Sunday, July 30, 2017

Without A Doubt

The end of a dock serves up much food for thought!

Do you ever gaze at the clouds and wonder how it will be on That Great Day...?!
"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
Mark 13:26
While we marveled at twilight's beauty a sudden rain came out of nowhere to further enhance the dusk...
...and as suddenly as it came, it passed; NOT so with eternity!!

We prepare for many uncertainties; 
pray we do not ignore the one Certainty and thus fail to prepare for it; Death and its Everafter

 
The above words are lines in a sermon from the book A Man Called Peter written by his wife Catherine Marshall

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Summer Siesta or Summer Sea-yes-t-a-h-h-h





Where blue deep meets blue height
And wild blooms sweep each knoll
And streets are sand where hand in hand
Sweethearts and children stroll

Where song of sea and bird
And sigh of sleepy breeze
Delights the bystander to time
With melded melodies

The measure of tick-tock
Deploys but does not rule
It fills its nooks with tea and books
And twilight’s purple pool

The wherewithal of days
A splash of silver swell
As ripples break across a lake
Then fade into farewell

© Janet Martin

'Sea' you soon
(taking a little blogging siesta:)

...because summer is fading fast
and soon its lot of bloom is cast
and soon we will look back once more
to hear its echoes lap a shore
that slipped from gladsome grip to where
only our thought can
stand
and stare
...to scenes dearly beloved
that summer filled and felled
ere deep and utter whispers
of
Laughter and longing meld

Here is a peek into why I have barely touched a book, a bike or a cup of tea so far this summer...
but I have had more than my fair share of hugs and kisses,
and sound, sound sleeps that only complete exhaustion gifts;-)
Yesterday this little girl declared, Oh Janet, I love it SO much at your house! 
Sometimes I think there is just nothing bad in you..."I reassured her that, 'oh yes there is but her words make me happy all the same and I'm so glad she loves it here!'
... moments money and long bike rides cannot buy:)
We played 'Laura Ingalls' and pretended we were pioneers...
while we podded peas
...played with Baby

...and 'Pa' prepped lunch:)

...but we all need a break from time to time so here's to hopefully 
a bit of book-bike-tee-tea time;-))
between baby-bouncing-on-my-knee, of course!!

Something like this; Softly to  the Sea
(I'm SO in love with this artists music and photography!)

Friday, July 21, 2017

On Choosing Happiness



 Above is the front of a birthday card from one of my sisters...
the quote mom wrote in my card is this; 
Happiness is the art of making a lovely bouquet of the flowers that are within reach
 Here is a glimpse of literal flowers within my reach this morning...

The cover over new today rolls back to spill time’s gold and gray
Earth’s hills and vales a metaphor of love and life’s uneven floor
Where, in its course of no and yes we choose the bloom of Happiness
In spite of hunger’s hidden war we find much to be thankful for

Life’s circumstance and consequence will test the best of good intents
The wiles of us cannot evade the aftermath of choices made
So then, sometimes the path of Must is riddled with crossroads of trust
 There we pursue with consciousness the avenue of happiness

How hard to watch dear loved ones ache because of foolish choice I make
And harder still to watch them pay the price of love; kind, faithful stay
When oft I know that I had earned much more than ‘the other cheek turned
And I am stunned by forgiveness that helps me find true happiness

Humility can never reign where pride is god of heart’s domain
The hard knocks life let’s to the chin sets whetting stones beneath our skin
Where wise men hone hope’s humble will while fools lament their tent of ill-
Fortune; without words we confess the measure of our happiness

© Janet Martin

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Life's Call





In spite of all
That we have planned
We owe the world
A helping hand

No matter who
Or how or where
We ought to lend
A listening ear

So many words
To speak the mind
Pray that we choose
The good and kind

Arms hold and hug
Lips kiss and smile
Two feet to walk
Love’s second mile

In spite of all
We could-should-would
We owe life’s call
Our gratitude

© Janet Martin

 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
    and how good is a timely word!
Prov.15:23


Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Lo, What Through Yonder Heaven Breaks?





Lo, what through yonder belfry breaks?
To light Time’s gifted way
What Beacon of vast visage wakes
The wonder of new day

What grounds the pedestal where from
The roll of ages tolls
Where season’s sacred pendulum
Sets reason’s naked goals

What bends the deep with Imminence?
What tends this sweep of hours?
What probes inception’s innocence
And rends its robe with flow’rs

What grants the grace of second chance
To mankind’s foolish schemes
Where even in night’s dark expanse
Its faithful fathom beams

What, without fail evokes the dawn
And stokes the furrowed crest
And looks upon the fox, the fawn
And eaglet in its nest

Lo, what through yonder portal breaks?
What wakes this mortal sod?
What lights the world with gleaming lakes?
It is the love of God

© Janet Martin