

And help me 

recognize anew

Momentous treasure running rife

In moment-measure pouring through

The hourglass of love and life  

Janet Martin

Happy 32nd Birthday, Melissa!

Dear Lord, make me kindly content

Where Augusts flicker as they fly...

Within or Without Hope's Happiness/Steadfastness

2 Cor.1:20

For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. 

And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

2 Peter 1:4

Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, 

so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, 

now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Romans 4:21

...being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.

God's promises and commands are non-negotiable! 

If either one were, then hope's anchor would be loosed!

Heb.6:18-19

Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, 

we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us 

may be strongly encouraged.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...

In Christ Alone

So much of life seems hung/strung from threads of-if-perchance-perhaps

Its care and strife can crowd our heads with visions of collapse

The volatility of all we see needs something More

To anchor Hope, and make the call of life worth living for

So much of joy seems tried by grief and disappointment's sting

The thoughts that we employ are chief of almost everything

Praise God! His Portion is enough to trump the soul's appeal

We are not at the mercy of the roll of fortune's wheel 

So much of what leaves us most awed transcends Thought's grandest ken

For all the promises of God are 'yes' in Christ. Amen 

So then, above all else we ought to feed Thought with God's Word

His promises, Perfection-wrought will keep hope undeterred

So much of what we fix our eyes upon is bound to fail

Where touch and taste and such disguise the Prize that will prevail

Where worldly lures of 'happiness' disillusion hope, when

They disregard God's promises of 'yes' in Christ. Amen

So much of bitterness of heart is caused by Thought amiss

What/Who we most love serves to impart hope's Fountain or abyss 

Praise God! When creature-quest is founded/grounded within truth and grace 

Of 'yes' in Christ, the rest is bound to fall in perfect place 

So much of what appears goodness, without the knowledge of

The power of God's promises, disenchants hope and love 

Without the Rock of God's commands, what-if, perchance, perhaps

Erects a house upon time's sands, predestined for collapse 

There is no in-between the lines of divine Yes and No

Oft lack of humility pines where praise should overflow 

But, if hope seeks its steadfastness/happiness within God's commands, then

It stands firm on the promises of 'Yes, in Christ'. Amen 

 

Janet Martin

Ps.119:19&32

I am a stranger in the earth:

hide not Thy commandments from me...

I will run the course of Your commandments,

For You shall enlarge my heart.

or NIV trans.

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have broadened my understanding.

Standing on the Promises - Alan Jackson - Lyrics

Hope's-Hearty-Hello-Hails-Hymn

Ps.116:5

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

yea, our God is merciful.

Ps.117

O praise the Lord, all ye nations: 

praise him, all ye people.

 For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

 Praise ye the Lord.

Ps.118:4

Let them now that fear the Lord say,

that his mercy endureth for ever.

Ps.119:49

Remember the word unto thy servant,

 upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

Hope's hearty hello hails

Fresco of moon and star

Dissolves...

Hope's hearty hello hails

Fresco of moon and star

Dissolves. The Hand that never fails

Draws daybreak's gates ajar

Today's teeming tide rolls

Across the sea and land

It rushes through our hearts and souls

Beneath mercy's command

...where poised Unknowns run rife

With life and death, and God

The age-old feet of trouble's strife

Are hope and mercy shod 

Hope and mercy endure

Transcending mortal woe

All who fear God, He holds secure

As praises overflow

...where joy and sorrow wings

Earthward with virgin zeal

Hark! from yon Heaven's belfry rings 

Hope and mercy's appeal

Thus we do not despair

No matter what appears

To rule the powers of the air

God's prevailing love/Word cheers

...and courage is renewed

Hope's anchor, though unseen

Rekindles hymns of gratitude

Where mercies intervene 

Janet Martin

First 'Things' First

Almost every time I face this screen

there is a battle between good and evil;

God and man...

When I succumb to the pride of fear or timidity

my words, whether written or spoken are sorely-flawed and lacking

'For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Tim.1:7

So here's to a new week of seeking God first,

Knowing we can cast our cares on Him

because he cares for us, qualifies us, equips us for

whatever befalls...

We are human; we fumble and stumble oft,

but when we give it all to God, 

He works through our weakness for His purpose and glory!

(for when we are weak, then we are strong!)

2 Cor.12:10

If eloquence is self-assured

Relying on the confidence

Of material knowledge-secured

Through life's school of experience

If the expression of our thought

Is restricted by mortal choice

Then we cannot think as we ought;

'God, tune our hearts to hear Your voice'

If we, without humility

Approach the podium of speech

How very wary we should be

Of what we are about to teach

If, without God to intercede

And take the lead, our gab to gird

We are ill-qualified indeed;

'God, tune our lips to speak Your Word'

For, if we live and move and have

Our being stayed in God, so great 

Then, by His eloquence we brave 

The charge of The Immaculate 

Aware of our rightful place

A vessel fit for service when

We rely on His truth and grace 

'God, help us seek You first. Amen'

Janet Martin

Acts 17:27-29

God intended that they would seek Him 

and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him,

 though He is not far from each one of us. 

‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’

 As some of your own poets have said,

 ‘We are His offspring.’...

Read the whole glorious chapter HERE