Measure of Joy

The 'plan' and the 'pen' don't seem to be in sync these days...

This was supposed to be a poem about food/cooking-pleasure 

('cause its been a while since the *last foodie or Thursday-what's-for-supper-post)

but the poem took off in a whole other direction😂 

The joy of poetry!💓💗💝

(ya' just never know what you're gonna end up with at the end of a whisper-chase)

It bursts across horizon lines in orchestras of gold 

Victoria and I went out to the fence to watch the prelude break into full song!

 

Its good cannot be measured by a scale or spoon or cup 

Its pleasure, greatly treasured none can order for pick up 

Its prize no greed can garner; no miser its worth can hoard 

A candle-gentled corner, or musician’s perfect chord 

It sparkles in sheer beauty like sun-diamonds on the sea 

It blesses common duty with an apron’s majesty 

It lightens loads we shoulder with unbridled thankfulness 

It brightens the soul’s window with hope’s humble happiness 

It beautifies the pan and pot with culinary art 

It satisfies all that is not with a surrendered heart 

From founts of skin and bone its milk of human kindness spills 

It bounces like a beach ball, gleams like streams of daffodils 

There is no substitute for it; no alternate envoy 

No Panglossian surrogate can take the place of joy 

Or fill us with the perfect peace surpassing Reason’s nod 

Or bid the inner tempest cease with promises of God 

It bursts across horizon lines in orchestras of gold 

It births in us something so fine and wondrous to enfold 

It lavishes the ordinary with dazzling delight 

And makes us feel too very merry to play host to spite 

It keeps our fears in check as we count blessings, my, oh my, 

The greatest being Heaven (if forgiven) when we die 

Joy overflows the trouble that began after The Fall 

And causes us to tremble with the wonder of it all 

Joy makes us so much sweeter from the bottom of the heart 

Like licking off the beater and eating the whipped cream tart 

Like a boy going fishing after all his chores are through 

Like trading well-worn wishing for a great, big, fat Thank-You (God) 

Joy is a horse at full-gallop, joy is a purring cat 

The satisfying wallop on the sweet spot of the bat 

A holy, wholesome attuning to tick-tock’s tolling tide 

Joy is the closest thing to Heaven while we are earth-side 

Have you received its measure to cheer you upon your way 

Or marveled at the treasure God pours into jars of clay 

Have you trusted the promise that no scoffer can destroy 

And dusted off the book by the Author of love’s full joy 

Joy; it cannot be bartered for, it is no lottery 

Joy is the harvest from a heart of true humility 

Joy is the precious awareness of Mercy’s kind embrace 

Of pleasure in the measure of the treasure of God’s grace 

© Janet Martin

 

Phil.1:3-5

 I thank my God every time I remember you.

 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 

5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you 

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phil.2:1-2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ

, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, 

if any tenderness and compassion, 

2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, 

having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 

Phil.3:1

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! 

It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, 

and it is a safeguard for you. 

Phil.4:1

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, 

you whom I love and long for, 

my joy and crown, 

stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

*hopefully a foodie-post to follow this one!

I've been having lots of kitchen-joy this winter.

(most of the time without photos;-/)